Problems
We had very few problems with the Digital Storm Core i7. The system was very stable and would complete hours of testing without issues, other than the driver related rendering oddities noted for SPECviewperf. This is particularly impressive given this is a triple SLI system that can often be laden with headaches, as we've experienced firsthand.
We do have a couple of minor annoyances to note. Boot from CD-ROM was set as the default, which increased boot time slightly. The system includes a Blu-ray drive, but it didn't include a preinstalled player - we had to load PowerDVD ourselves from the included disc. Apart from these minor quirks, though, the system had no issues.
Pricing
Typically, we examine a system's components in this section against standard aftermarket pricing and try to determine the rough difference between the system price and the cost of components. It's a little more difficult with high-end systems such as this one, which incorporate some specializations (water-cooling combinations) and mods (side case fan labor). Buying the same components at Newegg this time comes out to around $4600 with shipping. In contrast, pricing our system on the Digital Storm website yields $5926 with (free) shipping.
That means they have an approximately 22% margin, which goes towards labor, overclocking and BIOS tweaking, testing/quality, lifetime tech support, and the 3-year warranty - as well operations costs to keep the lights on at Digital Storm and turn a profit of course. While the amount is quite high, margins are usually quite high for these types of systems (our Velocity Micro system was about 34%), and the buyer understands they are paying a premium for bleeding edge performance.
If you don't want a high-end system, Digital Storm offers far more affordable setups starting at around $1600. However, the margin remains at around 25%, which isn't something we would recommend for a typical midrange computer. In our minds, the key thing to remember here is the target audience for this system. We have often berated other suppliers for simply throwing a bunch of high-performing components in a case and selling it without the optimizations, customizations, and support that buyers are usually looking for in a $5000+ PC purchase. Digital Storm delivers on all these counts. If that's what you're after, they're the most "affordable" we've tested to date, but they'll never win a real bang-for-the-buck competition.
Final Thoughts
Digital Storm prides themselves on performance, support, and value. Against the first point, this system shattered all previous gaming performance records by huge margins. It was continuously stable, and did not exhibit any quirks or gaming crashes that can be common with complicated triple SLI systems. On the second point, support, the company has one of the highest Reseller Ratings out there, a great BBB rating, and very positive feedback throughout their forums. We also called their support lines on several occasions and were talking with a real person in about 30 seconds. They certainly succeed on the first two points.
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When compared for value, there are companies out there that can sell the same components for less, but not with Digital Storm's mix of customizations (paint finishes, water-cooling, etc.) along with value-added options like factory warrantied overclocking on the CPU, GPU, and memory. We were very impressed with our first look at one of their high-end systems, and if you're in the market for a customized high-end gaming rig, you should definitely look at what they have. Our one major dislike was the noise coming from the video cards, and we would encourage users to choose GPU water-cooling to circumvent this. For their mix of raw performance, overclocking and custom options, and quality, we're awarding Digital Storm a Silver Editor's Choice Award. We look forward to seeing what they can do in the future.
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viciki123 - Monday, February 22, 2010 - link
http://www.weddingdressonlineshop.co.uk/24-tea-len...">http://www.weddingdressonlineshop.co.uk/24-tea-len...Jillian - Thursday, December 29, 2011 - link
The thing that got me really infuriated was the additional Video Card. Again, I was told the card was an additional $500+(I don't remember the exact price that was quoted). I questioned the price because on the upgrade center the price is listed as $409, which is a large increase. I was told that this was because the upgrade center parts didn't come with a warranty from DS. http://www.idresses.co.ukdjrobr199 - Tuesday, December 1, 2009 - link
The following is what I sent to Digital Storm customer service, which explains what I went through when purchasing a PC through them. I just sent it today, so I am anxiously awaiting there response.//////////////////////
I was contacted via telephone today about my order where I wanted to upgrade the hard drive to a 300G velociraptor and add another gtx-285 2GB vram. After some discussion I found out that I would be paying about $200 additional to replace the original 1TB HD with a Raptor. I was told that with the warranty you are charging $300+ for that HD. Wow, that is about $100 OVER the cost of the drive (listed in your upgrade center). That is outrageous!! I know you are going to sell it for more than Frys Electronics etc...($220), but that difference is ridiculous.
The thing that got me really infuriated was the additional Video Card. Again, I was told the card was an additional $500+(I don't remember the exact price that was quoted). I questioned the price because on the upgrade center the price is listed as $409, which is a large increase. I was told that this was because the upgrade center parts didn't come with a warranty from DS.
