# mtuttle got a macbook, i got an alienware



## hyphen (Apr 4, 2004)

eat your heart out, apple. the fruity colors are just a test, i was fuckin around with the customization and such. mainly needed a mobile rig that i could play new games on and also handle my 3d software with ease.


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## Winkyee (Feb 17, 2003)

Nice, 
What are the specs on it?


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## Ja'eh (Jan 8, 2007)

That's a sweet looking laptop, Alienware makes some sick ass computers.


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## r1dermon (Mar 9, 2005)

still overpriced, but it's definitely got impressive specs to back itself up...how much did that sucker run?


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## Gordeez (Sep 21, 2003)

dude, is that Germ-x?


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## His Majesty (Apr 5, 2005)

f*ck YEH alienware FTW!!!!

a very nice model hyphen.


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## hyphen (Apr 4, 2004)

not as steep as people might think, after taxes and shipping i spent about $1900, comparable to mac laptop prices. this is the base model though. fully loaded the m17x is roughly $6000, which is more than i'd ever be willing to pay for a rig of any sort.

17" display
4gigs dual channel ddr3
intel core2 Duo P8600 2.4GHz (1066mhz fsb)
1gb nvidia geforce gtx 260m
250gb hdd

and its got all the bells and whistles like bluetooth 2.1, firewire, hdmi, usb 2.0 slots, expandable hdd slot, etc. nice security features like face recognition, led customization, nameplate engraving, yadda yadda.

its my first laptop buy and i think i made a good choice for what i need.


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## r1dermon (Mar 9, 2005)

agreed...thing looks ballzy. lol. now you just need to get some massive game and run it opengl and rape the processor for all it's worth...


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## hyphen (Apr 4, 2004)

r1dermon said:


> agreed...thing looks ballzy. lol. now you just need to get some massive game and run it opengl and rape the processor for all it's worth...


that's the plan. im gonna try out bioshock on this machine and see how well it performs. i don't expect it to run at 60fps on full blast, but close i hope.


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## kove32 (Oct 26, 2004)

hyphen said:


> eat your heart out, apple. the fruity colors are just a test, i was fuckin around with the customization and such. mainly needed a mobile rig that i could play new games on and also handle my 3d software with ease.


Eat your heart out apple?







Hardly... Only $2000 for a laptop, not too bad! Hopefully the face recognition can stop all the spyware and adware!

Honestly though, I'm not understanding why people are always anti-mac. I could build a computer that could trample that for half of the cost. Still ridiculously overpriced!! I could get a 1.5TB hard drive for a hundred (since you are talking about your 3d work), all the outputs in the world (firewire, hdmi, usb, 5.1 sound) for around $100, and we can just keep the list going. If you are saying eat your heart out to people who pay for apples because of the price, you my friend, as well, have gotten screwed.

I just hope to god you aren't running windows on that thing, which I'm guessing you are since you are going to play BioShock 2, then best of the luck keeping things stabilized.


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## hyphen (Apr 4, 2004)

kove32 said:


> eat your heart out, apple. the fruity colors are just a test, i was fuckin around with the customization and such. mainly needed a mobile rig that i could play new games on and also handle my 3d software with ease.


Eat your heart out apple?







Hardly... Only $2000 for a laptop, not too bad! Hopefully the face recognition can stop all the spyware and adware!

Honestly though, I'm not understanding why people are always anti-mac. I could build a computer that could trample that for half of the cost. Still ridiculously overpriced!! I could get a 1.5TB hard drive for a hundred (since you are talking about your 3d work), all the outputs in the world (firewire, hdmi, usb, 5.1 sound) for around $100, and we can just keep the list going. If you are saying eat your heart out to people who pay for apples because of the price, you my friend, as well, have gotten screwed.

I just hope to god you aren't running windows on that thing, which I'm guessing you are since you are going to play BioShock 2, then best of the luck keeping things stabilized.
[/quote]

funny that everyone's argument against pcs is adware and spyware, which i've had zero problems dealing with. maybe once or twice in my 15 years of being on a pc. additionally, a simple isntallation of nod32, which is quite possibly the best anti-virus, anti-spyware software around, has cured any issue i may have had.

good luck buying a laptop with these specs for under 2000, mac or otherwise. i can build a pc that could blow this out of the water for under 1k, but that's not what i was looking for, was it? macs with similar specs run the same price as the m17x, except you get skimped on the display and video card. "oh, but the adware"


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## kove32 (Oct 26, 2004)

Oh now I never said I payed that much for a macbook. I simply purchased one for $999 and upgraded to 4gigs 1.5TB. That my friend, is comparable and at a smaller price. I am not making the argument for or against PCs, but I will say this: PCs/Laptops are MUCH more unstable due to the parts that are installed in them. Compare it to a car that 1) has custom built parts for it by the same company or 2) has parts from all different companies purchased for a slightly cheaper price, but not all made under the same standings. That is the main difference. Also, OS is a personal preference. ADware/SpyWare, its inevitable and it is going to happen, even if you do have to pay for your protection. There is constantly new things coming out. And getting shafted on display? If you are doing 3D projects, I'm not sure, but I would think that you would be doing it on something a little bit bigger than 17". If that is the case, I'll just hook it up to my TV. 1gb nvidia geforce gtx 260m can easily compare to a GeForce 9600M GT. Hopefully you have a hell of a battery in that thing also, because for how long it'll last, you might as well have a desktop.

