The bad..
I order a computer from cyberpower on 3/5. They gave me a ship date of 3/19. Charged my credit cardo on 3/6. Called on 3/8 to check if build was on schedule. Everything ready except motherboard. ETA on motherboard was 3/10. Called on 3/10. Mother board was in. Called on 3/15 to get update. Now the power supply was backordered. I then cancelled my order.
They claim they burn-in the PCs before shipment. Several DOA's reported on their forums. In one case the cmos battery was upside down and the system would not post. Says a alot about their burn-in and testing process.
The good..
The price was reasonable ~ 300 more than newegg for a 2500$ system.
Cancellation was simple and no hassle (I'm sure it would have been differnt if the PC had been assembled or shipped)
Sales calls were answered quickly. (see forums on cyberpower website for cumstomer service response)
I recently purchased a very similar system from Cyberpower after reading a recommendation on this site. I have had a number of problems, which I understand can happen, but the service has been very poor. The system arrived damaged, the case panel had fallen off and the video card was loose with a broken retention clip on the 16X slot. I put the video card in and it started up fine so I was not worried. I installed updated drivers and my usual software and then started getting system crashes. Eventually the system would not boot. Called tech support and was instructed how to use the Vista install disc to repair the drive. (This is different from the standard Vista install disc in that the option is hidden and can not be found without calling tech support.) Still was not working. Reinstalled Vista which erases the drive, it worked so I went through reinstalling the drivers, programs. After a couple of days the same thing happened. Disc check'd and repaired errors in the boot sector and I reformatted the drive. Worked, then happened again, this time system was dead and I could not even reinstall Vista.
By this time it had been a couple of weeks and basically all I had been able to do was install programs and drivers day after day. I asked to return the system and was told that I would be charged a restocking fee. They talked me into replacing the hard drive. They did not even ship the hard drive for several days and when they did it was by ground, so a week later I swapped out the drive, reinstalled Vista and software. Ran disc check which alone takes several hours and things seemed OK. Two weeks later started to crash again and now will not even boot to the CD.
So now I have called and left two messages on voice mail, I have sent a detailed email, and I have even talked with a customer service person who said someone would call. It has been 5 days without a call from tech support. Today I have had the system for two months and it has only run for about three weeks. I have spent hours trouble shooting and on hold, days reinstalling, disc checking and setting up programs, and weeks waiting for parts or a call back. I use my home system for personal and business use and the hours of lost productivity have cost me far more than the cost of this system, and certainly more that I saved by buying from Cyberpower.
Please be warned.
I'm on day 25 and still have not received a working system from CyberPowerPC for which I paid over $1,500. I paid over for expedited configuration and expedited shipping, it arrived DOA. You have to love the customer service, when I asked for a break on the extra fee for expedited configuration and shipping, I was told by the sales rep ... "It's not our problem, we did what you asked", well I didn't remember asking for a broken PC.
I agree with one of the post's below... I beleive they do not always use "new" parts. Their configuration is very poor. The motherboard only had 2 screws. I was told they had to replace the monitor card GTX260, all the memory (6gig), and the CPU FAN. I can't image all 3 going bad during shipping...
It's been a very disappointing experience... I would never recommend this company to anyone!!! Pay the few extra dollars and go to someone who knows what they are doing.
I sure hope when the system does arrive it actually works... But I highly doubt it... I think I just flushed $1,500...
I just want to applaud the reviewer for a very detailed and objective review. Pros and cons were pointed out and comparisons were made with other pricier systems as well; a nice touch.
As with just about any system builders, there are risks. The best thing to do is to build it yourself. But as the reviewer and another user pointed out, the price you can spec out a system at cyberpower is very similar to what you would pay if you were to order parts from newegg and assemble it yourself. So v12v12, what do you expect to get for one-thousand-five-hundred dollars? Because when I priced something similar to the reviewed configuration, it exceeds 1500 and that isn't including OS, and some other peripherals.
Yes thank you for shedding more light on this apparent "deal." People are always quick to jump on the bandwagon w/o doing proper research on the company and their customer base... There's no such thing as a SUPER cheap "NEW" system. Theres going to be a whole host of strings attached.
Think about it... a "NEW" top-of-the-line computer system, for "cheap," since when has this wishful thinking ever panned out to more than anything but a few bits of gold and a whole handful of fool's gold?
CP is a buyer beware company. The main selling point is that their prices are cheap. Most have a decent experience, but many do not. It is not uncommon to receive a system that is doa or has significant problems.
There were a number of errors in the review and remember this was a system specially constructed for the tests.
First, the CP warranty is three year service and one year parts. If your motherboard blows after one year and one day, you are SOL. If you do have a problem within the warranty period you have to pay for the shipping back to CP which can be considerable. It is not unusual that systems returned for repair are shipped back to the customer with the same and/or more problems than originally identified.
Second, although CP will factory overclock, that is rare. CP claims that any OC will void their warranty; period. So what you get is what you got. When I went through the bios screens, I was surprised to see a 3.0Ghz i7 920, because that is extreamly rare in a CP rig. At lesst that was identified in the piece.
Third, there have been comments on the "quality" components in the build and the selection in the configurator. Be aware that CP often uses components of lesser cheaper manufacturers. They often swap out components that you order for different ones. As an example, you can place your order with the Corsair psu, open your box on receipt and see a Sigma Shark. CP claims that they use only new out of the box components in their build, but many customers have claimed that they have gotten used or recycled parts. They do use "not new" parts in repairs.
Fourth, their 24/7 tech support is actually 8/5, if you are lucky. Some people have had good luck in reaching tech support but many try for days and days, by phone and email, with no sucess. CP has been trying to respond to complaints posted in their forum lately.
Fifth, the construction of the rigs is spotty. The one you tested probably had their "Professional Wiring" option which is $ 19 extra when you buy the system. Still there are no end of problems reported about components not or mis connected or left out of a build. There has been a raging debate as to whether they actually perform quality control on their rigs before shipping.
