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apacheizm23 
Newbie
Joined: 06 Nov 2010
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2
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 Topic: A new Pc.
Posted: 07 Nov 2010 at 8:11pm |
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Budget:
[Please Type Here]
1.650
Expectations:
[Please Type Here]
Bang for the buck
Usage:
[Please Type Here]
Gaming/
Special Needs:
[Please Type Here]
Being able to upgrade in the future
Saved Ticket #: [Please Type Here]
Specifications:
[Please Type Here]Hello my name is Oscar and I am shopping for a new computer. I have been to this site many many times and read the forums and no doubt I am impressed with all the positive reviews this company receives from its customers. Digital Storm no doubt are #1. So I went ahead and called yesterday and spoke with Sarah and she was very kind and helped me with my configuration. I have a $1.600 tops $1.700 budget and here is what we came up with.
Specifications: Sarah helped me on the build here.
Chassis Model: Special Deal Hot Seller - Cooler Master Elite 430
Exterior Finish: - Standard Factory Finish
Trim Accents: - Standard Factory Finish
Processor: Intel Core i7 950 3.06GHz (Quad Core)
Motherboard: ASUS Rampage III Extreme (Intel X58 Chipset) (Features USB 3.0 and
SATA 6Gb/s)
System Memory: 6GB DDR3 1600MHz Digital Storm Certified Performance Series
(Highly Recommended) (Hand Tested)
Power Supply: 750W Digital Storm Certified (Dual SLI Compatible) (Silent Edition
Recommended)
Expansion Bay: - No Thanks
Hard Drive Set 1: Operating System: 1x (500GB Western Digital (16MB Cache) (7200
RPM)
Set 1 Raid Options: - No Thanks
Hard Drive Set 2: Multimedia\Data: - No Thanks
Hard Drive Set 3: Backup\Misc.: - No Thanks
Optical Drive 1: DVD-R/RW/CD-R/RW (DVD Writer 24x / CD-Writer 48x)
Optical Drive 2: - No Thanks
Internet Access: High Speed Network Port (Supports High-Speed Cable / DSL /
Network Connections)
Video Card: 1x NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 1GB (Includes PhysX Technology)
Add-on Card: - No Thanks
Sound Card: Integrated Motherboard Audio
Extreme Cooling: Standard Factory Heat-sink and Fan (Not Recommended for CPU
Overclocking)
H20 Tube Color:- Not Applicable, I do not have a FrostChill or Sub-Zero LCS
Cooling System Selected
Chassis Airflow: Standard Factory Chassis Fans
Internal Lighting: - No Thanks
Enhancements: - No Thanks
Chassis Mods: - No Thanks
Noise Reduction: - No Thanks
Boost Processor: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my processor
Boost Video Card: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my video card(s)
Boost Memory: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my memory
Boost OS: - No Thanks, Please do not tweak the services on the operating system
Windows OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium (64-Bit Edition)
Recovery Tools: Windows Recovery Toolkit (Bundled with Windows 7 CD)
Virus Protection: - No Thanks
Office: - No Thanks
Benchmarking: - No Thanks
Install/Test Game: - No Thanks
Display: - No Thanks
Surge Shield: - No Thanks
Speakers: - No Thanks
Keyboard: - No Thanks
Mouse: - No Thanks
External Storage: - No Thanks
Exclusive T-Shirt: - No Thanks
Priority Build: - No Thanks, Ship Within 5-15 Business Days After Order Is
Successfully Processed
Warranty: Life-time Expert Customer Care with 3 Year Limited Warranty total was $1.598.00
So I decided to look else before I committed and see if another company can match it or better.
I decided to look at Ibuypower and see what kind of deal I probably may get there with the budget I'm working with.
