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" I read some of the other reviews with interest as I am also a purchaser of an OverdrivePC. Unlike many that purchase these machines, my purpose in purchasing an OverdrivePC was to run statistical analyses and computer modeling problems. I am a statistician by training, and a professor by trade. As you can imagine, some of the applications I run are quite demanding and can push a machine to its utmost. I am used to setting up an analysis and then walking away from the machine for 10-15 minutes while it works on the solution. The opportunity to pick up an OverdrivePC to improve my productivity was too good to overlook. To state the obvious, I am absolutely amazed at the capabilities of this PC. Programs run effortlessly, and the entire platform is remarkably stable. Our university typically purchases major brand-name computers for our use, and they would regularly hiccup during applications. Don’t get me wrong, this PC manufacturer builds a nice PC, but Overdrive is in another stratum altogether. Some specifics of my experience: I spoke with OverdrivePC's chief operations officer and their production manager about my needs, and they were remarkably candid about what aspects of their machines would provide the most benefit. Working upon their advice, I did a little research and found that statistics applications are almost universally single-threaded (that is, they must run in sequence, and cannot run on multiple processors at the same time.) With that knowledge, they suggested a configuration that would best fit my particular needs. For fast drive access, they suggested a Raid 0 configuration with dual Raptor 74GB 10,000 RPM drives and a secondary 400GB data drive. We did include an upgraded graphics card to allow for visual modeling (and occasional games on the side). At the time, the fastest kid on the block was the AMD FX-60 CPU, which they overclocked to about 3 Ghz. Although the FX-60 is a dual-core chip, the desire to run other programs while statistical analyses were churning in the background was too much to pass up. With a set of speakers and two monitors, this PC is the envy of every student and professor at the university, and for good reason. Boot-up takes a small fraction of the time that even brand new PCs require. The system runs effortlessly through complex problems (and complex rendering.) Students congregate in my office just to see what a game looks like at all of the maximum settings. The only comparison that I can think of is it is like driving a Ferrari when everyone else is driving go-carts. (I remember reading at a game website on the highest possible settings for graphics and artificially-controlled players. I blew past those maximums with ease.) The system is quiet, which is notable given the number of fans necessary to keep it cool. The design and manufacturing is top-notch. Now for an opinion about their company: I was an entrepreneur prior to switching into academia for a career. My company did high-level computer animations of events for media and litigation support. For example, we would be called into to recreate an airline or other serious vehicular accident to facilitate a juries understanding of the events. One of the points you learn quickly as an entrepreneur is that each customer can lead to additional sales (if treated properly) or a bad reputation (if treated poorly.) Some of the best companies in the world are known for their extraordinary care of their customers (i.e. Nordstrum.) That said, I have yet to see a company that treats you as well as OverdrivePC. They do not wait for you to have a problem. They call you when the PC is delivered to walk you through setup (if needed) and call several times asking about your experience even months after the purchase … and its not some voice in India asking. The people that make decisions at OverdrivePC are often on the other end of the call. Most companies have walked away with the money by then. I read with interest the account by another reviewer that stated some negative things about OverdrivePC. Either they are trying to extort money out of the company, or they had misidentified the company they were having problems with. Regardless, they clearly had an agenda which was not to give an honest review. You will not get better care and service than you do at OverdrivePC. Final comments: In my professional opinion, OverdrivePC provides an incredible product at a good price. Service matches the quality perfectly – it’s the whole package. I am thrilled with my purchase and enjoy its benefits every day. It is easy to feel like a spoiled child when you fire-up an Overdrive computer every morning. Computing doesn’t get much better than this."
This review was modified by statsman on June 17 2006 01:17:16 PM
"I just received my fourth overdrivepc and will certainly buy more. We use both Torque and Gemini boxes for drug discovery applications that don't support SMP or shared-memory machines. Typical jobs take days to weeks to complete (cpu 100%) thus both speed and stability are priceless (a 15-30% increase in performace ((over stock speed)) translates into days of saved time). Importantly, not one of our four overdrivepc machines has crashed. In fact, our overdrivepc boxes are more stable than our commodity pc’s despite being overclocked. We’ve had several jobs run for nearly one month at 100% cpu with significant memory I/O without a hiccup.
Extremely fast 3D video is also a requirement for visualizing results from our calculations. Importantly, we’ve discovered that it’s possible to run a drug discovery application on one core (@ 100% cpu) and play Battlefield2 @ 1600x1200 (maximum visual and sound effects) on the other core while achieving stellar frame rates. Bottom line: The drug discovery programs we rely upon are important enough to justify the purchase of any PC. We’ve tried other high-end vendors and have settled squarely on overdrivepc."
The following is my review of OverdrivePC (www.overdrivepc.com). Updates will be added as they occur.
Key Points:
- Paid $4,600 for the computer only (no monitors or peripherals) in January 2006.
- Computer was rushed to meet guaranteed deadline after employee that took my order quit and company "forgot" about my deadline.
- Computer crashed straight out of the box and would not start.
- The restore DVD that was sent with the computer was faulty so I could not fully restore the computer.
- It took them months to diagnose the problem with my computer and I'm still not convinced they've got it right.
- In the course of several months, I had to:
- Open my brand new computer at least 10 times.
- Spend at least 15 hours on the phone (long-distance, paid by me) with the company diagnosing the problems with my new computer.
- Was "advised" to get a $200 transformer that not only didn’t work, but actually damaged my computer further.
