My Experience With Alienware
Written: Mar 25 '02
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Pros: Stable system, very good performance.
Cons: Minor technical support issues.
The Bottom Line: While not an economical machine, it's certainly one this consumer found to be a rock solid, great performer.
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| jc_scott's Full Review: Alienware Area51Pentium 3 Desktop Computers |
Even though the system was pricey, I went with Alienware because a friend of mine bought one about 4 months ago and so far he says he hasn't had any trouble with it, and after having seen it in action, I was very, very impressed with the performance.
But let's get right to it, shall we? If you're wondering what I think about them or if I'd recommend them, the answer is I think they're pretty good and yes I'd recommend them to anyone, although there are a couple of things you might want to consider before buying one.
So let's see what I got:
Processor: A 2.2 Ghz P4
RAM: 768 MB's RDRAM
Video Card: GeForce 3 Ti500
Motherboard: Intel D850MV
Harddrive: 100 GB 7200 RPM Seagate Barracuda ATA IV
CD/DVD: 16x DVD with hardware MPEG support
32x Plextor CD-RW
Soundcard: Soundblaster Audigy
Modem: 3Comm/USR 56k
Case: Dragon Full-Tower
There was also some other stuff in the package like a black (Alienware) Intellimouse and black (Antec) keyboard, Plantronic headphones, 25 ft. of RJ-45 network cable, Koolmaxx cooling system, and a GearGrip Pro harness(a harness that straps around your computer to help make moving it easier.)
The system came with a black binder with the Alienware logo on the front. Inside I found a spec. sheet that shows the benchmarks for the machine in Quake 3 and Sysoft Sandra. Also included inside is an invoice and another sheet showing which slots your PCI cards were installed to and which IRQ's they're using. I also found two CD's in plastic sleeves attached in the binder via 3 holes punched out of the side of the sleeves. One was the Alienware master CD(used to recover the system if need be, I presume) and the other appears to be Windows XP Home Edition.
It looks like they do indeed at least test and benchmark their systems, although how long they're burned in, I'm not sure. I know the benchmarks they provided are correct(within a percentage point or two) because I took the liberty of running them several times myself, although I needed my own copy of Sysoft Sandra, since they uninstalled the one they were using(although that's not meant to be taken as a complaint or anything.)
Is the system stable? Well, mine was installed with Windows XP, and while being a previous Windows ME user, and 98 user prior to that, I'd have to say overall the system seems as stable as the one I was using before, which I think is a stable setup and one I still have in another room. One thing I sort of like about their OS installation is they didn't install most of the little trivial programs that seem to come pre-installed with most new PC's
I've played a variety of games so far, from Quake 3 and Unreal Tournament to Aquanox and Return to Castle Wolfenstein. I've only had trouble running a few games but they were all older games like Dethkarz and Trespasser. I'm fairly certain any problems running games are most likely related to compatibility issues with Windows XP rather than Alienware, namely because I have friends who're running WinXP and have dealt or are dealing with the same issues.
As far as speed is concerned, what can I say, it's very, very fast by todays standards. Games run great and they look just as great as they are fast. I couldn't be more happy with this machines gaming performance. 210 FPS on the default Q3 settings. I get a rock solid, unwavering 75 FPS in Unreal Tournament, which is absolutely acceptable, in my opinion. Operation Flashpoint plays great, although I haven't benchmarked it. The only game that really put this machine through its paces was, believe it or not, Falcon 4.0. With all the effects turned on, it was a slideshow. Project I.G.I. also put a noticeable strain on the processor with all detail turned on at a resolution of 1024x768. So far, the performance of the machine has met expectation.
The only Alienware related issue I've had to deal with so far was a gameport controller I found not installed on the motherboard. It was sitting among the driver discs and cables. One thing you'll learn about Alienware's "on-site technical support" is that it means if you have any problems they'll "walk you through" installing, moving around and/or removing components that might be damaged, or that you're having trouble with, "over the phone." I have read cases where the consumer did manage to get them to send a technician out to replace a motherboard, but my impression is if they can talk you through it over the phone, they will.
I'd imagine some people would scoff at the idea of having to take a screwdriver to their new computer when it's suppose to come with on-site technical support, and while I guess a person could make a big deal out of that, I'm used to upgrading and working with the innerds of most of my previous systems, so it wasn't a big deal really although I _was_ a little nervous about moving around some of the PCI cards in my new machine (which is what I ended up having to do) because, I mean, the thing's new. They've jacked with it for awhile and it's supposed to be running top notch. You know, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it"? Well, to be honest I probably could've overlooked it, I mean most joysticks use USB now anyway, but it was the idea that if I wanted to use a joystick that uses the other connector, I wouldn't be able to.
The other thing that's somewhat trivial but a little annoying is when I called for technical support, in all cases, after having taken my phone number, I was told a technician would call me back. This usually took anywhere from 1 to 6 hours. Other consumers may have been able to get in touch with a technician during their call, but I couldn't.
So, it's been roughly a little over a month now since I've had the system and I'm happy with it so far. It runs good and I don't have any complaints really, so I'd have to say it's been a worthwhile investment and one I'd make again if I had to, if that says anything about my level of satisfaction. I'm a little torn on my feelings about Windows XP, but that's another post.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 2,817
Operating System: Windows
Processor: Other
Processor speed: over 1000
RAM: More than 256
Internal Storage: CD-RW and DVD
Hard Drive (GB): Over 50
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Epinions.com ID:
jc_scott
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Reviews written: 1
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