Overall - Digital Storm creates a customized machine for every customer, with the customer support to back it up.  
 
I ordered my Digital Storm on 9/4/2009, and received my machine on 9/18. The e-mail updates on the build and testing status is a nice touch.  
Playing Oblivion with all the eye candy on, that nite the computer shut off after 5 minutes of playing. I tried again, same result. Since it was very late, I figured it must be me and some bad settings. On 9/19, a saturday, the computer totally died. I left a message with Digital Storm, on saturday afternoon.  
 
Randy from Digital Storm called back on Monday, 9/21. He diagnosed a bad power supply, and I now have a replacement power supply as of 9/28/2009.  
 
I wonder if the RaidMax RX 420K power supply was being worked too hard by my system build, and I should get a bigger power supply. I'll check the DS forums to research this topic.  
 
Bare bones windows was the only software on the machine - it's the nicest build that I have ever owned over the last 20 years.  
 
Great Job DS - as long as the power supply holds out.

Just received my Digitalstorm computer in the mail, got everything set up and was up and running within 10 minutes. I admire the care they put into their products as well as their attention to customer satisfaction. I would recommend them 100%

Overall: Digital Storm builds a mean computer. The price was competitive, the build quality is excellent and the performance is as advertised - FAST.  
 
I ordered one of the pre-built deals off Digital Storm's website earlier this month. I had done a lot of research beforehand, and the price was very competitive with a similar configuration from other builders. The ordering process was a bit of a hassle for me, because I had to go through the additional step of sending in a credit card authorization form in order to have the computer shipped to a different address from my billing address (I live in an apartment complex, and was concerned about the security of delivery). Still, DS replied promptly to my calls and the build/testing precess was short and painless. I appreciated the email updates on the progress of my system that DS sent to me.  
 
I received the computer in good condition -- the computer was nestled in a massive box with tons of foam padding inside and out. The only issue was that one of the rear expansion slot covers had come off, and both the metal cover and screw were loose inside the case. I hate to think about that heavy screw rattling around inside my case during shipping, but after using the computer for one week I have not noticed any damage or problems.  
 
The computer itself looks great -- I was amazed at how clean the inside of the case looked, with liquid CPU cooling and all internal wires tucked away and secured. I'm impressed that Digital Storm took the time to put in such a meticulous wiring job on a pre-built discount system, and I think it reflects well on the company's commitment to quality.  
 
The only software pre-installed on the system was bare-bones Windows. This is the cleanest system I've ever received, and I loved turning it on for the first time and seeing nothing on the desktop but the recycle bin. The CPU is overclocked from 2.66 to 3.6 GHz, but it has run completely stable and cool since I got it. Between the quality hardware and clean software, this is easily the fastest, most responsive system I've ever owned. Good job, DS.  

I want to say I like this company and their tech support is the best-better then any company I have ever dealt with, however I had a few issues with their customer service because my computer had some part problems (which can happen to anyone) and I originally felt as if my issues were not being addressed. Since that time I received a phone call from Alex who seemed genuinely concerned about my issues and offered to work with me and my complaints have been resolved. I will have to say it is nice when a company cares enough how you feel to call you back and discuss the situation.Once again Digital Storm has earned my respect for no other reason then they listened to me. I would like to make it clear that I do love my computer and every issue I have had was addressed in a polite quick manner and I would purchase another computer from them. Thank you Alex for listening.  
Lisa

This review was modified by its author, Lesea, on 9/29/09 7:59 PM.

Back when times were a better, I made it a habit to replace my old computer with a new one about every other year. I would pirate parts from the old machine and augment the new one. However, I could no longer do that after I left college, so I kept my PC for almost eight years before I decided to replace it.  
 
I needed a computer capable of handling graphics intensive applications, including 3d modeling. I also wanted a machine that had the hardware to support next generation video games if the time would allow. My last computer was a Gateway and I have built many machines for others in the past, but I knew that I did not have the time nor patience to research the latest hardware, compile and build it myself.  
 
I began looking online for "gaming grade" machines. I knew I wanted the new i7 chip and a mid-high level video card arrangement. I asked several friends who had purchased machines from Digital Storm "competitors" and each one had one complaint or another. From broken video cards, to poor customer service, the problems were endless. Considering that I was about to spend several thousand dollars on a new machine that would have to last a while, I became worried that there were no quality custom-build computer companies that I could trust. The only exceptions were extremely overpriced and I would be paying more for the name brand than the actual product.  
 
If I remember correctly, a last ditch Google search for custom gaming machines yielded Digital Storm. The first thing that caught my eye when I visited the site was the BBB logo on the front page. Considering the nightmares I have experienced with online companies, it was a pleasant surprise to see a company that maintained a standard of customer service with a reputable independent rating agency. I then traveled to the DS company forums and read glowing reviews from current customers about their products.  
 
Lastly, I actually visited ResellerRatings.com and found that DS has consistently outperformed similar companies in all aspects by a large margin. Computer buyers and especially those with know-how are very picky individuals. They know when a product is poor or the customer service is lacking. We are a sensitive lot and will complain if something is so much as a hair out of place. I found very little if any negative reviews about DS and my mind was made up.  
 
