Alienware Steam Machines Can't Be Upgraded

[unstabLized]

...NAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Buying an uncustomizable PC? Then I rather buy a gaming laptop. At least that's portable.

What the fuck Alienware? I knew you guys were greedy, but I didn't think you were THIS greedy. You might as well just turn around and say you made a souped up console. Another reason not to give a dime to Alienware. Overpriced systems, and now they're turning PCs into Consoles. No thank you.

 

[Auron]

Yea I also find it rather silly, but really what's the big deal? You don't have to buy a new one every year, decent-spec'd one will be fine for 5 or so years just like a regular computer.

But in fact you don't have to buy one at all so what's the big deal? And really, this is FAR from the first PC which is not possible to upgrade. Or who replaces a videocard in their laptop? I'm sure you'll be able to change the hard drive.

Also I wonder how many of the people complaining about this buy a new iPhone every year.

First, laptops are not generally for gaming and the ones that are cost a fortune. Obviously this makes Alienware's plan even more stupid when they're charging a fortune for their version that does less stuff as well.

Secondly, Android for the win and while yes Samsung has dropped into the yearly cycle shit there's little reason to upgrade for one or two features they offer while "being able to play that new game." is a major reason for a gamer to get a new GPU.

 

[Do4600]

It's the iphone of computers. Technically an iphone can last several generations but people who don't upgrade are seen as embarrassments. This is the same marketing. They want you to upgrade every year but the computer will probably last for about four years. Of course that doesn't take away the soul-wrenching burden of having bought a Dell computer with a fancy plastic molding with LEDs glued on it.

 

[sumanoskae]

The only reason I would even consider buying something like this instead of a PC would be a lack of funds. If by "New Model" you mean I would have to buy the damn thing over again every year for the same price (Which I presume ain't cheap), then you can fucking forget that shit.

Let's estimate the price of one these machines is $400; getting the latest model every year for 4 years would cost $1600. Alienware has said they want to compete with the Xbox One, which is $500.

Assuming the XBone doesn't take after it's predecessor and break every 20 minutes, the only other costs for it would be the Xbox Live subscription.

On what planet are these considered "competitive" prices?

I do not own nor desire an Xbox One, I think the next generation consoles are load of bullshit; a huge sum of money for something that might be good at some point in the future(At which point it will also be cheaper). But I would rather get an XBone than set fire to all my spare money every year.

It is true that Steam's game library is vastly superior to the XBone's at the time of writing, but the library will likely grow, and include most future major releases. Steam only has the advantage of carrying older games and strategy games.

This is essentially a current gen console with backwards compatibility, but at an astronomically higher price; you'd be better off just buying (Or keeping) a previous generation console.

Or you could just build a damn PC that does the same thing at a reduced price.

The only advantage this fucking thing would have over a PC is it's price, but now that you have to buy it every year that's out the fucking window.

Who in the name of God thought this was a good idea?

 

[Something Amyss]

The more and more I hear about these STEAM machines, the more and more useless they sound. So not only are they more expensive then a PC of similar power, they also can't be upgraded?

Keep in mind this applies specifically to Alienware Steam Machines. Other manufacturers have insisted you can, in fact, update the hardware. That still seems kind of useless, since this is supposed to be the kind of "for dummies" machine that doesn't require you to know about all that big bag scary hardware, so I'm still missing the point.

 

[Amir Kondori]

The idea that ALL Steam machines will not be user upgradeable based on these statements by Dell is a faulty assumption. Also, just because Dell says you can't upgrade this box does not make it true.

 

[karloss01]

Well they've shot themselves in the foot considering the majority of those in the PC market like to upgrade their rigs.

 

[TomWiley]

The more and more I hear about these STEAM machines, the more and more useless they sound. So not only are they more expensive then a PC of similar power, they also can't be upgraded?

I agree with what TotalHalibut said on his content patch a while ago. Valve should just wait a few years until the hardware is more powerful and cheaper and THEN release a Steam machine that is at least as powerful as the consoles but cheaper.

It annoys me because I said that a bloody year ago, when commenting on TB videos back when he was widely excited about it. And know he's all like, "you heard it here first". Pfffft

On topic:

It should be noted that Alienware is just one of many Steam Machine manufacturers. But yeah, in general I see this hardware category heading down the same path as the Ouya.

