Can Anyone Recommend a Good PC Builder?

  • Thread starter Thread starter AMooreonline
  • Start date Start date
A

AMooreonline

Hi: Well...I use to use Monarch Computer Systems for barebones builds,
but they are RIP. I use to watch this board all of the time & there
was a guy that posted a lot in here that is a system builder. I forget
his company name. He wasn't the cheapest, but people seemed to like
him & did quality builds, which is fine by me.

If anybody could point me in the right direction, it would be
appreciated!

Thanks!

Alex
 
Hi: Well...I use to use Monarch Computer Systems for barebones builds,
but they are RIP. I use to watch this board all of the time & there
was a guy that posted a lot in here that is a system builder. I forget
his company name. He wasn't the cheapest, but people seemed to like
him & did quality builds, which is fine by me.

If anybody could point me in the right direction, it would be
appreciated!

Thanks!

Alex
Click to expand...
Where are you?

Mike.
 
In alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt "(e-mail address removed)"
Hi: Well...I use to use Monarch Computer Systems for barebones builds,
but they are RIP. I use to watch this board all of the time & there
was a guy that posted a lot in here that is a system builder. I forget
his company name. He wasn't the cheapest, but people seemed to like
him & did quality builds, which is fine by me.

If anybody could point me in the right direction, it would be
appreciated!

Thanks!
Click to expand...
So ... Where do you live?
If local, I could make you up a custom system.
Working long-distance though, trying to fix problems, would be a pain.

The local Computer Renaissance also seems to do a fair job of building
systems to order.

One of the biggest parts of building a custom system for somebody I've
found out, is determining exactly what sort of system they're striving
for, and what price they're willing to pay. Also, how much of the
software installation do they want to do themselves, and how much do
they want me to do. Installing the software properly often takes two or
three times the effort it takes to get the hardware connected together
and up-and-running. Too many people just don't realize that there's a
lot more to making a good system than just putting boards in a box and
getting the computer to boot Windows.

Of course, that's why so many people buy a box from DELL or other
similar companies with the software most people use already pre-loaded.
That works great for a company that wants the same programs on all their
systems, and has the needed licensed software for multiple users on
their server.

If you expect the same thing from a custom builder at a similar price
.....
 
Frank McCoy said:
In alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt "(e-mail address removed)"

So ... Where do you live?
If local, I could make you up a custom system.
Working long-distance though, trying to fix problems, would be a pain.

The local Computer Renaissance also seems to do a fair job of building
systems to order.

One of the biggest parts of building a custom system for somebody I've
found out, is determining exactly what sort of system they're striving
for, and what price they're willing to pay. Also, how much of the
software installation do they want to do themselves, and how much do
they want me to do. Installing the software properly often takes two or
three times the effort it takes to get the hardware connected together
and up-and-running. Too many people just don't realize that there's a
lot more to making a good system than just putting boards in a box and
getting the computer to boot Windows.

Of course, that's why so many people buy a box from DELL or other
similar companies with the software most people use already pre-loaded.
That works great for a company that wants the same programs on all their
systems, and has the needed licensed software for multiple users on
their server.

If you expect the same thing from a custom builder at a similar price
....

--
_____
/ ' / T
,-/-, __ __. ____ /_
(_/ / (_(_/|_/ / <_/ <_
Click to expand...
 
Frank McCoy said:
The local Computer Renaissance also seems to do a fair job of building
systems to order.
Click to expand...

I had very bad luck with them 10 or so years back in Raleigh, NC. I think
it was more to do the owner and "builders," than the company as a whole.

One experience that really sticks to mind; The "reconditioned" CTR that was
included with my custom build Pentium would get so dim that after only a few
hours of use; only a faint glow would come from the screen. Traded that one
for another unit that did not display colors properly, immediately took the
2nd one back to the store for a '3rd' monitor. When they gave me the
replacement for the replacement I knew it was the first one that came with
my system. (due to the fact that it was the same brand/model and the entire
surface was badly stained with nicotine prior to me buying the system)
Needless to say it suffered the same symptoms as my 1st monitor (just took
it home to prove a point), they even had the nerve to suggest I had
sabotaged all three (not TWO) and did not want to give me a working monitor.

That is one of a dozen (maybe more) *BAD* encounters I had with my local
store. Come to think of it, why did that location go out of business?

