I tend to buy PC's for myself every 7-8 years. In fact, I have bought more PC's for others (family) in the past few years then I have for myself. After doing ALOT of PC comparing over a 4 month period, I decided to buy my first Velocity Micro. I selected Velocity due to their flexible online PC combination options. I must say, I am impressed (Note: I have yet to receive the PC). I spoke with Trace, a gentleman who was willing to go above and beyond to make sure I was happy. My computer had already been ordered, but thanks to a mix-up with credit cards (no ones fault by my own and perhaps my credit card company) my order was slightly delayed. Once the mix-up had been resolved, I called (the day after I was billed) to see if I could make some changes to the PC. I inquired about upgrading the graphics card. Trace spent a great deal of time with me on the phone patiently explaining ALL of the options and answering ALL of my questions (Yes..I can be a little bit of a pain...especially when spending this much money on a product). He usually had an immediate answer. When he did not know the answer, he put me on hold, talked to his tech team, and found an answer! In fact, they actually built me a PC which was a slightly different configuration then they were offering online (as the part I requested was brand new). I truly could not have asked for better customer service. To be fair, I did have another call (not with Trace) that was not as smooth (not bad...just not quite as accommodating). I will chalk that up to a little bad luck...nothing more. Trace continues to answer my e-mails and has kept in the loop in terms of my shipping date. At this point, I only hope that my PC is as good as Trace's customer service. If it is, I am going to be very pleased. I shall keep you posted.  
 
 
Update: I recieved my PC and it works perfectly....and I do mean perfectly...right out of the box. Let me add....I have now contacted the support line 3 times. All three times they picked up the phone in under 3 minutes. The line even provides a queue count so you know how many people are in front of you. I have never had more then 2 people in front of me. In addition, the only reason I contacted the support line was to ask how to connect my video card to my graphics card (SPDIF coneection). To be honest..this is not something they HAD to help me with (my opinion) nor is this something that most average users would do. However, they not only helped me.....they researched how to do it, got back to me very quickly, and are even sending me the required cable (free of charge) to make the connection. Even better, they tested the setup I requested in house to see if it would work. Again, there was nothing wrong with my PC....and still they offered to walk me through the entire setup. That is the best darn customer support I have ever expereienced. In the past I have always owned Dell PC's (and once a Gateway) and I will never go back. Since they deserve the credit, the customer support people who helped me were James and Tamer. Nice job gentleman!

This review was modified by its author, drhst20, on 4/15/08 12:01 PM.

I bought three Velocity Micro computers for my small business and holy cow, are they amazing. Exactly what I expected from a name like Velocity, solid build and good quality components, they were even delivered earlier than the estimated ship date. I had a few general questions about my warranty so called tech support, after talking to two different people (that guess what, spoke english - holy cow!) I am confident I will never buy from another company again, simply fantastic.

I had a frustrating day getting a minor drive problem fixed at Best Buy (where I purchased the computer originally). That problem appeared to be fixed, yet when I got it home late that evening (after 8:00 PM) the PC would not boot up to Windows. I called the Velocity tech support number. After explaining the work done that day, Mr. Berry was able to analyze the problem and talked me (a real novice to the insides of a PC) step by patient step. We discovered that one of the flat cables from the suspect drive had not been snapped back into place properly by the techician at Best Buy. Once Mr. Berry directed me to the right area (I didn't even know where the motherboard was)we disconnected then reconnected that cable. Voila,it booted uo like magic.  
Velocity's tech support staff offered superb customer service, great patience, explicit knowledge that pinpointed the potential problem area, and best of all the communications skills to assist a novice with care and a steadfast determination to fix my problem. Bravo Velocity

I bought my system in 2006, when submitting my feedback I was told "The Transaction Year field can not be less then 2007." So I changed it.  
 
