Explained: SkyLake-X CPU Prices Area-51 R5 (9800x 9980xe)

***Note: the General Manager of Alienware, Frank Azor, encourages you the buyer & we the buying community to perform our own upgrades after-the-sale; however, new hardware pieces not purchased from Dell are not covered under your warranty & are exempt from Dell tech support

Let's browse the Sales Menu for what basic DDR4 / CPU / GPU upgrades may cost

New Intel 9th Gen SkyLake-X Basin Falls Refresh CPUs have finally hit the sales page & we can now estimate their prices

Older 7th Gen SkyLake-X CPUs exist alongside Gen9 & we can estimate those prices

Wiki MSRP & Spec Charts for Intel CPUs, SkyLake-X (7800x - 7980xe)

For Gen9 Basin Falls Refresh (9800x - 9980xe) MSRPs, scroll down & click on each SKU & you'll be directed to Intel.com for suggested prices, avg. listed below

9800x 594 | 9820x 894 | 9900x 994 | 9920x 1194 | 9940x 1394 | 9960x 1691 | 9980xe 1989

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$1899 Starting Price vs 'New' $1979 Starting Price (?)

*In my experience, the Aliens @ Dellware like to raise the price 1st then put it on sale; this new $80 price hike is either temporary or permanent but does appear to coincide w/a 'sale' (that ends in a few hours)

A-51 Triad debuted in 2014 starting @ $1699 (that price has steadily gone up +$200) & a base CPU is always Included In Price:

• examples since 2014: 5820k 6800k 7800x (MSRPs 389 424 389)

~$400 is the estimated cost the owner has always invested into the starter CPU (now a 7800x), AND ALL OTHER CPUs ON THE MENU, prices always = $400 + X

Ex. 7820x: add +400 > 400 + X = 400 + 400 = 800 True Cost

7820x = $800 | MSRP = $600 | Surcharge over MSRP = +$200

Below, find all estimated old & new CPU prices for Area-51 R4 / R5

 

We're seeing $200 $300 $400, even $500 over retail MSRP

There is no discount for opting out of 7800x regardless the Tier you're shopping in (all Tiers can be reverse engineered, 'if 7800 = $400 then 9xxx CPU = X'); you must 1st pay ~$400 for the starter 7800x which you will not receive, then 'add X amount more $ for the upgrade CPU' ... $400 + add X = True Cost

yes, 7980xe | 9980xe = $2500, $500 over, where $2000 is already full high retail (full price); 14 16 18 Core chips are heavily overpriced & can be sourced from your favorite e-tailer w/a full Intel warranty

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DDR4 Memory Prices Explained

8Gb Stick is Included In Price, w/ an estimated value of ~$50

$50 + X = DDR4 Prices

Example: add +700 64Gb 2400 = ~$750 True Cost

Because A-51 & Aurora desktops have the same DDR4 prices for parts like 64Gb 2933 (add $1100) 32Gb 3200 (add $650) 64Gb 3200 (add $1400), see my companion post for Aurora desktop DDR4 + 9900k Price Breakdowns for consideration when buying upgrade CPUs / Mem from places like Amazon / e-tailers

The same massive, massive DDR4 surcharges apply to A-51 as for Aurora

$1275 $990 $790 overcharge 64Gb HyperX Mem 9900k CPU options

Aliens.com/A51 64Gb 3200MHz HyperX Fury Kit:

$50 + X > $50 + add $1400 = $1450 True Cost

Amazon.com (x2 32Gb Kits): $526

$924 overcharge (1450 - 526)(over retail / MSRP etc)

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Let us say you buy 64Gb 3200 from the Aliens + 9960x CPU:

•  1450 Mem + 2200 CPU at checkout
• $3650

You will pay, effectively, over retail / MSRP: +$1424

$1424 ... ... ... (924 + 500 over)

Same parts, e-tailers are 526 + 1700 = 2226

3650 - 2226 = 1424

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A suggestion is to purchase the Tier1 $1899 desktop & get 8Gb Mem + 7800x CPU shipped new; your investment into these is ~$450 (50 + 400 from earlier)

• suggestion is to use e-tailers for Mem + CPU upgrades
• u may keep the 8Gb stick, keep the 7800x u bought as spares
• u may sell those to recoup (~$400+ back)

In the example earlier (64Gb 3200 + 9960x), your e-tailer cost was $2226, now add +450 (for 8Gb stick + 7800x u had to purchase) & your True Cost:

• 2676 invested (2226 + 450)

$2676, is your total investment so far ... 2676 bought you 64Gb 8Gb 9960x 7800x

$3650: if that's what u handed over at checkout to them, your 3650 only bought u 64Gb Mem + 9960x ... right?

$975 ... that is the swing (3650 - 2676) ... sell your 8Gb, sell your 7800x?, the swing is

$1425 u gave Aliens.com

Lesson: this particular upgrade,  do-it-yourself & save ~$975 - and? - not only do u save 975 u get a spare 8Gb stick + 7800x ($450 of hardware)(or sell these & save a whopping $1425)  

Now that u can solve CPU + DDR4 (+GPU) prices, u become a more informed consumer with possible savings of a few hundred up to $1400

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GPU GRFX Video Card Prices Explained

Tier1 Base GPU 1050Ti estimated cost is $150 of the base $1899 ($1979) cost

$150 + X = ~True GPU Cost

ex. RTX 2080 (non Founders Edition = ~MSI Aero): add +650

150 + 650 = $800 (MSRP ~$700)

ex. 2080Ti (non-FE): $150 + add 1200 = $1350 True Cost (MSRP $999+)

ADD $150 to any GPU price for approx. True Cost

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***My advice is to buy as little at checkout as possible & upgrade yourself where possible in the best interest of consumer savings