Ironside Computers

[PizzaSHARK]

I ordered the HAF 912. I just got another e-mail telling me that my computer was built and they are now running it through their quality control tests.

Sounds like they're trying hard to impress. That combined with them registering to post here (I imagine they found it via a Google search or something) says good things about them.

But their prices were pretty steep. I'll be getting a new rig in the next 2-3 months and pricing for the components was exceeding $1,000 before shipping. Current pricing on DIY was something between $780-$830, less than that if you don't count Windows. That's a pretty steep mark-up.

[AdrianCC100]

Sounds like they're trying hard to impress. That combined with them registering to post here (I imagine they found it via a Google search or something) says good things about them.

But their prices were pretty steep. I'll be getting a new rig in the next 2-3 months and pricing for the components was exceeding $1,000 before shipping. Current pricing on DIY was something between $780-$830, less than that if you don't count Windows. That's a pretty steep mark-up.

They're actually in the middle when it comes to price range. It will always be cheaper to build your own system. No doubt about that, but if you are like me and have no clue how to do it or are not quite ready to do it, Ironside has been great so far. Customer service is very good, they get through orders at a reasonable pace, and you don't have to worry about any back orders like you do with Cyberpower and Ibuypower. I can't for sure say that Ironside computers are great because I haven't got mine yet, but I am sure I won't be disappoint. I also plan on making a video and taking some pictures when I get the PC and will be posting it here. My PC has been in their quality control since late Thursday. Hopefully it passes today and they ship it out, they did tell me the quality control process is the most time consuming.

[laharl]

it might be cheaper to build ur own computer but they do also offer 3y parts and labor warranty which is arround 200$ from most sites that i see even at retail. that plus the cost of building a computer i have seen range from 50-100$ so adding that to ur 830 and u get pretty close so i would think they are pretty fair in pricing. if everything goes well for him i will be buying my computer from them

[AdrianCC100]

Ya! Computer passed quality control and has been shipped today. Now here is to hoping UPS handles the package with care and everything arrives undamaged.

[hapylol]

Adrian,

I am not sure why you didn't want to build your own but I can tell you that it is not hard.

I have never done it before 3 weeks ago. I purchased the parts, looked up the videos on MMO champ, and spent the next 5 hours getting everything right. I am by no means an expert in computer jargon but it was pretty cut and dry following the videos.

I would highly advise trying your own next time. Not only was it super easy, it was a lot of fun to see my finished product and be proud I built it.

Side note: I had previously purchased 2 computers from CyberpowerPC. I had only 1 issue with the RAM being DOA but that was fixed and sent back promptly.

[Ailthas]

Adrian,

I am not sure why you didn't want to build your own but I can tell you that it is not hard.

Sometimes people want the convenience of having someone do it for them. Like having your lawn mowed or going to McDs for a cheeseburger instead of making your own. There's no fault in it and it's not lazy. If it weren't for people willing to pay for the convenience then a lot of businesses wouldn't be in business.

[hapylol]

Yes and no, He said "No doubt about that, but if you are like me and have no clue how to do it or are not quite ready to do it"

To me this sounds like he is scared to try.

Either way, thanks for answering for him it was really helpful

[Octorokcov]

I was a little nervous about building my own PC so I used ibuypower and had a great experience.

[wkramer]

I'm also a new user here and have ordered a PC from Ironside. Here are the specs:


Case - Thermaltake Level 10 GT Snow Edition (Full Tower) [Level 2 Iron Tundra Ready]
Additional Case Fans - 3 x 120mm Red LED Cooler Master Sickleflow High Performance Fans
Intel Processor - [Overclockable] Intel Core i7-2700K 3.5GHz, 3.9GHz Turbo Boost (Quad Core)
CPU Cooling - Level 2 Iron Tundra Liquid Cooling [240mm Radiator]
Liquid Cooling Tubing Color - UV Red
Intel Motherboard - [x-fire, SLI] ASUS P8Z68 DELUXE [Graphics Card Req.] SATA 6Gb/s USB3 {4 DDR3 Slots}
Overclocking - [FREE] Overclock Processor up to 10% (Req. upgraded CPU cooling)
Memory - Corsair Vengeance 16GB (4x4GB) DDR3 1600MHz
1st Optical Drive - Blu-Ray Writer / DVD Writer
Graphics Card - AMD Radeon 7970 3GB (Min. 650 Watt Power Supply)
Power Supply - [Modular] Corsair Professional Series HX1050 1050 Watt 80 Plus Silver
Networking - Internal Wireless N 300Mbps
Fan Controller - NZXT Sentry 2 Touch Screen Fan Controller & Temperature Display
Media Card Readers - All-in-one Card Reader
Packaging - Ironwall Protection - Custom foam to protect and secure internal components from shipping abuse
Wiring - Professional Wiring - Cables will be organized to achieve maximum airflow
Technical Support - Life-time U.S. based technical support and customer service by our own in-house technicians
Rush Service - [Standard] Shipped Out in 2 - 10 Business Days
Warranty - Standard 3 Years Parts and Labor

I don't need any storage (or Operating System) since I have what I had in my last PC that died. SSD's and HD's. The cost is about $200 more than the same system from CyberPower. The 3yrs parts and labor make up for the extra money for me. I could have built my own for less but the ability to have Ironside be responsible for any parts that fail over the next 3 years beats my having to work directly with manufacturers if anything goes wrong. My total cost was $2,549.24.

