Burn-In Process

I am thrilled with the custom desktop computer Puget Systems assembled for me.

This desktop, built around their Serenity small form-factor configuration (micro-ATX size motherboard and case), is tailored to exactly meet my needs as a photographer who makes heavy use of Adobe’s Lightroom, Photoshop and other allied applications. Some of the key attributes I wanted and found in the Puget Systems machine:
* A top-end Core i7 processor, sixth generation. That is currently the i7-6700K with a base clock speed of 4 GHz.
* 500 GByte SSD to be the boot drive and contain my executables and current working photography files.
* 2 TByte 3.5″ drive for bulk data file and image file storage.
* Expandable for more drives: this machine can accommodate one more 2.5″ drive and two more 3.5″ drives.
* 16 GBytes of DDR4 RAM with room for an additional 16 GBytes.
* A mid-range video card with 4 GBytes of VRAM (my card is based on the NVIDIA GE Force GTX 960 processor).
* Plenty of USB 3.0 and USB 3.1 ports (eight and two).
* Sufficient power supply (650 W) to support all that future expansion.
* A quiet machine. Who wants to sit alongside a vacuum cleaner when trying to optimize photos?
* All in a handsome case that measures approximately 9″ wide x 12″ tall x 14″ deep.

As I started my search, I checked carefully with the “Big 3” PC companies (you know them). What I found:
* Few systems that supported any level of customization. Increasingly, these vendors want to sell pre-packaged systems.
* For systems that did allow some level of customization, the machines I configured inevitably came up short on one or more key attributes:
o Still shipping fourth generation Core i7 processors, rather than sixth generation.
o Shipping sixth gen Core i7 but not the top of the line i7-6700K.
o Option for an SSD but limited to 256 GB.
o One SSD plus one spinning drive maxes out the system.
o Very limited power supply, say 250 W max.
o No discussion of system noise.

I considered building my own system but did not want to take on the integration job. A Google search for custom PC builders lead me to Puget Systems. I discovered a custom system from them would be in the same price class the best systems I could configure from the Big 3 but would meet 100% of my design goals for performance and expandability.

Some of the highlights of my experience with Puget include the following:
* Their website has a trove of knowledge. I found white papers on system performance for photographers, specifically outlining the performance needs of Lightroom and Photoshop. (There are papers for CAD-folks and others, too.)
* Their pre-sales support is highly responsive, knowledgeable yet unobtrusive (no annoying pop-up “chat/sales” windows.) That person efficiently answered my questions and helped me tune the configuration that produced a better system than I might have initially ordered.
* Their build process is totally transparent: once my order was placed, I could follow its assembly from parts staging, to assembly, to burn-in, to QA and finally to shipping.
* Puget puts your system to a demanding burn-in test and performance benchmarking with all the data made available to you. Great way to confirm the build, weed-out infant parts failure and trap issues before the machine leaves their facility.
* Great care in shipping. Box in a box, custom Styrofoam corners, heavy-duty corrugated boxes. Everything came through in fine shape.
* Delivery included a three-ring binder specific to my machine, with a USB flash drive to rebuild the machine to the exact configuration it had when it left the factory, and finally DVDs with OS and other software that’s installed.
* Speaking of software, a nice clean build: not a spec of bloatware. What a difference from the last few systems I’ve purchased from the Big 3.

If you are looking for a run of the mill, entry-level notebook PC, any of the Big 3 can serve you well. If you have more demanding needs and do not want to compromise on those needs, I urge you to talk to Puget Systems.

I ordered a system with an Intel i5, Noctua NH-U125 cpu cooler, and a SSD in the Fractal Design case. It is absolutely silent. All the components are first rate. I use Linux and you just can’t buy a computer with it installed from a lot of companies. Puget gives you the choice of operating systems. Also the Fractal Design case is excellent. Inside there are just no cables lying around disrupting air flow. The power supply is modular and you can route cables behind the motherboard tray. Try buying something like this from Dell. Ha! The single criticism I’ve read of Puget is that they are somewhat pricey. Well I totaled up the cost of all the components in my system bought from Amazon. Puget had what I consider a quite reasonable markup. If I had put it together myself, I would have had to worry about getting a bad motherboard, a bad power supply, or perhaps bad memory. Well returning these things is always a hassle. Plus, the testing they do is rigorous. Not to mention the installation of the operating system with everything updated. The bios too. When I consider the time it would have taken me to put it together plus the possibility of mistakes, the extra money put out for them to do it expertly is a no brainer. It is too easy for some companies to serve you “mystery meat” components. Take my advice and support a company who does it right.

