"Puget is an honest, reliable, knowledgeable, and supportive company. They're very courteous and helpful from the very onset of the shopping experience. They answered my questions regarding my new PC and over a couple of weeks we built the computer piece by piece until it had everything I wanted. The actual build process was delayed by a few out-of-stock parts, but Puget kept me in the know via e-mail so it wasn't a big deal. They even send you pictures of your PC via e-mail once they've finished building it so you can salivate while it's on its way!
Shipping was prompt from Seattle to Los Angeles, and the packaging was plentiful and very tough, ensuring the machine was totally undamaged during transit. Unpackaged the new rig, plugged her in, booted her up, and she's been running beautifully ever since! They even did some custom WinXP installations for me, and set up all my RAID arrays in the precise manner I desired, and everything was fully updated, from Windows to the BIOS to each component's firmware. The internal wireing is kept nice and tidy, the parts are all top-notch and have thus far served me well. She's quiet yet well-cooled - Puget did a fantastic job and I couldn't be happier!
I've contacted support once via e-mail, and though my reply came almost two weeks later due to an outbreak of the flu amongst the staff, they were completely helpful in resolving my issue. Puget also gives you every spare part from the components used to assemble your PC, rather than keep them for their own use around the shop. Extra hard drive brackets, case fans, screws, other parts like additional USB and Firewire ports, driver disks, documentation, even the box from the PC chassis - all included so it's exactly like you built the machine yourself. Everything left over is sent to you. There's a three-ring binder in the package that gives you all the info you could want about your PC - factory test results such as benchmarks and temperature readings, support info for the manufacturers of each part, and even a list of the serial numbers for all components (making signing up for support with companies like XFX much simpler, as they require each serial number be registered before they allow you to download drivers).
One nagging problem is that my Firewire ports seem to act funny - the front port has been non-functional for a while, but I plan on contacting Puget support in the next few days and I've all the confidence in the world that they'll be able to help me fix whatever's wrong.
The main downside with Puget is that they're very pricey, but those who have shopped with cheaper PC builders know that the first thing to go is the quality of the customer service and technical support and the reliability of the components used, and with Puget you get way more than that - which alone would be enough! Yes, you get a rock-solid machine built from the highest quality parts with the lowest failure rates. Yes, you also get unlimited helpful replies from sales and tech support whenever you need it. But you get treated like a king, like you're the only customer that matters, with the PC's full complement of technical manuals and spare parts, and a notebook full of useful information for maintaining your machine for years to come. It's worth the extra bucks, unless you just want to get the best computer for as little as possible and roll the dice with subpar components and dodgy service. I did that and I got royally screwed. Cost me a ton of money. Never again. For pro's who need machines that don't die and support personnel who will trip over themselves to get you what you need if something does go down, I can't think of anything more Puget could be doing right now to further earn my complete trust and future business."
"Alert! If you are looking for the best custom built computer, excellent and knowledgeable assistance through the build and order process, excellent communication during the build process, a system that exceeds all expectations, please do yourself a favor and look no further than Puget Custom Computers!
I ordered the system early in February 2009 and received excellent and invaluable advice on choosing the best components for a silent running system able to perform well under multi-tasking duties, and within a budget of approximately $2000.
The Puget staff was friendly, courteous, and very assuring that the unit would be exactly as I wanted it to be. In addition, he made me aware of a current discount that lowered my cost significantly. The build was incredibly fast and the website kept me up to date on each detailed stage of the process. Without a doubt dealing with Puget is the best experience I have had with a custom built computer company and I am sure to buy again and will wholeheartedly recommend Puget to family, friends, and colleagues.
Upon arrival within one week of placing the order, I was first impressed with the packaging of the entire unit and the complete notebook with the configuration and all software included. I have seen that before in other computers I have purchased but I think Puget did the best job of any of the five custom built systems I have had in the past.
The system was easy to hook up and worked like a charm on first switch-on. I absolutely cannot believe how QUIET it is. I am often not even aware it was on without checking the light on the front. Silence is golden. My last computer sounded like I had a truck revving up under my desk. Your advice on all the components was spot on. The system is amazingly fast and nimble and all components first rate and perform exactly as expected.
If you are in the market for a new system I highly recommend Puget. You will not be disappointed and I am sure their excellent customer care will make you a lifelong customer.
"
"I ordered the (mostly) prefigured model they call the Obsidian - it suited my budget (about $1,500) and my hardware needs (databases and older RPGs like BG2 and NWN). During the build process Puget not only kept up a constant dialog about my needs and wants (thanks, William), they also transferred all of the files from my old hard drives (2) to the new hard drive. The computer arrived in a box that could have doubled as a bomb shelter - needless to say, it was in perfect shape. There was good documentation, and all of the CDs (OS and drivers) were included (I like that). I popped in the ethernet card from the old PC, fired it up, and it ran perfectly. As a follow-up, Puget was more than happy to keep answering my questions after the sale. When I need a new computer in the future, I will definitely deal with Puget again."