I ordered mine on the 9th of March and it is in stage 2 of their process (Your order has been successfully received. Your order is currently in queue and we will begin handling it shortly). On the motherboard I sent them an email asking if it was the Gen 3 version of the board and they replied on Monday morning that it was. Ihad ordered a PC from CyberPower and canceled it after a month of waiting for back-ordered parts to come in.

I'll repost as things happen.

[noteworthynerd]

Talk about overkill... A 2700K? Hope you're doing some hardcore 3D rendering or intense editing of some sort. And a 1050W PSU for a single 7970? Not to mention, the Corsair HX1050 is not a PSU I'd recommend, even in a tri-card setup.

[wkramer]

I edit and render video in addition to playing games. The power supply is there just in case I decide to go with a second GPU in the future. Better to buy it now then have to replace a lesser supply later on. I was actually going to go for even more than this PC but decided I didn't need a six core processor for $700 more.

Just got this from Ironside:

Stage 3: Gathering Materials We are gathering the specified components and preparing your order to be handled by one of our technicians.

[tclkage]

Well so far I've got to give it to Ironsides for what sounds like pretty great customer service. I hadn't heard of them before reading this post, but asking around the office, some of my coworkers have (good things). As to their fee for building the computer, they appear to be mid-range, which in my experience leads to better work than the lowest bidder type places. Regarding why pay for having someone build your computer instead of doing it yourself, once you get to a certain point in your career you start to look at your time differently. My time is worth quite a bit to me (and my clients for that matter), and it's worth it to me to not have to spend the time doing this myself. Same reason why I pay the kid down the street to shovel my walk

[AdrianCC100]

wkramer,

Not sure if you knew this or not, but you could custom order specific parts even if it wasn't shown as an option on their website. That's what I did with my motherboard. It may be too late to change parts if you wanted to now that it's in Stage 3. You shouldn't have back order issues, at least I didn't. I guess it all depends on how hard it is for Ironside to grab that GPU. If there are no issues ordering your parts, stage 3 should take about a day and a half, maybe less.

Octorokcov,

Yes, there are people who have no issues with iBuyPower and CyberpowerPC, but there are also many people who do have issues. I was going to order from them, but I took a look on their forums at the "Customer Feedback" and there was just way to many complaints being reported. I also had a hard time reaching their customer service which put a bad taste in my mouth. Fact is, we are all taking a risk by purchasing computers from these companies. I went with what I felt like was the lesser risk by going with Ironside. Their customer service has been great to me and they built my computer at a reasonable pace.

hapylol,

I have never built a PC before. I have had many people who tell me it's like putting a Lego set together. I'm not ready to start building my own and I don't mind purchasing from companies like Alienware (My last PC I bought) and Ironside. What I actually planned on doing with my Ironside computer is from there on out to just purchase upgrade and install them myself. That way I can eventually learn how to put a PC together from scratch because I will be more familiar with what is on the inside.

[wkramer]

My order has gone to assembly from acquiring parts as of 3/13/2012. Only two business days after I placed the order.

[AdrianCC100]

My order has gone to assembly from acquiring parts as of 3/13/2012. Only two business days after I placed the order.

Nice. My PC was built the same day it went to stage 4. Expect it to ship out sometime early next week.

[Battlemaster]

Nevermind, information irrelevant, I didn't read the whole thread

[PizzaSHARK]

They're actually in the middle when it comes to price range. It will always be cheaper to build your own system. No doubt about that, but if you are like me and have no clue how to do it or are not quite ready to do it, Ironside has been great so far. Customer service is very good, they get through orders at a reasonable pace, and you don't have to worry about any back orders like you do with Cyberpower and Ibuypower. I can't for sure say that Ironside computers are great because I haven't got mine yet, but I am sure I won't be disappoint. I also plan on making a video and taking some pictures when I get the PC and will be posting it here. My PC has been in their quality control since late Thursday. Hopefully it passes today and they ship it out, they did tell me the quality control process is the most time consuming.

Most insane markup prices I've seen are Alienware, Falcon Northwest, and Origin. I looked at Origin for the heck of it, and their stock PC with only 4GB of RAM and an i3 was like $1,200... absurd.

I can definitely understand wanting to have someone to build your computer for you and it sounds like these Ironside guys are a good group of people. I'm personally buying some parts from a buddy since he's upgrading his rig, otherwise I might've considered Ironside. I'll be sure to tell my friends about them if the PCs arrive intact and perform well.

EDIT: Poking around their site some more, and it appears standard ground shipping is free. That's an enormous plus over several of their competitors - Cyberpower and ibuypower both charge a flat rate of $75 for shipping, even for standard ground shipping.

[AdrianCC100]

UPS is so damn slow. I won't get my PC until Wednesday according to the UPS tracking website even though it was shipped Monday.

[wkramer]

PC is now at Stage 5 - Quality Control. Went through Stage 4 - Assembly yesterday. Not bad for the fourth business day.

[Deleted]

The company looks pretty descent but I can't help to comment when I see them say they'll do this and that for free. Maybe it's free because they charge a hefty price premium for a lot of the components, at least the build configurator I went through. that's to be expected though.