I can go on, but the above is enough. You can get a computer for cheap at CP, but should take time and research the company (resellers ratings and better business bureau) and understand the risk when you order from them.
Thanks for the comments Alan. We covered the Reseller Ratings in our first look, which are reasonably good (8.16/10 6 months, 7.49/10 lifetime). We also read through their forums and noted that many of the people posting issues in there do get an (eventual) resolution that's to their satisfaction, but recognize their customer service isn't up to the level of other (pricier) boutiques and pointed that out. In fact, I recognized your name from my Cyberpower forums searches, and since you're quite an active contributor there I appreciate the input and surmise you do see value in them despite their flaws.
Thanks for the clarification on warranty, it is indeed 3 years labor and 1 year only for parts.
1st off... is it ME or do these F'ing B/I/U buttons NOT WORK EVER?! WTF I cannot get these stupid arse things to ever work, even with NoScript set to allow everything allowed?!
For some reason I just cannot get into the "pre-built" case thing. Just upon looking at the case alone and then the price of this "mid-range" unit, I began to laugh... Sorta like, WTF are you kidding me — one-thousand-five-hundred dollars and THIS is all you get? Pata cable? LMFAO you've got to be kidding me.
Once again a true testament to my rant about BTX being the stupid DECISION to make regarding a case purchase. God just LOOK at the ridiculous looking cable "management" or lack there of. STOP buying/review idiot BTX cases please. It's inferior, looks like trash and performs no better (worse) than ATX. Geesh.
I guess it's sort of like the shock when someone goes to drop $70Large on a corvette and sees the cheap ass interior and wonders "Hrmm WTF, this IS $70 THOUSAND right?"
You clearly are living in another world. Price it out and then come back and talk. I dislike most boutique shops due to overpriced and cheap components, but this is a clear exception. Nothing other than the PATA DVD burner is a bad selection (though the hard drive selected shouldn't be used IMO for this particular build).
Looks are subjective, so your attempt at a point is moot. Most people dislike most cases so to each his own.
Sounds like you woke up on the wrong side of the bed, and don't know what you are talking about.
Agreed. Sounds like v12v12 is a hater. Anyways, despite components not being as perfect as some would like, it's still, for the most part, composed of excellent components. One isn't going to really notice any different between a PATA and SATA DVD burner. Be practical here...just because it's not the latest tech doesn't make it worse.
As for its aesthetics, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. When I used to build computers for people as a side job, I let people select their own case. That was a key component in their satisfaction with the computer, albeit many of their case selections were horrible looking. A case has little to do with overall computer performance, and most people can care less about how it works or how it looks as long as it performs. http://www.loaderequipment.com/">option
I've done the same thing... and I have to say, a few people I tried REALLY hard to talk out of a case selection! But they loved their gaudy, blue glowing lights everywhere case when I was done. I on the other hand did not appreciate working with a cheap case that had sharp edges, but I only had to go in there once.
Agreed... and like I said to the above dullards...
1) FOR $1500, I don't expect/settle for a cheap (materials/build/finish) ass case (among other things). That's like getting a sports car with a fiberglass body for $50,000. Or a $200,000 house with cheap aluminum siding — MOST people do not want that cheap junk for that kind of money. That's a "point," if you didn't catch it?
2) Again you 2 don't seem to get the gist of it: For that kind of money, for "pre-built" sys — people ought to expect better components than a clunky-Pata, air flow disrupting, unsightly cable, along with an antiquated interface bus, based DVD burner! Duh?
Lastly... it sounds as if you 2 cannot debate my points Vs talking unrelated trash. "Hater?" Oh so now the tone is set that anyone that disagrees, regardless of providing valid points, is suddenly brushed off and negatively labeled... Sorry Sophomores, but that arguement doesn't hold validity nor weight...
Go back to school and please learn how to properly debate an issue Vs talking out of your arse. Ball is in your court — apparently you've been double-dribbling and carrying-on nonsense. I can come down to your nonsensical level if that's what it takes to effectively communicate with either of you. Hows that for "hating?" Touche.
You also apparently hate the Corvette, as you have attempted to bash it twice. That's fine if you actually own something powered by a v12, quite another if you are driving a Supra (or worse, a Civic).
As I mentioned in the article, this was a custom setting for the review system (note the "Anandtech" profile in the BIOS pictures). I did consider underclocking the system to default levels, but chose to test as received and point out the difference. (I also considered overclocking it farther, with this MB/cooler it's quite likely the system could have hit 3.6 GHz.)
CyberPower does not cover damage from customer-performed overclocking, which is a pretty standard statement from most suppliers and OEMs. CyberPower does sell Factory Overclocked systems that are covered under warranty, but these are only their higher priced configurations, like the Xtreme XI and Gamer Infinity. So, as with standard aftermarket parts purchases, the buyer is responsible for damage incurred by overclocking.
Based on some reviews here and elsewhere, I'd been thinking about building another computer based on very similar components to what was spec'ed out in this review. Out of curiosity, I went to CyberPowerPC's website and priced out the Gamer Xtreme XT with an EVGA nVidia GTX260 COre 216 instead of the default ATI Radio HD4870X2 and with a Thermaltake W0131RU ToughPower 850 Watt PS instead of the Corsair 650 Watt CMPSU-650TX. I didn't go with the Blu-Ray drive that was in the reviewed box (my 50" Samsung DLP with LED light engine blows away my 24" Samsung 1920 x 1200 LCD display) but I did bump it to 6 Gb of Corsair RAM. The total price seemed pretty reasonable. Then I priced all the components at NewEgg (where I've done a LOT of business over the years - great folks, great prices!) and found that it would cost me nearly $300 MORE to order it in pieces and build it myself! And I wouldn't get the 3-year warranty!
Well, I'm geeked to get it now and can't thank the reviewer enough for pointing me their way. On the other hand, I am bummed that I won't be building it myself - I really have fun doing that. Well, at least I can console myself that i'll be scavaging another DVD drive, an X-Fi sound card, an HDTV tuner and maybe a 300 Gb and a 500 Gb SATA II drive from my old box (3-year-old home-made from parts from NewEgg) to drop into the new box.
