This computer has exceeded my expectations. I am very glad that I chose to purchase from Velocity Micro. From the moment I opened the box, I could see that I had purchased a SERIOUS computer. The case is absolutely beautiful! However, the real beauty is when you open it up, and see how much care they've taken on keeping the interior tidy. I've only had it for 2 days now, but I must say I'm extremely pleased. My only complaint is that I'd wished the sales rep would have steered me away from Windows x64. I was assured that I would not encounter any problems with this updated version of XPpro. Unfortunately, some of my devices do not support this new OS (like my printer!). Oh well, I guess I'll just have to wait a few more weeks for the drivers...  
 
All in all, a truly fantastic PC, with wonderful tech support so far!  
 
Update: 04/07/06  
 
After being an owner of a Velocity Micro PC for eleven months now, here's my current take...  
 
First of all, I am still remorseful about my decision to go with the x64 OS. VM in my opinion recommended this OS prematurely, and a home user such as myself, should have never been steered towards it. Also, after exhausting all tech support resources with my peripheral manufacturers, I contacted VM for assistance. There final response was, "contact Microsof, no joke..! Now if you've ever tried that avenue you know how fruitless it can be. In short, my printer has never had full functionality, and I had to return my scanner due to the manufacturer not supporting my OS. VM recommending OS x64 to me... bad move.  
 
Next, I wanted to upgrade my RAM to 2gb, because I could not afford my "dream system" at the time of build. So, I ordered the RAM from Newegg and made sure that it was an identical match to that of the RAM indicated on my invoice. When I went to install the additional 1GB of memory, wouldn't you know, but VM shipped my PC with the wrong RAM. Now I have to obtain an RA through Newegg, return it, and then wait for the correct (or incorrect as it were) RAM to arrive.  
 
Now those two matters I could have let slide, and indeed did, as this is my first post since 05/03/05. However, my recent predicament has forced my hand.  
 
A few weeks back I decided to upgrade my video card to a new Nvidia 7900GT. I called VM to get their advice on whether or not it would be a worthy and hassle-free upgrade. I was assured it would be, and even was convinced it was a good idea to order it from them. So, I ended up paying an additional $40 for a non-retail card, which must've been sent by pack-mule (11 days to arrive).  
 
After encountering problems with my installation of the new card, I contacted their tech support. To make a long story short, they had me searching for a PCIE connector that was not in there (I even submitted digital pics of the interior of my PC for their review). After completely dismantling all of the meticulously organized wiring inside (a VM premium feature), they then told me I'd have to wait for an adapter (which was supposed to be included with my video card!), which would ship in 3 days. After indicating my dismay over this type of customer support, they then offered overnight shipping. Although courteous, I never felt as if the support there really cared about putting me through the wild goose chase that they set me on. End result: after overpaying and waiting too long for a card that doesn’t work yet, and undoing all of the beautifully organized wiring inside, I also feel like no one at VM really was bothered by that.  
 
Velocity Micro has steadily lost my confidence in them as being one of the premier PC builders out there. I feel there is a lot of room for improvement, especially with their attention to detail, approach to customer support, as well as their product knowledge. I am not tech savvy enough to tackle building my own pc, but then again few of us are. However, having to troubleshoot the can of worms that has been my VM PC, I am now quite a bit more educated.  
 
In closing, if you’re looking to buy from them, know that there are other alternatives with better customer feedback. This post is in no way intended to be a deliberate “slam” on VM, but instead a first-hand account of the troubles I’ve had since dealing with them. Perhaps what I’ve said may cause others to reconsider buying from them, and hopefully encourage VM to take a harder look at their customer and technical support follow-through.  
 
At this point, Velocity Micro has some sucking up to do in order to make me change my views on their company. I will no longer recommend them as I had in the past. As ironic as it may seem, I have another system on its way which I’d purchased from them a few weeks back (prior to my recent ordeal). My history with them did not dissuade me from purchasing again, but this recent matter definitely would have, and will.  
 
-Craig Junghandel

This review was modified by its author, iartisan, on 4/7/06 8:45 PM.

