Okay, I'm keeping my venerable P4, 3.4GHz, 2MB RAM, GeForce 8800 GTS 640MB system with Win XP3. It runs everything, including Crysis, Far Cry2 and ARMA 1. More importantly, it runs all the old stuff like the Tom Clancy R6/Rogue Spear/Ghost Recon/GRAW1&2 goodness, and I have every title installed. It also runs Grand Prix Legends, NASCAR Racing 2K3, RFactor, GTR2, GTR Evolution at very high frames and resolution. Most of my installed sims at set at 1920 x 1200 x 32 (I have a 24 inch widescreen LCD).

But I can't run DCS: Black Shark, LOMAC, and FSX at max rez and I want to. I also want to be able to run the newest stuff, the games/sims that seem to require at minimum a Dual Core machine like OpFlash 2.

So my plan, again, is to line up my venerable old P4 with a new machine for Christmas. To ensure that I have it for Christmas, I need to order it in advance. I will not build my own machine. I don't have time to do that any more than I have time to make my own clothes. I could save money doing that too. I'm thinking of something along the lines of a Windows 7, Intel Core i7 Quad, 4-6GB RAM, 1 terrabyte HD (7200 rpm), single Nvidia GTX 295, DVDRW + CDRW (combo is fine), 1000 PSU, totally upgradeable of course. An advanced Soundblaster card is favored over integrated sound. That's about it, I guess.

I want to order. I'm tired of Dell, but I don't know the best boutique builders. I see a lot of ads in gaming magazines but which company is truly good and reliable? I don't know anything about ehe companies or anyone who has ever ordered from them. I've always ordered from Dell solely because of the price (and they have stood behind their products when I've had a problem). So, I'm asking for recommendations for alternatives to Dell.

I've been looking at Alienware, which I know is owned by Dell, and Digital Storm. Right now I'm leaning in the Storm's direction, but I'm open to other suggestions. Who is the best? Who puts out a rockin' gaming PC with Windows 7 and Intel? No AMD, please. Not negotiable. Intel only. Thanks.

well, if price isn't an issue then www.falcon-nw.com will suit all your needs and have tons of awards; but expect to pay upwards of 3k for their 'modest' systems (which will still blow most systems away). They have a really good customer support and warranties.
also, www.cyberpowerpc.com is a really good one from what I hear, and probably less pricey. I'm sure there are others but I can't think of them right now lol

With a monitor that size and high resolutions, chances are you'll have to go with an ATI 5xxx series, or go SLI (which can be a hassle sometimes.) The fastest nvidia cards gtx280/295) could probably run it; but they are in short supply right now

Thank you for your comments, NUFaN. I've heard of Falcon but haven't checked them out for years. I didn't know about Cyberpowerpc, so will check them out. As far as my monitor goes, my current 8800 GTS 640MB already runs it beautifully at max res. Since I got it, I've enjoyed a spectacular improvement over my old CRT. And I do mean SPECTACULAR. Playing racing and flight sims on this monitor at 1920 x 1200 is indescribably better than my old 19" CRT. I can't believe what a difference a monitor makes.

I don't own such a system (my current flagship is custom-built, and any other desktops I have will always be custom-built unless they happen to be pre-builts bought from a thrift store at rock-bottom prices), but I do know someone who is pretty satisfied with an insane Digital Storm setup which, IIRC, includes a Core i7, Tri-SLI GTX 280s, everything water-cooled, and a price tag most people could never afford to blow on a single computer.

As for monitors, an upgrade there can, indeed, make a pretty big difference. One of my thrift store scores a while back had me replacing an old 19" shadow-mask CRT I've been using since around 1999/2000...with a Dell P1110 21" Trinitron/aperture grille CRT. Works great, especially when tweaked up with WinDAS (I still need a colorimeter, though), and I have absolutely no desire for an LCD of any sort now (unless it's some ultra-high-end one like a Dell 3008WFP-HC given to me free of charge or sold for a mere six US$ like this P1110).

http://www.velocitymicro.com/ I bought their gaming system a year ago and have had zero problems. Tech support is top notch. They only use the best of the best componets and at resonable prices.

Velocity, eh? Thanks, I'll check it out.

I was in the same boat. My 7 y.o. Alienware was showing its age. I did a lot of research on custom builers and narrowed it down to 3.
Falcon Northwest
Maingear
Digital Storm

I ended up buying a Digital Storm about a month ago. Couldn't be happier!
Check the Digital Storm forums, very few problems with computers they build and if there is
one the take care of it quickly.
Their customer/technical support is handled in house, not outsourced to India or Costa Rica.
They have an A+ rating with BBB.
I've owned 3 Alienware computers over the last 13 years but the last one was not up to standard IMO.
Digital Storms attention to detail is second to none. Haven't had a hiccup since I bought it and it runs like a cat on crack.
LOMAC, IL2, BF2, CoH are all set at the highest settings and run smooth as butter on my mid range Digital Storm.