Now, what to do with the still very functional remains of that old box? I guess maybe my nephew will be getting a new/old PC (Antec case, Antec TruePower II 550 Watt PS, ASUS A8N32-SLI Deluxe 939 mobo, 2 Gb RAM, 320 Gb SATA drive, DVD burner, AMD Athlon 64 X2 4400+ CPU with Zalman 9500A heat sink and GeForce 8800 GTS video card). It'll beat the eMachine he has now!
That's what I just did. Built a C2D midrange gaming rig (~750 for parts using my existing case/LCD/sound system) and then took the old parts and rebuilt my 939 rig for my dad. He's now happily playing Company of Heroes and that graphics range of games (6800GT for the gpu).
Makes a great second computer for general uses that also has enough power to do some photoshop/ripping/encoding duties. I think I spent $50 to rebuild the 939 system as I needed to replace the harddrive on the new rig. The case for the old system is my ancient alienware beige box from 1999. Still works perfectly!
Thanks for the feedback Jerry. We also priced out all the components at Newegg, and were surprised that it essentially broke even with the system price. If you remember, post back here in the comments or send me an email once it's delivered and let us know how you like it. We appreciate the feedback from actual buyers and AT readers.
I got the system I ordered last week after a very long-seeming 3 weeks. It took CyberPowerPC two weeks to get around to building my machine and another week for it to get from California to my house in NC. True, I could have paid something like $65 extra to bump up my build in the queue (though no guarantees on how much towards the front of the line it would go) and a LOT extra to ship it overnight, but I cheaped out on that. Comparing this to the very fast shipping of parts from NewEgg (who has distribution sites much closer to my home than California), this seemed agonizingly slow but in reality not all that bad. Anticipation does slow down the clock, doesn't it?
The system came double-boxed, with the case box, motherboard box and a keyboard ina box, all encased in foam and in an outer box. It really was packaged securely. The mobo box didn't have the mobo in it; it instead had CDs, the mouse, extra cables, manuals, etc. Where the review mentioned the video card coming separately (possibly due to that being safer against coming loose during shipping), my unit came with the video card already installed.
I did not pay extra for fancier cable management, but I though the cabling that was done was neat and professional. I found no scratches, dings or dents on the case and no problems with any component. The OS install was as clean as I've ever seen on a pre-built PC. The only "extra" was an install of a demo version of Microsoft Office. Since I have my own license for Office 2007, I uninstalled that (which took a surprisingly long time).
There were only two weird things about the install. First, I selected the LG dual-layer DVD burner and got instead a pair of optical drives from TSSTcorp. One was a CD/dual-layer DVD burner and the other was a CD burner/DVD reader. Both feel pretty cheap but are probably no worse than the LG I'd specified. Second, and much more disappointing, was the complete lack of overclocking on the CPU and RAM. The article said that the test unit came with the Core i7 CPU overclocked by the factory from the default of 2.667 Ghz to 3.0 Ghz. I really liked the idea of the factory doing this and covering it by warranty. I will probably overclock the system myself, but it would have preferred they'd done it for me as they'd done it for AnandTech. I guess you have to be a hardware review site to get that kind of treatment.
CyberPowerPC didn't specify the make or model of the default 1 Tb hard drive. The review unit was a Western Digital; mine turned out to be a Hitachi. Still a name brand but one I've no previous experience with. It's working fine so far and I haven't heard major complaints about Hitachi drives so it'll probably be fine.
The default CoolerMaster case is nice-looking, if a bit light-weight in construction (but then, anything is compared to the built-like-a-tank Antec P90 I got for my last system). There's lots of ventilation and plenty of spaces for fans that can be anything from 80mm to 135mm in diameter. The "4-in-3" drive cage with the built-in fan is nice but a bit awkward to get in and out of the case (again, compared to the far superior Antec P90 drive cage design). The power button is a bit on the strange side and its behavior is not documented in the manual. Press it once and it acts like a reset button. Press and hold for several seconds and it acts like a power-down button. Or maybe it doesn't. Maybe it's the OS. I found Vista 64-bit to occaisionally reboot rather than shut down as I'd requested (I've worked with Vista 32-bit before but this is my first experience with Vista 64-bit).
I added in two SATA 3.0 drives (one 500 Gb, one 320 Gb) and the PCI-based HDTV tuner from my old system plus a new Asus Xonar DX PCI-e audio card (I decided against moving my old Creative Labs X-Fi PCI card over) and installed all the appropriate current drivers. Everything went very well. I installed the "free" copy of Flight Simulator X Deluxe I got plus the FSX Acceleration Pack and fired the game up at 1920 x 1200 x 32-bit (the native resolution of my display) with every setting set to maximum and it ran smooth as silk. It was FAR better than it had been on my old rig.
Unfortunately, when I moved my external 1 Tb Western Digital MyBook USB 2.0 drive over from the old rig to the new one, the directory structure got hosed. I don't know if this is an issue with Vista 64-bit or what, but I lost a boatload of data, apps and goodies that I'm now trying to recover. Among them was a collection of benchmark applications and results across several of my older machines (including a few long since retired) that I would have compared to the new rig. That was a major disappointment but probably in no way caused by the build done by CyberPowerPC.
In summary, I'd have to say that I'm pretty pleased with the rig and would definitely buy from CyberPowerPC again as well as recommend them to my friends. I'm glad I read the review on AnandTech that turned me on to them. I wasn't all that familiar with boutique builders that fall between the likes of Gateway and Dell at the low end (in terms of component choices and customization) and AlienWare and the like at the high end (in terms of extreme customization and high prices). This fell right into the area where I wanted to be. True, I could have ordered similar components and built them myself but the roughly $250 savings I got by having CyberPowerPC do the work for me was enough to give up that few hours of fun (plus I got to add a number of components myself anyway).
Thanks again to Anandtech for an objective but positive review that made me aware of this company!
