"My experience with Velocity Micro was pleasant from beginning to end. Selecting and upgrading my system of choice was very easy. The process was well laid out. When I received my PC it was well packaged and all the contents were nice and organized. Last but not least, my system runs like a dream! "
"Bought a NoteMagix B50. Upgraded the HD and added custom painting.
The BAD: Took 6 weeks to get the laptop in my hands. Custom painting added 10 days. However, my estimated lead time was 10 days plus 6-13. After 4 weeks I sent an email regarding the order status. No reply was ever made. I called 2 days later and was told painting was delayed and that they would expedite my order which they did. The laptop was shipped after exactly 5 weeks. But had I never called I might still be waiting now. But what made it worse was the fact that the laptop drop in price by more than $100 while I was still waiting.
The GOOD: Beautiful laptop, love the custom paint. They did a good job updating drivers, XP was on the latest patch including most recent security patches. People on the phone/email were curteous, professional, very likeable and spoke english unlike those other big companies out there. Quick laptop, performed well and will do more stress testing on it to see its limits. Bottom line is the quality and performance of the laptop and this one is top notch.
"
"Okay, I ordered an AMD 64 system through this company and am hoping for the best. So far I've been very pleased. I forgot to ask for a T shirt with my order so I sent Email to them to see if I could correct it. They replied within two hours with an affirmative. That gave me the big warm and fuzzy. I'm a real person so if you want to get in touch with me you can email me at my yahoo address ****@**** Have a great day!! Jerry
It's 01 Mar now and today I rcvd an email saying my PC is "in production" and they will ship in 2 to 5 five days unless a problem arises. So far, I'm still happy, but I'm wondering if they will ship the 19in LCD and speakers seperate or ship everything at once..Keep you updated..Jerry
Well today is 2 Mar and last night I got a message from VM that they have shipped my system.
I suspect that this is not the whole system since I had a 19in LCD, UPS (700), and the CPU, and the weight is 50LBS. That could be right but I suspect the UPS is not in there or this could just be one item. They are in Richmond and I'm in Charleston SC so it should be here tomorrow. Let you know then. Later Bear
Hey guess what, I got home yesterday evening and my ups, monitor and speakers were sitting on my porch. They never notified me they were shipping them but everything worked great. The 19in LCD was an ACER and works great, in fact, I replaced my Samsung with it. My CPU and keyboard is being delivered today. VM did send me a tracking number on that. So far, still happy, and today is the day for delivery. No glitches at all except I called once and left a vox mail which they never returned. Oh well
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Well I got everything in yesterday 3 Mar. It's just like everyone else is raving about. Superb!! I'm giving them the highest rating I can. The three ring binder is neat and orderly and complete. The T shirt is very cool! After I finished the load on XP all the updates were already done. I only had three updates to do. One for my monitor and windows journal and net framework (I recommend not doing those myself unless you have a specific need for them). Once again superb job!! I don't have a single complaint..Thanks Velocity Micro , You guys don't have any job openings do you? lol
Have a great day!!"
"The Computer was delivered in superb condition. when I called earlier to see what the status was they told me it was all built and just the DVDR was waiting to be delivered and installed - they got that information to me very quickly, obviously not a contracted support service which is one of the things I've heard so many good comments about - Velocity's support.
Everything about the machine has been perfect - performance, battery life, durability, weight and screen clarity. It's almost completely replaced my desktop already."
"After pricing various rigs with a variety of resellers, I kept going back to VM. They offered what I wanted for a reasonable price. The fact that they use retail parts really swung the deal for me. I've waited almost a month for my Raptor Extreme, but it definitely was worth the wait. Nice job Velocity and special thanks to Chip and Jamie who made the process very smooth. You've got a long-term customer here and I will definitely be encouraging both customers and friends to buy from you."
"Chip Lowell was my sales rep he was a great help to me for not configuring things I really did not need as well as recomending things I did need."
