I won an Alienware m15x

[f4phantom2500]

Hey guys, as the title says, I won an Alienware m15x laptop in a contest. According to the contest rules, I have a $2100 budget to work with, and the lady that e-mailed me told me that I should be able to customize it myself...not sure how informed she is on this though, but I decided I should figure out what I'd get if that is the case.

http://www.alienware.com/custo...I1&SubCode=SKU-DEFAULT

Alright, so seeing as it's a gaming laptop, I figure the part of most importance is the graphics card.

There are 3 GPU options for this laptop:

256MB GeForce 8600M GT
512MB GeForce 8700M GT [+$150]
512MB GeForce Go 9800M GT [+$500]

Now, considering how much better the 9800M GT is than the other two, I figure that's the way to go...but it's pretty pricey. Since the base value of the system is $1500, that one upgrade takes all but $100 of the budget available to me. But I think it's probably the most worthwhile upgrade.

Now, here's the CPU list:

C2D T8100 (2.1GHz, 3MB Cache, 800MHz FSB)
C2D T8300 (2.4GHz, 3MB Cache, 800MHz FSB) [+$150]
C2D T9300 (2.5GHz, 6MB Cache, 800MHz FSB) [+$250]
C2D T9500 (2.6GHz, 6MB Cache, 800MHz FSB) [+$525]
C2X X9000 (2.8GHz, 6MB Cache, 800MHz FSB) [+$900]

From this list, I think the only upgrade that's worthwhile is to the T8300. Everything beyond that looks like it offers severely diminishing returns. But $150 for a boost from 2.1GHz to 2.4GHz looks relatively reasonable, all things considered.

So, with the 9800M GT upgrade and T8300 upgrade, this puts the value at $2150, which is just a hair over the $2100 budget. Hopefully they'll just let me pay them $50 or something, idk.

As for RAM and hard drive, this is where I'm kinda stumped. Their RAM upgrade options are ridiculously expensive.

1GB DDR2 667MHz (2x512MB)
2GB DDR2 667MHz (2x1024MB) [+$150]
4GB DDR2 667MHz (2x2048MB) [+$350]

What I figure I can do is buy a DDR2 800MHz 4GB kit off of newegg for MUCH cheaper, and just install it myself before I sell it. Installing RAM yourself does not void the warranty...however I'm not really sure how much actually opening the package and installing the RAM will effect my resale value. I could just include the 4GB RAM kit, but on the other hand some people might just rather have it installed. This is one of the things I'm kind of stuck on.

Now for the hard drive, this is the real problem I'm having. I'm not going to list all of the hard drive options they have, but basically the base one is a 120GB 7200RPM drive, and just the upgrade to a 160GB drive is $75. Not really worth it. Now, I'm not sure how much getting the smallest hard drive would effect the resale value. As I said earlier, I wanted to put as much money as possible into the GPU and CPU. Especially since a hard drive is an easy upgrade and you can get a nice 320GB 7200RPM drive for about $100. The dilemma I'm having is whether I should buy one of those hard drives and include it with the laptop, whether or not to install it, or if I shouldn't even mess with it and just tell the buyer that they can get a hard drive themselves for really cheap.

Another dilemma I have is that I saw one of these go on ebay for like $3000, and the guy just had a 250GB hard drive, 2GB of RAM, the 8600M GT, and just put all the money into the processor; he got the X9000. That makes me wonder if I should just throw all the money at the processor, because apparently that's what people on ebay go for.

So, what advice do you guys have? Remember the entire purpose of this laptop is to maximize resale value.

On that note, if anyone would be interested in purchasing this laptop from me (note I probably won't get it for a couple of months), let me know and I can try to customize it for you.

 

[IlllI]

skip the ram. you can always upgrade that later from newegg or wherever else.
basically all the options other than the 9800M GT can be upgraded by you later down the road, if you wish to.

 

[bamacre]

The one thing that will make a gaming laptop depreciate faster is the video card. Mainly because, they are not upgradeable. So, personally, I'd go with the "9800M GT [+$500]."

The next important aspect is cpu. T9300 may be the sweet spot there, fiscally. Nothing faster is a good value.

Then memory. I would see how difficult it is to upgrade the memory yourself. The reason being, they charge a lot for this. $350 for 4GB of ram is totally ridiculous. Maybe see if they can install a single 1GB dimm, and then add a 2GB module yourself.

 

[bamacre]

Here's some pictures, including internal shots...
http://techrepublic.com.com/23...3636_11-201797-30.html

Looks like memory modules are easy to upgrade...
http://techrepublic.com.com/23...797-201822.html?seq=25

 

[f4phantom2500]

Well the idea is I'm going to sell it ASAP, so I mean I just want to maximize the value for resale right now. bamacre, do you really think the T9300 would be worth $100 over the T8300, in terms of resale value? I mean doesn't the extra cache have a minimal effect since the T8300 already has 3MB? And the clock speed is only a 100MHz difference.

 

[bamacre]

Originally posted by: f4phantom2500
Well the idea is I'm going to sell it ASAP, so I mean I just want to maximize the value for resale right now. bamacre, do you really think the T9300 would be worth $100 over the T8300, in terms of resale value? I mean doesn't the extra cache have a minimal effect since the T8300 already has 3MB? And the clock speed is only a 100MHz difference.