I'm not saying that isn't a SICK ass computer, it most definitely is. Although, before you say "eat your heart out apple," its wise to get a broader understanding of what your talking about.


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## hyphen (Apr 4, 2004)

kove32 said:


> Oh now I never said I payed that much for a macbook. I simply purchased one for $999 and upgraded to 4gigs 1.5TB. That my friend, is comparable and at a smaller price. I am not making the argument for or against PCs, but I will say this: PCs/Laptops are MUCH more unstable due to the parts that are installed in them. Compare it to a car that 1) has custom built parts for it by the same company or 2) has parts from all different companies purchased for a slightly cheaper price, but not all made under the same standings. That is the main difference.


apple use pc products. all of their most powerful machines use intel processors and pc video cards. nothing about those are custom tailored for apple.



> Also, OS is a personal preference. ADware/SpyWare, its inevitable and it is going to happen, even if you do have to pay for your protection. There is constantly new things coming out.


with a nod32 membership (a couple bucks a month) are also updated constantly. in some cases i get several updates daily. award winning software with excellent support that is worth every penny.



> And getting shafted on display? If you are doing 3D projects, I'm not sure, but I would think that you would be doing it on something a little bit bigger than 17". If that is the case, I'll just hook it up to my TV. 1gb nvidia geforce gtx 260m can easily compare to a GeForce 9600M GT. Hopefully you have a hell of a battery in that thing also, because for how long it'll last, you might as well have a desktop.


i reiterate HDMI output, which is easy plugged into my 38" lcd in my living room or vga out which i can plug into my 22" monitor. 3d projects on-the-go, is what i should've said. but that shouldve been self explanatory since i specifically said i wanted a MOBILE rig. these are for personal projects. for serious duty i have my 22" cintiq at work.



> I'm not saying that isn't a SICK ass computer, it most definitely is. Although, before you say "eat your heart out apple," its wise to get a broader understanding of what your talking about.


and i'm not saying that apple sucks. in fact i've seriously considered buying a macbook. unfortunately, there's no argument that could sway me into buying an apple over an alienware. adware and viruses are not a concern.


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## philbert (Mar 8, 2007)

you made the right choice. mac-ers are haters.


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## r1dermon (Mar 9, 2005)

kove32 said:


> Oh now I never said I payed that much for a macbook. I simply purchased one for $999 and upgraded to 4gigs 1.5TB. That my friend, is comparable and at a smaller price. I am not making the argument for or against PCs, but I will say this: PCs/Laptops are MUCH more unstable due to the parts that are installed in them. Compare it to a car that 1) has custom built parts for it by the same company or 2) has parts from all different companies purchased for a slightly cheaper price, but not all made under the same standings. That is the main difference. Also, OS is a personal preference. ADware/SpyWare, its inevitable and it is going to happen, even if you do have to pay for your protection. There is constantly new things coming out. And getting shafted on display? If you are doing 3D projects, I'm not sure, but I would think that you would be doing it on something a little bit bigger than 17". If that is the case, I'll just hook it up to my TV. 1gb nvidia geforce gtx 260m can easily compare to a GeForce 9600M GT. Hopefully you have a hell of a battery in that thing also, because for how long it'll last, you might as well have a desktop.
> 
> I'm not saying that isn't a SICK ass computer, it most definitely is. Although, before you say "eat your heart out apple," its wise to get a broader understanding of what your talking about.


are you ridiculous? macs use PC hardware these days because the only reason they're still in business is their ipod...NOT their uber amazing computer making skillz.

good luck buying all that hardware FOR A LAPTOP at those prices...seriously...call me with a quote, you can build me one...


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## xeloR (Jan 2, 2009)

I love the title of this thread! I can't argue witch is a better computer because I would probably sound like an idiot. Gamming is the least of my interests though.

I look at it this way- I could buy a ZR1 Vette for 103K with 638HP or I could buy a Lamborghini Gallardo for 220K+ @ 560HP. I could buy a Seiko or I could buy a Rolex. I guess its just preference


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## xeloR (Jan 2, 2009)

Oh and nice computer by the way- that thing is gnarley looking!


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## kove32 (Oct 26, 2004)

r1dermon said:


> Oh now I never said I payed that much for a macbook. I simply purchased one for $999 and upgraded to 4gigs 1.5TB. That my friend, is comparable and at a smaller price. I am not making the argument for or against PCs, but I will say this: PCs/Laptops are MUCH more unstable due to the parts that are installed in them. Compare it to a car that 1) has custom built parts for it by the same company or 2) has parts from all different companies purchased for a slightly cheaper price, but not all made under the same standings. That is the main difference. Also, OS is a personal preference. ADware/SpyWare, its inevitable and it is going to happen, even if you do have to pay for your protection. There is constantly new things coming out. And getting shafted on display? If you are doing 3D projects, I'm not sure, but I would think that you would be doing it on something a little bit bigger than 17". If that is the case, I'll just hook it up to my TV. 1gb nvidia geforce gtx 260m can easily compare to a GeForce 9600M GT. Hopefully you have a hell of a battery in that thing also, because for how long it'll last, you might as well have a desktop.
> 
> I'm not saying that isn't a SICK ass computer, it most definitely is. Although, before you say "eat your heart out apple," its wise to get a broader understanding of what your talking about.


are you ridiculous? macs use PC hardware these days because the only reason they're still in business is their ipod...NOT their uber amazing computer making skillz.

good luck buying all that hardware FOR A LAPTOP at those prices...seriously...call me with a quote, you can build me one...
[/quote]

Can you please define what PC hardware is? What I said was these parts are crafted WITH/FOR Mac in mind. Unlike PCs which have different parts thrown in them such as Acer, HP, Dell, they are all different. Anyway, I'm done side tracking this topic! Sorry hyphen that is a HELL of a computer it honestly is. I remember always wanting an alienware when I was like 15, the lime green ones.