- Exchanged parts inside my computer on numerous occasions, including fiddling with small plugs leading into the mother board.
- Exchanged over 100 e-mails with the company.
- Wasted over 200 hours of my time.
- It is now almost half a year since I paid for my computer and it is still not fully functional. Considering how much I had to fiddle with this "brand new" computer, I feel like it is now a used computer and not what I paid for.
- And, to add insult to injury, the company tells me they will keep 20% of my money if I decide to return my computer, which I wanted to do, and that an exchange is "not an option".
I expect all of the above from a $600 computer, not a $4,600 computer.
In short, this company has profited from my distress.
Verdict: Do NOT buy an OPC computer, no matter what you read or what they tell you.
If you would like to read my full review regarding my OPC, please visit http://www.therecordbreakingdomain.com/opc.php . It is a very long read, but definitely worth it if you are considering an OPC so that you know what you are risking and getting yourself into. If you would like to e-mail me any questions, feel free to do so on forsale@therecordbreakingdomain.com "
This review was modified by akello on June 19 2006 03:41:28 AM
"Purchased the computer to replace my old Dell XPS. While the product is certainly expensive and high end, the quality of the products, the low volume high customer focus of Overdrive, and amazing support make the high price a real value. Despite the 'boutique' nature of the company, I was still able to get excellent tech support last weekend after an issue I encountered. Within the space of a few emails, we had diagnosed the problem and a replacement part was sent the next business day. Having spent hours and hours on the phone with Dell's India based color by numbers tech support this was a breath of fresh air. Oh and by the way, the machine is SOOOOOO FEAKIN FAST. I look forward to many years of quality computing, video editing and gaming on my box."
This review was modified by ptlevine on April 25 2006 10:08:14 AM
" They provided me with the oddest shopping experience I ever had. They tried, and did, sell me less than I wanted to buy. I wanted to buy the top of the line CPU with water-cooling. The technician on the phone explained to me that with their overclocking I could get to within 5% of that performance for a chip that cost $500 less. They also guaranteed me that despite all the overclocking I wouldn’t need water-cooling. In fact the tech ensured that the system would be quiet. All the other positive reviews convinced me to try them out. After a month I’m very satisfied. My rig is very quiet when it’s on. That was important to me. I can hear whispers in the room just fine. My brother-in-law has a system from Velocity and it’s much quieter than his. I can actually sleep in the room with it. Heck, it’s quieter than an Xbox 360!"
OverdrivePC and Mario have provided more than expected or asked for and I strongly recommend individuals/businesses in need of specialized solutions to seriously consider ODPC.
My story:
My work entails data, lots of data. I routinely work with single files in excess of 10GB and entire data systems containing billions of records amounting to 500GB – 1TB. The main tool I use is SAS. SAS is a HDD intensive DBMS that is almost limitless in the ways it can analyze data. My former company closed the office in which I worked and fired everybody. They also took the system on which I had been working, a very expensive machine with large capacity (3TB of HHD on system). This company then wanted me to continue assisting them on my own. Ummm…. what to do?
PCs are much like LEGOs in that if you have the correct “bricks,” just about anyone can build a “working” system. CPU, MOBO, DRAM, HDD, etc. PC Companies, on the other hand, are constrained (or in ODPC case, unbound) by their particular business model, focus and creativity (or lack of).
The necessity to continue to feed my family put me in the market for a substantial machine. I checked out the majors: Dell, HP, etc. When I would bump up the specs to the level where I felt I could successfully complete the tasks ahead, the prices were ridiculous and the systems were just stuff piled on stuff. No thought on how the pieces would work together (remember the LEGO analogy).
I looked into smaller firms and gaming systems intrigued me. I figured if a PC could run a high end game at a very high level, it surely could sort, merge and summarize data (and play those games on the side). But the reviews of the service/products of so many boutique firms were worrisome. I stumbled across ODPC and a review here by X|Davey piqued my interest. ODPC was a gaming PC company with a stellar rep who had gone out of their way to satisfy a specific business request.
I called ODPC and said I wanted some specific information about their systems. Mario quickly called me back from his car. As I explained my needs, I could hear Mario getting more and more excited. He asked if he could run some tests/experiments and get back to me in a day or two. After a couple days Mario calls and is very amp-ed about a particular system configuration he has tested. He goes through the hardware setup and various performance numbers, most important of which to me was the HDD bandwidth. When he finishes he says “what do you think?” I don’t tell him I think this is going to cost way too much for my budget. He then says, “and I can do it for $$.” I almost drop the phone. BUILD IT!!
End game:
The system ODPC/Mario designed and built smokes my previous firm’s system in most areas and is no less than comparable in others. I have been able to perform my analyses in an extremely efficient manner and am on the verge capturing a major client away from my former firm! Oh yeah, and the price was less than 10% of the other system’s cost!!
I also get to play FarCry/Call of Duty, etc. at the maximum settings. ;-)
Through Mario’s creativity, passion and commitment to his customer, ODPC has moved far from the concept of the LEGO computer. My system is a true custom system, specifically tailored to do what I need to get done. I didn’t just purchase a box of LEGOs, I purchased a handcrafted tool. "
This review was modified by KRomig on June 04 2004 05:57:02 PM
"After living with my Overdrive PC for 6 months I have one word for it: FANTASTIC!
When I first talked to Overdrive, they listened to what I needed and helped me confgure the right machine for my needs.
When I called other direct PC vendors, the sales people read from scripts and just tried to sell me whatever cookie-cutter machine was currently rolling off the assembly lines.
