Asked by
Castleman
on 1st December 2014
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I'm considering buying a laptop from them and wondered what are the actual laptop itself is like? What make or brand can they be compared to? Are they just a cheap case/shell around quality components or as I'm hoping a decent bit of hardware?
Thanks in advance to everyone!
Answers (18)
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hywel
Written on: 02/12/2014
Sorry, I can't help with this, I bought a desktop where you can configure the case. The desktops they have on display seem pretty good and I would be surprised if they were cheap, my case is excellent.
Might be worth calling them for their response; they're a pretty helpful bunch.
Good luck
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rubentorres
Written on: 02/12/2014
The chassis is sourced by Clevo. I got a vortex IV and the quality is pretty good as well as value for money compare to an Asus or MSI laptop. The chassis is sturdy and I have never experienced a problem with it.
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Loulybob
Written on: 02/12/2014
I can't answer on the laptop front as I bought a desktop from them but the PC casing I got from them is great and the computer itself is still top notch after 18 months and I haven't had any problems with it. Comparing the laptop section to the desktop section seems like that you get what you pay for with the case, as I chose a medium-price case to hold the components as there's no point in tons of great hardware if the case can't ventilate!
Sorry I can't be of more specific help but the desktops are great and the cases for the desktops had a wide range and the one I chose is quality and I presume it is the same for laptops C:
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CGlobal
Written on: 02/12/2014
I purchased a laptop from them around 1 year ago and I have to say I was disappointed. For the price I paid (around £1.5k) I expected good service and a product of a high standard, but got neither.
They are very good at hooking you in to buy, but do not follow that with any decent level of service. The laptop I received is the spec I ordered, but its size and weight are far more than a comparitive product by another manufacturer. I actually now use it as a desktop as its not something which is easily portable. It was also delivered with a dead pixel despite their "full quality assurance process". When I contact their Support about this, I was basically told it was not their problem..
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pedro555
Written on: 02/12/2014
Hi
i have purchased a desktop from them, excellent service, products are first class im about to order a 2nd system from them, I would think they are of great quality.
best of luck
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tonvdg
Written on: 02/12/2014
Quality is very good. Much better as the branded ones I have to deal with through the company I work for.
Quality of service as well as the machine cannot be compared with companies like Dell or Lenovo. If you have a question or a problem you are dealing with people who know what they are talking about, which is rarely the case at PC world or Dell.
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superpanda
Written on: 02/12/2014
I have a top end laptop from them. The chassis case is made by a Taiwan company called Clevo. The build quality of the chassis is very good, strong and sturdy and has survived two foot drops onto carpet without taking any damage. The screen quality is good but not top end as it flickers slightly when put on low energy modes. The sound quality is aweful - the Onko speakers are tinny and quiet.
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rmcrawte
Written on: 02/12/2014
Having worked in the IT industry for many years I have used a wide variety of laptop brands. I would consider PC Specialist to be on the upper end of the market as regards build quality. Possibly not quite as robust as Lenovo but not far behind.
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John-Ireland
Written on: 02/12/2014
I've been using my PC Specialist laptop for about 1 year without any issues. Its a high spec gaming machine running as a 1TB Raid - I don't play games but desired the specification for business graphics.
Excellent build quality, robust and just works. My previous machine was a Japanese version Toshiba Satellite and I believe the PC Specialist machine to be at least comparable.
Being a top of the range machine it is HEAVY and should be considered a lug-able desktop replacement. Being heavy my only (minor)gripe is the very slim plastic feet/pegs on the base - they cut into my legs necessitating the use of a rigid hardboard/plastic spacer between my flesh and the computer. Why they couldn't have made them wider with a soft rubber foot is a mystery.
Excellent screen clarity and resolution. Full sized keyboard. The ONKYO speakers are OK for speech but lack depth for any serious music.
It will run Windows 7 and Linux but Oracle Solaris has to be run under VM Virtualbox.
Staff have responded to quickly online questions. If ordering a specialist top-end machine it will take time for the build to be accomplished - don't expect it next week!!!