___________
WooHoo2You
 
I've been building systems for many years, and frankly
I've never met a good system builder anywhere .. besides
myself. Reason .. I don't have to make a profit. I simply
have to produce very high quality engineering systems
that give zero downtime, and are upgradable over a
period of 5 years or more. Here's what I don't like to
see in a system build:
1. Cables laying over critical parts that may need
repeat service ... like the cpu/fan with needs to
be pulled out for thermal compound updates.

2. Twisted cables of any kind. There is just no excuse
in not dressing the cables so that they are folded
out of the way, and stress relieved.

3. Long cables, when a shorter cable would give more
stable data transfer.

4. Psupply cables in the working area. That is just
absurd. They should be dressed and tied, and
laid above the CD-DVD, if not being used. And the
ones being used should be dressed cleanly so
that the working area is servicable.

5. Huge clunky cases with plastic doors that break
and fall off. Cases with funny drive mounts. Cases
with noisy psupply .. or cheap psupply .. or psupply
with outofdate connectors .. or poorly designed standby
supplies with heat sinks in the wrong place .. cases
with wheels.

6. TWO CD-DVD roms. That is just stupid. Burns will
take forever, and usually cause a buffer under-run.

7. Small fans of any kind. 90mm is the minimum size,
and you builders who sneak those dinky 4000 rpm
fans in a box are thoughtless morons. Difficult fan
mounts of any kind. Those cpu-fans need to be
removed and serviced with heat compound at least
once a year.

8. Cheap mobos with poorly laid out X1 and X16 slots.

9. Improperly mounted mobos .. loose standoffs ..
missing standoffs ... wrong length standoffs .. wrong
screws with cheap tops so you can't pull them ...
over tightened screws so you loosten the standoffs

10. Western Digital, or Maxtor hard drives. All of you
know better than to do that. Noisy CD-ROMS
like LG or NEC.

11. ASUS mobos. You fly-by-nights are going to get
caught up with sooner or later.

12. XFX video cards. I'm not in the market for a "new"
restock or refurb. 2nd party video cards with no
warranty. It had BETTER come from BFG or eVGA.

13. Nameless ram that can't be matched if ram is added.

14. Keybds that weight less than one ounce. Mouse
that doesn't fit my hand, and has gorilla clickers.

I could go on and on and on with this, but I think you
see the problem. Nobody out there is going to take
the time to get a system right. And virtually none of
the builders work in industry where they can see the
problems caused by their cheap scams and thoughtless
construction. Unless you build yourself, you are much
better off to buy a high-end Dell or HP because you
get a good warranty, and those companies have to
respond to industry feedback about the problems
their systems create.

johns
 
johns said:
I've been building systems for many years, and frankly
I've never met a good system builder anywhere .. besides
myself. Reason .. I don't have to make a profit. I simply
have to produce very high quality engineering systems
that give zero downtime, and are upgradable over a
period of 5 years or more. Here's what I don't like to
see in a system build:
(snip)

know better than to do that. Noisy CD-ROMS
like LG or NEC.
Click to expand...

Oh man, you were doing good up to that point. I can agree that maxtor is
crap, and ALL manufacturers put out a dud here and there, but WD should be
at the top of your list, if it is reliability that you are aiming for. At
least, buying WD or Seagate or (now) Samsung hard drives greatly increases
your chances of getting a hard drive that will NOT die an early death. I'm
not too crazy about LG anything, but NEC optical drives are pretty good
quality. If they are "noisy", I haven't noticed. They just plain work
though, and I've never seen one fail. Not ever.
11. ASUS mobos. You fly-by-nights are going to get
caught up with sooner or later.
Click to expand...

Oh boy. I agree with you there, 1000%. But expect to get flamed to crispy
critters for daring to speak up. Asus is truly crap, and SOME people know
that (only the most experienced in the IT field, it seems). Unfortunately,
most people are snowed by all the Asus hype. It's like a religious issue.
Calling Asus crap is blasphemous, even though it's absolutely true.
(donning flame-proof suit)
12. XFX video cards. I'm not in the market for a "new"
restock or refurb. 2nd party video cards with no
warranty. It had BETTER come from BFG or eVGA.
Click to expand...

Hmmmm ... XFX has been pretty good to me, but so has BFG and EVGA. Of those
three, I'd say they are all excellent quality, with evga having a slight
edge over the other two.
13. Nameless ram that can't be matched if ram is added.
Click to expand...
14. Keybds that weight less than one ounce.
Click to expand...