I am not a hard core gamer so I cannot offer insight to those of you who are, but if you use your PC for mega-multi-tasking and/or do photo/video editing you might be amazed at how these machines can fly.
I was tired of waiting forever for Adobe Photoshop to open and nearly falling asleep every time I applied edits to my pictures. Now, even with 10,000 photos in my library, it's bang-zoom-done, and on to the next task.
I knew nothing about RAID 0 vs RAID 1 drive set ups but they explained them to me and helped me design a multi drive set-up which just absolutely flies as I bounce back and forth between a dozen simultaneiously open applications and 50 or more open files.
Stability is outstanding. With an overclocked processor I was a bit worried that I would get more crashes but my Overdrive PC is much more stable than the plain vanilla machine it replaced.
Despite multiple fans, I find it to be a very quiet machine.
The inside of the case is amazing. Every wire clipped to proper length. I open it to show friends just to hear them say, "Oh, wow."
You will have to wait a bit to get one since they custom build each machine, but for me the wait was well worth it and I look forward to becoming a repeat customer some day. "
"My transaction took place june 7th 2004 not 2005.
After researching for months as throughly as humanly possible, I went with the guys at OverDrivePC. I looked at the regular players (Dell, HP, Gateway, etc) and the custom players (including Alienware, Voodoo, Falcon Northwest, Velocity Micro, ABSpc, Puget, Tasty Computers, Maingear, BOXX, Thunderboxx, Screamworx, Hypersonic, Ibuypower, etc.). I researched and compared between them all and found OverdrivePC to be more cost effective than Voodoo, BOXX, and FNW. I eventually kept narrowing down the makers till I reached a rift between Velocity Micro and OverdrivePC. OverdrivePC had a price premium over velocity micro so I figured I would check out why. When I approached OverdrivePC, Mario treated me like I was his only customer. He answered emails faster than anyone I have ever seen (usually within minutes) and when reviewing my build ideas he found ways to save me some money while not sacrificing much. He is very knowledgeable about all aspects of computer building. When I approached Velocity micro I didn't get any personal attention as it was a more streamlined process (they are a great dealer, and I recommend them to many on a tight budget). So the decision was made to go with OverdrivePC.
OverdrivePC offers some of the most knowledgeable tech support with Mario doing the most of it. Although it is only 9am-5pm M-F do not hold this against them. 24/7 tech support usually implies inferior qualified people providing the support. It is also nice to talk to the person who built your computer and thus obviously knows what may have gone wrong. I must admit though I haven't really needed the support, but Mario has answered numerous questions about computers and accessories for me.
After the around 3 week wait for my computer to arrive I couldn't be more pleased. It arrives in the most well packed HUGE box ever. After unpacking, I opened up the computer to peak inside. You will find the best wired computers around. Never have I seen a more clean wiring job. For some pictures of the above visit http://www.overdrivepc.com/forum/showthread.php?t=9173 (this is not my computer but it is great to know every wire job is as neat and every packing job is as good). I have been using this computer for 2 years now with ZERO major problems (My maxtor harddrive died this week, but a HD failure is no representation on the company itself. Mario has offered to replace it basically at cost since the warranty is expired). It is super fast, very quiet, and aesthetically pleasing. I prefer the elegant look of the lian-li cases to the super flashy other gaming computer cases.
In conclusion: If you are looking for a top of the line computer with the best tech support and superior performance (checkout [H]ard|OCP's review of it) and are willing to pay a price premium for it, look no further than OverdrivePC and Mario. Thanks again Mario and keep up the good work!"
"After saving for a long, long time and doing a large amount of research as to where to spend my money, I decided to purchase a gaming computer from Overdrive PC, mostly based on reviews at HardOCP and here at ResellerRatings.
The order was placed about two weeks ago (Dec 14 2006) and it is currently Dec 31 2006. I was helped throughout the entire process by Aaron, who seemed to be quite knowledgeable and helpful. I think the best thing about my pre-sales experience is that Aaron was never in a hurry to push me off the phone. He was very patient with me as I described my needs and what I was trying to do, and made corrections to my proposed build in a few places.
One thing I didn't like was that he indicated it would take about 4 to 5 weeks for my system to be built, tested, and shipped. However, they were up front about that information. Much to my dismay, they don't have an option to get any sort of expedited service to get your machine built faster. Phooey. Also, apparently you don't get any sort of status updates until the machine actually ships, unless you call/email them and ask.
By the way, they only charged me 1/2 of the stated price up front, and will apparently charge the second half when they ship the system. Apparently that's their standard procedure.
I will update this review later to let you know when the system is actually shipped, and how it stacks up when I hook it up and start using it.
In closing --- I am expecting perfection. Anything less will disappoint me. Let's be honest here: I could go to another highly-rated botique like vigorgaming.com and pay $3000 (almost a thousand less) and get a higher end processor and TWO GeForce 8800 GTX cards instead of just one. I picked OPC because of the great care that Aaron took with me on the phone, and the obviously massive technical expertise that Mario and the rest of the builders have. Let's hope I wasn't lead astray... I'll let you know.