"At all times I felt I was in good hands and had a sense of security that I would end up with a great quality system and shopping experience, despite a couple of road bumps (more below) along the way. Puget Systems always tried to do the right thing.
Road bump #1: The first motherboard they installed had a problem during testing and had to be replaced. I was glad this was caught during testing at their end. Unfortunately, they were out of local stock so I hit a couple of days delay while they waited for a replacement to be shipped.
Road bump #2: After receiving the system, some games were crashing in particular areas. Experience told me there was a graphics card hardware problem. I emailed tech support and they concurred. I really appreciated is that they did not have me go through an endless list stupid to things to try out that I had already ruled out.
Their RMA ships out a replacement card before they receive the defective one. The (brand new) replacement card was not identical to my original one, but used a slightly newer and improved GPU. Shipping back the defective one was at no cost to me and hassle free, as they emailed me a prepaid shipping label.
My new PC works flawlessly now and I really couldn’t be happier. Due to the excellent way they handled the road bumps, I highly recommend Puget Systems.
Karim"
"I am absolutely happy with my recent purchase from Puget Systems. They use high quality components at a competitive price, and the quality of assembly is absolutely superb. Both the stress test score and the thermal profile (IR) pictures were emailed to me for a review prior to shipping.
The customer service/sales is both very friendly and knowledgeable. In fact, the sales person helped me save money: I overspec'ed my PC, as probably most enthusiasts would. There was absolutely no sales pressure.
When the system arrived, everything worked perfectly from the get-go. I asked for a custom configuration with the dual Windows/Linux install and I didn't want to spend time fighting driver compatibility issues, and Puget did it all for me at very low extra cost.
I would highly recommend them to anyone that wants a custom PC built."
"I had previously owned quite a few PC before I decided to buy one from Puget. I have done extensive reading and research before I made a decision to purchase one from Puget. I was hesitating between Price or Customer Service or even both. All the computers I had before were less than $2k, from Dell and HP. I wanted a gaming computer and didn't mind to spend about $3k to get a good one.
My initial purchase experience with Puget was very good. When I finally got my computer from Puget, I was impressed with the case and how it was packed. After I powered up the computer, Window was loading and then suddenly I received some sort of video card error. I thought maybe it's not a big issue. Then I installed my favorite game World of Warcraft. The screen was awesome and things were going great until 30mins later the screen start tearing.
I contacted Puget, the customer support was very good. Daniel was quite patient and walked through with me to diagnose the issues. He suggested that maybe it's the SLI mode that caused the game to have screen problem. Sure there was some documentation somewhere regarding SLI mode caused issues while playing WOW. But I also know that I have friends who played WOW with SLI mode on and had no issues. Eventually I turned off the SLI mode and I still had the same issues.
Long story short, I eventually had to ship the computer back to them. While the computer was in repair, I also asked them to install another 500G hard drive which they did it without any issues.
A week or two later (can't remember the exact date), they did alot of testing and didn't see any issue and the computer was returned back to me. I then started my WOW again, there was no issues for a couple days, but then it's back again. This time it was worse. The screen will freeze for 5-10s and then it's fine. I eventually had to screen shot and even video capturing the screen to show them what happened. Here go, I talked to the customer support, he was very nice and walked through with me again to diagnose the issues. Eventually I had to send the computer back again. They did extensive diagnostic this time, and found out the video cards were no good. They replaced it and then sent back to me. I finally got my computer back and then I started my WOW again, everything goes very well. From the day I purchased this computer to the day I finally got my WOW works well, it was about 2 months. I am fine with it as I had another Dell computer at that time which I have it for a year and never had any issues when playing WOW.
10months later, I noticed something wrong with my computer. The computer was stuck in loading screen. It kept searching for the IDE drives. I called them up and finally got a phone called back 3 days later. The customer support was great, he helped me through the whole process again. This time we found out the hard drive had failed. The hard drive that failed was my Main hard drive. Anyway, eventually they sent me a hard drive which I received it a week later. I reinstalled my Vista and the softwares I needed.
I have this hard drive for a month now, but I noticed something weird again in last few days. The window loading screen sort of stuck at one point, but eventually it did boot through with no issue. But I have not had problems since then, so I think it is OK."
"I researched for several weeks before deciding to place my order with Puget. This decision was based on the strength and number of positive reviews from previous customers.
Thankfully, I can say that their reputation is completely deserved. From the moment I made my first inquiry, I was treated with nothing but prompt and professional courtesy. They gave honest feedback to my questions and configuration desires. The system was assembled, shipped, and delivered in-line with the stated timing. And best of all, the computer is exactly what I wanted. I ordered an Obsidian system with a couple upgrades to maximize quiet operation. For over 90% of the time since arrival, I literally cannot hear the computer at all (located on the floor 2 ft. away). The loudest component is the CD/DVD drive, which is to be expected and still below the norm. for this device. I am very please with the value for my investment."
