I’m interested in building an AMD based system. Can anyone recommend a reputable source in the United States for pre-configured systems? I’m hoping to find a company that sells tested configurations that customers can build.
Thanks in advance.
Monarch has pretty good prices and has been reliable in my experience http://www.monarchcomputer.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv
Some of the workstation companies actually post all the hardware they’ll be putting in the computer (motherboard/processor/ram) with the manufacturer part number. I went to one company, configured a system, wrote down the part numbers, and ordered everything from Newegg when I build my dual-xeon.
I like Monarch too… Usually they are near the top on Pricewatch.
this should be moved to take5
If you are looking at systems like a Dell system type but that sells AMDs, you may wnat to look at Boxx… something like this:
http://www.boxxtech.com/products/cf\_step2.asp?ModelInstanceID=567
PS: These systems are NOT cheap.
i own a boxx and daaaaaaamn its nice
show off da elf!!
im not the only one on here with a box surely. besides for what i paid for my boxx im sure you have more powerful systems for way less money
Boxx is awesome. Their tech support is great (not outsourced to India) and even the sales people pick up the phone right away and know what they are talking about.
They are pricey, but machines like what they sell are always pricey. Boxx is cheaper than either Dell or Alienware however, and Alienware focuses too much on the overclocked gamer market; Boxx cares about stability and functionality.
But of course, it deffinitely more than building it yourself. But ask yourself, how much is your time worth?
actually i found once a boxx is purchased there really isnt any need to call tech support hehehe
Yeah, I’ve got two BOXX machines. Both have worked flawlessly for years but so have my Dells. The past few systems I bought I compared Dell to BOXX and went with the Dells. The BOXX machines are defiantly nicer but the Dells beat them every time on price by quite a margin for an equivalent spec. However this was on Xeon machines. Now that AMD is on top again the BOXX AMD machines are looking good.
If I had to work on one or upgrade it I’d defiantly prefer the BOXX. Fortunately I haven’t needed support for any of my machines.
Thanks for the replies!
I second the Monarch Computer site recommendation. I have built 3 dualie workstations with their parts and never had a single problem. As for time, once you have all the parts, it should only take about 2 hours for complete assembly and software installation. Its going to be half the price of Boxx or Dell or whatever, and even if your time is worth say $100/hr, thats only $200 in labour, which is still way cheaper than pre-mades.
Do you specify all parts, or do they sell kits?
I’ve always done a little research, call a few places when things look like they’ll fit together, and ask a few friends. Some places do provide kits in the form of ‘cpu and motherboard’ combos.
One thing you can guarantee about building your own computer is that you know the quality of parts going into your system instead of generic adapters, memory, etc… The second benefit (mentioned previously) is that you can cut costs significantly. I really recommend this if you are on the budget or if you just want to buy more things for your comp (such as memory.)
I have a monarch (x2) system as well.
They were a bit slow it building it. And the ‘hornet’ case I specified is total dogshit. And they sold me a DVD drive that doesn’t fit the smaller case.
At the time, they were the only option for in-stock x2. Now looking at an Aopen “shuttle” barebone on NewEgg.