Let me start by saying - I DON'T CARE HOW MUCH I COULD HAVE SAVED BY BUILDING IT MYSELF!! I'M NOT INTERESTED IN USING MY VALUABLE TIME TO BUILD MY OWN PC!! Buying a prebuilt system was great!!! No worrying about drivers, bios updates, compatibility, installation, faulty parts, setting up the O/S, etc. Plus, I wasted NONE of my time. Time, not the money, is what's important to me.  
Sorry about that, it's just that when I was searching all the forums/reviews etc. for a good high end PC builder, I was so sick of seeing someone asking who to use and then fifty nimrods had to reply with "build it yourself" or "you'll save $200 buying the parts from Newegg". I guess it's hard for some to read and understand English and also accept the fact that there are actually people out here that don't care how much some things cost. To me it's like building a really fast car. It might be faster and cheaper than a Ferrari, but it's still not a Ferrari, if you know what I mean.  
 
Anyhoo, I looked at systems from Falcon Northwest, AVADirect, Puget Systems, ABS, Vigor Gaming, VooDoo(HP), Alienware, CyberPower, IbuyPower, XiComputer, addict, Digital Storm, ABS Computers and several others. I ended up ordering a Mach V from Falcon Northwest. Here's my config:  
SILVERSTONE ICON ALUMINUM CHASSIS  
SIDE PANEL WITH WINDOW FOR ICON CHASSIS  
COLD CATHODE LIGHT KIT - BLUE  
SILVERSTONE 1200WATT MODULAR PS  
ASUS P6T DELUXE I7 X58 MOTHERBOARD v2  
INTEL CORE I7 975 EXTREME 3.33GHZ  
ASETEK CPU WATER COOLER X1  
CRUCIAL 2GB(1X2GB)PC3-10600 1333MHZ (6GB)  
CREATIVE X-FI TITANIUM FATAL1TY PRO PCIE  
LG 22X DVD+-RW BLACK W/L-SCRIBE SATA  
ATECH FLASH XM-5U V2 MEDIA READER  
NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 295 1792MB PCIE  
WD VELOCIRAPTOR 300GB 10KRPM SATA  
MSOFT VISTA ULT 64 W/WINDOWS 7UPG COUPON  
(I also added two 1TB WD HD's after I received the system from them)  
 
The whole purchasing experience was fantastic. I mainly dealt with Brian Kubli at Falcon. He answered all my emails very quickly and also was very professional and knowledgeable when I spoke to him on the phone. As my job requires extensive travel, I only had a small window of time available that I could be home to accept delivery of the system. He made sure that my system arrived on the exact date that I asked for. That was priceless to me. Also, there was no high pressure sales crap. What turned me off to some of the other builders was the fact that right after I spec'd and saved a system on their site, I received an email asking me when I was planning on purchasing the system . I didn't like that at all.  
 
The system came packaged securely in a box that utilized this neat system where it is suspended between these two sheets of heavy plastic, one on the top, the other on the bottom. It kinda floats on air when it's in the box. The system keeps the PC far away from any of the sides and holds it very securely. I uncrated it, plugged it in and was immediately impressed with the backlit Falcon head on the front of the case. To me, it's one of the coolest things I have ever seen. It booted right up and has been running excellent ever since. I also like the fact that there was no extra software installed. Just a full version of Windows and basically nothing else. All driver discs, cables, programs etc. that came with the various components was also present. I honestly didn't think I would be getting all that stuff so it was a pleasant surprise.  
 
The system is just gorgeous. The workmanship is outstanding. And boy, it's f***ing fast!!!! I absolutely love it! The only issue that I had was that the cold cathode light was inop. Only half of it would light up. I emailed Brian about it and he put me in touch with one of the service techs. The new light kit will be here today. Their service is just outstanding. In fact, I can't remember the last time I was treated so good as a customer by ANY vendor.  
 
Truth is I've always wanted a Mach V. Back in the days when I was building my own stuff, I would just go on their site and drool over the old "Bragging Rights" systems. Now I have one and I couldn't be happier with it. Falcon is one of the oldest custom pc builders out there and they have stuck to their customer service tenets all along. I respect them for that and they will have all my future business.  
 
If you're looking to for excellent quality, craftsmanship and peace of mind in your next custom PC purchase, go with Falcon Northwest...you will not be disappointed. Call them, talk to them and you'll see what I mean.

The customer service people at Falcon Northwest were very helpful, patient and informative. I have had my Falcon Mach V for two weeks. The quality of the workmanship is amazing and is demonstrated by the flawless performance and incredible speed of my Mach V.

