"When I got my Overdrive PC initially, it was all puppies and rainbows. I was thrilled with the speed of it and the quality of its performance. However, since then, I've only experienced short periods of functionally sandwiched between protracted periods of attempting to fix the machine.

The first major problem was both sticks of memory going bad. Soon with Aaron's help, we discovered that was the problem, they overnighted me new memory, and all was well.. for a while. Later I experienced issues where the monitor would refuse to display anything when I restarted the computer (the restarting was necessary because the machine would periodically turn itself off or restart on its own). After collaborating with Aaron more, I sent it in to them to be looked at.

They did replace the power source, which stopped the random reboots, but they never actually managed to get the computer to do the no-display thing when they had it. Over several months of shuffling it back and forth between us, the problem was finally solved, rather inadvertently, when I was given a free video card upgrade after they'd had a long delay in getting the computer back to me after working on it.

So now my display dependably functions correctly. On the other hand, the computer has now taken to refusing to boot up past the windows' logo loading screen. I've been on and off the phone with customer service all day, repaired my windows' installation, completely clean installed it, and now I'm reformatting my hard drive.

I applaud the quality of the customer service and the dedication of the support people I've talked to, James and Aaron. They've been nothing but steadfast and helpful. However, it's the computer I'm wary of. It's been, essentially, a slow train wreck. I'm afraid, even if I manage to get around its current crisis, another one will just crop up. The computer has spent at least as much time broken as working since I got it.

Summarily, I'm extremely pleased with VM/OPC's quality of support and customer service. I'm extremely displeased with the system I was given. I'm not sure how to reconcile the two, honestly."

"It's been 1.5 years since I purchased my OPC and (Order dated 11/4/2005, but this site would not accept a date prior to 2006.) I am still a delighted customer. I obsessively analyzed the many alternatives leading to my OPC purchase, and in retrospect I have absolutely no regrets. I've been through several service "episodes", and I have to say that the response has been superior each time. Most (but not all) of the time, I have dealt directly with Mario, who has always been exceeding responsive, and he has guided me through replacement of video cards (accomodated my change of heart shortly after purchase), diagnosis of what turned out to be a bad memory module and replacement of both DIMMS, and a recent system stability problem, where he guided me through several diagnostic steps to pinpoint and remedy the problem by tweaking a few BIOS settings ... thankfully he did not revert the usual trial-and-error replacement of one part after another that I have experienced so may time with previous non-OPC computer vendors. When I look back at the initial "sweet spot" buying advice that Mario so expertly and patiently (tirelessly?) explained to me personally during the pre-sale process, I have to say that his advice seems to be standing the test of time very solidly. I am now considering purchase of another PC as our 2-PC household needs to replace an very "over the hill" PC which has finally given up the ghost, and OPC may be the only place I bother to look. There are many fine competitors, but I would have to say OPC is the best place to get the best value on the price-performance curve."

"After years of drooling Overdrive PCs, I finally got my chance when my ACT scores came in. I made one more point than the minimum I would've needed. As you can see, I'm just a student and my parents said they'd get me a new computer IF I made at least a 28. I ordered the day before Christmas '06 and got my computer and was delivered on March 16th, 2007. I know that is a long time, but most of the wait time was my fault. First, I changed my motherboard a few weeks (1-2) into one they didn't even offer! They did this without any complaint. Next, I 'upgraded' to Vista Ultimate 64-bit, as I learned they wouldn't cover me if I upgraded to Vista myself. This was probably the meat of everything. They had to create a 'master' Vista Ghost disc that they would then copy to all the other Vista OPCs. I was lucky enough to have the first Vista system out of their doors. I had an old sound card that I sent in to see if it would work, but the Vista drivers were clearly not ready ("No Creative Card detected"). No matter, OPC still tried. When I got the system, I found out that they had given me a free media card reader! w00t! There was one fan knocked loose out of the fan cage, but that was easily popped back in. Everything was absolutely perfect about it, minus a small optical drive mix-up. Mario quickly shipped me the correct one. I took a risk getting Vista so early, but I think it should pay off in the long-run. They've been so courteous in all my nit picking, I expected a "STFU, just let me build the computer, damn it!"