 

[Atrocious Joystick]

So for a bunch of money I get the privilege of buying a computer that I can´t upgrade (or fix should something break) and while even if it is powerful will run an OS that won´t be able to play most games, and the majority of games that it does play does not require anything beyond a mid-range laptop. But hey, you can plug it into your TV. Because that used to be impossible.

 

[Vrach]

Well, that sounds useless, but without price tags and the power of those machines, this means nothing.

Honestly, upgrading a PC is a thing of the past for the most part. I hate to say this, but it's what I've come to realise recently. The optimal thing to do when building a PC rig is to build something that'll last you a few years (while keeping the price to a minimum, obviously).

For me, personally, the PC I have at the moment lasted me a bit over 3 years and I'm happy with that. Price tag for that rig was 600 euros (~800$), though if I lived in a more developed country, it'd be closer to 600$ (more competition, more choices, all translate to better deals).

Now, I'm gonna be replacing it relatively soon. So far, it's running everything to my liking (I'm a guy very willing to turn off useless shadows and tone down the details a bit), but with stuff like Watch Dogs coming out, I'm probably gonna need an upgrade soon. So what can I upgrade in the sense of, without replacing my entire rig? Let's see:
1) I'll be needing a new processor for sure.
2) New graphics card, obviously.
3) More RAM. Can't just add more sticks to my existing RAM because mixing different types is generally a bad idea. Finding my old type is hard enough 3 years later and besides, there's faster RAM now and the old one might be incompatible with...
4) ...Motherboard - replacing key components like the three above is all well and good, but the motherboard needs to support new choices. 3 years later, it's likely my old motherboard does not or, if it does, creates a bottleneck somewhere.
5) PSU - changing all those key components may mean they draw more power now. It's not a certainty, seeing as I bought a pretty good PSU last time (600W, 80+ certified, should be able to handle most decent rigs), but if it can't handle the power demand of the new components, even if it just needs just a tad more power, I'll need a brand new one.

And that's all your basic PC components right there. What can I keep? HDDs, CD drives and of course, any peripherals and the PC case. That's not much and seeing as the price of SDDs has dropped quite a bit in the last 3 years, I may well get one for the OS and maybe a select game or two (it can really make a difference in some of the new games seeing as they're getting bigger and loading maps and such can take a while).

So yeah, point is, if you build your rig right - so it can last - you'll be needing pretty much a full upgrade. You can buy cheaper bits and replace them as newer ones get cheaper too, hunting the best deals constantly, but honestly, you'll just end up with the same or higher price tag after upgrading it over the same period, with a lot more hassle (looking up compatible upgrades every time, possibly reinstalling the OS because of drastic changes in your PC's architecture etc.).

So yeah, as far as this news goes... we need more info. How much do they cost and how long are they built to last. My main concern for these machines though, is that they couldn't (or rather, wouldn't) possibly offer you a better deal in any way. You are, after all, getting the Steam controller and a pre-built rig with not one, but two brand names on it (manufacturer + Steam).

 

[Mortuorum]

Maybe it's to keep costs down. And by "costs", I mean their costs. It's not like Alienware is going to pass that along to the customer... that's crazy talk!

I wonder if iBuyPower and the other manufacturers are planning the same business model?

 

[Roxas1359]

I wonder if iBuyPower and the other manufacturers are planning the same business model?

Rereleasing? No, iBuyPower can be upgraded from what I've seen so it'd be stupid for them to follow suit with Alienware. Heck, iBuyPower seems to be the only one that is making the Steam Box's affordable when compared to the others.

Well, that sounds useless, but without price tags and the power of those machines, this means nothing.

Well it is Alienware, and if that's anything to go by it means it will be extremely overpriced and will have about half the power of what a computer you could build yourself for a lower price would have.

 

[Something Amyss]

Why would a sane person even buy something from Alienware anyway?

"Sane" is a dubious term, but I get the impression most people don't know better.

Alienware missed the point of the Steam Machine in the worst way possible. Way to go, guys.

What is the point, if not a consolised PC?

*sigh* I wish Valve would at least have SOME standards by which the third party manufacturers had to follow with their Steam Machines, to prevent this kind of bullshit from happenening.

Valve has some standards. Take from that what you will, but I think it's pretty clear that this is a non-issue to them. But I'm not sure why people expect service from Valve anyway.

Let's talk about cars.

Yes, let's. Cars with a lease are cheaper in the short run and the marketing is designed to get people into the vehicle when it's no longer a premium. It's often a bad buy overall, but the point is that there's no analogous market in terms of Alienware and Steam Machines. They aren't designing these for lease. They're likely designing them in hopes you will buy to own and upgrade every year.

