Torn between PCs

[fourforcack]

Hi everyone.
I'm looking to upgrade my computer soon here and i want something that will be able to run the WvWvW pvp pretty well.
I've narrowed it down to two computers:

The Dell Inspiron 17r Special Edition
Specs:
Windows® 7 Home Premium SP1, 64-Bit, English
3rd Generation Intel® Core™ i7-3610QM processor (6M Cache, up to 3.3 GHz)
8GB Shared Dual Channel DDR3 Memory
1TB 5400RPM SATA HDD + 32GB mSATA SSD w/ Intel Smart Response
Nvidia GeForce GT 650M 2GB
$1099.99

And the Alienware x51
Specs:
Windows® 7 Home Premium, 64Bit, English
3rd Generation Intel® Core™ i5-3450 (6M Cache, up to 3.1 GHz)
6GB DDR3 at 1600MHz (2 DIMMS)
1TB SATA 3Gb/s (7,200RPM) 32MB Cache
1GB GDDR5 NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 555
$999.00

I'm aware that there are much better computers out there. But being a college kid on a very tight budget, this is as high as i can go. Being cheaper, I'm obviously leaning towards the x51. But which would best suit my needs? Not just for my playing of Guild Wars but for future PC gaming as well.
Which would be best in the long run?
I'm a console noobie trying to work his way into the advanced world that is PC gaming

Any and all help and opinions are appreciated.
Thanks in advance!

[King Arthur]

I'd say the Dell Inspiron.
Alienware is way overpriced for that setting. Even though that Dell is slightly more expensive. It's best for the long run.

Although I would recommend an ASUS G-series notebook. But none of them match the specs of your Dell at that price. So I'm gonna choose the Dell if I were you. Mainly because of the superior processor and the better Graphics chip. 2GB VRAM with 8GB Ram would help you greatly in WvWvW PvP.

But the problem lies with the HDD, it's pretty slow and the SSD is very small. I'm not sure which one is best, upgrade the HDD into a 7200 RPM one or get a larger SSD enough to put both Windows and GW2 in it. Maybe someone else more knowledgeable can help you with that.

But all in all, the best one out of those two, is Dell.

Maybe mods to move this thread to the PC/Hardware section?

[Clawdius_Talonious]

I'd say go with the Dell, they bought Alienware some years ago, so it's kind of a moot point in the different manufacturers. But the Dell has better specs, and as a new PC user I wouldn't recommend slapping your own together right off the bat.

It looks like Fatwallet.com has a 2% discount for Dell Consumer, you'd have to sign up to fatwallet but it might be worth looking into. 22 bucks will buy you a lot of ramen noodles.

[Earthmonkey]

I'd go with the Alienware, everyone knows Alienwares are the best gaming computers money can buy. Nothing else comes close.(؟)

[skidawgz]

You can do better than that man. Your budget is pretty decent too.

This topic will prbly get moved to "off topic" btw.

This would crush those, and I assume the resolution is much higher. I used a matte screen so you can study/people watch/pwn noobs on a nice day. I know I love to at school.

www.sagernotebook.com
feel free to make tweaks


Products QTY Unit Price Total Price Removed?
NP6165 $1,049.00 $1,049.00

Display 15.6" Full HD LED-Backlit Display featuring 95% NTSC Color Gamut in Matte Finished Surface (1920 x 1080) [$70.00]
Video & Graphics Card 1GB GDDR5 Nvidia GeForce GT 650M GPU with Optimus Technology / Embedded Intel HD Graphics
CPU Processor 3rd Generation Intel® Core™ i5-3210M Processor ( 3MB L3 Cache, 2.50GHz)
Thermal Compound Stock Standard Thermal Compound
Operating System Genuine MS Windows® 7 Home Premium 32/64-Bit Edition ( 64-Bit Preloaded )
Memory 8GB Dual Channel DDR3 SDRAM at 1600MHz - 2 X 4GB
Primary Hard Disk Drive 500GB 7200rpm SATA 300 Hard Drive
Optical Drive Bay — Optical Drive or Hard Disk Drive in Optical Drive Bay with Caddy case 8X DVD±R/RW/4X +DL Super-Multi Drive & Software
Wireless Network Card Internal 802.11 B+G+N Wireless LAN + Bluetooth Combo Module
Primary Battery Smart Li-ION Battery Pack
Integrated Security Device Fingerprint Reader
Microsoft Office Microsoft Office Starter 2010 - Included in Price
Warranty Sager 1 Year Limited Parts and Labor Warranty
Calculate Shipping & Tax
Country:
Zip Code:
Due to USPS policy, Sager is no longer able to ship packages to APO, FPO, DPO and International destinations via USPS. Click here for details on the new USPS policy.
Sub Total: $1,049.00
Sales Tax: $0.00
Shipping: $0.00
Total: $1,049.00

[fourforcack]

You can do better than that man. Your budget is pretty decent too.

This topic will prbly get moved to "off topic" btw.

This would crush those, and I assume the resolution is much higher. I used a matte screen so you can study/people watch/pwn noobs on a nice day. I know I love to at school.

www.sagernotebook.com

as nice as that computer sounds, I'm limited to only the computers on the dell website.
My parents agreed to getting me a run-of-the-mill laptop for class and they're putting $400-$500 on their Dell card. The rest is out of my pocket. Since $700 isn't really going to get me jack in the gaming computer department, I'm obligated to succumb to the slim pickings of the computers found on Dell's page.

The "build your own" option isn't completely ruled out either. My close friend has a relative that builds his own gaming rigs. Would that be the best option? How much would that cost?

Thanks again for the help.

[Clawdius_Talonious]

The Dell also has a 1080p screen, so the resolution would be the same, however you'd have a 15.6" screen instead of a 17.3" screen, and you wouldn't have the SSD. I will admit that 5400rpm on the 1TB drive kind of sucks, of course it is twice the size of the Sager. The Sager is also using an i5 that is .8ghz slower than the i7, so I'm not sure why you say it would "crush" the Dell.

When buying a laptop it is important to get the specs you want, as your upgrade options are limited. It's a shame Dell doesn't seem to let you upgrade that 5400RPM 1TB drive.

...The "build your own" option isn't completely ruled out either. My close friend has a relative that builds his own gaming rigs. Would that be the best option? How much would that cost?

Thanks again for the help.

I assume you'll need a laptop for school purposes? That really puts a kink in the whole build your own idea, I wasn't doing more than looking at the specs since the names of the rigs weren't links, so I wasn't even thinking of a laptop.

[Nui]

I second, Alienware is overpriced, unless you want something unique and brag about.

I recently bought custom one, pretty neat with GTX680 that costs about the same as mid range Alienware desktop.

[fourforcack]

I assume you'll need a laptop for school purposes? That really puts a kink in the whole build your own idea, I wasn't doing more than looking at the specs since the names of the rigs weren't links, so I wasn't even thinking of a laptop.

No not really. The Alienware is a desktop. The Dell is a laptop. A laptop would be more help for school, yes but its not a big concern. It wouldn't take much talking to guide the purchase more towards a desktop. That still wouldn't be completely useless in the school scenario. My main focus is gaming, the school portion is secondary

[fourforcack]

I second, Alienware is overpriced, unless you want something unique and brag about.

I recently bought custom one, pretty neat with GTX680 that costs about the same as mid range Alienware desktop.

What was it and where'd you get it? From what I've gathered the GTX680 in and of itself is about ~$550