"I am very, very pleased with my Gamers Edge 1500. I researched lots of companies before finally settling on Velocity Micro. The build quality of the system is top notch, no wires hanging loose; there are 6 fans in this thing and it is quiet enough to leave on all day and night if I wish. Fully upgradeable which is great because I already have upgraded the video card (Velocity Micro is an eVGA step-up approved vendor, a big plus)! The only thing wrong with this system is the power supply and RAM which are generic. The power supply is 500W but it does not give me adequate voltages on the +12V rail (all programs I have used, including the BIOS give me 11.56v) so I will probably have to upgrade very soon before I get any stability issues.

All in all I give Velocity a 10/10. Highly recommended."

"I have nothing but great things to say about Velocity Micro!

In the past I have ordered from and have had great experiences from Dell. It seems the trend with Dell is sliding towards the negative. I suppose they have gotten too big for their own good and the customer suffers.

In Mid-June I ordered an XPS 700 from Dell. I ordered all the bells and whistles that I could afford. The system price was over $6k!!! The shipping date was adjusted several times with no real explanation from Dell. The last adjustment in the shipping date that I received on August 11th was for October 19th. By this time I had had enough and finally cancelled my order on August 13th. No matter how great the XPS 700 looked on paper, there was no way I was willing to wait in excess of 120 days for a computer. I was ready to buy NOW!

On the recommendation of a close friend I went to the Velocity Micro site. On August 14th I configured and ordered a ProMagix system. While the ProMagix is not a Raptor or Gamers' Edge system, the stats (and price)of the ProMagix system was comparable to the XPS 700 I had ordered. (Intel® Core™ 2 Extreme processor X6800, dual 2.93GHz cores, 4 GB RAM, 1024MB eVGA™ NVIDIA® GeForce™ 7950 GX2, PCI-Express, 2 x DVI, 2x750GB SATA HDs etc., etc., etc.)

I placed the order on August 14th and the computer was at my door on August 22nd. Just 8 days from time of order to delivery. Awesome!

The folks at VM kept me informed every step of the way and even called me when there was a problem with my configuration.

Heather, Jason, Flave, Trace and the whole team from start to finish were a pleasure to work with.

If you're in the market for a new computer, look very closely at Velocity Micro.

~Kevin"

"I placed an order for a custom Gamer’s Edge PCX Core 2 Duo system on Friday, September 1st. I placed the order after cancelling orders with both Dell (for an E6700 XPS 700) and with Alienware (for an E6700 Area-51 7500, I ordered the Gamer’s Edge the same night that I cancelled the Alienware system after mulling the decision to cancel over for a while) due to delays and/or poor communication and notification. After reading very complimentary reviews of their systems and finding overwhelmingly positive customer opinions here and on the HardOCP forums, I decided to place an order with Velocity Micro. I look forward to receiving my new system and I’ll update my review here as soon as I have it in hand and have a chance to make a fair evaluation. So far, from a cost vs. benefit experience, I have to say that I’m very impressed with Velocity Micro. I wish that I had placed my first order with them and skipped the gambles on Dell and Alienware.

Update: I just received my system yesterday - September 12th. My original estimated ship date was 9/20, but my system was shipped on 9/11 and arrived a day later (I live a few hours north of Richmond). Ordered on 9/1 and received the system on 9/12 - less than two weeks from ordering to receiving the system - fantastic.

I still have some burn-in testing to do, but, thus far, I am a 150% satisfied customer. I'll report back if I run into any issues, but so far my VM experience is better than I had hoped for - and I had pretty high hopes.

The system arrived undamaged and well packed. Software and documentation was provided in a nice blue plastic Velocity Micro binder. An accessories bag contained every unused accessory from the retail components; unused cabling, bezels and even the unused screws. I even got a Velocity Micro t-shirt in the box.