Case CoolerMaster HAF 922 Gaming Case - Black
Processor
Intel® Core™ i7 950 Processor (4x 3.06GHz/8MB L3 Cache)
Processor Cooling Liquid CPU Cooling System [SOCKET-1366] - [Free Upgrade] Standard 120mm Fan
Memory 6 GB [2 GB X3] DDR3-1600 - Corsair or Major Brand
Video Card NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 - 2GB - Single Card (Upgrade)
Video Card Brand Major Brand Powered by ATI or NVIDIA
Motherboard [3-Way SLI] ASUS Rampage III Extreme w/ 4x PCI-E 2.0 x16
Motherboard USB / SATA Interface Motherboard default USB / SATA Interface
Power Supply 800 Watt -- Standard
Primary Hard Drive 64 GB Kingston SSDNow V Series MLC SSD - Single Drive
Data Hard Drive 640 GB HARD DRIVE -- 64M Cache, 7200 RPM, 6.0Gb/s - Single Drive
Optical Drive 24X Sony Dual Format/Double Layer DVD±R/±RW + CD-R/RW Drive - Black
2nd Optical Drive 24X Sony Dual Format/Double Layer DVD±R/±RW + CD-R/RW Drive - Black
Flash Media Reader/Writer 12-In-1 Internal Flash Media Card Reader/Writer - Black
Sound Card 3D Premium Surround Sound Onboard
Network Card Onboard LAN Network (Gb or 10/100)
Operating System Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium + Office Starter 2010 (Includes basic versions of Word and Excel) - 64-Bit
Keyboard iBUYPOWER USB Keyboard - Black
Mouse iBUYPOWER Internet Mouse - Black
Now this system is running me at $1673.00 thats with 3 day Air free upgrade. I am from NYC and I know all about buying from reputable stores.I work for Bloomingdales and I know you get what you pay for. I know Digital Storm is a kick ass Company there reviews and awards are 2nd to none. I have been drooling to buy a Pc from you guys buy things are tough now and if Sarah could of done a bit better on the configuration/price. Who knows I can still cancel the order with Ibuypower. Ibuypower is clearly giving me more for my money. I ordered it already but I can cancel my order if anything..
Edited by apacheizm23 - 07 Nov 2010 at 8:14pm
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!ender_
DS Veteran
Joined: 24 Oct 2007
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 4219
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Posted: 07 Nov 2010 at 10:19pm |
wierd config choices.
$1764, way more gaming power than either of those builds, way way more
ibuypower is cheaper and you will get exactly what you pay for, maybe less.
im not going to mock the several rediculous things in that ibuypower build as its not very appropriate, just know there is some very obvious bs in thier options.
who knows... maybe youll get one of the few systems that they ship with no problems! good luck!
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Krimzun
Newbie
Joined: 01 Nov 2010
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 25
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Posted: 07 Nov 2010 at 11:07pm |
I'll back !ender up not that he needs it on this one. I bought a system from Ibuypower about 5 years ago and it arrived in a mess. Video Card came with a crack down the Circuit board. It was one of those captain obvious type things that you wondered how it got sent out. Several drivers were installed wrong video/sound to name 2 aswell as some bios settings that were out of wack. I had the card RMA'd and the system has been up and running since. The most imporant thing you can take away from that is what you should already know. You get what you pay for and going with Ibuypower over DS you lose that piece of mind. Knowing these guys here are going to get your system shipped out right the first time.
Whats realy odd is you went from paying less with DS, to paying more with IBP over some config changes to get a minor amnt of storage space and a ssd. Also I'm not sure 2 optical drives is realy necessary. If I was you I'd cancel that order call Sarah once you get your credit back. In the meantime I'm sure a few folks can post up some build choices for that budget that will make more sense then what you ended up with.
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Harrigan
Newbie
Joined: 28 Oct 2010
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 23
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Posted: 08 Nov 2010 at 10:08am |
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Your loss man, I looked at IBP initially too, but the bad reviews of IBP along with the close-knit community here at DS swayed me back to DS. You get a lot more than just a computer here, DS is a business that makes it very clear that customers are #1...
