• Welcome to TechPowerUp Forums, Guest! Please check out our forum guidelines for info related to our community.

Digital Storm Ends the Pre-Built vs. DIY Debate with VANQUISH Line of Gaming PCs

Joined
Dec 6, 2011
Messages
4,784 (1.01/day)
Location
Still on the East Side
Digital Storm put an end to the age old debate of pre-built systems vs. DIY (do-it-yourself) with the launch of the VANQUISH line of gaming PCs. For years, enthusiasts have claimed they could build systems with the same high-end components Digital Storm configures for significantly less. The VANQUISH line narrows that gap to a mere $23-$58 difference making the decision a no brainer - DIY is simply not worth the hassle.

Like all Digital Storm systems, the VANQUISH line of PCs feature a carefully optimized selection of brand name, high-performance components to deliver a fluid smooth game playing experience. Digital Storm's team of engineers meticulously review every tiny detail to provide customers with the peace of mind an average "do-it-your-self" cannot match.





Digital Storm VANQUISH systems are pre-built, pre-tested, and ready to ship immediately after an order is placed, eliminating the delays of traditional built-to-order systems. By building an inventory of all four VANQUISH models, Digital Storm can run its industry leading 72-hour stress test and benchmarking to ensure customers experience zero performance bottlenecks and get the most out of their hardware.

"When we decided to take on the DIYers we knew we had to offer impressively built systems that could compete in terms of performance as well as price," said Rajeev Kuruppu, Digital Storm's Director of Product Development. "For just $23-$58 more were giving customers a fully optimized system featuring the latest chipset platform and next gen-graphics. This allows them to focus on demolishing the competition instead of worrying about the reliability of their PC."

Landing Page: http://www.digitalstormonline.com/vanquish.asp
Product Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=157b85DAMeQ



View at TechPowerUp Main Site
 
Joined
Oct 10, 2009
Messages
868 (0.16/day)
Location
London, UK
System Name The one under the desk / Media Centre
Processor Xeon X3730@3.6GHZ / Phenom II X4 805E
Motherboard Gigabyte P55M-UD4 / Asus Crosshair III
Cooling Corsair H70 + 2*PWM fan / Arctic Alpine 11
Memory 16GB DRR3-1333 9-9-9-27 / 4GB Crucial DDR3-1333
Video Card(s) Asus DirectCU GTX 680 / Gigabyte 560TI
Storage Kingston V200 128GB, WD6400AAKS, 1TB Seagate 7.2kRPM SSHD / Kingston V200 128GB
Display(s) Samsung 2343BW + Dell Ultrasharp 1600*1200 / 32" TV
Case C'M' Silencio 550 / Some ancient SilverStone brushed aluminium media centre
Audio Device(s) No.
Power Supply Thermaltake Toughpower XT 675W / EVGA 430W
Mouse Mionix Naos 3200 / Generic PS2
Keyboard Roccat Ryos TKL Pro / Evoluent Mouse Friendly Keyboard (Logitech OEM)
Software Windows 7 Ult x64
Benchmark Scores Nah.
I'd still build my own PC if Digital Storm's were cheaper.

And their component selection won't be cost efficient for anyone, either. For example, it's a very long time since I've bought a brand new GPU, CPU or motherboard, and I wouldn't bother with a 600W PSU for a 300W system.
 
Joined
May 7, 2009
Messages
5,392 (0.95/day)
Location
Carrollton, GA
System Name ODIN
Processor AMD Ryzen 7 5800X
Motherboard Gigabyte B550 Aorus Elite AX V2
Cooling Dark Rock 4
Memory G Skill RipjawsV F4 3600 Mhz C16
Video Card(s) MSI GeForce RTX 3080 Ventus 3X OC LHR
Storage Crucial 2 TB M.2 SSD :: WD Blue M.2 1TB SSD :: 1 TB WD Black VelociRaptor
Display(s) Dell S2716DG 27" 144 Hz G-SYNC
Case Fractal Meshify C
Audio Device(s) Onboard Audio
Power Supply Antec HCP 850 80+ Gold
Mouse Corsair M65
Keyboard Corsair K70 RGB Lux
Software Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
Benchmark Scores I don't benchmark.
The point of DIY is not to save money. That is just stuff we say to people to get them to buy from us instead of Wal-Mart...cause their stupid and don't know better.

