Novatech - Ugh(now with "litany of failure") (novatech.co.uk)

Member Name: Born_2_respawn

Product:	novatech.co.uk
Date:	29/01/02 (407 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Technical Support are heplful, Good prices

Disadvantages: Unreliable (for me, anyway)

I've always been quite a gamer, and enjoy playing a nice, violent shoot-em-up. So when my computer started to get a little long in the tooth I decided that it was time to start again and buy an all new PC.

I was attracted to Novatech because of their low prices, and favourable opinions I received from friends who had ordered parts from them. Eventually, after much saving and deliberation, I bought a Bravo Pro 1.2GHz(256Mb RAM, 30Gb Hard Disk, DVD drive etc etc). Including a monitor and shipping this set me back over £700.

The problems started not long after it arrived, at first it was nothing minor, a slightly flickery monitor which was only visible when the screen was white. Then, a few days later the screen failed all toegether. Pop. Nothing.

To their credit they swiftly replaced the monitor (albeit with the wrong power adaptor, but again, they quickly sent a new one) and I was very pleased that the service had been so effecient. Unfortunately that was the tip of the iceberg.

Since then it has been returned a further 5 times, each time for the same symptoms, total system crashes. Every time it is returned I wonder whether it'll have improved at all, and for the most part it hasn't. In fairness I'm probably just unlucky, but it takes a fair amount of bad luck for the local Amtrak driver (who collects the PC when returned) to recognise my face!

Over all, I've had a lot of problems with Novatech, although I'm most likely on of few. In my opinion I'd say novatech are a good choice for components, but to shy away from their complete packs.

**UPDATE**

Well, much to my discust it's playing up again. And when I say playing up I mean locking up and spontaneously re-booting itself. Of course, by the time I resolved to phone technical support it was after 5 and they were closed so I'll be desperately hoping things improve over the weekend...

Anyway, here fo
r your pleasure and fore-warning is a list of every problem I've had with it(in date order):

1) Kernel32.dll errors, also CPU overheat.
2) Continued random Kernell32.dll errors.
3) Freezing solid.
4) Locked on RAM test, also on dialing up to the internet.
5) CPU at 60'C (bad thing), Windows 98SE and Me won't install.
6) Locking during boot up and in Windows.

Each time they "repaired" it and sent it back saying it was fine, and for a few days it would work, only for problems to crop up again soon after. I hope this will be the last time I have to send it back, although I'm far from optimistic.

Summary: