DATE: 11/01/2006  
MAIN SYSTEM:  
> CASE: Digital Storm Twister PRO (No Side Window) (Silver Aluminum)  
> POWER SUPPLY: CoolMax 550W  
> PROCESSOR: Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 2.4GHz (1066MHz Front Side Bus)  
> MOTHERBOARD: Asus P5W DH Deluxe (Chipset: Intel 975X)  
> MEMORY: 2GB DDR2 Super Talent at 667MHz (Dual Channel) (Lifetime)  
COST: Best buy for the money  
SERVICE: Excellent  
CRAFTSMANSHIP: Superb  
CUSTOMER CARE FOLLOWUP: (Alex & Others): Great  
SYSTEM PERFORMANCE: Outstanding (best computer I ever had)  
SYSTEM LOOKS: To kill for  
These guys know their stuff!  
Dell doesn’t even come close.  
What you are getting is a hand crafted precision instrument with standard hardware (not proprietary), way, way, better tested than you’d do on a homebuilt.  
I probably won’t need another computer for five or more years.  
If my house caught fire, the first thing I’d be hauling out is my Digital Storm, (after the kids).  
 
 
Revisit:  
Well, I’ve had the system for going on four weeks now (including a return to DS for various issues, most of which were minor).  
 
It seems the Asus mb has a very slow cold boot-up, at least with my particular configuration, it caught me by surprise. If you are accustomed to fast booting machines (as I am), you may be prompted to press the switch twice. There is also an issue with droning noises from the fans (which DS techs swore they could not detect). I’ve concluded that this is a compound oscillation problem between the various motors vibrating in the case. This could probably be reduced or voided by using a foam insulating tape around the fan units. My “quickie solution was to place the system on the floor, under the table.  
 
My overall satisfaction is very high. This is a great system for the price.  
 
I will definitely order my next system from Digital Storm.  
 

This review was modified by its author, ctruth, on 12/4/06 4:24 PM.

Easy to order; competitive pricing; kept me informed of the status of my new computer; arrived early(!); works perfectly; customer binder and original driver CD's were nice touch. First class all the way!

Wow i dont even know where to begin this company is just great. From the time i ordered to the time my computer was shipped took about 9 days and another 4 to get to me. There was a minor hole in the box that had me worried but the computer was very well protected on the inside. Once i got the system setup it started up perfectly and runs very smooth(moreso than I expected). I had a minor problem with the microphone port not working so i called the tech support and it was fixed within minutes.  
 
My next computer will definatly be from digital storm and would recommend them to anyone looking for a high performance machine. 10/10

This review was modified by its author, winkel1, on 10/20/06 7:21 PM.

I believe many people are reading this summary to get a view of the company and if they deserve your hard earned cash. Well, I use to be one of those people until I decided to take the leap and give these “fella's” a shot.  
 
To start things off, I have purchased computers from the big name manufacturers, I actually own a Alienware system that I purchased three years ago so I do know what to expect purchasing a gaming system. Now, I was leaning towards getting a XPS 700 from Dell but I looked over what I was getting for my money and Digital Storm was giving me a whole lot of more value. I read up their terms and they offer a “30 Day Money Back Guarantee” and they offer a “2 Year Parts & Labor” warranty coverage as their standard form of protection. I been in the technology industry and trust me if anyone offers a 2 year warranty plan for every system build, they must be testing these computers real hard to ensure defective hardware is detected before it comes up down the road.  
 
Now the juice of the crop, I was extremely pleased with the whole experience. If I were to rate my experience, these guys are a solid 10 out of 10 and I would most definitely make another purchase or recommend them to a friend or colleague. The pre-sales service was very informative; the computer arrived in a timely manner and was packaged professionally. The performance of this machine is definitely breath taking, it blows my mind to notice such big performance differences from different manufactures.  
 
Bottom line: They are definitely a highly respectable business. I will buy again from this company.

I’ve been over due to get a new computer for a while, so I started to look at what’s available. I looked at Dell, Gateway, HP, etc, but I was looking for something more unique. I read a lot of consumer forums and someone mentioned Digital Storm. I looked at their web site, and decided to take the plunge. So on, 8/9/06, I ordered from Digital Storm. On the same day within a few hours they called me to say that they did not have the Conroe 2 E6600 chip in stock and would I like to have the E6400 instead. They then went over the configuration and made a few suggestions on how to make the machine run better. I asked if everything else was in stock, and they said it was. (So far I was impressed with the service. Just so everyone is clear on this knows, they do charge your credit card on the day you order, not the day the computer is shipped.)  
 