What does weight have to do with anything? We deliberately replaced our
desktop's keyboard at home with a full-sized desktop-style keyboard with
notebook-style keys. If you sneeze too hard, it will fall under the desk.
But it's a real joy to type on. The keyboards that annoy me are the compact
ones, even if they weigh a ton.
Mouse
that doesn't fit my hand, and has gorilla clickers.
Click to expand...

Well shit, that's a personal preference thing, just like the
eyboard. -Dave
 
Oh boy. I agree with you there, 1000%. But expect to get flamed to crispy
critters for daring to speak up. Asus is truly crap, and SOME people know
that (only the most experienced in the IT field, it seems). Unfortunately,
most people are snowed by all the Asus hype. It's like a religious issue.
Calling Asus crap is blasphemous, even though it's absolutely true.
(donning flame-proof suit)
Click to expand...

Please chaps - if Asus boards are no good (I've had one for 3 years and
it's only a failing cap that's the problem, but that was the period of bad
caps), which makes are OK? I'm about to buy one and would like it to be
reliable. Also heard bad things about Gigabyte (BIOS IIRC).

So, who's boards should I look at?

Thanks,

Peter.
 
Please chaps - if Asus boards are no good (I've had one for 3 years and
it's only a failing cap that's the problem, but that was the period of bad
caps), which makes are OK? I'm about to buy one and would like it to be
reliable. Also heard bad things about Gigabyte (BIOS IIRC).

So, who's boards should I look at?

Thanks,

Peter.
Click to expand...

Uhhhh, first, gigabyte doesn't exist anymore (see: Asus). This is kind of
like Zenith. They were bought by goldstar many years ago, but you can still
buy a "zenith" TV, last I checked. :)

If you want top-notch quality in a mainboard, I'd suggest you look at the
following brands:
Intel
AOpen
DFI
There's some other good ones, but it's unlikely you won't find something you
like from among those three.

On a side note, I wouldn't be shocked if foxconn earned a reputation for
top-notch quality *in motherboards* soon. -Dave
 
Hi: Well...I use to use Monarch Computer Systems for barebones builds,
but they are RIP. I use to watch this board all of the time & there
was a guy that posted a lot in here that is a system builder. I forget
his company name. He wasn't the cheapest, but people seemed to like
him & did quality builds, which is fine by me.

If anybody could point me in the right direction, it would be
appreciated!

Thanks!

Alex
Click to expand...

I used and had great success with Kevin Chalker at his KCComputers shop.
That's probably who Alex refers to. He was very helpful in suggestions and
got the part of the machine I ordered done quick without any problems. You
might stop by his web site or email him. He is at
http://www.kc-computers.com with email: (e-mail address removed).

I have no interest in his shop but am only a satisfied customer.

Ray
 
johns said:
I've been building systems for many years, and frankly
I've never met a good system builder anywhere .. besides
myself. Reason .. I don't have to make a profit. I simply
have to produce very high quality engineering systems
that give zero downtime, and are upgradable over a
period of 5 years or more. Here's what I don't like to
see in a system build:
1. Cables laying over critical parts that may need
repeat service ... like the cpu/fan with needs to
be pulled out for thermal compound updates.

2. Twisted cables of any kind. There is just no excuse
in not dressing the cables so that they are folded
out of the way, and stress relieved.

3. Long cables, when a shorter cable would give more
stable data transfer.

4. Psupply cables in the working area. That is just
absurd. They should be dressed and tied, and
laid above the CD-DVD, if not being used. And the
ones being used should be dressed cleanly so
that the working area is servicable.

5. Huge clunky cases with plastic doors that break
and fall off. Cases with funny drive mounts. Cases
with noisy psupply .. or cheap psupply .. or psupply
with outofdate connectors .. or poorly designed standby
supplies with heat sinks in the wrong place .. cases
with wheels.

6. TWO CD-DVD roms. That is just stupid. Burns will
take forever, and usually cause a buffer under-run.

7. Small fans of any kind. 90mm is the minimum size,
and you builders who sneak those dinky 4000 rpm
fans in a box are thoughtless morons. Difficult fan
mounts of any kind. Those cpu-fans need to be
removed and serviced with heat compound at least
once a year.

