Insignia

I received my Overdrive PC in March 2004 and am absolutely blown away by the computer's build quality and performance. Let me start by saying that I am not normally the sort of person to take the time to write a testimonial. But in this particular case I simply could not resist. The computer is so remarkable that I felt compelled to tell others about the wonder of Overdrive PC.

When I recently entered the market for a new computer I decided to call all of the computer companies that caught my eye, ranging from gaming PC companies like Alienware, Voodoo and Falcon Northwest to the biggest brands around, like Dell and Gateway. I am not exaggerating when I say that I must have spoken to about 15 companies before finally choosing to go with an Overdrive PC. So, what is it that makes an Overdrive PC so much more compelling than everyone else? Superior computer quality, better power and performance, unmatched customer service, and more. This computer is simply unbelievable.

When I first called Overdrive PC, I spoke with Mario Cifaldi, one of company’s owners. Mario is without a doubt the most knowledgeable person I have EVER spoken to about computers. Up until the time I called him, all of my calls to the various computer companies resulted in a by-the-numbers conversation with a “tech guy” or “sales rep.” But Mario broke that pattern immediately. I literally cannot convey how nice and knowledgeable he really is. To this day it astounds me. Mario is a resource like no other.

What is even more important is that Mario was not trying to needlessly “upsell” me or put me in the most expensive machine (which is a common practice at many other companies). Rather, Mario SAVED me money. That’s right, he told me how I can spend LESS money but still get the best possible performance. My computer has a 64-bit AMD chip called the Opteron (compare this to the Intel Pentium 4, which is only a 32-bit chip and has nowhere near the same capabilities). Thanks to Mario, I now have a chip that will work beautifully in the future (i.e., when Windows 64 comes out and many software companies start releasing software for 64-bit systems), yet it cost me much less money than other, inferior chips. Frankly, Mario took the time to discuss each and every component in my computer so that I knew I was getting the best possible performance for my budget.

Moreover, my computer is RELIABLY overclocked to squeeze out every possible ounce of performance from every component in my machine. I always thought that overclocking a computer component meant that you are sacrificing reliability for added performance. But that is simply not the case with an Overdrive PC. They have turned overclocking into a safe, reliable science that still amazes me. My computer is an absolute rocket ship, and outperforms my friends’ computers that were much more costly.

Above all, I love my Overdrive PC. I am telling all of my friends and family members about this little known brand, as I have just never seen anything quite like it. Before I learned about this company, I would have assumed that a computer is little more than the sum of its parts, and that there is really no genuine difference between one computer and the next. But that is really not true. Overdrive PC is the Bentley of Computers. It is built with unmatched care and reliability (I am speaking from experience, having owned many different computer brands). Also, I cannot believe the level of customer care that I have been receiving. Any time that I ever need a question answered, Overdrive PC is there to help. I really am in awe.

If I can give you one piece of advice before buying your next computer it is this: call Mario at Overdrive PC. Talk to him, and within 5 minutes you will begin to understand what I have experienced since day one. This is perhaps the best quality product of ANY KIND that I have ever purchased. They have my highest possible recommendation.

I have never dealt with a more professional and sincere computer retailer, in my 25 years of building and buying systems! They honestly want to provide you with the best system for your budget. Every person that I have talked to that works there has this same attitude and focus. I'm not just blowing smoke here! I never get this passionate about reviews but I feel a company that is this far above the rest needs to be recognized and commended.
They could have easily made more money on my sale but they explained that I would be better off (due to various reasons) buying some items locally.
Their hardware quality and workmanship surpass anything that I have seen before. I GOT MUCH MORE SYSTEM THAN I WAS EXPECTING! You can tell they love what they do. These days you can find cheaper systems but you will not get as much value for your money.

I won't regurgitate all the other positive points in other reviews, like the wiring, crafsmanship, performance, what a great and knowledgeable guy Mario is, etc. I can say that they are all true, but what I like is that all the original benchmarks screenshots are saved on the hard drive, and left the same benchmark tools installed for you to run, so that you can compare your current system performance to what it was when it was shipped. Also comes with a system restore image if you ever needed that. Do not hesitate to buy your next gaming rig from overdrivepc. They will not upsell you to anything you don't need. I know there is no way I could build a box by myself that would come anywhere close to the excellent job that they do.

Dear All,

Having spent about 3 months last year investigating the various options open to me for purchasing a gaming machine of world class standards and performance, I came across the very informative online magazine HardOCP.