On 8/17/06, I emailed them to enquire as to the status of the computer build, as I had not heard anything from them via email, and the web site information order page still showed the computer as ‘Order is currently in the build/testing/shipping process’. They replied the same day and said that the ‘’order was processed on the 9th, its a ten business days build time, so your system is estimated to ship around the 23rd. We don't send updates for every stage, but, we will send an email with a tracking number once it’s shipped’’. (I don’t know if they stopped sending out updates via email, as on reading other reviews on this site they did at one time. Also, other reviews state that the web site order status page was updated to show process of build, but so far mine it has not changed.)  
 
A few minutes later I got a call from them saying that the motherboard had failed and they did not have any more of that particular model in stock, but that had a deluxe model they could use, if I would like to pay the difference. I agreed. (I don’t know if it was my email that resulted in this call, or weather that was just a coincidence.)  
 
As of 8/25/06, I have not received any further communications. (Their web site states after the order has been processed, computer systems usually ship within five to ten business days. So far my order is at 12 business days, and has not shipped, as far as I know)  
 
UPDATE: I received the computer on 9/6/06. Let me start of by saying, that this computer is awesome, and the case is huge! It was package very well and arrived all in one piece. I only had one problem on set up, the power cord going to the video card had come lose during shipping, no problem I just popped it back in. I don't think the photo's on Digital Storm's web site do this thing justice. The computer has been put together with a great deal of care, it looks like a work of art! The bottom line, If you can't wait to get a computer, then having one built to your specs is not the way to go. I would say however, that you will be missing out on getting something really special. I would highly recommend Digital Storm. (Oh, I have photo's of the system, and will soon post a link, so you can take a look at this beast. As a suggestion, maybe Digital Storm could add a 'Customer pictures' page to thier web site.)  

This review was modified by its author, Jules1234, on 9/9/06 8:54 AM.

My purchasing experience was awesome. After several months of online research I continued to keep coming back to Digital Storm to look at my system and compare pricing on hardware. The sales team was great.

It was a pleasure working with Digital Storm. They were great about getting the order completed on time (I had a rush order). They contacted me with any changes and were more than willing to help each time I called. I am recommending them to everyone I know who has a need for computer products. I also felt like they really knew what they were doing and that my questions about the system I was purchasing were answered. In fact they seemed happy to answer my questions.

Up for less than a week - no problems so far - reasonable time to get it to me and everything arrived in good shape and runs very nicely. I wish I would have gotten a smaller cabinet than what I did - it was way too big - perhaps the web site might be updated to better show the boxes and/or someone might have mentioned how giant this thing was going to be!!  
Other than that - bravo!!  
 
Jack

I've had my Digitial Storm computer for almost a year now (I got it near the end of July 2005) and I have been very satisfied with it. It continues to perform solidly and was a nice price for the hardware. My experiences with the Digital Storm company, however, was mixed.  
 
After first placing my order by selecting items directly using their web interface, I was later suprised to find that when researching the mb I had selected that it was not compatible with the memory that I had ordered (mb used ddr, but I had ordered ddr2). I noticed this discrepency almost at the same time that they sent me an email saying my purchase was already being assembled. So, I wrote to them asking if their techs had noticed a problem with my order (since I new the memory would not work on the mb). On the same day I got back two emails from them one stating that there was no problem with my order, another giving me a selection of mb alternatives that would work and the cost difference. I selected a mb that supported it and agreed to the cost difference. But, I was very dissappointed that their web site had allowed me to select incompatible components in the first place. Also, I was told there would be a delay because of the mb switch that amounted to a couple of weeks. However, after waiting through the extra delay when I finally got my computer it still had the original mb and did not have the ddr2! Why I had to wait the extra time for them to ship the original machine is hard to understand. What did their techs do during those extra weeks while I was anxiously waiting for my new computer?  
 
On the good side, they responded very quickly arranging for the machine to be picked up and shipped back to them and the correct parts installed at their expense. This was all done efficiently and without delays.  
 
Also on the good side, they had contacted me early on when the case I ordered was not in stock and I accepted an alternative color rather than delay my order (although later, of course, I was unhappy to find that my order was ultimately delayed anyway due to the mb/mem mixup).  
 
