Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => Hardware and Software => Topic started by: 8thJinx on January 20, 2016, 06:17:59 PM
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Looking to see if anyone has ordered from them, good, bad or indifferent.
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I can only remember a couple guys mentioning cyberpower on the boards. I havn't heard anything bad about them. My brother in law bought his computer from http://www.digitalstorm.com/ and I was very impressed. He bought the cheapest one, and it runs AH2 flat out. Service is good (he had an issue after one of his kids messed with the box and they fixed him right up).
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I can only remember a couple guys mentioning cyberpower on the boards. I havn't heard anything bad about them. My brother in law bought his computer from http://www.digitalstorm.com/ and I was very impressed. He bought the cheapest one, and it runs AH2 flat out. Service is good (he had an issue after one of his kids messed with the box and they fixed him right up).
I had a good experience with Cyber, but now prefer building mine. But I know at least 10 friends who have gone through digitalstorm and would recommend them to anyone.
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I bought my computer about four years ago from cyber power. I am happy with the service I've received.
I have upgraded video card, memory and Power Supply. When it broke they still serviced it . I was quite surprised that they honored the warranty.
I have no problems recommending anyone purchasing a cyber power machine.
I would strongly recommend talking to a salesperson there before you purchase. :banana:
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You'll probably get a better computer if you build it yourself. it's not that complicated. it may cost a bit more but you get better components than if you buy from any of the companies, due to the companies using cheaper hardware. and in the long run it will save you money.
the first computer I bought cost me around 600 to 700, 6 years ago. my first upgrade cost me 300. that includes mobo/cpu/ram. total 500 less 200 for selling my old hardware.
I would upgrade now but I still have a fast cpu. the 2500k, together with a evga770. not in context of the fastest but well enough to run ah2 and ah3 at full 60 fps with no em.
semp
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Due to my location I can't tell about Cyberpower, but here's general rules of thumb for buying from a builder company:
If they don't tell the specific brand and model for each component they're using, don't buy.
If they don't give options for each component, don't buy.
Every detail may not be on their website so you might need to contact them directly for the information. That's not a bad thing, a phonecall or e-mail is cheap and you may get tons of information along with the modifications you wish to make. If they say it's take it or leave it, then leave.
The biggest pro for letting a company build your computer is warranty. In case a component proves DOA, they simply take a new one from the shelf without having to ask for RMA codes and waiting for the mail go back and forth.
The biggest con is that you don't learn anything plus you'd have to do some cleaning or a clean reinstall to get rid of unnecessary stuff.
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I haven't heard to many horror stories about Cyberpower, but on the other hand, I've heard a lot of good stories from DigitalStorm as well. If I didn't have a dedicated gaming PC shop nearby where I get my stuff as they allow me to build it right there and bug the whizkids they have building gaming machines 10 hours a day about little things if I need to, (I've been a customer since 1998), I'd buy from Digital Storm too. I'd compare prices between the two OP, Cyber and Digital, and see where you end up with similar builds. Digital Storm IMO will likely be more $, but take a close look at the components when you compare them.
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We just bought my son a Digital Storm Vanquish 3 for Xmas this year.....he plays some really resource /graphics heavy games and he's loving it. Being new to Win 10 he had a question that I couldn't answer, he reached out to them and not only did they answer his question, but helped him tweek some settings in his computer. I'll never buy from anyone else now....customer service is amazing, products are exceptional 'Twas Pawz that turned me on to them, I believe he has a Vanquish as well
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That's one great thing about DS I was going to post but didn't before - they have US based in house tech support for their computers. It's nice to hear that they are comptenent, I'll remember that post Mbailey when this topic comes up again.
They remind me a lot of a friends former company, sort of a "custom" gaming PC builder too. Voodoo PC was the name of the company, it was based in my city (Calgary) but was famous worldwide during the PC gaming days from 1999 to mid 2006 when they were bought out. A lot of celebrities bought their PCs from Rahul the owner, including the now departed Robin Williams, who was a HUGE gamer, as were his kids back then. Voodoo always had the rear page add of all the big gaming magazines of the day like PC Gamer and PCXL. A big reason we have liquid cooling for PCs today was that Rahul innovated the idea with VoodooPC back over 15 years ago, making custom liquid chilling/cooling systems for their top end PCs.