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MagiK
DS Veteran
Joined: 25 Aug 2010
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1074
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Posted: 08 Nov 2010 at 11:47am |
iBuyPower = I want to think I bought power but not actually have paid for the power and then they turn off your electricity.  I say this only because the one I bought my wife lasted almost 6 months......then we built a new computer : 
Edited by MagiK - 08 Nov 2010 at 11:49am
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apacheizm23
Newbie
Joined: 06 Nov 2010
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2
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Posted: 08 Nov 2010 at 12:44pm |
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Yes I know that I don't need 2 optical drives lol but they did give me a few free upgrades and not just a t shirt and a game or oc my processor. Listen both companies sell computers and if one is selling there Pc's at a higher price because they say they treat there customers nice and run 1000 tests and package there computers please... You're gonna have to do better than that. I love the nice wooden crates..
By the way I called them and let them know that if my computer doesn't come correct they wont get paid. Looks like my post is done as I am just getting DS fanatics to respond..
Edited by apacheizm23 - 08 Nov 2010 at 1:30pm
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MagiK
DS Veteran
Joined: 25 Aug 2010
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1074
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Posted: 08 Nov 2010 at 12:53pm |
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Apache it is all about Quality Assurance, and Customer Care, after purchase support. iBuyPower has none of these in my experience. Your mileage may vary but I seriously doubt it. You get what you pay for, you never get more than you pay for and frequently get less. Check the web for complaints against iBuyPower and check the BBB. It's basic consumerism 101....Caveat Emptor.
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Reciprocity
Newbie
Joined: 07 Oct 2010
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 23
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Posted: 08 Nov 2010 at 1:09pm |
Listen both companies sell computers and if one is selling there Pc's at a higher price because they say they treat there customers nice and run 1000 tests and package there computers please...
Actually, that isn't what DS does at all. Read their mission statement
Our custom gaming computers are hand built by skilled Digital Storm engineers. Every gaming pc goes through an extensive line of stress-testing and benchmarking to ensure rock solid stable operation for years. Our gaming computers are covered with the very best U.S. based technical support directly from the experts who built your system.
We offer performance enhancing tweaks such as processor, memory, and video card overclocking. This is known as our TwisterBoost Technology. This allows us to push our gaming computers to new heights with complete stability. From the experience we have gained from building unrivaled gaming pc's, we provide features that you can't find at our competitors.
Now, if all you want is to buy a PC, then you could easily hit up Dell, Alienware, Bestbuy or any random website, but it takes a true artist to properly combine very specific pieces and use them a beautiful and strategic way to make a wonderful piece of art. That's you are buying.
Perhaps you are not their target customer? That's ok, too. I wanted the piece of mind that the 3k I am putting into a computer and their expertise will provide me with an enjoyable computing experience. If you work at a high-end store as you say you have, any company may sell high or low priced clothing, but it's the experience that top-dollar spenders actually go there for, no different than high-end restaurantes. You pay to be cattered to and know that outcome is what you expect.
If tried and true posters are offering their free and unbiased commentary, for even $1, I would take it. I don't throw money away and if you want gaming, then do your research, just know that there is a huge difference in what you are paying for. Cost is what you pay, value is what you get.
Good luck in whatever road you select. I have no vested interest in anything, just a friendly and free poster that has a DSO build incoming. I hemmed and hawwed about where to put my bucks and even considered letting friends do it, but for the amount of dollars I was putting into it, I wasn't just trusting that with anybody. Moreover, if you want gaming peripherals, go buy razer or other products, why buy stock stuff that I know craps out because I have bought stock, generic peripherals, too.
I'm buying the very best gaming PC I can, and for my money and beliefs, that's DSO.
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MagiK
DS Veteran
Joined: 25 Aug 2010
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1074
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Posted: 08 Nov 2010 at 1:17pm |
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Well said Reciprocity. For two years I lurked at Falcon Northwest, MainGear and Origin, DSO brought me in by having people like Ender and Venom, and Justin, and Dragoon and a whole host of other people on the forums, and ALEX always being there to smoothe out the kinks.