Machine was DOA in multiple ways on arrival. A screw was loose that ended up in the power supply fan. A screw was missing from the video card holder (most likely same screw that was in power supply fan). Several wires were disconnected from internal parts. The restore CD was missing the data file, the floppy that was supposed to contain the SATA drivers was blank. A dent was present on the back of the case. The machine would not boot.  
 
1 or 2 of these problems could possibly be from a bad shipping trip (although I've not had any problems like this with any other PC order), however, the misssing floppy data and blank data file on the Restore disk can't be explained away like this, and I don't see how screws come loose like this.  
 
I did not like the case choices that were offered, relatively ugly.  
 
Good Things: customer service rep was competent and properly apologetic. She offered me a no charge $85 upgrade on sending out a second machine (which I ended up not accepting, $85 on a $2800 purchase that might not work was not very attractive. I suggested a $200 upgrade which they did not accept, which is just as well as I regretted making the offer the more I thought about it). The machine was fairly quiet for a 3800+ Athlon 64 (I had added some "quiet" upgrades from the web site, the availability of the quiet upgrades was relatively unique). I got a full refund, including shipping, within a couple of weeks of return (they paid for return shipping).  
 
Pricing was competitive with ABS, etc. (not high priced as implied by the Reseller Rating).  
 
 
Summary - I really wanted this deal to work, except for case the product was an excellent combination of parts at a good price. But the amazing number of problems with the machine, prevented a happy ending to the story. Velocity Micro promotes their burn in and hand crafted wiring, attention to detail, etc on the web site. This machine must have been mistakenly shipped before the burn in and hand crafted attention to detail step.

I purchased a Promagix system for business expansion. For my order after going over every single detail of what to expect, I was told and understood the parts used were all retail and all documentation and even the boxes would be shipped with the machine. What 24/7 and onsite support meant had different interpretations. “That will come in writing with the machine”  
 
The machine arrived a week after projected time, no big deal to me. But it arrived without some items and without documentation. A nice silver box folder with three tab dividers but no documentation! I have plugged it in to make sure it's working at least. Had to complete install of the OS (no directions) and install msoffice and wondered how a machine could be 'finely tuned' (+$30) if these weren't completely installed? I asked the Ulead stuff be sent but not installed -- it's installed anyway. I didn't want to deal with potential conflicts with my own dvd/cd/movie record edit software. Ulead isn’t as it shows on the website. When I asked what I get with Ulead package, I was told to look at their website – that it’s “just as they show on that website”. Well it isn’t true… it’s a copied CD on a VM disk no serial # or registration info.  
 
Have written VM a few times about no documentation, missing items and a missing cd "owners manual" on the Audigy card. The only way I know that is missing is the "install CD" has printed on it to refer to the owners manual cd for more information. One call to customer care they don't come with documentation (why do you have all that slop on the website touting how superior your machines are because they do come with it???). She did acknowledge some things should have been in there and weren't so she sent an email to her supervisor who would be in Monday. As I looked at the machine, the website, the logs of online customer support, emails, notes etc. decided to write my own email to this person about the problems and that I'd like it resolved rather than end up with no machine and an extreme dislike for VM.  
 
His email back said they don’t come with documentation and suggesting first lets plug it in and see that it works (in email I did mention I'd already done this! Did he bother to read it?) And to call so we can discuss further. I don’t have all day for this, and was late getting to a job as it was.  
 
VM web site advertises they do only Retail parts - Not OEM, and clearly states what Retail parts come with. Everyone I spoke, wrote to prior to purchase told me this is true, this is how they do things, etc. After purchase it’s a completely different story. One of the customer care persons said their parts don't come with any documentation - and she was one of the same who told me it DID BEFORE I bought it. ???? Also that "your warranty is from Velocity Micro for 3 years not the manufacturers". Again, that wasn't free. If I hadn't bought it, the manufacturers' warranties would have exceeded VM's standard year in most cases, and support continued. Are they using OEM parts while advertising Retail?  
 
I called some local Retailers with what information I could find and got information what the various parts come with. Their consensus – the parts are OEM if they don’t come with documentation. Ok, so VM you have some explaining to do!  
 