This testimonial is long overdue! I have had two PC orders with Puget Systems in the past, and every single aspect of both experiences was fantastic. For both machines, I had pretty specific goals for what I wanted, and the Puget reps gave me a useful assessment and suggestions. They also saved me money by suggesting different components. Although my last order was a long time ago, I reached out recently to ask a question about installing a memory upgrade by myself, and someone contacted me promptly and worked with me until I figured the issue out. I hadn’t even purchased the memory from them! I’ve felt guilty for not writing a review for so long. This company has been nothing but outstanding in my experience.

Well it started out needing a new computer. So somewhat around the industry I thought I would take a bit more time and do some research for a new PC. Wow overwhelmed with options, difference of opinions , company bio/feedback just to much to comprehend.

Than I found Puget Systems,,,,,,AWESOME.!!!!!!!

Researched the company, bio, employees, tech support, and the only problem I found was, I really couldn’t find a problem with them at all. (Well maybe a bit pricey but look at the whole package)

I placed my order, talked live with Wilson for additional concerns, tracked the build of the system and before I knew it arrived. Opened up the packaging not a scratch, powered up and guess what everything worked as expected. The documentation is exceptional better than I expected.

Also recently received a follow up phone call and email from Brett, regarding my satisfaction and my reply is AWESOME !!!!!

Now I would like to close with nothing but 5 stars, and I hope this isn’t premature but I have not needed to contact their tech support just yet, this is where the proof of the company will stand above the rest, I’m sure with my experience thus far they wont let me down.

If you need a new PC, look to Puget

I was pleasantly surprised as to how fast one gets a response from a Customer Rep, let alone the chance to save money instead of having someone trying to convince you to spend more. I ordered my system and tracked it for a few days before it arrived. I was given a lot of info as to where and what my system was doing while being put together . Further down to the end of the build, pictures and stats were up for to see how the system was doing at final build and testing.

After a long week, I finally went to pick up and take it home. I must say I am highly impressed with the service and shipment. My system I so quiet you couldn't tell it was running at all. Performance… I'm more than happy with this system and would highly recommend Puget systems to anyone looking for a well built, tested and taken care of system.

Thank you very much..

Everything is good. They are ready to talk and help you make the right choice. I got couple of useful ideas despite I’m not a noob 🙂 They have wide but not overwhelming choice of hardware. But if you’re extra picky, they don’t push you to buy everything from them. They didn’t even ask why I don’t buy a display. Assembly quality is high. I wouldn’t be that patient with all the wires if I had to assemble it myself.

If I could rate Puget Systems higher I would! I simply love this company and I feel very grateful to have found them. I am currently on my second PC from them and couldn’t be happier.

Pros:
– Reliable, fast response, best customer service I ever seen.
– Puget Systems does not add bloatware to there computers. Meaning you won’t have computer with useless junk on it. Just the operating system you ask for and things you actually need.
– Puget Systems really listens to you and they do not try to up sale you with add-on parts that don’t fit your needs or budget.
– When you order a PC you can watch the process with updates on there website so you know what’s going on every step of the way while it’s being built which is pretty cool because it’s nice to see what’s finished, what part are in order, and thermal pictures of your PC to show you where most of the heat is at so they can configure the fans properly to reduce heat in your PC.
– You can upgrade your computer you bought from them for free as part of there lifetime commitment to you as a customer and they’ll even clean the dust out if you ask! So if you need a new video card and a power supply they can put it in for free. Great if your local if not it depends on shipping and handling costs.
– If you got a problem with your computer they actually care even after the computer is sold. Also a one year warranty and parts from Puget Systems is included. They also email you to check up on how your PC is doing after you use it 6 months or so to check if you’re still satisfy with your purchase.
– Best benefit I found is if you’re local like me you can always drive up to there place of business and avoid shipping and handling cost.
– Products they use are tested for reliability so there not going to sell you cheap unreliable motherboard, power supply, etc… They only sell parts for computers that they have tested a lot and feel strongly about when it comes to parts being reliable.
– If you call and talk to a sales rep and you have no clue about computers or what each part does they will explain every part and what it does and how it helps you when it comes to your needs in your computer you’re trying to build. So you can also learn about computers parts and know which part you should spend more money on and what part you really don’t need to.