Anyhow, Digital Storm builds a similar product, yet you can get a pretty decent base model which is competitive in price to other budget minded places if you select a non-flashy case and all that/etc.
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be aware of some things like micro mobo's, cheap ram, vc with a 50 on it (intel), ps with 500 or less and unknown manufacture.
if you need to upgrade the above and you end up with a 1300, price like I did with digital storm then you might as well build your own. if you dont want to then go ahead and have them do it for you. but when it's time to upgrade either buy computer that will cost you a couple of thousand or spend 5 or 600 if you do it yourself.
semp
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It doesn't matter which company you go with. You can save money and have more computer by building it yourself. I realize that it is easy to get stressed when so much money is on the line. I just went through this with a squaddie that really worried he would screw it up, yet his system came out perfect and he has the extra money to buy a few extras he wouldn't have otherwise.
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There are enough youtube videos demonstrating how to build a PC out there to choke an elephant as well. Using those alone I think pretty much anyone can put their own system together. Still, the fact that these companies exist show that there are many who just don't want to try it.
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To the "you can build it yourself" (excluding Gman) folks. While we do enjoy building, there are MANY who do not. They understand that it can be cheaper but for reasons of anxiety, etc. They would rather have one built and digitalstorm does not gouge as much as one would think. Sure there is a markup but that gap is narrow when you factor in the assembly and work that goes into that assembly. They are clean.
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To the "you can build it yourself" (excluding Gman) folks. While we do enjoy building, there are MANY who do not. They understand that it can be chapter but for reasons of anxiety, etc. They would rather have one built and digitalstorm does not gouge as much as one would think. Sure there is a markup but that gap is narrow when you factor in the assembly and work that goes into that assembly. They are clean.
Absolutely. An extra 10% is not much if you get the assembly under warranty instead of "it's your own fault, you've fried it with a zap of static electricity".
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bizman, i have a hitachi hd that I bought when I did my first build. the case is broken as I dropped it on the floor when I brought it home. also have an evo ssd outside of my computer case sitting on the carpet. everytime I sit down to turn on my computer I kick it. the sob wont die, been doing it for 2 years, at least.
I believe you have to go out of your way to damage a computer component. I have yet to have 1 fail on me. and trust me I do my best to make them fail.
semp
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Well, I've seen a lot of damaged components. Some of them I've broken myself, some have been DOA, some have broken in mere weeks.
One of those I broke was a RAM stick. You know there's a slot a little off center to make sure you can't install it wrong. I checked and double checked the slot several times but the stick just didn't fit in. Finally I begin to notice some debris around the slot and I realize that I was trying to install it upside down! And the customer stood there watching...
And I have a nice dead Win8 laptop killed by an 8 year old boy with just one single hit of his fist. Hard disk beyond recognition, new hard disk won't install Windows.
If you can't kill a hard disk in two years, you must be a novice. Besides, there's no moving parts in that evo ssd and you'd have to kick it real hard to detach the circuit board. That'd need several G's to break.
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To the "you can build it yourself" (excluding Gman) folks. While we do enjoy building, there are MANY who do not. They understand that it can be cheaper but for reasons of anxiety, etc. They would rather have one built and digitalstorm does not gouge as much as one would think. Sure there is a markup but that gap is narrow when you factor in the assembly and work that goes into that assembly. They are clean.
I'm exactly the guy you wrote this about. Could I build one, sure, absolutely. Do I have any desire to, nope, not at all. If I have to spend a few hundred bucks more, really not a concern. Different strokes for different folks.
What ever you decide to do 8thjinx, hope it works out....I know you wanted info on Cyberpower, and sorry I couldn't help you there, but just wanted to share with you an experience I had with someone else.....I shopped around for 4mos reading reviews from all different Mfgs, and figured I'd share what I came up with <S>.
Let us know how you make out, I'd be curious as Cyberpower was def on the list of ones I'd looked into
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I've built mine for years. I've had little issue here and there when doing so, but I've worked through them all. The computer I have now is one I built a couple years ago with one video card upgrade and it runs the beta well.