I just ordered our 2nd Falcon. My wife bought me our 1st Falcon ~6 years ago for a birthday present, and I couldn't have been happier with either the machine itself or the service Falcon Northwest provided.  
 
Recently, our 1st Falcon's motherboard gave out, so I called their tech support. About a 6-year-old machine that hasn't been under warranty for over 3 years. Not only did the tech support guy provide help when he didn't have to, he realized that I knew my way around the innards of a machine and didn't talk down to me.  
 
I can't possibly recommend a company more highly than Falcon Northwest. Their goods and services come at a premium, to be sure, but I have not once regretted the purchase or the price. They have earned my repeat business, and I'll continue to sing their praises, as well.  
 

I ordered a Mach V computer for gaming. I had bought 2 boutique computers elsewhere before this one--my last I purchased from a small online boutique. Which went out of business a year after my purchase and took the warranty with it. And then the computer's liquid coolant leaked and I had a small electrical fire in my computer case. So this time I decided to go with an established company and after doing some research, decided on Falcon Northwest.  
I had a good idea what I wanted but the Falcon Northwest sales rep helped me with some advice. In fact, when I said I was in no hurry, he even suggested I wait a month or so until some Vista driver bugs worked themselves out. I thought that was pretty nice--who knows if I would have changed my mind?  
The build time was quoted at being about 3 weeks. I received my computer in a little more than two weeks. The only problem I had with the process is I did not get the email I was supposed to get the day it shipped out. But that was of no consequence.  
So far, everything works great. The computer worked fine straight out of the box, and I have had absolutely no problems with Vista--yet. All in all, I'm quite happy with Falcon Northwest. I have not had to use really what is one of the main reasons I bought from them--their reputation for customer service when there is a technical problem. And hopefully, I won't have to!

I was in the market for a high end PC and I came across Falcon after doing some research.  
 
I placed an order on 13th Feb 2007 my PC was dispatched on 21st March 2007.  
 
PC specs :  
 
SILVERSTONE ICON ALUMINUM CHASSIS  
SILVERSTONE 850 WATT "ZEUS" POWER SUPPLY  
MSOFT WINDOWS VISTA ULTIMATE - 32BIT  
NFORCE 680I SLI MOTHERBOARD  
INTEL CORE 2 EXTREME QX6700  
SANYO-DENKE H2O CPU COOLER  
CORSAIR TWIN2X2048-8500C5  
8800GTX NVIDIA GEFORCE 8800GTX 768MB PCIE x 2  
CREATIVE LABS X-FI SOUND CARD  
WD RAPTOR 150GB 10,000 RPM SATA x2 RAID 0  
SONY DRU-830A PATA DVD+-RW  
SONY 1.4MB FLOPPY DRIVE - BLACK  
 
After emailing Falcon I was contacted by Warren Bowdoin who helped me choose the right pc. He was very knowledgeable and was very prompt in answering all my questions.  
 
The PC arrived with a folder explaining how to set up the PC. It even has a couple of pages which shows that the pc had been through testing.  
 
I have had the pc for a month or so and it performs flawlessly. Its fast, windows vista is just amazing on this PC its a major upgrade from XP. The graphics when I am doing on-line gaming are beautiful.  
 
My Mach V is the best PC I have ever owned and I will certainly order from Falcon in the future. They are a very professional company which make great pcs. I recommend them to anyone in the market for a high end pc.  
 
Thx for a great pc,  
 
J Bennett

This review was modified by its author, ace00987, on 4/24/07 11:04 AM.

From the day I ordered to the day I recieved I knew I was in for something special. My Mach V arrived in the mail, and I've had a grin ever since. No problems with FNW, computer is flawless. Will buy from them again.  
 
Jacob Thornley took me through the buy process and made sure I had all the components I wanted and needed. Made justifying the price tag easier to do.  
 
The quality is astounding... great wiring job, lots of attention to detail. All my games runs great at high resolutions.  
 
Like I said, looking forward to upgrading in the future through them.