I'm a really cheap person. I was seriously considering getting an eMachine and upgrading the PSU/GPU. I saved up for this BEAST and I love it. I would never get another computer again.

The *only* big/glaring negative is the darn case! I love it, it is great, and my favorite. In looks. To me, however, it is a darn b!tch trying to mess with the I/O panel (USB Ports) or trying to close the side panel. When I had to knock the fan back in, I literally spent 30 minutes trying to figure it out. I finally gave up my pride and called them. Of course, I had the side panel on within seconds.

They've started to get more boutique in the 'looks' area. They now have an expensive-looking customized leather binder with all my CDs, invoices, etc. The new case is kick-ass, too. I like it *MUCH* better than the Lian-Li. It is quiet, but not silent. I can hear it, but it is a low-pitched hum. The 120's in the side seem to spinning so slow, sometimes I swear I can see the individual fan blades.

I know you're thinking: it is just too much money. Too much. But here is a genuine penny-pincher: It is worth every penny. Just save up enough (3k-4k) and you'll have the greatest computer in the world.

By the way, I have a Core 2 Duo E6600 @ 3.5GHz, 2GB of DDR2, 8800GTS, 320GB Seagate. The 8800GTS wasn't overclocked, but Mario is literally making me a flash BIOS for the card to bump up the clocks. It wasn't originally OC'd because of time restraints.

OPC FTW!"

"Like everyone who shops the boutique computer sellers, I was looking for a high-performance PC that would give me consistently super performance and was stable. Many of the best reviews I had read led me to Overdrive PC. I had reservations, honestly, about overclocking, though. It's something I generally don't do with hardware. But I really was intrigued by getting so much performance *now* due to the overclocking and yet still being able to run future games. Again, I personally don't overclock because stability was a very real concern and I frankly don't know enough about it to do it right, so I wanted a seller that did do it right.

I ordered in mid-November. The computer arrived a day or two before Christmas. I deliberately waited before posting here to give me time to put the machine through its paces and not post in the immediate honeymoon period.

The Overdrive PC is a beautiful computer. It's funny, too, because I initially wasn't a fan of the Cooler Master case they use. But now I can't imagine wanting anything else. It's extremely functional, runs nice and cool (and it sure is nice not worrying about temps, which HAD been a concern with earlier computers), and is just beautiful. The wiring inside is exceptionally neat and does not impede air flow.

On first boot up, it went right to the windows desktop. Extremely responsive. And while there's absolutely no bloat of software preinstalled on the machine, OPC does put on a few things right off the bat that are a definite benefit. I had benchmarking software and utility software already on there, ready to go, everything from CPU-Z to Winrar to 3DMark06.

The few times I've emailed tech support with questions, they've been very responsive, and this is after I've had the computer for a while and the sale has been made. I'm still their customer and they are as nice and helpful now as they were before I placed the order.

And the overclocking I was so concerned about initially? This computer runs fast. This compuer runs stable. No blue screens. No problems with any games or programs. When you find a company like Overdrive who knows what they're doing and does everything right, you really can't go wrong. "

"Dear All,

Having spent about 3 months last year investigating the various options open to me for purchasing a gaming machine of world class standards and performance, I came across the very informative online magazine HardOCP.

Without doubt this magazine is in its own class when it comes to reviewing PC integrators and the products they produce.

The 2006 HardOCP Awards rated OPC extremely favourably and I was interested to note the amount of time the company's CEO, Mario Cifaldi, invested in discussing and resolving issues which arose from the HardOCP article.

In the three months of investigation I checked many integrators, magazines and forums. Finally I picked up the phone and called. I was immediately speaking to OPC’s “Point Man” Aaron.

While explain my desires and wishes, Aaron recommended a number of options that even saved me money, while pointing out performance trends and real world testing results OPC conduct “in-house” in order to get the Best BANG for your BUCK.

Of course my situation is not normal. I am an Australian Expatriate living in Zurich Switzerland. This put off a number of other Boutique Integrators immediately. Aaron on the other hand said this would be no problem.

