Alienware Reveals 4GHz desktop 363
keeleysam writes "c|net news.com is reporting that Alienware is going to ship a 4GHz desktop. The new Area-51 ALX, introduced on Friday, uses overclocking, or the practice of pushing a processor past its factory speed setting, to elevate a standard Intel Pentium 4 chip to 4GHz. Because overclocking a processor can cause it to overheat, the desktop also includes a special liquid-cooling system devised by Alienware. Purchasing the 4GHz Area-51 ALX desktop is an expensive proposition for most consumers, as the machine starts at about $4,200, according to pricing on Alienware's ALX Web site."
$4,200 ! (Score:4, Insightful)
I think this is more of a gimmick for advertising (seen by the fact it's on
Why why why? (Score:2, Insightful)
Okay okay -- especially when XBOX and many other consoles approach PC graphics? This is overkill -- the amount of money spent on this one machine could be used to build a small cluster of less powerful machines.
It is a shame that XBOX, a $300 dollar system can get amazing games -- but if you want amazing graphics and sound on the PC you must spend 5 g's.
erm ... (Score:3, Insightful)
Seriously, except the "coolness" I fail to see the sense in this system.
Comment removed (Score:4, Insightful)
You get what you pay for.... (Score:1, Insightful)
Re:How can it get any hotter (Score:1, Insightful)
Re:Why why why? (Score:3, Insightful)
Approach PC graphics? At 640x480 with 32MB of RAM? Huh?
Re:Bring a lifevest for LAN parties (Score:5, Insightful)
Don't equate intelligence or technical adeptness with common sense. They're not the same thing. I've seen a guy who made a 1600 on his SATs pour hot coffee in his lap when asked the time.
Besides, if the person were so smart--why would he buy a ridiculously overpriced computer to begin with?
-Grym
Re:Gee PCs are expensive... (Score:2, Insightful)
My G5 costed me "only" about 3000 for a dual 2Ghz, is probably better designed inside and doesn't run out-of-specs (and the case doesn't look like plastic!)
Re:Fixed link (Score:3, Insightful)
it's the price you pay for getting an OEM box.
Re:Microsoft Tax (Score:5, Insightful)
Assuming you use Linux and nothing else, do you game a lot, since that is (usually) the primary purpose of buying an Alienware machine?
Somehow I get the feeling you're posting just so you can get in a jab at Microsoft - if you genuinely support the views you claim to, you shouldn't need to post just to basically say "Lookit me! I'm fighting The Man!"
Re:Price is no object (Score:5, Insightful)
How much time before you can buy something similar for half the money? 3 months? 4? I can understand you're willing to pay more for the fastest available, but eehh.. to do what? Gaming? Get a quality motherboard, fast memory and one of the latest videocards. Much cheaper. Scientific calculations? Get a small blade server or mini-cluster, that'll better suit the job. Just to impress your friends? Get a nice looking case, do some modding, add some cool looking lights. Much more fun.
Re:How can it get any hotter (Score:1, Insightful)
Re:Why hasn't this been seen elsewhere? (Score:3, Insightful)
Because many of those maufacturers thrive by the "low prices, high volumes" concept.
Overclocking enough to notice, and without losing to much stability, requires quality components, careful tweaking of hardware, BIOS and software configuration. The first thing a normal user would do, is install some stupid proggie that interferes with that careful tweaked system, and cause helpdesk headaches for the company that sold them the box. Simply put, overclocking has the opposite effect from what's needed for this low prices, high volume market. And warranty issues make things worse. That's why overclockers are generally a different crowd than average home users.
Re:The Links (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:G5 (Score:3, Insightful)
Even if it was so, is it worth the extra $2300 to get Alienware?
I think a single 2.5GHz G5 should almost keep up, maybe it does keep up with a 4GHz P4 because it is the slightly less IPC efficient Prescott core. With Northwoods, 3GHz P4 was about as good as G5 GHz or Athlon64 clocked at 2GHz. that is a 1.5 IPC ratio. 2.5 GHz * 1.5 the IPC gets 3.75 GHz equivalent.
Granted, there aren't many games available for G5 systems, and Alienware is marketed for gaming, I think it shows that Alienware is overpriced even when compared to a dual 2.5GHz G5, computers from the company that gets complaints from slashdotters and others about being overpriced. And I think Alienware's cases are ugly too. Why pay a premium for ugly?
Re:Welcome to the mid 90's! (Score:3, Insightful)
So? (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:customization options (Score:3, Insightful)
Yeah I'm aware of the "MHz myth," but look at the benchmarks [tomshardware.com] please. At 3.4GHz, the "Extreme" edition bests the 3.4GHz 1MB cache version by a whopping 1.4%. Meanwhile the Non-Extreme 3.4 beats the Extreme 3.2 by over double that amount! Both are marginal differences if you ask me, but price difference is truly "extreme."
Re:$4,200 ! (Score:3, Insightful)
You can build an alienware PC from parts perhaps even down to the wierd looking case (I know you can get the style they used a while back) for a fraction of the price.
Wow. (Score:3, Insightful)
You deserve more when spending so much money.
Re:wow, thanks (Score:1, Insightful)
Stability is important. AW's been around a long time in this business, they're carried at major retailers, they've got a decent support department, and the last time I thought about building my own box I spec'd up all the components I wanted to stick insided - then looked at what AW was using... it was the same components, and could be bought for less than I'd have paid individually, and unlike the individual components, the AW came with a warranty and a support contract.
Full Disclaimer: I don't work for AW, I don't own an AW, I merely started forwarding people who wanted me to build whiteboxes their way after I noticed the component matchup. I was tired of supporting whitebox people who wanted free support for life and were annoyed that they couldn't upgrade their 6-year old system to a current proc for the cost of the proc ("you said it'd be upgradeable!").
I get to sleep at night AND the morons can still harangue someone at 3am when they install malware. Win-win.
Re:Microsoft Tax (Score:3, Insightful)
You'd be suprised. Though i'm sure you'd never believe it, it's quite possible to get a Windows box secured and plenty stable for normal use. The XP Pro box i'm typing this on now (for example) has been up for about a few months straight, with the last reboot being because Winamp was having some odd issues. If you get all the security patches, run regular virus/adware scans, don't open strange attachments like a dumbass, and use a firewall, you'll be pretty well off.
The vast majority simply buy what's put in front of them without question.
Yeah, I guess the fact that like 99% of all commercial games are Windows-only couldn't possibly have something to do with that, eh?
You seem to have been looking for a chance to spout off about how evil Windows is, but let's remember that we're considering gamers in particular here.
Re:Price is no object (Score:1, Insightful)
Seriously, the next time you go out to eat, take a minute to figure out how many packets of ramen or boxes of mac and cheese you could by with that money. Think of the hundreds of millions of people on the planet that would love to have that much food secured.