This is very poor customer service so far and feel like a sucker for paying 3 years of it. I've been doing my own tech support all this time and a break sounded good. VM tech support looks like its limited and so far consists of telling me how to do my own. Waste of $299! Have written asking for the documentation for this box and missing items. Filed a complaint with the BBB there in Virginia.  
 
For the high cost, I would have expected to hear something enthusiastic and positive from VM of what they can do about this problem resolved. Not outright lies (conflicts with what their website and sales people say) to start with.  
 
I am looking forward to getting this box plugged in, my data moved over, the new peripherals hooked up and a large donation of computer equipment out the door to the school recycler. I'm looking forward to the expansion of business capabilities this should bring. I almost had decided to build my own so I could get what I want without propriety stuff interfering. VM had this model and the options that got close to what I wanted. And they sounded like they'd build it like I would.  
 
I'd like to be a happy satisfied VM user and it should be a great system. I’d like proof I paid for Retail parts not OEM which is one of the things they justify their prices by. At this point it seems the missing stuff and CC – or lack thereof - is the roadblock to enjoying this system. Hard to believe this with such high price stuff - the service and cc should match. And honesty would be a good policy as well.  

I would recommend doing more research before you decide to buy from Velocity Micro. I ordered their "Special Edition" Raptor 64. The ordering process went well, although beware that they charge your credit card immediately instead of when the are finished with the pc. The pc was shipped with a broken drive bay door with pieces inside the computer. The president of Velocity Micro, Randy Copeland, called me at home, which was nice, and arranged to have the computer overnighted back and repaired. I received the repaired computer, and the cathode light was rattling around in the case unattached. Also,  
the Windows XP OS had a few fatal exception errors when I powered it up. I fixed these myself and the cathode light. The pc worked fine for a few months, then the rear cooling fan quit working. It did start up only after removing the right side case cover (where all the wiring is not neatly wrapped) and moving the wiring. Velocity Micro did call after I e-mailed them, and I told them I would watch the computer. So, here are my thoughts and cautions to potential buyers: 1. Customer service is good, however they use a third party service for warranty work, which I don't like, and I did't see that on their website. 2. There is no such thing as a customized binder from Velocity. It is a standard binder with extra parts, driver disks, and warranty info. No detailed parts list with part numbers was provided. Even Gateway does this. I never got a "personalized" feeling from the binder, which is how I read the description in their "Special Edition" systems. 3. No matter what they tell you about the Dbox case, it runs very hot with only two case fans,the front one partially blocked. I don't recommend this case at all. 4. Newsletter?? I have received one e-mail newsletter in 5 months, where are they?? 5. The velocity website needs to be more helpful and comprehensive for customer service. It is basically a bunch of links to other vendors. Overall, the system has been fairly stable for the past 5 months, but I honestly didn't feel I got what I paid the $3760 for. This company does appear that it will strive to improve, but it has a long way to go. Look seriously at the other top pc companies such as Falcon Northwest, Hypersonic, Alienware, and Voodoo before Velocity Micro.

Order still in process, will update as information is available.  
 
Presales - excellent support with timely responses to emails and knowledgable about products.  
 
Actual ordering - online config tool easy to use and intuitive. Not as many options as competitors. Didn't have the option to use AMEX online and almost didn't order (I work for AMEX and only use their card), however, through an email from Velocity I discoverd there was a cryptic way to order online using AMEX. Tried and no success so I ended up placing the order online.  
 
Order processing: was initially overcharged but promptly credited after I called attention to it.  
 
Build time: While I still feel the companies online tracking abilities leave me wanting and lead time seems excessive, they did ship the system within the committed timeframe, 20 days.  
 
The good: obvious quality in putting the machine together. Meticulous wiring and attention to detail obvious. Ram upgraded to current specs on the website which was a nice addition.  
 
The bad: After spending 4 hours installing peripheral devices (printers, external drives, etc) and software (Adobe Premier, Photoshop, etc.) power supply started 'clicking'??? Progressively got worse creating boot errors, system lock ups and 'weird' behavior (hard drives not detected on one boot, there the next).  
 
Velocity was responsive to my phone calls and emails and had me ship the system back to them via next day air.  
 