One more comment. As others have pointed out, CyberPowerPC apparently throws away any "extra" cables, screws, etc. that may come with cases and maybe even motherboards. I called them and asked that they not do this with the cables from the modular power supply I'd ordered for my rig. I checked the order status an hour later and my request was included in the status. When delivered, all the power supply cable were there. However, none of the extra screws from the case were. Normally, that's no big deal anybody who has ever built a system or two has a bunch of extra screws laying about. However, the drive cage in the CoolerMaster case uses rubber grommets to isolate the drive from the case. That's a nice touch (and one handled even more nicely in my Antec P90 case), but requires slightly longer-than-normal screws to "reach" drive drive and or course there were none to be found in the box. I was able to find screws in my collection that just barely reached the drives and which completely mashed the bejeezus out of the grommets. Not a huge deal, but I would prefer that all that extra junk actually be sent to me to decide for myself if it really is junk or something useful.
Based on some reviews here and elsewhere, I'd been thinking about building another computer based on very similar components to what was spec'ed out in this review. Out of curiosity, I went to CyberPowerPC's website and priced out the Gamer Xtreme XT with an EVGA nVidia GTX260 COre 216 instead of the default ATI Radio HD4870X2 and with a Thermaltake W0131RU ToughPower 850 Watt PS instead of the Corsair 650 Watt CMPSU-650TX. I didn't go with the Blu-Ray drive that was in the reviewed box (my 50" Samsung DLP with LED light engine blows away my 24" Samsung 1920 x 1200 LCD display) but I did bump it to 6 Gb of Corsair RAM. The total price seemed pretty reasonable. Then I priced all the components at NewEgg (where I've done a LOT of business over the years - great folks, great prices!) and found that it would cost me nearly $300 MORE to order it in pieces and build it myself! And I wouldn't get the 3-year warranty!
Well, I'm geeked to get it now and can't thank the reviewer enough for pointing me their way. On the other hand, I am bummed that I won't be building it myself - I really have fun doing that. Well, at least I can console myself that i'll be scavaging another DVD drive, an X-Fi sound card, an HDTV tuner and maybe a 300 Gb and a 500 Gb SATA II drive from my old box (3-year-old home-made from parts from NewEgg) to drop into the new box.
Now, what to do with the still very functional remains of that old box? I guess maybe my nephew will be getting a new/old PC (Antec case, Antec TruePower II 550 Watt PS, ASUS A8N32-SLI Deluxe 939 mobo, 2 Gb RAM, 320 Gb SATA drive, DVD burner, AMD Athlon 64 X2 4400+ CPU with Zalman 9500A heat sink and GeForce 8800 GTS video card). It'll beat the eMachine he has now!
I've been pricing a mid-range i7 build for, ironically, between $1,300-$1,500. The CPU, Mobo, and power supply in this system are all the same in my latest build spec. The only major differences are a 4870 1GB GPU (upgrading with another in a few months for Crossfire), 3x2GB Patriot Viper memory, and a 300GB WD VelociRaptor primary & 640GB WD Caviar Black secondary HDD(and don't need BD player for a PC as I have a PS3). The benchmarks are very informative.
Quote:
"For better or worse, CyberPower does not restrict [component] choice at all, so an uninformed buyer could purchase a $1500 "gaming" system with a GeForce 7400 GS or HD 4350. Choice is great, but the number of options really demands an informed buyer when placing the order and their website simply does not offer that level of guidance."
I would surmise that those who do not know video cards 101 and ordering a PC would be doing do through Dell, or even more basic, buying one from a B&M store like Best Buy.
More memory, tweaking the settings, and your hard drive choices would significantly improve the multitasking performance we saw. Game loading times would decrease with the VelociRaptor as well.
For $1499.00, this system has a lot of quality parts to offer. If you add up the cost of the components, it basically comes out to the selling price. The bonus is you also get support with the computer purchase; nice deal.
I open the AT main page, find an article titled: NVIDIA GeForce GTS 250: A Rebadged 9800 GTX+.
Read the snippet of the first paragraph, "First it was the 8800 GT, then the 8800 GTS 512, then the 9800 GT then the 9800 GTX and shrunk down to the 9800.."
Intrigued, I click on it and get an article about a prebuilt Cyberpower computer.....talk about letdowns!
Not to belittle, but I'm MUCH more interested in nVidia's "new" card release and how it tests out vs. a prebuilt computer.
No, just we had some engine issues... missing images and such. I don't have the images or I'd put them on the server and set the article to "live" again. Anand and Derek have been notified; sorry for the delays.
We’ve updated our terms. By continuing to use the site and/or by logging into your account, you agree to the Site’s updated Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
34 Comments
Back to Article
vjm - Wednesday, March 25, 2009 - link
The bad..I order a computer from cyberpower on 3/5. They gave me a ship date of 3/19. Charged my credit cardo on 3/6. Called on 3/8 to check if build was on schedule. Everything ready except motherboard. ETA on motherboard was 3/10. Called on 3/10. Mother board was in. Called on 3/15 to get update. Now the power supply was backordered. I then cancelled my order.
They claim they burn-in the PCs before shipment. Several DOA's reported on their forums. In one case the cmos battery was upside down and the system would not post. Says a alot about their burn-in and testing process.
The good..
The price was reasonable ~ 300 more than newegg for a 2500$ system.
Cancellation was simple and no hassle (I'm sure it would have been differnt if the PC had been assembled or shipped)
Sales calls were answered quickly. (see forums on cyberpower website for cumstomer service response)
JHuffman - Sunday, March 15, 2009 - link
I recently purchased a very similar system from Cyberpower after reading a recommendation on this site. I have had a number of problems, which I understand can happen, but the service has been very poor. The system arrived damaged, the case panel had fallen off and the video card was loose with a broken retention clip on the 16X slot. I put the video card in and it started up fine so I was not worried. I installed updated drivers and my usual software and then started getting system crashes. Eventually the system would not boot. Called tech support and was instructed how to use the Vista install disc to repair the drive. (This is different from the standard Vista install disc in that the option is hidden and can not be found without calling tech support.) Still was not working. Reinstalled Vista which erases the drive, it worked so I went through reinstalling the drivers, programs. After a couple of days the same thing happened. Disc check'd and repaired errors in the boot sector and I reformatted the drive. Worked, then happened again, this time system was dead and I could not even reinstall Vista.By this time it had been a couple of weeks and basically all I had been able to do was install programs and drivers day after day. I asked to return the system and was told that I would be charged a restocking fee. They talked me into replacing the hard drive. They did not even ship the hard drive for several days and when they did it was by ground, so a week later I swapped out the drive, reinstalled Vista and software. Ran disc check which alone takes several hours and things seemed OK. Two weeks later started to crash again and now will not even boot to the CD.