--> Added January 21 2007
Well, it's been five weeks since I ordered my Overdrive PC box, and it hasn't shipped yet. I called them up to check on the progress, and spoke with the CEO of the company, who's name was, I think, Tony. He indicated that they had a batch of bad graphics cards. (8800 series GeForce cards apparently, which is what my build is using) He advised me that the ship date would more likely be around the first week of February. Personally, I understand that a smaller boutique company like OPC can get delays if they get bad parts from their vendor - That's not what bothers me - what I didn't like is the fact that I had to call to find this out. I sent an email and didn't get a response, so I called a few days later. Overall, I'm still satisfied, but if people from Overdrive come and read this, my advice is this: You guys are getting to be a lot more popular and are making a name for yourselves, now. It's time to bring your customer relations and order management methodology up to par with your system building abilities. Maybe an order status page for each client would be a smart way to go... Anyhow, still really looking forward to the computer when it (eventually) gets here.
--> Added February 6 2007
My OPC arrived only a few days later than planned, and I set it up and got it running right away. It's a great looking machine. Anyhow, after inspecting it for shipping issues, reseating cards, and reattaching one of the case fans that came loose, I powered it up and was swiftly amazed at how nice it was. Clean, fast, and responsive.
Unfortunately, the machine had a habit of blue screening intermittently while playing 3D games. I called for support, and had an excellent experience whenever I worked with Aaron. (Someone else answered the phone a few times and I was displeased with the person's demeanor - It was as if I was bothering him. I don't have his name, though.) Anyhow, because the issue was intermittent, Aaron and I worked over the next few days to make changes, test, and isolate the cause of the issue. He did so admirably, and the machine now runs as solid as a rock following a minor change in the machine's BIOS.
So, in the final analysis: This is the best computer I've ever owned. OPC is a great company, but a company in transition from being an unknown boutique manufacturer to a well-known industry leader. Because of that, they don't appear to have as clearly defined customer relations and support policy as some of their seasoned competitors such as Falcon Northwest. However, none of that matters as long as when you call, you ask for Aaron Palmer. :-)
--> Added April 5, 2007
Just wanted to check back in one more time and update my review. I've been using my OPC for several months now, and it's still solid as a rock. I've had no trouble whatsoever since the initial tweaking was done. Good stuff.
--> Added June 23, 2008
It's been over a year since I edited this review, and I'm back for an update. The system, until recently, has been working perfectly. Even though it's a year and eight months old, it's still outperforming most of the PC's on the market. However, my Raptor HD failed several weeks ago. I called for support, and spoke with someone who said they'd send me a new hard drive, since I purchased the three-year extended warranty. I realized at that point, however, that I didn't have a key for the drive cage! No problem, they said, and they mailed me a key for it which arrived a few days later. However, the hard drive took seventeen days to arrive, which is completely unreasonable. They even sent me a letter warning me if I didn't return the old HD they would charge me... the warning letter arrived BEFORE the replacement hard drive! That's kind of stupid. It's definitely Velocity Micro's fault, however, as they handled the procedure and not the OPC staffers.
--> Added October 26, 2010
No more space in my review for details, but - 4 years of ownership, no technical issues since the last update, and it still works great!"
This review was modified by Kailef on October 26 2010 12:57:36 AM
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![Share](javascript:share_rating({"review_body":"I just received my fourth overdrivepc and will certainly buy more. We use both Torque and Gemini boxes for drug discovery applications that don\u0027t support SMP or shared-memory machines. Typical jobs take days to weeks to complete (cpu 100%) thus both speed and stability are priceless (a 15-30% increase in performace ((over stock speed)) translates into days of saved time). Importantly, not one of our four overdrivepc machines has crashed. In fact, our overdrivepc boxes are more stable than our commodity pc\u2019s despite being overclocked. We\u2019ve had several jobs run for nearly one month at 100% cpu with significant memory I\/O without a hiccup. <br><br>Extremely fast 3D video is also a requirement for visualizing results from our calculations. Importantly, we\u2019ve discovered that it\u2019s possible to run a drug discovery application on one core (@ 100% cpu) and play Battlefield2 @ 1600x1200 (maximum visual and sound effects) on the other core while achieving stellar frame rates. Bottom line: The drug discovery programs we rely upon are important enough to justify the purchase of any PC. We\u2019ve tried other high-end vendors and have settled squarely on overdrivepc.","link":"http:\/\/www.resellerratings.com\/store\/Overdrive_PC_LLC\/comment\/263191#comment263191","store_thumb":"http:\/\/www.resellerratings.com\/store\/thumbnail\/Overdrive_PC_LLC.jpg","store_name":"Overdrive PC","username":"DoctorX","rating":"5"}, "single");){kind=link}