"TECH: Follow up initially lost with email support, but inconclusive as to whether it may have been partially end users fault (mine). Follow up call made by velocity micro, professional, complete resolution to min-mod complexity problem.
PRICE: I build my own PC's. I did a virtual build of my ultimate system. I researched every part and checked prices on line. Aleinware didn't even have the optimal parts matched and were expensive to boot. For example, Velocity Micro bundled an MSI board with the Athlon 3200+ 64 bit, recommended by Tom's Hardware for optimal performance. Alienware had an ASUS with the Athlon 64 bit, which is not only a suboptimal combo, but involves ASUS' website, a nightmare to navigate. ASUS' BIOS update procedures are awkward and meticulous. ASUS board Q-fan controls, probe do not compare to the MSI Core Processor program. The MSI board with VM: you can update the BIOS via Windows! Whoooa. ASUS - flash and pray.
Now if you don't care to do brain surgery on your PC, Velocity Micro is still great because they figured it out: power is in the most appropriate mobo-processor matchup followed by memory selection. Velocity Micro, to my suprise, had my virtual system built post my research, for sale for a fraction above cost.
MINOR PROS/CONS/SUGGESTIONS:
The only problem I had was a shortage of power connectors for adding drives. This could be easily remedied with accessories. Also I would have done something different with the wire from the board to power the video case fan on the removable panel. It has short leash and easy to pull apart if you inadvertantly try to remove the panel too far from the tower. The interior is clean, and the internal cables bundled for heating efficency. The system restore CD did not work, but they offered to replace it no extra cost. After telling me it just restored drivers, I was fine with doing it on my own. USB and 1394 ports are on the front of the case which is AWESOME. No longer do I have to get on the floor and unplug USB cables from the back. My joystick has a longer thether and doesnt get shortened from a rear connection. The manual is neatly organized with all of the CD's organized for reinstallation and repair. Product and order codes are stamped on the tower door itself for fast reference. No digging through old files.
What I would have like to have seen was a more exhaustive recovery chapter which would include AMBios rescue disks and the most updated BIOS version on floppy in case the BIOS gets corrupted and you have to reflash it. They did include the MSI manual which had easy refernce to pin jumpers to clear CMOS memory. Also, I would have like to have a page dedicated to factory bios settings, the system restore CD doesn't correct bios settings.
By the way, boot up is less than 25 secs on my machine is so, so quiet. This is after listening to an 80db fan on my system to compensate for Athlons poor heatsinking of older processors.
Most of these are "finicky points" most users shouldn't have to consider.
I love this system and my wife thanks you!"
"I am extremely disappointed with VM so-called 24/7 technical support. Three days after receiving my spanking new PC, I wanted to put in an additional hard drive and a DVD burner. Guess what - I could not open the case without risking to break it. The documentation binder was no help, it had precious little except the component manuals. The web site was of no help either. Expandability was one of my biggest considerations when choosing VM. Around 7 PM PST, after exploring the case from all possible angles, I decided to call the toll-free number hoping to get a simple instruction on how to open the case. I waited for about 10 min to give my name, service number, date of purchase to be told that a technician would call me back within one hour. I should mention here too that top level, US-based technical support was my other reason for selecting VM. One and a half hour later, no one called me, so I called back to inquire how soon I could get support. I asked for a manager and was told that the manager "just left for the day", I was in the queue, there were "backed up", and someone would surely call me later that night. At 9:30 PM PST I called again, listened to the music, was asked to "please wait", that someone would be with me shortly, that the calls were monitored for quality assurance purposes, and then finally was simply asked to leave a message. My jaw dropped when I heard that, I could not believe my ears. I thought DELL's tech support was bad, I did not like the idea of having to make out what that poor guy in Bombay was trying to say to me. In the end, I would have been happy to talk to a Martian but I guess I would have to wait for that a bit longer?!
It would only be fair to add that VM's own tecnicians and associates are very good and helpful unlike the personnel of the company they contracted for the 24/7 support. My advice to you - avoid those and make every effort to deal directly with the folks in Richmond, Virginia.