Extremely concerned some of the internal components will have a shortened life due to constant power fluctuations. Also disapointed about the now extended time, especially after paying for next day shipping. Anxiously awaiting their diagnosis of the problem and resolution.  
 
Stay tuned -

This review was modified by its author, greggdonna, on 1/21/04 7:53 PM.

Having always been a laptop gamer I thought I would splurge after the sale of our house and buy a powerhouse gaming desktop. I carefully reviewed several manufactures and settled on VM because they seemed to have a good reputation.  
 
Purchase: The purchase went flawlessly using their website. Their website is easy to navigate and displays everything effectively. Based on the estimate I would not receive the computer until after the 23rd. However they quickly shipped it out to me on the the 19th. I have to mention I live about 1 hour from their offices. They also gave me free shipping at my request.  
 
Packaging and presentation: The box was delivered by UPS to my front door in your typical standard M1A1 U-LINE brown box. Cutting away the tape inside was my baby. I had already given her the name of Big Blue Bastard. Her lines were tight and her wiring carefully laid out. The documentation was neatly organized in a custom VM folder and a t-shirt was thrown in. XL.  
 
It took about 25 minutes to set everything up. I turned it on and it ran flawlessly. Once everything was initially set up I ran the drivers for the gaming keyboard, mouse, blue-tooth, and wi-fi device. I originally was going to use Wi-Fi setup offered by VM but it really stinks on getting a good signal despite the fact my wireless router is no more than 8 feet away from it. So far my only complaint. To have all of the drivers run properly I was asked to restart my computer. That is when the S hit the fan. The computer seemed to start up normally but all connections to the monitor, mouse, and keyboard were blank.  
 
With the sinking feeling in my stomach and visions of dollar bills with wings flying out the window I called VM. I was quickly connected with a tech support specialist. She asked me to open the panel and and re-seat all of the memory slots. I did that and restarted my computer as to her directions and no-beeps were heard. Translation. Motherboard toast.  
 
So now I sit here in my home office mourning the loss of a friend I never got to know. VM will have it shipped back to their offices or if the computer gods shine on my face maybe they will come out here to fix it with the on-site support I purchased. I am curious as to what problems they will actually send someone out to fix an issue.  
 
I really cannot rate VM until I see how they perform the fix and begin trying to run the desktop again. I understand things like this can happen but it feels lousy when it happens on the first day and your wife says how is that new computer you bought? So I will update this review in a week. Until then I believe they are doing what they can.  
 
UPDATE:  
I have decided to put it in the F it buck it as they say. I am sure Velocity Micro is a decent company and their technical support and office staff are very cordial. But I am now superstitious when it comes to buying hardware.  
 
My last attempt at buying a gaming machine was through Alienware. I ran the full circle of tech support, performing my own on-site support, and forum searches to find the answer to my SLI problem. With this experience I did not want to do it again despite how nice VM staff were. I simply dropped off my computer at their depot in Richmond and moved on.  
 
Alienware and VM should not even be put in the same sentence. The level of support VM provided has been unmatched in my experience. I am just superstitious. Blame the messenger in this case.

This review was modified by its author, jpbellavance, on 6/22/09 10:12 PM.

To be fair I would rate this company very high, but also at the same time I have had problems with my order.  
 
The problems were with the hardware in my system, I 1st had problems with the system automatically shutting it's self off, sent the system back and the power supply was bad, they replaced it,shipped my system back and it was dead upon arrival,sent out a tech to fix,bad motherboard, Now there is a problem with the Video, I suspect bad Video card. They claim they test the systems before it leave the factory but some of these problems should have been caught at the factory,  
 
I rate the customer service as awesome over the phone but the on-line service is very slow and it really didn't help with any of the problems that I was having,Only when I got on the phone did I get the service that I needed.  
 
Update:  
Tech showed up yesterday,he took 15 min's to hook up front fan/light and rewire up the Video card, it was way to tight and causing the card not to work properly.  
 
VM is a stand up company, they will work with you to get your problems fixed but you MUST be patience and remember that hardware is NOT perfect and VM doesn't have a magic wand, but they WILL work with you if you work with them.  
 