Other minor problems:  
 
1) they did not send me a custom restore CD as promised (although they did send the nice notebook with original xp cd and driver cds), although I am sure they would have fixed this for me, if I asked (even though I had really wanted the restore CD, I just had no desire to ship the whole thing back to them again at this point, so I did not ask them to fix this). This was disappointing , since the custom restore cd was one the reasons that I chose digital storm over other sellers.  
 
2) they did not send me all the custom hardware that should have come with my lian li v1000 case (and no documentation for it) and so I had to order the special hd screws from another company at my own expense in order to install the hard drives in the correct lower section of the case with the nice built-in slides (as pictured on the digital storm web site, no less), although the second time they shipped they did include the wheels which I had complained were originally missing. I had asked them to fix the hard disk installation when the mb was being fixed, but their techs could not locate the appropriate hardware and did not seem to understand the Lian Li case and so I did it myself. This was disappointing since the "devices that slide in and out" was another reason that I selected digital storm, yet although I bought the case displayed on their web site they did not install my hard disks so that they slid in and out. I had to do that myself.  
 
3) I lost the first usb flash drive I pulled in to this computer. Looking inside I found out that the firewire mb connector was hooked up to the front usb connector (I'm glad I didn't plug in one of my expensive usb hard drives first). This was very disappointing since the "neat wiring" was another reason I had selected digital storm, but I had to cut apart some of their neat bundles in order to move the hard disks to the appropriate slots and then I had to cut apart all the rest of their neat bundles in order to correct the mistaken wiring. So much for the neat wiring bundles.

This review was modified by its author, SpaceEagle, on 6/21/06 4:21 AM.

After a lot of research I found myself very happy with the prices from this company. Also I was very impressed with how easy it was to place an order, and was able to keep track of my order just as easily once it was processed. I don't take spending a lot of money on a new computer lightly, and I haven't had any regrets over it.  
 
The system was delivered without a scratch, on-time, and was very easy to unpack. The computer also looked better than how I had pictured it, great quality, and almost exactly as the picture had displayed it.  
 
I missed out on some software I was supposed to have received along with the system, and it was prompty sent in the mail as soon as I had reported it to their customer service.  
 
There was also a rare set-back to occur with my computer working properly involving RAM and some driver's that were not already on the computer when I received it - in which Digital Storm's Technical Staff got back to me within 24 hours and set up a time that I was free out of my hectic schedule where they had practically stayed on the phone with me until it had been fixed.  
 
Though you may not get instant service when calling their line, I can assure anyone considering their product, when they get back to you about helping solve your issue, it will be efficient, and you most likely will be satisfied with the result. I'm not easy to please as I've worked in customer service, and am extremely happy with the fact that when someone from Digital Storm calls you, they know exactly what they're talking about, and know your computer like it is their own.  
 
I look forward to my next purchase with Digital Storm, hopefully very soon, and will be referring my friends to do the same.  
 
Nate.

This review was modified by its author, wudangmonk, on 6/29/06 4:44 PM.

1st off I have to say very very good people to work with if you have a problem with the system. I got my system in June 2006 everything was good except for a fan on liquid cooling system was broken due to shipping this allowed the cooling block to come lose. (More on that later) Apon setting the system up it would not power on found that the hard drive and mother board power cables came un-done do to cooling block being a flying object in case. Called them and right away they said no problem we will send you out a new fan to mount the cooling block. Now they said I could use the system just to make sure that the exposed fan blades did not hit anything. no problem this is when I discoved that the power cables where un pluged. When the support rep heard this he flag my account as may have more problems later. The cooling block is about 1/2 pound and can do damgae. He asked me to watch the system for problems and to contact them if things should come up. Ok great thanks. Now July 2006 and what happens system failure hard locks and blue screens. Ok heat build up on Hard drive.problem sloved I mounted the cooling unit wrong thanks again. Aug 2006 system dead in water. Loads windows sometimes will not and then locks.  
Called them up and they asked if I whould be willing to work with them over the phone, or they can have it picked up and shipped to them no charge. From my knowlegde of PC's I figured they better work on it. Told them what went wrong and they said they will look into it. Always got e-mails explaining what they found, and what the delays where. Now in this propecess of testing and finding the cooling system failed. Had to start over and parts where on back order no problem crap happens. Sept 2006 system is back in my hands running like a top nice and smooth. problem was cooling block damaged mother board and that was the main problem. just took sometime to find it because it was intermiten fault meaning it be there and then not. I do not blame DS for this problem it was pro- packed meaning it could take some hits and still live. looking at the fan it may have been a flaw in it that they may have not seen in QA. Always helpful, and truly one of the best PC companies out there. I will tell my friends and family about them.  
Thanks Agian,  
Wolfguard6

This review was modified by its author, Wolfguard6, on 9/27/06 8:07 AM.