"
"i did a major research on Velocitymicro company and i was very impressed with this company. I used to work for a major computer company so i do no the in/out of the enviroment of a computer company. What won me over with this company they believe in one trained technician to assembly, performed software diagnostic testing and ensure "MY UNIT" recevied a 2 day "BURN-IN WITH ALL BENCHMARK". Some computer company does not performed 24hour burn-in let alone a burn-in at all. Most important this company have only one hand touch, which mean one tech to assembly, download software etc. versa seven or more tech to touch your unit before it arrived to the client. "I LOVE MY COMPUTER""
"After having Dell pc's in the past I decided on something different. I never had any problems with Dell but I was looking for something over the edge. Strictly top of the line with retail components this time and Velocity Micro fit the bill.
My initial purchasing experience was a pleasant one. Every rep I spoke with at Velocity was very professional and eager to answer any questions I had. I decided on a Gamers Edge machine. Although I'm more of a casual gamer I was looking for the power if I ever needed it. I received the machine faster than I anticipated. After receiving it I decided to send it back for an upgrade. There was also a strange error on bootup every so often but I didn't think it was serious. When the machine went in for the upgrade Jeremy called to inform me that there was a problem with the motherboard. It was promptly replaced, no questions asked. AND NOT WITH A REFURB COMPONENT like some other companies do.
All in all I would definitely recommend Velocity for someone looking for a rock solid machine. Mine has worked flawlessly!
Improvements needed??? Not much...Maybe a discussion forum on their website for Velocity owners only. Not an open forum like Dell where there is a lot of flaming from outsiders.
Keep up the great work Velocity! Only don't get too big because I like the mom and pop shopping experience and support :-)
"
"Order still in process, will update as information is available.
Presales - excellent support with timely responses to emails and knowledgable about products.
Actual ordering - online config tool easy to use and intuitive. Not as many options as competitors. Didn't have the option to use AMEX online and almost didn't order (I work for AMEX and only use their card), however, through an email from Velocity I discoverd there was a cryptic way to order online using AMEX. Tried and no success so I ended up placing the order online.
Order processing: was initially overcharged but promptly credited after I called attention to it.
Build time: While I still feel the companies online tracking abilities leave me wanting and lead time seems excessive, they did ship the system within the committed timeframe, 20 days.
The good: obvious quality in putting the machine together. Meticulous wiring and attention to detail obvious. Ram upgraded to current specs on the website which was a nice addition.
The bad: After spending 4 hours installing peripheral devices (printers, external drives, etc) and software (Adobe Premier, Photoshop, etc.) power supply started 'clicking'??? Progressively got worse creating boot errors, system lock ups and 'weird' behavior (hard drives not detected on one boot, there the next).
Velocity was responsive to my phone calls and emails and had me ship the system back to them via next day air.
Extremely concerned some of the internal components will have a shortened life due to constant power fluctuations. Also disapointed about the now extended time, especially after paying for next day shipping. Anxiously awaiting their diagnosis of the problem and resolution.
Stay tuned -"
“Thanks for your input, Gregg,
We work hard to advise customers to the status of their products, and we regret we did not better communicate your production leadtime when you placed your order. The leadtime stated at the very top of our website configurator page for the Raptor Extreme Edition states approximately 21 to 24 days for our highly customized gaming computer. That means we are averaging that amount of time for this particular system (our longest leatime product is the Raptor you ordered, by the way), and due to the customize nature of this system, we don't offer RUSH orders. This leadtime would indicte your system is due to be completed around January 20, 2004. If we are more than a day or two behind schedule, you will be promptly notified.
I sincerely regret the notice on the Raptor order page was not enough to communicate the amount of time we take to build this highly customized and meticulously assembled computer. I hope it will be more than worth the wait!