![Share](javascript:share_rating({"review_body":"Full Review: http:\/\/www.therecordbreakingdomain.com\/opc.php<br><br>Follow relevant discussions: <br><br>http:\/\/www.resellerratings.com\/forum\/showthread.php?t=119582<br><br>and<br><br>http:\/\/www.overdrivepc.com\/forum\/showthread.php?p=152695#post152695). <br><br>The following is my review of OverdrivePC (www.overdrivepc.com). Updates will be added as they occur.<br><br>Key Points:<br><br>- Paid $4,600 for the computer only (no monitors or peripherals) in January 2006.<br><br>- Computer was rushed to meet guaranteed deadline after employee that took my order quit and company \u0022forgot\u0022 about my deadline.<br><br>- Computer crashed straight out of the box and would not start.<br><br>- The restore DVD that was sent with the computer was faulty so I could not fully restore the computer. <br><br>- It took them months to diagnose the problem with my computer and I\u0027m still not convinced they\u0027ve got it right.<br><br>- In the course of several months, I had to:<br><br> - Open my brand new computer at least 10 times. <br><br> - Spend at least 15 hours on the phone (long-distance, paid by me) with the company diagnosing the problems with my new computer. <br><br> - Was \u0022advised\u0022 to get a $200 transformer that not only didn\u2019t work, but actually damaged my computer further. <br><br> - Exchanged parts inside my computer on numerous occasions, including fiddling with small plugs leading into the mother board. <br><br> - Exchanged over 100 e-mails with the company. <br><br> - Wasted over 200 hours of my time. <br><br>- It is now almost half a year since I paid for my computer and it is still not fully functional. Considering how much I had to fiddle with this \u0022brand new\u0022 computer, I feel like it is now a used computer and not what I paid for.<br><br>- And, to add insult to injury, the company tells me they will keep 20% of my money if I decide to return my computer, which I wanted to do, and that an exchange is \u0022not an option\u0022. <br><br>I expect all of the above from a $600 computer, not a $4,600 computer. <br><br>In short, this company has profited from my distress.<br><br>Verdict: Do NOT buy an OPC computer, no matter what you read or what they tell you.<br><br>If you would like to read my full review regarding my OPC, please visit http:\/\/www.therecordbreakingdomain.com\/opc.php . It is a very long read, but definitely worth it if you are considering an OPC so that you know what you are risking and getting yourself into. If you would like to e-mail me any questions, feel free to do so on forsale@therecordbreakingdomain.com ","link":"http:\/\/www.resellerratings.com\/store\/Overdrive_PC_LLC\/comment\/262698#comment262698","store_thumb":"http:\/\/www.resellerratings.com\/store\/thumbnail\/Overdrive_PC_LLC.jpg","store_name":"Overdrive PC","username":"akello","rating":"1"}, "single");){kind=link}
![Share](javascript:share_rating({"review_body":"Purchased the computer to replace my old Dell XPS. While the product is certainly expensive and high end, the quality of the products, the low volume high customer focus of Overdrive, and amazing support make the high price a real value. Despite the \u0027boutique\u0027 nature of the company, I was still able to get excellent tech support last weekend after an issue I encountered. Within the space of a few emails, we had diagnosed the problem and a replacement part was sent the next business day. Having spent hours and hours on the phone with Dell\u0027s India based color by numbers tech support this was a breath of fresh air. Oh and by the way, the machine is SOOOOOO FEAKIN FAST. I look forward to many years of quality computing, video editing and gaming on my box.","link":"http:\/\/www.resellerratings.com\/store\/Overdrive_PC_LLC\/comment\/256084#comment256084","store_thumb":"http:\/\/www.resellerratings.com\/store\/thumbnail\/Overdrive_PC_LLC.jpg","store_name":"Overdrive PC","username":"ptlevine","rating":"5"}, "single");){kind=link}
![Share](javascript:share_rating({"review_body":"\tThey provided me with the oddest shopping experience I ever had. They tried, and did, sell me less than I wanted to buy. I wanted to buy the top of the line CPU with water-cooling. The technician on the phone explained to me that with their overclocking I could get to within 5% of that performance for a chip that cost $500 less. They also guaranteed me that despite all the overclocking I wouldn\u2019t need water-cooling. In fact the tech ensured that the system would be quiet.<br>\tAll the other positive reviews convinced me to try them out. After a month I\u2019m very satisfied. My rig is very quiet when it\u2019s on. That was important to me. I can hear whispers in the room just fine. My brother-in-law has a system from Velocity and it\u2019s much quieter than his. I can actually sleep in the room with it. Heck, it\u2019s quieter than an Xbox 360!","link":"http:\/\/www.resellerratings.com\/store\/Overdrive_PC_LLC\/comment\/263257#comment263257","store_thumb":"http:\/\/www.resellerratings.com\/store\/thumbnail\/Overdrive_PC_LLC.jpg","store_name":"Overdrive PC","username":"nag11nag","rating":"5"}, "single");){kind=link}
![Share](javascript:share_rating({"review_body":"OK, here is my experience.<br><br>Summary:<br><br>OverdrivePC and Mario have provided more than expected or asked for and I strongly recommend individuals\/businesses in need of specialized solutions to seriously consider ODPC.<br><br>My story:<br><br>My work entails data, lots of data. I routinely work with single files in excess of 10GB and entire data systems containing billions of records amounting to 500GB \u2013 1TB. The main tool I use is SAS. SAS is a HDD intensive DBMS that is almost limitless in the ways it can analyze data. My former company closed the office in which I worked and fired everybody. They also took the system on which I had been working, a very expensive machine with large capacity (3TB of HHD on system). This company then wanted me to continue assisting them on my own. Ummm\u2026. what to do?<br><br>PCs are much like LEGOs in that if you have the correct \u201cbricks,\u201d just about anyone can build a \u201cworking\u201d system. CPU, MOBO, DRAM, HDD, etc. PC Companies, on the other hand, are constrained (or in ODPC case, unbound) by their particular business model, focus and creativity (or lack of).<br><br>The necessity to continue to feed my family put me in the market for a substantial machine. I checked out the majors: Dell, HP, etc. When I would bump up the specs to the level where I felt I could successfully complete the tasks ahead, the prices were ridiculous and the systems were just stuff piled on stuff. No thought on how the pieces would work together (remember the LEGO analogy).