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Computer boutique?

D

Doc03

n00b
Joined
Jan 16, 2009
Messages
14
Hello, I've been a long time stalker of these forums but this is my first time posting, please forgive the newbie question. I've heard alot of talk about custom computers being built by computer boutiques and I was wondering if someone would expand on that a little bit.

I have been interested in building a new gaming rig for some time now, but because of my lack of technical knowledge I have only juggled with the idea of building it myself. I'm a second year medical student and free time has become a rare commodity these days, so I wouldn't mind spending a little extra $$ to have someone relieve me of the time and stress of building on my own. (not to mention if something were to go wrong... I'd be screwed). But I do like the idea of custom building outside of brand names like dell, HP, etc, and someday hopefully I'll have the time to learn it on my own.

There are also so many "build a custom rig" websites out there, and most of them look really shaddy. Would you wise men of the computer world have any suggestions on where to start?
 
I highly recommend Puget Systems. Their prices are bit higher than others but their quality and customer support is top-notch.

Maingear is also a good choice.
 
I also reccomend Puget. A friend ordered one and I was blown away by some of the things he had to tell me.
 
Puget is very good,though very expensive.Maingear is more reasonable in price,equally good in quality.Max has the best prices,good quality as well.Avoid Cyberpower and IBuypower,and I can't really recommend AVAdirect,either.
 
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Thankyou! They seem awsome but a little on the expensive side.
 
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You can't go wrong with either Puget or Maingear.

I've got Jon and Heather of Puget on my facebook, and Wallace and Peter of Maingear on my facebook.

All four are great to chat with and are good people. :)
 
Puget has come down in price on a lot of things here lately, as I think most builders have. If you have any questions for me, I'm around, but I don't think you can go wrong with Maingear either. There's also a newer company called SolidWave PC that was started by Chris Morley. You might want to see what he's got going on. My impression is that he's pretty affordable.
 
I can tell you who I will be ordering my next system from and why.

It will be from Puget and it will be due to Heather and her stepping in and helping on behalf of others even when it was for a company she did not work for. For example I had a small problem with Velocity Micro after I sent them a message and did not get a response about needing some of the mounting hardware to install additional hard drives in their custom case I posted here and she stepped in and helped get it resolved.

Yes you can build it yourself for cheaper but some of us are to old and and do not have the free time and just want someone to call when there is a problem instead of dealing with each component vendor.
 
Shawnasee said:
I googled Chris Morley SolidWave PC and got this "Our bikini-clad QC team is ready to inspect the goods and ship, in 48 hours, of course. It's going to be fun."

http://www.mmdnewswire.com/mysolidwavepc-4676.html

Huh?
Click to expand...

That's...odd. But then so is Morley...lol. Now I have a mental picture of him in a bikini, and I want to throw acid in my eyes.:eek:

Anyway....

I'm glad I could help you, MN. The nice thing about this industry is that we all kind of know one another, so whenever I can drop a bug in someone's ear on behalf of a struggling [H]'r, I'll do it.
 
I would have to recommend Puget as well I had them build me a laptop years and years ago and it worked great. Finally it bit the dust not to long ago and just havent gotten around to trying to fix the hdd. But will say for the 4-5 some years i had it worked like a charm for my needs.
 
Thank you everyone! I was very flattered to see this thread. Your critiques about pricing are fair, though Heather is right that a lot has changed in the last few months. In any case, I don't expect we'll ever be matching the pricing of some of our cheapest competitors...because we're not willing to cut corners on our quality and services to the extent it would take to get to those price points. I'm preaching to the choir, I'm sure.

We'll continue to work hard to earn your recommendations!

Jon Bach
President - Puget Systems
http://www.pugetsystems.com
 
man oh man.

i am not in the market for a boutique pc, but every time i read something from puget it makes me want to buy from them over anyone else. even though i'm not on the west coast - gj puget, heather and jon - you make the boutique pc seem less daunting to order. i wish other companies (even outside the computer industry) would learn from your methods. thanks and keep up the good work!
 
pugetsys said:
Thank you everyone! I was very flattered to see this thread. Your critiques about pricing are fair, though Heather is right that a lot has changed in the last few months. In any case, I don't expect we'll ever be matching the pricing of some of our cheapest competitors...because we're not willing to cut corners on our quality and services to the extent it would take to get to those price points. I'm preaching to the choir, I'm sure.

We'll continue to work hard to earn your recommendations!

Jon Bach
President - Puget Systems
http://www.pugetsystems.com
Click to expand...

I like Puget and your reputation but wow...isn't that a pretty broad blanket you just threw out there?

Are you aware that your "cheapest competitors" aren't only people like Cyberpower PC or AVA?

There are really great companies with really great customer service with really great prices that aren't cutting corners on their quality.

You're better off talking positively about yourself than talking negatively about other companies.
 
Shawnasee said:
I like Puget and your reputation but wow...isn't that a pretty broad blanket you just threw out there?

Are you aware that your "cheapest competitors" aren't only people like Cyberpower PC or AVA?

There are really great companies with really great customer service with really great prices that aren't cutting corners on their quality.

You're better off talking positively about yourself than talking negatively about other companies.
Click to expand...

I agree,that remark struck the wrong cord with me as well.In fact,this thread raises questions with me as to the fairness with which the no advertising policy is applied to certain companies.
 
Shawnasee said:
I like Puget and your reputation but wow...isn't that a pretty broad blanket you just threw out there?

Are you aware that your "cheapest competitors" aren't only people like Cyberpower PC or AVA?

There are really great companies with really great customer service with really great prices that aren't cutting corners on their quality.

You're better off talking positively about yourself than talking negatively about other companies.
Click to expand...


Agreed. I just didn't want to be the first person to say something about it. lol
 
Sorry, guys! It wasn't my intent to speak negatively about anyone. This is actually a huge and very interesting topic, and I'd love to talk about it sometime. The concern above about fair use of these forums tells me that this probably isn't the time or place. Point taken though -- you're keeping me on my toes!

Jon Bach
President - Puget Systems
http://www.pugetsystems.com
 
Heheh...call back the dogs, Shawn and Michael. Jon may have been a member for 4+ years, but he's still a n00b. Go easy on him.

It takes the skills of a master (or mistress) to navigate the dark waters of Hardforums without getting bitten. >.< I, too, have made comments that weren't perhaps the most PC...it's just been so long ago that no one remembers them now. Thankfully. LOL.

Anyway, I think what he was generally trying to say is that we try to put a little extra into our pre-production, service, and support so that you get a more customized experience, and that translates to a little bit of a higher price point than some of our competitors. :)
 
I agree with Heather. I think there's the perception that certain companies in the industry charge a premium "just because." In most cases though, there's a justification for the higher cost, whether it be production, testing, or after purchase support. Not to knock or praise anyone, it's just different takes on the business model.
 
Josh! Great to see you on...it's been a long time.

And...um...I just officially changed my role today, so no one freak out. You're welcome to ask any questions in PM. I'm still a huge fan of Puget and remain great friends with everyone there, but wanted to go in a slightly different direction for a while. I'll still be all up in your faces. ;-)
 
Heather Taylor said:
Josh! Great to see you on...it's been a long time.

And...um...I just officially changed my role today, so no one freak out. You're welcome to ask any questions in PM. I'm still a huge fan of Puget and remain great friends with everyone there, but wanted to go in a slightly different direction for a while. I'll still be all up in your faces. ;-)
Click to expand...

Heather works for Maingear now! :p
 
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