I purchased one of the Back-to-School specials and felt that I really was getting a heck of a lot of machine for my money. Solid components, name brand hardware and an amazing case. My bank even declined my Debit card due to daily limits and DS was kind enough to call me in person to ask me to clear things up with my bank. Everyone was extremely courteous and prompt with responding to my questions.  
 
The machine came earlier than I expected, beautifully packed with all components protected in transit with the expanding cushion system they use. Cables were tied and clipped to the chassis and not a wire was out of place. No loose screws, no loose harnesses and nothing had moved so much as an inch in transit. I also received a customized three-ring binder with all CDs, a certificate of ownership and my Windows 7 upgrade coupon smiling back at me. It reminded me of the good old days when computer companies actually had to work for your business and everything came in binders with the full documentation and all discs included. Today most system software is saved on a partition or must be downloaded and documents are only online. I was very pleased with Digital Storm's attention to detail on this matter.  
 
I am extremely happy with this purchase. No buyer's remorse, no regrets, no problems and a 100% functioning and blazing fast machine that looks (and acts) like it cost much more. I would recommend Digital Storm to anyone considering a new PC purchase. You will not be disappointed.

Great machine-bought a system that was on sale but had some hardrives I wanted to have removed and another changed. No problem, they credited the amount for the ones removed and put the system together the way I wished and still got a sale price + a amall bench fee. Flexible even on a sale system. That's huge!!

I originally had a super long story here about my experience with DS. Long story short, I had needed a replacement laptop ASAP, but my orders were constantly backordered, even the ones that they assurred me were ready to ship immediately (and that I had to pay more for). In the end, I found out their side of the story from Alex, and I realized they really did everything they could to accomodate me (they had even ordered the backordered processor from AMAZON for chrissakes to get the laptop to me as soon as possible). They offered to upgrade me to another processor that was available (but how could I accept that knowing that they already paid a ton extra for the amazon processor) and free overnight shipping. So in the end, while I was still slightly miffed about the delays, Digital Storm did their best and then more to make it up to me. And as a customer that had bought a PC from DS about a year ago and am STILL in love with it, I'm sure to go back to this company again for my next rig.

This review was modified by its author, sittingducks, on 9/17/09 1:28 PM.

Digital Storm is excellent. Their customer and technical support are both responsive and helpful. Ordering was easy, even when my internet was down. The computer was shipped well, and performs beautiful. I've had a minor problem with it, and help with the issue was quick and worked well. I have complete confidence in Digital Storm

This review was modified by its author, gebbygolf, on 9/15/09 11:57 PM.

So far, my experience has been excellent. I got sick of being jacked around by Apple's shoddy build quality, and decided to give the PC world a try again.  
 
All of the important little details have been executed perfectly--cooling, cable management, all excellent. Everything about the computer is fast and cool-running.  
I ordered one of the "preconfigured" systems with only minor tweaks--the components are identical to what I was about to build myself! Ordering from Digital Storm, I got exactly the specs I wanted, and a warranty to boot.  
 
Highly recommended.

I jumped on their recently updated pre-built offer and could not be happier. It's an amazing feeling I've never had before to crank ALL the settings on a game to their maximum and still have it run smoothly.  
 
I should point out I have only had it for about a month but I feel confident in my system. I've stress tested it myself and checked my temps (well within parameters considering the amazing overclock they provided.) Most importantly Digital Storm actually bothers to test their systems before they ship them out and they put the whole system under stress for 24 hours. A state that isn't even close to real world conditions unless you commonly play something like Crysis at max settings for 24 hours straight.  
 
I feel confident in their honesty about this because besides checking for myself I also got a call from them informing me they were not able to get the system 100% stable through the test at a 3.8ghz overclock but they were at 3.75ghz. They wanted to know if this was ok or if I would like to cancel my order. Well that was certainly good enough for me considering the stock speed for the core i7 920 is 2.66! And this is actually covered under warranty. But just the fact they would check with me over something as small as .5ghz says a lot.  
 
I could go on about the benefits of Digital Storm  
but I think this sums it up best. They actually care about quality and customer satisfaction.  
 
But that's the business what about the machine itself? I have found nothing to challenge the hardware yet. The case, the wiring and overall presentation is professionally neat and clean. The software came with none of the bloat you'd get buying from a store and extensive documentation for everything they even include the software cds in a digital storm binder! I was impressed by that little touch. I would have expected paper sleeves all individual not all collected for me in a binder. They even include the hardware extras the individual components would come with had you bought it yourself individually. So extra cables and such you may find useful.  
 
In every way they are superior to buying your computer from a store or anyone else. If you REALLY know computers and want to save every dollar you can you'll probably still want to make your own but for everyone else in the market for a powerful computer (whether it be gaming like me, multimedia etc.) I would not hesitate to recommend Digital Storm.

Preliminary Review  
 
Ordering:  
 
I used the Digital Storm website and configuration tools to order my new system. I have to admit that I was impressed by the sheer level of customization that one has when ordering. I also understand that there is an option to ask for a component to be used even if it is not carried, which adds an extra level of customization.  
 