8. Cheap mobos with poorly laid out X1 and X16 slots.

9. Improperly mounted mobos .. loose standoffs ..
missing standoffs ... wrong length standoffs .. wrong
screws with cheap tops so you can't pull them ...
over tightened screws so you loosten the standoffs

10. Western Digital, or Maxtor hard drives. All of you
know better than to do that. Noisy CD-ROMS
like LG or NEC.

11. ASUS mobos. You fly-by-nights are going to get
caught up with sooner or later.
Click to expand...

**** you, get your nose out of mike T - dave whatevers ass.
Your mother is a 'fly by night'.
 
JAD said:
"johns" <johns321 moscow.com> wrote in message


**** you, get your nose out of mike T - dave whatevers ass.
Your mother is a 'fly by night'.
Click to expand...

You are troll meat, JAD.

Get a grip.
 
Uhhhh, first, gigabyte doesn't exist anymore (see: Asus). This is kind of
like Zenith. They were bought by goldstar many years ago, but you can still
buy a "zenith" TV, last I checked. :)
Click to expand...

Didn't know that - thanks.
If you want top-notch quality in a mainboard, I'd suggest you look at the
following brands:
Intel
AOpen
DFI
There's some other good ones, but it's unlikely you won't find something you
like from among those three.
Click to expand...

Intel would be out, as I'm looking at an AMD CPU>
On a side note, I wouldn't be shocked if foxconn earned a reputation for
top-notch quality *in motherboards* soon. -Dave
Click to expand...

A possibility, but seems to be lagging in technology.

What is actually wrong with Asus? (ducks).

Peter.
 
If you want top-notch quality in a mainboard, I'd suggest you look at the
Intel would be out, as I'm looking at an AMD CPU>

A possibility, but seems to be lagging in technology.

What is actually wrong with Asus? (ducks).

Peter.
Click to expand...

Nothing is "wrong" with Asus. They do have some awesome products, and some
of those are motherboards. However, it's my experience that Asus mainboards
don't hold up well over the long-term. For home use, they might be OK. But
as far as building systems goes, Asus mainboards are toys. Expensive toys,
at that. I guess you could say IT professionals approach home builds a
little differently. Simply put, we don't want anything in our den that we
wouldn't install on the 'production line'.

What's frustrating about the Asus situation in particular is that while they
are OK, they do not come close to living up to their hype. But so many
people have bought into the idea that asus is the best (or whatever) that to
dare to suggest otherwise is practically a felony. Regardless of the truth.

I have seen posts from real IT professionals, in this ng and elsewhere. I
can tell who is in the business by what components they prefer to build
with. If you only build so many systems a year or a month or even a week,
you might get lucky to have relatively few problems, regardless of what
brand components you favor. When you are responsible for thousands of
systems though, patterns emerge.

It's an over-simplification (however accurate) to say that Asus is crap.
That's like saying Chevy is crap. If you truly believe that you get what
you pay for though? Think Intel. Think AOpen. Think DFI. Building for
your in-laws? Then by all means buy Asus. :) -Dave (ducking and running
for cover)
 
On Fri, 9 Mar 2007 08:24:28 -0500, Mike T. wrote:

It's an over-simplification (however accurate) to say that Asus is crap.
That's like saying Chevy is crap. If you truly believe that you get what
you pay for though? Think Intel. Think AOpen. Think DFI. Building for
your in-laws? Then by all means buy Asus. :) -Dave (ducking and running
for cover)
Click to expand...

I see what you mean - danger in numbers. I was looking at the new 690G
chip, but hardly any one makes boards and can't find any in the UK.

Anyway, things have changed a bit: I've been allowed to keep this computer,
but it needs a new mobo and that means new CPU and memory.
It's a 3yo Antec case, so a new PSU as well, methinks, possibly Seasonic
S12 or Enermax Liberty (Seasonic S12 seems a bit low on voltage).

The final complication is that I have a Matrox Dimension P650 (dual DVI);
it's AGP, so possibly an Asrock mobo with the slot for it (there's one that
has both on). I feel that dumping such a graphics card is a bit wasteful!

Peter.
 
Ray said:
I used and had great success with Kevin Chalker at his KCComputers shop.
That's probably who Alex refers to. He was very helpful in suggestions
and got the part of the machine I ordered done quick without any problems.
You might stop by his web site or email him. He is at
http://www.kc-computers.com with email: (e-mail address removed).

I have no interest in his shop but am only a satisfied customer.

Ray
Click to expand...
If you want a performance PC try www.scan.co.uk My family have used
them for years. I buy components for upgrades, but my sons have purchased 2
systems each over the years. Check their website, they have won awards from
Cusom PC and others.

Mike.
 
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