"Pros: Competitive pricing, excellent and intelligent customer service (that did not assume I was an idiot), lots of configuration options, reasonable shipping costs, no preinstalled programs (besides the OS)

Cons: Took nearly twice the average listed time to ship (and that's not counting the time until after the questions about the order were answered), no preinstalled programs (besides the OS)

Would I purchase again? Absolutely, unless I needed a computer in a hurry. It's extremely nice to be able to order precisely what you want. And the lack of preinstalled stuff might unnerve some buyers, but if I want something installed I'm quite capable of doing it myself."

"I ordered the following:
# ANTEC, Nine Hundred Black Mid-Tower Case, ATX, No PSU
# CORSAIR, CMPSU-750TX TX Series Power Supply, 750W, 80 PLUS®, 24-pin ATX12V EPS12V, Multi-GPU Ready
# ASUS, P5Q-E, LGA775, Intel® P45, 1600MHz FSB, DDR2-1200 16GB /4, PCIe x16 CF /3, SATA 3.0 Gbit/s RAID 5 /8, HDA, GbLAN /2, FW /2, ATX, Retail
# INTEL, Core™ 2 Quad Q9550 Quad-Core 2.83GHz, 1333MHz FSB, 12MB (2 x 6MB) L2 Cache, 45nm, 95W, EM64T EIST VT XD, Retail
# XIGMATEK, HDT-S1283 CPU Cooling Fan/Heatsink, Socket 775/754/939/940/AM2, 120mm Fan, Copper/Aluminum, Retail
# CORSAIR, 4GB (2 x 2GB) Dominator PC2-8500 DDR2 1066MHz CL5 (5-5-5-15) 2.1V SDRAM DIMM, Non-ECC, Heatsink
# VISIONTEK, Radeon® HD 4870 750MHz, 512MB GDDR5 1800Mhz, PCIe x16 CrossFire, DVI /2, Retail
# SEAGATE, 500GB Barracuda 7200.11, SATA 3 Gb/s, 7200 RPM, 32MB cache
# SEAGATE, 500GB Barracuda 7200.11, SATA 3 Gb/s, 7200 RPM, 32MB cache
# RAID, RAID 0 (striping), min 2 hard drives required
# SAMSUNG, Super-WriteMaster™ SH-S223 Black 22x DVD±R/RW Dual-Layer Burner, SATA, w/ Software, OEM
# LIAN LI, CR-25B Black 20-in-1 Card Reader, 3.5" Bay, USB 2.0
# ALTEC LANSING, BXR1120 Black 2.0 Stereo Speakers System, 6W RMS (2 x 3W), Retail
# MICROSOFT, Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit Edition w/ SP1, OEM
# WARRANTY, Silver Warranty Package (3 Year Limited Parts, 3 Year Labor Warranty)

I spent some time researching and bouncing ideas off of two AVA employees. They each had different and good ideas. I ended up using a combination of their suggestions to complete my build.
Both Joe and Matt were very helpful and responsive. I did find a couple of negative reviews of AVA from just a couple people who were really mad but that happens to any company. My decision to buy from AVA was based on the support and accurate information I received. Example: I originally wanted an NVIDIA graphics card but they pointed out issues with the 7 series chipset motherboards. I researched this info and found that to be true and accurate info. I modified my build to an ASUS motherboard and Radeon graphics card thus avoiding a major issue.
System arrived nearly 3 weeks after I ordered and was well packaged with instructions on how to check for any loose parts as a result of shipping. No loose parts on mine. System booted up perfectly and has no adware or freeware garbage. Been running perfectly. Had it a week now. I'm pleased and should something go wrong I sure hope they are as easy to work with after the sale as they were prior as the system came with a 3 year warranty.

Update: 2+ weeks with the machine...very stable...very fast...editing AVCHD video just fine."