I will say however, the next one I get will be a pre-built one. I'm done going through the trouble to build them any more to save a bit of money. Im not paying nearly as much for my kids these days as they are 29 and 27 so I have a bit more money to throw at my next computer :devil
I say, if you can afford it, have one built either by a local group or DIgitalStorm. The warranties and service make it worth it.
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I used to be one of those people that buy their machines from a box store, which is where the difference is far greater than buying from an online house that builds "gaming" machines. I just went trough this with a squaddie and one of the online houses. In comparing the price differences it was a lot more than 10% and though they had really great choices they still could not make adjustments for a particular item, meaning if you wanted a specific SSD they would not install it. Or, if you wanted a particularly high performing M.2 SSD they would not install it. This is why I left the box stores, and now the online houses are acting the same way. My point is that it isn't always about the money, it's about getting boxed in.
I used to hate building computers and part of me still does. However, nothing suits me better than when something goes wrong (something always goes wrong give enough time) I don't have to wait two weeks for the computer to go back and be fixed. I have seen that go as long as a month or more when squaddies had their systems fail. It is true that not even Geek Squad can look at my system (it's too high tech and I don't want to pay $100 just to get it in the door). Geek Squad won't have the parts I need anyway. Amazon can usually get things to me in one day, two at most. Newegg is a little slower, but sometimes you can really find a bargain with them.
So I take care of me and I don't look back.
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Agree Karaya - in fact, since I often am 600 miles away from the shop I use, there has been a couple times when I've wanted/needed a new system, that it's better for me to pay the 60$ - which they wave for me and other long term customers - to have one of their wonderkids assemble it for me. This is good for a couple reasons - most important being RMA/DOA stuff. When 600 miles away, having a component not work out of the box is a giant giant PITA. Where as, if they are building it and testing it for 2 days as they do, they can instantly replace it without playing tag in the shipping department. So, I can understand if you're dealing mail order from a distance that having a "you build it" option isn't all that bad.
It's not that I can't or don't want to assemble/build, it's just simpler, sometimes, to have them do it for me, depending on where life has me living at the moment. Most places in Canada offer this service, I'm sure it's the same in the USA - I've used the same 12 store chain since they had a single 2 room office store in Calgary back in the 90s, Memory Express, and they will build it, test it, install all the latest new drivers/etc, however you want it, for 70$ or 50$ USD. NCIX and the other companies up here will as well.
There are many reasons to build, and not to build, it just depends on the individual and the situation. In my case a single defective part means about 2 business weeks of waiting, as getting the RMA, shipping it back to them, them being so busy it takes 2 days to receive it, then the turnaround, etc, it's been Friday of the next week the last time that happened. Why go through that again when they can assemble it all for me for free (50$USD for non long term customers) - and they know I'll check the work as I know all the builders there, and they have been 100% for 3 of the times I've had em build for me. Still, when I'm IN Calgary, I always prefer to do it myself, as I just prefer to as I always learn something while I use their shop doing it, and it's fun. I do think it's something every serious PC user should learn to do, even if by trial and error/Youtube/etc, but again, I understand completely why because of circumstances many do not.
edit - I would also say that the shop I use, as well as the competitors, up here have a price match guarantee - I can use PCPartPicker, build a system, and they match it immediately, even if they are building it for me. So if you find a good "local" shop like mine, which offers this, price isn't really an object because they will meet or beat any posted price.
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Agree Karaya - in fact, since I often am 600 miles away from the shop I use, there has been a couple times when I've wanted/needed a new system, that it's better for me to pay the 60$ - which they wave for me and other long term customers - to have one of their wonderkids assemble it for me. This is good for a couple reasons - most important being RMA/DOA stuff. When 600 miles away, having a component not work out of the box is a giant giant PITA. Where as, if they are building it and testing it for 2 days as they do, they can instantly replace it without playing tag in the shipping department. So, I can understand if you're dealing mail order from a distance that having a "you build it" option isn't all that bad.
It's not that I can't or don't want to assemble/build, it's just simpler, sometimes, to have them do it for me, depending on where life has me living at the moment. Most places in Canada offer this service, I'm sure it's the same in the USA - I've used the same 12 store chain since they had a single 2 room office store in Calgary back in the 90s, Memory Express, and they will build it, test it, install all the latest new drivers/etc, however you want it, for 70$ or 50$ USD. NCIX and the other companies up here will as well.
