Alienware's more modestly-priced Area-51 7500 gets reviewed

Alienware's Area-51 7500 series of desktops can reach some pretty lofty prices, but the folks at Computer Shopper recently got their hands on one of the company's recent, more modestly-priced configurations, and they've awarded it some considerably higher marks than its pricer predecessors. Of course, at $1,499, it's still not exactly a budget PC, but that does get you a decent 2.66GHz Core 2 Duo E8200 processor, 2GB of RAM, a 250GB hard drive and most importantly, two NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT cards in an SLI configuration. All that, Computer Shopper says, added up to some "excellent performance for the price," including some "flat-out great results" in their gaming tests -- results that only took a slight dip when they bumped things up to the DX10 test. On the downside, you do have to give up some of the more premium features like water-cooling or an upper-tier processor, but if you're looking to keep things well under the two grand mark, Computer Shopper says this one is about as good a bet as any.

[phanbouy @ May 29th 2008 3:56PM]

what possible excuse can you have for a 250GB drive in a $1500 desktop in 2008? and people bitch about apple's upgrade prices

[OneLove @ May 29th 2008 4:01PM]

...and time for a new case design.

[Abuzar @ May 29th 2008 4:18PM]

Because it's cheap to upgrade the HDD.

Two 8800GT don't come cheap. They have to have profits too. So they skimp out a bit on the HDD.

The best apple offers is ONE 8800GT and that's only in a Mac Pro.

[phanbouy @ May 29th 2008 4:26PM]

really? what's the profit difference between a 250 and 500 GB drive? $15? GTFO... yeah everyone does it (putting weak ass specs on the bottom rung machine to make upgraded machines more enticing), but we're well within reason to point out the hypocrisy of a "marquee" brand using a shitty ass hard drive to save themselves 1% of the wholesale price

[Zak @ May 29th 2008 4:29PM]

Apple doesn't sell gaming machines specifically, and Apple doesn't compete with Alienware directly. The 250 GB drive thing is a valid complaint when you're talking about an Alienware machine. 2 8800GTs is not that expensive, maybe $400.

Skimping on the HD gets them almost zero profit compared to just putting a 500 GB in there. The price difference is damn near negligible. There really is no good excuse for that.

[Abuzar @ May 29th 2008 4:31PM]

All I'm saying is if you want to talk about Apple's prices, you get much more here with the same amount of money.

Alienware charges 70 dollars more for the 500GB, and Apple charges 200 for the 500GB.

[Abuzar @ May 29th 2008 4:32PM]

You know I just checked, and you're actually right!

Apple charges 50 dollars for the UPGRADE, while Alienware charges 70.

[Zak @ May 29th 2008 4:40PM]

It's not really accurate to say you get much more with the same amount of money. Better gaming performance, sure. But it lacks everywhere else. Alienware PCs are really cheaply made, they feel cheap, they look cheap, everything about them is cheap. Except they're really expensive.

The point is that since Alienwares suck so hard in terms of general quality, you really are better off just building your own because it would be money better spent.

[Matthew Hilario @ May 29th 2008 4:42PM]

IT'S FULGORE FROM KILLER INSTINCT!

[Syntax Error @ May 29th 2008 4:00PM]

Anything Alienware should never include "excellent performance for the price" in the same sentence.

$1,500 and it only comes with a 250GB hard drive? That's just not a $1,500 computer considering 8800GTs only cost like

[Syntax Error @ May 29th 2008 4:01PM]

* < $200 nowadays.

Dammit, Engadget. :[

[roflercopterer @ May 29th 2008 4:01PM]

Anyone of us could build that for 1000-1100 or possibly less.

What a joke.

[Pochi @ May 29th 2008 4:05PM]

Yeah, but you also need to buy an OS. You also need to bang out the incredible cable origami that Alienware is known for by yourself (they really do a good job). And the case itself is extremely expensive (remember when they sold them separately?). It's a matter of "will the time I spend doing this balance out the cost of having someone do it for me." Usually it's not. I mean it's not some INCREDIBLE deal by any means, but it's not as bad as people make it out to be.

[Abuzar @ May 29th 2008 4:21PM]

I built a Quad core machine with 2 8800GT under 1200. This was with a CM Stacker(which I think looks much better).