Even though I had to WAIT,I still am VERY happy with VM becouse they DO stand behind their systems and I will buy from them again :)  
 
UPDATED:  
I have BOOT prob's after I wrote last review:  
 
Now here's my problem, some dates might be off a couple dates, but you see what I'm driving at.  
Ordered on 05 27 08  
Recived on 06 13 08 >Round 1  
Many prob up to 1st week 07 2008  
Shipped back to VM be repaired around then >Round 2  
Recived system back around 2nd week 07 2008 >Round 3  
Recived New MotherBoard around 3rd week 07 2008  
Repaired by Tech 3rd week 07 2008, partial fix >Round 4  
Repaired again next week, thought it was fixed >Round 5  
Called Tech Support,sent out floppy, 07 31 2008  
Called tech Support,UPS floppy 08 12 2008  
08 18 2008 got floppy UPS  
08 21 2008 Tech here 11 hours, no fix >Round 6  
08 22 2008 VM says send back,2nd time, will replace all hardware and setup XP w/SP3  
Shipped back to VM 8 23 08 >Round 7  
 
I think that I have over waited !  
Now what are you going to do for me?  
Price Drop?  
Extended Warranty?  
Big Upgrade?  
All or Some of these?  
Are these or simular Warrented?  
I want  
no coupons  
no more waiting  
on 08 27 08 it will be 3 months  
Without a working system  
3 payments  
3 months off warranty  
3 months of total fustration  
Soon it will be 4 months etc...

This review was modified by its author, gbowlin0300, on 8/24/08 5:19 PM.

The sales process was fine, and today's support experience with Tamer Eldin was superlative, but Friday night's (12/7/07) support experience was terrible.  
 
On 12/7, I was given the wrong advice and told I needed to reformat and reinstall Windows. Today, Tamer spent 5 minutes with me, and we avoided that by simply changing a BIOS setting that was causing the problem.  
 
On 12/7, the information was incomplete, and when I called back for "emergency service" to figure out how to proceed and gave my name & number, I was promised a call that never came. Very disappointing, and thank goodness for Tamer's help today, or Velocity would have lost a new customer.  
 
Finally, I would like to plead with Velocity to allow customers on hold for support to disable the very loud and very annoying music & commercials.  
 
Thanks

I thought after reading the reviews on here my Velocity Micro experience would be a smooth one. Unfortunately, this hasn't been the case.  
 
I received my computer on December 18 (the estimated ship date was December 7). The next day, the computer began mysteriously rebooting. After almost a week of this, I contacted VM support and was told it might be a memory issue. After some testing, the culprit was found to be a bad memory slot on the motherboard. The conversation was on December 27, I was told the new motherboard would arrive on December 29, and that they would send a technician that day to install it. On December 29, the time of my appointment was approaching, and I had not yet received my motherboard. So I called the technician, Chad, to reschedule. I found later that day that the motherboard did not even ship until a couple hours earlier. Due to the holiday, the motherboard now would not arrive until January 2. It seems VM did not contact Chad to let him know about this.  
 
So, Chad then came out January 3 to install my motherboard. Unfortunately, the computer would not power up. Chad called VM and it was decided I needed a replacement power supply. This was the morning of January 3 – the power supply did not ship until the next afternoon. I received it January 8, with Chad scheduled to come by January 9. The 3pm appointment came and went, with Chad not showing up. I called and left a voicemail. I got called back at 5:30pm – Chad fell asleep. Reluctantly, I agreed to a reschedule the morning of January 10. He finally showed, the power supply is installed, and the computer so far is working, save for the CD/DVD Combo Drive, which is being replaced, due to the loud grinding noise being made when a disc is in. Chad also didn’t fully complete the wiring inside the computer, as I found later. A few components were not connected, and the wires were left a mess inside the machine – a far cry from the fantastic, clean wiring job I had when the computer arrived. I had to call technical support again to step me through what was still left to be plugged in.  
 
The technical support agents I’ve talked to have been helpful and knowledgeable. They wanted to make sure to pinpoint the problem before taking a course of action. They can’t be blamed for 3 parts having to be replaced in less than a month. But it does raise questions about the quality/testing phase of the build. The replacement of parts has been questionable as well, the first two replacement parts not being sent when I was told they would be sent. Of course they can’t be blamed for the technician falling asleep and missing our appointment.  
 