<br><br>I looked into smaller firms and gaming systems intrigued me. I figured if a PC could run a high end game at a very high level, it surely could sort, merge and summarize data (and play those games on the side). But the reviews of the service\/products of so many boutique firms were worrisome. I stumbled across ODPC and a review here by X|Davey piqued my interest. ODPC was a gaming PC company with a stellar rep who had gone out of their way to satisfy a specific business request.<br> <br>I called ODPC and said I wanted some specific information about their systems. Mario quickly called me back from his car. As I explained my needs, I could hear Mario getting more and more excited. He asked if he could run some tests\/experiments and get back to me in a day or two. After a couple days Mario calls and is very amp-ed about a particular system configuration he has tested. He goes through the hardware setup and various performance numbers, most important of which to me was the HDD bandwidth. When he finishes he says \u201cwhat do you think?\u201d I don\u2019t tell him I think this is going to cost way too much for my budget. He then says, \u201cand I can do it for $$.\u201d I almost drop the phone. BUILD IT!!<br><br>End game:<br><br>The system ODPC\/Mario designed and built smokes my previous firm\u2019s system in most areas and is no less than comparable in others. I have been able to perform my analyses in an extremely efficient manner and am on the verge capturing a major client away from my former firm! Oh yeah, and the price was less than 10% of the other system\u2019s cost!!<br><br>I also get to play FarCry\/Call of Duty, etc. at the maximum settings. ;-)<br><br>Through Mario\u2019s creativity, passion and commitment to his customer, ODPC has moved far from the concept of the LEGO computer. My system is a true custom system, specifically tailored to do what I need to get done. I didn\u2019t just purchase a box of LEGOs, I purchased a handcrafted tool.<br>","link":"http:\/\/www.resellerratings.com\/store\/Overdrive_PC_LLC\/comment\/144877#comment144877","store_thumb":"http:\/\/www.resellerratings.com\/store\/thumbnail\/Overdrive_PC_LLC.jpg","store_name":"Overdrive PC","username":"KRomig","rating":"5"}, "single");){kind=link}
![Share](javascript:share_rating({"review_body":"After living with my Overdrive PC for 6 months I have one word for it: FANTASTIC! <br><br>When I first talked to Overdrive, they listened to what I needed and helped me confgure the right machine for my needs. <br><br>When I called other direct PC vendors, the sales people read from scripts and just tried to sell me whatever cookie-cutter machine was currently rolling off the assembly lines. <br><br>I am not a hard core gamer so I cannot offer insight to those of you who are, but if you use your PC for mega-multi-tasking and\/or do photo\/video editing you might be amazed at how these machines can fly. <br><br>I was tired of waiting forever for Adobe Photoshop to open and nearly falling asleep every time I applied edits to my pictures. Now, even with 10,000 photos in my library, it\u0027s bang-zoom-done, and on to the next task. <br><br>I knew nothing about RAID 0 vs RAID 1 drive set ups but they explained them to me and helped me design a multi drive set-up which just absolutely flies as I bounce back and forth between a dozen simultaneiously open applications and 50 or more open files.<br><br>Stability is outstanding. With an overclocked processor I was a bit worried that I would get more crashes but my Overdrive PC is much more stable than the plain vanilla machine it replaced.<br><br>Despite multiple fans, I find it to be a very quiet machine.<br><br>The inside of the case is amazing. Every wire clipped to proper length. I open it to show friends just to hear them say, \u0022Oh, wow.\u0022<br><br>You will have to wait a bit to get one since they custom build each machine, but for me the wait was well worth it and I look forward to becoming a repeat customer some day.<br>","link":"http:\/\/www.resellerratings.com\/store\/Overdrive_PC_LLC\/comment\/263180#comment263180","store_thumb":"http:\/\/www.resellerratings.com\/store\/thumbnail\/Overdrive_PC_LLC.jpg","store_name":"Overdrive PC","username":"oneplusky","rating":"5"}, "single");){kind=link}
![Share](javascript:share_rating({"review_body":"My transaction took place june 7th 2004 not 2005.<br><br>After researching for months as throughly as humanly possible, I went with the guys at OverDrivePC. I looked at the regular players (Dell, HP, Gateway, etc) and the custom players (including Alienware, Voodoo, Falcon Northwest, Velocity Micro, ABSpc, Puget, Tasty Computers, Maingear, BOXX, Thunderboxx, Screamworx, Hypersonic, Ibuypower, etc.). I researched and compared between them all and found OverdrivePC to be more cost effective than Voodoo, BOXX, and FNW. I eventually kept narrowing down the makers till I reached a rift between Velocity Micro and OverdrivePC. OverdrivePC had a price premium over velocity micro so I figured I would check out why. When I approached OverdrivePC, Mario treated me like I was his only customer. He answered emails faster than anyone I have ever seen (usually within minutes) and when reviewing my build ideas he found ways to save me some money while not sacrificing much. He is very knowledgeable about all aspects of computer building. When I approached Velocity micro I didn\u0027t get any personal attention as it was a more streamlined process (they are a great dealer, and I recommend them to many on a tight budget). So the decision was made to go with OverdrivePC.<br><br>OverdrivePC offers some of the most knowledgeable tech support with Mario doing the most of it. Although it is only 9am-5pm M-F do not hold this against them. 24\/7 tech support usually implies inferior qualified people providing the support. It is also nice to talk to the person who built your computer and thus obviously knows what may have gone wrong. I must admit though I haven\u0027t really needed the support, but Mario has answered numerous questions about computers and accessories for me.<br><br>After the around 3 week wait for my computer to arrive I couldn\u0027t be more pleased. It arrives in the most well packed HUGE box ever. After unpacking, I opened up the computer to peak inside. You will find the best wired computers around. Never have I seen a more clean wiring job. For some pictures of the above visit http:\/\/www.overdrivepc.com\/forum\/showthread.php?t=9173 (this is not my computer but it is great to know every wire job is as neat and every packing job is as good). I have been using this computer for 2 years now with ZERO major problems (My maxtor harddrive died this week, but a HD failure is no representation on the company itself. Mario has offered to replace it basically at cost since the warranty is expired). It is super fast, very quiet, and aesthetically pleasing. I prefer the elegant look of the lian-li cases to the super flashy other gaming computer cases.