I had a problem with my internet connection staying connected. My ISP (Comcast) insisted (evidently correctly) it was a problem with my system. I did hook up an old Compaq I had kicking around and it (internet connectio) worked fine. I was going to buy a PCI card and put it in. I called Velocity Micro and spoke to JAMES SHARP to check on my warranty to find it had expired last month. After explaining to James my dilemma, he said in all his years he has never seen on board ethernet go bad. He suggested it was something corrupted in my Windows XP installation. He told me what to do to fix it. He even called me back to check on how it was going. Bottom line is I am back up and all is good, my connection is working fine again and not a bump in the road along the way. The support field needs more JAMES SHARPS out there. I've talked (or tried to) to many support people in my days, but James is the first one I feel deserving of my time to write about. Thank you James!

VM refused to provide me with an updated BIOS for the motherboard (OEM PN5-E-SLI) because the coding for Windows Vista was in the OEM version of the BIOS. This precluded me from being able to use the 4 GB of RAM (2 GB which was purchased from VM as an aftermarket upgrade)since the system would not boot with out the BIOS upgrade.  
 
I elected to download the required BIOS from the OEM website, flashed my BIOS with the update and loaded Vista 64 (I had to purchase a new copy of Vista because the VM OEM Vista restore disk would not work with the BIOS downloaded from the oem website.  
 
When the E8400 came on the market I enquired via email to VM if this processor would work. I received a reply that my system would only support up to E6700; which proved to be incorrect because the E8400 does work! I purchased one and after updating my BIOS from 608 to 803 there was no problem with the E8400.  
 
Since this computer (E2035) is SLI I was going to add another 8800GTS 512 (G92). Again, I contacted VM by email and inquired if the power supply would handle SLI (there was no second 6 pin PCI-e connector). The reply was No. I would need at least an 850 watt PSU if I wanted to run SLI. So, why provide an SLI motherboard?  
 
While I am happy with the quality of the computer, I am very disappoited that VM's policy of not providing BIOS updates to it's customers precludes being able to upgrade the computer to it's full potential. Only if the consumer decides to do as I have done (warranty by-by) can this happen.  
 
In fairness VM did offer to install the updated BIOS but I would have to pay for the service plus the to and from shipping (sic.).  
 
One final point. I have no complaints on the way customer service (as individuals) treated me. Phone calls were always answered and answers provided (right/wrong or disappointing).  
 
Would I buy VM brand again? Only if they change the upgrade policy and provide an unrestricted upgrade path for their products.  
 
UPDATED 3/17/2008  
 
HERE IS AN EDITED EMAIL (TO MEET RESELLERRATING'S POSTING REQUIREMENTS) WHICH DETAILS VM'S RESPONSE WHEN I REQUESTED THE BIOS FILE BE PROVIDED TO ME IN NOV '07.  
 
We apologize for the inconvenience but we will not and cannot bend on this  
rule. What you were told was a mistake and we are sorry for that. The  
machine has to come back in here for the update, as there is a very  
customized bios for it and cannot be sent to you. Please email us back if  
you would like to send it in to be updated.  
 
Feel free to call VM Customer Care if you need assistance...  
 
Regards,  
 
Brandon , VM Support Technician  
Velocity Micro  
 
MY TEXT IN EMAIL TO VM:  
 
Not a Happy Camper! Purchased 2 GB RAM from VM direclty in Sept '07 to  
bring my system up to 4 GB RAM total. Computer would not boot with 4 GB  
RAM. Asus P5N-E-SLI known to have this issue which was corrected with BIOS  
update - VM Tech Support advised that VM was working with Asus to updated  
the VM branded BIOS and I would be provided the file to update my computer  
(this was in Sept '07). Called yesterday and told I would not be given the  
updated BIOS but had to send my computer back to VM! This is not what I was  
promised. Please check you phone call and email logs to confirm the  
communications I'm referencing and then HONOR your commitment to me (the  
CUSTOMER).  
 
Thanks,  
 
UPDATE4/6/2008  
 
Velociy Micro's Director of Customer Care has taken a personal interest in reaching out to me on this issue and after several email exchanges; I feel that VM has taken lessons learned and implemented the necessary improvements that will preclude others from going through the customer support experiences I had. IMO, VM truly wants to be the "Best in Class" when it comes to providing aftermarket support and customer care services to their customers - they have proven this point (to me) on the way my issues were addressed. At VM you are more than just a number.  
 