I order my machine on the 22nd of December 2006. 4-5 weeks was the communicated delivery time. By the second week of January I had contacted Aaron and Keith Reineke the company CFO regarding my machine and its estimated time of arrival. Due to unforeseen issues they both confirmed delivery times were getting longer and 8 weeks was more likely. They apologised for the delays and their explanations were detailed and concise. Working in the technology sector myself, this was entirely understandable. At this point I also asked for a few changes to my machine build, Aaron was more than happy to confirm the inclusion of these devices.

However, at this point in time I did explain that I had hard deadline of the 22nd of February for receiving my machine. This was due to a large yearly LAN event here in Zurich.

I won’t lie. The waiting was extremely difficult and the time taken to build this machine was beyond my comprehension.

By February 12th the pressure was on. As a technology project manager by trade, I began to tighten the screws in various ways. All credit must go to Keith and Aaron; they kept their cool and started making adjustments based on my actions.

At the last moment there was a Motherboard-Sound Card conflict that threatened to derail the whole thing. At this point Aaron and Keith really made OPC stand out above the pack. At their own expense they upgraded the UPS International shipping category to ensure my deadline was met. That alone represents a hell of a lot of money and a hell of a lot of customer service in my opinion.

It finally shipped at 16:00 from OPC on Tuesday the 20th of February. The PC made it to Zurich at 11:00am on Thursday morning the 22nd of February. I was up and running at the LAN Event the following morning at 11:00am the 23rd of February. The machine ran all weekend without a hitch. To date, it has been bullet proof.

The PC was arguably the centre of attention for the whole LAN event and one nice fellow even donated his 30 inch Dell screen for me to play on. I believe the hardcore gamers were trying to see if the machine could handle that type of resolution.

Suffice to say I spent 6 hours looking at the biggest monitor I’ve ever seen…with not one moment of lag. It certainly brought the house down for those six hours. I’d even suggest a few of the extreme gamers had a little cry behind closed doors as the OPC machine was clearly the fastest thing in the room by a long shot.

Travelling the planet as part of my job and working in the technology area myself, I can categorically say these guy’s know their stuff, they are customer focused to the extreme and I have personally not seen anything like what they do anywhere else in more than 15 countries I have worked in.

Issues happen in business, especially so with over clocking PC’s. What is unusual is that OPC guarantees their over clocking work to the end-consumer and that is a value added service I have never seen.

In closing, you can’t expect things to go without issues arising in IT, but, what you can expect from OPC is that they are doing their absolute best all the time and they guarantees their work. That sets them apart from the rest.

On a personal note:

I've got to say I’m REALLY happy I found these guys. I'd say they now have my PC business for life...and I'm recommending them to everyone who asks.
"

"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!"

"My experience with Overdrive PC has been outstanding. The machine they built for me is excellent. It has been reliable and stable at clock speeds significantly above stock. Its performance with demanding games and graphics applications is exceptional. The wiring is impeccable. The Windows XP Pro operating system is optimized extensively.

Customer service has been excellent. With questions to tech service I've received responses from their chief technician and partner himself. The ordering process began with an email to the company which led to a response from the chief technical officer with his recommendation for a build for my new computer.

This company went a step beyond the ordinary in customer service in my case. Overdrive PC announced that builds were being delayed as a result of a batch of processors that were not overclocking very well. That news came at about 30 days after I placed my order. At that time I also made the decision to relocate to a different state. I asked Overdrive PC to hold my shipment for two to three weeks until I arrived at my new residence. All this also occurred at about the time of the release of the AMD AM2 line of processors. As a gesture of good will they told me that they would upgrade my system from a socket 939 to an AM2 motherboard and processor at no additional charge.

I wanted an expertly constructed top of the line gaming machine with prompt and thorough customer and technical service. That is what I have received. In fact, with the upgrade that I received I have ended getting more than I had hoped for.

Edit:
I've had my machine for just about a year now. It's been stable and solid. It's as quiet as it was a year ago. I've had no malfunctions.

The support from OPC has been good. My emails have been responded to promptly. They answered my questions about upgrading to Vista and when I let them know I was ready to send the machine back in for the upgrade I received a shipping label by email the same day. I could have built my own machine or had someone locally do it for me, but I invested in an OPC for the quality combined with the support. A year after receiving my machine I'm very happy with my purchase."