The system itself is beautiful and exceeded my expectations. The build quality is above anything that I've seen from the other vendors from which I've personally purchased systems (Dell and Alienware). The cabling job is superb and better than I probably could have done or would have had the patience to do on my own. I've hand built probably 30-40 systems and broken down and rebuilt most of those systems multiple times when replacing or upgrading this piece or that piece. The VM system feels like a hand built system, not something that rolled off a factory floor. Pulling the system out of the box and inspecting the exterior and interior, I came away impressed and feeling like my system had been built by someone who cared about the system as much as I would care about it as the owner. I'm proud to own the system. I honestly can't give higher praise than that.

I'm very impressed and will be quick to recommend VM to friends and family when they're considering a PC purchase."

"starting to get concerned....here is a list of issues to date
1- on initial purchase...wrong monitor listed on website and wrong monitor sent.
2- discovered after first attempt that floppy drive did not work...didn't notice this right away since I don't use floppy's much....new floppy sent...wasn't the real problem..it seems the install at the factory was out of alignment...I had to re-align it myself...issue due to facia on tower...should have been discovered before shipping during "rigorous testing"
3-speakers arrived...wrong ones
4-had to inform them that their website states the wrong amount of USB ports....they corrected their website...but only on this model....am I working for them now?
5-discovered that the hard drive is not the one that was supposed to be installed...it's a different model Western Digital...no-one told me this..I discovered it myself while looking in device manager...their website still lists the wrong one
6- attempted to play a dvd in my dvd drive...not working..plays CDs but not DVD's....should have been discovered at factory during "rigorous testing"...am I working for them now?
7-minor issue..but....2 screws were missing from the side panel when I got it...I had to put them on...am I working for them now?
Hey...I started out OK with this company...but now I am holding my breath.....the testing before shipment seems to be overstated a bit....it looks as if they are just throwing these things together as fast as they can.....sorry VM....I gave you a chance...but I don't want to keep replacing parts...I even do it myself so it costs you nothing...in spite of the fact that you don't overnite my parts...I have to wait the usual 3 day ground
and last but not least..."I STILL HAVE NOT RECEIVED MY OWNERS MANUAL"...COME ON GUYS!!!!!"

"A few weeks have passed since a good neighbor found my missing machine and wheeled it up to my door. Turns out UPS delivered an expensive new gaming rig to a completely wrong address and failed to get an adult signature as the box required. Having said that, I still think VM needs to tighten up their requirement for UPS to ALWAYS get an adult signature or dump using UPS as a carrier. I wouldn't want another gamer to have to worry about whether their new PC had been stolen or not.

Getting passed all that unpleasantness, my new Velocity Micro PC has been a total JOY to play with since I got it. I've even started to wear the FREE T-Shirt to work on casual Fridays which considering I work at 1UP.com, home of the Ziff Davis Game Group, generally earns some looks and not a few comments, especially from the CGW (Computer Gaming World) crew.

The best example of the power of my new PC I can give is playing F.E.A.R. There's a neat application that comes as part of the game which allows you to run a 60 test scene with various lighting and shadows turned on or off to see how smooth the game runs. The game wouldn't even load up on my last desktop, a Dell Pentium 4. On the VM machine. By comparison, I got to turn on ALL the bells and whistles using my new VM machine and the game still hums at an average 55 FPS.

In fact, so far, I've beaten out every game I own including Rome: Total War, Battlefield 2 and Half Life. BF2 was probably the biggest surprise. I literally had no idea what I was missing playing the game on a regular PC. Bullet deformations, smoke, fire, and smooth animation that would make Pixar grin.

Overall, a very solid build and more than capable of handling any game or demo I've thrown at it so far, including all the latest demos we host at http://www.filefront.com.

My only gripe was the Netgear PCI wireless card I purchased with the build. My PC is housed in my garage and the Netgear card hardly picked up a signal. I turned it off and plugged in an old Linksys USB adapter I had in my TiVo. Now I'm connecting at Very Good signal levels almost 100% of the time.