So now I have called and left two messages on voice mail, I have sent a detailed email, and I have even talked with a customer service person who said someone would call. It has been 5 days without a call from tech support. Today I have had the system for two months and it has only run for about three weeks. I have spent hours trouble shooting and on hold, days reinstalling, disc checking and setting up programs, and weeks waiting for parts or a call back. I use my home system for personal and business use and the hours of lost productivity have cost me far more than the cost of this system, and certainly more that I saved by buying from Cyberpower.
Please be warned.
majortom1981 - Thursday, March 12, 2009 - link
How does this pc compare to the studio xps 435 or the studio xps machines with the core i7 processors. seem to be the same price.Would the dells be the better choice due to better tech support?
JWtexas - Tuesday, March 10, 2009 - link
I'm on day 25 and still have not received a working system from CyberPowerPC for which I paid over $1,500. I paid over for expedited configuration and expedited shipping, it arrived DOA. You have to love the customer service, when I asked for a break on the extra fee for expedited configuration and shipping, I was told by the sales rep ... "It's not our problem, we did what you asked", well I didn't remember asking for a broken PC.I agree with one of the post's below... I beleive they do not always use "new" parts. Their configuration is very poor. The motherboard only had 2 screws. I was told they had to replace the monitor card GTX260, all the memory (6gig), and the CPU FAN. I can't image all 3 going bad during shipping...
It's been a very disappointing experience... I would never recommend this company to anyone!!! Pay the few extra dollars and go to someone who knows what they are doing.
I sure hope when the system does arrive it actually works... But I highly doubt it... I think I just flushed $1,500...
Salan - Wednesday, March 11, 2009 - link
HiGet a refund post haste. Don't pass go, don't collect $ 200, do get your money back.
As far as the gtx 260, be aware that they offer the 192 core version only.
As far as the assertion that they are a low marging company:
gtx 260 192 core CP price $ 270
xfx gtx 260 216 core price $ 169 after rebate with free shipping; http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N8...">http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N8...
gts 250 512MB CP price $ 185
xfx gts 250 512MB $ 135: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N8...">http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N8...
Low margin, my pud.
Alan
Jbomb - Monday, March 9, 2009 - link
I just want to applaud the reviewer for a very detailed and objective review. Pros and cons were pointed out and comparisons were made with other pricier systems as well; a nice touch.As with just about any system builders, there are risks. The best thing to do is to build it yourself. But as the reviewer and another user pointed out, the price you can spec out a system at cyberpower is very similar to what you would pay if you were to order parts from newegg and assemble it yourself. So v12v12, what do you expect to get for one-thousand-five-hundred dollars? Because when I priced something similar to the reviewed configuration, it exceeds 1500 and that isn't including OS, and some other peripherals.
v12v12 - Monday, March 9, 2009 - link
Yes thank you for shedding more light on this apparent "deal." People are always quick to jump on the bandwagon w/o doing proper research on the company and their customer base... There's no such thing as a SUPER cheap "NEW" system. Theres going to be a whole host of strings attached.Think about it... a "NEW" top-of-the-line computer system, for "cheap," since when has this wishful thinking ever panned out to more than anything but a few bits of gold and a whole handful of fool's gold?
Salan - Saturday, March 7, 2009 - link
CP is a buyer beware company. The main selling point is that their prices are cheap. Most have a decent experience, but many do not. It is not uncommon to receive a system that is doa or has significant problems.There were a number of errors in the review and remember this was a system specially constructed for the tests.
First, the CP warranty is three year service and one year parts. If your motherboard blows after one year and one day, you are SOL. If you do have a problem within the warranty period you have to pay for the shipping back to CP which can be considerable. It is not unusual that systems returned for repair are shipped back to the customer with the same and/or more problems than originally identified.
Second, although CP will factory overclock, that is rare. CP claims that any OC will void their warranty; period. So what you get is what you got. When I went through the bios screens, I was surprised to see a 3.0Ghz i7 920, because that is extreamly rare in a CP rig. At lesst that was identified in the piece.
Third, there have been comments on the "quality" components in the build and the selection in the configurator. Be aware that CP often uses components of lesser cheaper manufacturers. They often swap out components that you order for different ones. As an example, you can place your order with the Corsair psu, open your box on receipt and see a Sigma Shark. CP claims that they use only new out of the box components in their build, but many customers have claimed that they have gotten used or recycled parts. They do use "not new" parts in repairs.
Fourth, their 24/7 tech support is actually 8/5, if you are lucky. Some people have had good luck in reaching tech support but many try for days and days, by phone and email, with no sucess. CP has been trying to respond to complaints posted in their forum lately.
Fifth, the construction of the rigs is spotty. The one you tested probably had their "Professional Wiring" option which is $ 19 extra when you buy the system. Still there are no end of problems reported about components not or mis connected or left out of a build. There has been a raging debate as to whether they actually perform quality control on their rigs before shipping.
I can go on, but the above is enough. You can get a computer for cheap at CP, but should take time and research the company (resellers ratings and better business bureau) and understand the risk when you order from them.