The process itself was easy. I chose the options I wanted. Hit the order button. I almost instantly received a confirmation email and an email to remind my credit company that a large charge would be pending.  
 
The only thing I wished was that there were more information about some of the individual component choices.  
 
So, all in all a 9 out of 10.  
 
Build Time:  
 
I ordered my system on 8/31/09. It has not yet shipped. So, for now I will hold judgment, as there was a recent holiday weekend and whatnot.  
 
Customer Service:  
 
I have to admit I have been disappointed overall with the customer service thus far. Yes, I received regular automated updates as to which "phase" my order was in, but minimal other contact. I had to send several requests in via email, in order to get updates on my order status. Only two of my four update requests were actually answered.  
 
Also, in terms of the updates I received, they were relatively short and confusing. For example, my order currently says it is in Quality Assurance, which is the last step before shipping, all the testing and stress testing was supposed to be done in earlier phases. However, my last update from a live customer service rep, says that my computer failed the stress test and the OC had to be re-tweaked and that is why it was taking a while to ship. Confusing, since my order status still says QA - no?  
 
Performance:  
 
Pending receipt of the computer.  

What can I say? In the past I have built my computers, I have been working on computers for about 16 years. So I decided I didn’t want to build one this time and I wanted a high-end gaming computer. So I was originally going to buy a computer from Dell. I couldn't figure out exactly what I wanted. So I decided to go through there forums. Wow, when I started to read all the reviews I definitely made up what I wanted. Sorry I couldn't help myself, ok I'm not being serious and I'm not trying to trash talk another company, but come one DOAs left and right and if it didn’t arrive broken it would have bugs in the system left and right. Well I decided to call them and see what their techs on call had to say. Umm, how can I put this without offending anyone? Oh, no speaka engrish, ascent so thick I had to have a friend talk to them and she couldn't understand either. So I left it at that, I decided to look around for other computer makers. I remember seeing on G4 about the computers made at Digital Storm, and how high they got in scores, they were the highest they had ever seen. So I decided to start reading their forums, ok all I saw was positive everywhere I saw, so I knew this was the place. I posted in the configuration section about what I was looking for and I got an answer within seconds. They were awesome; it was love at first sight. So that after noon I put in for my order On August 25. They said I would receive it within 10 days I would receive my computer. My computer was done within 6 days and I received it on September 4. Now When I signed for this I knew from reading the forums that it would be big, it was definitely that and more. The box was HUGE! I opened it up and saw there was some serious padding going on, nothing could shift to easily. So I opened up the case to add some extras and to see how they configured it internally, they had put extra shifting protection in just to make sure not of the cards or hardware came loose, wires were perfectly position to allow optimal cooling, none were in the way. I had never had a machine that I built look this clean and sleek. I couldn’t wait to hook it up and turn it on. I couldn’t find anything besides what they installed to test the computer itself, on my computer. None of that use for 30 days crap then put more quarters in for more time. It was extremely fast, I started to install my more graphically intensive games that my previous computer couldn’t fully display as full setting, and well this computer can do it. They all looked so detailed and I couldn’t have expected more from them they went above and beyond what they said they could do. It doesn’t slow down even when I am doing way too much multitasking. I will definitely buy from Digital Storm again if ever needed in the future.

This review was modified by its author, killyouwithafart, on 9/12/09 2:21 AM.

Top notch company. I have built my last few computers, but this time I wanted a company to build me a system that would not only carry my through the next few years, but also be fully covered if anything went wrong.  
 
Digital Storm was very helpful during the ordering process and their forums have a huge number of helpful employees and customers to help with configurations or questions.  
 
My system shipped out very quickly and arrived in great shape. It is a beautiful piece of machinery and everything I hoped for. I look forward to my next opportunity to purchase from Digital Storm and would feel confident in recommending them to anyone looking for a computer system.

I ordered a pre-built back to school system from DS on Aug 25th and received it on Aug 31st. I was excited to hear the UPS truck outside my house and I went outside to watch the UPS man walk of of his truck with a beefy looking box in his hands. Angels were singing, birds were chirping, cats were meowing, etc. I shot an e-mail to DS on around the 27th to let them know that it was my birthday on the 31st and that if it was at all possible to recieve the computer by then. They promptly replied in a few hours to let me know that they sent out my new DS system and that it should arrive on my birthday early in the morning. They also surprised me even more by including a few free games as well.  
 
Its nice to know there is a company out there like DS. They really do quality work with their systems. The inside of the computer is so well done. It's the little things that really make them stand out.  
* Routing the wire making sure they are out of the way (the inside of my case is CLEAN)  
* Customer Service responds very quickly and try their best to accommodate you  
* There isn't a bunch of bloatware installed onto your computer like some other companies  
* An awesome 3 year warranty  
I have only had my DS for 9 days and I have not had a single hiccup.  
 
I did a lot of searching to find the right company to buy a computer from. When I came across the Digital Storm ratings on reseller ratings I was scared at first. I just couldn't believe how much people loved their DS computers. It seemed too good to be true. I looked at the bbb website and saw the A+ rating for DS and from there I just went with it and ordered my system. I now know why people gave such good reviews on this website. DS is amazing from start to finish.