So i was wondering............

im starting to get into PC gaming, and this summer i will have around $5000 to spend on a computer. Here is my question, should i get a Alienware mALX laptop, which has dual 7900's, or should i build my own custom build, and buy the new DX10 Cards? Which should i do and why?xfactor19990

Stear clear of laptops for any serious gaming.  Since you can not upgrade them anything you purchase will be out dated within a year.  If you're serious about getting into PC gaming then build your own computer.  It will save you money over purchasing something from Dell or Alienware, and there is no better way to learn about computers than to build one. 

With 5000 dollars it would be a huge mistake to get a laptop.  But thats just my opinion.

I would either buy a decent alienware or build your own with the following components (some may seem excessive, but you do have 5000 dollars after all):
-680i chipset motherboard
-Core 2 Duo or Intel Quad Core processor
-4GB memory (excessive but future-proof
-8800 GTX video card
-2x250GB hard drives
-Aftermarket air-cooler for the processor
-Beefy power supply (no reason to exceed 650 or 700 watts, though, since you will see an increae in your power bill)
-Some nice peripherals like a gaming mouse, joystick, nice keyboard.
-X-Fi soundcard
-DVD-RW drives

Even after all that crap you should still have atleast 1500 dollars leftover.  With that money you can either spend it on a decent laptop (although unless you use it for school/work or you travel a lot I fail to see the point in a laptop) or you can save the money.

Just remember to build with the future in mind.  A Core 2 Duo will last you atleast 3 years, but a Quad Core would go even longer.  2GB will be the recommended amount soon, and while 4GB is a bit much it wont be wasted since Vista can handle it (right?).  SLI is way too finicky to be worthwhile at the moment, but once it becomes thoruhgly supported buying and installing another 8800GTX is easy.

Building it would save you mucho money, and, as stated already, would help you learn about computers. +1 to computer skills.

At this point, Core 2 Duos are the way to go, as well as DX10 cards, which is currently the 8800 line (the best one) from Nvidia, which there should be a few more of in the summer (possibly).

You'd be better off asking people in the PC Hardware forums, as they can help you much more.

While building your own PC is a lot of fun and you can make everything just the way you want it, for 5000 dollars it actually might be worth it to just get an Alienware.  Theyre a good company, and you will get a stable rig that has warranties and all that jazz.  If your self-built breaks and you have poor trouble-shooting skills, youre up chocolate creek without a popsicle stick.

While building your own PC is a lot of fun and you can make everything just the way you want it, for 5000 dollars it actually might be worth it to just get an Alienware. Theyre a good company, and you will get a stable rig that has warranties and all that jazz. If your self-built breaks and you have poor trouble-shooting skills, youre up chocolate creek without a popsicle stick.

mrbojangles25

Risks are part of the fun :twisted:

I remember when I first started overclocking my laptop's GPU, oh man it was kinda exhilirating knowing it could *maybe* blow up in my face or whatever and the fact that my warranty would be void if HP finds out what I've done to my lappy.  It's such good times indeed.