Alan
Matt Campbell - Sunday, March 8, 2009 - link
Thanks for the comments Alan. We covered the Reseller Ratings in our first look, which are reasonably good (8.16/10 6 months, 7.49/10 lifetime). We also read through their forums and noted that many of the people posting issues in there do get an (eventual) resolution that's to their satisfaction, but recognize their customer service isn't up to the level of other (pricier) boutiques and pointed that out. In fact, I recognized your name from my Cyberpower forums searches, and since you're quite an active contributor there I appreciate the input and surmise you do see value in them despite their flaws.Thanks for the clarification on warranty, it is indeed 3 years labor and 1 year only for parts.
v12v12 - Wednesday, March 4, 2009 - link
1st off... is it ME or do these F'ing B/I/U buttons NOT WORK EVER?! WTF I cannot get these stupid arse things to ever work, even with NoScript set to allow everything allowed?!For some reason I just cannot get into the "pre-built" case thing. Just upon looking at the case alone and then the price of this "mid-range" unit, I began to laugh... Sorta like, WTF are you kidding me — one-thousand-five-hundred dollars and THIS is all you get? Pata cable? LMFAO you've got to be kidding me.
Once again a true testament to my rant about BTX being the stupid DECISION to make regarding a case purchase. God just LOOK at the ridiculous looking cable "management" or lack there of. STOP buying/review idiot BTX cases please. It's inferior, looks like trash and performs no better (worse) than ATX. Geesh.
I guess it's sort of like the shock when someone goes to drop $70Large on a corvette and sees the cheap ass interior and wonders "Hrmm WTF, this IS $70 THOUSAND right?"
7Enigma - Thursday, March 5, 2009 - link
You clearly are living in another world. Price it out and then come back and talk. I dislike most boutique shops due to overpriced and cheap components, but this is a clear exception. Nothing other than the PATA DVD burner is a bad selection (though the hard drive selected shouldn't be used IMO for this particular build).Looks are subjective, so your attempt at a point is moot. Most people dislike most cases so to each his own.
Sounds like you woke up on the wrong side of the bed, and don't know what you are talking about.
Mikey - Friday, March 6, 2009 - link
Agreed. Sounds like v12v12 is a hater. Anyways, despite components not being as perfect as some would like, it's still, for the most part, composed of excellent components. One isn't going to really notice any different between a PATA and SATA DVD burner. Be practical here...just because it's not the latest tech doesn't make it worse.As for its aesthetics, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. When I used to build computers for people as a side job, I let people select their own case. That was a key component in their satisfaction with the computer, albeit many of their case selections were horrible looking. A case has little to do with overall computer performance, and most people can care less about how it works or how it looks as long as it performs. http://www.loaderequipment.com/">option
JarredWalton - Friday, March 6, 2009 - link
I've done the same thing... and I have to say, a few people I tried REALLY hard to talk out of a case selection! But they loved their gaudy, blue glowing lights everywhere case when I was done. I on the other hand did not appreciate working with a cheap case that had sharp edges, but I only had to go in there once.v12v12 - Friday, March 6, 2009 - link
Agreed... and like I said to the above dullards...1) FOR $1500, I don't expect/settle for a cheap (materials/build/finish) ass case (among other things). That's like getting a sports car with a fiberglass body for $50,000. Or a $200,000 house with cheap aluminum siding — MOST people do not want that cheap junk for that kind of money. That's a "point," if you didn't catch it?
2) Again you 2 don't seem to get the gist of it: For that kind of money, for "pre-built" sys — people ought to expect better components than a clunky-Pata, air flow disrupting, unsightly cable, along with an antiquated interface bus, based DVD burner! Duh?
Lastly... it sounds as if you 2 cannot debate my points Vs talking unrelated trash. "Hater?" Oh so now the tone is set that anyone that disagrees, regardless of providing valid points, is suddenly brushed off and negatively labeled... Sorry Sophomores, but that arguement doesn't hold validity nor weight...
Go back to school and please learn how to properly debate an issue Vs talking out of your arse. Ball is in your court — apparently you've been double-dribbling and carrying-on nonsense. I can come down to your nonsensical level if that's what it takes to effectively communicate with either of you. Hows that for "hating?" Touche.
strikeback03 - Monday, March 9, 2009 - link
You also apparently hate the Corvette, as you have attempted to bash it twice. That's fine if you actually own something powered by a v12, quite another if you are driving a Supra (or worse, a Civic).mrubermonkey - Wednesday, March 4, 2009 - link
I am surprised you did not take the liberty of down clocking the system to specifications that are covered under warranty, but whatever.strikeback03 - Wednesday, March 4, 2009 - link
I would assume their warranty covers it in the as-delivered condition, anyone have any evidence to refute that?Matt Campbell - Wednesday, March 4, 2009 - link
As I mentioned in the article, this was a custom setting for the review system (note the "Anandtech" profile in the BIOS pictures). I did consider underclocking the system to default levels, but chose to test as received and point out the difference. (I also considered overclocking it farther, with this MB/cooler it's quite likely the system could have hit 3.6 GHz.)CyberPower does not cover damage from customer-performed overclocking, which is a pretty standard statement from most suppliers and OEMs. CyberPower does sell Factory Overclocked systems that are covered under warranty, but these are only their higher priced configurations, like the Xtreme XI and Gamer Infinity. So, as with standard aftermarket parts purchases, the buyer is responsible for damage incurred by overclocking.
JerryELbow - Tuesday, March 3, 2009 - link
Based on some reviews here and elsewhere, I'd been thinking about building another computer based on very similar components to what was spec'ed out in this review. Out of curiosity, I went to CyberPowerPC's website and priced out the Gamer Xtreme XT with an EVGA nVidia GTX260 COre 216 instead of the default ATI Radio HD4870X2 and with a Thermaltake W0131RU ToughPower 850 Watt PS instead of the Corsair 650 Watt CMPSU-650TX. I didn't go with the Blu-Ray drive that was in the reviewed box (my 50" Samsung DLP with LED light engine blows away my 24" Samsung 1920 x 1200 LCD display) but I did bump it to 6 Gb of Corsair RAM. The total price seemed pretty reasonable. Then I priced all the components at NewEgg (where I've done a LOT of business over the years - great folks, great prices!) and found that it would cost me nearly $300 MORE to order it in pieces and build it myself! And I wouldn't get the 3-year warranty!Well, I'm geeked to get it now and can't thank the reviewer enough for pointing me their way. On the other hand, I am bummed that I won't be building it myself - I really have fun doing that. Well, at least I can console myself that i'll be scavaging another DVD drive, an X-Fi sound card, an HDTV tuner and maybe a 300 Gb and a 500 Gb SATA II drive from my old box (3-year-old home-made from parts from NewEgg) to drop into the new box.
