Help/Advice! Cyberpowerpc? Your thoughts...

[Fence82246]

[ This is a repost from a response in another thread. I was afraid it might be burried and won't get viewed...so forgive the repost.]

Despite the mixed reviews from people I'm strongly considering buying a Custom System from Cyberpowerpc. The thing is I have had experience building a system. And while I feel confident I could do it again...I just can't find the components for less than Cyberpowerpc will sell me the entire system. All the other webistes I've looked at don't come close in price...except for www.Ibuypower.com

I've looked up both companies on the www.bbb.org. Incidentally...Ibuypower.com has a lower rating than Cyberpower.


The system I am looking to buy is:
- This system is a "pre-made" that they have and I made some "tweaks" to it to put the components in I felt were of great value...

CAS: NEW!!! CoolerMaster Cosmos S Gaming Full Tower 420W Case w/ Transparent Side Panel [+61]

CASUPGRADE: 12in COLD CATHODE NEON LIGHT [+10] (RED COLOR)

CPU: Intel® Core™ i7-920 2.66 GHz 8M L3 Cache LGA1366 [-284]

CD: Lite-On DH-401S 4X Blu-Ray Player

CD2: (Special Price) LG 20X DVD±R/±RW + CD-R/RW DRIVE DUAL LAYER (BLACK COLOR)

FAN: CoolerMaster V8 Gaming CPU Cooling Fan (Extreme Silent Operation at only 22dBA + Overclock Proof) [+4]

HDD: Extreme Performance (RAID-0) with 4 Identical Hard Drives [+68] (2TB (500GBx4) SATA-II 3.0Gb/s 16MB Cache 7200RPM HDD [+60])

KEYBOARD: Logitech Deluxe 250 USB Keyboard (Black Color)

MOUSE: XtremeGear Optical USB 3 Buttons Gaming Mouse

MOTHERBOARD: ]3-Way SLI Support) Asus P6T Intel X58 Chipset SLI/CrossFireX Mainboard Triple-Channel DDR3/1600 SATA RAID w/ eSATA,GbLAN,USB2.0,IEEE1394a,&7.1Audio (

VIDEO: NVIDIA GeForce GTX295 X2 1.7GB 16X PCIe Video Card (EVGA Powered by NVIDIA)

MEMORY: 6GB (2GBx3) DDR3/1600MHz Triple Channel Memory Module [+29] (($30 off Mail-in Rebate) Corsair)

NETWORK: (Free Upgrade from Killer K1) Killer M1 10/100/1000 Gigabit High Speed Online Gaming PCI Network Interface Card [+150]

OS: Microsoft® Windows Vista™ Home Premium w/ Service Pack 1 (64-bit Edition)

POWERSUPPLY: 850 Watts Power Supplies [+114] (Thermaltake W0131RU ToughPower 850 Watts- NVIDIA GTX 8800 Certified)
RUSH: NO; READY TO SHIP IN 5~10 BUSINESS DAYS
SERVICE: STANDARD WARRANTY: 3-YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY PLUS LIFE-TIME TECHNICAL SUPPORT
SOUND: HIGH DEFINITION ON-BOARD 7.1 AUDIO
USB: Built-in USB 2.0 Ports

WNC: PCI Wireless 802.11g 54Mbps Network Interface Card
_PRICE: (+2241)

I will be getting a 5% discount from this price as well so my final price (pre-tax, I live in California) is $2129. Also as I live only about 35 miles from their factory I will be picking it up...so I'm not concerned about shipping issues...and if I do need to return it...again...I won't have to worry about shipping issues.

The major components seem to be quality parts...at least as far as I can tell...IMHO (Mobo, CPU, NIC, GPU, GPU Fan, Case, and PSU)

If I could find the components for less...I would consider building my own system again...I still have a LIAN-Li PC-61 Case from my last build that is not currently being used. I've searched all the major component selling sites including:

www.newegg.com
www.zipzoomfly.com
www.microcenter.com

I also want to qualify that when I say similar...the key components are the same...difference lie in the case, ram, and optical drives which I feel there is not a significant difference unless you are buying VERY high end components or the newest technology.

I've also looked at other websites/companies that have custom systems:
www.iBuypower.com
www.xicomputer.com
www.avadirect.com aka www.mgepconline.com (Both companies have the exact same corporate office/physical location)
www.alienware.com
www.hp.com
www.dell.com
www.microcenter.com
www.falcon-nw.com ($600 more and NO GTX295 available)
www.powerspec.com
www.maingear.com ($1000 more for a similar system)
www.pugetsystems.com ($800 more for a similar, with less features)
www.pogolinux.com
www.biohazard-computers.com
www.digitalstormonline.com
www.centauruscomputers.com
www.mpcscomputers.com
www.vigorgaming.com ($500 more and no M-1 or K-1 Bigfootnetworks NIC)

I'm probably forgetting some but these are the websites I KNOW I looked at as a possibility.