I do not work for DS, just an extremely satisfied customer.

Good luck in your quest.

All of the companies mentioned will build an excellent machine. IMO Maingear offers outstanding quality, service, support and value. I have prchased form Falcon in the past which was a great experience. Maingear offers a similar experience at a more reasonable price point. Buying my recent system from Maingear saved me about $600 over the comparable Falcon NW system. My system is beautifully made and the purchase and support experience has been first rate.

If you want an Nvidia card, consider waiting for the G300 DX11 card. It "should" be faster than the G295 without the SLI issues. The G300 may launch in the next few weeks with limited availability. Thing is, it may not be in time for Christmas.

If you must have it by Christmas, consider the ATI HD5870 DX11 card which is already on the market with limited availability. It is faster than the G295 in some tests without the SLI or Crossfire issues. And, its DX11 which may matter if you are keeping your system for a couple years. Or, if you want the fastest regardless of cost, the HD5970 dual-GPU DX11 card is due out this month.

HD5970 Coming Soon

I just built my own gaming pc from the ground up so i could grab a little more "PC knowledge" and i admit....just to say ..."I did it". But i didn't save enough money to stand up and yell..."i did it cheaper!" When i consider the money & time i put into it....next time ill just buy from one of the good "I'll build it for you" vendors.

building my own was fun though....idk .....maybe ill do it again someday .....idk.....no...vendor...no build my own....oh hell...that decision is now a good 4 yrs away....I'll have an answer for u then.

Thanks for all the suggestions, guys. Maingear is on my list now to check out. I agree with all that Falcon NW is overpriced. I'd say the same about the company in Toronto, Voodoo PC.

I don't think I'll wait for the HD5970 DX11 card. That thing is 13 inches long! I don't fancy putting a monstrosity like that in my PC. And after going with ATI a couple of PCs back, I came back to Nvidia with the Geforce 8800 GTS and have decided to stick with Nvidia. But why would I need or want a DX11 card? What advantage or extra features would that give me for sim gaming?

Here's another one:

http://www.digitalstormonline.com/

I went through the same scenario before I decided to build my Evga 680i-SLI/X6800 back in late 2006.

plug_nickel (Al)

I checked out Maingear. Too expensive. Cyberpower. Too many decisions to make regarding parts. Digital Storm is still a possiblity, but I fear I might be going back to ordering from Dell. My God, there is a huge difference in price between Dell and the small boutique dudes for almost the same system, except for generic RAM in the Dells.

I just ordered a system from Cyberpower a few days ago. I went with a pretty hotrocd system. The Fang series Viper http://www.cyberpowerpc.com/system/Viper/. I picked it because of the larger (240mm vs 120mm) water-cooling. Went with 17-920 overclocked and 6 GB of the Corsair Dominator mem, ATI 5870 video, plus a few other changes and additions. There is a website of cyberpower coupons and I tried one of their listed codes and it saved me an additional 5% ($83 in my case). That $83 was the decider when I was trying different companies. Cyberpower was most competitive in price, then that $83 made it even better. My total came to $1,659 without monitor. Shipping date is Nov 6. I will let you all know how it works.

Bought Cyberpower not quite a year ago. Overall solid experience. Good price, Shipped right on schedule, came complete and as promised and worked out of the box.

Why did you pick Cyberpower over Maingear, iBuypower, Digital Storm, Falcon NW, VoodooPC, Alienware, etc.? Price alone?

Always a good bet to check this site when making a purchase.

http://www.resellerratings.com/

Gives a good overall idea of customer satisfaction.

Price is always a big consideration. Alienware was on my short list, but they don't overclock. I seriously balanced Digital Storm against Cyberpower, but the price factor made the break; especially when I got that additional $83 off.

I'm usually not one to bad mouth a company, but since I've owned 3 Alienware computers I have some insight. Granted my last Alienware was purchased 7 years ago, since then the company was bought by Dell, BUT my last rig had problems from the day I plugged it in. I sent it back and they worked on it, returned it, and I found it still had not been properly fixed. My secondary hard drive had not even been formatted. There were files left on the computer that had nothing to do with my setup.
Whenever I had a problem their tech support (located in Costa Rica) would tell me to reformat and reinstall the O.S. That was their standard reply. You could tell that the tech support on the other end was reading off a cue sheet or manual.
I cant tell you how many times I ended up doing a online search and finding a solution myself, and it did not involve a reformat or OS reinstall.
I had USB outlets that didn't work, but it was like pulling teeth to get them to acknowledge a problem.
I had a vid card go bad, and since my vid card was no longer being manufactured, it took a couple months to get them to substitute a comparable card. It was a real fight. The support people in C.R. could care less, I think they get payed by the call, not the solution.
Again this was 5-6 years ago and Dell has bought them, but the support is still outsourced to other countries, and with the state of our economy, if having "in U.S. support" doesn't mean anything to you, at least consider keeping a U.S. citizen employed.
We've already sent way to many jobs overseas.