Second I don't trust their math on this either. Someone do a price check please.
 
Joined
Oct 10, 2009
Messages
868 (0.16/day)
Location
London, UK
System Name The one under the desk / Media Centre
Processor Xeon X3730@3.6GHZ / Phenom II X4 805E
Motherboard Gigabyte P55M-UD4 / Asus Crosshair III
Cooling Corsair H70 + 2*PWM fan / Arctic Alpine 11
Memory 16GB DRR3-1333 9-9-9-27 / 4GB Crucial DDR3-1333
Video Card(s) Asus DirectCU GTX 680 / Gigabyte 560TI
Storage Kingston V200 128GB, WD6400AAKS, 1TB Seagate 7.2kRPM SSHD / Kingston V200 128GB
Display(s) Samsung 2343BW + Dell Ultrasharp 1600*1200 / 32" TV
Case C'M' Silencio 550 / Some ancient SilverStone brushed aluminium media centre
Audio Device(s) No.
Power Supply Thermaltake Toughpower XT 675W / EVGA 430W
Mouse Mionix Naos 3200 / Generic PS2
Keyboard Roccat Ryos TKL Pro / Evoluent Mouse Friendly Keyboard (Logitech OEM)
Software Windows 7 Ult x64
Benchmark Scores Nah.
The point of DIY is not to save money. That is just stuff we say to people to get them to buy from us instead of Wal-Mart...cause their stupid and don't know better.

Cost effectiveness can be a benefit of DIY. It's just not the only (or in most cases primary) benefit.
 

AsRock

TPU addict
Joined
Jun 23, 2007
Messages
19,076 (3.00/day)
Location
UK\USA
No fun some one else building it.. And if i needed a system built for me i would ask a friend to do it who enjoyed it not some company who seems to be missing 1/2 the point.
 
Joined
Aug 11, 2011
Messages
4,357 (0.90/day)
Location
Mexico
System Name Dell-y Driver
Processor Core i5-10400
Motherboard Asrock H410M-HVS
Cooling Intel 95w stock cooler
Memory 2x8 A-DATA 2999Mhz DDR4
Video Card(s) UHD 630
Storage 1TB WD Green M.2 - 4TB Seagate Barracuda
Display(s) Asus PA248 1920x1200 IPS
Case Dell Vostro 270S case
Audio Device(s) Onboard
Power Supply Dell 220w
Software Windows 10 64bit
Yeah, spending weeks (if not months) tweaking your build is part of the fun. About their prices, my bet is on them using recerts. Not a bad thing per se (I've bought my fair share of recerts over the years) but that's the only way I see them pulling that.
 
Joined
Jan 10, 2011
Messages
1,444 (0.29/day)
Location
[Formerly] Khartoum, Sudan.
System Name 192.168.1.1~192.168.1.100
Processor AMD Ryzen5 5600G.
Motherboard Gigabyte B550m DS3H.
Cooling AMD Wraith Stealth.
Memory 16GB Crucial DDR4.
Video Card(s) Gigabyte GTX 1080 OC (Underclocked, underpowered).
Storage Samsung 980 NVME 500GB && Assortment of SSDs.
Display(s) ViewSonic VA2406-MH 75Hz
Case Bitfenix Nova Midi
Audio Device(s) On-Board.
Power Supply SeaSonic CORE GM-650.
Mouse Logitech G300s
Keyboard Kingston HyperX Alloy FPS.
VR HMD A pair of OP spectacles.
Software Ubuntu 24.04 LTS.
Benchmark Scores Me no know English. What bench mean? Bench like one sit on?
I'm feeling slightly insulted...