Without doubt this magazine is in its own class when it comes to reviewing PC integrators and the products they produce.

The 2006 HardOCP Awards rated OPC extremely favourably and I was interested to note the amount of time the company's CEO, Mario Cifaldi, invested in discussing and resolving issues which arose from the HardOCP article.

In the three months of investigation I checked many integrators, magazines and forums. Finally I picked up the phone and called. I was immediately speaking to OPC’s “Point Man” Aaron.

While explain my desires and wishes, Aaron recommended a number of options that even saved me money, while pointing out performance trends and real world testing results OPC conduct “in-house” in order to get the Best BANG for your BUCK.

Of course my situation is not normal. I am an Australian Expatriate living in Zurich Switzerland. This put off a number of other Boutique Integrators immediately. Aaron on the other hand said this would be no problem.

I order my machine on the 22nd of December 2006. 4-5 weeks was the communicated delivery time. By the second week of January I had contacted Aaron and Keith Reineke the company CFO regarding my machine and its estimated time of arrival. Due to unforeseen issues they both confirmed delivery times were getting longer and 8 weeks was more likely. They apologised for the delays and their explanations were detailed and concise. Working in the technology sector myself, this was entirely understandable. At this point I also asked for a few changes to my machine build, Aaron was more than happy to confirm the inclusion of these devices.

However, at this point in time I did explain that I had hard deadline of the 22nd of February for receiving my machine. This was due to a large yearly LAN event here in Zurich.

I won’t lie. The waiting was extremely difficult and the time taken to build this machine was beyond my comprehension.

By February 12th the pressure was on. As a technology project manager by trade, I began to tighten the screws in various ways. All credit must go to Keith and Aaron; they kept their cool and started making adjustments based on my actions.

At the last moment there was a Motherboard-Sound Card conflict that threatened to derail the whole thing. At this point Aaron and Keith really made OPC stand out above the pack. At their own expense they upgraded the UPS International shipping category to ensure my deadline was met. That alone represents a hell of a lot of money and a hell of a lot of customer service in my opinion.

It finally shipped at 16:00 from OPC on Tuesday the 20th of February. The PC made it to Zurich at 11:00am on Thursday morning the 22nd of February. I was up and running at the LAN Event the following morning at 11:00am the 23rd of February. The machine ran all weekend without a hitch. To date, it has been bullet proof.

The PC was arguably the centre of attention for the whole LAN event and one nice fellow even donated his 30 inch Dell screen for me to play on. I believe the hardcore gamers were trying to see if the machine could handle that type of resolution.

Suffice to say I spent 6 hours looking at the biggest monitor I’ve ever seen…with not one moment of lag. It certainly brought the house down for those six hours. I’d even suggest a few of the extreme gamers had a little cry behind closed doors as the OPC machine was clearly the fastest thing in the room by a long shot.

Travelling the planet as part of my job and working in the technology area myself, I can categorically say these guy’s know their stuff, they are customer focused to the extreme and I have personally not seen anything like what they do anywhere else in more than 15 countries I have worked in.

Issues happen in business, especially so with over clocking PC’s. What is unusual is that OPC guarantees their over clocking work to the end-consumer and that is a value added service I have never seen.

In closing, you can’t expect things to go without issues arising in IT, but, what you can expect from OPC is that they are doing their absolute best all the time and they guarantees their work. That sets them apart from the rest.

On a personal note:

I've got to say I’m REALLY happy I found these guys. I'd say they now have my PC business for life...and I'm recommending them to everyone who asks.

I set OPC a challenge with my order, rather than buying a gaming machine from them, I order a 1U Rackmount server. I choose OPC for such a job after being involved in the awesome community for a few months, and I decided that OPC certainly know their stuff! I've never seen a more dedicated, knowledgable, caring company in my life. And not only that... their products are second to *none*.

Our machine has been in use 24/7 since day one, recieveing millions and millions of hits since it's installation, and we've never had a single hardware problem. Our machines speed is comparable to that of a much higher spec, all due to the fact that OPC spend their time and set it up better than any one else. I could never have been happier with my purchse, and even now I recieve support from OPC when I need it... and not just for my OPC, they have helped me with various other home machines too! You can check out the speeds by looking at my company website (its-explosive.net)

I have plans to buy two more OPCs in the near future, both for personal gaming use...

OPC will also be the planned PC of choice for my companies offices.

Sorry for rambling, but I just can't say enough times, that OPC are the best at what they do.