With some of these companies, for a machine that was VERY closely spec'd to the list of items above, were 2-3 TIMES the price...you can check it out for yourself. Customer service and quality are important...but at what price...

I am totally open to suggestions...but again...even buying the parts myself...i'm going to pay at least $300 or more over what I could have Cyberpower build it for me.

The only thing I am not sure of...is for the same money of buying a Velociraptor 300 SATA II, I could have 4x500gb SATA drives in Raid-0. So I'm not sure which way to go as far as that goes...


Please give an honest opinion based of the information I was able to provide....

Thank you.

 

[jonpaul37]

the way i see it, Cyberpower is a good company, they will build you a reliable rig, but some things are overlooked. I bought a Cyberpower rig and the hard drive was a no-name brand as well as the RAM. Other than that, i got EXACTLY what i wanted and the rig was beautiful, not even a fingerprint on it... Since then i have only built my own rigs, i will never buy a complete desktop again...

 

[Fence82246]

Jonpaul...thank you for the response...

Its seems the responses I've seen fall into 2 categories...

Very good experience vs. very bad experience...

Any thoughts on the 4X500GB SATA II Raid-0 vs. the Velociraptor 300GB SATA II drive as posted above?

 

[JaredAudiophileGamer]

Well they are definately a pretty good company, you cant expect them to get you cheaper prices of parts and do the work of assembling it for free you know? In my own honest opinion i think it is well worth while to do a little price comparison shopping on the parts yourself and doing the assembly yourself. Saves you money and you get the satisfaction of creating your own custom rig.

 

[Fence82246]

This is a repost from http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/core-i7-system,2251.html#BOM_comments

Hey all...Well I want to share my experience with www.cyberpowerpc.com...

After hearing different things I finally made a decision to go ahead and by a system...

Here is what I ordered:
Gamer Xtreme XT (NO MONITOR)
GXTZ, www.cyberpowerpc.com/system/Gamer_Xtreme_XT/detail
*BASE_PRICE: [+1175]
CAS: NEW!!! CoolerMaster Cosmos S Gaming Full Tower 420W Case w/ Transparent Side Panel [+151]
CASUPGRADE: 12in COLD CATHODE NEON LIGHT [+10] (RED COLOR)
CPU: Intel® Core™ i7-920 2.66 GHz 8M L3 Cache LGA1366
CD: LG GGC-H20L BLU-RAY/HD-DVD Reader / DVD±R/±RW Writer [+90] (Black Color)
CD2: LG 20X Double Layer DVD+-RW Super Allwrite + Lightscribe Technology [+11] (Black Color)
CARE: Professional Wiring for All WIRING Inside The System Chasis with High Perormance Thermal Compound [+19]
FREEBIE_OS: FREE! (Halo 2) Game
FLASHMEDIA: INTERNAL 12in1 Flash Media Reader/Writer [+10] (BLACK COLOR)
FREEBIE_CU1: FREE! CyberPower Multi-Purpose Carrying Briefcase ($19.99 Value)
FREEBIE_CU2: FREE! Cyberpower Unleash The Power T-Shirt ($19 Value)
FAN: CoolerMaster V8 Gaming CPU Cooling Fan (Extreme Silent Operation at only 22dBA + Overclock Proof) [+4]
HDD: Extreme Performance (RAID-0) with 2 Identical Hard Drives [-16] (300GB (150GBx2) Gaming Western Digital VelociRaptor 10,000RPM SATA-II 3.0Gb/s 16MB Cache WD1500HLFS [+298])
HDD2: 500GB SATA-II 3.0Gb/s 16MB Cache 7200RPM Hard Drive [+59]
KEYBOARD: Logitech Deluxe 250 USB Keyboard (Black Color)
MOUSE: XtremeGear Optical USB 3 Buttons Gaming Mouse
MOTHERBOARD: (3-Way SLI Support) Asus P6T Intel X58 Chipset SLI/CrossFireX Mainboard Triple-Channel DDR3/1600 SATA RAID w/ eSATA,GbLAN,USB2.0,IEEE1394a,&7.1Audio
MEMORY: 6GB (2GBx3) DDR3/1600MHz Triple Channel Memory Module [+88] (($30 off Mail-in Rebate) Corsair)
NETWORK: (Free Upgrade from Killer K1) Killer M1 10/100/1000 Gigabit High Speed Online Gaming PCI Network Interface Card [+150]
OS: Microsoft® Windows Vista™ Home Premium w/ Service Pack 1 (64-bit Edition)
POWERSUPPLY: 850 Watts Power Supplies [+114] (Thermaltake W0131RU ToughPower 850 Watts- NVIDIA GTX 8800 Certified)
RUSH: NO; READY TO SHIP IN 5~10 BUSINESS DAYS
SERVICE: STANDARD WARRANTY: 3-YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY PLUS LIFE-TIME TECHNICAL SUPPORT
SOUND: HIGH DEFINITION ON-BOARD 7.1 AUDIO
USB: Built-in USB 2.0 Ports
VIDEO: NVIDIA GeForce GTX295 X2 1.7GB 16X PCIe Video Card [+284] (EVGA Powered by NVIDIA [+5])

