I want to throw my two cents into this. About 3 years ago i bought an Alienware because i thought just like you, and also because it wasn't my money to mess around with. So i wanted something safe,secure, and reliable. And i thought heck Alienware charges u a crapload for a pc I could build myself maybe they get better parts than the ones available at retailers. Boy was i wrong. Ive recently done some upgrades to try and keep it afloat. The memory was one of the first things to go, that cheap generic "Alienware" memory couldn't oc at all and timings were horrible. I'm still running of the same mobo and god boy is it bad, it does not oc at all, I mean I bought a peltier cooler to make my 4800 as fast or near Fx-62 speeds, but man was i wrong the mobo is holding me back. So what im trying to say is that i don't want you to do the same mistake I made. But in the end it comes down to your choice and what i said here should not dictate your decision but your current situation should. Gl with everything man.