I last agent I talked to I asked to notate my account regarding the fact in the less than one month span I’ve had the computer, I’ve had only 2 or 3 days of smooth operation. This was in the hopes that my 1 year warranty would be extended an extra month to cover the time I wasn’t able to use the computer.  
 
Don’t get me wrong, it’s a fine machine, and now that it’s running, it’s running as good as I’d hoped. Assuming the replacement drive does the job, I’m sure I’ll be satisfied with my Velocity Micro computer. I’m certainly satisfied with technical support. Everything else though, has been more than a hassle than it should be for a brand new computer. I’m confident it’s an isolated incident, so I wouldn’t deter anyone from purchasing from Velocity Micro.

I ordered my computer on September 2, 2006. I was informed of my estimated shipping date would be September 20, 2006. I patiently waited until September 20, 2006 and then called Velocity Micro to see if my system shipped even though it stated the parts were still being gathered prior to assembly.  
 
Upon reaching a representative from Velocity Micro, I was informed that yes indeed the parts appear to be ready for assembly and there are no backorder items. She stated the system should shipout ontime on September 20th...I stated today is September 20th. She then recanted and said yes you are correct. However, she did not see any problems and stated the system should ship by Friday September 22, 2006.  
 
I waited 2 more days to see if my system would indeed ship as stated by the Velocity Micro representative. On September 22, 2006 I still had received no email notification and I contacted Micro Velocity again.  
 
On September 22, 2006 I called Velocity Micro and the representative I spoke with stated once again that all my parts appeared to be ready for assembly and nothing appeared to be on backorder. I stated that was what I was told last time and asked to speak to a superviser. The representative stated that a supervisor would tell me the same thing he did but I insisted to talk with a supervisor to find out why my computer was being delayed.  
 
When the next representative answered the phone, I asked if he was a supervisor. He stated no but he would be happy to check on my order and see if there would be anything he could do to help. I gave him my order information and he found out the same results as the two previous representatives that my order was ready for assembly with no backorder items but still no reason as to why is was being delayed past the estimated shipping date. He politely asked for my email address and stated he would talk with the production manager on Saturday, September 23, 2006 to find out why it is being delayed.  
 
Since today is September 22, 2006, I will wait until tomorrow to see if I receive my email from Velocity Micro and then update this review accordingly with what I am told.  
 
I will add that after reading all these steller reviews that I am perplexed why I am one of the few that have yet to have a good experience. I sincerely hope that Velocity Micro takes my order seriously and provides me with an acceptable answer as to why the delay has occured.  
 
More to follow...  
 
Update 9/27/06  
 
I received an email from Velocity Micro on Saturday as stated by the rep. He informed me he spoke with the production manager and the computer was being assembled even though it wasn't updated in the system as being assembled. He also informed me that my computer should ship Monday or Tuesday 9/25 or 9/26.  
 
On 9/26 I received an email that the computer was completed and shipped on 9/26.  
 
All in all, my experience with Velocity Micro could of been better in regards to getting the computer out on time and I would think a company such as Velocity Micro would have shipped the comptuer faster than ground after it was shipped 6 days later than the estimated ship date. The thing is, the parts were not on backorder and there were no reasons given to me why it took so long to assemble and ship.  
 
All I can hope for is that the computer will be in good shape and I will forget about my initial woes with getting the computer out the door to me.  
 
Update November 2, 2006  
 
I received an email from Micro Velocity about how my computer is doing. I informed the representative Ms. Taylor that the video card appeared to be having an issue with the World of Warcraft game I am playing. She recommended removing and reinstalling the Driver which I did. To my surprise, this has appeared to fix the issue and currently everything is running smoothly.  
 
All in all, the computer has been running well and other than the video card issue, that is now working well, no other performance issues have been present.

This review was modified by its author, sstrong4, on 11/2/06 7:11 PM.

