"Wow, what can I say. I just purchased an Augustus system with a special Navy Blue custom color that wasn't even offered on their website. They were able to accomodate my request. I shopped around for the best priced desktop replacement system based on the new FX60 processor, Nvidia 7800 gtx, 80gb hd, 1gb ram, and 17" screen. This system abolutely rocks! I've tested the quality and speed of this thing with COD2 and Battlefield 2 at the highest quality settings. This thing can handle it with no problem. This is my second system purchase from this company and it has been nothing but a great experience. I paid $3800 for my system."

"It was by chance that I found the Vigor Gamings web site. I was surprised that a relative new company was a strong, professional company that had more to sell than flashy graphics. I love my Force Recon, a top-of-the-line machine that gave me many sleepless night playing Battle Field 2. Anyone reading this, don't hesitate to buy from them. The support is great, and the sales reps are friendly, but nothing tops the Super Mansoon cooling that they have to offer. It keeps my computer cool while getting the most performance out of my 4000+. Just coming by every once in awhile makes me proud that I own one of their fine systems, and ready to pull out my wallet yet again! If this sounds too much like PR - it's not! I really am that satisfied! Thank you Vigor Gaming for putting such a great system for me! "

"I am very satisfied with my Aegis. I was worry about the AMD Mobile processor at first, but it turned out to be a great decision. I especially like the bluetooth function. Now, I can update my phone address from my notebook to my cell phone in the matter of few strokes of fingers. The paint quality of my notebook was so good that everywhere I go I got people asking about where I got this notebook. Anyway, I am very happy with my purchase and highly recommend this company."

"I have a hornet with a bright yellow paint. It was given to me as a birthday present. Initially, I had some problem installing an existing hard drive. However, one phone call to George, my technical advisor at Vigor took cared of everything. My experience with the ordering process was very pleasant. Justin was friendly and very helpful. He even advised me against spending more money for things that I don't need. How many sales you know that doesn't up sell? Anyway, the system came to us very well packed. I hooked it up with my old LCD and it boots right up with everything configured. The only thing I have to do was to activate my window. The case is on the big side and heavy, but it is very well constructed and has great airflow. Everything was screwless and drive can be installed with rails that were provided in the chassis. The custom paint job was like that of a sports car. Since the time I got it, I have enjoyed playing WOW and BF2 without any lags. All in all, I am very satisfied with my decision going with Vigor."

"If you are into exotic cars, then vigor gaming is for you. I purchased an Augusta with Cobolt blue and man, the paint job is like the Corvette that I have been dreaming of. First of all, most of the company wont even ship to an APO address. So many of us are having a hard time getting a decent computer. Not with Vigor. They even threw in some discount for me because they are grateful for us fighting for this country. Anyway, this computer rocks. My Augusta runs better than most of the desktop you can find out there. With the integrated camera, I was able to video conference with my friends back home. All of my friend that have seen my computer are planning to purchase their next computer with them. Friendly staff
, great product and good service is why I went with Vigor. I am so happy that I did."

"Staff was very helpfull with helping me place my order, since i had to have it shiped to Iraq. i shoped online and they where the best deal i could find. Now that have the computer I am very satified with the product."

"Vigor Gaming Ares notebook
CPU: 2 GHz Intel Pentium M
Memory: 1 GB
Hard drive: 80 GB SATA
Optical drive: Dual layer DVD-RW
Color: Cobalt Blue

I chose the Ares because it provided a good balance between performance and portability. I also liked the idea of having two video adapters that I could switch between depending on whether gaming performance or battery life was desired.

Website
It is simple and easy to navigate. System configuration pages are concise with drop-down lists used to select the various components. The price is updated immediately when an option is changed.

Ordering process
The Ares starts out as the Uniwill 259EN3 which is sold by several companies who add components such as the CPU, memory, etc. One of their competitors offers an equivalent notebook for about $200 less. I called to see if they would be willing to negotiate.

The sales rep quickly offered a free upgrade to the DVD-RW, an $80 value. I said this was a good start. He didn’t offer any further incentives but provided some information which persuaded me. 1) They use retail CPU’s as opposed to the OEM parts used by most manufacturers. 2) The Patriot RAM they use is warranted for life. 3) They warrant that there will be no dead pixels of any kind for 30 days. After that, the criteria become less stringent. Most other companies charge extra for the 30-day no-dead-pixel guarantee.

The next day they called to tell me the credit charge had been processed and the order sent to production. This was followed by an email with the same information. The email did not contain an order number so I replied asking what it was. The quick response included the order number I could use on their website to track my order. The tracking page stated that the payment had been processed.

For over a week, this status did not change. During this time I received an email from UPS with a tracking number saying that billing info had been received. A couple days later, the Vigor Gaming tracking page stated that the computer had been shipped and provided a UPS tracking number. That tracking number did not match the one in the email from UPS. I sent an email and the next day received a call confirming that the number in the UPS email was correct. I received my notebook ten days after ordering it.