Most definitely a sweet computer, I would love to have it.


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## hyphen (Apr 4, 2004)

if more people thought like you there'd be less animosity in the world. preference is preference.


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## Plowboy (Apr 9, 2008)

Sweet! I didnt know the keyboards lit up on them.


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## r1dermon (Mar 9, 2005)

intel chip set. dual boot mac os and xp...it's beautiful...i bet the execs at mac were like, damnit, i can't believe we have to do this to sell more computers...ARG!!! (while pushing a big red button)


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## kove32 (Oct 26, 2004)

Although considering in a market, you must compromise to make steps. If you are behind in an industry, like McDonalds was in the health department, of course they are going to be like "hm... how about salads? Or white chicken?" Well, similarly, Apple was so far behind, and Microsoft held so much of the share, Mac had to find somewhere to compromise to allow users to slowly switch over. That is until things are universal.

Personally, I would go with Ubunto. Open Source for all


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## Wide_Eyed_Wanderer (Aug 22, 2006)

Nice, I would love that computer like I love my grandfather.


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## hyphen (Apr 4, 2004)

something neat i just realized after reading through the manual: i wasn't aware that the m17x came with an integrated gpu. when there's no power supply attached, it switches into "stealth mode", which basically toggles between the two to save battery life. i was wondering why the benchmark performance was so horrible and i noticed my gpu was set to 9400m instead of the gtx260. this is more like it.

edit: in case anyone is wondering, i'm running rightmark 3d 2 and the gtx 260m yields roughly 10x better fps with settings set to max than the 9400m on the lowest settings.


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## Apott05 (Jul 19, 2005)

Im not bashing you hyphen but my alienware has been the biggest peice of sh*t ever. Aliens were the sh*t before being bought out by dell. There customer service now sucks and I am stuck with a $1700 peice of sh*t. Both keyboard and monitor need replaced. Computer is only a year old. My next purchase will be a mac book pro. If anyone is interested in buying my alienware and fixing it send me a PM.


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## r1dermon (Mar 9, 2005)

a year old computer? i'll give you 100 bucks.


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## Piranha Dan (Nov 11, 2007)

Niiiice. I'm not really a laptop guy (don't need the portability) but that thing is kick ass. Should be able to play about any new game out there.


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## ICEE (Feb 3, 2007)

very nice hyphen


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## EZmoney (May 13, 2004)

Sweeeeet! My sister got that same alien laptop just a couple weeks ago. Gotta love the gradiated backlight on the keyboard.:nod:


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## [email protected]° (Jun 16, 2004)

r1dermon said:


> a year old computer? i'll give you 100 bucks.


$105!!

I am loving this thread BTW...

Keep fighting!!

The arguments are actually good, and informative!!!

I wish I was more of a computer guy than I am. Part of my duties at my job is to fix problems that arise in our Avid production system that includes a 64TB ISIS storage system (soon to go to a 256TB Interplay system) and all I can say is thank god for service contracts!!!

I am more of a "systems" guy in that I work with Video, Audio, Control, studio, and routing/switching systems. MANY of the systems utilize some sort of PC interface, but computing power is minimal to run them... EXCEPT for the Avid and newsroom system (Avid iNews)


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## Plowboy (Apr 9, 2008)

Hell I would give him $150 and say to hell with fixing it. I would just put it back by the amps in my car and turn it into a car pc! After that Im just a touch screen, some audio/video cables, and maybe a diff PSU away from media heaven.


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## [email protected]° (Jun 16, 2004)

Plowboy said:


> Hell I would give him $150 and say to hell with fixing it. I would just put it back by the amps in my car and turn it into a car pc! After that Im just a touch screen, some audio/video cables, and maybe a diff PSU away from media heaven.


$151


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## Plowboy (Apr 9, 2008)

$152.75


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## [email protected]° (Jun 16, 2004)

Plowboy said:


> $152.75


$154.50


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## His Majesty (Apr 5, 2005)

ive been checking out the m17x and the more i read the more i want one.

and the reviews are on the whole very good. there have been a few people who have had some trouble with it and that the customer service is a pile of crap if you ever do need them

but for my needs i dont think ill run into any major problems. ive been looking to get a new laptop now that im in university. i dont like this sony vaio that im using now. 
Alienware here i come!!


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## hyphen (Apr 4, 2004)

im gonna tell you now that its prob not a good university laptop. its fairly bulky and isn't exactly what you would call "light". if you plan on carrying it around i can see you having back problems sooner than later. you should check out the m15 if you need to really carry it around. 17" laptops aren't easy to tote.


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## Trigga (Jul 1, 2006)

Sweet computer

I'm still gonna get a MacBook pro but I guess that's because I'm so sick of windows.


