Best Custom PC Builder

[Textfield]

My friend needs a new computer, and while he needs it to be decently powerful (gaming and computer graphics and such), he's not exactly the most adept person at computers. As a result, I've taken up the task of trying to get him what he needs (with his money, of course).

Here's the issue. My friend is on a pretty strict budget, so he can't just go out and buy something super fancy. He needs a finely tuned and customized machine to get him what he needs for the least money possible. Normally, I would just build one, but right now, I'm far too busy to build one, let alone act as tech support if anything goes wrong. So, I need to find a custom PC builder.

I, however, am no expert in this space. There are plenty of companies offering ridiculous machines of ridiculous quality for ridiculous prices, but that's not what's needed here. What's needed here is a good, quality PC builder with full customization that will build it, and won't take me for a fool. I know what things should cost.

I used to just go with Cyberpower, but now I feel like they're taking me for a fool. Currently, they charge $228 for a 7850. They also charge $180 for a 7790 (what you'd pay for a 7870), and then say that they have a "sale," so you can have a free upgrade from the 7790 to the 7870. So the only way I can pay half-decent prices on components is if they're "on sale?" Nothing about that is right.

 

[tiny voices]

There is no way to get a good PC for cheap on any 'custom build' website. It NEEDS to be a home-build.

 

[bignastyid]

If you want to get the best possible gaming PC for the money you need to build it yourself. As with most pre-built systems they will charge a premium for parts, its very rare to buy a pre-built gaming rig for what you could build it for, and building a system isn't all that hard. If you post the budget, where you will be buying parts(US, UK, etc), and what extra will be needed(monitor, OS, etc) we can post a build(or a few).

 

[Textfield]

Thanks. I have no issues with coming up with the build. It's just the issue of getting it built. I'm still in high-school, and very, very busy.

It's more the liability than anything else. If ANYTHING goes wrong, my fault or not, it's a big blow to my time. It'll be hard enough just finding the time to put the thing together in the first place.

My friend's budget is flexible, so if he needs to spend a little bit more to get a pre-built, he can. It's just that the markups I was seeing weren't just excessive: they were deceptive, and I figured there must be something better.

So with all that said, what's the least worst online custom PC builder?

 

[woodart]

I have had great luck with iBuypower. I spec'ed a very high-end system from them nearly 5 years ago and have been thrilled with it. I got just what I ordered and everything was done correctly. Two months after I bought it, one of my RAID-0 systgem drives died and they immediately sent me a replacement and when my motherboard fried from a lightning strike (under warranty), I shipped it back to them and they sent it right back with a new board for no charge. Their tech support has been good and I got a system for just over $3k that would have cost over $5k from Alienware for anything close to comparable.

 

[helm123]

I have had great luck with iBuypower. I spec'ed a very high-end system from them nearly 5 years ago and have been thrilled with it. I got just what I ordered and everything was done correctly. Two months after I bought it, one of my RAID-0 systgem drives died and they immediately sent me a replacement and when my motherboard fried from a lightning strike (under warranty), I shipped it back to them and they sent it right back with a new board for no charge. Their tech support has been good and I got a system for just over $3k that would have cost over $5k from Alienware for anything close to comparable.

I did as well have one good experience with them.

I would like to start off saying that three years ago I purchased a custom system from IBP and have been very happy with. With that in mind I decided to purchase another custom build from them and the experience has been complete opposite.

I originally ordered the system from IBP on Dec 2 with hopes that it would arrive before Christmas since it was going to be a gift. I was glad to see on Dec 16th that it had shipped and would be here by Christmas and I wasn’t disappointed when it showed on Dec 18th. I was completely surprised after opening the box to find that this PC wasn’t the one I had ordered. After submitting a trouble ticket and sending an email to the sales rep IBP contacted me. They were aware that there was a shipping mistake and after I talked to the sales rep a RMA was issues. Sales rep let me know that it would be a couple of weeks before they got the actual system I had ordered to me. It’s now Dec 19th and now it’s not going to make it here by Christmas. Can live with this but can’t say I’m not disappointed.

Fast forward to Jan 7th. I had been keeping an eye on the IBP site to check for updates to my order and see that it has shipped. Originally it had an arrival date of Jan 10th which would be good since I would be leaving work that day and would maybe catch the Fedex shipment as it arrived. Have to make a fairly decent drive to another town to pickup shipment when you miss them. The Dec 9th I checked FedEx tracking and saw that it had left Indianapolis during the evening on the 8th and there are still two destinations before it get to me. While at work on the 9th I check tracking and see that it’s at my house 70 miles away sitting on the front porch. Really….a large box emblazoned with I Buy Power containing a 2600.00 custom PC left on the front porch with no signature. I leave work early to get home.

After I arrive home I open the box and too my surprise it’s the same system that I RMA’d back to them in December. I immediately call the sales rep after sending photo evidence that I have been sent the wrong system again a second RMA is issued. I chatted with the sales rep about wanting to keep my order and he said you’ll have your system by this time next week.

I leave for work the morning of Jan 10th and as before I planned on leaving to be home before FedEx arrived. But instead I’m heading to FedEx to do the second RMA. While at the FedEx facility I noticed that I had received a phone call from what I believe might be the IBP sales rep. I call he and he asks if the system arrived. I ask what do you mean I’m here at FedEx shipping it back. He replies with no the real system has been delivered to your house. Oh this again and it’s even better this time since it’s now raining.

I get home and indeed there is another IBP box sitting at my front door. It’s literally raining IBP systems at my house it now seems. I get the system in the house and begin un boxing it and I want to check it out before I call the sales rep so that we together can claim victory…also losing some trust from the customer point of view. Boy oh boy it looks like this thing has had a rough trip and a couple of them. First off the box inside the box has a big white sticker that says defective return to vendor can’t be fixed. Then after I pull the system out I noticed that the included documentation looks like rats (wrinkled and crumpled) have been nesting in the clear plastic bags. There’s none of that blue foam pack inside protecting the system and taped to case is someone else’s customer number and RMA number. Then I noticed that the hard drive enclosures have come loose and the drives are just laying in the case since the SATA and power connections have come lose. I think to myself this doesn’t look good but I proceed and get it connected to a monitor and powered on. Not even a post on the screen and red lights galore inside the case. This is the point that I lost complete faith in IBP to deliver a product. I then call the sales rep to let him know the system has arrived but it’s a complete wreck and I’d like to RMA this back and cancel my order. I now have the RMA number and once shipped I’ll be awaiting my credit so I can go buy from another vendor.

What really got me was the simple fact that I purchased a new system and I received some else’s RMA. In all reality it’s probably the original system that should have arrived here in December. But that one has now made three trips maybe across the country and shouldn’t be considered usable for a customer’s initial product. Does it not make sense in this case a detailed above to just build a new system and place the mistake into the RMA pile to replace defective components? I can understand this happening with a component that fails after you received and been using the system. Makes me really wonder how many of the systems being made is just a collection of RMA/refurbished parts.