- Davey

One day surfing the net, bored with my Gateway, I read an article about Overdrive PC. I called to ask questions about the product and after a twenty minute conversation with Mario, it proved to be a most pleasant experience and without committing myself, I felt I had made a friend.

After much investigation and comparisons with other high performance computers, I ordered an Athlon FX53 on Mario's recommendation. I received the computer in about the same time I would a custom made suit.

The shake down cruise is over and the result is in. Mario said it would be a great machine but he proved to be a modest man. The computer is outstanding and I enjoy every minute with it.

Buying an Overdrive computer is comparable to buying a custom tailored suit. The suit is not on the rack, you choose the fabric and the lining and no matter the price, you have a garment that fits and does not show a wrinkle. "Mario" the tailor asks and suggests the best computer for you. It is then made to order and you know it was not taken off the shelf.

I started with computers in 1979 and have watched the industry emerge beyond one's wildest dreams. If you can afford the best, Mario and Overdrive will deliver.

Having owned computers you know that when the power is turned on there will be questions to be asked and hopefully answered. At Overdrive you talk to the boss and he answers your questions to your satisfaction guaranteed. Support at the other companies, when they don't have the answer, the cure all word is to reformat.

Thank you Mario and even though I don't have a problem, I can call you anytime to chat friend to friend.

I know that Overdrive will be around for a long time.

I'm a photographer and graphic artist, so I needed a computer that was powerful,fast and reliable, and Overdrive PC delivered. Mario and Ryan have been terrific for their advice and support- both before and after the sale. Mario even talked me out of spending money for things that wouldn't help my systems performance. Now that kind of honesty and candor is rare these days in any business, but especially among pc makers. (Contrast this with a Voodoo PC salesmen who tried to get me to buy all kinds of things
( for $14,000.00 !!!), that wouldn't have helped my software run any faster, however, he did say that his system would be "way cool dude". Huh?).
While most of Overdrive PC customers might be hard core gamers, people should know that Overdrive PC can build a truly CUSTOM computer for anybody- businessman, video editors, scientists or gamers, and do it extremly well... and they look pretty cool too.

I meant to write this letter of recomendation of Mario and Overdrive PC before now, but not much before now. I wanted to wait until I used the machine and some issues came up, to see how the support really happened. I figured there was no sense writing about how happily some guy took my money.

So I've had this custom rigged machine (I asked Mario to put filters on the intake fans) for 1 year and 2 weeks. The only issues that have happened seemed to have been caused by Micr$ofts automatic updates, and a drive fan makes a wierd noise upon start-up for 15 seconds.

I use this machine 14-18 hours a day (every day), and not only have I not any issues, but Mario and his team have willingly and cheerfully helped me with questions about upgrading software and hardware with out trying to sell me anything.

Just a few days ago (over a year since purchasing this machine, I asked about how to run 4 monitors with this machine. Since I don't play games anymore, but spend my time trading stocks. Mario didn't even mention that I was past the 1 year support agreement or anything else. He just helped me and answered all my questions. Mario and his guys are a rare breed in the jungle of companies that use only voice prompts or e-mail for customer contact. A very rare breed indeed.

When I first talked to Mario about building a machine, I told him I wanted a six thousand dollar machine, and all I wanted it to do. He apoligized and told me that he could build it for $3600 if I didn't mind.

This is a straight up guy running a staight up company. I'm very glad I did business with them, and you can bet that I will in the future; no doubt about it.

I've never found anyone I would rather do business with.

Law Hyland

I don't know really where to start, but as I sit here listening to a CD of my favorite band Clutch, with their album Tyrant Beast spinning away on my Gemini SLI OPC, it strikes me that the two are very similar, both personifying ferociousness and primacy, by way of their substance and structure, each dominating in their respectively chosen disciplines, all other competitors, by providing an exceptional and exclusive product on the market for their patrons.

The case for my OPC is a black Lian Li PC-71 with sapphire blue lighting emitting from various areas of the PC, looking omnipotent and unyeilding in the corner of my office where it is set-up. It is colossal in size with room to spare for future upgrades. The silver cabling inside the case is a wonder to behold. Minimalist and beautiful are two words that come to mind, when making an attempt to describe it. This system is a monster for gaming and multi-tasking. When I do have time to play some games, UT2K4, Farcry, etc..., look stunning on maximum settings and provide a whole new experience to the point that they provide the sensation that they are new games that I have never played before.