Now, what to do with the still very functional remains of that old box? I guess maybe my nephew will be getting a new/old PC (Antec case, Antec TruePower II 550 Watt PS, ASUS A8N32-SLI Deluxe 939 mobo, 2 Gb RAM, 320 Gb SATA drive, DVD burner, AMD Athlon 64 X2 4400+ CPU with Zalman 9500A heat sink and GeForce 8800 GTS video card). It'll beat the eMachine he has now!
7Enigma - Thursday, March 5, 2009 - link
That's what I just did. Built a C2D midrange gaming rig (~750 for parts using my existing case/LCD/sound system) and then took the old parts and rebuilt my 939 rig for my dad. He's now happily playing Company of Heroes and that graphics range of games (6800GT for the gpu).Makes a great second computer for general uses that also has enough power to do some photoshop/ripping/encoding duties. I think I spent $50 to rebuild the 939 system as I needed to replace the harddrive on the new rig. The case for the old system is my ancient alienware beige box from 1999. Still works perfectly!
Matt Campbell - Wednesday, March 4, 2009 - link
Thanks for the feedback Jerry. We also priced out all the components at Newegg, and were surprised that it essentially broke even with the system price. If you remember, post back here in the comments or send me an email once it's delivered and let us know how you like it. We appreciate the feedback from actual buyers and AT readers.JerryELbow - Monday, March 30, 2009 - link
I got the system I ordered last week after a very long-seeming 3 weeks. It took CyberPowerPC two weeks to get around to building my machine and another week for it to get from California to my house in NC. True, I could have paid something like $65 extra to bump up my build in the queue (though no guarantees on how much towards the front of the line it would go) and a LOT extra to ship it overnight, but I cheaped out on that. Comparing this to the very fast shipping of parts from NewEgg (who has distribution sites much closer to my home than California), this seemed agonizingly slow but in reality not all that bad. Anticipation does slow down the clock, doesn't it?The system came double-boxed, with the case box, motherboard box and a keyboard ina box, all encased in foam and in an outer box. It really was packaged securely. The mobo box didn't have the mobo in it; it instead had CDs, the mouse, extra cables, manuals, etc. Where the review mentioned the video card coming separately (possibly due to that being safer against coming loose during shipping), my unit came with the video card already installed.
I did not pay extra for fancier cable management, but I though the cabling that was done was neat and professional. I found no scratches, dings or dents on the case and no problems with any component. The OS install was as clean as I've ever seen on a pre-built PC. The only "extra" was an install of a demo version of Microsoft Office. Since I have my own license for Office 2007, I uninstalled that (which took a surprisingly long time).
There were only two weird things about the install. First, I selected the LG dual-layer DVD burner and got instead a pair of optical drives from TSSTcorp. One was a CD/dual-layer DVD burner and the other was a CD burner/DVD reader. Both feel pretty cheap but are probably no worse than the LG I'd specified. Second, and much more disappointing, was the complete lack of overclocking on the CPU and RAM. The article said that the test unit came with the Core i7 CPU overclocked by the factory from the default of 2.667 Ghz to 3.0 Ghz. I really liked the idea of the factory doing this and covering it by warranty. I will probably overclock the system myself, but it would have preferred they'd done it for me as they'd done it for AnandTech. I guess you have to be a hardware review site to get that kind of treatment.
CyberPowerPC didn't specify the make or model of the default 1 Tb hard drive. The review unit was a Western Digital; mine turned out to be a Hitachi. Still a name brand but one I've no previous experience with. It's working fine so far and I haven't heard major complaints about Hitachi drives so it'll probably be fine.
The default CoolerMaster case is nice-looking, if a bit light-weight in construction (but then, anything is compared to the built-like-a-tank Antec P90 I got for my last system). There's lots of ventilation and plenty of spaces for fans that can be anything from 80mm to 135mm in diameter. The "4-in-3" drive cage with the built-in fan is nice but a bit awkward to get in and out of the case (again, compared to the far superior Antec P90 drive cage design). The power button is a bit on the strange side and its behavior is not documented in the manual. Press it once and it acts like a reset button. Press and hold for several seconds and it acts like a power-down button. Or maybe it doesn't. Maybe it's the OS. I found Vista 64-bit to occaisionally reboot rather than shut down as I'd requested (I've worked with Vista 32-bit before but this is my first experience with Vista 64-bit).
I added in two SATA 3.0 drives (one 500 Gb, one 320 Gb) and the PCI-based HDTV tuner from my old system plus a new Asus Xonar DX PCI-e audio card (I decided against moving my old Creative Labs X-Fi PCI card over) and installed all the appropriate current drivers. Everything went very well. I installed the "free" copy of Flight Simulator X Deluxe I got plus the FSX Acceleration Pack and fired the game up at 1920 x 1200 x 32-bit (the native resolution of my display) with every setting set to maximum and it ran smooth as silk. It was FAR better than it had been on my old rig.
Unfortunately, when I moved my external 1 Tb Western Digital MyBook USB 2.0 drive over from the old rig to the new one, the directory structure got hosed. I don't know if this is an issue with Vista 64-bit or what, but I lost a boatload of data, apps and goodies that I'm now trying to recover. Among them was a collection of benchmark applications and results across several of my older machines (including a few long since retired) that I would have compared to the new rig. That was a major disappointment but probably in no way caused by the build done by CyberPowerPC.
