Anyone Familiar with Puget Systems Computers??

Since I am still having some trepidations about Dell's poor customer
support, I visited the Puget Systems web site yesterday
(http://www.pugetsystems.com/).

They have a wide range of selections as to how you want to build your
computer. However, it appears they are a bit more expensive than Dell. I
have seen people mention this computer manufacturer before, but don't know
how reliable they are as to tech/customer service. It appears that in my
initial reading, all of their tech support is done by people in the United
States. I am now reading their warranty information and have sent them some
questions such as how they provide tech support, especially a major
component replacement such as the motherboard, etc.

Would very appreciate any comments about this company. Thanks, Sam.

Hi!

> Since I am still having some trepidations about Dell's poor customer
> support, I visited the Puget Systems web site yesterday
> (http://www.pugetsystems.com/).

All I can say for sure is that they have been around for a while. It
does look like they are willing to send a computer anywhere in the US,
so you wouldn't have to be right there in Puget Sound to get one of
their computers.

One thing you have to consider about "Dell support" is this group. I
don't think there is anyone here who represents Dell in an official
capability or who even happens to work there. But there are lots of
people here who have handled a lot of Dell equipment. This may not
help much when it comes to any warranty repairs, but it might be
invaluable when you're considering what to buy and diagnosing any
problem you might have.

> They have a wide range of selections as to how you want to build
> your computer. *However, it appears they are a bit more expensive
> than Dell.

I would think that is reasonable. They can't be anywhere near as large
as Dell and cannot have the same volume buying power or relationship
with contract manufacturers.

You do want to be sure that you are comparing like systems to one
another. Dell's home-grade systems (Inspiron, some Studio systems) are
cheaper for a reason. They are cheaply built. OptiPlex and maybe even
the XPS systems are better quality units.

> Would very appreciate any comments about this company.

I don't anyone who has purchased anything from them, nor have I ever
seen one anywhere. All I can say is that they've been around a while,
so it's a reasonable bet that they are an upfront and honest computer
equipment dealer. Maybe they'd provide references?

Keep in mind that you can most likely build something that is exactly
the same as what they are selling. If you can handle a screwdriver and
won't dance a jig on wool carpet while holding your new motherboard,
you can build a computer. Many parts will come with some warranty--
name brand motherboards and retail packaged processors do, as do RAM
and hard drives. Optical drives and other lesser parts may not have a
warranty to speak of, but those parts are cheap enough that replacing
one is not the end of the world. You can buy the parts online or go
into a local computer parts store if you have one nearby.

If you do opt to build your own computer, don't skimp on the power
supply. Get a good one, not a cheap one. It doesn't have to be a 6,000
watt monster, but you don't want a supply that's only good for 250
watts and labeled 600.

William

William, thanks very much for your very informative and well thought out
reply!! Sam


"William R. Walsh" <> wrote in message
news:14fe0109-48b2-45ae-9be8-...
Hi!

> Since I am still having some trepidations about Dell's poor customer
> support, I visited the Puget Systems web site yesterday
> (http://www.pugetsystems.com/).

All I can say for sure is that they have been around for a while. It
does look like they are willing to send a computer anywhere in the US,
so you wouldn't have to be right there in Puget Sound to get one of
their computers.

One thing you have to consider about "Dell support" is this group. I
don't think there is anyone here who represents Dell in an official
capability or who even happens to work there. But there are lots of
people here who have handled a lot of Dell equipment. This may not
help much when it comes to any warranty repairs, but it might be
invaluable when you're considering what to buy and diagnosing any
problem you might have.

> They have a wide range of selections as to how you want to build
> your computer. However, it appears they are a bit more expensive
> than Dell.

I would think that is reasonable. They can't be anywhere near as large
as Dell and cannot have the same volume buying power or relationship
with contract manufacturers.

