James G.

A friend & I purchased 2 identical high-end Talon computers from Falcon Northwest and we could not be happier. (BTW, I waited until we'd used our systems for several weeks before writing this review. Our systems have continued to work flawlessly during that time.)

Both systems are beautifully constructed & cable-routed, and the standard tinted glass side panels display the significant but not overdone internal RGB nicely. The exclusive custom-designed Talon case, which also includes an RGB-illuminated falcon logo on the front - and which they only sell as part of a complete computer, no matter how much DIYers may ask them to make the case available separately - is virtually all metal, and designed to provide good airflow for cooling of everything but the CPU. (The CPU is handled by a Falcon Northwest--branded Asetek AIO cooler that's included standard.) In keeping with the elegant ruggedness of the overall design, the GPU is supported by a sturdy end bracket which holds it in place so securely that there's no need for those ubiquitous expandable foam bags to be used internally during shipment. (Though I imagine the well-executed double-boxed shipment packaging gets a bit of the credit there, too.)

F-NW's online configurator is the cleanest, most informative, and most convenient one I've used. (And I checked out a LOT of places online while I was spec'ing out our systems.) It doesn't offer low-end "cheapo" component options but it does offer a good range of selections in most categories. (A few items are "locked into" the design once certain other choices are made. For example, when I decided we'd go with Ryzen 5000 series CPUs, the ASUS ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero was the only motherboard offered. Fortunately, it was so well-reviewed by the online tech experts -- "texperts?" (hmm, maybe not) - that I wouldn't have wanted another one, anyway.)

The way I came to think of it is that F-NW offers a "curated" set of selections for your components, so you don't have to worry that you're going to make any serious blunders in your choices. And I guess this lets THEM not have to worry about putting together a system that's not going to work together well enough to pass the multiple days of testing they put it through after assembly. (I should mention that you get the filled-out-by-hand testing checklists as part of the paperwork included with your system.)

I'm basically a "show me the choices I have then let me go off & research them on my own" kind of shopper, so I didn't need to consult with their sales department during the configuration phase. So I can't speak to how helpful they are in that regard. But I CAN say that when I emailed a question about my order that I had after placing it, they got back to me with the information I requested within a day. So my guess is that they'd be helpful with any pre-order configuration-related questions, as well.

Our systems shipped 6 days earlier than the estimated 28-day build time, and of course I received a notification/confirmation email on that day. So they do a good job of keeping in touch.

If you've read this far, you've probably gotten the impression that Falcon Northwest systems are not cheap in any sense of the word. And you'd be right. But they don't feel overpriced for what you get. (And yes, I fully acknowledge that I'm fortunate enough to be able to pay more for a system than many folks are. AND that I've become a bit of a Falcon Northwest fanboy by this point. But I think it's not without good reason.)

View it this way: There's a considerable baseline cost you're going to pay for even the most budget-conscious system you'll get from these guys. Think of that as including the cost associated with stuff like the beautiful case and the really wonderful, high-quality workmanship. But as you compare the additional cost when you select higher-tier components over lower-tier, you'll see that the cost increase is very much in line with the increase in MSRP for the components. So the costs do make sense, IF you can manage the baseline cost. I hope you can.

Take care. :)