If you didn't build your own...

[mickeddie]

I built my first system for a friend and will be building my own system soon, but years ago when I bought computers I went to Comp USA for one of their custom builds or I went to a local computer shop for a custom build.

Anyway, after reading about how much people here do not like Dell I am curious to know which you would choose. I will throw Dell in just for comparison.

Having a custom built machine by a local store is not included as I am sure that would be your number 2 choice if you did not build it yourself.

 

[3lfk1ng]

Falcon Northwest
http://www.falcon-nw.com/config/build.asp

 

[misry]

HP and Compaq are same-same.

 

[Onus]

HP has always seemed just a little too "different;" non-standard in unpredictable ways. I do have an HP laptop that has been a decent business machine, although the battery life has always been poor, and the supplied hard drive was only 4200 rpm.
Alienware is pricey, but I've never owned one so I can't say much more.
At work, we've had a lot of the little Dells fry their innards due to insufficient cooling.
I just bought a Dell laptop, on which I got a great deal, but haven't owned it long enough to have reached any conclusions. It has handled anything I've put on it though, but nothing tougher than Guild Wars.
I have owned Compaq. I'm sure their performance is not at the top, but they've been very solid and stable. I just gave away a 900 MHz Compaq PIII I've had for 7? years. Other than a new hard drive, it has not needed anything else done to it.

 

[NMDante]

Falcon NW, Voodoo, or even one of those ABS Ulitmate systems would be nice, if I had to buy a custom built system, if I had no limit to spend.

The others, well, I would probably go Alienware, until Dell bought them out. Dell's are okay, but I see them like the others on the list, with little or no difference, except in gaming rigs. Otherwise, the other 3 would be my choices for vendors.

 

[3lfk1ng]

Im still gonna say Falcon Northwest above all of those listed.

 

[NMDante]

Im still gonna say Falcon Northwest above all of those listed.

They do make some nice systems. I think it's their paintjobs that would push me over to them, myself. Those are some amazing work they show on those cases.

 

[OldGoat]

That is a very interesting question....
I would buy from 'Tigerdirect' or 'Alienware' for a desktop
I purchased an Acer Laptop (still pleased with it)

 

[Natecannon]

Falcon Northwest

 

[Natecannon]

I guess you haven't read the less than stellar review of tigers systemax hellcat on hardocp

 

[3lfk1ng]

Aw see, Nate is the man sporting the Falcon northwest logo...that should be enough reason to buy from them alone.
And he has a sweet Falcon NW rig. 8O

 

[djkrypplephite]

Falcon Northwest, those are all shitty options. Quite honestly you'd be better off with Gateway IMO. I've never had a problem with them, and I've had nothing but trouble with Dell, HP/Compaq, and wel, Alienware is now owned by Dell, so I can't say I count on them for quality ANYTHING anymore. They used to be the top dog and it all went downhill.

 

[Doughbuy]

I've bought approx 8 computers from Dell, 3 from Gateway, 3 from Compaq, and 1 from ABS over the past 8 years?

5 of them were laptops, the rest were desktops.

I tend to like Dell the best, although I never had much problems with Gateway or Compaq. The problems with Dell was the proprietary crap they have in them. I remember I wanted to put in a floppy drive in one of the old Dell's and couldn't do so cuz of some weird adaptor I had to pay a $hit-ton for. But they've always treated me nice (probably because of the sheer number I bought) and offer decent service.

Depends on what your looking for though, if you want a standard home desktop or workstation, I would go with Dell. Anything more high-end, I would choose ABS. My ABS laptop works nicely, although its past its second year. Battery life is below 1hr now, but it just sits on my desk all day anyways.

 

[3lfk1ng]

Falcon Northwest, those are all shitty options. Quite honestly you'd be better off with Gateway IMO.

Did you really just Dis Falcon Northwest and support Gateway...omg.
Oh well, to each his own right?

 

[Gneisenau]

Alienware may have been bought by Dell, but Dell hasn't screwed them up yet. That's not to say that maybe in a year or so I wouldn't want an Alienware computer, but right now, I would have no problem with them at all. (Except for the fact they take forever to ship these days.)

Other than the fact that Dell had problems with the cooling systems of the XPS700 series of machines which delayed shippment for months, I could live with one. It appears to me that they are using standard parts in that machine.