<br><br>In conclusion: If you are looking for a top of the line computer with the best tech support and superior performance (checkout [H]ard|OCP\u0027s review of it) and are willing to pay a price premium for it, look no further than OverdrivePC and Mario. Thanks again Mario and keep up the good work!","link":"http:\/\/www.resellerratings.com\/store\/Overdrive_PC_LLC\/comment\/261400#comment261400","store_thumb":"http:\/\/www.resellerratings.com\/store\/thumbnail\/Overdrive_PC_LLC.jpg","store_name":"Overdrive PC","username":"jskagg","rating":"5"}, "single");){kind=link}
![Share](javascript:share_rating({"review_body":"Absolutely Beautiful. Customer Service is quick and personal. I would definetly recommend OPC. My Build # 45045","link":"http:\/\/www.resellerratings.com\/store\/Overdrive_PC_LLC\/comment\/256819#comment256819","store_thumb":"http:\/\/www.resellerratings.com\/store\/thumbnail\/Overdrive_PC_LLC.jpg","store_name":"Overdrive PC","username":"slim6072","rating":"5"}, "single");){kind=link}
![Share](javascript:share_rating({"review_body":"After saving for a long, long time and doing a large amount of research as to where to spend my money, I decided to purchase a gaming computer from Overdrive PC, mostly based on reviews at HardOCP and here at ResellerRatings.<br><br>The order was placed about two weeks ago (Dec 14 2006) and it is currently Dec 31 2006. I was helped throughout the entire process by Aaron, who seemed to be quite knowledgeable and helpful. I think the best thing about my pre-sales experience is that Aaron was never in a hurry to push me off the phone. He was very patient with me as I described my needs and what I was trying to do, and made corrections to my proposed build in a few places.<br><br>One thing I didn\u0027t like was that he indicated it would take about 4 to 5 weeks for my system to be built, tested, and shipped. However, they were up front about that information. Much to my dismay, they don\u0027t have an option to get any sort of expedited service to get your machine built faster. Phooey. Also, apparently you don\u0027t get any sort of status updates until the machine actually ships, unless you call\/email them and ask.<br><br>By the way, they only charged me 1\/2 of the stated price up front, and will apparently charge the second half when they ship the system. Apparently that\u0027s their standard procedure.<br><br>I will update this review later to let you know when the system is actually shipped, and how it stacks up when I hook it up and start using it.<br><br>In closing --- I am expecting perfection. Anything less will disappoint me. Let\u0027s be honest here: I could go to another highly-rated botique like vigorgaming.com and pay $3000 (almost a thousand less) and get a higher end processor and TWO GeForce 8800 GTX cards instead of just one. I picked OPC because of the great care that Aaron took with me on the phone, and the obviously massive technical expertise that Mario and the rest of the builders have. Let\u0027s hope I wasn\u0027t lead astray... I\u0027ll let you know.<br><br>--> Added January 21 2007<br><br>Well, it\u0027s been five weeks since I ordered my Overdrive PC box, and it hasn\u0027t shipped yet. I called them up to check on the progress, and spoke with the CEO of the company, who\u0027s name was, I think, Tony. He indicated that they had a batch of bad graphics cards. (8800 series GeForce cards apparently, which is what my build is using) He advised me that the ship date would more likely be around the first week of February. Personally, I understand that a smaller boutique company like OPC can get delays if they get bad parts from their vendor - That\u0027s not what bothers me - what I didn\u0027t like is the fact that I had to call to find this out. I sent an email and didn\u0027t get a response, so I called a few days later. Overall, I\u0027m still satisfied, but if people from Overdrive come and read this, my advice is this: You guys are getting to be a lot more popular and are making a name for yourselves, now. It\u0027s time to bring your customer relations and order management methodology up to par with your system building abilities. Maybe an order status page for each client would be a smart way to go... Anyhow, still really looking forward to the computer when it (eventually) gets here.<br><br><br>--> Added February 6 2007<br><br>My OPC arrived only a few days later than planned, and I set it up and got it running right away. It\u0027s a great looking machine. Anyhow, after inspecting it for shipping issues, reseating cards, and reattaching one of the case fans that came loose, I powered it up and was swiftly amazed at how nice it was. Clean, fast, and responsive. <br><br>Unfortunately, the machine had a habit of blue screening intermittently while playing 3D games. I called for support, and had an excellent experience whenever I worked with Aaron. (Someone else answered the phone a few times and I was displeased with the person\u0027s demeanor - It was as if I was bothering him. I don\u0027t have his name, though.) Anyhow, because the issue was intermittent, Aaron and I worked over the next few days to make changes, test, and isolate the cause of the issue. He did so admirably, and the machine now runs as solid as a rock following a minor change in the machine\u0027s BIOS.<br><br>So, in the final analysis: This is the best computer I\u0027ve ever owned. OPC is a great company, but a company in transition from being an unknown boutique manufacturer to a well-known industry leader. Because of that, they don\u0027t appear to have as clearly defined customer relations and support policy as some of their seasoned competitors such as Falcon Northwest. However, none of that matters as long as when you call, you ask for Aaron Palmer. :-)<br><br>--> Added April 5, 2007<br><br>Just wanted to check back in one more time and update my review. I\u0027ve been using my OPC for several months now, and it\u0027s still solid as a rock. I\u0027ve had no trouble whatsoever since the initial tweaking was done. Good stuff.