Best Wishes,
Velocity Micro, Inc. ”
"Well after being very let down by a purchase from Alienware last year I was a bit timid about buying from another vendor out of state. Velocity Micro changed my entire opinion of good customer service. They respond very quickly to any inquiry both before and after the sale. The system arrive well ahead of schedule and in solid working order. I was stunned by the workmanship and quality they put into their unit. Unlike my previous experience from the other vendor and year old drivers, this unit came with updated drivers for all the components. It also arrived with a huge 3 inch binder full of documentation, system restore disks and driver disks.
One very large plus to the whole purchase, they offered a lighted CPU fan which would of been cool. It didnt meet their standards for cooling so it had to be swapped out for a better unit. Guess what they did just to make up for that? They gave me a free Ulead software bundle and a game. How cool is that? I personaly want to thank Jeremy at Velocity Micro whom I have had all my dealings with.
Lastly, the big reason you need to consider them for your future pc purchases. They use retail parts instead of OEM. There is a trade secret regarding OEM parts you need to read about on their site.
Best purchase I have made in years!!!"
"I found the purchase process very convenient. I was able to utilize Velocity Micro's website to customize much of my notebook computer and VM customer support was very helpful in walking me through the components I did not understand or need. I would give them a solid A."
"It is now Jan 5th and I still have not received my order. (Ordered Dec 5th) This is somewhat longer than I would have liked to wait, but if I get the stellar quality machine that I've been promised, all will be right with the world. I did however receive an unprompted email explaining the delays with my machine build- due to their increasing popularity and the holiday season, so I guess that is a plus. So far I have been happy with the process and will update further when I receive my machine... "
"For months I was searching for a computer. I narrowed my choices to Falcon Northwest and Voodoo. I am not a "gamer" but I was in the market for a super-fast computer that could be used in a home office for video-editing, word processing and of course gaming for my daughter. I ordered a Voodoo Fury, then shortly after, I was informed the chassis was going to be the Wave Master by Cooler Master, not the chassis that was shown on their website because Cooler Master discontinued it. I had my issues with the Wave Master chassis, and Voodoo was gracious enough to let me cancel my order. I had nothing but good experiences when I had dealt with Voodoo and Falcon Northwest.
Prior to canceling my order with Voodoo I picked up a recent PC magazine on the premium high-end computer systems and noticed the editor's choice was a company out of Richmond Virginia called Velocity Micro. In the article they went up against the "BIG BOYS"- Falcon Northwest & Voodoo. I researched the company and decided to give them a call this past Monday November 24th. I spoke to an individual that was very polite and he informed me that someone would e-mail me with the answers to my questions.
It was Tuesday night the 25th, and no response, so I decided to e-mail the President of Velocity Micro to express my disappointment with their service.
At 8:52 pm (Mountain time)10:52pm (Eastern time), I was shocked when I received an e-mail from Randy Copeland, the President of Velocity Micro, apologizing for the company not getting back to me in a timely fashion. Since their business has expanded they were experiencing some growing pains. Mr. Copeland in the e-mail answered all of my questions and even left me a voice mail message at my office, informing me to please give Velocity Micro an opportunity to earn my business.
I am also a businessman and my service has fallen short at times, so I gave Velocity Micro another opportunity and am I glad I did.
My concerns with Falcon Northwest and Voodoo can be explained with the following analogy. If I am paying $60k for a Lexus I do not want to be told that I can get it only in a four door model and my color choices are black or white.
Velocity Micro did not offer at the time the Coolermaster ATC-110 SX1 chassis. Falcon Northwest had the chassis and required that an exotic color had to be ordered. No disrespect intended, but I prefer my paint job to be on my vehicle. Voodoo informed me that Wave Master was the chassis for their Fury model. In all fairness to Voodoo they suggested that they could possibly furnish their old Fury chassis. I declined because it was not all aluminum.
You might be saying big deal if its not all aluminum, thats what I said, but it is, because it has excellent cooling properties, which is a necessity with high end computers.
