Title:	Velocity Micro Interview
Date:	06.05.2007
Platform:	PC

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ever wonder what goes into making a custom gaming rig? What makes one company better than another? Have you considered purchasing a gaming rig from a company that specializes in it? We talk to Randy, CEO of Velicity Micro and about his company and his vision of the future of custom gaming rigs.

 

A big thanks goes to Nikki Stoll for working with us on setting up the interview.

 

 

 

 

What advantages does buying a gaming rig from Velocity Micro provide over another company, say, Alienware?

First, it would be our incredible system design engineering capabilities. We pride ourselves on being first to market with technology that speaks to the enthusiast. That means that you'll find the latest in high performance components for sale the day they are released, and in a classic chassis with the best grade of components, all meticulously assembled by enthusiasts. Quite simply, our products are not a toy. And you can be sure they have been properly validated and certified with our configurations. We have very close symbiotic relationships with Intel, AMD, NVIDIA, and Microsoft. We are launch partners for all of the hot technology; a prime example would be our ability to ship digital cable enabled systems weeks before any other company.

Secondly, I would say it would be our tremendous customer service. We are heavily committed to our in-house, 24/7 technical support infrastructure. This means that every customer will be able to speak to a US-based Velocity Micro employee with their first call. There is no Tier 2 technical support. Our staff is empowered to do whatever it takes to make sure our customers get the ultimate PC experience. That means our technicians know how to build and troubleshoot our entire support line.

With the acquisition of Overdrive PC, you further secure your place in providing custom gaming rigs to both the value minded and the "elite".  What's next for Velocity Micro?

Unlike other system builder acquisitions, the fusion of Overdrive PC with Velocity Micro comes from a shared pedigree in high performance systems. With Overdrive PC's HyperClocking technology, we can now reach the entire spectrum of the gaming market, from budget minded gamers to the spare-no-expense enthusiast.

Overdrive PC is just one facet of our superior product portfolio. We also consider digital convergence/digital home to be a very important market for us. It's one we understand and we are quickly establishing ourselves as the leader in this space. Look to see many more awesome products from us in this market this year.


The specs and options available for the Raptor Signature Edition are insane. What type of gamers purchase that system? Have there been any famous people who've purchased it?

Like Overdrive PC's customers, Velocity Micro Raptor Signature Edition customers want all of the latest and greatest technology in one PC that will allow them to dominate in games and multimedia applications. It's a do-it-all powerhouse that houses the fastest in overclocked processors and graphics. We also pay attention to the hard drive configurations in a way that no other company does. With our RAIDStorm technology we can provide the fastest level load times for games and unrivaled multitasking speed.

As to famous people, we can't kiss and tell, but we have quite a list of actors, athletes, and artists as customers. Interestingly, we did have a famous wrestler recently order two Raptor Signature Editions that he wanted to "duct tape together to make them go twice as fast!" And we're certain he figured out a way to do just that!


What one future game are you looking forward to playing on a high-end Raptor and why?

We're all anxious to see the next-generation DX10 titles like Crysis come out. We know that our configurations are built with next-gen gaming in mind and we can't wait to showcase them. DX10 graphics are amazing and there is so much potential to be tapped from AMD and NVIDIA's DX10 cards.

nVidia seems to be the choice for top video cards. From what you've seen and heard, does it look like nVidia is the choice for the rest of the year?

It certainly does seem that way. ATI offers value leadership and Nvidia offers performance leadership right now. While the 2900XT is a good effort from ATI, NVIDIA's 6 month lead and perceived market leadership have left them well positioned for 2007. But the year isn't over and I think we'll see some absolutely insane technology from both camps in about 6 or 7 months.

The CPU wars have been going on for a while with the lead switching back and forth between Intel and AMD. Do you recommend one over the other? Do you see a change coming in the next year or so?

It has definitely flip-flopped since Intel released the Core 2 Duo last summer. Since then gamers have really latched on to the technology. Quad-core offerings from Intel have been very strong and Q1 of 2008 will see even further innovations from them. But don't count AMD out quite yet. At the same time they'll have an answer to Intel's tremendous technology lead in early 2008. The Phenom FX and Phenom X4 should put up quite a fight.


Currently, DDR2 seems to be the RAM of choice. When do you think we'll start seeing DDR3 as a serious choice?

We'll definitely see it this year. From the Intel camp we'll see the enthusiast market embrace it with performance chipsets from Intel and NVIDIA around the Q3 to Q4 time frame. AMD will be slower on the uptake like they were with DDR2, but I don't think that's going to matter considering their architecture. But DDR3 will soon be hard to resist for the ultimate Intel platform.

For gamers who have traditionally looked at Dell or other "big box" brands for a gaming rig, how do you convince them that Velocity Micro is the way to go?

Our systems consistently score well against these multinational corporations, and we do more than just pay lip service to this market. While gaming is seen as a profit center for the multinationals, we see it as a passion. Our systems are of superior design and are positioned well across the board when it comes to the smartest component choices for your dollar. Our performance lead, especially now with Overdrive in our stable, mixes well with our value in this range to create boutique systems (with superior support) at a competitive price for the more mainstream buyer.

Is there anything else you'd like to add?

I see it as our mission to deliver the ultimate PC experience to a market where the pendulum can swing so far in either direction. We feel duty-bound to provide a superior customer experience both before the sale and after the sale because it can be hard to find in this crowded space. Our products are tasteful yet powerful, and built with the best parts and precision that cannot be mass produced. We don't compromise our philosophy regardless of the posturing of our competitors. You can count on Velocity Micro to provide the same quality craftsmanship and support no matter what system you purchase. Our value-minded customers and hardcore enthusiasts all get the same high-quality attention and care. We're definitely in the spot light and we know that all eyes are on us!

 

 

Interview By: Alex Hammond