(P.S. One last note I should add that really put VM above other PC builders was that right before my new PC was built, I read an extensive article on how the Intel Core Duo 6600 was really THE card to buy over the 6400 or 6300. A quick call to VM, answered within 3 rings, and I was allowed to change our my processor for $120 more. I'm really glad I did and I really appreciate how easy VM made that change, instead of forcing me to stick with an inferior card or charging me a fortune to upgrade. That's how business should be conducted when you want to give a company more of your money.)

==================================================
I'm pretty disappointed in the vaunted support I got from Velocity Micro when the brand new PC they shipped me went missing.

I ordered a new Gaming Rig several weeks ago and up until yesterday, VM had been great. They were only a couple of days behind their originally estimated ship date and even allowed me to update my order with a more premium processor, the Intel Core Duo E6600 at late notice for no extra charge. I was a happy camper looking forward to playing my PC over the long weekend.

Well, after tracking my PC through the UPS system from an email Velocity Micro had sent when my system shipped, I followed it literally to my door. That's when the problem occurred. There was nothing at my door.

I couldn't believe that the UPS guy would leave my PC out in the cold at the front door without getting a signature. Maybe hauling the 50lb box up my steps was too much for him. Anyway, what to do?

I called UPS and they told me that their drivers will frequently leave packages at a location without getting a signature (be warned!). I couldn't believe that. "So who's liable," I asked. "The shipper," the UPS CSR, Louis responded. "There was no requirement to sign for the package."

I called Velocity Micro and talked to Christina who was very nice but I wasn't in the mood for pleasantries. My dream weekend had just gone up in smoke. Christina claimed that every Velocity Micro box has "Adult signature required". She offered to red flag the warranty number in case the thief was ever stupid enough to call tech support. I was a little surprised.

"So it sounds like you're not going to take any responsibility for the PC not reaching me?"

Basically, that was that. So much for VM's vaunted customer service and I told Christina as much.

It's all in UPS's hands now. I have to wait until Tuesday after the holiday weekend and request a traceroute which apparently takes 5-10 days. I'm not sure what happens after that, but apparently Velocity Micro doesn't much care."

" This is my first Velocity Micro purchase. I wanted to see how this one went before I considered them for additional business and personal purchases. I configured a ProMagix PCX system wtih the new Core 2 Duo processor. The online configuration process was clear, easy to navigate and offered all the things I was looking for.
I was surprised at how competitive the price was. I configured similar systems with a few companies, including DELL, and VM's price was very competitive, especially given the fact that VM is using retail, and not OEM components, and their reputation for premium systems. Also, the Core 2 Duo's seem to be in short supply and a number of companies have delayed shipping dates for their systems. VM had no such delays. I ordered on August 18, it shipped on august 25, 3 days earlier than the predicted date of August 28, and it arrived on the 30th, well packaged.
During the time the package was in transit with UPS, they lost it. I called VM about it and talked to Trace, only being on hold for less than a minute. We agreed that there was not much anybody could do at this point, but Trace said he would contact VM's UPS rep to get whatever help we could. Well, my UPS driver ended up finding the package, but I was quite pleased with Trace's offer of do what he could to help. It was a load off my mind knowing that I'd have help dealing with UPS if necessary.
I got the machine up and running in no time. It is very well put together, and the owner's portfolio is nicely done and has all the necessary materials you need.
Its just the first day, but so far I'm very pleased not only with the machine, but also with the purchasing process, and the very responsive help I got from Trace. I'll update after I really put it through the paces, but so far, I wish I had purchased from them before.

