Battle Of The Boutique Behemoths: iBuyPower Vs. Maingear PC

[Crashman]

[citation][nom]warezme[/nom]I noticed both cases have bottom set power supply and top set closed system water/TC coolers. I want one of those Coolit systems for my i7 but it looks like it might not work unless you have the room for it on a bottom set power supply case. Thats a bummer plus according to what I read the coolit system is custom so not available for purchase? I guess neither one of those cooling manufacturers are getting my money[/citation]

Asetek doesn't have a retail kit, and CoolIT's retail kit has a single-fan radiator. Swiftech has a bolt-in kit, but it's for LGA 775 and AM2.

 

[hundredislandsboy]

Well, it's nice to see what 4K worth of computer parts and labor look like. Where's the artistry to make these power monsters at least look pleasing like a Ferrari, red, custom mod case, etc...

 

[ryanaxiom]

For the Maingear, you have a 14x200=2.8 GHz overclock listed as 3.8 GHz. This should really be 19x200=3.8 GHz right?

 

[ryanaxiom]

For the Maingear, you have a 14x200=2.8 GHz overclock listed as 3.8 GHz. This should really be 19x200=3.8 GHz right?

 

[Crashman]

For the Maingear, you have a 14x200=2.8 GHz overclock listed as 3.8 GHz. This should really be 19x200=3.8 GHz right?

Yes

 

[HC1Gunner]

What a rip-off, I can build the equivalent systems for half the money, sell them, and still make enough profit.

 

[Proximon]

People who have never actually seen a Silverstone case in person don't get it

Anyway, I respect the thought you guys are putting in to your reviews. It's a new science and a lot of work, and I know you won't get it completely right every time.

 

[rambo117]

no stalker clear sky benchmark??

 

[hundredislandsboy]

Specs are specs and anyone can buy parts and assemble. It's not brain surgery. It takes a PC enthusiast to understand gamers and these builders got this wrong. These are supposed to be built for gamers, not for the corporate business office. So why not cases like something from cyberpowerpc? For a 4K system, both of these look very generic, drab looking and doesn't grab attention to say "I'm different and you'll know why and you'll enjoy the $4,000 you spent on me!" Come on, matte-finished? At least throw in some gloss, triple layer lacquer!

 

[randomizer]

[citation][nom]Crashman[/nom]How about getting a Tom's Hardware PC free? That's got to be better than paying for it![/citation]
I'll PM you my address.

 

[starryman]

$4K ... I could build one for $2K that would knock the socks of 99% of the games out there. And here I go again... back to Newegg to build a virtual computer. Damn it's so addicting.

 

[Guest]

concerning the guy with the 1/100 flicker, who claims I don't know what I'm talking about: (due to quote not working properly in the forum):

Dude, I know what I'm talking about!
There's a difference in flashing images, and fluid framerates!

I'm very sure if I'd put a monitor or old TV in front of you, and would set it to 72fps, you wouldn't even know the frequency it's set to flicker. But what you're talking about is something vastly different.

That's why you can enter in an old cinema, and still enjoy an old movie (rolling on those machines with dia tape (2 rolls)), they have a framerate of somewhere in the vincinity of 14-15fps if I'm right; and still perceive it as fluid motion.

So your comment about me not knowing what I talk about might not be appropriate.

 

[autonomous]

I've owned numerous computers from many different companies, and I've found that even though Maingear builds good machines their customer support is seriously lacking. Their reps are very uneducated, at least the ones I spoke to, and they take forever to respond to your emails. I haven't used Ibuypower, so I can't say much about them, but after reading a few reviews I wouldn't go within a mile of an Ibuypower computer. Personally, out of all the companies I've used, and I've used companies like Falcon Northwest, Alienware, Origin, etc, I've found Ironside to be the best. They answer emails very quickly usually within 20 minutes of sending it, and there build quality is on par with a lot of the higher end boutiques. The only negative thing I can say against them is their packaging has a rather "plain" look in comparison to other companies, but honestly after you take the computer out the box is pretty irrelevant. It's quite disappointing that I haven't seen a review on here for one of their computers. I know Ironside is not as well known as Ibuypower, but if anyone from Tomshardware reads this I would love to see you guys review one of their computers. If you guys need it their website is IronsideComputers.com.