Stay away from Monarch!

[michaels39]

Originally Posted by fhfDave

You're all making to big a deal on the pre-production CPU's! Monarch shipped me a P4c engineering sample almost 4 years ago now, and it's still running strong.

This company has much bigger, and more pressing issues than selling "sample" CPU's. They should be concentrating on getting accounts in order.


Later

The point is they are passing off these parts as new consumer models,charging people for something they got for free.These parts were not meant to be sold to the public.It's one symptom of the greater problem,it shows a pattern of complete dishonesty in dealing with their customers.Getting their accounts in order seems to be the last thing on their minds.

[muddoctor]

Originally Posted by boostedtsi

considering it it not meant to see consistent full load ALL the time yes, they can be and most cases ARE very finicky and can also be flaky. As they are not 100% complete.

Think of preproduction hardware like beta software, just how many tries do they do before it is really 100%?

An ES processor is meant for full load all the time, unlike what you posted. They are sent out to systems integrators like Monarch or Dell for qualifying hardware and configurations. But they are not production line silicon either and can have different errata in them from production processors. Take Core 2 Duo for instance: the ES procs were found to have some kind of bug in them and Intel had to do some relatively minor mod to the production die to correct it before general release of the C2D line, but they are fully functioning processors otherwise besides the bug that was found, which would have affected only a small minority of users. But it needed to be fixed, hence Intel did one more revision of the core before release. But michaels39 is right; Monarch shouldn't be passing these processor or video cards off and that is actually against Intel's and Nvidia's rules for ES samples.

RockM66, if you are worried about this ES video card you received, I would email Nvidia directly and explain what MCS did to you on your system they sold you. Nvidia might be able to fix you up with a production video card from whoever they had build the ES cards for them and maybe they will think twice about sending any more ES video cards to these shady characters. And for you folks that received an ES Intel processor from MCS, I would get in contact with Intel on the matter too. I bet that Intel will do a direct RMA for the ES processor for you and will be glad to hear of this matter too, because Intel definitely doesn't want bad word to get out due to non-production processors not performing correctly and they will also most probably start some legal action against MCS to stop them from doing this in the future.

[Ballast]

Selling qualifying hardware,used for testing purposes,as new not only is unethical it's criminal.

[mclazyj]

I sent my rig back for an RMA issue on 10/20/06. After four weeks of testing, it came back on 11/21/06. After using it for a week, the motherboard finally died. I did all the checking and all the parts check out except for the Motherboard. So I have tried for a week to get an RMA, but it just is not happening.

So I went to the forums to ask, but the customer support forum they tell you to post in is gone. So I have tried to get Asus to issue an RMA, but I am stonewalled on that front as well, because they are saying go through the reseller.

Frustrating, because I have been so happy with them in the past and now they are just killing it. I am hoping they are being bought out, because at least I have a chance of my warranty being recognized by someone.

[Ballast]

Originally Posted by fhfDave

You're all making to big a deal on the pre-production CPU's! Monarch shipped me a P4c engineering sample almost 4 years ago now, and it's still running strong.

This company has much bigger, and more pressing issues than selling "sample" CPU's. They should be concentrating on getting accounts in order.


Later

Do you honestly think that pre-production silicone will be able to run at 100% load for ten years like retail silicone? They are samples used for validation. Proof of concept to some degree and are pron to errata that is worked out before retail steppings are released. Its just wrong to pay for a retail part and receive a Inferior sample.

[Ballast]

Originally Posted by GA400

This thread has been a source of much amazing crazy thinking, thanks for the laughs. And to all of you with the sense to do things right, I have been very happy to talk with you and make things right.

Yea right,this tread is here for your enjoyment. Funny thing though,I see no humour with Monarchs incompetence. I started this tread over three years ago because of how I was treated.I was trying to warn other people about the aggravation I went though and guest what, my perception of Monarch has played out and I was right.

Just a side note: My perception of a given situation is seldom wrong.

[muddoctor]

Originally Posted by Ballast

Selling qualifying hardware,used for testing purposes,as new not only is unethical it's criminal.

That is very true, Ballast. It is not only selling a used component as a new one, it's also trying to pass off an experimental piece of equipment off as a production line component too.

Originally Posted by Ballast

Do you honestly think that pre-production silicone will be able to run at 100% load for ten years like retail silicone? They are samples used for validation. Proof of concept to some degree and are pron to errata that is worked out before retail steppings are released. Its just wrong to pay for a retail part and receive a Inferior sample.

It might or might not on this. ES processors, especially qualification samples, are very near production silicon and sometimes the very same stepping does make it into the production line, if no outstanding errata that have to be fixed are found. They are otherwise built to production silicon standards. But you are very right in that companies that are selling ES product as retail product are some shady operators, to say the least.

If I were in RockM66's shoes right now with an ES video card, I wouldn't even try to mess with Monarch on this issue. I would try to get in touch directly to Nvidia and explain the situation to them and point them to several of the forum threads around the web on Monarch's problems and see what they would do for me. I would also explore the legal angle about them selling me used, experimental parts and passing them off as new parts. Although by the time this would be going to court I imagine that they would have shut the doors already.

[Ballast]

Originally Posted by muddoctor

It might or might not on this. ES processors, especially qualification samples, are very near production silicon and sometimes the very same stepping does make it into the production line, if no outstanding errata that have to be fixed are found. They are otherwise built to production silicon standards. But you are very right in that companies that are selling ES product as retail product are some shady operators, to say the least.

Thats true,however they are still non-production silicon and are not clock locked for qualification and validation of a multitude of hardware configurations as well as software to some degree. They could very well become production silicon, only clock locked and or tweeked with the same stepping for retail.
Shady operators indeed...

[Rockrz]

Originally Posted by poopeyhed2

If I were you, I'd contact someone who can do something about it at Monarch.

If I were you, I'd always make purchases with a credit card (not a debit card with a credit card company logo, but an actual credit card) so if you get screwed, you can file a reversal claim with your bank and get your $$$ back!

Under Visa / Mastercard rules, you have the right to do this when using a credit card.

It's an excellent way to have recourse against a merchant.
You don't even have to talk to them if you don't wanna

[michaels39]

Absolutely right,especially with online purchases.Using a credit card is one of the main recommendations RR makes for buying online.At this point,anyone trying to get action from Monarch should go straight to their credit card provider and start things going for a chargeback,no telling how long before they go under.