This is what I will hope to be recieving.  
Order Contents:  
- Digital Storm Computer 17319 Quantity: 1  
 
System Configuration:  
Case: Digital Storm Twister Series (Highly Recommended!) (Black Edition)  
Power Supply: Enermax 620W (SLI/CrossFire Compatible) (Liberty Edition)  
Processor: AMD Athlon FX-62 (AM2 Socket) (Dual Core) (2MB Cache)  
w/HyperTransport Tech.  
Motherboard: Asus M2N32-SLI Deluxe (Chipset: nForce 590 SLI) (nVIDIA SLI  
Compatible)  
Memory: 2GB Super Talent at 667MHz (Dual Channel) (Lifetime Warranty)  
Floppy / Media: Digital Media Card Reader (Black)  
Hard Drive 1: Western Digital 320GB (16MB Cache) (7200 RPM) (SATA II)  
Optical Drive 1: Sony DVD-ROM/CD-ROM (DVD Reader 16x / CD Reader 40x)  
Optical Drive 2: Sony DVD±R/RW/CD-R/RW (DVD Writer 16x / CD-Writer 48x)  
Network Card: High Speed Network Port (Supports High-Speed Cable / DSL / Network  
Connections)  
Video Card: nVidia GeForce 7900GTX 512MB (By: Asus) (PCI-Express)  
Sound Card: Motherboard Multi-Channel High Definition Audio (Up to 5.1 Channel)  
Cooling: Extreme Blizzard Liquid Chilled (CPU Enhanced Performance Tuning)  
Case Lighting: Blizzard Internal Lighting (Green Edition) (Cold Cathode Tubes)  
 
I ordered it on May 29th, and was told to be expecting it in the middle of June.  
As for now, my processor is allegedly on back-order, so I will be updating this review throughout my waiting process. Let's all hope that only the miniscule of things will go wrong, or not at all.  
 
6/4/06  
Had sent two or three emails to the sales department in concerns with my order status, but no word. I tend not to want to call them since I'd rather not be a pest, for fear that it may affect anything regarding my order. I'm superstitious like that. Although I am not that patient, I can still consider that this is a business, and businesses, if doing well, are usually very busy. So my benefit of the doubt lays in there. Will update when something happens..  
 
*Note: Be sure to Select the Ultra model before any custom configuration steps to add or strip your pc of parts. Interestingly enough, it will give you the best value/price when compared to other "types" of the digital storm pc series. For instance, the pc I am getting is of a "Pro" series, but is around 100 dollars more than the same setup in an "Ultra" series.  
 
6/7/06  
I got an email yesterday indicating that my processor was expected in 6/8/06. Can't wait. But the strange thing is, a couple of minutes later I got another email to confirm that my pc was now in the build process. Kind of confusing, seeing as how they don't have my processor at hand. But maybe they're trying to let me know that "the commencement has begun." Thanks a lot. LOL. I also ordered an awesome LG 20 inch Monitor and am expecting that tomorrow. We'll see if I get an email about anything tomorrow.  
 
6/8/06  
Wonder if they got the processor in today. I got so impatient I actually switched from ground delivery to 3 day air. I wonder if that'll actually make any difference for that matter. My monitor came today though. That's always a good thing. I just simply can't wait is all. So antsy. I really hope they got in the processor today.  
 
6/9/06  
Recieved email confirmation that the processor was in. The expected shipping date is 6/19/06, so hopefully, I'll be getting the machine before the 22nd. So far, I am content with the service, although anyone would prefer to have it sooner.  
 
6/11/06  
Creaming in my Freakin Pants! 8 days left!!!  
 
6/14/06  
5 days left!  
 
6/19/06  
Finally the day has arrived, but I got a call today, and something else is on backorder. I got even more impatient and switched the 3-day air option to overnight so I can at least recieve it this week. I am dissappointed that I was not notified of this anytime before the actual day it was supposed to be shipped. What happened to heads up notices, like when my processor was on backorder? So far, this is the only tic I have as of yet.  
 
6/21/06  
I called today and was told they are recieving the backorder item tomorrow. So, hopefully, if nothing goes wrong again, I will be recieving the system on Friday or Saturday and finally be able to add some meaningful content to this review.