"Order place and processed expeditiously. I ordered an Asus C90s laptop. I did have special requests as to HD partitioning and they quickly responded and accomodated my request. They kept me updated on the build and when they shipped. As I only wanted Linux, they do not support the software and I was aware of that from the beginning so was satisfied with their responses and support. I had made some hardware choices that are issues under Linux, but that was my failure, not theirs.
The system works well and I am satisfied with the work AVA did. The problems I have are my own creation and lack of preparation. None are insurmountable nor show stoppers. I can do everything I want with the system they supplied. I could have gotten a cheaper system if I bought one off the shelf, but AVA provided the ability to create exactly what I wanted. The markup for their services is reasonable and I feel I got a good deal and have been treated fairly. "

"I bought a custom laptop at the beginning of September. It took about 3 weeks to receive it. Unfortunately, once I received it, it stopped working 2 weeks after I got it. AVADirect did issue me an RMA and did agree to pay for the shipping. However, after more than 2 months of constant back-and-forth, it finally became apparent that I was not going to get my laptop repaired anytime soon. Given that this was needed for business I could not afford to wait any longer. So, I asked for a refund. Although the process of getting the refund was somewhat painful, AVADirect eventually did process my refund.
"

"I ordered a game system from avadirect earlier this year and it has turned out to be a total nightmare. Soon after my system was hipped to me I began experiencing video corruption do to the motherboard which is common on nvidia 750,780,790 motherboards. I took some time to diagnose it was the board causing my problem and not a video card. I asked for an RMA for a new intel board but was unable to do so because of a family emergency. Bios updates were released by evga the board maker which did not solve the issue and I asked for another chance to RMA the system. This turned out to be a horrible mistake. It was offered an asus maximus formula. By this time I was pleased to be getting anything from ava and getting rid of a board that crashed almost daily when playing videos.

Now the real hell began. When the pc returned from its RMA its was in a nightmare condition. The pc was DOA since the power buttons and front lights were all wired wrong. The power button wired to a hard drive light. The old sata cables from the evga board were reamed into the sockets on the asus maximus formula and would not even stay in. I had to cut them out with a pair of scissors. The pc then had performance issues including a fps problem as well as overvoltage issues and soon the RAM died. Ava eventually decided to pay for the shipping to send it back to them. When it arrived back the second time it was in somewhat better condition. The wiring was a bit better however they decided to solve all my hardware problems though overvolting the pc even more than what the board was doing on its on own. Northbridge 1.51v for stock 2.1v corsair ram overvolted to 2.3 and fsb termination to 1.32 A stock system does not need these kinds of crazy volts. I have consulted a technician not affiliated with ava to confirm this and he was shocked by this. I have been working with him to get the pc somewhat working and following his recommendations. He had me flash the board bios to start with to a rampage formula bios and lower voltages and stress test with prime 95 and other tests which prove ava is out of their mind to have used such settings. The tech also thinks my cpu may be degraded as the cpu pll volts is much too high for a 45nm chip and can't be lowered on this board. I have many errors and odd behaviors and very unstable fps in most games using this pc.

I have kept a detailed account of this in a forum thread at (link forcibly removed)I advise anyone wanting to do business with this company to read that thread. If you do decide to buy from ava never for the love of god RMA it for a repair they will screw it up even more than it is.

Note: I had to edit out a link to a forum thread where I keep detailed records of ava's terrible job and edit out a few choice words to ava."

"Decided to try AVA after a LOT of research and seeing the plastic stuff they sell in big box stores. Ordering online was very easy and there were many options. I didn't realize there was a form that needed to be faxed for credit card purchases, but i appreciate the extra security. Although Build and Testing phase did take awhile, my emails were answered immediately and professionally, and the diligent testing is what i chose them for. the system runs like a dream after i fixed a buzz from the cooling fan (probably moved in shipping). The build was beautifully clean and neat. I would definitely buy again from AVA."

"I shopped around a good bit, and read all the reviews of the different choices. I'm glad I did, and glad I went with AVA. I bought a computer...know little about setting one up myself...so I haven't checked all the settings in the bios, etc....but, everything is working like a charm. I ordered on Oct 21st and got it Nov 11th.