Yes, especially if you're going to sell this (and I think that's a great idea, btw).

Your buyer is buying an Alienware laptop. Logic is not going to be used in his/her decision-making process.

But if the budget doesn't allow for the cpu upgrade, so be it. Don't skimp on the video card.

Also, upgrade the memory yourself. Looks really easy to do.

 

[f4phantom2500]

Originally posted by: bamacre

Originally posted by: f4phantom2500
Well the idea is I'm going to sell it ASAP, so I mean I just want to maximize the value for resale right now. bamacre, do you really think the T9300 would be worth $100 over the T8300, in terms of resale value? I mean doesn't the extra cache have a minimal effect since the T8300 already has 3MB? And the clock speed is only a 100MHz difference.

Yes, especially if you're going to sell this (and I think that's a great idea, btw).

Your buyer is buying an Alienware laptop. Logic is not going to be used in his/her decision-making process.

But if the budget doesn't allow for the cpu upgrade, so be it. Don't skimp on the video card.

Also, upgrade the memory yourself. Looks really easy to do.

Do you think upgrading the hard drive would be worth my time? If I do nothing I'll just sell it with a 120GB hard drive. But I mean, would it be worth the investment to get a 320GB hard drive?

 

[bamacre]

Originally posted by: f4phantom2500

Originally posted by: bamacre

Originally posted by: f4phantom2500
Well the idea is I'm going to sell it ASAP, so I mean I just want to maximize the value for resale right now. bamacre, do you really think the T9300 would be worth $100 over the T8300, in terms of resale value? I mean doesn't the extra cache have a minimal effect since the T8300 already has 3MB? And the clock speed is only a 100MHz difference.

Yes, especially if you're going to sell this (and I think that's a great idea, btw).

Your buyer is buying an Alienware laptop. Logic is not going to be used in his/her decision-making process.

But if the budget doesn't allow for the cpu upgrade, so be it. Don't skimp on the video card.

Also, upgrade the memory yourself. Looks really easy to do.

Do you think upgrading the hard drive would be worth my time? If I do nothing I'll just sell it with a 120GB hard drive. But I mean, would it be worth the investment to get a 320GB hard drive?

They're about $100 (320GB, 7200rpm). Tough call. Personally, I would. But make sure you get a Windows reinstall disk.

 

[Spicedaddy]

Get the fastest vid card, and the T8100. Upgrade ram to 4GB, and ghost the hard drive to a 320GB one.

And sell the thing for 5K on ebay.

 

[f4phantom2500]

Originally posted by: Spicedaddy
Get the fastest vid card, and the T8100. Upgrade ram to 4GB, and ghost the hard drive to a 320GB one.

And sell the thing for 5K on ebay.

do you really think the T8300 isn't worth it?

 

[tim924]

Best combo would be:9800m+T9300+1GB+320GB HD,then switch out the 1GB ram for 4GB ddr2 800 yourself.That way you could get the best value out of it.

 

[DarkRogue]

My thoughts:

First off, congratulations on winning such a great contest.

As others have said, RAM is extremely easy to upgrade, and almost all manufacturers allow users to upgrade the RAM with no penalty.
Generally speaking (and I usually only look at IBM laptops, but it should be similar elsewhere) the video card is likely the only component that is not upgradeable by some means as it is physically attached to the motherboard. The RAM, is of course, upgradeable yourself for vastly cheaper.

CPU is also upgradeable if you are not opposed to opening it up. Seeing the T9000 series up there, I assume that this motherboard readily accepts the Penryn CPUs, and as such, you can buy them yourself and replace it. A quick eBay search finds T9500's for about $330, and Froogle sees it available new for as low as ~$400, both cheaper than the $525 demanded. Plus you could possibly sell the T8100 for about $100-150 (judging by eBay.) This does, however, have the side effect of voiding your warranty should you screw something up.

Hard drive is also end-user upgradeable most of the time. As said, it is just a matter of buying a new one, cloning or installing a new OS on it, and go nuts. Resale value, I'm not sure if it adds much since it's so easily upgradeable.

Just my 2 cents, hope it helps.

 

[imported_obsidian]

Wow, talk about a ripoff on that harddrive upgrade. It should be fairly easy to upgrade that yourself too for $100. You can upgrade the ram to 4GB for $65 yourself.

 

[steveninspokane]

Before you go and build a unit and sale it theres something you should consider, That is the fact that you can not transfer the warranty, and with the amount of problems the m15x has been receiving, ( http://forum.notebookreview.com/forumdisplay.php?f=1018 ) the warranty is I'd say a pretty crucial thing to have. Now I for one wouldn't even consider buying a laptop from Alienware without the warranty.

Here is what I would suggest, See if the prize value is transferable, perhaps it is just a Promotion code that you can enter in the cart, that would be more appealing for someone to buy, and if you do decide to go that route, I am looking to order an AW here within a few days, and might be interested if you are allowed to sale the prize.

 

[Harvey]

To put the RAM and drive in perspective:

Newegg has a Seagate 250 GB SATA 3 HD for $70.

Frys.com has 4 GB (2 x 2 GB) Crucial PC5300 DDR2 Notebook RAM for $20 after rebate.

Hopet that helps.

 

[secretanchitman]

3 things you need to max, GPU, screen resolution, and CPU. rest (memory and hard drive) can be bought separately off newegg for WAY cheaper and swapped out.