When I need my next computer Velocity Micro will be on the very top of the list for souricing. The quality of their product together with their (new and improving) Customer Care support would be hard to pass-up, even if it cost a few dollars more!  
 
 

This review was modified by its author, ebaker21, on 4/6/08 7:49 PM.

I purchased a velocity micro PC from best buy and needed help installing an esata hard drive. I spoke to a Mr James Sharpe II and his peformance to say the least was outstanding. He spent an hour on the phone helping me update my bios, installing new vista drivers and fixing the problem. He was patient and very helpful. I have dealt with many companies in the past and this was by far my best experience. With employees like him, I am sure your company will do very well. I can only give this help the highest rating and will continue to do business with you.  
 
A very satisfied customer.  
 

I'm not sure I've ever dealt with any kind of IT company that was this easy to work with before. I'm a software developer and needed a new entry level server for a client - from the day I called and talked to Trace until the day I received my computer the process couldn't have been easier. Had to call tech support once for a general question - the people at Velocity Micro are courteous, professional and extremely nice. I recommend whole-heartedly.

After 2 years, 2 returns to depot, and 4-5 on-site trips to replace motherboards the machine crashes every 10 minutes during gaming, has 2 USB ports that don't work, and a new motherboard with a bad clock/battery. Despite countless hours with tech support the machine has never, and does not now work properly.  
 
Additional details can be found here:  
 
http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1280452

Before the purchase of this new custom built computer, I wanted to visit the builder.  
 
On January 10, 2008, I made a round trip drive of 300+ miles to see Velocity Micro's business location, tour their production facility and meet with several of their personnel. My thanks to Trace Dixon for arranging that visit. He was most knowledgable, competent and courteous.  
 
At the conclusion of the visit, Trace and I sat down and created an order based on the Edge Z15 with a number of component upgrades or enhancements incorporated.  
 
I received the PC on 01/23/08. The PC is carefully crafted and a work of art. Somewhere in the shipping process, the PC was apparently subjected to some rough handling which was promptly addressed and fully resolved by Velocity Micro.  
 
In getting used to a Vista (Ultimate) OS, I have had occasion to ask a few questions and seek better understanding and enlightment from Tamer Eldrin in Tech Support and Joe Nelson in Repair. My questions or concerns have all been promptly responded to by phone or email and have been fully answered and resolved by them. Thank you.  
 
My experiences with Velocity Micro have been nothing but positive. Their responsiveness has left nothing to be desired. They have been most professional.  
 
The PC operates flawlessly.  
 
I highly recommend Velocity Micro to anyone who wants to create a quality, high performance PC and one that is built and supported here in the US by highly competent personnel. Their PCs are exceptional.  
 
I appreciate dealing with a firm which is sincerely interested in their customer's satisfaction. They are a first rate business producing first rate products.

This review was modified by its author, Navy57, on 3/2/08 5:12 PM.

Velocity Micro may sell nice hardware, but without quality service to back it up, I don't recommend purchasing from them.  
 
We have purchased several Velocity Micro systems in the past for our developers. Overall, the end users are happy with them. However, as the person responsible for the maintenance of our hardware, I have had less than satisfactory experiences with them.  
 
We last purchased two ProMagixW160 High Performance Workstation PCs from them. One system had a memory failure within a month of arriving. Not a problem in itself as I know that happens occasionally. I called Velocity Micro support and was disconnected after a long hold time. I called back and spent another 30 minutes on hold until I was too frustrated to wait any longer. After sending an email to support, followed by one to the Director of Customer Care, we finally managed to get the replacement memory sent, eventually. That in it’s self took too many emails to get straightened out.  
 
Now, a second Velocity Micro has a hardware failure. Velocity Micro's support answered the phone this time and quickly diagnosed the problem. They improved in that area, however, it took two weeks to get the motherboard on-site. That was after getting conflicting status information when calling their support line. Early last week I was told it had not been approved because they didn’t know where to ship it to. Apparently, they were confused by my billing address being different then the shipping address. Yeah, my personal credit card is registered to my home address. That’s not so unusual, is it? On the 15th I was told it was finally approved, but has not been sent yet. On the 21st I was told it shipped 11 days ago. 11 Days ago?! That’s not what you said 4 days ago. If it shipped 11 days ago, where was it? If was in transit, it must be coming by mule, because it was shipped from Virginia to Virginia. Let’s not forget the fact they will not even schedule a technician for the installation until AFTER we have it in hand. That adds more delays. Why not just send the technician WITH the part?  
 