"This company provides premium service at a modest price. I wanted a system that was above average on performance for gaming but was also very quiet and would fit into the space I had available. Searching the internet yielded mountains of data and a lot of confusion. Higher performance meant more noise. A smaller footprint caused more thermal management issues. There were countless trade offs in components with little indication if they would make the system better, worse or just more expensive. The customer service people at Puget were able to help me sort through the data and find a solution. They were able to take the time to listen to my requirements and were then able to explain what I could expect to gain or lose with price, performance, reliability and sound quality for each choice. As a result, I put together a system that is very nearly inaudible yet easily benchmarks with the best off the shelf models that are anywhere near the same price range. In addition, I have a great deal more confidence in the reliability of my system in comparison to any of the mass produced boxes. I was very satisfied with the entire purchasing experience."
"After many frustrating years of owning several HP computers and what they call their extended service plan Which is actually an extended frustration plan in trying to play phone tag and communicating with people in India, who constantly send you to the "right" person, I finally gave up on HP.
I was extremely fortunate to find Puget Systems. They are unbelievable and actually care about their customers! What a concept! They will help you configure your own computer, review what you have configured, or let you go with what you know. They keep you informed through a web site about the ststus of your oder - from building to a serious burn in and testing procedure. When all is complete, they carefully package your new computer and ship it by way of your choice. Everything they do is with the utmost integrity. For example, my computer was held up by 2 days because of one of their parts suppliers, so they shortened the shipping time to me at no additional charge. Who else would do that? Another example came after I started working on my computer. I found that the touch pad interferred with my typing. I called them and left a message with one of the techs. He called me back in less than 2 hours and we worked out the answer.
If you are looking at a Puget machine and can't decide, follow the old Nike saying and 'DO IT' - you won't be sorry. I am not,"
"Puget Systems is the best for getting a custom built computer. Service and support are wonderful and they gladly answer questions on the phone...very helpful. You just tell them what your computer will be used for and they know all the right components that will make the best configuration for you. Have bought 2 computers from them and will again the next time I need another one."
"There were many reasons I chose to do business with Puget Custom Computers, from the quality of the parts in their inventory to the wealth of customer feedback.
While many of the larger manufacturers sell a machine with comparable specs for less money, many of the parts are off-brand (if they even dare tell you the brand!) and the OS install is littered with junkware. Puget was just the opposite, installing only a clean OS (and if you specifically request them to, a courtesy install of optional open source software such as AVG antivirus or Open Office).
The communication with the sales team was excellent, and at no time did I feel pressured or was I upsold on anything more expensive than what I was looking for.
The machine runs every bit as well as I'd hoped, blazing through my work at record pace. The quality is everything I'd hoped for, and I have absolutely no reservations in saying that these guys are amazing."
"After becoming frustrated with being unable to purchase exactly what what I wanted (or even figure out precisely what it was I was purchasing) from Dell and other major manufacturers, I decided to take my business to a custom PC company. I chose Puget because of their reputation and they completely exceeded my expectations.
Customer service before the sale and during the build is superb. Their representative answered all my questions promptly (responding by email after business hours on several occasions) and not once did they try to up-sell me on the latest and most expensive technology. I got exactly the machine that I needed for the budget that I had. The build process was completely transparent and unlike anything I had seen before. You can track build progress step by step from assembly to testing and packaging. You can even see who is doing the work.
Even though I ordered in the middle of the holidays, they completed the build quickly and the computer arrived on time. It was double boxed with two sets of foam cushions and completely undamaged despite a trip from the west coast to the east coast. In addition to the machine itself, they sent all the extra parts that were included with the components that I ordered, but weren't needed during the build (mounting screws, data cables, etc) as well as a 3 ring binder with an invoice, information regarding individual component manufacturer warranties, benchmark comparisons, driver CDs and the Puget tools CD.
The Windows install was completely clean and the computer thus far has been stable and quiet. I've had the computer for about a month now and I haven't had a single reliability issue. It handles everything I need it to and then some.
I originally underestimated my storage needs, so I recently added a second hard drive. I was very pleased to find the interior of the case clean and free of any tangled wires. I was expecting to have to rewire the existing SATA power cables, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that there was a handy SATA power strip with several open connections tucked down the side of my empty hard drive bays. There was no rewiring necessary at all. I just plugged the hard drive in to the existing power strip, used an extra SATA data cable that was in the box of spare parts and I was ready to go.
I can't comment on technical support, because I haven't needed it yet. If the need arises and I contact them, I will update this review to reflect my experience.
These guys get everything right, from the overall experience down to the smallest detail. I'm going straight to Puget for my next computer and I'm telling everyone I know to do the same, without hesitation."
"Great company to work with! This is the 2nd PC they have built for me. I am a Professional Photographer, now playing with videography. I need a new faster more powerful PC to handle rendering video. It is super quite and has 64 gig of Ram for now. It was shipped super securely. No dents or dings. I would highly recommend them to anyone that wants a custom PC built. I will never buy another big box store sale PC again!"
"Comparable prices & fast shipping."
"Needed a copy of XP. Simple to order, shipped on time, delivered as promised. "