Topic: Z370 or Z390 chipset? New R8 Setup Manual lists motherboard as old Z370, not new Z390 chipset; this is either correct and they'll 'recycle' old Z370 motherboard or it's incorrect and they've issued 'new' Z390 motherboard.

Topic: Old Aurora R7 'hidden' $50 GPU price hike carries over to new R8 > see my separate 2nd post ($50 hike not discussed in this post here)

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Topic: True cost of 9900k is ~$882? Read below

Major Finding: 1st buy 9600k (~$332) then also buy 9900k ($550 more) 

Alienware Aurora R8 9th Gen desktop debut is today; to reveal the Aliens clever (& often 'hidden') price schemes, it's still possible to configure the old 8th Gen R7 desktop for clarity & comparison. Please follow closely (note: prices are current & may or may not be subject to change)

Gen8 Base Price $850 (i5 8400) | New Gen9 Base Price $1400 (i7 9600k)

How much does new 9600k CPU probably cost? 1st, price old 8600k:

• Gen8 base CPU > i5 8400 (Intel MSRP 182)
• i5 8400 represents ~182 of $850 base price
• i5 8600k > add 150 (Intel MSRP 257)
• 8600k now = ~$332 (182 + 150)
• 332 - 257 MSRP = an 'ok' price

Intel MSRP 8600k vs 9600k = 257 vs 262 ... Conclusion:

• 8600k & 9600k = 'same price' from Intel
• 8600k & 9600k should = 'same price' from the Aliens (~332)

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$850 old base price vs $1400 new base price = $550 more in options

At least for today's debut configurations & prices, the new Gen9 'base' hardware differs from Gen8 base hardware by adding better 9600k (+150) GTX 1070 (+350) liquid cooling (+50) > (150 + 350 + 50 = 550) (1400 - 850 = 550)

We're seeing $550 worth of upgrades today over the old base Gen8 hardware

So let's upgrade old $850 Gen8 to 'same' $1400 Gen9 hardware:

• if Gen8 = 8600k (150) + 1070 (350) + liquid (50) then Gen8 total now = $1400 (see photo below)
• base Gen8 + 550 in same upgrades = $1400 = 9th Gen base price 

Conclusion: old 8600k prices = new 9600k prices & those CPU's = ~$332

It's safe to assume 9th Gen $1400 base price means consumer must pay about $332 for base 9600k > When consumer wishes upgrade to 9900k, they must also add $550 more on top of it

 

1st pay ~$332 for 9600k ('included in price') + add 550 more = $882 for 9900k

'Alienware Recommended' for good reason: 9900k Intel MSRP = $488 (photo, earlier)

The Aliens are asking $400 over MSRP, at least on debut ... oh my ... ... ...

Above - so there are no questions: $1400 base price increases +$550 = $1950

• you do not get a discount for opting up to 9900k
• you do not get a discount for opting out of 9600k
• if you did, the new cart price would be $1618 (1400 - 332 + 550)
• you must 1st buy 9600k, then you must also buy 9900k

that isn't good, that isn't cool at all

The market retail value, discussed later below, for 9900k since its marke debut is / was between $500 - $580 (depending on e-tailer or vendor source)

When the cost of an Alien 9900k is 550 (street value) when you've already payed hundreds for the slightly overpriced $332 (MSRP 262) 9600k?  ... face palm ...

*** Newegg = $280 for 9600k right now today & in stock, they asked $580 for 9900k = $860 for both (280 + 580) --> ~$22 less than the Aliens, for perspective ... ... ...