Falcon Northwest is the premier maker of gaming pcs and their venerable reputation is well deserved indeed...  
I was forced to abandon Alienware after the "ACME" of pc makers (DELL) bought them out earlier this year. Chewing poodle crap is more fun than dealing with this vendor so I took my business to the original gaming pc company and received the fastest machine that these weary old eyes have ever seen.  
I learned what "boutique" treatment was all about as I received five star handling from A to Z. Getting decent customer support from most vendors is like finding a topless bar in Tehran but the folks at FNW are not only folksy and nice but AVAILABLE!  
I used to think that my predator case was nifty and asthetically pleasing but now it looks like a red headed stepchild next to my Falcon. Guess I didn't know cases from shinola before now...  
But what matters the most to me is that I got a raging, crack addled SCREAMER that is tearing through my games like a pickpocket at the SuperBowl. Oblivion brings most systems to their knees but my baby says, "PLEASE FOOL" and runs it like a saturday morning cartoon.  
Lastly, it has become fashionable in the gaming community to buy a certain Canadian rig that is all show and no boat, if you know what I mean. FNW gives Americans an option to keep it real as luxury pcs are made here too... Just call the good folks in Oregon and see that some of the finer things in life still read, MADE IN THE USA!!! Way to go, Kelt!!! Eat your heart out Rahul...  
I would also like to add that my rig arrived over eleven days early and despite the fact that UPS had obviously abused her, she ran like a charm straight out of the box... I have logged over ninety hours in Oblivion in just three weeks (that comes out to over thirteen per cent of my life) and my Falcon just begs for more! Murphy's Law in reverse?

This review was modified by its author, vicmas33, on 9/19/06 2:19 PM.

All I can say is this is exactly what I wanted in a new computer and exactly what I expected from a custom computer company.  
 
I am not rich, but I can afford some things extra and when I decided I wanted a top of the line AMD 4800+ dual core system with an Nvidia 7800 graphics card, I knew I wanted someone to build it for me and treat me as though I was important to their business. Sure companies build these systems all the time, but this is a special purchase for me.  
 
After a terrible experience with Alienware which I had to cancel my order, I placed an order with Falcon. They promised they would ship the system by Sept 20 and shipped it shipped on the 19th, a day early.  
 
I have it now, everything works as promised, (this thing is FAST!) I love it. I love the extra touches like the sticker with my name on it inside the case, the binder.  
 
If you are looking for a custom high performance machine look no further. You will not regret a purchase from Falcon.

After buying our previous systems from IBM and Dell and having what seemed like some overheating/thermal issues with the Dell system in an enclosed desk I decided to get a gaming-type system to see if it would solve the heat problems.  
 
On the first of May I ordered the so-called Mach 5 system in more or less a mid-level configuration and it still cost $3,518 delivered. Pricey systems, for sure. The system was shipped on May 25th.  
 
The system was well packaged and didn't have any problems out of the box. The system is seriously fast and it can handle the few games that I play (Diablo II and Morrowind) with ease. I didn't opt for any of the fancy paint jobs but the Coolermaster Wave all-aluminum case is quite a nice contrast vis-a-vis the gray and black plastic of the former Dell.  
 
Support was needed once and was a mixed bag. My video card includes a TV tuner and I sent an e-mail asking if Falcon could help me with the problem I was having with losing the video output to the monitor after about 20 minutes of tuner use. Three days later, still with no response from Falcon-NW, I gave them a call and a real person picked up the phone after a ring or two. He suggested getting the lastest set of drivers from the ATI site for my video card and upgrading my Direct X to the lastest version. I asked him if this seemed like a software problem to him and implied that it seemed like a hardware issue to me. He said it was probably hardware but you never know and he said that he had seen other similar problems solved with drivers. So I did download the drivers and Direct X and they solved the loss of signal to the monitor problem but created a new problem of not being able to control the volume setting withing the ATI application software...that I can and have lived with. So kudos for the support solution but Falcon, however, they shouldn't push the e-mail support unless they are going to answer the things in a timely manner.  
 
All in all a very good experience so far with Falcon Northwest.

Well, I've purchased a few Falcon-Northwest systems before, a couple of Talons when they first came out. I just recently purchased a Fragbook TL, and WOW. This is the cleanest, nicest, best laptop I've ever seen. The paint job they do on these are worth EVERY penny. The case they include is very nice, and everything has worked perfectly since the second it arrived at my door. Fired it up, super fast boot time. This laptop has impressed me more and more every day. I didn't even expect to be able to play Counter-Strike: Source, or Doom 3, but I installed them just to see how it would would handle it. Yet again, WOW, way beyond my expectations.

Considered several other vendors like Dell.com, Vodoopc.com, Velocitymicro.com, custom built computers from local stores, buympc.com, Abs out of california, etc.. Last two custom built computers i had built by a computer consultant turned out to have major problems like windows xp errors 'bad pool caller' & 'irq not less or equal'; these were intermittent errors where they happened about every 30 days or so at the time. Diagnosing the errors couldn't really be done as they weren't consistent.  
 