I'd also point out cars don't need an improvement to count as a new annual model.

Semtex charges.

"Warning: breaking this seal will void your warranty and may result in injury, death, and a heap of slag where your computer used to be."

So for a bunch of money I get the privilege of buying a computer that I can´t upgrade (or fix should something break) and while even if it is powerful will run an OS that won´t be able to play most games, and the majority of games that it does play does not require anything beyond a mid-range laptop. But hey, you can plug it into your TV. Because that used to be impossible.

So it's a console?

 

[grimallq]

Keep in mind this applies specifically to Alienware Steam Machines. Other manufacturers have insisted you can, in fact, update the hardware. That still seems kind of useless, since this is supposed to be the kind of "for dummies" machine that doesn't require you to know about all that big bag scary hardware, so I'm still missing the point.

Yes, Steam machines are devices meant for non PC-savvy people. The point here is, that if a user wants to upgrade their Steambox, they can do it. Even by themselves if they have the skill.

You don't need special knowledge to use it, but if you do, you have more options.

Alienware cuts that option out for no obvious reason.

 

[Something Amyss]

Yes, Steam machines are devices meant for non PC-savvy people. The point here is, that if a user wants to upgrade their Steambox, they can do it. Even by themselves if they have the skill.

If you're even remotely PC-savvy, why are you buying a Steam Machine? Why are you buying an Alienware Steam Machine?

Alienware cuts that option out for no obvious reason.

Standardised hardware? The general inability to fuck it up? I can think of a few pretty obvious reasons.

 

[grimallq]

If you're even remotely PC-savvy, why are you buying a Steam Machine? Why are you buying an Alienware Steam Machine?

Plenty of reasons, probably. I personally wouldn't, but I'll bet there will be "PC-savvy" people buying pre-built Steam Machines.

You were asking what's the point of giving the pre-built Steam machine buyers the option to modify the hardware, even if the vast majority of them won't ever do it. The point is right in the systems definition, the Steram Machine is an open platform where the user has almost full control over the hardware and software. This includes the ability to modify and/or upgrade the machine. This is valid for custom built machines and regular PCs loaded with SteamOS, it's valid for Valve's own prototype units, and it's valid for most pre-built units from Valve's partners.

Just like with a regular PC a user doesn't need specialized knowledge of PC construction to operate one. But if they want to upgrade the hardware they can, and if they have the relevant skill they can upgrade it themselves.

You want to customize a Steam machine, you can. You don't want to (or don't know how), no problem you can use it as is (or drop by a specialty shop). The option exists for those that want to use it.

Standardised hardware? The general inability to fuck it up? I can think of a few pretty obvious reasons.

From what I hear Alienware has great ability to fuck up their own standardized hardware, but enough of that.

I suppose there are several reasons I can think about, none that I find compelling. Alienware are stripping their Steambox from a major feature (customizability) that was intended by the platform's creators (Valve), and don't really explain why they are doing it. Just saying "You want customizabilty, buy our other model".

 

[Something Amyss]

Plenty of reasons, probably. I personally wouldn't, but I'll bet there will be "PC-savvy" people buying pre-built Steam Machines.

You can't name a decent reason, and leave out the biggest factor: Alienware.

You were asking what's the point of giving the pre-built Steam machine buyers the option to modify the hardware, even if the vast majority of them won't ever do it.

Actually, I was questioning the point of making a "for dummies" machine with an assumed requisite level of tech knowledge. It has nothing to do with what the majority of people will or won't do, but the intended audience.

The point is right in the systems definition, the Steram Machine is an open platform where the user has almost full control over the hardware and software.

[Citation needed]

You want to customize a Steam machine, you can.

Unless you can't. Like here.

From what I hear Alienware has great ability to fuck up their own standardized hardware, but enough of that.

I can see why you think savvy people would spend extra to buy from a company known for fucking up their own hardware.

I suppose there are several reasons I can think about, none that I find compelling.[/quote]

Funny, I feel the same way about people buying an Alienware Steam Machine in the first place.

Alienware are stripping their Steambox from a major feature (customizability) that was intended by the platform's creators (Valve), and don't really explain why they are doing it.

I'm yet to see this advertised as a "major feature." I'm also not aware of any requirement that Alienware explain themselves, either.