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Tidgxor
DS ELITE
The Kokopelli kid
Joined: 17 Sep 2010
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 13000
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Posted: 08 Nov 2010 at 3:41pm |
Apacheizm23, Firstly, I am no DSO fanatic, I am new here and have not even purchased my first rig from DSO, though I soon will be. Whatever decision you make, I absolutely hope that it works out for you and that you get an awesome PC that lasts you for a long time. While I cannot share any DSO experience other than what you can see for yourself on these forums, I can share a first hand experience with IBuyPower. Though I have seen two of their rigs first hand, I'll focus on one, as it was just barely above your current price point. The rig was ordered by a friend of mine and I was there for the unboxing and everything that followed. The package itself was good enough, however, the top of the case (Azza Hurrican 2000) was dented in, a good 1/2" in multiple places. The box was in ok shape, but when the PC was packaged, no foam, or anything ,was placed on the top of the tower, so the tower just slammed against the top of the box over and over. The sides and bottom were padded however, so I'm assuming this was a packing mistake. After getting it out, we noticed that the inner-expanding-foam for inside the tower, was only 1/3 "expanded" and that all 3 sticks of ram were sitting in the bottom of the tower. After fixing that, we soon found that Windows 7 was not installed correctly, so we had to start that process over. After all that, we got to the desktop, to find that none of the front slots on the tower, USB 3.0, 2.0, etc. would work. In fact, not only were they not hooked up, the cabling was entirely gone. The media card reader, also was not hooked up, though it appears to have just came uplugged. However, we never did get it to come on, as in the power LED never functioned nor was the device recognized by Windows. Lastly, he ordered 2 GTX 470s, and was given 2 GTX 460s, to further expand on the problem, he ordered EVGA and got Gigabyte. The cabling in the case was atrocious, and I say this as an inexperienced Sunday-techie. And the liquid cooling reservoir arrived 1/6 of the way full, with no extra fluid. The great thing is, their Tech-Support blamed all of this, even the missing cabling and incorrect cards, on "shipping". Now, I make no claims against IBuyPower as a company, they may in fact, be an outstanding company who makes great products, though I find little evidence of that. All I know, is that in my experience of two separate people, with two separate machines, both machines ended up being returned, entirely. Not repaired, returned for a refund. I am not endorsing DSO, or any other company for that matter, just telling you of my experience with IBuyPower. Regardless, I hope it works out for you and that you can get your game on! 
Edited by Tidgxor - 08 Nov 2010 at 3:48pm
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MagiK
DS Veteran
Joined: 25 Aug 2010
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1074
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Posted: 08 Nov 2010 at 3:49pm |
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Tig very much like the experience we had with our iBuyPower rig. Id go with Dell or HP before them.
Edited by MagiK - 08 Nov 2010 at 3:50pm
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AmbientChong11
Groupie
Joined: 16 Sep 2010
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 216
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Posted: 08 Nov 2010 at 4:14pm |
Originally posted by apacheizm23
By the way I called them and let them know that if my computer doesn't come correct they wont get paid. Looks like my post is done as I am just getting DS fanatics to respond.. |
You could've just thanked those who have responded to your question and moved along instead of bashing. I don't know if you'll ever see this but I had to get it out.
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MagiK
DS Veteran
Joined: 25 Aug 2010
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1074
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Posted: 08 Nov 2010 at 4:50pm |
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Hmm ya know I dont consider myself a DSO fanatic, I like their competitors too Ive mentioned some of them before but for the build I want and for the quality of the support, DSO has my business...it is a Business Deal and they bring what I want to the table at this time....
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Alex
Admin Group
Digital Storm Supervisor
Joined: 04 Jun 2012
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 16314
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Posted: 08 Nov 2010 at 9:40pm |
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I'm going to be closing this thread as the direction of the topic is not related to direct configuration advice.
Edited by Alex - 08 Nov 2010 at 9:41pm
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A new Pc.