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## His Majesty (Apr 5, 2005)

hyphen said:


> im gonna tell you now that its prob not a good university laptop. its fairly bulky and isn't exactly what you would call "light". if you plan on carrying it around i can see you having back problems sooner than later. you should check out the m15 if you need to really carry it around. 17" laptops aren't easy to tote.


does the M15 still have the cool lights for the keyboard? i know that isnt the most important thing but still haha

i will definetly look into it. now that you mention it a 17" laptop is not gonna be great to carry around.


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## CichlidAddict (Jul 1, 2005)

I like how you got the lotion bottle in the shot too...


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## Apott05 (Jul 19, 2005)

[email protected]° said:


> $152.75


$154.50
[/quote]

Sold!


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## hyphen (Apr 4, 2004)

Trigger lover said:


> I like how you got the lotion bottle in the shot too...


it's hand sanitizer







the lotion is at home.


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## His Majesty (Apr 5, 2005)

thanks for the info hyphen. 
ill do some more research and see what ill go for in the end.


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## SeedlessOne (Nov 21, 2006)

So yeah totally gonna jump back off topic..... I think its funny people say things like mac users are haters. IMO its the other way around. Fact is anyone that uses computers has used a windows based computer in there life. Most likely quite a bit. There is no getting around that. I think most pc users hate on mac b.c they just dont know anything about them, or spent a decent amout of time using one. Its not a opinion but a fact that OSX is a much better OS than windows is by far. Also a fact that pc computers are shitty quality compared to macs. And no Im not a fanboy or anything. I work on computers for a living and deal with them all freaking day long.

With that being said..... Macs are overpriced for the specs you get. But that is not what makes them worth every penny.

And sorry Hyphen. That is a pretty cool notebook you got there. Can you change the colors on the keyboard or do they stay constant like that?


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## hyphen (Apr 4, 2004)

im not gonna go on another mac vs. pc tangent. its futile, really. in response to your question, the all of the lcds on the laptop (im hesitant to call it a notebook) are customizable, you can switch them all to be a solid color if you want, which is how it came by default.


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## Gordeez (Sep 21, 2003)

Oh yea, My macs keyboard lights up too!!!!









In seriousness, nice laptop man.
I saw it when u Tweeted it.

Ive look at alienware in the past.
But then, I realized I had my Mac and I was drunk


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## r1dermon (Mar 9, 2005)

SeedlessOne said:


> So yeah totally gonna jump back off topic..... I think its funny people say things like mac users are haters. IMO its the other way around. Fact is anyone that uses computers has used a windows based computer in there life. Most likely quite a bit. There is no getting around that. I think most pc users hate on mac b.c they just dont know anything about them, or spent a decent amout of time using one. Its not a opinion but a fact that OSX is a much better OS than windows is by far. Also a fact that pc computers are shitty quality compared to macs. And no Im not a fanboy or anything. I work on computers for a living and deal with them all freaking day long.
> 
> With that being said..... Macs are overpriced for the specs you get. But that is not what makes them worth every penny.
> 
> And sorry Hyphen. That is a pretty cool notebook you got there. Can you change the colors on the keyboard or do they stay constant like that?


mac osx is better than windows...so what...you can run both on your mac. i can run linux on my pc, posix, bsd...the list goes on. windows doesn't=pc.

shitty quality compared to macs? for 2000 dollars i could build a much higher quality computer than a mac of the same price, AND have better specs. just not the paint job.


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## Wide_Eyed_Wanderer (Aug 22, 2006)

Real question is can you watch Pr0n on the mac without being caught by other members of your family. On my PC I made a fool proof plan to hide all of the pr0n. I made a bullshit folder called like "Downloads" and within that folder there's 4 other folders but if you click the one named "67892" it takes you into a window where there are 3 other folders. Now you click "Folder1" and within here you'll find 2 more folders "13" and "14". If you click on 13 you get nothing, but click on 14 and you have accessed the pr0n.


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## r1dermon (Mar 9, 2005)

dude, you did WAY too much work to hide your pr0n.


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## His Majesty (Apr 5, 2005)

you dumn fool SyM. thats not how you go about it. making folders within folders is noob style hiding


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## hyphen (Apr 4, 2004)

i just hide mine in a random folder under windows. but thanks to free streaming porn on the web i find myself rarely downloading vids.


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## His Majesty (Apr 5, 2005)

hyphen said:


> i just hide mine in a random folder under windows. *but thanks to free streaming porn on the web i find myself rarely downloading vids.*


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## SeedlessOne (Nov 21, 2006)

r1dermon said:


> So yeah totally gonna jump back off topic..... I think its funny people say things like mac users are haters. IMO its the other way around. Fact is anyone that uses computers has used a windows based computer in there life. Most likely quite a bit. There is no getting around that. I think most pc users hate on mac b.c they just dont know anything about them, or spent a decent amout of time using one. Its not a opinion but a fact that OSX is a much better OS than windows is by far. Also a fact that pc computers are shitty quality compared to macs. And no Im not a fanboy or anything. I work on computers for a living and deal with them all freaking day long.
> 
> With that being said..... Macs are overpriced for the specs you get. But that is not what makes them worth every penny.
> 
> And sorry Hyphen. That is a pretty cool notebook you got there. Can you change the colors on the keyboard or do they stay constant like that?


mac osx is better than windows...so what...you can run both on your mac. i can run linux on my pc, posix, bsd...the list goes on. windows doesn't=pc.

shitty quality compared to macs? for 2000 dollars i could build a much higher quality computer than a mac of the same price, AND have better specs. just not the paint job.
[/quote]
EDIT who f*cking cares.........