My experience with OPC started with Ryan, the Production Manager, Mario, the CTO and Pete, the CEO. They all assured me that they could find the right OPC for me. I was surprised at the level of commitment to which they would go to assist me in my desire to purchase one of their products and how readily available they were for questions. Many phone calls and e-mails passed between Ryan and I before I chose a build that I was comfortable with. All this time Ryan showed the patience of Saint while I made up my mind.

Ryan made numerous suggestions to me that I should consider before making my purchase that would not only save me money but ensure appropriate data protection. One suggestion in particular that was a boon was the removable hard drive trays. At times I can keep sensitive data for my company, on my home hard drive. When I need to travel I can pull these hard drives and lock them up safely while I am traveling, thereby ensuring the data is safe and sound. Peace of mind regarding the integrity of my data means a lot to me these days and OPC delivered in spades.

My initial configuration was with only one 7800GT card, but upon receiving my computer I truly realized what it was capable of and decided to order another one and go with the SLI configuration. Well I thought it was fast with one graphics card but I was stunned when I got the two cards setup and running. The benchmarks were double in some cases and 80% to 90% faster in the rest. I am continuously running multiple programs with absolutely no slowdowns or hiccups at all.

One thing I would like to address is out of country orders. I am from Canada and I had some reservations about purchasing a product outside of my country, mainly due to possibility of sending my comp back to OPC for future upgrades if needed like my second 7800GT card I purchased after receiving my system. My fears have thus far been unfounded. During the installation of my second graphics card everything took place over the phone. Ryan was great talking me through the process. Now this is the point in my review where I point out I am essentially a computer noob, for want of a better term. Ryan was patient and very helpful while I learned the PC basics on how to install components. The added bonus was that I gained an immense amount of knowledge from Ryan regarding computer systems and their components while installing the card, which was very gratifying and will be benefical to me in the future. The installation process via phone and e-mail was much preferable then sending it back. Now that I have it I am very reluctant to let my OPC go. In the event it does need to go back to OPC, UPS, which initially delivered it on time in excellent condition, has ensured that if it is returned for future upgrades it will be done in a timely manner with no damage, which is always nice to know.

I thank you Ryan and the rest of the men and women of OPC for all your hard work in assembling my Gemini SLI and ensuring it would perform the way I wanted it to. Kudos to you all. I can't wait til I get my next one, hopefully in the coming year.

After having experienced OPCs' customer service, and quality of product provided, it is my humble opinion that they are the premier provider of business and home computing products availabe on the market today. I have seen a lot of unique products in my day, and nothing even comes close to what OPC has provided me. As a result I unequivocally recommend Overdrive PC to those who maybe thinking of making a purchase in the future. You will not be disappointed.

Athlon 4400 X2
2 gigs RAM
160 gig HDD
2x160 gig HDD RAID 1
2x 7800GT
2x Sony Duel DVD Burners
2 year Platinum Warrenty
Everything is hyper-clocked and stable as can be.

My wife is learning website development, and she was frequently frustrated by the limitations of her low-end PC. She wanted something with the speed, power and flexibility to develop websites with heavy graphics, video, sound and music content. I looked at cnet.com's review of desktop machines, and they rated one OverdrivePC's models as the highest of all, with a rating of 8.4. Then I read many reviews and testimonials, all of which were glowing. We decided on the Gemini.SLI Workstation in a pretty standard configuration. From the day we placed the order until the delivery day, about 40 days passed, and the wait seemed interminable. However, Mario, the Chief Technical Officer and the guy who built our PC, stayed in touch with me, assuring me that the build was on track, and updated me every step of the way. When it appeared that the PC might not be delivered in time for a 3-day weekend which I had set aside for the setup and software installation, Mario did what he could to expedite things, and it arrived that Friday! I spent Easter weekend working on setting up the computer, and when questions came up I e-mailed Mario, and amazingly, he responded within a few hours, even on Easter! This computer is terrific. It has all the speed and capacity my wife requires, and it is solidly built and very quiet. The price tag of just a hair under $5,000 was steep, but we are expecting it to be well worth the investment.

I first purchased my computer in June, 2005 and have been so amazed at the service I have received from Overdrive PC since then. I get quick responses from Mario on all my questions and when we decided I should switch to another Motherboard for video editing, I simply sent the computer back and they were willing to switch it out at minimal cost to me. Mario must work 24/7 because whenever you email him, response time is amazing. I researched prior to using Overdrive and can say that the positive reviews I read were right on. Anyone looking for a quality machine and personal customer service should look no further!