It was packed very well. The only problem at startup was a piece of wire tie in one of the intake fans on the case. I easily removed that, and the fan worked fine. I have a 750 Watt PSU with a ton of large wiring. AVA did a marvelous job of placing and securing this wiring! The only other problem was that they left off installing a bracket with a firewire and eSata connection out the back. I emailed them, and after a quick reminder a few days later, they responded immediately, with appologies for letting the eamil "fall through the cracks"....and got the bracket, with connection wires, out to me the same day. I will just need to install it myself, but no big deal.

The customer service is tops. I spent time on the phone going over my order and asking lots of questions, and Matt was wonderful to work with. The "after the sale service" of getting the left-off bracket to me was great. I'll find out eventually how tech service is, and write again to let folks know.

I would definitely buy from AVA again!!"

"Very pleased with the price, delivery and performance. The only glitch was that they wanted me to fill out a form since the purchase exceed $1000. Very minor glitch.

System:

CUSTOM COMPUTER, Core™2 DDR2 Performance Series System
# ANTEC, Nine Hundred Black Mid-Tower Case, ATX, No PSU

# CORSAIR, CMPSU-550VX VX Series Power Supply, 550W, 80 PLUS®, 24-pin ATX12V EPS12V, SLI Ready

# ASUS, P5Q Pro, LGA775, Intel® P45, 1600MHz FSB, DDR2-1200 16GB /4, PCIe x16 CF /2, SATA 3.0 Gbit/s RAID 5 /8, HDA, GbLAN, FW /2, ATX, Retail

# INTEL, Core™ 2 Duo E6400 Dual-Core, 2.13GHz, 1066MHz FSB, 2MB L2 Cache, 65nm, 65W, EM64T EIST VT XD, Retail

# ARCTIC COOLING, Freezer 7 Pro Quiet CPU Cooling Fan/Heatsink, Socket 775, Ceramic Bearing, Retail

# KINGSTON, 4GB (2 x 2GB) HyperX PC2-6400 DDR2 800MHz CL5 (5-5-5-15) SDRAM DIMM, Non-ECC

# eVGA, GeForce® 9800GT 600MHz, 512MB GDDR3 1800MHz, PCIe x16 SLI, DVI /2, HDTV-Out, Retail

# WESTERN DIGITAL, 640GB WD Caviar® SE16 (WD6400AAKS), SATA 3 Gb/s, 7200-RPM, 16MB cache

# WESTERN DIGITAL, 640GB WD Caviar® SE16 (WD6400AAKS), SATA 3 Gb/s, 7200-RPM, 16MB cache

# RAID, RAID 1 (mirroring), min 2 hard drives required

# LITE-ON, iHAS220 Black/Beige 20x DVD±RW Dual-Layer Burner w/ LightScribe, SATA, Retail

# MICROSOFT, Windows Vista Home Premium 32-bit Edition w/ SP1, OEM

# WARRANTY, Silver Warranty Package (3 Year Limited Parts, 3 Year Labor Warranty)

"

" I went with AVA after a long comparison search. They definitely have the top selection of components for a custom PC builder. They usually have competitive pricing as well.

I ordered a custom black box with a minimum number of components, preferring to buy my RAM, HDD and GFX card elsewhere. The box arrived with everything I needed to get my computer up and running in less than an hour. It's been running great for a month now.

My only complaint is that they have a LONG test period before shipping. I'm used to companies like Newegg which process orders practically overnight. I suspect they just don't have all the components on hand all the time so it takes a few weeks to assemble the PC.

Anyhow, aside from shipping delays, great seller."

"Was attracted mainly by price and good reviews. Since I'm on a bit of a budget it came down to AVADirect and CyberpowerPC, a lot of questions and complaints on Cyberpower so I went with AVADirect.