There are many reasons to build, and not to build, it just depends on the individual and the situation. In my case a single defective part means about 2 business weeks of waiting, as getting the RMA, shipping it back to them, them being so busy it takes 2 days to receive it, then the turnaround, etc, it's been Friday of the next week the last time that happened. Why go through that again when they can assemble it all for me for free (50$USD for non long term customers) - and they know I'll check the work as I know all the builders there, and they have been 100% for 3 of the times I've had em build for me. Still, when I'm IN Calgary, I always prefer to do it myself, as I just prefer to as I always learn something while I use their shop doing it, and it's fun. I do think it's something every serious PC user should learn to do, even if by trial and error/Youtube/etc, but again, I understand completely why because of circumstances many do not.
edit - I would also say that the shop I use, as well as the competitors, up here have a price match guarantee - I can use PCPartPicker, build a system, and they match it immediately, even if they are building it for me. So if you find a good "local" shop like mine, which offers this, price isn't really an object because they will meet or beat any posted price.
I have a friend who works at Memory Express in Edmonton. Let me know if you intend on getting any stuff in the future and I can see if he can get you a better price. :rock
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I have had 1 from ibuypower (same as cyber) and 1 from digital storm. Digital storm was more expensive but better parts and customer service. The ibuypower had some issues and after awhile was sorted. My third was also a ibuy but I got at fry's electronics. Was a returned unit. Walked over to there tech area and had them try it out before I left. Well bad ram stick. So they went and got one from the back brand new never opened and left with that one. If you have a place like fry's get from them. They handle everything if something goes wrong and now they offer for 50/100$ to build you a computer after you chose the parts.
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I have a machine from cyberpower and have not had any problems with it.
It runs ah2 with the graphics maxed out and looks fantastic.
Ah3... Not so much, very disappointing. I should have waited and bought something bigger than the 750ti card.
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My reasonings for building my own boxes are the same as Chalenge.
Where I live the tech is behind approx. 2-3 yrs & every boutique builder that tried to establish a business here didn't last long....ain't enough gear heads here to support them (most of the folks like me build their own anyway) in addition to none of them could compete w/ Best Buy & the E-Machines prices that they sell.
In our local Best Buy the parts selections are very lousy & out of date for me.......don't even carry any DisplayPort cabling at all & how long has this been out? Have never seen any enthuiaist grade mobo or CPU carried in the store (Intel X58, X79, X99, AMD 900 series) or any mem kits for them as well. Most are geared to the general\business usage of computing, not gamers.
I'm also very particular as to what components I want to use & so it is just easier for me to build them myself.
I like doing it as well.
:salute
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Trying to compare Digitalstorm or cyberpowerpc to BB is not even relevant to the op.
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I think Pudgie is merely telling you why he chose to avoid pre-built systems, and I agree.
I visited CyberpowerPC to check out their top of the line system to compare with what I use. To be fair I will point out that I spent FAR more than they have this system listed for, but I also have a 1TB OS SSD and a 3.82TB backup SSD, and a total of 24TB of HDD space. I use a $500 external DAC, and a 4k monitor. Still, I will tell you exactly what I think about their system.
Windows Home 10 64 (adequate)
LED Keyboard, mouse combo (not needed but adequate)
Corsair Obsidian (very nice, I'm almost jealous but it both exceeds and falls short of my needs)
Default Case fans (inadequate - I prefer positive pressure, or positive pressure + H2O)
CPU - i7-6700K (I could accept this)
Extreme OC - I would never accept an overclock that someone else setup
Processor cooling fan + Liquid cooling (I don't care what it is if I didn't hand lap it down to 2 microns it ain't good enough)
Standard coolant (adequate)
Additional reservoir: none (uh-oh)
Motherboard: MSI Z170A (superb design)
RAM: 16GB (adequate for gaming, not enough for me)
Video: dual GTX 980 (hey, exactly what I use, but . . .)