I wonder what they've based this "$23-$58 more" estimate on. If it was MSRPs, then that still won't put an end to the "debate", unless you count sale hunters and value bundles out.
 
Joined
Jun 19, 2012
Messages
345 (0.08/day)
System Name Off-Brand PC System
Processor 2990WX
Motherboard X399
Cooling Wraithripper
Video Card(s) Vega 64
Benchmark Scores Less than Intel and Nvidia
$1399 and you only get a 3770k and a GTX 660 TI. :slap:
 
Joined
May 7, 2009
Messages
5,392 (0.95/day)
Location
Carrollton, GA
System Name ODIN
Processor AMD Ryzen 7 5800X
Motherboard Gigabyte B550 Aorus Elite AX V2
Cooling Dark Rock 4
Memory G Skill RipjawsV F4 3600 Mhz C16
Video Card(s) MSI GeForce RTX 3080 Ventus 3X OC LHR
Storage Crucial 2 TB M.2 SSD :: WD Blue M.2 1TB SSD :: 1 TB WD Black VelociRaptor
Display(s) Dell S2716DG 27" 144 Hz G-SYNC
Case Fractal Meshify C
Audio Device(s) Onboard Audio
Power Supply Antec HCP 850 80+ Gold
Mouse Corsair M65
Keyboard Corsair K70 RGB Lux
Software Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
Benchmark Scores I don't benchmark.
Cost effectiveness can be a benefit of DIY. It's just not the only (or in most cases primary) benefit.

Sarcasm, look up definition
 
Joined
Oct 10, 2009
Messages
868 (0.16/day)
Location
London, UK
System Name The one under the desk / Media Centre
Processor Xeon X3730@3.6GHZ / Phenom II X4 805E
Motherboard Gigabyte P55M-UD4 / Asus Crosshair III
Cooling Corsair H70 + 2*PWM fan / Arctic Alpine 11
Memory 16GB DRR3-1333 9-9-9-27 / 4GB Crucial DDR3-1333
Video Card(s) Asus DirectCU GTX 680 / Gigabyte 560TI
Storage Kingston V200 128GB, WD6400AAKS, 1TB Seagate 7.2kRPM SSHD / Kingston V200 128GB
Display(s) Samsung 2343BW + Dell Ultrasharp 1600*1200 / 32" TV
Case C'M' Silencio 550 / Some ancient SilverStone brushed aluminium media centre
Audio Device(s) No.
Power Supply Thermaltake Toughpower XT 675W / EVGA 430W
Mouse Mionix Naos 3200 / Generic PS2
Keyboard Roccat Ryos TKL Pro / Evoluent Mouse Friendly Keyboard (Logitech OEM)
Software Windows 7 Ult x64
Benchmark Scores Nah.
Sarcasm, look up definition

Fortunately I don't need to, but if you were being sarcastic, I disagree with you strongly. To save money is not THE point in DIY.
 
Joined
Nov 13, 2007
Messages
10,738 (1.73/day)
Location
Austin Texas
System Name stress-less
Processor 9800X3D @ 5.42GHZ
Motherboard MSI PRO B650M-A Wifi
Cooling Thermalright Phantom Spirit EVO
Memory 64GB DDR5 6400 CL30 / 2133 fclk
Video Card(s) RTX 4090 FE
Storage 2TB WD SN850, 4TB WD SN850X
Display(s) Alienware 32" 4k 240hz OLED
Case Jonsbo Z20
Audio Device(s) Yes
Power Supply Corsair SF750
Mouse DeathadderV2 X Hyperspeed
Keyboard 65% HE Keyboard
Software Windows 11
Benchmark Scores They're pretty good, nothing crazy.
So digital storm is going to go out on ebay, evga recert, and amazon to find deals, as well as pick the best bang for the buck components for me?