Packaging
The system was very well packaged. The box was in good condition and the contents were completely undamaged. The expected accessories as well as driver and application CD’s were included.

Quality
Both sides of the cover were painted blue with the Vigor Gaming logo outlined in silver on the top. The color is a bit lighter than I expected, but it is still distinct and attractive. The unit itself appears well constructed. It is certainly not “ruggedized” but it should hold up well to regular use. The screen is bright and clear. So far, I have not noticed any dead pixels.

Software configuration
The system booted directly into Windows and did not go through the standard set of setup screens you normally see with a new computer. When I ran Windows Update, there were over 30 updates which needed to be applied.

The video switch came set to the GeForce Go 6600 adapter. The driver was not the most current. As with most laptops, you must obtain the driver from the manufacturer. Vigor Gaming has a page with links to driver downloads but the links are plain text. I downloaded a zip file from Uniwill’s site which contained updated drivers for the nVidia and Intel Graphics adapters. I installed the nVidia driver and it worked fine.

After switching to the Intel Graphics adapter and rebooting, it was apparent that the driver for the Intel Graphics adapter was not installed. I installed the driver that I had downloaded and the system worked fine. I can switch back and forth between the two video adapters and Windows loads the correct driver after the system is rebooted.

Performance
So far I have only installed one game which runs beautifully using the GeForce video adapter. For general computing, the system seems to be reasonably fast. I expect that the system will perform equally well with other games and with various applications such as Microsoft Office.

Summary
Pros
-Friendly responsive staff
-Fast build and delivery time
-Excellent packaging
-Attractive appearance
-Few applications pre-installed

Cons
-Not the absolute lowest price
-Numerous Windows updates required
-Driver for Intel Graphics was not installed
-Inactive links to drivers

Conclusion
So far I am very satisfied with my purchase despite the software and driver issues. Note that Vigor Gaming’s target market is enthusiasts. If you want a system that you can plug in and use without having to do anything at all, especially if gaming is not important, another company might be a better choice. Nevertheless, I encourage Vigor Gaming to work on these issues. This system fulfilled my expectations at what I consider a fair price. When it comes time to purchase my next gaming rig, Vigor Gaming will the first place I look."

"I have had bad experiences purchasing systems on the Internet in the past, but you all have proved that not all Internet experiences are bad - I am extrememly happy with the service you have provided me. I will tell all of my friends about your company and how great the customer service is, not to mention the great quality systems you have at very good prices!! I will buy my next system from you as well - Keep up the GREAT work!!! A++++++++++++++++++++++ "

"Computer was safely boxed up and arrived on time. Turned on the first time and was already configured. Laptop is everything I expected. Great service. Everything was easy easy easy"

"I am very happy with my vigor hornet. It was a christmas gift from my dad. I got it in red and the paint job was unbelievable. It is very fast and I enjoyed my NEW Age of Empire III with great graphics. I am so glad that my dad choosed to go with Vigor Gaming. This is the best Christmas present I ever have."

"Excellant customer service from Laura. I received
my Arturious laptop right when expected. It's everything I was hoping it would be. Excellant fit & finish. Turned on right out of the box and connected to my home wireless network automatically. Graphics are awesome. I will highly recommend Vigor to all my friends with no reservations."

"I placed my order and within 24 hours they called to confirm. I had to do a little paperwork because my shipping and billing address were different. This was a very painless ordering process. So far I am VERY please with this company. The prices are VERY VERY good! I will update when the product arrives.

***UPDATE*** 12/20/05
I recieved an e-mail from Laura today telling me that my order has shipped. Wow! It took less than two weeks. I'm impressed. Also, my shipping cost was too low when I placed my order. However, Laura go the extra $81 waived in case there were any inconveniences with the delay. These guys really do care about the customer. I recommend to anyone looking for a new computer! Will update after recieving product.

***UPDATE*** 1/16/05
The computer arrived on time and waiting for me when I returned from Iraq. I am in love with this computer. Everything was packaged well to prevent and damage. I opened it up when I got it to make sure everything was connected right. All was good. It booted up perfectly and already configured for my SLI. These guys are awesome! If you want a great computer for an AWESOME PRICE, buy from Vigor. Stop reading this and go order already!"

"They have very professional service. The work on the gaming machine was completed in a very timly manner. They always sent me email updates on the progress of the machine when I requested them."

"My machine - Artorius is the most amazing gaming laptop that I have ever owned. Vigor Gaming was able to offer customization as the spec I wanted and my sales rep - Laura was very helpful to answer my question and build up my order. Vigor provided great and reliable services that made my order experience very enjoyable.
When I received the shipment and open the box – wow! I can’t believe the quality and finished of my laptop. Vigor has done a professional job at detail and quality. They have delivered an excellent product and service for my holiday season.
"