*EDIT* UPDATE

To correct the above, I did not receive a manual with the machine, but did receive supporting documentation for the hardware. I will request a manual. I have used the machine for about a week and it is running great. Ran it through a number of benchmarks and it is benching top notch. The Windows install was very clean and its such a pleasure to get a new machine without all the "trial" software and ISP come-ons that one gets elsewhere. I also opened up the case and build quality is excellent and and done with care. all in all a great mcahine.
"

"I've been a technology skills instructor for 29 years, and have worked with and used a variety of builds during that time, both at home and at work. I have either used or owned Apples, Macs, IBMs, HPs, Compaqs, and Sony VAIOs; I've never had a better experience than what I've had with Velocity Micro.
A) Ordering experience was fantastic. Easy to use web site, quality parts were offered, online chat was available to help with the order, and the folks at Velocity are knowledgeable about what they sell.
B) Timeliness was right in line for a system that featured a Core 2 Duo processor (E6600). The unit was briefly delayed waiting on the memory, but I was kept informed of the progress.
C) Delivery; a side panel had slight damage when it arrived and I did not have a rear Firewire port installed. Side panel and Firewire port for the backplane were shipped overnight, and they offered to have someone come out and install it if necessary - it wasn't, but it was nice to know they were so willing to offer the service if I had not been comfortable.
D) Build quality was superb; wiring was neat, allowing for great airflow and cooling, the case is a Lian Li V-series built for Velocity, the PC was set up with only the OS and the necessary drivers installed. Additional parts that came with the motherboard, soundcard, etc. were neatly stored in an included bag. Manuals, CDs, etc. were included in a Velocity Micro branded binder, as was a custom restore DVD that would return the PC to its factory state. The entire unit spoke to quality and care of assembly.
E) Performance - WOW. 21 seconds, stock performance, on SuperPI at 1M. While I purchased the machine primarily for Photoshop CS2 and web development, it will be great for my occasional foray into games. The new Core 2 Duo processors are everything they've been advertised as, and Velocity's implementation and design of a Core 2 Duo system is flawless.
F) Value. More expensive than an over the counter HP or Sony? Yes. Worth it? Absolutely...every penny. Custom builds with top shelf components and incredible individuals behind the product. I would recommend them to anyone looking for a PC, whether on a budget (their Campus edition is a VERY solide machine for students, games on a budget, etc.) or otherwise."

"I bought a Gamer's Edge DuelX Feb. 2006, and have been very happy with it. I am not a hardcore gamer, but am a Sim's player, with many downloads. I needed a system I would not outgrow in a year. I also needed a system that could handle photo's.

My computer arrived on time. The fan that is notorious (at that time) for becoming disloged during shipping only needed a quick snap into one thingyholder to reset it. It is a wonderful thing to have a case so the guts can be seen before hooking up all of the components.

Unfortunately, I had to talk to customer service because the graphic card was defective. Customer service was fabulous, and I quickly recieved a replacement.

I have had so much fun running a system that has power (more then I need right now) to handle what I am doing. I will look into buying another system from VelocityMicro, should my finances allow. Expensive (to me), but worth it.

I had looked into how much it would cost to build my own system, but decided that instant gratification, with a system put together in one shot was better for me, and worth the little bit more on costs,"

"After doing research I narrowed my choice between Velocity Micro and another company (both have had very good reviews). I called each company twice & discussed (with different sales associates each time) the building of a system to fit my needs (Photoshop CS2). The company I passed on the 1st call went well, the 2nd just ok. Both my phone calls with VM were fantastic, friendly & informative. Ellen at VM listened to what I wanted my sytem to do, my input & the amount I wanted to spend. She explained why I would want & need certain components. I placed my order on 8/21/06. Will follow-up when recieved or if there are any delays.

Update-My PC'S ship date was scheduled for 9/1. It was shipped early on 8/28 or 8/29. I received it on 8/31. I was notified of every step of my PC's progress from confirmation of my order through build process and finally completion and shipping info.

It was packed very well (No Damage). Paperwork and all program disks included in a portfolio. Setup was simple. Startup went smoothly. All my programs loaded without difficulty. Almost one month of daily use and have not encountered any problems. Extremely happy to this date.