In summary, I'd have to say that I'm pretty pleased with the rig and would definitely buy from CyberPowerPC again as well as recommend them to my friends. I'm glad I read the review on AnandTech that turned me on to them. I wasn't all that familiar with boutique builders that fall between the likes of Gateway and Dell at the low end (in terms of component choices and customization) and AlienWare and the like at the high end (in terms of extreme customization and high prices). This fell right into the area where I wanted to be. True, I could have ordered similar components and built them myself but the roughly $250 savings I got by having CyberPowerPC do the work for me was enough to give up that few hours of fun (plus I got to add a number of components myself anyway).
Thanks again to Anandtech for an objective but positive review that made me aware of this company!
JerryELbow - Monday, March 30, 2009 - link
One more comment. As others have pointed out, CyberPowerPC apparently throws away any "extra" cables, screws, etc. that may come with cases and maybe even motherboards. I called them and asked that they not do this with the cables from the modular power supply I'd ordered for my rig. I checked the order status an hour later and my request was included in the status. When delivered, all the power supply cable were there. However, none of the extra screws from the case were. Normally, that's no big deal anybody who has ever built a system or two has a bunch of extra screws laying about. However, the drive cage in the CoolerMaster case uses rubber grommets to isolate the drive from the case. That's a nice touch (and one handled even more nicely in my Antec P90 case), but requires slightly longer-than-normal screws to "reach" drive drive and or course there were none to be found in the box. I was able to find screws in my collection that just barely reached the drives and which completely mashed the bejeezus out of the grommets. Not a huge deal, but I would prefer that all that extra junk actually be sent to me to decide for myself if it really is junk or something useful.Matt Campbell - Thursday, December 3, 2009 - link
Thanks for the detailed response Jerry.JerryELbow - Tuesday, March 3, 2009 - link
Based on some reviews here and elsewhere, I'd been thinking about building another computer based on very similar components to what was spec'ed out in this review. Out of curiosity, I went to CyberPowerPC's website and priced out the Gamer Xtreme XT with an EVGA nVidia GTX260 COre 216 instead of the default ATI Radio HD4870X2 and with a Thermaltake W0131RU ToughPower 850 Watt PS instead of the Corsair 650 Watt CMPSU-650TX. I didn't go with the Blu-Ray drive that was in the reviewed box (my 50" Samsung DLP with LED light engine blows away my 24" Samsung 1920 x 1200 LCD display) but I did bump it to 6 Gb of Corsair RAM. The total price seemed pretty reasonable. Then I priced all the components at NewEgg (where I've done a LOT of business over the years - great folks, great prices!) and found that it would cost me nearly $300 MORE to order it in pieces and build it myself! And I wouldn't get the 3-year warranty!Well, I'm geeked to get it now and can't thank the reviewer enough for pointing me their way. On the other hand, I am bummed that I won't be building it myself - I really have fun doing that. Well, at least I can console myself that i'll be scavaging another DVD drive, an X-Fi sound card, an HDTV tuner and maybe a 300 Gb and a 500 Gb SATA II drive from my old box (3-year-old home-made from parts from NewEgg) to drop into the new box.
Now, what to do with the still very functional remains of that old box? I guess maybe my nephew will be getting a new/old PC (Antec case, Antec TruePower II 550 Watt PS, ASUS A8N32-SLI Deluxe 939 mobo, 2 Gb RAM, 320 Gb SATA drive, DVD burner, AMD Athlon 64 X2 4400+ CPU with Zalman 9500A heat sink and GeForce 8800 GTS video card). It'll beat the eMachine he has now!
Nfarce - Tuesday, March 3, 2009 - link
I've been pricing a mid-range i7 build for, ironically, between $1,300-$1,500. The CPU, Mobo, and power supply in this system are all the same in my latest build spec. The only major differences are a 4870 1GB GPU (upgrading with another in a few months for Crossfire), 3x2GB Patriot Viper memory, and a 300GB WD VelociRaptor primary & 640GB WD Caviar Black secondary HDD(and don't need BD player for a PC as I have a PS3). The benchmarks are very informative.Quote:
"For better or worse, CyberPower does not restrict [component] choice at all, so an uninformed buyer could purchase a $1500 "gaming" system with a GeForce 7400 GS or HD 4350. Choice is great, but the number of options really demands an informed buyer when placing the order and their website simply does not offer that level of guidance."
I would surmise that those who do not know video cards 101 and ordering a PC would be doing do through Dell, or even more basic, buying one from a B&M store like Best Buy.
Matt Campbell - Wednesday, March 4, 2009 - link
More memory, tweaking the settings, and your hard drive choices would significantly improve the multitasking performance we saw. Game loading times would decrease with the VelociRaptor as well.strikeback03 - Tuesday, March 3, 2009 - link
Looks like there is something plugged into the IDE connector on the motherboard. Is that actually hooked up to anything?Matt Campbell - Tuesday, March 3, 2009 - link
Yes, there's a rounded IDE cable going to the DVD burner. The Blu Ray player and hard drive are both SATA.Exar3342 - Tuesday, March 3, 2009 - link
For $1499.00, this system has a lot of quality parts to offer. If you add up the cost of the components, it basically comes out to the selling price. The bonus is you also get support with the computer purchase; nice deal.ev0styLe - Tuesday, March 3, 2009 - link
:)C'DaleRider - Tuesday, March 3, 2009 - link
I open the AT main page, find an article titled: NVIDIA GeForce GTS 250: A Rebadged 9800 GTX+.Read the snippet of the first paragraph, "First it was the 8800 GT, then the 8800 GTS 512, then the 9800 GT then the 9800 GTX and shrunk down to the 9800.."
Intrigued, I click on it and get an article about a prebuilt Cyberpower computer.....talk about letdowns!
Not to belittle, but I'm MUCH more interested in nVidia's "new" card release and how it tests out vs. a prebuilt computer.
pmonti80 - Tuesday, March 3, 2009 - link
Sorry to hijack the article comments but I'm wondering the same as C'Dale Rider.¿Problems with Nvida for telling the truth?
JarredWalton - Tuesday, March 3, 2009 - link
No, just we had some engine issues... missing images and such. I don't have the images or I'd put them on the server and set the article to "live" again. Anand and Derek have been notified; sorry for the delays.