Or are they going to give me a mid range quad core with a gt 650 in there and call it an AMAZING DIY SUPER GAMING MACHINE (if you built this yourself you would save $58 so clearly DIY is not worth it).

Or better yet - a 660ti in a $1400 gaming computer... amateur hour.
 
Last edited:
Joined
Oct 10, 2012
Messages
3 (0.00/day)
Impressed

Not the components I'd pick but I'm impressed.

PCpartpicker lists the total for these components at $897. Only $100 mark up to cover build costs and 72 hours of testing.
 
Joined
Oct 3, 2012
Messages
229 (0.05/day)
Location
Brazil
System Name Tiffany
Processor Intel i7 4770K @ 4.5Ghz
Motherboard Gigabyte Z87X-UD4H
Cooling Corsair H100i Push-Pull
Memory Corsair Vengeance 1600MHz 16GB
Video Card(s) XFX R9 290 Crossfire @ 925Mhz
Storage WD 500GB + Seagate 1 TB
Display(s) BenQ XL2420TX 120hz
Case Cooler Master CM690II Black & White
Audio Device(s) Onboard
Power Supply Cooler Master Silent Pro 1000W
Software Windows 7
Only idiots that don't give a s**t about hardware and all its coolness will buy a pre-built system. Or people that are scared of messing it up (two friends bought a GTX690, were really scared of damaging it. Just a example).

The idiots and all the rest should be ashamed, IN MY OPINION. Build a PC is one of the coolest things a human being can do... I'll never trade this experience. And seriously, i have better things to do with those $23~$58 dollars.
 
Joined
May 21, 2008
Messages
4,113 (0.68/day)
Location
Iowa, USA
System Name THE CUBE 2.0
Processor Intel i5 13600k
Motherboard MSI MPG Z690 EDGE DDR4
Cooling Phanteks PH-TC14PE BK 2x T30-120 Fan mod mount
Memory G.Skill TridentZ 3200 MT/s C15 32GB 2x16GB
Video Card(s) Gigabyte Aorus 1080 Ti 11GB OC: Core 2GHz, Mem 5.7GHz
Storage WD SN770 250GB / 3x WD SN850X 2TB / Toshiba X300 4TB / 2x RAID1 Toshiba P300 3TB
Display(s) Samsung 49" Odyssey OLED G95SC 240Hz 5120 x 1440
Case "THE CUBE" Custom built, pure Red Alder wood
Audio Device(s) Beyerdynamic DT 880
Power Supply Corsair RM1000X
Mouse Logitech G700
Keyboard Logitech G910
Software Windows 11 Pro
Not bad pricing, but I still would build my own here are all the parts and real DIY price.

Of course these prices will change but they where pretty close really.
LEVEL 1 $670

LEVEL 2 $740

LEVEL 3 $980

LEVEL 4 $1,265

 
Joined
Mar 30, 2011
Messages
979 (0.20/day)
Processor 12100
Video Card(s) 1650 Super
Case Coolermaster Ammo 533
Mouse G403
Keyboard Sidewinder x4
Prebuilt is good if you want to avoid DOA parts. My last motherboard was dead and it took 2 weeks to get a replacement.
 

Bunchies

New Member
Joined
Feb 24, 2012
Messages
133 (0.03/day)
System Name Bunchies
Processor Intel i7-960 D0 @4Ghz (1.368v in bios)
Motherboard Gigabyte G1. Guerrilla ,On the latest beta bios
Cooling Corsair H60 (2013), Prolimatech Pro-Pk1 Thermel
Memory Kingston HyperX Blu (3x4GB) = 12GB @ 1400Mhz 8-8-8-22
Video Card(s) Evga Gtx 660 Ti 2Gb
Storage 1 Ocz Agility 3 Sata III SSD , 2x1 1TB Hardrive's , 1 80GB Hardrive
Display(s) 23.5" Lg Flatron E2341
Case Thermaltake V3 Black Edition Mid Tower (Moded)
Audio Device(s) Onboard Sound Chip, X-Fi Xtreme Fidelity and EAX 5.0
Power Supply Cooler Master eXtreme Power Plus 700W
Software Windows 7 64-Bit
Lol :roll: - "The VANQUISH line narrows that gap to a mere $23-$58 difference making the decision a no brainer - DIY is simply not worth the hassle."