_PRICE: (+2452)
_view_: detail
$2,452.00 x 1 $2,452.00
Coupon: INSTANT (5% Discount) -$122.60
SUBTOTAL $2,329.40
Sales Tax (8.25%) $192.18
Shipping: Pick Up (CA residents only) $0.00
GRAND TOTAL $2,521.58

I have a friend who purchased a system a year ago...he lives in Vermont who had a good experience and the system he is using today is the same system with no problems. I hadn't heard anything that overwhelmingly convinced me to not move forward. I placed the order on 3/24. On 3/25 I received a phone call from a cust. service rep. He informed me that the GTX295 and Coolermaster V8 were out of stock. If I wanted to wait for the GTX295 my machine wouldn't be ready until mid-april as that card was back ordered and they had many machines in the same situation. The Coolermaster V8 they had no idea when this would be available and suggested for a little less ($4?) the Vigor Monsoon III. I changed the CPU Cooler out and decided to wait for the GTX295. The cust serv. rep told me the system would more than likely be ready around the April 15th...as they were only getting about 30-40 GTX295s in stock per week. Just the other day I received a email from Cyberpowerpc that let me know my new target date for pickup should be the week of the 6th.

Prior to making a purchase online I called their sales phone twice just to see how quickly I could get through and what type of help I could get in configuring my system.

I also used the "Chat" function...This area sucked...I waited 45 mins for a response and the help was largely useless...

Overall I have been satisfied with the response and support. I will update as I get more information and move through the process...

 

[Fence82246]

This is a repost from http://www.tomshardware.com/review [...] M_comments

Just an update...

I called Cyberpowerpc earlier today to verify my machine would be ready by next week. I spoke with Andrew who informed my machine was ready an I could pick it up as soon as I wanted to...

I left work a few hours early to drive out and pick up the machine. I work in San Bernardino and Cyberpowerpc is in Baldwin Park...about 48 miles away.

As a side note I was rear ended on the freeway on my way to pickup the computer. Traffic had come to a screeching halt ahead of me and I was able to stop with no problems...unfortunately the girl behind me wasn't able to...and thus I was rear ended. I drive a 2007 Lincoln Mark LT...when the CHP Officer arrived he asked me if I had even been hit...the only evidence on my vehicle was a busted hitch plug and a scratch on the bumper. The poor girl was driving a 2 month old Nissan Versa...her car was in VERY bad shape...almost undriveable. You would never know I had been in an accident...good old American engineering for ya. We were both mercifully ok...although I do have a bit of a headache at this point.

I arrived at Cyberpowerpc at around 4:45pm PST. I walked into the front counter and told them I was there to pick up my computer. William greeted me and informed me he would need a copy of my drivers license and the credit card I used to make the purchase online. 2 minutes later he gave me a copy of the invoice and asked me to verify the items on the list.
I quickly perused the list and was satisfied the items were correct. I signed the invoice and William sent me to the back to "Will Call". I waited about 10 mins before a person, Mr. Kong, came up to the door with my system on a handtruck. He carried the items down the steps and loaded it into the backseat of my Truck.

When I got home I took the system out of the box and verified all the items...Everything was in order with the execption of the following...

I paid $5 more for the EVGA version of the GTX295. The card installed is an MSI card.
The 200mm side case fan had been removed due to the Monsoon Vigor being so deep that the top of the CPU Cooler presses into the fan.The fan was set aside in a seperate box...I just would have liked to have been told about that before hand.

All other components are exactly as requested/ordered. The MSI GTX295 was actually on the invoice they gave me to verify...so I can't complain too much when I read right over that...and signed the invoice...again...the could have mentioned it to me...but its kinda "meh" to me.

I plugged it in and it booted right up. No problems.

I ran through all the windows settings to get my preferences in place. It has rebooted a few times as Windows continues to update critical patches, etc.

I have installed WOW so far...and am waiting for the updates and patches to finish downloading.

SO FAR I'm very pleased. The only complaint I have at the moment is that the rear stock 120mm Case fan is loud...it sounds like its on top speed. I'm going to have to get a fan controller and temperature monitor. There are 4 case fans not counting the missing 200mm side fan...One Front, Bottom, Top and Back. Im guessing since im not going to overclock this that I should be ok...I NEED to find a way to turn down that back fan though.

The system is fast. It shuts down in about 8 secs from when I click "Shut Down" and reboots in about 16 secs when I press power.

I will give more detail on graphic, internet, gaming experience after I've had a few days to mess with it.

PS- If anyone would like to email me feel free to at fence82246@gmail.com. I can send you pictures of my accident if anyone would like to see those! But more specifically I can give you photos or info on my system and experiences.

Rating as of this moment 4.5/5 Stars (.5 Star Deduction for a different GPU and not informing me of the Fan and GPU changes)