askchapo

The iron rule of PC building: don't skimp out on the reliability of a PSU. Ever.

Don't buy a prebuilt desktop, especially don't buy an alienware

nvidia and intel support and are under BDS, site suggests AMD instead for both

https://www.whattoboycott.org/target/intel
https://www.whattoboycott.org/target/nvidia

Alienware are widely considered bad, if not actively dangerous due to major ventilation issues.

PC Part Picker can give you an estimate of power usage. I just plugged in what you gave us + a random mobo and AIO and it seems to think 500W is probably too low, but if you're buying anything pre-assembled it's most likely calibrated correctly. Maybe they're undervolting the GPU or the CPU, or they just have a less thirsty GPU than the random 12GB 4070 Super I picked but idk.

My instinct is that if it's being sold as a complete system you don't need to worry about it.

No. Both the cpu and videocard each have a power draw of about 220 w. Plus the cooler, motherboard, other hardrives, fans, etc. 500w is cutting It way too close.

Even then, as other users pointed out a bad psu will fry your other componentes.

There was recently a controversy where high end Intel processors of the 13 and 14 gens have a manufacture defect that causes them to go bad in a year or so. That includes the one you like. Also the econ cores in Intel processors have been known to break shit. So i personally would avoid those.

The ryzen 7800x is about as good, and cheaper, the ryzen 7800x3d Is better but costlier.

Personally i think both of those processors are overkill for a 4070, if your intended use Is gaming.

I'd really avoid Alienware at all costs. Their machines are super proprietary (meaning you can't upgrade/replace a lot of the components with off the shelf parts) and usually have really shitty airflow and cooling problems because of the inadequate cooling and horribly designed case they come in. I've directed a couple of friends to Build Redux, they'll build a machine for you for cost of parts + a $50 build fee + shipping and you can even save $150ish bucks by not having them install Windows for you so you can just install/pirate it yourself when you get it, experience was pretty good for both friends.

Seconding the "don't buy a prebuilt, and definitely don't buy an Alienware" sentiment, if you can avoid it. Otherwise, err on the side of a higher-wattage PSU. The AC filter capacitors in the power supply lose their efficiency over time, which will reduce the PSU's maximum output below the manufacturer's rated wattage and thus introduce potential for other component failures, if not an outright fire hazard when the magic smoke escapes. This takes longer on a higher-wattage PSU because there are beefier filter capacitors in there; loss of capacitance matters a lot less if your usage patterns are well below peak capacity. The tradeoff being that if it's not an 80 Plus certified PSU (preferably Gold or higher), you're using more electricity to do the same amount of "work." With Dell/Alienware parts? I'd be shocked if it's even 80 Plus Bronze. Pun not intended

Regarding the specs list, Intel has some serious quality control issues on the 12th, 13th, and 14th generation CPUs, but I can't remember if that was strictly the i9 or K-series SKUs -- even setting aside BDS, I don't recommend them because of this.

Finally, with AMD bowing out of the higher-end GPU market, NVidia may be a necessary evil... That being said, you can probably score a hell of a deal on a Radeon 7900 XT or XTX nowadays. Failing that, a 7800 XT should be comparable to the 4070 Super.

Do NOT buy alienware.