Which of these three computers is a better buy?

Question

I want the computers to play Skyrim and World of Warcraft, WELL. On highest settings. I have always wanted an alienware but I am starting to think I am paying for the brand and not the parts, and this PC I found in gameinformer seems to be just as good for a third the price. Please provide info and support your choice, its not often I spend $1000 on a computer, so its an important decision for me. And please tell me if there are any specs I should change, like pay a little extra for a video card or dish out for the better processor or something. I dont need a mega powerful computer, I just want to be able to play those two games on highest settings, no lag. Thanks guys.

http://www.cyberpowerpc.com/system/Gamer_Xtreme_1000/
http://www.dell.com/us/p/alienware-aurora-alx/pd?refid=alienware-aurora-alx&~ck=mn
http://www.dell.com/us/p/alienware-aurora-r3/pd.aspx

Answer 1

Well, with Alienware you are paying mostly for the name so it's not recommended unless you've got money to burn just for the bragging factor.



Of discount customize-your-own gaming system seller, CyberpowerPC and Ibuypower are two of the best.



However, Skyrim will have MUCH higher requirements than fairly undemanding games like WoW and Rift. While the $700 system you linked would breeze through WoW, it's not powerful enough for Skyrim.



I recommend making the following changes to the Gamer Extreme 1000 build:



1) upgrade graphics card to GeForce GTX 560 1gb ($59)



2) upgrade CPU to Core i5 2400 ($104)



3) upgrade motherboard to Asus P8H61-M ($26)



The last upgrade (motherboard) is optional and doesn't directly impact performance, but Asus is a higher quality motherboard brand with a reputation for quality. That particular Biostar board has pretty mixed reviews on Newegg.



That brings your total to $894 and provides a massive performance boost. However, I recommend spending $65 more and upgrading your graphics card even further, to the Radeon HD 6950 2gb model- that puts you in the clear for running Skyrim maxed.



http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/radeon-hd-6790-barts-gpu-geforce-gtx-460,2917-16.html

http://www.techspot.com/review/359-nvidia-geforce-gtx-560ti/page9.html

Answer 2

Congrats to figuring out Alienware's dirty little secret.



To play Skyrim on the highest setting you will need the Core i5-2500k processor. Forget the 2600k, it's not a gaming processor, just smoke and mirrors. I'm resommending the 2500K because newer games want a Quad-Core processor for the highest setting.



The GTX 550ti is kinda an entry level graphics card. It's a budget card that will play any game but it won't play the newest games at the highest settings. It's graphics power was Top Shelf 3 years ago. A card like the GTX 560ti or HD 6950 will get you very high settings. The GTX 570 or 6970 will most likely max the game out. Try to go with a Radeon 6870 or GTX 560 at the least, very fine cards.



If you do want to stretch you money out as far as possible I would just build it. You save a $200 over cyberpower and a bundle over Alienware.

Answer 3

If you looking for desktop and not over powerful you may go for

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=7195103&CatId=1886



http://www.guru3d.com/article/geforce-gtx-560-ti-review/18



Its fair enough and beyond your WoW setting , Wow doesn't require high setting , but this desktop could last 3more years of the up coming games. Get some extra bucks upgrade an SSD - make your boot time around 10sec , and fast loading while entering Wow like 1sec. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227714



PS : Don't get Alienware Desktop , is not worth it , unless its laptop.



If you still want to get Alienware , I suggest you call dell rep , they will give you around 20% discount compare to website.

Answer 4

Those aren't specific computers but i'd say the cyberpowerpc one.





Another option is to build one yourself, I did and it's cheaper for pcs like that.

Answer 5

EMAIL ME AND I WILL PICK YOU OUT A SHOPPING CART OF COMPONENTS FROM NEWEGG THAT WILL WORK FOR YOU, I DON'T MIND DOING IT AT ALL. IT'S A HOBBY I ENJOY. THEN I'LL EMAIL IT BACK TO YOU AND YOU CAN FIND SOMEONE LOCALLY TO PUT IT TOGETHER FOR YOU. ALIENWARE IS AWFUL. WAAAAAAAAAAY OVERPRICED.

Answer 6

Vid card chart

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCRPWe2yUNg