Custom built systems

Custom built systems to meet any need. Will build to order with brand name components. Also called “white box systems” (but you can get black, or silver, or many other colors to suit your personality, room decor, or existing components). A custom built system can sometimes save you money over a big, charismatic megacompany (like a Dell, or a Gateway, etc.).

Is a custom built system right for you?
If you just want a very basic system with a limited amount of software, and you have some existing components that you are already happy with (such as a monitor, printer, speakers, mouse/keyboard, etc.) then a big name system may suit your needs. But if you are starting from scratch, or want more than the basic model of a big name company, a custom built system may be the way to go. What you will find is that once you begin customizing/upgrading a big name computer, the price quickly rises and a custom built system can then save you hundreds of dollars  (see the comparison charts below). With a custom built system, you will have much more flexibility in the hardware components, and it can be built to your exact specifications to be as unique as you are!

Software flexibility as well!
You will also have much more flexibility in the software titles as well. Big name companies will often stuff a computer with up to a dozen software titles that you may not want or need (often called "bloatware"). These titles may only be trial versions that stop working after 90 days, may be "lite" versions with limited capabilities, or may simply be an inferior answer to the requirements of the hardware. With a custom built system, we can tailor the software to exactly what you want and need. And, the software that we decide on will be full, professional versions. In the case of security and antivirus software, the initial free subscription lasts 12-months before you have to renew the subscription.

A word about Windows Vista
On January 30, 2007, Microsoft released their new operating system: Windows Vista. The first decision you may be faced with is whether or not you want to switch to a new operating system right now. Then the next decision would be: which version? Windows Vista can be very confusing and below are some good websites to visit before making a decision. Our stand on Windows Vista is this: wait awhile until the kinks are worked out! Microsoft will be releasing Service Pack 1 in the first half of 2008, and we have been telling customers to hold off until this service pack is out, especially since Windows XP is still widely available. The two major factors to consider are the fact that Vista has HUGE hardware requirements, and many of your current software titles may not be compatible. Windows XP will still be relevant for many years to come, especially since Service Pack 3 for XP will be released in the first half of 2008.

Windows Vista information
http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,128669-page,1/article.html
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista

Your options for putting a system together
1) You can have us select the parts and build the system

2) You can select and purchase the parts, and we will build the system

3) We can select the parts, and you can build the system (for those do-it-yourselfers who may not be entirely familiar with parts compatibility)

Comparison chart between Dell and a custom built system
(requires Adobe Acrobat Reader, last revised: March 2008)
Dell vs. custom built