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## Apott05 (Jul 19, 2005)

Apott05 said:


> $152.75


$154.50
[/quote]

Sold!
[/quote]

Dude WTF... I was serious.


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## r1dermon (Mar 9, 2005)

SeedlessOne said:


> So yeah totally gonna jump back off topic..... I think its funny people say things like mac users are haters. IMO its the other way around. Fact is anyone that uses computers has used a windows based computer in there life. Most likely quite a bit. There is no getting around that. I think most pc users hate on mac b.c they just dont know anything about them, or spent a decent amout of time using one. Its not a opinion but a fact that OSX is a much better OS than windows is by far. Also a fact that pc computers are shitty quality compared to macs. And no Im not a fanboy or anything. I work on computers for a living and deal with them all freaking day long.
> 
> With that being said..... Macs are overpriced for the specs you get. But that is not what makes them worth every penny.
> 
> And sorry Hyphen. That is a pretty cool notebook you got there. Can you change the colors on the keyboard or do they stay constant like that?


mac osx is better than windows...so what...you can run both on your mac. i can run linux on my pc, posix, bsd...the list goes on. windows doesn't=pc.

shitty quality compared to macs? for 2000 dollars i could build a much higher quality computer than a mac of the same price, AND have better specs. just not the paint job.
[/quote]
EDIT who f*cking cares.........
[/quote]

yeah man...easy to judge everything, but when you gotta defend it...oops.


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## SeedlessOne (Nov 21, 2006)

Defend?? You are a piece of work sir. I edited my response b.c I could care f*cking less what your thoughts on a damn computer where. As matter of fact I could care less what you thoughts are on anything in general. Its quite clear what kind of person you are and I might as well have a debate with a five year old. You are right and I am wrong. You are the sh*t R1. So instead of dropping this dumb discussion like I was trying to do rather than sh*t on this thread you want to bring it back. So seriously dude...... Go f*ck you self.


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## Gordeez (Sep 21, 2003)

uh-oh...I think someone might get uppercutted...


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## irishfan 689 (Aug 11, 2004)

Aside from r1dermon's douchiness....

That's a kickass laptop for sure man, I've always been a fan of Alienware's style


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## r1dermon (Mar 9, 2005)

wow man, didn't know you'd get so butthurt over 1 sentence...i didn't even call you a name yet.


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## His Majesty (Apr 5, 2005)

/quickly gets some popcorn and waits for fight to begin


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## Gordeez (Sep 21, 2003)

Still waiting for the /uppercut


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## irishfan 689 (Aug 11, 2004)

Hahahahaha yeah, that one single sentence was the only time you've ever been a douche. Stop spamming the thread with your OS nonsense, seriously

hyphen, do you ever hook this bad boy up to your LCD with the VGA cable instead of the HDMI? I had to settle for a VGA hookup to my TV cuz my laptop doesn't have HDMI, and I've always been curious if the HDMI looks a lot better or what the comparison is


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## r1dermon (Mar 9, 2005)

oh, so i can't respond to a bullshit statement with any kind of significant information, that makes me a douche? someone who doesn't know what they're talking about made a statement about something they dont know anything about. i responded because i happen to have more than 1 single iota of information about it, and now im a douche...here's an idea, how about you just stay the f*ck out of it because you aren't involved...or maybe you have something to add about the whole pc vs. mac hardware thing? either way, i havent resorted to calling you names, so please grow the f*ck up and stop calling me a douche.


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## xeloR (Jan 2, 2009)

Sick computer hyphen....


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## r1dermon (Mar 9, 2005)

btw, hdmi looks infinitely better than VGA.


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## joey'd (Oct 26, 2005)

what sort of OS are you running?
im guessing Vista?
if so, one problem i see with your config, is that your running DDR3, which on 64bitOS is better run in channels of 3GB DIMM's
if you have 1 4GB dimm in there now, your not getting full use of it either, and even if you have 2x2GB's your still losing out on memory.
nice computer though, and there is no sense in comparing it to a mac, its like an apple to a raison (no pun intended)


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## SeedlessOne (Nov 21, 2006)

r1dermon said:


> oh, so i can't respond to a bullshit statement with any kind of significant information, that makes me a douche? someone who doesn't know what they're talking about made a statement about something they dont know anything about. i responded because i happen to have more than 1 single iota of information about it, and now im a douche...here's an idea, how about you just stay the f*ck out of it because you aren't involved...or maybe you have something to add about the whole pc vs. mac hardware thing? either way, i havent resorted to calling you names, so please grow the f*ck up and stop calling me a douche.


So I have no idea what Im talking about??? Yeah Im sure.. How many macs have you actually taken apart? How about a windows based machine??? Dude f*ck you as _I_ run a successful computer business and do this daily. I will have a educated conversation about this topic once you have a educated opinion about the topic on hand. You are basing your facts on bullshit. R1dermon I speak for 90% of pfury.... Get lost you dumb f*ck. And save the gay pictures/comments and just realize that you suck at life sir......Douche

Uppercut applied.......


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## irishfan 689 (Aug 11, 2004)

r1dermon said:


> btw, hdmi looks infinitely better than VGA.