even if it is cheaper, DIY is way better and it isnt a hassle. i enjoyed every second of building a pc
 
Joined
May 7, 2009
Messages
5,392 (0.95/day)
Location
Carrollton, GA
System Name ODIN
Processor AMD Ryzen 7 5800X
Motherboard Gigabyte B550 Aorus Elite AX V2
Cooling Dark Rock 4
Memory G Skill RipjawsV F4 3600 Mhz C16
Video Card(s) MSI GeForce RTX 3080 Ventus 3X OC LHR
Storage Crucial 2 TB M.2 SSD :: WD Blue M.2 1TB SSD :: 1 TB WD Black VelociRaptor
Display(s) Dell S2716DG 27" 144 Hz G-SYNC
Case Fractal Meshify C
Audio Device(s) Onboard Audio
Power Supply Antec HCP 850 80+ Gold
Mouse Corsair M65
Keyboard Corsair K70 RGB Lux
Software Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
Benchmark Scores I don't benchmark.
Once again, I think this news was not really intended for us as the target audience. Kinda strange that news that often doesn't apply to a group is news only that group would see in the first place.

Its like posting news about how all A&F t-shirts will now me made out of some really awesome nano fiber that actively cleans itself while you move. Then posting the science article about the fiber in the store.

I guess this would be great for those looking to build a PC and move away from console gaming....naw I am just kidding. They need to start with DIY. How else are they going to learn.
 
Joined
Nov 15, 2005
Messages
1,011 (0.15/day)
Processor 2500K @ 4.5GHz 1.28V
Motherboard ASUS P8P67 Deluxe
Cooling Corsair A70
Memory 8GB (2x4GB) Corsair Vengeance 1600 9-9-9-24 1T
Video Card(s) eVGA GTX 470
Storage Crucial m4 128GB + Seagate RAID 1 (1TB x 2)
Display(s) Dell 22" 1680x1050 nothing special
Case Antec 300
Audio Device(s) Onboard
Power Supply PC Power & Cooling 750W
Software Windows 7 64bit Pro
Build a PC is one of the coolest things a human being can do...

If peeing your pants is cool, then consider me Miles Davis (it's a movie quote for those who don't know).... If peeps here think they are cool by building their own PC then damn, the nerd/geek/afraid of ptang stereotypes are confirmed. This is a hobby, you love it because you love it not because it makes you cool. Damn, now I'm tired of using that word.
 
Joined
Aug 17, 2009
Messages
1,585 (0.28/day)
Location
Los Angeles/Orange County CA
System Name Vulcan
Processor i6 6600K
Motherboard GIGABYTE Z170X UD3
Cooling Thermaltake Frio Silent 14
Memory 16GB Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB)
Video Card(s) ASUS Strix GTX 970
Storage Mushkin Enhanced Reactor 1TB SSD
Display(s) QNIX 27 Inch 1440p
Case Fractal Design Define S
Audio Device(s) On Board
Power Supply Cooler Master V750
Software Win 10 64-bit
No, they aren't that good of deals.

Imagine that, advertising misrepresenting and relying on the stupidity of people.

Never heard of such a thing. :laugh:
 
Joined
Apr 26, 2013
Messages
46 (0.01/day)
Location
Madison, WI
Something like this in a forums where almost everyone builds their own system certainly is not going to impress. But I can understand others (those who are not so tech-savvy) being excited about it.
 