Between Dell.com and Buympc.com i like the latter as I was actually able to test the support line with some questions to see how good support was. Dell on the otherhad refused to do that unless i already owned a computer. My bro owns two dell dimension models that're about 1.5 years old and told me he got hard to understand support out of India. Vodoopc.com was based out of canada and i didn't wanna deal with shipping in back through customs under warranty. I wanted an american based company with inhouse support; not outsourced support. Well i was actually able to get a hold of falcon northwest technical support a few times before making my decision. i also, considered alienware.com as well but had read quite a few negative comments about support being based outside the united states. in pricing the computers between dell, falcon, and alienware, i found them to be all in the same price range.  
 
speaking of local stores custom building gaming machines for me. i didn't seem to find one that i felt comfortable that had had experience like falcon did with building gaming rigs. my last two systems were Amd Opteron 240series cpu with 1.4ghz, 512megs ram, 80gig ata, radeon 9800pro, asus sk8n mainboard; intel 865perll, 2.8c cpu, 512megs ram, 9600pro, 80gig ata, antec sonata case. i feel it was the consultant that built them for me as to why i had problems. well enough of that after i sold the used computers i had custom built i thought, i'm getting a falcon. i was stupid in the first place when i bought the Opteron system and plunked 1,300.00 plus into it and over 1,000.00 in my last 2.8c system; i could've well afforded falcon earlier.  
 
now onto my system. it took about one month to receive the Mach 5 system i ordered on 5/18/04 and i received it on 6/13/04. been running it since i got it almost 24/7 without any serious problems. sure i couldve built a comparable system by a local shop for half the price; however i feel falcon build quality is much better especially for gaming systems.  
 
i've had a chance to use falcon support mucho times since owning it and i give it a 10 out of 10. from simple to very complex problems they are excellent. once in a great while a person will get right through to tech support ; however, mostly you leave a message and they call you back.  
 
i'm a hardcore gamer, and business user to i use the computer a lot and require stability and reliability; which i've gotten from falcon.  
 
my system has the asus p4c800-e deluxe mainboard, radeon 9600xt, 512megs ram, seagate sata 80gig, no modem as i have broadband, zalman silent p4 cooler, xp pro, sony 16x dvdrom, plextor cdrw, audigy 2 zs, coolermaster atc-110 extended atx case, enermax 450 watt power supply, p4 3.0c cpu, coolermaster front usb/1394 adapter, sound dampening kit. only upgrade left that i have to do is the Bfg 6800gt video card from falcon and some ram. i had to pay upfront to extend the overnight warranty from one year to three years. this was the tradeoff i made ; get the extended overnight warranty upfront or get better video card, etc..  
 
falcon does have the Talon line of computers that i've been looking at as well; but i'm mostly an Intel person. although i would trust falcon to build good amd systems.  
 
i paid the premium price for falcon, but i got exactly what i paid for. excellent support that's not outsourced, full oem version of windows xp, no bloatware installed, custom dvd-r restore disc with a licensed version of norton ghost 2003 which has saved me multiple times due to various software problems that i did on my own. falcon is simply the best custom prebuilt system in my opinion.  
 
my thoughts on owning a computer system are get a decent one and do small upgrades here and there and get the most years useage you can out of it.

Here is the six-month report on my Falcon Northwest. Boy time is marching on; I am still amazed at how fast this computer is. Over the pass six months I had one problem with the computer. On or near August of 2004 and during Unreal Tournament 2004 I would get lock-ups and I would have to restart my computer to free it up. Let me tell you that I play my computer games at their highest settings figuring that this is a Falcon Northwest and it should take it and ask for more.  
 
Then it started when I was playing Doom3 and Farcry. I called Falcon Northwest and was in contact with tech support with no waiting at all. I was working with Matthew over the Internet using email and needed to call. He helped me out checking this and that, but I felt uneasy working inside the computer. Matthew understood my uneasiness. He then went on to have my computer picked up and sent back to Falcon Northwest. Making a long story short it was found that the video card was causing the problems. He had the video card replaced with a new BFG 6800 Ultra. (This video card is in short supply and I had one replaced when I see other computer companies having back orders on this card) He then informed me that since my computer was in the shop that he wanted to also replace the power supply (and upgrade it also).  
 
