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General discussion

Gaming PC

Mar 25, 2005 1:16PM PST

Which one of these manufacturers for a gaming PC is the best(uses retail parts and is cheap)and has great customer support, or should i build my own computer?

hypersonic
monarch
velocity micro

Roger

Discussion is locked

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No contest
Mar 25, 2005 4:30PM PST

Monarch the winner IMO. Has the wider selection of quality parts and people in CNet, including a Moderator, have reported excellent results when using Monarch.

Gaming machines.....
Well, you can customize a less expensive one with them, but just comparing the three builders and you customizing a very high end gamer using the AMD Athlon 64FX-55 Processor Socket 939, and practically everything identical with like parts:

Aluminum case
Motherboard ASUS A8N-SLI Deluxe nVidia nForce4 SLI Chipset
Dual Nvidia GeForce PCI-Express 6800 Ultra in SLI
Two 512MB Corsair PC3200 DDR400 Extra Low Latency RAM
Western Digital 74GB 10,000 RPM Hard Drive
Enermax 550W or 570W Power Supply
16x DVD+-RW (Pioneer or Plextor
Floppy drive combo 9-1 + Digital Media Reader/Writer
Firewire & USB 2.0
Ethernet
WinXP Home or Pro
2 Year warranty
http://www.monarchcomputer.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=M&Product_Code=80390

Price out the three builders customized with identical parts....
The Monarch customized would be a little over $3,000. The Hypersonic and Velocity Micro would cost considerably more (like say close to $1000 more).
You would not save hardly any $$ building yourself, but just gain experience and possibly a very hard lesson $$ and time wise if you screw up on an expensive machine.

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I think...
Mar 25, 2005 11:28PM PST

that tho Monarch is cheaper, Velocity Micro may be better. I was reading a computer shopper magazine and it rated the best velocity micro as the best gaming PC u can buy. The exact computer is the:

Velocity Micro Gamer's Edge DualX

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Velocity Micro better?
Mar 26, 2005 12:58AM PST

If all three are using the same components, it would be unlikely that one would be better than the other.

Re: "I was reading shopper magazine and it rated the best velocity micro as the best gaming PC u can buy. The exact computer is the: Velocity Micro Gamer's Edge DualX"

I have been taking the CNet Shopper Magazine for years but did not research the article. Perhaps it was an article some months back.

Velocity Micro high end series computers?

Raptor 64 Dual X (AMD) $3895

Raptor Extreme Edition (Intel) $3895

Gamers Edge Dual X (AMD) $1790

The components I was using in comparing the Velocity Micro, Hypersonic, and Monarch had the highest end AMD Athlon 64 FX55 processor on all three. To get the Gamers Edge Dual X ($1790) with the 64 FX55 would cost $750 more. In fact to get the Gamers Edge Dual X up to the level of the 3 builders referenced, it would also take an increase of at least the video card from one 6800GT to dual 6800 ULTRA ($1035 more)and the faster Western Digital Hard Drive from 7200 to 10,000 RPM.

All total to bring the Gamers Edge Dual X to near the same level as the Velocity Raptor 64 Dual X (AMD) would bring the cost aprx $3685 instead of $1790. Monarch could build with the same components, at a much less expensive cost(aprx -$700+).
So Velocity is just really calling attention of a Gamers computer, but you have to bring it up to near the $$$$level of a "Raptor" to be on the cutting edge.

Well, I'm off on a 300 mile round trip visiting relatives for the weekend. Not sure if I can get back online with some of the 233MHz old computers I'll be using out there. Wink

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um
Mar 26, 2005 2:52PM PST

those aren't the best parts
that PSU would be strained for that rig
most of those features are standard on a mobo
you can build it yourself for just under $2500, with better cooling and a better PSU (Enermax unit, i forget if it was the 650W or the 660W)
also using much less expensive RAM, as that Corsair is just overpriced
and using a 250GB Western Digital HDD, which will have almost the same access as that 74GB

so basically with monarch your paying more to get less storage, a 2nd rate mobo, probably 2nd rate gfx cards (probably from Asus) a sub standard coolign system, and a PSU that can hardly power that

yeah
that's about what to expect from a manufacturer
ah the joys of OEM builders

btw
you should know that SLI certifaction for a PSU is 4 12v rails (i think, i haven't seen any certified that aren't 4 rails)

i'm not saying this as a dis, it's actually meant as a completly seperate topic, just to give you some info on SLI requirements (but a good 2 12v rail unit can do it)

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Well, who said they were the best parts..
Mar 27, 2005 9:28AM PST

And you should know...since you continue to act like you know it all.... that the comparisons I made were with all three of the builders that Damasta indicated with like components, not that they are the best for a high end competition gamers computer. Gee wiz guy do you have to be critical on everything. Sure there are
better parts in certain areas out there. I'm comparing the three and Monarch will build the same computer as the other two for much less.

Sorry, but so far I have not learned anything from you since your return a week ago that I did not already know. Didn't I used to give you the pointers and answer your questions a year ago.Wink

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Re: um
Mar 27, 2005 10:14AM PST

If you would like to discuss privately, click on my name.

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Trust a Third Party
Mar 29, 2005 12:59AM PST

I am not a whiz at computer repair. I do not build computers nor study intrinsic specifications of each part.
A third party ResellerRatings.com rates anything from parts to firms dealing with computers. When I configure different gaming computers I try to use all the same parts at all sites then compare prices then compare Companies thru Reseller. These ratings are based on customer complaints or praises. I was surprised at some of the comments made by consumers over treatment and warranty problems by the big three. I also am amazed that personal phone calls by managers, free shipping and upgrades happen when some companies just do the right thing.
I believe the original poster was just looking for an assembled gamer.
I want to believe I could assemble a computer if my life depended on it but really a missed switch or cross connected plug or wrong part just is too intimidating