This review was modified by its author, krushgr00ve, on 6/21/06 8:27 PM.

This has to be the worst company I've ever had the displeasure of purchasing anything from. Their voicemessage claims that they provide "outstanding" customer service right before it feeds you to the obligatory voice mailbox. Don't count on a phonecall unless your issue is simpler than mine. Once I shipped them my dead (Vantec) power supply (March '06) and I've received exactly 3 responses from them in 3 months after hounding them for some kind of update. Each time a different promise and nothing. I originally asked if I get could any compatible supply and they said mine had to be fixed - 3months later they finally said that since mine can't be fixed and they would ship me a compatible supply "tomorrow". (I think they lost it because Vantec Tech support says they have replacements available if it can't be fixed.) 2 weeks later....nada and no call back or reply by email.  
 
How hard can it be to replace a power supply????  
 
Buyer beware - once they have your money they don't have the organization or wherewithal to follow up on the simplest of warranty issues.  
 
06/22 - I had no intention of bashing this company any further, that is until I got the notification of their reply. I don't intend to split hairs with whether or not my voicemails and emails included my new address prior, the point is meaninglessly lost in DSO's statements to the fact that Vantec claims to not have my original power supply in stock. As I originally posted, I made a point to contact Vantec directly to determine if my PS was available from them for warranty repair. They immediately said yes in-fact they have plenty of my type PS in stock and available for immediate shipment if in-fact they cannot repair the defect in my power supply. I don't like to call anyone a liar, it's a word better served in person with all relevant parties present. But come on Jason, when I asked you for the original status of my PS you or Jonathan claimed that Vantec was late in returning it-"fib". Another "fib" was telling me that you did ship the bad unit to vantec. The next "fib" was saying that Vantec could not repair it. Jonathan either has a photographic memory or was looking at my power supply (that was supposedly shipped to Vantec) to tell me that I left my cable adapter and bracket attached to it when I shipped it to you. Thanks for shipping them back to me though so I could make the new Louder than heck PS work. (They're the originals because I marked the location of the burnt connector.) Credibility doesn't grow on trees, good luck getting yours back.

This review was modified by its author, Roto-AZ, on 6/22/06 7:17 PM.

6/15/06 I finally recieved my PC... What a Machine!! Very impressed... *still* as of 6/22, no problems... runs awesome!..  
 
6/12/06 System finally on it's way  
 
Even though I am commenting mostly about communication, I still believe very much, that this company is dedicated to there development of a top-notch system of which I ordered. There check & balances make it worth-while. Some small companies do as they can to maintain high qualities of workmanship.  
 
6/7/06: still no system... *will ship on 6/12* they now say, after a few phone calls and emails (some went unnoticed) that the *water cooling blocked failed* then after a few days later.. I was told the system was finishing up... would be shipped, *Tracking number approved*.. a few days passed; I called.. now, this $5000 system now had bad/corrupt video cards... bummer.. so 3-4 biz days before shipping.. However, at least they are making sure I get what I ordered and at the best quality operative system.  
 
><>  
I will comment later on the *system* I purchased, because of 6/1/06 I have yet to receive this item. Two items of note. First, Current order status on the web site today 6/1/06 still shows Stage 2. Second, a letter sent to me 5/22 showed my system was about ready to be shipped... On 5/26, I talked to sales rep who mentioned that my system was in the packed in the box, ready to be picked up on Tuesday (Monday holiday) for shipment to me. I called 5/31, spoke with John who said a part that they were waiting on was finally in and that my system would be packed and shipped in a day or two...  
 
Over the course of this month, a few emails and phone calls went unanswered...  
 
I just hope as I have seen written at this site, that the System itself will be as I ordered.. for what I enjoy doing... :)  
 
Have a nice day

This review was modified by its author, Ionbick, on 6/22/06 4:29 PM.

I had been looking for a new computer gaming rig for sometime and had found all the major companies to be lack in providing what I needed (no big surprise there). I searched around on the web for a company that specialized in gaming computers, and happened upon Digital Storm. I was able to customize a system to my exact specifications on their website, and found the price to be around $400-$600 cheaper than the equivalent from most major companies.  
 
I placed my order, and though the order took 3 weeks to be processed and built, it was well worth the wait. My new system is incredible, runs silent and smooth, and I had no trouble getting it set up.  
 
I am incredibly impressed with Digital Storm and its work on my system. Keep up the good work, guys!