A bit more expensive, but will absolutely destroy the Alienware.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
| Type | Item | Price |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Core i3-4150 3.5GHz Dual-Core Processor | $104.88 @ OutletPC |
| Motherboard | MSI H81M-P33 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard | $44.88 @ OutletPC |
| Memory | G.Skill Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory | $62.99 @ Newegg |
| Storage | Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | $48.88 @ OutletPC |
| Video Card | Sapphire Radeon R9 270 2GB Dual-X Video Card | $136.99 @ Newegg |
| Case | NZXT Source 210 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case | $29.98 @ OutletPC |
| Power Supply | EVGA 400W ATX Power Supply | $9.99 @ NCIX US |
| Operating System | Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) | $87.75 @ OutletPC |
| Total | ||
| Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available | $526.34 | |
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-01-25 12:07 EST-0500 |
Closer to your maximum budget, will be ~2x as powerful for AAA gaming as the cheaper build above and will absolutely annihilate the Alienware.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
| Type | Item | Price |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Core i3-4150 3.5GHz Dual-Core Processor | $104.88 @ OutletPC |
| Motherboard | MSI H81M-P33 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard | $44.88 @ OutletPC |
| Memory | G.Skill Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory | $62.99 @ Newegg |
| Storage | Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | $48.88 @ OutletPC |
| Video Card | Asus Radeon R9 290 4GB DirectCU II Video Card | $239.70 @ Newegg |
| Case | NZXT Source 210 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case | $29.98 @ OutletPC |
| Power Supply | EVGA 400W ATX Power Supply | $9.99 @ NCIX US |
| Operating System | Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) | $87.75 @ OutletPC |
| Total | ||
| Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available | $629.05 | |
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-01-25 12:09 EST-0500 |