I very recently bought a Velocity Raptor 64 Special Edition. It worked fine till today. I called up ZNet services-told that tech support would call me back as thay were all busy. I asked her to give me an idea as to when they would call me back. She refused. I now have to put my life on hold and wait goodness knows how long till they call back. This attitude from ZNet services as Velocity Micro's after hours tech support is unhelpful and frustrating to put it mildly. I'm glad that I didn't pay for another 2 years for this poor service.

I ordered a Velocity Micro Z55 on 17 October 2008. I had ordered from VM previously and was satisfied with their product, which led me to order from them again. However this second experience has been uneven at best. I placed the order over the phone and received the confirmation email immediately. The machine was built and shipped within the time frame I was quoted. However their online order tracking leaves something to be desired. My computer went from "staging for assembly" to "complete" in a single day, despite the fact that their own policy seems to indicate a longer testing period between assembly and shipment. This was my first indication that I might be in for problems.  
 
Unfortunately, that turned out to be the case. The machine was broken out of the box. I had distorted video and random blue screen crashes. I phoned customer support as I paid for the extended warranty and 24/7 phone support. At this point I have to give VM credit for the things they do right. Despite it being about 10pm EST on a Friday, my call was immediately answered and I received a call back from the on-call technician within twenty minutes. The tech had me try a few different video connections and monitor hook ups, and when that failed to resolve the situation, he recommended I return the PC to them.  
 
So first contact with tech support was on Friday, the RMA was issued the following Tuesday, and I shipped the machine back on Wednesday. At each step of the process, VM was receptive to my problems and helped expedite a solution. After my PC arrived back at VM, the repair process began the next day. However again at this point I have to note some failings in their web-based tracking system. After a couple of initial updates, VM has gone "silent." I have not received an update on my computer in over a week. I had to call them last Friday to get an update over the phone. In total, my PC has now been under repair for almost two weeks with no timetable for a return. I have tried to note those things that VM does well, because they have been cooperative at certain stages of this process. But I am now almost two months from my initial order date, and I still do not have the PC that I ordered. Frustration is starting to build, and the lack of communication in recent days is making that worse.  
 
I will update this review as the situation progresses and relate the final outcome.  
 
UPDATE: I received my PC back from VM this week. In total, it had been back at the factory for a little less than two weeks. I received it back exactly one month after it had been delivered the first time. I would first like to thank Tamer, and Tiffany, and everyone else at VM technical support I spoke to throughout this process. They were very helpful. Whatever flaws I may note in this review, my experience dealing with the individuals at VM has been universally positive and they are to be commended for that.  
 
I do have one concern that sticks with me now that all is said and done. The tech who diagnosed and repaired my computer noted that my overclock was unstable. If that was the case, why was that not identified before the machine first left the factory? Why did I have to lose an entire month sending it back? Their own policies state that each machine is tested before it ships, yet if that is the case, it seems the unstable overclock would have been identified and addressed. Were those tests conducted? Was my PC rushed to meet the ship date without the testing? These are the questions I am left with at the end of this process.  
 
Overall, a big thumbs up for VM's customer service and technical support, and a big question mark for their quality control.

This review was modified by its author, Antiken_CS, on 12/11/08 9:52 AM.

My PC, (tag #835225) has been back to the factory for repairs three times, and I hope the third time is a charm. The PC was damaged in shipping when it was initially delivered in December 2007 and that caused its first trip back to the factory for repairs.  
 
In August 2008, the PC would not boot and it went back to the factory a second time for a replacement power supply. On the return trip, it was damaged in shipping again, but the packaging materials were inadequate (just a few foam peanuts) so I can't really put the blame on the shipper.  
 
After waiting a week for replacement packing materials to arrive, the PC made its third trip to the factory for repairs. This time, the PC came back with a reformatted hard drive and a recommendation not to restore the drive from my backups, and I had to spend considerable time reloading my application software.  
 
Other than the hassle of shipping it back and forth and not having it to use, this PC is all I expected it to be and I am very satisfied with it. Imagine that.  
 
Melvin Deak

It took two weeks to ship from order date, which isn't horrible, except when I got it in, the power supply unit wasn't properly functioning. I contacted VM's customer support via email, and a surprisingly nice representative called me the next morning to troubleshoot. A week later, my PSU came in--without instructions--but it ended up being so easy to install--ten minutes, tops. Now, it's running great (so far).