I'm gonna put away our differences right now and ask if you could answer this honestly, because VGA is capable of over 1080p definition so how could you possibly say HDMI is infinitely better? I wanna hear from someone who has literally tested them and made a judgement, and you sound like you're trying to spite me...if I'm wrong just say so tho and let me know. Otherwise my question of VGA vs. HDMI is still open to hyphen or whoever else may have the experience


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## kove32 (Oct 26, 2004)

irishfan 689 said:


> btw, hdmi looks infinitely better than VGA.


I'm gonna put away our differences right now and ask if you could answer this honestly, because VGA is capable of over 1080p definition so how could you possibly say HDMI is infinitely better? I wanna hear from someone who has literally tested them and made a judgement, and you sound like you're trying to spite me...if I'm wrong just say so tho and let me know. Otherwise my question of VGA vs. HDMI is still open to hyphen or whoever else may have the experience
[/quote]

Perhaps I can help answer your question. I have tested both and have personally noticed that at smaller TVs such as less then 30" they are almost identical, but as you go higher, you can start to tell a difference like the intensity of the pixels. Although not that drastic, there is a difference. I wouldn't say HDMI is indefinitely better though.


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## Plowboy (Apr 9, 2008)

kove32 said:


> btw, hdmi looks infinitely better than VGA.


I'm gonna put away our differences right now and ask if you could answer this honestly, because VGA is capable of over 1080p definition so how could you possibly say HDMI is infinitely better? I wanna hear from someone who has literally tested them and made a judgement, and you sound like you're trying to spite me...if I'm wrong just say so tho and let me know. Otherwise my question of VGA vs. HDMI is still open to hyphen or whoever else may have the experience
[/quote]

Perhaps I can help answer your question. I have tested both and have personally noticed that at smaller TVs such as less then 30" they are almost identical, but as you go higher, you can start to tell a difference like the intensity of the pixels. Although not that drastic, there is a difference. I wouldn't say HDMI is indefinitely better though.
[/quote]

It's long, but i think I summed it up pretty well.

To my knowledge, vga has a pretty high resolution capacity (like 2000+ x 1500+), but hdmi should have a lot cleaner signal because its digital. It would be like running your 5.1 system off of RCA connectors then switching to an optical input.

The digital system is a lot more robust because it deals in just 1's and 0's, where as, the analog connection runs off of electricity at varying voltages. If you just imagine that the signal coming out of the source unit is perfect (it never is, but for this we will say it is). Any external electricity floating around in the air will screw with the analog connection, making it "less perfect". With digital a 1 is a 1, and a 0 is a zero no matter what voltage its at. It is possible to have so much eletrical noise floating around to actually tinker with the digital signal, but that would be very extreme.

I ran a vga off an external card onto my parents 52" samsung lcd (I cant remember the model number, but it's only 6months old now) and there was little difference between that and the on-board video's hdmi. Although, I never ran HD content through it, and it was still onboard vs. off-board video, which is'nt fair. My gamer rig also ran off of vga while it was running a single vid card onto a 1680 by 1050 22" monitor (I think thats what it was) and it looked just fine at 2-3' of viewing distance. I never ran the cable far, because i keep my pc up on the desk with the monitor to avoid clogging the radiator. Also, the cable didnt encounter much electrical noise besides passing with in a foot of the rigs PSU.

I will say with a reasonable amount of confidence that vga will be 95% as good as hdmi on a short run without a lot of electrical noise.

HDMI is better. You cant argue that fact, but its not worth a few hundred in hardware upgrades.


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## irishfan 689 (Aug 11, 2004)

Thanks for those replies, definitely sounds like if I'm just running a few feet of VGA cable from my laptop to my 30" TV I'll be able to survive without HDMI, but in the future I'm gonna need to step it up and get that 1080p laptop with the HDMI output


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## Plowboy (Apr 9, 2008)

joey said:


> what sort of OS are you running?
> im guessing Vista?
> if so, one problem i see with your config, is that your running DDR3, which on 64bitOS is better run in channels of *3GB DIMM's*
> if you have 1 4GB dimm in there now, your not getting full use of it either, and even if you have 2x2GB's your still losing out on memory.
> nice computer though, and there is no sense in comparing it to a mac, its like an apple to a raison (no pun intended)


 Are you talking 3 x 1gb dimms, or one 3gb dimm?

If your talking 3 x 1 gb dimms or triple channel, then that only really helps with one cpu, the 1366socket intel i7. Anything else and the dual channel memory is still the best supported.


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## hyphen (Apr 4, 2004)

irishfan: no, i haven't tried hooking it up to any of my lcd displays yet. i gotta pick up another hdmi cable and vga cable along with some other stuff like dvd-10s, a new mouse and a bag.

joey'd: i'm running vista 64 atm. i'll be switching to 7 whenever i get it in the mail.

to everyone else: stop cluttering my thread with bullshit name calling. i don't want to start deleting posts.


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## [email protected]° (Jun 16, 2004)

Vista in the main reason I haven't upgraded my 5 year old Dell desktop...

I'm waiting til at least a service pack or 2 is out for 7 before I even think about taking the plunge!!

I am looking for a nice 22-24" monitor upgrade in the mean time.

I use a 24" Samsung at work but don't want to pay the over $600. pricetag to have it at at home...