Even though I was amazed at the increase in cost, I was ok with just getting the additional Video Card through the upgrade center without the additional warranty. I was told by the customer service rep that I could not do that. I was totally confused as to why they were not able to do that.
I asked to speak with someone who could authorize what I wanted to do. I was put on hold for a little bit and I ended up talking with the same Customer Service Rep again, who said they talked with their boss and they would allow me to purchase the additional video card as a separate order, but the video card would not be installed and would not go through the test that the rest of the PC would be going through after it was built.
I am still left wondering why, according to your own website, you claim that you get LIFETIME free labor upgrades when purchased through Digital Storm yet I am unable to buy a video card and have it installed with a brand new pc being built by you.
If this is how you treat customers that are in the process of buying one of your systems I am scared to find out what kind of customer service you provide AFTER the sale has gone through.
It's not like I'm asking you to do anything out of the ordinary. I just wanted to buy a component from you and have you install it, which I should be able to do according to your own words that are printed right on your website!
I have done a LOT of research online and I even have a close personal friend that bought one of your PC's a few years ago and I have heard and read a lot of good reviews about your products AND your customer service. I don't know what to think now, after I had this experience.
I am seriously contemplating on not placing an order with you. I don't want to do that because of all the good reviews I've read. It's just that spending about $2700 on a computer is a LOT of money for me and I don't want to spend it on something that I may have a lot of problems with (customer service related).
Thank you for your time,
Robert
djrobr199 - Wednesday, December 2, 2009 - link
Well, I got my response from Digital Storm. Basically the end result is that they are installing and testing the additional video card I purchased from them. They are saying that they are making "an exception" in my case and it is not normal business practice for them to do that.I am still confused about that because it clearly states (when you are on the configuration page) that you receive LIFETIME free labor on upgrades when you purchase the components from Digital Storm. I'm hoping that this is not a sign of things to come. I've read so many good reviews that I'm putting my faith in them and I went and submitted the order.
Matt Campbell - Wednesday, December 2, 2009 - link
Thanks Robert. Let us know how things turn out.djrobr199 - Thursday, December 3, 2009 - link
this is there response :)bullet Posted: Today at 2:15pm
@djrobr199,
There seems to be a misunderstanding. We do offer labor-free upgrades. If one of our staff members said we won't install it for free it was a misunderstanding.
We are more than happy to install it for free. Warranty, etc... is a different story.
I hope that clears it up. If you have any further issues/concerns/questions, please feel free to directly contact us or our management staff at: management@digitalstormonline.com
softysung - Friday, June 5, 2009 - link
I have purchased a system myself, dealt with support and have great things to say. I am definitely going to be making my next purchase with DS again. I also have a mate that I recommended to them and he is also happy with the service and product.snookie - Monday, June 1, 2009 - link
I sent Digital Storm an e-mail asking why the just on the shelves issues of Maximum PC and CPU magazine and their web site all show 3 different prices for their 650i system and they did not reply back. The Maximum PC and CPU magazine articles show it for $1599 and $1699 while their website shows it for a minimum of $1815. I guess they don't like questions like that.softysung - Friday, June 5, 2009 - link
They don't publish any email addresses... did you try using their request help page (http://www.digitalstormonline.com/sendmessage.asp)">http://www.digitalstormonline.com/sendmessage.asp)I called em and they said they do offer those systems, just call them and they will help you out mate.
eternalkp - Sunday, May 31, 2009 - link
why i7 965 & 3xGTX 285? that's why it's so expensive.I would select this system:
http://www.digitalstormonline.com/comploadsaved.as...">http://www.digitalstormonline.com/comploadsaved.as...
Any chassis & custom paint>I would stay with standard & not pay extras.
1000W PSU +$126
Intel i7 920 2.66ghz...choose OC to 4.0~4.2ghz option.
6gb DDR3 triple channels 2000mhz RAM +$332
2x300gb western digital 10k rpm HD in raid 0 +532
Bluray writer +$281
3xGTX 280 SLI, this is the best option since it's on clearance. +681
I think this is way cheaper than 3xGTX 285 and the performance is right there with GTX 285.
creative lab titanium sound card +$221
H20 specialized frostbite cooling stage 3 for CPU & 3 GPU: +$1209.
OC options:
OC to i7 920 2.66ghz to 4.0 to 4.2ghz +$199
OC GPU to max: $45
OC RAM to max: $55.
this system will be quiet and goes for $5,500
grand total of $