Good value for money and worthy of serious investigation; however the choice is yours.
Overall
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Zarathrustra
Written on: 02/12/2014
I've had my laptop for about 15 months now: OPtimus V. It runs well, so I think on the performance stakes its good. However, it is heavy; not easily portable (tho' I do just that, carrying it in my rucksack). I consider it good value for money in terms of performance/£ - mine was the highest spec, considerably cheaper than alternative mainstream providers.
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salg04086
Written on: 02/12/2014
Hello,
I bought a desktop which was cased in a CM Storm enforcer. The pc is great. I have had no issues with it since purchase. I have had the PC for nearly two years and the only issue I had was with my graphics card after purchase. I recommend if you do purchase a new laptop with this company you opt for an extended warranty so that if you do have any issues you are covered.
Hope this helps
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Tim3243
Written on: 03/12/2014
Well, I've only had my laptop a few weeks, so this is no long-term test. But...
Others [below] will tell you the chassis make, but it has got to be strong & sturdy, cos it weighs a chunk. Which, apart from the portability aspect, I think is a positive. It's not going to warp or twist. And in fairness, it is a 17" model too. Nice keyboard too. my old laptops have usually been Dells', so a big improvement on those. Nice cool looking cover as well; sort of grey/bronze effect, with no external badging.
Matt screen works fine, as does everything else.
As to the hardware, aside from the chassis, that is really down to you. never had a problem with all of my 3 PCS machines ; and all are still working fine.
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Ubserelio
Written on: 03/12/2014
I have the PC Specialist ultranote. As others have mentioned, the chassis is made by clevo. I'd say the build quality is good and compares well with other laptop brands bar Apple and maybe Lenovo. The screen is full HD IPS and it is excellent. As for dealing with PC Specialist, I have bought a laptop and desktop from them as well as several upgrade items. I've never had a problem with them and I'd say they are honest and know their stuff. They discouraged me from adding some spurious components to my desktop configuration.
Overall, I'd recommend them.
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ejmarriage
Written on: 03/12/2014
I bought a Laptop from the PC Specialist in 2011 to replace my Sony Vaio Laptop, which had served me well for ten years. The PC Specialist website is easy to navigate when building your own Laptop and the Cases are of good quality. You can also pay extra for an engineer to do an install and carry out a Data Transfer. After Sales Care is good and they are happy to answer any questions. Would recommend the PC Specialist and I shall buy from them again.
I hope that the above information on my experience of the PC Specialist is of help.
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Matster187
Written on: 03/12/2014
Hi there, as you can see someone has already mentioned 'Clevo'... They are indeed Clevo cases with a MoBo pre-installed at factory. The system is then customised by the retailer i.e. PcSpecialist, to fit the requirements of the customer (you). I bought the OptimusIV system and spent around the £800 mark. Having done some research online it seemed the only way forward as other manufacturers just don't have the customisation available and are too dear for starters. Leave Dell HP Compaq alone coz there pants...
Also, if your not so good with computers and don't know what to buy, ask a friend who does for help choosing the parts.. Goodluck..
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Blazinby
Written on: 03/12/2014
In my experience (and friends too) PCSpecialist sell good quality products cheaply and not cheap products.I have only good things to say about their service and they are really helpful. If you have an enquiry simply phone them and they will not give you a hard sell (they don't need to). Happy Hunting :)
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Flobble
Written on: 03/12/2014
I configured and bought a laptop for my sons college course. The quality is fine and it works as expected
Our config was a mixture of gaming/multimedia (good graphics card) and programming workbench (memory, processor) the selection was powerful enough and good value
I didn't go for a name brand as the combinations I wanted were not available elsewhere
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DjRicardo
Written on: 03/12/2014
Hi Castleman
The only chassis I can tell you about is the Cosmos 2 17.3 in chassis the top is brushed gunmetal grey metal and it is the same on the keyboard area the finish is excellent and it really looks the part the chassis is not cheap and it does not flex the laptop weighs over 3kg I would not hesitate to buy another hope this helps
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