I have my computer back now for about four months it’s running with no problems. The games I tested it out on were Half-Life2, Doom3 and it ran great. I just want to make a note to Mathew, thank you so much for helping me and getting my computer fixed in a very professional way. I will be upgrading my Mach V this summer to Sli and look forward in working with Falcon Northwest. And for those that are reading these site to see how companies handle customers, don’t look at anyone else but Falcon Northwest, it may cost more but you get more then just a computer you become a partner with Falcon Northwest. Thanks again Matthew and thank you Falcon Northwest.  
 
Kris From North Carolina  
 

This review was modified by its author, Falcon_2004, on 12/27/04 8:06 PM.

back in april i purchase a talon 5.3 and I must tell, the talon series are very good systems.I check the reviews on all the parts they used and they do used good stuff,the system is stable and it has done everthing i ask it to do,no crashs no freeze ups no hassles,i am a causal gamer but I played m.o.h allied assault, need for speed 2,black hawk down,nascar thunder 2004 and all these games ran flawless.being on a budget i look at gateway and dell,but after reading the reviews of what falon northwest puts in the talons for the few more bucks you get a top of the line budget system,with no hassles and the key words being no hassle, when I call falcon they picked up on the third ring.I told them what I was looking for. no pressure not trying to sell stuff you dont need,they called me at home and told me that my talon was shiped,I like that stuff,now I never had to call tech support on the phone but i did do some email questions,and they got back fast.so if you need a good family pc from a good company with good stuff to offer look at falcon north west.

This review was modified by its author, tony56, on 1/4/04 8:32 PM.

How to explain...I had been calling around to assorted high end pc resellers (alienware, cyberpower pc, dell, gateway) I decided to call Falcon-nw and guess what...somebody picked up the phone and said, HELLO! no menu's that take 10 mins to navigate...just a simple hello. My sales rep, Warren, answered my questions and spent about 35 mins with me even tho he knew I wouldn't be buying that day. Alienware told me to call back when i was going to purchase, basically gave me the cold sholder. Meanwhile, I was planning on purchasing a top of the line AMD 64 FX51 system. Well, if you want to be treated right and get a product that is rock solid with all the documentation you ever wanted... Falcon is for you. I can't stress enough how great the product is, but Falcon shines when it comes to customer service. Ever notice that they always are the editor's top choice and fastest machine out there? sometimes only to be given second place because of price... PEOPLE YOU DON"T HAVE TO GET THE 800 DOLLAR PAINT JOB. (although nice) I am not sure I want to recommend Falcon, Personally I would like to keep it my special little secret...My precious. Falcon's not playing around when it comes down to building computers. Don't trust me tho, call them for yourself. 5 stars out of 5 stars.

Why did I go with Falcon Northwest?  
1. They don't put you on hold like Dell, Micron, Gateway, do.  
2. You phone call doesn't end up someplace in India with someone barely speaking English.  
3. It is true, I haven't been able to get through, to a live tech both times I called, but after I left a message, each time the call was returned by them within 15 minutes!!  
4. They are local!! They operate out of Medford, OR and I am in Vancouver WA. Frankly I am tired of everything running out of NY. I have developed a very bad taste for companies in New York. It feels like NY is full of "businessmen" who are creative at getting your money, and selling you cheap parts.  
5. The tech has spent 46 minutes with me on the phone, helping me configure best possible system (for my needs). He never rushed me, was very patient, answered every question with crystal clarity (this was extremely refreshing, almost felt guilty for keeping him on the phone this long).  
6. Up until today I have never head of them. I read about them in this November's issue of PC world, checked them out on line.  
7. I had for a long time tracked Alienware PCs. I heard of, and looked into Hypersonic PCs. I called each company and spoke to sales depts. (all have thick accents, which cautioned me. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against people with accents, it's just I so want someone who can fully understand my requests, and not have to repeat over and over and have to re-phrase, just to get a point across). After intense research online (today), I think I've made the best choice when I decided to give my business to Falcon Northwest. I can't wait for my Exotix painted case, AMD Athlon 64 FX-51 configured as Raid 0, to get put together and shipped.  
8. Now, if I can just find a good way, to justify to my wife, spending $6000 on a PC that didn't even include a monitor (since I already have a 21” LCD Viewsonic monitor).  
9. I’ll keep you posted on the continuous progress of this order. Stay tuned for more.  
10. So far 10 out of 10. Way to go folks at Falcon Northwest!!!  
Sergey.

This review was modified by its author, xakep, on 11/3/03 3:23 PM.