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## hyphen (Apr 4, 2004)

not sure what everyone's complaining about regarding vista. we've all converted to 64bit vista machines at work and have had very few problems. i don't have any issues with vista so far on this laptop nor have i had any on my work machine, which im using for 9-10 hours a day with a pretty serious workload. i don't like that i have to find separate vista drivers, but from what i understand that issue is resolved with windows 7.


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## r1dermon (Mar 9, 2005)

irishfan 689 said:


> btw, hdmi looks infinitely better than VGA.


I'm gonna put away our differences right now and ask if you could answer this honestly, because VGA is capable of over 1080p definition so how could you possibly say HDMI is infinitely better? I wanna hear from someone who has literally tested them and made a judgement, and you sound like you're trying to spite me...if I'm wrong just say so tho and let me know. Otherwise my question of VGA vs. HDMI is still open to hyphen or whoever else may have the experience
[/quote]

dude, think whatever you want, i dont give a sh*t, i gave my opinion based on what i've tested. and yes, it'll look even better than infinitely better on a larger set.

think about it like this, you're using a digital source (computer) and sending your digital signal over an analog connection (video graphics array)...it's like upconverting a DVD to 1080i, you're always going to lose information to get that resolution, because A, the information was never there (in the case of the upconverted DVD) and B, the connection doesn't support some of the information because it just can't handle that type of signal. a video card converts the signal to analog, just 1 more step in the process. each time you alter a signal, it loses information.

it's like hifi audio...you'd think that the signal of choice would be digital, but analog is actually the master copy, and picks up all the vibrations in the air as well as on the signal wire. listen to a vinyl record with an analog tube amp and a nice set of speakers, you'll never listen to a CD the same way again. convert it to digital and it loses a lot of info...start with digital and convert it to analog, and you get the same result, lost information.


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## r1dermon (Mar 9, 2005)

[email protected]° said:


> Vista in the main reason I haven't upgraded my 5 year old Dell desktop...
> 
> I'm waiting til at least a service pack or 2 is out for 7 before I even think about taking the plunge!!
> 
> ...


put a linux partition on it as well as vista, then when windows 7 comes out, you should have a free upgrade, then you can blow the linux partition away, (or not...i tend to like linux better than any windows distro)

btw, i have a 36" vizio in my bedroom with all the computer cable hookups, 500 bucks at BJ's. makes for a hell of a monitor (it's 1080p as well).


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## r1dermon (Mar 9, 2005)

SeedlessOne said:


> oh, so i can't respond to a bullshit statement with any kind of significant information, that makes me a douche? someone who doesn't know what they're talking about made a statement about something they dont know anything about. i responded because i happen to have more than 1 single iota of information about it, and now im a douche...here's an idea, how about you just stay the f*ck out of it because you aren't involved...or maybe you have something to add about the whole pc vs. mac hardware thing? either way, i havent resorted to calling you names, so please grow the f*ck up and stop calling me a douche.


So I have no idea what Im talking about??? Yeah Im sure.. How many macs have you actually taken apart? How about a windows based machine??? Dude f*ck you as _I_ run a successful computer business and do this daily. I will have a educated conversation about this topic once you have a educated opinion about the topic on hand. You are basing your facts on bullshit. R1dermon I speak for 90% of pfury.... Get lost you dumb f*ck. And save the gay pictures/comments and just realize that you suck at life sir......Douche

Uppercut applied.......
[/quote]

ok dude...i've been taking computers apart since the early 90's. sparc'5's, 10's, 20's, ultras, alphas, apples, olivetti's, x86 gateways, the list goes on and on.

you run a sucessful computer business...congradufuckinlations. what'd you see a "grow your career" commercial on TV one day and figure, f*ck, i'll go learn a bit about computers! either way, here's a f*cking cookie, you're the best.

my facts are facts, it's a fact that mac hardware is no better than PC hardware, it's also a fact that mac hardware is more expensive that almost ALL pc hardware....

you can't uppercut, because you're a computer nerd...and that's my term anyway...and beyond that, i can't imagine a customer of yours coming into your store and possibly giving you an experienced opinion...would you say they're a dumb f*ck, and call them a douche?


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## joey'd (Oct 26, 2005)

hyphen said:


> not sure what everyone's complaining about regarding vista. we've all converted to 64bit vista machines at work and have had very few problems. i don't have any issues with vista so far on this laptop nor have i had any on my work machine, which im using for 9-10 hours a day with a pretty serious workload. i don't like that i have to find separate vista drivers, but from what i understand that issue is resolved with windows 7.


i had an extensive trainging on windows 7 the other day, many of the issues have been fixed, and i must say, i was slightly impressed with what is to come, and from an apple fanatic, i think thats a large compliment to windows.

huge differences you will see, opening files will take you half a second, huge advances in that area, file search has been greatly fine tuned, and very very fast without bogging down the whole system

your battery, will last much longer, the OS of 7 is not as reliant on the proc, using less power, giving you longer battery life.
not sure which version you are getting, but with enterpirse, you will have one kick ass OS.

also, cool thing, many companies can only use XPP as thier applications are not able to run on vista, well with windows 7, it can run XPP in the background just like a virtual machine.

in response to plowboy, i was talking in regards to multiples of 3GB dimms.
on all computers, you must know they are best run in paris of 2, same with ddr3.