You do want to be sure that you are comparing like systems to one
another. Dell's home-grade systems (Inspiron, some Studio systems) are
cheaper for a reason. They are cheaply built. OptiPlex and maybe even
the XPS systems are better quality units.

> Would very appreciate any comments about this company.

I don't anyone who has purchased anything from them, nor have I ever
seen one anywhere. All I can say is that they've been around a while,
so it's a reasonable bet that they are an upfront and honest computer
equipment dealer. Maybe they'd provide references?

Keep in mind that you can most likely build something that is exactly
the same as what they are selling. If you can handle a screwdriver and
won't dance a jig on wool carpet while holding your new motherboard,
you can build a computer. Many parts will come with some warranty--
name brand motherboards and retail packaged processors do, as do RAM
and hard drives. Optical drives and other lesser parts may not have a
warranty to speak of, but those parts are cheap enough that replacing
one is not the end of the world. You can buy the parts online or go
into a local computer parts store if you have one nearby.

If you do opt to build your own computer, don't skimp on the power
supply. Get a good one, not a cheap one. It doesn't have to be a 6,000
watt monster, but you don't want a supply that's only good for 250
watts and labeled 600.

William

"William R. Walsh" <> wrote in message
news:14fe0109-48b2-45ae-9be8-...
> If you do opt to build your own computer, don't skimp on the power
> supply. Get a good one, not a cheap one. It doesn't have to be a 6,000
> watt monster, but you don't want a supply that's only good for 250
> watts and labeled 600.

Wow, William! What do you all have in those computers? I go in the other
direction myself. And I just can't find those 90 watt supplies like I
used too 20 years ago. So I switched over to 20 watt laptops and 10 watt
netbooks.

--
Bill
Windows7 Ultimate (build 7100)
Gateway MX6124 - 2G RAM

Christopher Muto wrote:
> sam, are you for real? on march 13th of this year you posted essentially
> the identcal question complete with your revelation of learning about this
> place called puget systems. at that time it looked like someone posting a
> sincere question and received many thoughtful and helpful replies. now you
> look like a shill, and a bad one at that who can not even change his name.
> lol.
>
> what i said then is still true now seven months later...
> >posted may 13th 2005:
> >with their cheapest home desktop cpu costing over one grand it is
> > really hard to compare them to dell. most computers sold today are
> > half that price. most complaints come from problems with those cheap
> > computers. dell sells tons of cheap systems so has tons of
> > complaints. generally people don't know what they are buying and
> > then get mad when they find out later that pinching pennies means
> > they don't get the support they are accustom to getting. the benefit
> > of a small retailer is, in theory, more personalized service. but
> > the benefit of a big retailer like hp or dell is that the machines
> > are usually more thoroughly vetted for problems, and are more
> > prolific so chances are good that others have already encountered the
> > problem you might encounter and a solution is available.
>
>
>
> "Sam" <> wrote in message
> news:hc5c6q$sqb$...
>> William, thanks very much for your very informative and well thought out
>> reply!! Sam
>>
>>
>> "William R. Walsh" <> wrote in message
>> news:14fe0109-48b2-45ae-9be8-...
>> Hi!
>>
>>> Since I am still having some trepidations about Dell's poor customer
>>> support, I visited the Puget Systems web site yesterday
>>> (http://www.pugetsystems.com/).
>> All I can say for sure is that they have been around for a while. It
>> does look like they are willing to send a computer anywhere in the US,
>> so you wouldn't have to be right there in Puget Sound to get one of
>> their computers.
>>
>> One thing you have to consider about "Dell support" is this group. I
>> don't think there is anyone here who represents Dell in an official
>> capability or who even happens to work there. But there are lots of
>> people here who have handled a lot of Dell equipment. This may not
>> help much when it comes to any warranty repairs, but it might be
>> invaluable when you're considering what to buy and diagnosing any
>> problem you might have.
>>
>>> They have a wide range of selections as to how you want to build
>>> your computer. However, it appears they are a bit more expensive
>>> than Dell.
>> I would think that is reasonable. They can't be anywhere near as large
>> as Dell and cannot have the same volume buying power or relationship
>> with contract manufacturers.
>>
>> You do want to be sure that you are comparing like systems to one
>> another. Dell's home-grade systems (Inspiron, some Studio systems) are
>> cheaper for a reason. They are cheaply built. OptiPlex and maybe even
>> the XPS systems are better quality units.
>>
>>> Would very appreciate any comments about this company.
>> I don't anyone who has purchased anything from them, nor have I ever
>> seen one anywhere. All I can say is that they've been around a while,
>> so it's a reasonable bet that they are an upfront and honest computer
>> equipment dealer. Maybe they'd provide references?
>>
>> Keep in mind that you can most likely build something that is exactly
>> the same as what they are selling. If you can handle a screwdriver and
>> won't dance a jig on wool carpet while holding your new motherboard,
>> you can build a computer. Many parts will come with some warranty--
>> name brand motherboards and retail packaged processors do, as do RAM
>> and hard drives. Optical drives and other lesser parts may not have a
>> warranty to speak of, but those parts are cheap enough that replacing
>> one is not the end of the world. You can buy the parts online or go
>> into a local computer parts store if you have one nearby.
>>
>> If you do opt to build your own computer, don't skimp on the power
>> supply. Get a good one, not a cheap one. It doesn't have to be a 6,000
>> watt monster, but you don't want a supply that's only good for 250
>> watts and labeled 600.
>>
>> William
>>
>>
>
>
I assemble relatively expensive computers compared to Dell and the other
name brands, but my cheapest one is not even close to a grand. More
like $600... Ben