I started buying PCs in the 1980’s and have owned approximately 19 different units from five major sellers and many white boxes. The criteria I use for evaluation is cost, engineering/components utilized and ease of upgrading. I wanted a really high end machine this time around to handle my heavy work requirements during the day and handle Quake 4 and F.E.A.R. for fun :-]

When I took into consideration the cost per megahertz (of the processor), OverDrivePC is with out a doubt the low price leader. It is not even a close comparison due to their unique ability to overclock their PCs at no additional cost. OverDrivePC’s Engineering is absolutely first rate and they only use the best available components. I really like that they list the components they use on their website during your customization process.

I am going to let you read all the other reviews instead of commenting in detail about the insides of an OverDrivePC. Let’s just say it is a work of art.

I had carefully read all of the comments on this site prior to making my order on October 5, 2005 and was most impressed with what previous customers had reported both in terms of OPC's ability to build a special custom machine and also with their customer service experience.

Because I am only moderately technically minded, I relied substantially on the advice I received from OPC on what would constitute an ideal build for me. My goals were to have an extremely powerful and quick computer as well as one that would be stable and dependable. Redundant data storage was essential. I also desired to skip at least one (more likely two) generations of hardware replacement by investing in a substantial computer. Their recommendations were excellent and we agreed on a machine. I was looking forward to see it arrive at my door.

I was promised a 30 day delivery, and was told to refrain from contacting them for at least three weeks regarding a delivery schedule. Fair enough; I complied. As I write today, it has been 41 days and still no delivery.

I have corresponded with OPC regarding this matter. One promised ship date has come and gone. Today, again, I was told that it would ship and was in fact given a tracking number. I expressed my mild disappointment hoping OPC would offer to send it overnight instead of the typical 3-day FedEx delivery. No such offer was made and I can't help but feel let down.

What really matters is the machine and I remain confident that it will be all I hope for. I'll report back when I get it.

UPDATE: Here is a copy of my correspondence with Mario, OPC'c President:

MARIO:…I do apologize for the late delivery time. Sadly we are going through the inevitable of a growing business.

SAMZ: I run a business myself that I started 12 years ago (real estate development). Believe me, I understand.

MARIO: I need to make my sales staff aware that we can no longer commit to a 30-day delivered time. It is just too difficult to meet that time frame with so many variables to running a custom-manufactured computer business like this. We have the choice of cutting corners in the actual product to meet deadlines, or fearing the inevitable of letting our clients down when we are forced to deliver a machine late.

SAMZ: Buying an Overdrive PC has been compared to purchasing a Ferrari or a Porsche. I like this analogy. In my world, the corollary would be hiring a builder to construct a custom home. The conventional wisdom is that there are really only 3 things a custom home buyer cares about: on time, on budget, and to the quality they expect when they signed the contract. The joke amongst builders is "OK, you can have any two of the three, which ones do you want?"

I'd always choose the budget and the quality, but with one caveat-- clear communication. It's true that there are some customers whom you just can't make happy no matter what, but with clear communication, most people understand that custom built things are not assembly-lined and can sometimes take a bit longer.

I suspect OPC knew the 30-day delivery was unachievable early on. Why not contact me with a new rock-solid date and an offer to overnight deliver my computer? There's so much excitement and anticipation to get the new rig (like a Ferrari). When it does not arrive on time frustration sets in.

MARIO: As the owner and founder of the company and I wanted to express my personal regret for extending your delivered date 2 weeks beyond what we try to adhere to (and promise in your case). We have managed to hold on to our perfect 10 reseller rating for 6 years on the button, but I can see we lost that today with your experience with us.

Although I would stop short of nothing to remedy that by demonstrating out intent to keep you happy overall and compensate your extended wait, I can only ask that you let me know if we can work with you in some way to preserve what we have worked so hard to earn (which of course is our perfect rating).

SAMZ: I think you've already made the saving play Mario.

MARIO: In the meantime, I hope that the delivered product and service over time will change your view of our mission and dedication to our clients. Please let me know (personally) if and when I can help.

SAMZ: Please know that your personal attention to this matter speaks volumes about your company's commitment to customer satisfaction.

MY FINAL WORD:
The computer arrived yesterday. It is a beautiful beast. The quality is all that was promised and more. Super fast.

I understand that things don't always go as planned. When the President of the company contacts you to make it right, you gotta be happy. I am revising my review and score. OPC really is the best.

