Alternatives to Alienware

[IntrepidDog4]

My son is an avid fan of the "cool look" of Alienware products but it is a bit out of my budget. He's built his own Gaming PC and I'd like to ask if you guys know of any budget friendly places that have the same sort of cool looking components. Yes he is a geek like me but his age has him wanting to mix high function with looking cool.

All suggestions and ideas appreciated.

[tp4tissue]

Buy him the college SAT red-book,  if he can ace that whole book,  write him a check for $3000

2 birds w/ 1 stone.


Things he will learn.

Early life is about meeting standards

Meeting standards gets you a job

Working a job gets you paid

Being paid leads to the Purchase of -Goods-


As for what TO DO with Material Purchase,  he'll figure that out in college where there is low-constraint access to females..

For now, keep it simple..

[noisyturtle]

Right off the bat I'll tell you plainly: when you buy Alienware you are paying a markup solely based on branding.

I'd take a page from Terry Crews and make this a bonding opportunity with your son to pick and build something together. Not only will it teach him how to build a PC, but also the value of making something yourself, and spending time with his dad. Spend time on websites or going to stores picking the case and mouse and parts to tailor it to something truly unique and to his tastes.

[ThoughtArtist]

I think coolermaster is a budget brand for the most part and has some gamery aesthetic thats not too ridiculous

For components, just go for specs not looks. Think "sporty minimalism"

[Leslieann]

Ask him this, would he rather a faster computer, or one that looks cool.
Can't have both on a budget and no one in Overwatch can see if you have an rgb keyboard (nor do they care).

That said, looking neat doesn't have to cost a lot.
I agree with the others, build it yourself but use a case that doesn't highlight the fans, then use cheap addressable RGB light strips to add color. Not only will this be cheaper, but also more quiet. Then go for best bang for the buck. This means an I5 or Ryzen 5, 16gigs, and a modest graphics card like a 1060. You coudl even start with 8 gigs and add more later.

Beware the used card market!
New cards recently took a major dive in price and the used market has yet to adjust. In many cases you can buy a brand new card for only a few dollars more than the used one. Don't buy used for anywhere close to new prices, especially mining cards. The mining cards have been abused like no cards before and they are now trying to get back as much as they can after destroying the graphics card market for years. Let them burn and wallow in the hell they created by letting prices on used ones crash and burn.

[Coreda]

Re building a computer, I was under the impression the OP was looking for cosmetic items like the case/chassis, since the son already has built a computer themselves.

I wouldn't be one to know about more exotic-looking cases though, personally build went for an EVGA Hadron Air chassis which is has a bit more of an understated appearance. Wrote a guide on Overclock.net about it before they ran out of budget in the last few months and deleted their user articles and photos section (RIP ).

[haanuman]

I don't understand why the aesthetics matter that much?

[JoeriW]

I don't understand why the aesthetics matter that much?

Funny you say this on a keyboard forum where aesthetics is one of the most important aspects whether someone buys a keyboard/keyset or not   From experience kids love stuff that looks cool. When it really comes down to it they will settle for a lot less than initially requested though if you explain that looks don't equal performance (usually).

[9999hp]

My vote is in for build it together. Lot's of cool parts you can piecemeal together for a fraction of alien ware prices.

[Leslieann]

I don't understand why the aesthetics matter that much?

Funny you say this on a keyboard forum where aesthetics is one of the most important aspects whether someone buys a keyboard/keyset or not

Depends on who you talk to.

[tp4tissue]

I don't understand why the aesthetics matter that much?

Funny you say this on a keyboard forum where aesthetics is one of the most important aspects whether someone buys a keyboard/keyset or not

Depends on who you talk to.

//ERGODOX

[oumakavoula]

For what it's worth when I wanted an Alienware when I was young my uncle got 20% off just by calling them so you could always try that.

But in retrospect it was an awful value for money and would never buy again from them.

I'm sure you can find a rgb case + rgb fans for a "cool look" without spending too much extra.

I would have loved for my dad to be into this stuff when I was a kid.

[fanpeople]

Buy a dell and write alienware on the side. Then buy some old neon lights and stick them to the side. Wrap it up and and give it to him as a present. When he looks disappointed, tell him  welcome to life son this is the first of a series of disappointments that will make up what we call life..... get used to it.

Then follow it up with a two week computer ban.


This is why I don't have children.

[tp4tissue]

Buy a dell and write alienware on the side. Then buy some old neon lights and stick them to the side. Wrap it up and and give it to him as a present. When he looks disappointed, tell him  welcome to life son this is the first of a series of disappointments that will make up what we call life..... get used to it.

Then follow it up with a two week computer ban.


This is why I don't have children.

/headscratch..

/Thought Fanpeeps had wifu. ??

[fanpeople]

Buy a dell and write alienware on the side. Then buy some old neon lights and stick them to the side. Wrap it up and and give it to him as a present. When he looks disappointed, tell him  welcome to life son this is the first of a series of disappointments that will make up what we call life..... get used to it.

Then follow it up with a two week computer ban.


This is why I don't have children.

/headscratch..

/Thought Fanpeeps had wifu. ??

Yes but no seed. I oppose tiny self imposed leaches.

[tp4tissue]

Yes but no seed. I oppose tiny self imposed leaches.

Have read that these situations become tense and combative..

[9999hp]

Yes but no seed. I oppose tiny self imposed leaches.

Have read that these situations become tense and combative..

I don't know why you can't piecemeal and have aesthetics; most of the sickest pcs are customs. Unless it's alien ware brand, but you could literally just get a fancy case and spray paint an alien silhouette on the side or wherever.

Actually, if you had a glass panel on the case(acrylic or otherwise) you could spray window frost on it in that silhouette then have a nice shine through of an alien.

[Shapey Fiend]

I've thought Alienware PC's looked pretty gack in the past but I get why you'd be taken with the new ones the hardware design is pretty slick.

I don't care for most of the build your own case designs that are on the market right now with the plexiglass side with LEDs blasting out type of thing that's been predominant for the last decade seems a bit eXtreme Gam3r dated in this day and age. The other thing that gets me is they rarely have any molded plastics the whole case is metal which makes them seem quite bare bones. Thinkstations are probably closest to what I think a desktop should look like it's just a shame they don't still make em in beige.

[dustinhxc]

For my desktop I have a dell xps. It’s just as fast. Way cheaper. You can use whatever backlit keyboard and mouse you want with it. But for laptop I have an Alienware because of the cool keyboard and alien logo that light up lol it’s pretty much, do you need the lit up alien logo or not. If not, then dell is the same and has the same warranty. Otherwise like you said, build one. More fun and Can use leds inside the case and everything flashy!    Not sure if you will ever read this though, I’m sure you already bought something.

[no, the other guy]

I have a ROG Zephyrus as my development (and very little gaming) laptop. Awesome, actually.