I am not a fan of Compaq or HP, they have left a bad taste in my mouth in the past and I really have no interest in giving them another chance anytime soon.

I have no experiance with Gateway. I never cared for their performance numbers.

I would love a Falcon NW or a Voodoo. Not sure I can justify the premium of them over an Alienware. At least for now.

 

[HoldenMcGroin]

OMFG. GATEWAY RULES!! 8O 8O

The problem I've seen with Dell, Gateway, and Compaq is all the proprietary $#!t on their computers. I tried telling one of the sales-tards at Dell that I wanted XP installed on "my" computer and nothing else. But they insisted that everything else was free. NO, I WANT MY COMPUTER FREE OF AOL. They wouldn't listen. I'll never buy from them again.

 

[1Tanker]

Im still gonna say Falcon Northwest above all of those listed.

They do make some nice systems. I think it's their paintjobs that would push me over to them, myself. Those are some amazing work they show on those cases.The problem with these "boutique" companies is the ridiculous prices you pay. Yes, they do use top-notch components, but i just want my machine to perform, and hell if i'm gonna pay hundreds of $$ for a fancy paint job. Not all gamers have limitless bank accounts/credit. :?

 

[3lfk1ng]

/agree

 

[blunc]

Having spent a year in tech support "hell" for HP computers, I will never buy one knowingly. They were putting the most underpowered proprietary POS's (ever had a computer load the drivers for every single kind of CDROM drive made...on first boot...and take system resources down to 20 percent, I had to deal with that for six months!!!) on the market while I was "in hell" and I doubt they have changed.

I've never liked having to work on Compaq's either. Fifteen years ago Gateway built a solid machine out of parts made by high-end component makers, it doesn't sound like that happens now. My current experience with Dell units is that they make a decent "corporate"/educational units as long as you don't expect anything exotic from them. I guess I would choose a Dell but I wouldn't expect much from it.

 

[Natecannon]

you don't need to get a fancy paintjob. And the reason you pay the premium is for them to build it, overclock it and have it ready for you when you pull it out of the box. Followed by the wonderful tech support if you ever need it and the option to upgrade your system with newer components for cheaper at the time of an upgrade.

 

[nategarst]

IF I had the money to do it. Probably something from Falcon or Voodoo.

 

[1Tanker]

you don't need to get a fancy paintjob. And the reason you pay the premium is for them to build it, overclock it and have it ready for you when you pull it out of the box. Followed by the wonderful tech support if you ever need it and the option to upgrade your system with newer components for cheaper at the time of an upgrade.

I'm not knocking FNW...I read the thread that everyone gave you a hard time about it, and to each his own. They are nice systems, but they are expensive too. I guess it's like buying a Ferrari/Lambourghini...you're paying for the workmanship/attention to detail...but i'd just as soon have a Viper, or Vette..that performs as well and costs bundles less.

 

[Natecannon]

I'm quite defensive as you've probably seen

 

[3Ball]

Every Alienware I have ever seen or used has been a cheap POS, especially the laptops with the plastic alienware cover over them. Every HP I have ever own'd has been rock solid and all of my friends who when we were in high school 3 - 5 years ago when their rents wouldnt buy them anything but brand name, all bought HP except for one gateway, dell, and Vaio. The HP's performed better on all fronts even though all of them were very very similar in stats, and one of those friends who just bought a new HP about a year ago or so has a motherboard manufactured by ASUS in it, which is way better than anythign that Foxconn is putting out for Dell. I worked at a computer repair store for 3 years and our main 2 customers were gateway and dell owners. I would buy a laptop from Dell or HP depending on which one was offering what, but other than that I would no longer buy from any of them for a desktop solution. I just purchased a Laptop from www.buyxg.com and my roommate purchased one from Dell for $800 more than mine, and mine blows his out of the water the only thing that you may consider better is that his is 12.1' and mine is 15.4'

One last note, yes HP and Compaq are the same company, but if you compare them side by side you will see that HP is much better in just about every area than compaq is!

Best,

3Ball

 

[SciPunk]

Falcon Northwest
http://www.falcon-nw.com/config/build.asp

Looks like Falcon doesn't have a Core 2 Duo option... although they do offer an intell HSU ?