SOOOO what have we learned from this, and I can't stress it enough.

Find a company that handles all problems "IN HOUSE".
Search the internet for complaints about that company. There's a ton of complaints about Alienware, but very very few against Digital Storm, Maingear or Falcon NW.
Trust me, that extra $100 you spend will be worth it when you have a problem and the company is responsive and quick in solving it.

I'm just sayin.......

Rant over....

I love it when Angry Customers come back to bite the company in the butt (by falling into a thread like this and sharing their real-world experience). I'm doing my part for Acer... maybe one day they might learn that customer service sells product and is not a liability.

I know that generally speaking, US people are much more open for online retail as opposed to Brick&Mortar stores, but custom built rigs is still an area where I think finding a good shop in your city or nearby is worth pure gold. If just for the fact you can walk in there and slap people around if things don't work.

Is that no option, Plainsman?

There aren't any real good mom & pop stores near me. I live in the boondocks. The only alternative, if you can call it that, is the nearest Best Buy store. That's not an option. Speaking of tech support, I have a long and relatively satsified history with Dell. In the past, if you bought an XPS gaming machine, your tech support was U.S.A. They gave out a separate call number for XPS. Now that they own Alienware, I don't know if they still consider their XPS line to be special enough to warrant a U.S.A. telephone tech support line or if they pass you to India for tech support like they do with home users of the rest of their product line. I'm not Xenophobic. Tech support in India may understand computers but they ARE NOT GAMERS. That's the problem. I've not spoken to a single Indian tech support person (some are women) who even heard of Falcon 4.0 or NASCAR Racing 2003 Season or Ghost Recon. They've heard of the kind of games that are played in Japan, mostly console ports. They are useless to me. That's why when I've bought Dell in the past, I always purchased the top of the line XPS gaming machines so I could get U.S.A. based tech support if and when needed. I've always stayed away from the cheap Inspiron line. Buy one of those and you're doomed to India-based tech support.

There is a guy over on the Aces High BBS that goes by TilDeath and he has a computer shop in the Atlanta, GA area. His website is http://www.tdcomputersystems.com/ and he builds lots of custom rigs for guys who play multiple games and not just flight sims. Although he does build high end and will bend over backwards to help and support you.

He has even gone so far as to offer help to me when I was building my newest system and I did not buy anything from him other than a DVD drive that I couldn't get locally or from any of the other online retailers in time to finish the build. Great service and help.

Just my $.02.

I appreciate the tip, Reschke. But I've been burned too many times by smaller operators. I had a house built by a guy like that. Biggest mistake of my life. So when I had a bouse built again four years ago, I went bigger company, deeper pockets. I've never had trouble getting warranty work taken care of.

By the way, that website link didn't work.

Try the link this way. Not sure why the other isn't working. Just might at the very least give you an idea on some other rigs even if you don't use him.

http://tdcomputersystems.com/

Yes, that link worked. Thanks.

Out of curiosity, why?



Enjoy the GTX 2** series of AA then.

Have quite a few annoyances with my EVGA GTX 260. The bad drivers and ugly AA combined, I will be going ATI next time. Assuming the cards are priced the same at least.

DX 11 will be good because it will be future proof. If you plan on keeping the card for a few years it would be worth it.

After additional investigation, I've decided to go ATi 5870. But no PhysX with Ati without buying expensive add-on card. Sigh! Either way I go, Nvidia or Ati, I'll be missing something.

RSColonel ..."but custom built rigs is still an area where I think finding a good shop in your city or nearby is worth pure gold. If just for the fact you can walk in there and slap people around if things don't work."

Yep i agree with u there....I've used a pc tech store/LAN party business combo just 3 mi away ...they not only give me free advice, they give me free cables long after i've done business with them and when i did take my rig in they charged me half of what regular PC fix it stores have charged in the past and they're really nice people.

again, you're not going to miss much since the majority of games don't support physics acceleration. And out of the ones that DO support physics; more support Havok rather than PhysX; so you're not going to miss much (ATI=Havok, Nvidia=PhysX). And if for some reason you HAVE to have PhysX, Buy a cheap 8800GTS card which is the lowest (to my knowledge) Nvidia card that has PhysX support...it's not the end of the world

IMO physics is overrated as it stands now...I've played maybe two games that supported it and the difference is negligible for eyecandy AND performance. Maybe in the future it will be worth it; but right now it's just a ploy to get people to side with ATI or Nvidia while there's many other things that make a bigger difference

I've played GRAW1/2 with physx.

Made explosions cooler with more debris. That was it though. The debris disappeared after a few seconds anyways.

Both things are over rated. Most games won't make features that half the players won't be able to utilize. Especially when a lot of games are also on consoles.

That said, there is a special UT3 Physx only map. Cannot even find where to download it. Should give that a try.