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## hyphen (Apr 4, 2004)

r1dermon said:


> oh, so i can't respond to a bullshit statement with any kind of significant information, that makes me a douche? someone who doesn't know what they're talking about made a statement about something they dont know anything about. i responded because i happen to have more than 1 single iota of information about it, and now im a douche...here's an idea, how about you just stay the f*ck out of it because you aren't involved...or maybe you have something to add about the whole pc vs. mac hardware thing? either way, i havent resorted to calling you names, so please grow the f*ck up and stop calling me a douche.


So I have no idea what Im talking about??? Yeah Im sure.. How many macs have you actually taken apart? How about a windows based machine??? Dude f*ck you as _I_ run a successful computer business and do this daily. I will have a educated conversation about this topic once you have a educated opinion about the topic on hand. You are basing your facts on bullshit. R1dermon I speak for 90% of pfury.... Get lost you dumb f*ck. And save the gay pictures/comments and just realize that you suck at life sir......Douche

Uppercut applied.......
[/quote]

ok dude...i've been taking computers apart since the early 90's. sparc'5's, 10's, 20's, ultras, alphas, apples, olivetti's, x86 gateways, the list goes on and on.

you run a sucessful computer business...congradufuckinlations. what'd you see a "grow your career" commercial on TV one day and figure, f*ck, i'll go learn a bit about computers! either way, here's a f*cking cookie, you're the best.

*my facts are facts, it's a fact that mac hardware is no better than PC hardware, it's also a fact that mac hardware is more expensive that almost ALL pc hardware....*

you can't uppercut, because you're a computer nerd...and that's my term anyway...and beyond that, i can't imagine a customer of yours coming into your store and possibly giving you an experienced opinion...would you say they're a dumb f*ck, and call them a douche?
[/quote]

that is fact. just quoting for truth.


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## SeedlessOne (Nov 21, 2006)

I absolutely agree with the bold statement. Macs are overpriced for the specs you get. But what I was referring to was the quality of a mac. These things are built like tanks. Anyone that has actually taken apart a mac will agree. Macs are not for everyone though. Like in your instance hyphen- There is now way I would look for a mac if I was gaming. You would end up with some 4k+ plus computer. That is just ridiculous. Either which way I believe this horse has been beaten enough.

And on a side note..... Anyone have any suggestions for a video card(s) that will handle game design and 3d rendering? Im putting together a computer for a customer that makes video games/graphic design. I have a few ideas of what I am going to set him up with but I want some other input.


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## r1dermon (Mar 9, 2005)

lmao...what's their budget.


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## SeedlessOne (Nov 21, 2006)

Ah his budget is killing him. He wants to stay under 1k. Im thinking of setting him up with This With a e8500


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## r1dermon (Mar 9, 2005)

i've always been a huge fan of MSI for kickass video cards...looking at some of the cons, it idles really hot (55c) and is kind of difficult to fit in a mid-tower. other than that though, this card would rape any entry level video editing you've got.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16814127429


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## Plowboy (Apr 9, 2008)

HAHAHAHA yeah the 275 should rape it.

You can save a bit of money by getting this cpu. I know in dual core this thing would get raped by an e8500, but with the right mobo and bios you can turn it into a quad core phenom II basically. Ive already done it on my buddies computer, and it was pretty damn easy. The hardest part is finding the right bios. AMD appears to be hiding them now. After i got it into quad core mode it only ran at around 65-70C on the stock cooling, and I went on to a final clock of around 3.4GHZ while still on the stock cooler.


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## Plowboy (Apr 9, 2008)

wait 1k total or just for the tower?


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## Piranha Dan (Nov 11, 2007)

r1dermon said:


> ...it idles really hot (55c)...


That's actually pretty cool for a gaming card. I have Nvidia's monitering/overclocking software installed on my machine. GPU #1 is currently 72 C. GPU #2 is 62 C. (EVGA 7950GX2). I remember reading somewhere when I got my first one that it will automatically "slow down" (I'm guessing this means underclock) the GPU's if the temp hits 120C (yea I said holy sh*t when I read that too). Highest I've ever seen the temp go under heavy load is 95C when I tried running Crysis with the graphics turned all the way up.


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## serrasalmuss (Jul 31, 2009)

alienware use to be good now its just a overpriced dell..i woulda went to sager for a laptop as it lets you customize it http://www.sagernotebook.com/default.php ...as far as the cpu dont waste money on anything right now.....if u do a intel q6600 is still by far the best buy around (didnt read the thread as to see if u already had a mobo)...i just built my gf a puter with a q6600 2gigs ram 1tb drive space and a decent mobo and a decent video card for a little under 500.....


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## SeedlessOne (Nov 21, 2006)

Yeah that 1k is just for the tower.


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## Plowboy (Apr 9, 2008)

then you can get him squeezed into an i5 and a 260 gtx

and use pretty good parts to


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## SeedlessOne (Nov 21, 2006)

I really dont see the worth in going the i5 route. The e8500 should perform just as well and is more stable. The ddr3 rams choices/prices are also a negative. 1k is the budget but Im trying to save money if I can as he would like to buy a moniter(s) is possible. Input welcome. 80% of the computers I build are for businesses/pos systems and dont require anything near his needs.


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## Plowboy (Apr 9, 2008)

cpu charts the i5 sits just above the AMD Phenom II X4 965. Its pretty mean. I priced one out today that came in around $900. Plus, its socket 1156, so it will future proof him a bit better. Its been anounced that 775 and 1366 is done. The only thing 1366 will get yet is the gulfdown i9's and thats it. I'm sure thats going to cost a small fortune though.


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