I would say overall my whole experience with VM was a very pleasant & positive one.
"

"Hello,

I ordered a ProMagix™ PCX High Performance Home & Office PC on August 13. All of the people I have spoken with, including Scott and Trace have been polite.


There is a small problem of many missing manuals in my 'kit'. Specifically there are no manuals or documentation for the Intel Motherboard, the CPU, the graphics card, the ATI TV Wonder Card, the Plextor drive, the RAM, the case, the heat sink fan, or the hard drive.



I was told that Velcocity uses mostly retail parts and that I would be shipped all included items (minus the boxes).

I spoke to Scott yesterday about this and he is looking into it. He tried to tell me that the retail Intel motherboards shipped without a manual, but that would be ridiculous and the NewEgg page for the same motherboard shows a manual.

This is the first system I have not built myself in about 14 years. Before I retired due to a medical disability, I taught students at a local community college how to build and repair computers and prepare for their A+ exams.

It's nice for a change to let the building go to others. I researched this company long and hard before choosing them.

So far so good. Now I'm just awaiting my manuals. When they arrive I'll update this.

Update (Sept 28 2006: Still no manuals.

I have called Velocity micro numerous times since my first post here. At least three of the times I called I was told that the retail parts such as the motherboard didn't ship with manuals. When I told them that the Intel site as well as other sites included a manual with their lists of what was in the box, they promised that the manual would be shipped to me along with all the other manuals for my system.

I spoke to Trace and he said that he would forward a list of the components that were used to assemble my system to someone who would gather and ship me the manuals. He also promised that she would email me to keep me posted on the progress. That was over three weeks ago and I have heard nada.

Today (Sept. 28) I called again, gave my order number and was again told that manuals weren't s part of the retail parts that they used as the manuals were available on the cds that were shipped. I mentioned that I had been promised all the materials (including manuals) that came with the retail parts BEFORE I had purchased the system.

I no longer have a good feeling about this company. "

"Ordered a Intel® Core™ 2 Duo processor E6700 - Gamer's Edge PCX. Promised shipping date was 15 August. Talked with Trace Dixon after ordering a computer for my brother, Dave, since he was so helpful. He said my computer was just waiting on the Corsair™ XMS2 DDR2-800 Low Latency CL4 Extreme Memory which would be in no later than Thursday 17 August. Today I called back since no further updates have come by e-mail. Talked with Scott Denoff who said "it's now waiting for a Intel Core 2 6700 CPU before it can be built" and no inbound ship date!

Update 8/29/06: Received the system yesterday in good condition - packed with exquisite care. Had one minor issue when I first booted up. An overvoltage warning of some type. However, after a quick call to tech support and a trip to the BIOS, the system booted OK. I guess a tech hadn't changed back a setting in BIOS after the "burn in"/benchmark/quality check. I'll let you know more after a few more days, but tech support seems to be the real strong point of this company. No long hold times, native English speakers, and knowledgable!

Update: 1 Sep 2006
It is a fast machine with no real problems at all so far. Runs EQ2 at 1600 X 1200 resolution with the settings nearly maxed in all aspects and absolutely no lag. The case is rock solid and looks awesome with the fan and light in front. Air really blows through the system well. The 3DMArk06 test gave me a 6500 or so...whatewver that means. I have called tech support 4 times (for dumb questions mostly) and the longest wait time has been 4 minutes but averages about 1 minute or less. I have had a Dell for 4 years with many exasperating calls. So far to VM's favor, no exasperating calls - I have always hung up happy. Will update again after 3-6 months unless a problem arises.

Update 11 Feb 2007:
No problems whatsoever at the 6 month point. In fact, we are going to order a new Velocity Micro within the next 3 months (I have to finish my Professional Military Education first -- a new VM would be a distraction). I just can't see going back to Dell or Gateway (except for a 24-inch monitor - hehe). Keep up the great Tech Support, VM! Fast computers and good reviews sell the system, but good support keeps us customers coming back.