Cons:
– Can take up to couple week since they have to build your computer and sometimes they have to get a part if its not in there inventory at the moment. With that being said this isn’t really a con for me but, had to put something!
– If you’re not local I assume things might not be good when it comes to upgrades or issues with your computer due to shipping and handling cost.
– They can be tad bit expensive if you’re on a low budget depending on your needs of course. Nice thing though they will be honest and at least tell you the price and try there best to find best way to work with your budget.

I have built computers myself, and had other companies build computers for me … without a doubt, Puget Systems is the best. This is the best computer service money can buy. Puget Systems has raised the bar!

The machine booted right up and I was not bombarded with special offers and crap you get from the big makers.

I wanted to take this opportunity to thank, as well as praise, Puget Systems, their sales personnel, their technicians and their management team for their professionalism, communication skills, patience and expertise in the area of providing the electronics consumer – in particular those in need of quality and tailor made personal computers – a product that the procurer can use, feel confident in and know that they had a hand in its design.

I am a small business owner who requires computer electronics that are dedicated to the work that our company does, equipment that is powerful, reliable and consistent in how it helps us run our company. We are dependent on those systems working flawlessly, require little or no downtime and devoid of the need to maintain an on premise IT professional, let alone one that we must contract for. Those issues were in the forefront of our minds after years and years of purchasing Dell equipment, peripherals and support from a once great company that has been putting out inferior and boilerplate electronic systems at inflated prices for years. Being locked into a finite warranty, poor customer service, poor communications with support, plenty of misunderstandings during consultation and requests for assistance is no fun and ultimately quite expensive in the long run.
That is why we decided to try a company that custom builds – in consult with the customer – a personal computer or system that meets the needs of the customer, avoids the bloatware and unneeded add-ons, not to mention the technical problems and breakdowns that mark the experience we have had with Dell over a period exceeding 20 years. We needed a system that utilized a variety of components, all of which were tested to be capable and reliable, combined in a cabinet of choice, not a limited choice of parameters and hardware.

Puget systems, I’m happy to say, met our needs … and then some. Without going into detail, let me say that Puget systems – in particular Wilson Chau, my salesperson – was courteous, knowledgeable, patient and understanding. He maintained communication with me, mostly through over 40 emails, over a period of weeks – answering questions, addressing some of the most mundane issues and major concerns regarding the design, components, potential expansion of the system, cost and shipping of my order. And then when we (actually I) had settled on the final proposal and design, was preparing to complete the transaction, an unanticipated problem arose – on my end – forcing me to cancel the order even after things were finalized.

Mr. Chau and Puget systems understood the occasional glitch that does occur in business, allowed me to obtain a full refund, cancel the order, but still maintain the details of the order on their site so that I might purchase same once the “glitch” was addressed. I believe that the manner in which they dealt with me during that difficult time is indicative of their professionalism and understanding of their customer’s needs.

Needless to say that after a few weeks I renewed my order – with one major change suggested by Mr. Chau – completed the transaction without fanfare, and awaited delivery of my system.

I was impressed with the information – including photos of thermal imaging, testing results as well as step by step updates on the build process – provided to me about my system. There was clear and concise information provided about shipping, tracking and delivery which, by the way, was two to three days sooner than anticipated.
Upon arrival, I discovered that the system was well packaged to avoid damage during shipping. It was easy to unpack and there were easy to understand instructions provided, along with a detailed manual accompanying the system that lays out testing parameters/results at each level of production. All cables and related hardware, including a start-up/repair disc, were included in the package.

I was even more impressed to discover just how quiet my new system is. It sports a Solid State hard drive which is so quiet that I find myself looking to see if the system is actually on. This system is fast, does not get particularly warm, and responds like no other system I have owned in the past. Physically, the system is impressive and considerably larger in actual size than what I have owned in the past from the larger computer manufacturers. But given its ability to expand with additional drives, memory and internal hardware, it is worth it. What’s more, you can see obvious care and attention to detail in the cabling, the installation of hardware and the quality of the internal components. Its like comparing a BMW or Mercedes-Benz to an Oldsmobile or Pontiac (and, no, the fact that those latter companies are no longer in business is not lost on me).

I can’t recall a time in the past when I felt so involved in the choice of components and options when making a major product investment – including purchasing a factory ordered vehicle – than I have during this experience. I am totally satisfied with every aspect of the service and product provided by Puget Systems. I would recommend them to anyone who wanted control over the design and build of a quality computer system for their personal use or business.

And, truth be told, I am now preparing to place another order with Puget Systems since our business is in the process of expanding, something that would require a quality computer system or server.

I would never purchase another Dell or similar product off the assembly line for any of my future computing needs. Custom builds from Puget Systems is the way to go!