Hi!

> Wow, William! What do you all have in those computers?

These are conventional desktop systems built around desktop-class
hardware and CPUs. I'm not talking about systems built around an Atom
CPU or similar low power usage processor. Nor am I talking about use
of laptop-spec parts and processors in systems that are for use in a
"desktop" computing role.

I have some low power usage systems around here, built around
platforms such as the Intel D945GCLF(2) or D201GLY2/2A boards and even
the VIA C7. These can get along with a lower capacity power supply. I
run the Intel boards from supplies rated for 350 watts output. It's
undoubtedly overkill (these power supplies output cool air only), but
so far as I know, that is the smallest capacity you can get for a
conventional ATX power supply. (ITX systems, of course, have smaller
or even external power supplies. However, the cases I have reused for
the Intel systems are not ITX cases.)

Laptops and netbooks are a completely different matter entirely, and I
think you should know that already. :-)

You should also know that I'm running a massive variety of equipment
from the 386 to late model (in some cases, almost current) processors.

Not everyone has a computing need that can be satisfied by a laptop or
netbook.

William

On Oct 27, 8:06*am, "William R. Walsh" <wm_wa...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> Hi!
>
> > Wow, William! What do you all have in those computers?
>
> These are conventional desktop systems built around desktop-class
> hardware and CPUs. I'm not talking about systems built around an Atom
> CPU or similar low power usage processor. Nor am I talking about use
> of laptop-spec parts and processors in systems that are for use in a
> "desktop" computing role.
>
> I have some low power usage systems around here, built around
> platforms such as the Intel D945GCLF(2) or D201GLY2/2A boards and even
> the VIA C7. These can get along with a lower capacity power supply. I
> run the Intel boards from supplies rated for 350 watts output. It's
> undoubtedly overkill (these power supplies output cool air only), but
> so far as I know, that is the smallest capacity you can get for a
> conventional ATX power supply. (ITX systems, of course, have smaller
> or even external power supplies. However, the cases I have reused for
> the Intel systems are not ITX cases.)
>
> Laptops and netbooks are a completely different matter entirely, and I
> think you should know that already. :-)
>
> You should also know that I'm running a massive variety of equipment
> from the 386 to late model (in some cases, almost current) processors.
>
> Not everyone has a computing need that can be satisfied by a laptop or
> netbook.
>
> William