I bought a Gemini.SLI last December and I haven't regretted it for a minute. I wanted a state-of-the-art gaming system that could double as a media server for my home theatre system. Overdrive did not disappoint. The build quality is immaculate. The performance is astonishing. I run any PC game at the highest possible settings and get superior framerates. The team at Overdrive are responsive to inquiries and seem like a pretty friendly group. I look forward to getting my next system from these guys.

I just received my fourth overdrivepc and will certainly buy more. We use both Torque and Gemini boxes for drug discovery applications that don't support SMP or shared-memory machines. Typical jobs take days to weeks to complete (cpu 100%) thus both speed and stability are priceless (a 15-30% increase in performace ((over stock speed)) translates into days of saved time). Importantly, not one of our four overdrivepc machines has crashed. In fact, our overdrivepc boxes are more stable than our commodity pc’s despite being overclocked. We’ve had several jobs run for nearly one month at 100% cpu with significant memory I/O without a hiccup.

Extremely fast 3D video is also a requirement for visualizing results from our calculations. Importantly, we’ve discovered that it’s possible to run a drug discovery application on one core (@ 100% cpu) and play Battlefield2 @ 1600x1200 (maximum visual and sound effects) on the other core while achieving stellar frame rates. Bottom line: The drug discovery programs we rely upon are important enough to justify the purchase of any PC. We’ve tried other high-end vendors and have settled squarely on overdrivepc.

After living with my Overdrive PC for 6 months I have one word for it: FANTASTIC!

When I first talked to Overdrive, they listened to what I needed and helped me confgure the right machine for my needs.

When I called other direct PC vendors, the sales people read from scripts and just tried to sell me whatever cookie-cutter machine was currently rolling off the assembly lines.

I am not a hard core gamer so I cannot offer insight to those of you who are, but if you use your PC for mega-multi-tasking and/or do photo/video editing you might be amazed at how these machines can fly.

I was tired of waiting forever for Adobe Photoshop to open and nearly falling asleep every time I applied edits to my pictures. Now, even with 10,000 photos in my library, it's bang-zoom-done, and on to the next task.

I knew nothing about RAID 0 vs RAID 1 drive set ups but they explained them to me and helped me design a multi drive set-up which just absolutely flies as I bounce back and forth between a dozen simultaneiously open applications and 50 or more open files.

Stability is outstanding. With an overclocked processor I was a bit worried that I would get more crashes but my Overdrive PC is much more stable than the plain vanilla machine it replaced.

Despite multiple fans, I find it to be a very quiet machine.

The inside of the case is amazing. Every wire clipped to proper length. I open it to show friends just to hear them say, "Oh, wow."

You will have to wait a bit to get one since they custom build each machine, but for me the wait was well worth it and I look forward to becoming a repeat customer some day.

When I first started reading computer reviews in magazines I couldn't understand how people would spend even $2000 on a computer much less $4000. As my knowledge of the nature of how computers work my understanding of these high price points grew. I began to understand that building a computer is much more than just following a few instructions like building a lego set. It's about making all the computer parts work in harmony so the user will have as few problems as possible. There a few things that goes into that process which 'boutique' builders perfect or so they claim. Starting sometime last year I began to take a real interest in custom built computers and thus started researching every company I could find. Through this research, I began to realize that many companies fall short of the hype and this disappointed me greatly. So, does my custom built Overdrive PC fall short of the hype? Read on to find out.

Buying Experience:

I pretty much knew what I wanted when I looked at Overdrive PC. I wanted 6800 Ultras in SLI, 2GB Ram, and a fancy dancy processor and I could skimp a little on the hard drive since I had to work on a budget of around $3700-$3800. My original processor was a 3800+ to go along with the above mentioned specs and a 160GB Hard Drive. I was ready to order that exact configuration (or so I thought) and I called Mario to let him know about my order. Mario informed me that I could see a big increase in performance if I changed processors from 3800+ to the 3700+ and save $54 in the process. He also noted I could increase hard drive performance if I cut the 160GB hard drive into 2x 80GB hard drive in a Raid 0 array. Total amount saved from my previous configuration was about $100 with a lot of performance gained.

Rating: 10/10


Shipping:

When I got my Falcon Northwest in last August it was shipped beautifully and I thought nothing could be better protected. However, when I got my OPC in yesterday I realized I was wrong. The outer box had foam and bubble wrap all in it to keep the insides from shifting around. After taking the foam and bubble wrap out there are two boxes. One of them is the computer box and the other is the box where all the CD's and manuals are kept. Opening up the box with the computer in it reveals even more protection to keep the computer itself from sliding around. Ordering an OPC guarantees many things and one of them is that your computer will arrive to you exactly how they intended, in one piece.