SLI bridge: none (WHAT? I happen to know the MB has one, so this must be a typo)
Video Capture Card: none (inadequate in todays world)
Power Supply: 1000W Standard 80 Plus (inadequate and it shows me they have a one-size fits all viewpoint)
M.2 SATA: none (if the MB supports it then it should be included)
Internal PCI-E SSD: 400GB internal Intel SSD 750 NVME PCIe (nice, but inadequate just the same - it's too small)
Secondary HDD: 4GB (not NAS and not enough space - my Steam drive already exceeds this)
Optical: LG yada-yada (I must have a Bluray that supports writing 100GB discs)
Sound: On-board (inadequate and you know why)
No mention of monitor
Conclusion: This system is suited for an entry-level gaming machine. It is inadequate for anyone wishing to become part of the 21st Century gaming world of streaming. The PSU is too big and probably will self-destruct at some point even if it did fit. The audio is inadequate for any serious gaming/streaming or even movie watching. The storage capacity is not adequate.
This is why Pudgie and I answered the way we did. AND for $3149 I would expect far, far more.
EDIT: And just to be clear about the capacity of the SSD; the M.2 solution will provide a 1TB capacity for the same price as the PCIe slot card, and it doesn't take up a slot (unless the MB manufacturer just designs it that way. The 1.2TB version of this card, for example, goes for over $1000. And though the typical storage use benchmarks skew slightly in favor of the Intel card the actual advantage is minimal and not worth the price. Plus, the NVME still has compatibility issues. Chiefly, internal audio card related issues abound with the card, so why is it in a gaming machine?
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No. Best Buy is far from an acceptable measure of both cyberpowerpc or digitalstorm. Especially when some list 4-5 year old systems in their signatures like a badge of honor.
That is fantastic that you picked a top of the line system.
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I could just as easily have picked any one of their systems and find configuration flaws within each one, which is why I choose to build my own.
The only avenues to purchase systems are local shops, box stores, online stores, specialty sites like Cyberpower, or build it yourself. Nearly everyone starts at one end, or in the middle and moves up. Once you reach the top you seldom, if ever, move down the chain. I might order a bare bones system from a site like Cyberpower, but it isn't likely. In some cases you might find a barebones system at a site like Newegg that offers an enthusiast Motherboard, CPU, and RAM in a quality case (no HDDs, bare bones). That would be worth looking for and that also makes checking stock at places like BB worth it from time-to-time. So, yes it's worth mentioning.
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I could just as easily have picked any one of their systems and find configuration flaws within each one, which is why I choose to build my own.
The only avenues to purchase systems are local shops, box stores, online stores, specialty sites like Cyberpower, or build it yourself. Nearly everyone starts at one end, or in the middle and moves up. Once you reach the top you seldom, if ever, move down the chain. I might order a bare bones system from a site like Cyberpower, but it isn't likely. In some cases you might find a barebones system at a site like Newegg that offers an enthusiast Motherboard, CPU, and RAM in a quality case (no HDDs, bare bones). That would be worth looking for and that also makes checking stock at places like BB worth it from time-to-time. So, yes it's worth mentioning.
No. Again, per one of my previous posts: "building a pc is not enjoyed by some, due to fear of bricking a component". Just because WE enjoy it and DO IT. Does not mean others enjoy it. But to compare Best Buy to either of the two aforementioned companies is asinine.
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I don't think anyone made that comparison. The stores were mentioned. That's it. It's a matter of options. I wouldn't buy a Cyberpower system even if I wasn't in the mood, or whatever. It's not a matter of enjoying crafting a computer in the end. It is about getting a bigger bang for your buck.
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If someone has no interest whatsoever in building a system themselves, there won't be even the slightest sound made and no bucks spent, resulting in no computer at all. Back to the original question. :headscratch:
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If someone has no interest whatsoever in building a system themselves, there won't be even the slightest sound made and no bucks spent, resulting in no computer at all. Back to the original question. :headscratch:
Correct. Which is why "build it yourself" spamming is pointless and does not address the question posed to be OP.
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I don't know how much Cyberpower or DigitalStorm charge for the building. Our major builder shop charges €79 for building, including BIOS updating and startup and memory testing plus a 1 year warranty for the job. Installing Windows will be an extra €35. That'd add about 10% or less to a good gaming rig. Not bad for getting the responsibility off your shoulders. Note that we have 24% VAT for both the parts and work.