MOST of us knew axactly what you meant! 8^)

"William R. Walsh" <> wrote in message
news:0b6603c6-77b0-42ec-ab60-...
> Hi!
>
>> Wow, William! What do you all have in those computers?
>
> These are conventional desktop systems built around desktop-class
> hardware and CPUs. I'm not talking about systems built around an Atom
> CPU or similar low power usage processor. Nor am I talking about use
> of laptop-spec parts and processors in systems that are for use in a
> "desktop" computing role.
>
> I have some low power usage systems around here, built around
> platforms such as the Intel D945GCLF(2) or D201GLY2/2A boards and even
> the VIA C7. These can get along with a lower capacity power supply. I
> run the Intel boards from supplies rated for 350 watts output. It's
> undoubtedly overkill (these power supplies output cool air only), but
> so far as I know, that is the smallest capacity you can get for a
> conventional ATX power supply. (ITX systems, of course, have smaller
> or even external power supplies. However, the cases I have reused for
> the Intel systems are not ITX cases.)
>
> Laptops and netbooks are a completely different matter entirely, and I
> think you should know that already. :-)
>
> You should also know that I'm running a massive variety of equipment
> from the 386 to late model (in some cases, almost current) processors.
>
> Not everyone has a computing need that can be satisfied by a laptop or
> netbook.

Hi William! Point well taken, but still... HDD, optical drives, sound
cards, and RAM all added up doesn't even hit 50 watts. And the only
things left are the motherboard and video card. And you need 550 watts
for these two?

--
Bill
Windows7 Ultimate (build 7100)
Gateway MX6124 - 2G RAM

Hi!

> Hi William! Point well taken, but still... HDD, optical drives, sound
> cards, and RAM all added up doesn't even hit 50 watts. And the
> only things left are the motherboard and video card.

Fair enough. I'd want more headroom (by my calculations, a hard disk,
optical drive and 2 modules worth of RAM would all pull 44.24 watts at
maximum power usage -- however, that would be spread across multiple
rails) than 50 watts would give.

> And you need 550 watts for these two?

That's not really what I meant to be saying. The numbers were
examples. A decently built 350 watt power supply should be able to
handle most users' needs without issue. (I did some quick and dirty
figuring to come up with a steady-state power draw of some 169 watts
spread across various power rails in the average system.)

My focus was on "if you build it yourself, invest in a good quality,
honestly rated power supply". That is the important part. A cheap
power supply may be dishonestly rated and can cause problems or even
damage to equipment. It's better to have a supply that can put out
more power than you need than a supply which cannot supply reliable
power to the devices in a system. I could have phrased that more
clearly.

This is a dishonestly rated and cheap power supply:
http://greyghost.mooo.com/psuthoughts/

Realistically, a power supply should be put into a system with the
expectation that a few upgrades could happen over time. Plus, a power
supply with a lighter load is going to run cooler and last longer than
a smaller unit loaded close to its maximum. Some assumption should
also be made that its owner may not be particularly bothered about
cleaning it out, either...

William

Muto, I am sorry for your emotional immaturity. You need to take a good
look at your self and your ego. I am a retired veteran who is 100 percent
disabled and for many years have been fighting very serious medical problems
incurred while on active duty (such as numerous cancers, critical immune and
gastro system problems, etc caused by major exposure to atomic radiation and
other military mission environments that have not been kind to my health).
Thank goodness for the many kind people on this list who don't respond with
a knee jerk reaction. Sam


"Christopher Muto" <> wrote in message
news: t...
> sam, are you for real? on march 13th of this year you posted essentially
> the identcal question complete with your revelation of learning about this
> place called puget systems. at that time it looked like someone posting a
> sincere question and received many thoughtful and helpful replies. now
> you look like a shill, and a bad one at that who can not even change his
> name. lol.
>