Rating: 10/10


Assembly:

Well manicured cabling systems is what comes to my mind when I think of boutique systems and thats what I got when I opened up the 'belly of the beast' so to speak. Used to people didn't have to worry about having a great cooling system or a humongous power supply when they built computers. Now, there are a great many things people have to worry about, but not when you order an OPC. It comes with a 500W power supply and a great cooling system called the SureCool system that keeps your system running smoothly day in and day out. I would be amiss if I finished this section now because I would be forgetting one of the best things about the system. They are called hotswap hard drive bays and it makes changing out hard drives very easy. Since hard drives are the most likely thing in your system to fail especially in a Raid 0 array it only makes since that you should be able to remove and put them back in easy.

Rating: 10/10


Performance:

'Boutique' builders often claim they have the fastest systems. When it comes to performance, OPC walks the walk. From the moment you first power on this beast you can tell it's fast, but you can't really hear it as it is amazingly quiet. Other companies fail to perform even close to OPC in synthetic tests when spec'd out the same. Synthetic benchmarks are all well and good but it means nothing if the computer doesn't perform where it really counts. In the games. OPC excels in both areas it seems as EverQuest 2 with all options to the max performs with nary a choke up as does Doom 3 and Far Cry.

Rating: 10/10


Overall: 10/10

Keep up the good work OPC!

-Official Review: Overdrive PC Gemini SLI-

Basic Specs:
X-2 4400+ @ 2.55ghz
2 gigs DDR-400 @ 550mhz
2xGeForce 7800 GTX 500mhz core 1.3ghz mem
Audigy 2 ZS
2x36gb 10,000rpm raptors - Stripped
1x300gb 7200 RPM HDD
Windows XP Pro

It was about 3 months ago, that I begain to seek a botique PC builder in which to invest my hard-saved funds for a new high-end gaming platform. I had spent restless nights researching every company I could find. I started with the big 3, Alienware, Falcon Northwest and Voodoo PC. I then moved down to the smaller companies and so forth. It was by an accident that I discovered OPC, while reading reviews on reseller ratings I had accidently mis-clicked a link. Who would have thought that this 'accident' would have lead me to write this very reveiw on a brand new 4400+ based Gemeni SLI.

About a week after looking into OPC extensivley and weighing my other options I placed my order by telephone (which I like because it is far more personal) with none other than the head cheese of OPC, Mario. He was very knowledgeable and tried his absolute hardest to pursade me to make the right descions... by this I mean he wanted to save me $100 and increase the performance of my system by steering me twards dual-cores. Of course, I am no fool when it comes to PCs and I understood immediently that dual cores present an advantage in future multi-threaded games, I honestly just had doubts about an air-cooled overclocked X2 4400+, was it possible?! About 3 weeks later, I found out that not only was it possible, but Mario had exceeded in his promises.

From the moment I un-packed it from its large, very well package box, I knew that this machine was something special. Inside the box were two smaller boxes, one containg the machine itself, while the other held a neatly organized assortment of manuals, installation cds, driver disks and everything that one would excpect to come with his or her new pc. The case itself was the next thing that struck me. Of course, I had heard of Lian-li before, but never had I witnessed the glory of one of their signature cases in person.As excpected the case was a deep shade of black and featured blue LEDs on the two side-panel exhaust fans. What was not expected was the inside... pure astonsihment. The wiring job was absolutley un-believable. Every single wire, every molex connector, every little trinket was carefully placed and tucked to ensure absolute maximum airflow. Not even I expect something this clean, even from a botique builder. Upon turning on the PC, I noticed it had booted in about 8 seconds, which is super-sonic fast considering all the hardware. The second thing I noticed is that all the un-necssary programs and services were terminated. To my further astonishment, the PC was actually optimized the way I would optimize it, and was running like a dream with no tweaking done at all. The harddrives were set up and partitioned EXACTLY as requested and the drivers were installed for every component. The final part of my judgment was reserved for the most crucial aspect of a high-end machine.... gaming performance. Yes the benchmarks scores are quite impressive (as you will see below), but as any gamer knows the true measure of PCs performance is done in the nitty gritty of DOOM 3 at max settings with 4x AA @ 1600x1200. In that capcity, my new baby pulled off a very impressive 125 fps... w00t! I haven't needed any technical support yet (yay!), so I can only comment on the lightning fast responsiveness and profressional attitute of OPC when placing my order and communciating through e-mail... bravo.

