AVADirect
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| File:AVADirect Custom Computers Logo.png | |
| Private | |
| Industry | Computer hardware |
| Founded | 2000 |
| Headquarters | Twinsburg, Ohio |
|
Key people
|
Alex Sonis CEO Gary Muravin COO Travis R. Bortz EVP |
| Products | Desktops Workstations Laptops Tablets Mini PCs Media PCs Servers |
| Website | AVADirect.com |
AVADirect Custom Computers is an American computer manufacturing company located in Twinsburg, Ohio. It specializes in the design, engineering, and production of customized high-performance computer systems. AVADirect’s custom computers span the spectrum from Microsoft Windows or Linux manageable and highly-reliable servers to high-end computing workstations - gaming systems to business PC’s - and, notebooks to barebones systems and parts. AVADirect offers over 1 billion different custom computer configurations to customers located in the United States of America.
Contents
History
Freedom USA, Inc. d/b/a AVADirect Custom Computers was founded in 2000. The company was originally established on the business model of building and selling custom computers at trade shows in the Northeast quadrant of the United States during the millennial PC boom. As the company grew, the demand for an online marketplace increased, and company founders wanted to give customers the opportunity to customize computers with the maximum number of hardware options. In 2003 Freedom USA, Inc. changed its name and business model from on-site computer retail to a custom computer E-commerce business model and AVADirect Custom Computers was born.
Products
In the spring for 2015, AVADirect began partnering companies in the virtual reality industry to build computers for specific VR needs. AVADirect builds the AVA Omni VR Desktop to work in conjunction with the Virtuix Omni virtual reality locomotion simulator.[1] Similarly, AVADirect offers the AVA Sixense VR Desktop to work in conjunction with the Sixense STEM System virtual reality motion control controller.[2] In December 2015, AVADirect worked with Road to VR, a virtual reality publication, to develop the “AVA Exemplar by Road to VR” which the publication uses as the benchmark computer to compare virtual reality devices and applications.[3] In March 2016 AVADirect introduced the Avatar, their own VR computer.
Late November 2015, AVADirect released three new lines of computers:[4] Avant, Affinity, and Ascendant. The Avant Gaming Series is composed of six Gaming PC's and three Gaming laptops, varying in size and power. The Affinity Series is AVADirect's line of systems for home use, including Home computers and laptops, Home servers, Home theater PCs, and Network-attached storage (NAS) solutions for the average user. All Affinity systems are equipped with Skylake processors. The Ascendant Series is AVADirect's business line, with powerful Workstations for advanced users like engineers, researchers, graphic designers, and other creative professionals. The line includes servers, desktops, laptops, and workstations.
In February 2015, AVADirect released an exclusive line of custom computers that were researched and developed as solution-based configurations for high-performance computing for specific consumer niches. The Signature Series line of custom computers includes: PC Gaming desktops and Virtual Reality based computer configurations.[5] In November 2015 AVADirect added two new computers to its Signature Series line: the Avalanche II and the Avalanche Mini. Both custom gaming PCs use hardline liquid cooling and processors with the Intel Skylake architecture.
AVADirect manufactures a variety of Gaming computers, including high performance desktops and laptop configurations for PC Gaming and enthusiast computing. These include a wide variety of full-sized desktops, Liquid Cooled Gaming Computers, Quiet Gaming Computers, and Mini Gaming Desktops. Performance based gaming laptops are also included as a mobile gaming option in the gaming hardware offerings. Custom gaming computers feature high performance graphics processing units from industry leaders such as AMD and NVIDIA.
Desktop computers are a primary form-factor offering from AVADirect Custom Computers focused on delivering performance computing solutions intended for regular use at a single location. This custom computer company offers full-sized desktops, Silent Desktops, All-In-One Desktops, and PC Barebones including configurations that feature cases from industry leaders such as Corsair, Cooler Master, EVGA and Fractal Design, NZXT Corp, and Thermaltake.