Joined
Jul 14, 2006
Messages
2,541 (0.38/day)
Location
People's Republic of America
System Name It's just a computer
Processor i9-14900K Direct Die
Motherboard MSI Z790 ACE MAX
Cooling 2X D5T Vario, XSPC BayRes, 3X Nemesis GTR560, NF-A14-iPPC3000PWM, NF-A14-iPPC2000PWM, IceMan DD
Memory TEAMGROUP FFXD548G8000HC38EDC01
Video Card(s) MSI 4070 Ti Super w/Alphacool Eisblock Aurora RTX 4070TI Ventus with Backplate :13724
Storage Samsung 990 PRO 1TB M.2
Display(s) LG 32GK650F
Case Thermaltake Xaser VI
Audio Device(s) Auzentech X-Meridian 7.1 2G/Z-5500
Power Supply Seasonic Prime PX-1300
Mouse Logitech
Keyboard Logitech
Software Win11PRO
<SNIP>

Second I don't trust their math on this either. Someone do a price check please.

At my local Microcenter:


Shopping Cart
YOUR CART »
Price Total Quantity
Intel Core i7 3770K 3.5GHz LGA 1155 Processor Intel Core i7 3770K 3.5GHz LGA 1155 Processor
SKU: 425405 $229.99 $229.99


ASUS P8Z77-V LK LGA 1155 Z77 ATX Intel Motherboard ASUS P8Z77-V LK LGA 1155 Z77 ATX Intel Motherboard
SKU: 659565 $134.99
$119.99
after Rebate


Toshiba 1TB 7,200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal H Toshiba 1TB 7,200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal H
SKU: 981829 $59.99 $59.99


Corsair Force Series CSSD-F120GB2B 120 GB Internal Corsair Force Series CSSD-F120GB2B 120 GB Internal
SKU: 357319 $79.99 $79.99

EVGA 02G-P4-3660-KR NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 Ti 2048 EVGA 02G-P4-3660-KR NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 Ti 2048
SKU: 860445 $304.99
$294.99


Corsair Gaming Series GS600 600 Watt ATX 12V Power Corsair Gaming Series GS600 600 Watt ATX 12V Power
SKU: 824938 $59.99
$39.99
after Rebate


LG 24x Super Multi Internal SATA DVDRW DL Drive - LG 24x Super Multi Internal SATA DVDRW DL Drive -
SKU: 251900 $15.99 $15.99


Corsair Hydro Series H60 High Performance Liquid C Corsair Hydro Series H60 High Performance Liquid C
SKU: 175315 $59.99 $59.99


Corsair Carbide Series 300R Mid-Tower ATX Gaming C Corsair Carbide Series 300R Mid-Tower ATX Gaming C
SKU: 139824 $69.99
$59.99
after Rebate


Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit OEM Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit OEM
SKU: 419341 $99.99 $99.99


Corsair Vengeance Series 8GB DDR3-1600 PC3-12800) Corsair Vengeance Series 8GB DDR3-1600 PC3-12800)
SKU: 403980 $67.99 $67.99


ORDER SUMMARY »

Subtotal $1,183.89
Tax $79.91
Grand Total $1,263.80
Rebates - $45.00
$1,218.80


The satisfaction of doing it yourself - Priceless
 

Fourstaff

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Nov 29, 2009
Messages
10,077 (1.84/day)
Location
Home
System Name Orange! // ItchyHands
Processor 3570K // 10400F
Motherboard ASRock z77 Extreme4 // TUF Gaming B460M-Plus
Cooling Stock // Stock
Memory 2x4Gb 1600Mhz CL9 Corsair XMS3 // 2x8Gb 3200 Mhz XPG D41
Video Card(s) Sapphire Nitro+ RX 570 // Asus TUF RTX 2070
Storage Samsung 840 250Gb // SX8200 480GB
Display(s) LG 22EA53VQ // Philips 275M QHD
Case NZXT Phantom 410 Black/Orange // Tecware Forge M
Power Supply Corsair CXM500w // CM MWE 600w
Pretty decent if someone asks you to build him a PC and you are physically far away and is inconvenient for you to make multiple trips to his place when something breaks/not working as intended.
 
Top