Initial Review 1/7/08  
Ordered 11/24/07 (a Saturday when no building is usually done), customized and received 11/30/07, was originally delivered 11/29, did not receive notice it was even ready, let alone shipped. Problems since day 1.  
 
Motherboard Asus M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition  
Audio On-Board Integrated Realtek Audio, 7.1 Channel Support - this is NOT what I got, it's c-media6501 integrated USB audio that you can't listen to anything with. Using XPPro, so it's not a Vista software issue. Robyn and Flav tried to help me on the phone (they are superb) - they were able to get me a soundcard - that took almost 3 weeks. In the meantime I went and bought one just so I could have any audio. I continue to have problems from computer "freezing", running slow and in general just not quite right. I feel that this computer (spent almost $1,700 including 3 year extended warranty) is gonna be "one of those" systems. If it was built on Monday, that means it was shipped on Tuesday to arrive here on Thursday (UPS is usually 2 day shipping). That's NOT enough time for build/burn-in/test. I specifically said No to Norton a/v. What was the first thing I saw on boot? Norton. Flav stopped me from just uninstalling it and got me the proper uninstall tool. Robyn went above and beyond to try to get my audio problems solved. (3 phone calls to tech support between Fri night and Sat afternoon!) Both were beyond patient and explained step by step what to do and how do to it. I appreciate their help immensely. The video card, while seated well enough to work, was in slightly crooked. I reseated the video card and ran 3DMark06 and it seems to be ok, but something's not right overall.  
 
Had to send my older (1 1/2 y/o) GE1000 in for repair. Upon return of that computer the front cover fell off when I removed the protective foam - all but 1 pin was broken. Also the back VGA socket was ripped off - I note gpu was upgraded so maybe that's why? And since return my A drive does not work. Spoke with James on 12/14, he sent a new front cover and dvi adapter, awaiting floppy.  
 
If I had the "tech" knowledge or wanted something that I'd have to uninstall/reinstall/fiddle with, I'd have bought a "big box", spent alot less and expected alot less. I wish they would've taken it back and refunded my money, it'd be easier to start over - but I ordered a customized system and they are clear that there are no refunds on those.  
 
EDIT 2/03/08  
Received rebuilt computer Fri, Jan 25. Still having soundcard issues. Tech has been contacted and will be coming to the house to check everything out and/or replace the current SB0460 soundcard with an XtremeGamer SB0730 (Approved and arrived Fri Feb 2 - Note original XG was full size card, this one is the half size - supplier I guess?).  
 
EDIT 3/18/08  
4 months later, mobo on older computer replaced, floppy still not working but that's one of those mystery things, not the end of the world. New computer (11/07 build) still having problems re: soundcard/tons of error messages, hangs, freezes, sometimes C/A/D doesn't work, have to hit reset. Tech Supervisor tried doing a remote uninstall which didn't work completely. It's NOT her, it's gotta be the soundcard. Onsite tech (Derek) is suggesting reformat again to clear everything out and start over, which is looking more and more likely. VM phone tech support I will say is excellent, especially the evening staff. Professional, friendly, patient and they really do their best to try to get things taken care of.  
 
EDIT/UPDATE 4/24/08  
Looks like things are working! Tech came to the house (Steve), replaced front panel, had an initial Oh No on reboot and hearing severe static. I don't know what he did after that - he had his hands deep in the case - but after 5 months things are working and looking up. As in I CAN have a few windows open and no have errors/freezeups/lose part of my screen, etc. It's just working! Floppy on older puter now works too. I was sent a different, even better model, Steve popped it in, we tested it with a floppy and voila. So, here's hoping everything's resolved.  
 
Thank you VM for following through. Thank you Tech Support, especially Ellen, Flav, Jessica. You have been with me every step of the way, even when I went completely ballistic (a few times I admit). VM does honor their Warranty. I can't stress enough how important this is for anyone considering VM. Their phone techs do everything but get in their car and come to your house.  
 
It's been a long, strange trip. But I've had some great companions on the way. And a rig that makes my friends' jaws drop ;)  

This review was modified by its author, missythng, on 4/24/08 5:37 PM.