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What is Upgrade Alley??
Upgrade Alley is for anyone that has built or wanted to build a computer, it doesn't matter if you have very little experience or even the seasoned veteran that might be out of the hardware loop. We'll spec out the systems so you can put them together.
Here is how it works, There are 4 basic systems that make up upgrade alley, Workstation, Gaming (or Enthusiast), General Purpose, and Budget. Each system is designed with 2 things in mind.
1) To serve the intended purpose
2) Remain within pre-set budget
There are several variables that we consider on our end but that is about it. Of course things may change over the months but several things are certain, you will know exactly what to buy, how much it cost (at time of being published), and be assured that you'll have an upgrade path for the life of the upgrade.
Upgrade life is how we gauge the length of time a system will be upgradeable and this timeframe will vary based on the system, for instance budget systems will typically use "older" components to keep costs down, because of this the upgrade life will be considerably less depending on how fast the hardware world changes. Workstation and Gaming systems will generally use more modern hardware. While upgrade life cannot be guaranteed the components will be more abundant and remain in the market longer.
Upgrade Alley is not a static list either, every system comes with a version number and at least one of the systems will be "upgraded" each week. This will keep the systems fresh and allow you to watch their progress. As always suggestions and comments are welcome. You can either email us directly or stop by the forum. Registration is free.
Upgrade Alley Workstation class machines are designed to be a multi-purpose machine to make quick work of anything you are looking to accomplish. Developers and Content Creators will be the primary market for these systems but they are built to handle just about anything including the occasional weekend fragfest.
A complete Upgrade Alley Workstation system will spec between $2000 to $2500.
When building your own computer it is a good idea to first decide what the primary purpose of your system should be. A gaming centric system needs to be fast and stable.
In terms of upgradeability we have assigned them a 6 month upgrade path. This means that in 6 months time if you choose to make your system faster you can do so with very little effort and cash out of pocket.
A complete Upgrade Alley Gaming system will spec between $1500 to $1800.
General Purpose systems have a dual purpose; the first, as the name states, is your basic system for average users. The components used are not the top of the line but are not bottom of the barrel either. The focus is to give a good mix between price and performance. The second purpose plays on the first in that these systems are an excellent starting point for anyone looking to start out small and build their system gradually.
The upgrade path for these systems is 3-6 months but can also be indefinite depending on how you intend to use your new computer.
A complete Upgrade Alley General Purpose system will spec between $750 to $1000.
Not cheap just inexpensive. Just about everyone has seen a Dell commercial or checked out the computer lineup at the local computer store, these systems are in fact very inexpensive but the OEM market is like that. They buy in bulk and pass the saving on to squash out the small guy. Unfortunately like the Apple computer when it comes to upgrading your path is to throw your current system away and go shopping for a new one. (Think of them as a very large laptop)
The Upgrade Alley budget systems may not be the cheapest ones out there but will be a good starting point for that computer your friends and/or family keep hounding you about.
A complete Upgrade Alley Budget system will spec between $500 to $600.