Respectfully, Frank Whorton"

"What I really dislike is repeatedly being told that the computer is going to ship and then NOT being notified when further delays are incurred. My patience is at an end and I must strongly discourage readers from doing business with Velocity Micro until they work out the obvious problems related to their new corporate partnership. I spent too much money on this system to receive department store customer service.

Note: The reply from Velocity Micro is incorrect. The computer was NOT shipped on the 23rd. UPS was given "Billing Information" but not the package. The computer was actually shipped on the 24th, 27 days after the re-order was initiated. The purchasing experience was terrible and I cannot recommend this company. Hopefully this will be the last problem I have and I can finally enjoy the computer I initially ordered on June 12th.

Update: This is the WORST computer I have ever owned. It's a $4000+ headache! I sent back the sound card, disconnected the faulty card reader, and am considering replacing the loud DVD drive. Now I am having trouble with the motherboard, as the machine does not want to boot. Every component in this computer, save the processor, has caused some problem. A quick look at many support forums show that VM selected, at the very least, known problematic motherboards, card readers, and sound cards. Why am I not calling them about this? My experience has been that a customer with a problem is a problem for them. I'll have better luck fixing it myself. Fair warning to potential buyers."

"Had to return my system as soon as it arrived. Will write a full review when it returns. UPDATE****
I apologize for taking so long to update my review which is unfair to Velocity Micro so here it goes. I recieved my computer and it was damaged and not the fault of Velocity Micro. It is something that happens to ANYONE who buys something wether you pick it up yourself or have it shipped so please be fair with companies when this happens to you. I called VM that night to try to solve it over the phone it was determined that it would be best to ship it back and have a tech look at it. Heather is the best. She called me personally and made sure that my issues and concerns were resolved by basically shipping me a new computer. Custome service is top notch!!! and now about the computer. THIS COMPUTER IS AWESOME!!!!!!! It is built using top quality parts and put together beautifully. I dont know if this is allowed here but if you go to ClubSLI and do a search for loosidtears you will see pictures of the interior of my computer and you will see just how beautiful it is. This computer is very fast is is working beyond my expectations. For those of you that are looking for a solid well built computer and top notch customer service, Velocity Micro is the way to go. I would not hesitate to buy ANYTHING from Velocity Micro and I would not hesitate to recommend this company to anyone. Again I would like to thank Heather and the whole staff at Velocity Micro for taking care of me and my needs and concerns in a quick and efficient manner. Folks..it doesnt get any better than this!"

"I absolutely have loved my experience with Velocity Micro. Never have I been left with one question about any part of the process, from my original order/build to support. They have stood 100% behind their promises and their product. I chose this system over a Dell XPS system which my friend had just bought and recommended. Now, he wishes he got my system. I also was the tech guy for the company I worked with and recommended Velocity over the company's normal choice Dell upgrades. Also, prior to owning the Velocity system, I personally owned a Gateway. Gateway owners might already know that Gateway has gone the way of mass appeal like Dell, and in my opinion, use not so great parts and not so great support. By now, probably most of us have experienced the Dell/Gateway method of technical support, where the call gets transferred to someone in a tier 1 position (either in India or someone in the US -- both reading process on a monitor from a database). On the other hand, when someone at Velocity answers the phone, I immediately know that they know more than I do and that they are actually smart and thinking, not reading from a screen. They actually care about what comes out of their mouth.

Also, they never rushed me, understood my specific desires, and catered solutions specifically for me. I especially love how QUIET Veloicity was able to make this most powerful desktop, and without sacrificing quality. My less powerful Gateway (and most other computers I've worked on) have been so loud that I couldn't think.

In the end, Velocity is about YOUR experience. My experience has felt VERY personal and about me. From my experience alone, people around me have learned of and added Velocity to their list of options for their next purchase, including the company I worked with. It is obvious to me that Velocity is more focussed on long-term relationships, rather than a short-term sale. Their product is top-notch and their people are class acts. I highly recommend Velocity Micro."