"My experience with OverdrivePC (OPC) has been fantastic. When I made the decision to purchase a new gaming PC I did as much research as possible before choosing OPC. The OPC experience from sales to receving the system has been exceptional.

The sales representative whome I dealt with was very helpful and assisted me in building the best possible system for the money I was willing to spend. I placed my order around the first week of August and was told it would take 5 or 6 weeks for delivery. I received the system in excactly 5 weeks.

The system was packaged extremely well and included documenation and isntallation discs for every piece of hardware. Set up was easy and hassle free. The OS is cleared of unecessary programs and bloatware that comes with your typical PC. OPC has it ready for gaming! A really nice touch I noticed is that a lot of commonly used programs/utilites are already installed on the system which saves some trouble from doing it yourself: winrar, adobe, itunes, spybot, and some others.

The build quality of this system is absolutely amazing. The case is beautiful and I assure you the wiring job is second to none. The innards are kept extremely cool and it is very very quiet. I can't say enough about the air cooling system and build quality.

Last but not least is performance. OPC claims to build blazing fast systems and they deliver. I am using a 24 inch LCD and am running F.E.A.R at 1600 X 1200 with everything on maximum and 4x AA and this system pulls it off without a hitch. Absolutley amazing.

The support is also second to none. I have called them a few times to ask a few questions about setting up a UPS back up and emailed them as well. They always respond to my emails quickly and they are very friendly and knowledgeable.

When you drop this kind of money you expect excellent service, support and performance. There is no doubt OPC delivers in every category.

Go to this thread at OPC for some pics I posted of the system:

http://www.overdrivepc.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10580&page=1&pp=15

If you are looking for a great gaming system, I highly recommend OPC."

"Overall I am very satisfied with my purchase. I ordered over the phone and they were courteous and knowledgeable about their product. I was given pros and cons of some components options where I was unsure of the one that would suit my needs best.
The delivery of my system unfortunately took an extra 10 days, but they did call to inform me of the delay. When it finally arrived, the packing was excellent, inches of cushioning on all sides of the computer, plus the styrofoam holders (or whatever they're called). The only drawback to this packing is that it's a very big box =P
There's not really much to be said of the system's performance other than WoW. There hasn't been anything it couldn't handle thus far. I can keep a game going on the left monitor while watching movie clips on the other and not even a bump.
So again, all in all very satisfied. My next system purchase will more than likely be from Overdrive PC."

"I first purchased my computer in June, 2005 and have been so amazed at the service I have received from Overdrive PC since then. I get quick responses from Mario on all my questions and when we decided I should switch to another Motherboard for video editing, I simply sent the computer back and they were willing to switch it out at minimal cost to me. Mario must work 24/7 because whenever you email him, response time is amazing. I researched prior to using Overdrive and can say that the positive reviews I read were right on. Anyone looking for a quality machine and personal customer service should look no further!"

" The computer we've received from OPC has given a strong and stable performance despite the programs, mainly games of course, we had intended to run hard and long. Against wave after wave of music CD burning it has remained top-notch and doing so with the horde of programs running in the background. Stemming from our Alienware experience I became used to the CPU-usage reaching 100% daily and often. As I watch with a keen eye under the harshest conditions of gaming never has the number passed 99% (I think it reaches that height just to toy my suspicions). Now I play worry free only wondering when the game or app is going to use half the arsenal OPC deigned to let a gamer and power-user flirt around with. Many thanks to the professors and scientists at OPC who tire themselves upon the futuristic prowess of these peacefully hummming behemoths.
"

"These guys were a delight to deal with.

What a PC!"

"Just like to mention that the quality and functionality of these machines has been already well stated in this forum as well as the outstanding support. As a previous customer support engineer myself I would like to say that the support given by OPC can be described as “Generous”. The peace of mind that comes with great customer support more than justifies the cost of these high end machines. Thanks to all the people at Overdrive P.C."

" 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."

"I bought a Gemini.SLI last December and I haven't regretted it for a minute. I wanted a state-of-the-art gaming system that could double as a media server for my home theatre system. Overdrive did not disappoint. The build quality is immaculate. The performance is astonishing. I run any PC game at the highest possible settings and get superior framerates. The team at Overdrive are responsive to inquiries and seem like a pretty friendly group. I look forward to getting my next system from these guys."