Cable management is very easy. A lot of cases out there don't even have transparent side windows, so if it's a little messy, who cares?

[Deed @ May 29th 2008 4:56PM]

Honestly, if your cables get REALLY messy, then I reckon you'd have a bit of a job sifting through a load of coils just to replace a part. Even then, replacing it would probably be really hard with untidy wires in the way.

This is where the price comes from in prebuilt machines--the effort of putting everything together tidily, although I suppose that doesn't warrant a massive price. That seems to pretty much always some from cooling systems, though since this is lacking, I guess the price isn't that good after all.

[Jaxim @ May 29th 2008 4:03PM]

I don't understand why Alienware doesn't offer an option to install the Windows 64 bit version of the OS. If they did offer that I might consider buying from them. If they don't then I might as well create my own computer.

[Andrew R @ May 29th 2008 4:39PM]

Big reason - drivers.

Unless you very tightly control the h/w set being used, Tech Support for Win64 is a PIA.

Given this is being sold to John Q Public, that is something to be avoided.

They have stated several times I believe they will move that way once the general support for drivers is far better than it currently is

[Jaxim @ May 29th 2008 5:07PM]

But Alienware is a high end product. I would think most of the user would want this and know a thing or two about handling drivers. Plus, they could make the 64bit option really hard to select. They could even have it only available for phone orders and only if you request it by name. If a user has to go through a high level of effort to obtain the 64 bit version, then it's more likely that that user will be knowledgeable about computers.

[eggothewaffle @ May 29th 2008 7:55PM]

Vista 64 has fantastic driver and software support, especially for gaming...I would know, I'm running it and couldn't be happier :D

[Pochi @ May 29th 2008 4:03PM]

"It is our most... modestly priced... recepticle..."

[phanbouy @ May 29th 2008 4:09PM]

GODDAMNIT! IS THERE A RALPH'S AROUND HERE?!

[Kaiser-Machead @ May 29th 2008 4:11PM]

The Ralph's on Church and Chambers closed down. :(

[Kaiser-Machead @ May 29th 2008 4:11PM]

As Pochi said, Alienware does a hell of a job with the internal layout.

It's just a shame that the cases themselves are ugly as sin.

[Zak @ May 29th 2008 4:18PM]

The cable layout isn't that great in Alienwares, I've owned one myself. And the cases are just standard generic PC cases with a plastic overlay. You're really not getting much more for your money than what you could build yourself. The documentation that comes with it is photocopied and put into a cheap three ring binder... lol. Even with their cheaper models, they're really just gouging the hell out of you.

[Kaiser-Machead @ May 29th 2008 4:24PM]

I don't deny that Alienware is overpriced, but as for building yourself, that's a different story altogether. I can arrange cables nicely, I just don't wanna :P

Anyway, I couldn't plunk down any change on something that looks like it was designed by 14 year olds from Roswell, especially when I can get just as much power in a more reasonably attractive case for much less.

[Cal @ May 29th 2008 4:17PM]

Can it play Crysis?

[JMMGoalster @ May 29th 2008 5:41PM]

i think the better question is can you stop asking that?

[disciple83 @ May 29th 2008 4:20PM]

ASUS P5B mobo - $94.99
OCZ SLI-Ready Edition 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM - $98.99
Intel Core 2 Quad Q9300 Yorkfield 2.5GHz - $274.99
EVGA GeForce 9600 GT 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI-x x2 - $298.98
COOLER MASTER Centurion 590 Bk Computer Case - $59.99
RAZER Barracuda AC-1 7.1 Sound Card - $139.99
PC Power & Cooling Silencer 750 Quad (Black) 750W Power Supply - $149.99
Seagate Barracuda ES 250GB 3.5" SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive x2 - $158.99

$1374.99 Thanks Newegg!!!

[Abuzar @ May 29th 2008 4:25PM]

You're a dumbass. The P5B doesn't support SLI you idiot. The Q9300 isn't worth getting, the Q6600 is a better deal. That PSU is WAY more than you need. A Corsair 650TX will easily run two 8800GT in SLI, and it only cost me 65 bucks! What a waste of money to get that sound card.

