Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Computing/2016 June 4

= June 4 =

Alienware Alpha
I'm interested in purchasing a gaming PC and have been contemplating the Alienware Alpha. I've tried to find reviews of it - and there are many - but they all seem to be regarding the original version released a few years ago. Could anyone provide a link to an independent review of the latest version for me? It's been a while since I was involved in higher end PC gaming and I'm curious if the deal is really as good as it appears. Matt Deres (talk) 02:56, 4 June 2016 (UTC)
 * Which model are you looking at? You might be able to check out PCPartPicker or other Build-Your-Own computer sites for the individual part prices. Anarchyte  (work  &#124; talk )   05:03, 4 June 2016 (UTC)
 * A reasonable question. :) This is actually the more relevant link as it's Canadian-based and I'm referring to the one with the i7 processor instead of the i3. Matt Deres (talk) 14:50, 4 June 2016 (UTC)
 * I get the impression that they haven't upgraded it much since 2014. It's hard to tell because Dell doesn't specify what GPU is in the thing, but this review from December 2014 says the GPU was a "customized Nvidia GTX 860M" and the CPU was an i7-4765T, and this recent Reddit thread suggests that the GPU is still an 860m (which is "a 750ti with slightly slower memory [or] a 960m with slightly slower core speed" if you believe the first commenter), and Dell's site says the current high-end machine has an i7-4785T, which seems to be identical to the 4765T except for a 7% (single core) or 10% (multicore) higher clock rate. So reviews from 2014 are probably still applicable today. You might see a slightly higher frame rate in CPU-bound games. -- BenRG (talk) 02:19, 5 June 2016 (UTC)
 * (EC) I've never got the impression that Alienware computers are particularly well prices, even after Dell acquired them. Also am I missing something or does that page not actually tell you what the GPU is? Seems fairly weird for a computer sold as a gaming one. Edit: Looking a bit more it seems they don't tell you because it's their own slightly customised thing they call "Alpha's NVIDIA GeForce GTX GPU" but probably based on an 860m as BenRG mentioned above (especially since they're comparing it to one). Nil Einne (talk) 02:21, 5 June 2016 (UTC)
 * Anyway if it is a mobile GPU, I think a big question is whether you actually need the power, noise and size advantages. If not, it's probably better to go with a computer with a non mobile GPU. Also, how well are Dell going to keep the drivers up to date? Mobile GPU drivers are better than they used to be given that you can now generally obtain them directly from Nvidia or AMD rather than needing repackaged ones released by others, but even so the level of support is generally lower and especially with whatever weird thing this Alienware is, there's a possibility you may have problems using non Alienware provided drivers. The classic troubleshooting tip whenever you have problems with games is generally to make sure your drivers are updated. To be fair, as the GPU gets older, this tends to be less important and in certain cases can even make things worse. But still using a mobile GPU would add additional complications beyond the price/performance tradeoff. If you do want a computer with a mobile GPU your choices are more limited (especially since even with MXM there can still compatibility limitations), still there are other options including from vendors who make it clearer what GPU you're getting. Nil Einne (talk) 02:42, 5 June 2016 (UTC)


 * Hmm. Some stuff to think about, I guess. I'm not... completely unfamiliar with computer architecture, but the technology has just advanced so quickly over the last few years that it seems almost impossible to keep track of it all if it's not your full-time hobby. Back to the general review sites for me, I guess. Too bad, the ultra-wide screen monitor looked nifty (and was well-reviewed). Matt Deres (talk) 17:56, 5 June 2016 (UTC)


 * If you're adverse to possibly getting "taken for a ride" just build your own PC; then you decide what hardware goes in. I know five-ish years ago Alienware's reputation among "computer people" was they sold overpriced hardware to people who didn't know any better, but I don't know if that's changed. Certainly I believe their prices used to be a lot higher. --71.110.8.102 (talk) 01:35, 6 June 2016 (UTC)


 * I've done that in the past, but I honestly feel that's probably unhelpful advice. As I mentioned, I'm out of touch regarding current specs and that knowledge gap only gets worse if you consider the interactions between all the pieces. I'm not confident enough to really understand the difference between this processor and that processor, how do you suppose I'd fare balancing all the options that come with DIY? Also, the savings of doing it yourself are not what they once were (if I'm understanding the gist of some recent articles). Matt Deres (talk) 01:05, 7 June 2016 (UTC)

Can the WP "cite news" template default settings be changed?
Is there a way to change the "cite news" template so that the extra fields are automatically displayed, rather than having to click on "Show/hide extra fields" each time the template is opened? Eddie Blick (talk) 03:59, 4 June 2016 (UTC)

Computer
How to use Windows 10 Operating system ? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Razibpaul821 (talk • contribs) 05:55, 4 June 2016 (UTC)
 * Microsoft has an introduction here. Do you have some specific problem?    D b f i r s   19:25, 4 June 2016 (UTC)
 * Win10 can be bought or upgraded for free from Win7 or Win8.x until next month to Pro or Home, 32 bit or 64 bit version, but the same one which is already owned, only. It will replace the existing one. Win10 can be reinstalled on the (a?) blanc computer or upgraded on the current installation of Win7 or Win8.1, migrating compatible Programms and settings. My recommendation is to backup all Your data before, download the Win10 ISO file and create a DVD from the downloaded ISO image form the Microsoft webpage. Microsoft also links to a tool called ISO2USB, which formats a USB flash memory (killing all data on it!) to create a bootable USB device, prepared with the Win10 installation from ISO file to boot and install from computers without a DVD ROM drive. Installing from ISO/DVD or USB flash memeory device can kill all data on the computer, which is usually performed when an operating system is beeing installed on the computer. Backup all Your personal data first to a relyable external device! Multiple copies are not a mistake to have redundant recovery on failure. Note YOur license and computer to support 32 or 64 bit version, rightclick on MyComputer, choose properties or just start sysdm.cpl.-- Hans Haase (有问题吗) 17:33, 6 June 2016 (UTC)