Again, I was shocked when Mr. Copeland e-mailed me on Thanksgiving Day informing me if I could give him the specs on the chassis. Several e-mails were sent back and forth on Thanksgiving Day . As a result of his & Velocity Micro's efforts they now offer that chassis on their website. You might be saying big deal! Well it is to me! Do the research, that chassis built by Cooler Master and discontinued by them, has received rave reviews from the computer industry. Why do you think Falcon Northwest and Voodoo only use that chassis on their finest systems.
I did not order the finest system from Velocity Micro,(my wife would have killed me) but they hunted that chassis down. Oh by the way I wanted a different motherboard, media reader and CPU cooler than they offered. Mr. Copeland said no problem, if you don't mind waiting a few weeks. Again, no disrespect intended, I know for a fact that Falcon Northwest and Voodoo would not have done that, because I have asked!
Mr. Copeland was extremely gracious enough this past Monday to extend the free shipping offer until I was completely satisfied with making an informed decision.
I am of the opinion when you are spending several thousand dollars for a computer you should be able to order what you want. How many people, myself included, purchase a home or car (for alot more money than the cost of a computer) and still are not able to get exactly what they want.
Thank you Mr. Copeland & Velocity Micro because of your efforts I ordered exactly what I wanted. This Thanksgiving has been memorable.
If anyone reading this wishes to talk to me about my terrific experience with Velocity Micro, please contact Mr. Copeland and he will provide you with my office phone number.
Happy Thanksgiving Mr. Copeland & Velocity Micro!
Guy Brown (Phoenix, Arizona)
"
"First time purchase, arrived early in excellent shape. Ran like a dream, I had told them I was going to put a 2nd hard drive, they had the power and data cable there ready for me to hookup.
In early Feb my hard drive crashed. I tried what I knew, had a SMART error msg upon boot up so I figured it was going south. Backed up my files, tried the restore disks, they failed which I cannot fault them for. Tried to reinstall windows but it wouldn't work.
Finally gave up after 2 days & called tech support. It is a call center, had a tech call back within 3 hours. Much nicer than going through a list of menus, listing to music, being on hold, etc. I told the tech the error msg, what I did, no questions. The tech didn't even have me try the same things over which I have experienced in the past. Agreed the hard drive was bad, said a new one would be shipped within 3 days. Did ask if I wanted a tech person to come to install it, I declined that offer. The next day I had an email with a UPS tracking # saying my hard drive was coming overnight. I had it the next day.
One of the reasons I bought from Velocity Micro was they give the original Windows disk & all the original drivers disk and anything else you might have ordered. Great binder. A really nice touch was having a disk with all the updated drivers that they put on before they shipped it. Anyone who has updated drivers before knows they can sometimes cause problems. I knew what they had on when they shipped it was working fine, so after I loaded all the original disks, I updated all the drivers with the disk they gave.
A first class computer & extremely happy with the support/service when my hard drive crashed. I have recommended this company to everyone I talk to. I hope they don't change, this will be the first company I buy from again."
A rep from Velocity Micro, Velocity Micro, has responded:
“Thanks for your feedback!
We sincerely regret we were not able to provide you with additional support for your system modifications after hours. We were glad to provide you with some advice prior to our factory support closing, and we are very sorry the support system failed you last night.
All of our systems are easy to open by unscrewing the two thumb screws in the rear of the chassis and simply sliding off the cover. Because we offer such a large selection of case choices (including special order cases), we don't have a way to give specific documents for every chassis selection.
We regret your difficulty with our support team. We occasionally experience peak traffic, and we are flooded this week with customers who are fighting the "MyDoom Worm" virus. We have added staff and are seeing a reduction in call volume associated with the worm.
Thanks for contacting resellerratings to let us know about your trouble. We are very happy to provide any help you might need.
Update 12/22/04 All telephone support is now taken into our new in-house call center inside our Richmond, Virgiani facility. The telephone support issues casued by our former vendor have been rectified. Thank you for your patience.”