[Kaiser-Machead @ May 29th 2008 4:25PM]

That would be at cost. If a computer company put it together for you, they'd be justified to charge more than the cumulative prices of the components (however amount would be considered reasonable) to make overhead and keep the company going.

[phanbouy @ May 29th 2008 4:29PM]

take another look, Machead; those specs are all better one by one, including dual HDDs. so he picked the wrong PCB; add in another $25 for one that supports SLI and you have something that alienripoff would probably gouge you $2K for

[disciple83 @ May 29th 2008 4:31PM]

@Abuzar

The sound card isn't a waste of money if it draws away clock cycles from the CPUs and has an optical input so I can run it through to my Home Theater system. And OMG I'm sorry I missed the N on the P5N mobo. Typos happen, go make a home movie on your imac or something.

[Abuzar @ May 29th 2008 4:33PM]

Still ALineware is a rip off. There are better companies out there(Me!) lol

[Abuzar @ May 29th 2008 4:35PM]

BTW, I kinda hate using Macs, so I don't get that iMac comment.

[Kaiser-Machead @ May 29th 2008 4:44PM]

@phanbuoy,

Um...and? I'm not arguing specifically for Alienware, and I don't really give a shit if there's a mistake in that list. Anyone can schlep about and find powerful components and put their own machine together and spend less than they would on any comparable pre-built, but the pre-built has a better warranty, and has the added convenience of removing the necessity to schlep about to get those components, then take the time to put it together. There's no way around this fact.

[disciple83 @ May 29th 2008 4:56PM]

to settle this little skirmish between phanbuoy and Kaiser, may I add something to both sides?

Phanbuoy, you're right, DIY machines always give you a bigger bang for the buck.

Kaiser, you're right, DIY machines lack finesse and warranties of corporate machines.

Disciple, but with companies like newegg who can ship parts out same day for an additional cost still lower than the cost of an Alienware, I can receive the parts within the week and build it on a weekend, still beating the alienware machine by three weeks. And with machines that harness this kind of kickassery, it's easy to determine that the parts won't stay in the box long before they get put up on ebay for the next big thing, so warranties are pretty worthless anyway. And while I've never gotten a wiring job to look anywhere close to Alienware's, it doesn't really do any good for alienware to pack it the way they do if you can' show it off without opening it up and blowing the warranty anyway since it lacks windows. As long as my parts stay frosty, I don't care what it looks like on the inside, it's what it shows me on the screen as fast as it can that counts...

We now return to our regularly scheduled pissin' contest.

[Abuzar @ May 29th 2008 7:47PM]

All decent motherboards have Optical out, and when you have a Quad core you don't really worry about it taking clock cycles away from the CPU.

[donkamero @ May 29th 2008 6:14PM]

Whats Crysis?

[REV @ May 29th 2008 4:29PM]

Yes, as much as I appreciate Alienware's commitment to hard-core gaming rigs, those ass-ugly cases really put me off.

I wonder what they'd say if you called and told them "I'm ready right now to place an order for a new $5000 system, so long as you guys can offer me something besides the stupid alien-head cases"?

Would they turn you away, or do they perhaps have some more normal-looking cases on hand for such occasions?

[Kaiser-Machead @ May 29th 2008 4:47PM]

They'd probably charge you even more than that just to fabricate a custom case just for you. It seems that the foogly boondoggle of design extends throughout their entire lineup

[will @ May 29th 2008 7:57PM]

I thought it was a phone when I first saw the photo--then lost interest when it was a desktop case. It would be a badass looking phone, though.

[DrewUNCC @ May 29th 2008 8:22PM]

does anyone know if you have say an 8800gts & want to add an 8800gt if the performance will be combined or
if the 8800gts will bring the speed of the gt?

[spoon @ May 29th 2008 5:41PM]

If you can build it better and cheaper, then this computer's not for you - move along. This is for the dips like me who have no skills nor friends.

[Brian @ May 29th 2008 8:35PM]

What they don't say is that you'll never be able to upgrade those 8800gt's to better video cards. The PSU is far too small to run two 9800gtx's... it probably can't even run 8800gts 512mb's.

These cards run at 300W, full load, each.

[Brian @ May 29th 2008 8:36PM]

No, you can only SLI the same cards.

[raging_hamsterx @ May 29th 2008 11:53PM]

but will it play doom?