Aurora R7, looking for a second opinion

Question

I've owned an Alienware Aurora R7 desktop since late 2017. Despite having this computer for only a few years now, I think it is starting to show its age a lot more obviously than anticipated.

I am faced with the following issues:

- outdated graphics card (I've been unable to find one that fits for my desktop)

- Windows updates have glitched my CPU to where I can no longer connect to Wi-Fi unless I use an external network antenna.

There may be other underlying issues that I haven't explicitly noticed, but I'm not sure. I went to my local Micro-Center in order to talk to someone about this. What they told me essentially is that because my computer is not "pre-built" or custom (like how a lot of people build their own gaming PC's), my current hardware is not "futureproofed". They recommended I eventually transfer all of the data I have on this PC and invest in a pre-built model (cheapest option being around $1700) that is much more up to date and interchangeable, rather than spend more money attempting to find parts and modify my Aurora to have it "catch up" with current and future modern gaming specs.

I am very reluctant and luckily, this is a decision I am not going to dive into right away. Is there a way Dell or myself could find a way to upgrade the current specs of my PC properly and safely? Not to mention, fix the current issues I am having right now?

I'll be going back to college soon and there's a chance I'll be going back into remote/online classes again, I just want to have a healthy computer.

Vanadiel · Answer

Well, the person you talked to has it backwards to some extend.

The R7 is a pre-built OEM. They almost always have limited upgrade options down the road, unless they use off the shelf components. But those with off the shelf components either cut corners on components to compete with OEM pre-built's, or they cost significantly more than an OEM pre-built due to the cost of the individual components.

The outdated graphics cards is only an issue if it's not capable of running the gaming titles you play properly anymore. If that's not the case, than the graphics card is fine.

The Wi-Fi, if it's a driver issue, can be fixed.

As far as investing in a new PC, which is indeed a better option that trying to upgrade your current system to more higher end specs, the cheapest one is not a good idea because you will need to upgrade again in a few years. They are cheap because they are entry models, and are considered lower end in todays market.

I don't know what the specs are on the machine they quoted you on, but I would at least consider this option if you do not require top end gaming power: R10 gaming desktop

This comes with an RTX 3070, liquid cooling, 8 core processor, 512 GB NVMe SSD. It will be good for the next several years for medium gaming requirements, and can be used for many years to perform other tasks besides gaming.

Add a printer to it and you are set for school. 1 year fresh warranty also, just incase something would go wrong.

r72019 · Answer

What GPU do you currently have in it? Most double fan 3060 models should fit in the R7. Also, what PSU do you have?

DELL-Chris M · Answer

I looked up the private Service Tag to get the originally shipped hardware = i5-8400 CPUKiller 1535 WiFiAMD Radeon RX 560 2GB GDDR5 video card8GB 2666Mhz DDR4 ram (single stick)460W PSUair cooled

r72019 · Answer

Oh I can see an RX 560 might be holding you back and wanting to upgrade that with a current gen offering. Keep in mind that you are also limited by the PSU, and with 460W, your upgrade options are limited.

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Aurora R7, looking for a second opinion

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