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Bizman, my local shop that builds gaming machines all day long, since 1997 and the days of Janes sims, charges 70$ CDN, less than 50$ USD, to assemble and test components, install current drivers/bios/windows for all devices, and test run the machine for 24 hours. Very inexpensive here, for excellent service. They only have 5% tax nation wide as well. They even waive the 70$ fee for me and some other long term customers I know, they figured after the 15th system I had built with them I'd paid enough I guess - not that I'd mind paying that if I had to. It's just simpler as I live 1/2 the year away from home at times, often more, and playing mail order tag if any parts are DOA and whatnot, having them assemble it and ship it complete just makes it simpler. Smaller shipping too, as they compress all the boxes into one box, which you can't do when they are full.
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They have to be making money off of what they are giving you or they wouldn't waive that fee. Businesses go out of business when they don't make a profit.
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Gman, that's exactly my point. The building fee is nominal in regard to that they perform some testing routines that are beyond reach of an average Joe. One might wonder where they get their profit since the component prices match those on the web. I suppose the building process has been optimized so that the actual building is the only task requiring the tech being fully at it. For a routinized builder it shouldn't take more than fifteen minutes or so unless neat cable management has been ordered for an extra fee. The testing routines run from a memory stick or CD by themselves.
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Chalenge, as I said, I've been with them since they had a 2 room shop, not a dozen shops across the country. I know the owners personally, and have spent tens of thousands there, in fact over 16$K in just the last 3.5 years, soon to be more. And, as I said before, when I'm in town and want a new system, they let me build it there on their benches with their techs helping me out with any questions, so long as it's during slow/off hours and not interfering with their business.
They also price match everything, they always match pcpartpicker prices whenever I build with them. I'm sure they make $ still, the building fee being waived also means I have to wait a while to get a system when I'm not in town, as it's the lowest priority build (you can pay to move up in priority as well). Like I said, I'd have no trouble paying it, it's just a loyalty rewards thing them waiving it. Also, this will sound odd, but it's a Chinese owned company, and when I first met them and started buying PCs, I was working for Magnum Films and had just moved home from Hong Kong that year, and they knew I worked for one of the biggest film stars/producers back then, so I got the "gwai lo" hood pass in a way. That said, I know another long term customer that they've waived the fee for as well, and he like myself, usually buys at least one of two gaming systems every year, continually upgrading 4 systems plus a gaming laptop.
I honestly think price matching is a bigger financial bite than waiving a 50$USD fee - in fact I know it is, a 6700k SLI 980ti box with them, with 950 Samsung drives et al is around 4300$(CDN not US) in their builder, and the same system is 3850 on PCpartpicker, which they will match, so long as the client knows about the "ubeat" price match system and how to use it. Many don't, but lots do. So, losing 450$ in revenue from their retail prices (which are equal to NCIX their other competitor up here in the West) is a larger sting than a tiny 50$ building fee. By far - but you're correct, regardless of all of that, I know they make $ - having a pile of stores and hundreds of very well paid employees, and surviving 20 years in very slim margin business proves that beyond any doubt IMO.
Biz - My sense of their operation is that quite a large number of their customers don't use the price match, as it does take some work, and if those customers wanted to "work" to buy their PC, they'd be building it themselves from cheaper US sources anyway, right? The majority, even a lot of "gamer" customers, aren't all that savvy on the building end or price match system IMO. So, in the example I used, they make a bonus 450$ on top of the profit they still likely make on that same system when price matching pcpartpicer/etc. That can add up fast when I've seen their builders having dozens of systems being constructed on their work benches.
Biz - as I said above, they price match, so there must still be profit involved at the end of that process. They sell a lot of PCs up here, to a lot of companies as well, but I'd guess 1/2 their business or more is retail/gamer type systems. Their builders, I referred to them as the wonderkids in another post. They truly are, watching how fast these guys put stuff together, and with great work as well, is impressive, as you said, they usually do multiple systems per hour. The software/test stuff like you said is largely a hands off deal and takes little of their time up.
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--- they'd be building it themselves from cheaper US sources anyway, right? ---
That's a point I know absolutely nothing about. The US sources can be very cheap, but for me it's outside of the European Union which means I'd have to pay VAT and customs and whatnot. The VAT free limit is €22 and the customs free limit is €150, including mail costs. So buying from US doesn't pay here, at least not if you get caught by the customs.
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How did you make out 8thJinx?