After the motherboard arrived, I waited 24 hours to hear back from a technician to schedule the install, but no one called. We’ve already waited two weeks, so we installed it ourselves. Turns out, after all this and two weeks, the motherboard was not the problem. Now they want us to ship it back to them so they can replace the CPU. Apparently, they do not trust the end user or field technician to replace the CPU. That’s odd, because we had to move the CPU from the old motherboard to the new motherboard. Any, we will be shipping it back to them as soon as they tell us where to ship it to. I am still waiting for their email wit that information.  
 
We now have had a developer using a low performance spare system for over 2 weeks. That costs us money in lost development time. Velocity Micro systems may come with a good price tag, but you more than lose the difference in poor quality support. Our developers may like the performance of Velocity Micro hardware, but since I am not only responsible for the maintenance, but also new hardware purchases, I have switched to purchasing from Dell for all new developers. We have a lot of Dell systems here and they have always sent a technician the next business day with part(s) in hand.  
 
OK, I'm done ranting...

I purchased my computer, a CineMagix Grand, in September 2007. I received the computer in late October. On the first day, a hard drive failed. Within the first week a second hard drive failed. The computer was returned for repair. I received the computer back in late November. Immediately, another hard drive failed. In total 5 hard drives have failed and I have had the computer for less than 4 months. While Velocity Micro does send replacement parts, the computer has only functioned for 3 full weeks without failing in the past 4 months. Now, the motherboard has malfunctioned. All of this (5 failed hard drives and now a failed motherboard) within 4 months with even less than 4 months of usage because of times when the computer did not function at all.  
 
Now the company tells me that I am responsible for paying to have the computer shipped back to them for repair and that I cannot receive a refund.  
 
This is ridiculous and I would never recommend anyone purchase a computer from Velocity Micro. Even though I have a one year warranty, I have no confidence that the computer (which retailed for nearly $4,000) will be worth anything once the warranty expires because every indication is that multiple parts have repeatedly failed in just the first few months of ownership.  
 
I had high hopes for this system when I first purchased it, but they were immediately dashed when the system was received and immediately failed. I have no confidence in Velocity Micro's merchandise because even their techs informed me that they receive "bad batches" of components at times.  
 
All I want is a refund and they won't give it to me. So think twice before your purchase anything from Velocity Micro. You'll be stuck with a nonfunctioning system and they won't give you a refund.  
 

I purchased a Velocity Micro computer and am very pleased with the purchase. I did have a problem with the E-Sata connection that was quickly resolved with the Velocity Micro phone and live chat support.

A few years ago, I purchased a Velocity Micro computer based on customer reviews I read on line. I will be forever grateful I did. The machine itself has worked like a charm from day one. The quality of workmanship is incredible. I did find, last night, that the thing just was dead and I panicked.  
 
This morning I called their tech support and spoke to Dave Taylor. This poor guy had on the other end of the line (me) someone for whom the phrase "a little knowledge is a dangerous thing" was written. He satyed on the phone with me for what must have seemed like an eternity to him, walking me through the multi-step process of fixing the computer and getting up and running again.  
 
Dave's patience was never-ending and his expertise was limitless. Even though I'm sure he doesn't have to go through this on a daily basis, he knew exactly what to guide me through and, to my great relief and joy, when I hit the power button my Velocity sprang back to life. It may not rank as a mircle to some, but to one who thought all of my records, etc. were gone to that great nether world in the sky, it was a beautiful sight.  
 
Thanks a million to Dave for his expert help. And thanks to Velocity Micro for reaffirming my faith in an American company's ability to not only build quality products (for a very reasonable price), but for hiring probably the best tech people you'll ever encounter.

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).

Delivery within 3 weeks, excellent machine, better price than Dell, many options, extreme performance. Staff was always available to answer questions by email and phone.

This review was modified by its author, ward_ja, on 2/9/08 5:10 PM.