Alienware X51 - good deal?

[Magoomba]

What do you guys think of this refurbished Alienware X51 for around $660 plus taxes?
Am I able to put an SSD in there in addition to the existing HD?
Can I build something similar from individual components for less?

Processor: Intel Core i7-3770 Processor (3.4GHz (8MB Cache) with Hyper-Threading and Turbo Boost Technology 2.0)
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64 BIT
Alienware X51
500 GB SATA II Hard Drive (7200 RPM)
8GB Dual Channel DDR3 1600MHz - 2 DIMMs
Slot-Loading Dual Layer Blu-ray Reader (BR-ROM, DVD+-RW, CD-RW)
1 GB GDDR5 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 555
Matte Stealth Black with Dark Chrome Accents
Dell Wireless 1502 802.11b/g/n (2.4GHz)
Alienware MM Keyboard
USB Optical 2-Button/Wheel Mouse
Thermal Heat Sink
330W A/C Adapter
Powercord,125Volt,15Amp,10 Foot
AlienFX Color, Quasar Blue
64BIT Operating System

[george__]

Check out Sager/Clevo. You might get better value for your money than Alienware

[JAC]

GeForce GTX 555 is pretty weak. Power supply is also weak.
http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/gpu.php?gpu=GeForce+GTX+555

[Magoomba]

Check out Sager/Clevo. You might get better value for your money than Alienware

Um, you know I'm looking at a desktop right?

[Magoomba]

GeForce GTX 555 is pretty weak. Power supply is also weak.
http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/gpu.php?gpu=GeForce+GTX+555

I heard it's comparable to the AMD HD 7770. That's about all I need.

[george__]

Um, you know I'm looking at a desktop right?

I always think Alienware = Laptops (fail :D)

You might also want to get a UPS...

Edit... According to this http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/video_lookup.php?gpu=GeForce+GTX+460 and http://community.futuremark.com/hardware/gpu/NVIDIA+GeForce+GTX+555+%28OEM%29/compare#

That card is slower than my GTX 460 (which is ~1 generation older)

[Jimboski]

I always think Alienware = Laptops (fail :D)

You might also want to get a UPS...

Edit... According to this http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/video_lookup.php?gpu=GeForce+GTX+460 and http://community.futuremark.com/hardware/gpu/NVIDIA+GeForce+GTX+555+%28OEM%29/compare#

That card is slower than my GTX 460 (which is ~1 generation older)

Same, I always think Alienware's are laptops..
It's refurbished.. I always prefer to self build It to have the state of mind that It's new and fresh!

[george__]

Same, I always think Alienware's are laptops..
It's refurbished.. I always prefer to self build It to have the state of mind that It's new and fresh!

He probably can't afford it. The Alienware is only $660... A I7 CPU alone costs well over $220

[MkmBandit]

$660 + tax $710 + tax. Get yourself a new PSU. Adding an SSD would do wonders too, add ~$100.

Not the worst deal out there, certainly not blazing hot either. In a pinch, I'd be satisfied with the purchase..

[george__]

$660 + tax $710 + tax. Get yourself a new PSU. Adding an SSD would do wonders too, add ~$100.

Not the worst deal out there, certainly not blazing hot either. In a pinch, I'd be satisfied with the purchase..

does alienware use regular power supplies?

[MkmBandit]

does alienware use regular power supplies?

Regular in what sense, OEM? As far as I know Alienware uses Delta PSU's which really aren't half bad, but the one PSU I have seen that came out of a Dell desktop was a funny shape. I'm not even sure if an aftermarket PSU would fit. Alienware cases are typically a bit larger so I'd assume it would fit, but can't say for sure. OP would have to do their own research on that.

[george__]

Regular in what sense, OEM? As far as I know Alienware uses Delta PSU's which really aren't half bad, but the one PSU I have seen that came out of a Dell desktop was a funny shape. I'm not even sure if an aftermarket PSU would fit. Alienware cases are typically a bit larger so I'd assume it would fit, but can't say for sure. OP would have to do their own research on that.

Yeah, I have a Dell at home that has this weirdo shape and I can't fit a regular power supply into it. And seeing as how Dell owns Alienware ...

[MkmBandit]

Yeah, I have a Dell at home that has this weirdo shape and I can't fit a regular power supply into it. And seeing as how Dell owns Alienware ...

Out of curiosity, is there anything else about your PSU that's proprietary? In terms of available connectors and all that?

[JAC]

$660 + tax $710 + tax. Get yourself a new PSU. Adding an SSD would do wonders too, add ~$100.
Not the worst deal out there, certainly not blazing hot either. In a pinch, I'd be satisfied with the purchase..

The PSU on this model is external, though. Upgrading might prove to be an issue.

[valinrace]

I would suggest that if you really want to get whats your money's worth, buy part by part and be the one to assemble it, it would cost you less and have the freedom to choose. It may not be that convenient but its worth it.

[Magoomba]

I usually do custom build but too busy these days.
Since an i7-3770 CPU and mobo bundle already costs min of $450 I thought this would be a good deal.

[george__]

I usually do custom build but too busy these days.
Since an i7-3770 CPU and mobo bundle already costs min of $450 I thought this would be a good deal.

That power supply will likely need to be upgraded someday if you want to add a better video card // other stuff. It's pretty weak....

[Agafaba]

I usually do custom build but too busy these days.
Since an i7-3770 CPU and mobo bundle already costs min of $450 I thought this would be a good deal.

Its not that bad, assuming you plan on buying windows instead of finding it. Blue-ray drives are not that cheap either, cheapest I can find in ncix is $65 before tax.

[george__]

Its not that bad, assuming you plan on buying windows instead of finding it. Blue-ray drives are not that cheap either, cheapest I can find in ncix is $65 before tax.
Blu-ray is sooooooooooo worth it

[Agafaba]

Blu-ray is sooooooooooo worth it

Haha I dont use one, but it is useful in some situations.

[easylistener]

$660 is a pretty good deal for this model. This thing would be a a couple months old at most, since the i7-3770 processor only came out in the end of April. If you can get the warranty transfered over as well, even better.

You literally cannot build a comparable custom PC for that much dough. The CPU+OS+Mobo cost $500 alone. I'll then have $160 to spend on a case, hard drive, GPU, memory, PSU and blu-ray drive. Not only that, but this thing is a mini-ITX machine, with dimensions to match that of an Xbox/PS3. Again, if I were you, I would pick this up in a heartbeat.