I knew enough to set up my computer myself, in the end was a few hundred dollars less than any other source I found excluding cpp. Put PC together adjusting to get best bang for my buck, checking various reviews for the different pieces etc. Placed the order Wednesday evening at around 9 pm. Received a call the next morning at around 10 am asking for some information to confirm my identity, everything went smoothly and it entered production schedule.

Didn't have any issues, didn't order an OS installed so had to do that when it arrived. Was definitely a bit paranoid after reading some horror stories, but hooked everything up, started it up, worked fine. Installed OS, and working on making sure everything holds up now. Ran a few benchmarks with no issues. For the price got a bit more than I would from the big boxes etc.

Only suggestion/comment I'd have is the lack of adjustments made to bios. Not expecting overclocking or anything. But arrived with a few settings off, if I had no or little idea what I was doing would be running at significantly slower speed than what I ordered due to the default settings. Would have been nice if a few of the more major settings had been tweaked but not a big deal.

Overall a very good experience. A total of 2 weeks exactly from date ordered to date it showed up on my door step."

"I bought AVA's top-of-the-line laptop with an Intel Q9550 and an nVidia 9800GTX. It is well made and everything works perfectly. I can play Crysis on the highest settings and it never hesitates. "

"I was let down, as the company has not lived up to the hype. When I placed the order I was told the video card I wanted was out of stock, and I had to buy a more expensive brand. Then when it shipped, they again swapped the brand again for a cheaper one. When I asked about a refund for the difference, they told me they would give me a free game instead. A year later the game is still unused. It was just an OEM version they probably got free with a video card. I wish they would have given me my money, but they seemed totally against any kind of refund.
Tech support hours suck if you work any kind of full time job, and I found recently they do not always respond to emails or are helpful. The PC itself is nice, and I got it at a solid, if unremarkable price. I just feel let down on the service side. I have been happier with the service I have received from other PC makers.
I would rate the PC a 8/10. Price 7/10. Service a 5/10."

"Ordered from AVA Direct for the last few years. Definitely the best prices and service. We require very high end graphics workstations that run 24/7. Top notch hardware with unbeatable performance and reliability. Sales and customer service are fast, knowledgeable, friendly and flexible. If you want good stuff buy it at AVA Direct!"

"GAMING PC, Core 2 Duo SLI Gaming System
I purchased this system from them w/ 4gb of RAM, dual nvidia cards in SLI and a few other custom setups.
They were good to deal with and answered my questions. They ended up delaying my order for a faulty MoBo which was fine. After getting my machine, the multi-card reader never worked. They replaced it three times before one did work. In the meantime one of my video cards died in the machine and they replaced it promptly. Up to this point, even with issues they would send a replacement and then I'd send the faulty piece back to them.
they've changed their return methods where you first have to send your defective piece to them, they test it and when they get around to it they send you a replacement. How do I know? I had to send them one of my video cards (will be my second replacement video card)...they've had it for 8 days now and still haven't shipped me a replacement. Not sure why and they're getting less easy to deal with. They say they have to test it, funny though, since i've removed the card my machine runs fine. I tested for them. Removed one card, and the machine wouldn't run. Replaced it with the other card and it runs fine, and it won't run with both. So the one card is good, the other is not.
If I only had one card in my system and this happened, I'd still be here with no machine to work on (or I would've went and bought my own replacement card).

Update: 12/10/08 - I've received the replacement card and all is fine. AVA has gone the extra mile to make sure my system is running well and as expected."

"I know basically nothing about computers, other then that I wanted one that "looked" cool and would play games well. I had a techi friend build me a computer on AVA. He was very impressed with the selections available and the overall process of building the computer. He built it, I ordered it. It arrived way ahead of the time I was expecting. It was literally plug and play, and I was up and running within half an hour of unpacking. It runs awesome! I LOVE it, and would recommend this site to everyone! I also really appreciate the extra security steps they took to ensure that I did indeed wish to order a computer before they actually charged my credit card. I will absolutely buy my next computer system through AVA Direct."