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9700k price? About $542

Intel MSRP: 374 >< Newegg: 420 >< Aliens: 332 + 210 = 542

* 542 - 374 = 168 over MSRP = 120 over Newegg

... meh ... I've seen worse ... I've seen better

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Afterthought: There is no i5 9400 yet (estimated Intel MSRP $185) - if there were - that would be the new base CPU, & today's or future desktops would or could've been configured 'identical' to 8th Gen specs & price ($850). The Aliens would've been forced today to make 9900k an add $700 option (pay $185 for base 9400 + add 700 more = $885)

What they do is make some piece of hardware 'included in price' (like an 8400, or today like the 9600k), but never make that base price public > it's 'included in price', which makes it subjective, you're free to guess what the true price is but u must guess. From there, they 'trick' consumers, or at least try to, by making 9900k for instance, appear to only be $550, total. The consumer may think $550 is normal, a retail price & competitive at that, relative to say Newegg; I believe they rely on unsuspecting consumers to forget that the initial base CPU must also be payed for 1st; consumer - perhaps in the bliss of ignorance - thinks they payed 550, not 882, the true cost ...
As a continuation of that thought, for instance, if & when i5-9400 is available & if it becomes the new base CPU, & if the Aliens are forced to make it a $700 option, the consumer may think they only payed $700 for 9900k (not 185 + 700 = 885)

If the consumer isn't smart enough to piece the prices together, the Aliens have plausible deniability that they aren't up to no good of course. There should, however, & starting today, be those in the buyer / shopper realm who either do know the true cost of 9900K & those who mistake it for 'just' $550

I mean, who in their right mind will pay ~$882 for a $488 CPU, if the price itself was clearly printed on the sales page ... the true price is hidden behind the 9600k instead ... and for good reason: to conceal the sticker shock

Now, either the base & optional configs & prices will remain in effect or they may change, they may even change once someone at Dellware reads my post here or they may not in spite of it. At the time of debut, these are the prices & this is the reality (subject or not subject to change)

Feel free to discuss these simple conclusions:

• i5 8400 accounts for estimated $182 of $850 base price
• 8600k is $150 upgrade = $332 total (182 + 150)
• if set 8th Gen to 8600k + 1070 + liquid = 1400
• new 9th Gen 9600k + 1070 + liquid = 1400
• 8600k = 9600k price = ~$332
• 1st buy included 9600k then also buy 9900k
• 332 + 550 = 882
• 9900k = ~$882 >< MSRP = $488

Indelible in the hippocampus is that 9900k = ~$400 overcharge

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Pro Tip: pass, on the $550 extra 9900k upgrade on the sales page

In my estimation, & since Intel is only releasing the top three K CPUs (9600k 9700k 9900k) for now at least, 9600k will be the base CPU offering for the near future & it has an estimated cost of $332 of any 'base price' (today $1400 w/GTX 1070 + liquid) seen on the sales page *see note*

As shown, to buy 9900k from the Aliens directly is to pay $882 & I think you the owner can shop smarter & here's how: Newegg Amazon & Micro Center for instance sell 9900K for about $580, prices may drop in the future as well

A smart shopper would buy the base $332 9600k, buy their own 9900k from elsewhere for about $580 (or less), they may buy / upgrade now or later:

• buyer KEEPS 9600k
• buyer gets $580 9900k also

$912 for 9600k + 9900k (332 + 580) vs $882 for just 9900k through the sales page:

• $30 more you get to keep 9600k, understand? Two CPUs, not one
• buyer sells or keeps 9600k (money back or hold as known good spare)

If buyer sells 9600k for ~$280 (to recoup), their retail 9900k = $300 less than the sales page (880 - 580)

*9700k street value of $400 / $420 = ~$120 savings off sales page as well

Alienware has always been ok with user upgrades, where it is common to buy base configs & add better hardware later, on your own & often at lower prices; however, your retail 9900k would not be under their warranty or troubleshooting (it will fall under Intel + retailer warranty & you troubleshoot issues on your own)

In the least you can opt for 9600k now & upgrade to 9900k later at a sane price

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*note: the most likely price drop coming 'soon' to the base config might be they drop the optional $350 GTX 1070 back down to the basic Radeon 560 (in 8th Gens now) - if so - new 9th Gen base price could be 'starting at $1050'

*note: if / when new i5 9400 debuts from Intel, 9th Gen base prices could drop back to $850 / $899 as they used to be: subtract 1070 (-350) subtract liquid cooling (-50) subtract 9600k (-150) --> $1400 base price reverts back to $850 due to subtraction of $550 in today's hardware debut 'upgrades'