In conclusion, I think I'll reflect on the whole ordeal. I don't know if I deserve such a machine but, I thank those who provided it with every inch of my being. I shall mantain and hold respect for PC as long it still runs, and I will upgrade it or send it back for upgrades when needed. I wish the best to everyone fortunate enough to posess the means to aquire or build their own dream machine and I implore you to give OPC a shot, they will not fail you or give up on you. Finally, I extend my deepest thanks to all those at OPC who invested their lives and hardwork to build and support this system for me, and I'll think of you guys always whether I'm mowing down Ts with my M4 on De_Dust 2 or I'm claiming my place on the leaderboards of AoE 3.

Thanks to OPC, and sorry to the readers of this message for making it so long and so boring... lol (long formal-like reivews ftw!!! :P).

Overall Grade: 10/10 - *HIGHLY RECOMMENDED*

3D Marks 2003 - 30050
3D Marks 2005 - 12966 (CPU score is 7986 btw - w00tx2!)
Aqumark 3 - 104,006 - Yes thats accurate! :o
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Just thought I would add:

The technical support at OPC is absolutely fantastic! I had some questions about my system and both Ryan and Mario (the company's president ;) ) helped me with everything. These guys know their systems and their stuff INSIDE and OUT.

Believe me, if I had a third hand, I would give OPC 3 thumbs up! Excellent!

This was my first experience buying a gaming machine from a smaller boutique builder. OPC system is clean/quiet/fast/ & cool. My system was behind schedule so OPC gave me.
1.100.00 discount off
2.saved me 55 bucks on going with an AMD 3000+ that ran 150mhz faster than my initial AMD 3200+. Giving me a total of 2.55mhz
3.Box was shipped overnight at their expense.

I had to take the box and all the foam protection apart to get the PC in my car. This is the only time OPC made me feel like an idiot...At the FedEx parking lot.. Very well packed.

Had some minor issues when gaming but received a call from OPC and it was taken care of with a tweak in the bios. I would buy from them again and recommend no other.
You do not have to cross your fingers and hope for the best when you buy an OPC.

It is now a little over 3 months since I received my OPC Gemini.SLI
and I have to say that I continue to be very impressed by my machine.

I use my home computer for a variety of different activities and it
took a while to move all my programs & data from my old home-built
machine and configure it as I require. I am now in a position to
comment on the OPC machine.

As you would expect from other reviews here, the machine is extremely
capable. I got the equivalent of stock top of the line performance
with a machine composed of second tier components which are
overclocked.

One feature I love is the 5-bay removable hard drive cage. What a
wonderful device - allows the user to remove/replace drives with the
minimum of fuss and without opening up the case.

The internal cable job is a work of art. The custom cut to length
cables make for an extremely clean space inside the case enabling
great air cooling of the processor and graphics cards. Mounting the
HDD cage in the 5.25 drive bays also frees up airflow through the case
which helps keep everything cool.

The number of fans in the Gemini.SLI makes it louder than my old
home-built pc, but I have do not have to worry about the machine
over-heating as a result. Once I move house and am able to place the
OPC under my desk (rather than 12" from my left ear), I am sure things
will be improved :)

My only other very minor hardware quibble is with the Lian-Li PC-71 full
tower case. The side panels are a little on the flimsy side.

On the software side, the included recovery DVD with a Norton Ghost of
the OS as-shipped state is wonderful. One can always go back to square
one and start installing from scratch if required. I had to do this
once.

I have a couple of very minor quibbles with the provided software.

First, the accompanying CD containing Norton Ghost 9.0 turned out to
be incompatible with the RAID controller chip on the motherboard. I
have an older version on Systemworks Pro 2003 (and apparently also the
version used on the recovey DVD) and this works fine allowing me to
make progressive ghosts as I configured the machine.

Second, the installation of Norton anti-virus was not activated so
that after the trial period, I needed to dig out the accompanying CD
and enter the product key.

I have had one other interaction with the OPC support, and this
concerned an occasional BSOD when booting up. This was traced to a USB
device which I use frequently and would leave plugged in when turning
the machine off. Only plugging it in when required has solved this problem.

In all my interactions with OPC support (all conducted through email),
they have been extremely rapid in their response, and through our
combined efforts correct solution have been identified within a couple
of days.

Overall, the OPC experience is first class and I wish them every success!