<br><br>--> Added June 23, 2008<br><br>It\u0027s been over a year since I edited this review, and I\u0027m back for an update. The system, until recently, has been working perfectly. Even though it\u0027s a year and eight months old, it\u0027s still outperforming most of the PC\u0027s on the market. However, my Raptor HD failed several weeks ago. I called for support, and spoke with someone who said they\u0027d send me a new hard drive, since I purchased the three-year extended warranty. I realized at that point, however, that I didn\u0027t have a key for the drive cage! No problem, they said, and they mailed me a key for it which arrived a few days later. However, the hard drive took seventeen days to arrive, which is completely unreasonable. They even sent me a letter warning me if I didn\u0027t return the old HD they would charge me... the warning letter arrived BEFORE the replacement hard drive! That\u0027s kind of stupid. It\u0027s definitely Velocity Micro\u0027s fault, however, as they handled the procedure and not the OPC staffers.<br><br>--> Added October 26, 2010<br><br>No more space in my review for details, but - 4 years of ownership, no technical issues since the last update, and it still works great!","link":"http:\/\/www.resellerratings.com\/store\/Overdrive_PC_LLC\/comment\/293066#comment293066","store_thumb":"http:\/\/www.resellerratings.com\/store\/thumbnail\/Overdrive_PC_LLC.jpg","store_name":"Overdrive PC","username":"Kailef","rating":"5"}, "single");){kind=link}
" I read some of the other reviews with interest as I am also a purchaser of an OverdrivePC. Unlike many that purchase these machines, my purpose in purchasing an OverdrivePC was to run statistical analyses and computer modeling problems. I am a statistician by training, and a professor by trade. As you can imagine, some of the applications I run are quite demanding and can push a machine to its utmost. I am used to setting up an analysis and then walking away from the machine for 10-15 minutes while it works on the solution. The opportunity to pick up an OverdrivePC to improve my productivity was too good to overlook. To state the obvious, I am absolutely amazed at the capabilities of this PC. Programs run effortlessly, and the entire platform is remarkably stable. Our university typically purchases major brand-name computers for our use, and they would regularly hiccup during applications. Don’t get me wrong, this PC manufacturer builds a nice PC, but Overdrive is in another stratum altogether.
Some specifics of my experience: I spoke with OverdrivePC's chief operations officer and their production manager about my needs, and they were remarkably candid about what aspects of their machines would provide the most benefit. Working upon their advice, I did a little research and found that statistics applications are almost universally single-threaded (that is, they must run in sequence, and cannot run on multiple processors at the same time.) With that knowledge, they suggested a configuration that would best fit my particular needs. For fast drive access, they suggested a Raid 0 configuration with dual Raptor 74GB 10,000 RPM drives and a secondary 400GB data drive. We did include an upgraded graphics card to allow for visual modeling (and occasional games on the side). At the time, the fastest kid on the block was the AMD FX-60 CPU, which they overclocked to about 3 Ghz. Although the FX-60 is a dual-core chip, the desire to run other programs while statistical analyses were churning in the background was too much to pass up. With a set of speakers and two monitors, this PC is the envy of every student and professor at the university, and for good reason. Boot-up takes a small fraction of the time that even brand new PCs require. The system runs effortlessly through complex problems (and complex rendering.) Students congregate in my office just to see what a game looks like at all of the maximum settings. The only comparison that I can think of is it is like driving a Ferrari when everyone else is driving go-carts. (I remember reading at a game website on the highest possible settings for graphics and artificially-controlled players. I blew past those maximums with ease.) The system is quiet, which is notable given the number of fans necessary to keep it cool. The design and manufacturing is top-notch.
Now for an opinion about their company: I was an entrepreneur prior to switching into academia for a career. My company did high-level computer animations of events for media and litigation support. For example, we would be called into to recreate an airline or other serious vehicular accident to facilitate a juries understanding of the events. One of the points you learn quickly as an entrepreneur is that each customer can lead to additional sales (if treated properly) or a bad reputation (if treated poorly.) Some of the best companies in the world are known for their extraordinary care of their customers (i.e. Nordstrum.) That said, I have yet to see a company that treats you as well as OverdrivePC. They do not wait for you to have a problem. They call you when the PC is delivered to walk you through setup (if needed) and call several times asking about your experience even months after the purchase … and its not some voice in India asking. The people that make decisions at OverdrivePC are often on the other end of the call. Most companies have walked away with the money by then. I read with interest the account by another reviewer that stated some negative things about OverdrivePC. Either they are trying to extort money out of the company, or they had misidentified the company they were having problems with. Regardless, they clearly had an agenda which was not to give an honest review. You will not get better care and service than you do at OverdrivePC.
Final comments: In my professional opinion, OverdrivePC provides an incredible product at a good price. Service matches the quality perfectly – it’s the whole package. I am thrilled with my purchase and enjoy its benefits every day. It is easy to feel like a spoiled child when you fire-up an Overdrive computer every morning. Computing doesn’t get much better than this."