AVADirect offers custom Workstations that are designed for professional use that require computational efficiency featuring performance hardware for application based scenarios for professionals including scientists, graphic designers, content editing professionals, and architectural engineers for applications like AutoCAD who require computational and graphical processing power for efficient work.[6]
AVADirect offers custom Laptops that include brand names including Asus Clevo, Getac, Micro-Star International, and various other brands for hardware customization in portable notebook form-factors. Notebooks from AVADirect span a variety of models including Desktop replacement computers based on a Z97 chipset,[7] Ruggized notebooks, and Ultraportable models.[8]
In addition to laptops, AVADirect offers next generation touchscreen computers, or Tablets for interactive, mobile computing. AVADirect features the NVIDIA Shield Gaming tablet for gaming, media interactivity, and streaming content. They also have expanded tablets into the Ruggedized industrial enterprise space.[9]
Mini PCs from AVADirect are configured for minimal footprint hardware. AVADirect has developed a small, high performance desktop for mini computing scenarios including the featuring the Intel NUC.[10]
Media PCs are also available from AVADirect. These computers serve as a variety of uses in the home as they can be considered a content or media hub for home entertainment users. A Home Theater PC is different from a standard desktop featuring additional hardware components, such as a Cable TV Tuner, allowing for Input/Output functionality from a traditional cable service providers. HTPC’s can also receive gaming components to produce quality performance on next generation televisions on as a gaming console replacement device.[11]
Custom data storage Servers and enterprise storage solutions are available from AVADirect including web based, proxy, enterprise file dedicated, GPU server systems, application specific, and custom cloud based custom server hardware is available at AVADirect.[12]
Support
AVADirect provides U.S. based customer support and technical support for its customers. This custom computer company delivers personalized customer support providing consumers current computer industry insights and knowledge regarding custom computer configuration information. AVADirect.com provides technical support for all custom computer configurations with its team of level 3 technical experts, indicating the highest level of technical expertise for computer hardware. AVADirect Custom Computers provides lifetime support for all computers purchased through their company.[5]
Certifications
AVADirect has an ISO 9001, International Organization for Standardization certification—AVADirect Computers and available products are registered among Microsoft’s industry hardware standards that ensure products and services are safe, reliable and of good quality. Such standards help businesses increase productivity while minimizing errors and waste. By enabling products from different markets to be directly compared, they facilitate companies in entering new markets and assist in the development of global trade on a fair basis. The standards also serve to safeguard consumers and the end-users of products and services, ensuring that certified products conform to the minimum standards set internationally. AVADirect is a General Services Administration Schedule contractor |GSA-GS35F0159V|. This independent agency of the United States government supplies products and communications for U.S. government offices, provides transportation and office space to federal government employees, and develops government-wide cost reduction policies, and other infrastructural management tasks.[13]
AVADirect is a Microsoft Certified Partner as a licensed independent technical support provider offering a comprehensive, wide range of support channels for Microsoft and multi-vendor products. This support includes data management, software development, application development and others. Additional vendor partnerships include Premier Intel Channel Partners; AVADirect is one of a select group of customer computer manufactures to be fully compliant with the organizational requirements representing the Intel® Channel programs of solution providers, system integrators and value-added resellers.[14]
AVADirect is also compliant with all current ANSI/ ESD 20:20 standards. This standard provides technical and administrative requirements for establishing, implementing, and maintain an ESD Control Program to protect electrical parts, assemblies, and equipment susceptible to ESD damage from Human Body Model (HBM) discharges greater than or equal to 100 volts.[15]
Awards
In November 2015 the AVADirect Avalanche II was awarded the 2015 Tom's Hardware Reader's Choice Award. "AVADirect is in the money with its $5,900 Avalanche II, earning a Tom's Hardware Reader's Choice award for its well-picked hardware, stylish chassis and custom water loop," said Derek Forrest, a freelance writer for Tom's Hardware.[16]
AVADirect's Menace (Clevo P770ZM) Gaming Laptop received the Editors' Choice award with a score of from 8.14 NotebookReview.com, a subdivision of TechTarget. Charles P. Jefferies said, "We’re pleased to extend our Editor’s Choice award to the AVADirect Menace (Clevo P770ZM) for combing desktop power into a civilized semi-mobile package every bit as formidable as its name implies."[17]
To wrap up 2014, PCWorld awarded AVADirect's Quiet Gaming PC as the top Quiet Gaming System in The Best Gaming PCs and Hardware of 2014 year-end gaming review. "AVA Direct pulls off its acoustic trick without resorting to liquid cooling. No, it's air cooling on the CPU and the video card, yet you can game at 2560x1600 without listening to the constant whine of fans," says Executive Editor of PCWorld, Gordon Mah Ung.[18]
In August 2014, AVADirect Quiet Gaming PC won the Editor's Choice Award by TweakTown. Systems Editor Trace Hagan said, "We appreciate how hard it is to make a quiet PC, and AVADirect has done an excellent job in that regard. This system is barely audible while under full load, and that makes gaming on this system a pleasure."[19]
AVADirect is an active participant in the ResellerRatings community, and has the designation of an Elite merchant. (In order to have a Reseller Ratings Elite badge, a company must have a minimum 8.00 rating over a lifetime of customer reviews. Currently, they have a customer rating of over 9.9 out of 10.)[20]
Reviews
Computer Power User Magazine showcased the AVADirect Avalanche Series in April, 2016 with a review of the Avalanche II and the Avalanche Mini by Nathan Lake. Lake compliments the series on the outstanding benchmark results, ultimate configurations, supreme power and boutique aesthetics. Lake says, "There’s an unpretentious elegance to the Avalanche Series’ interior. Whereas some builders use bright, showy color schemes and systems nearly bursting with hardware, AVADirect opts for precise, clean lines and gentle white illumination that perfectly match the white hardline tubing. The effect makes the interior look roomy, even though neither chassis is a full tower. The high-quality hardware and generous overclocks assure performance that matches the precision look." [21]
In January of 2016, Jerry Jackson from NotebookReview took a look at the AVADirect Avant P870DM-G Gaming Laptop form the Avant Gaming Series. Jackson said the P870DM-G "represents the pinnacle of PC gaming for early 2016," and "is a genuine desktop replacement with the optional desktop-class NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 graphics providing best-in-class performance for the latest generation of visually intense games." [22]
Paul Lily at MaximumPC broke down the Virtual Reality gaming space featuring a Signature Series configuration in the AVA Sixense Virtual Reality Desktop, "You can feel that we're on the verge of a virtual gaming revolution, or so several companies heavily invested in VR technology hope. We're right there with them -- not from an investment standpoint, but from the perception of a fan, as we've played around with some awesome VR demos. Looking to give the category a nudge, Ohio-based boutique builder AVADirect today announced a pair of desktops designed in collaboration with Sixense for the latter's Stem System."[23]
Jeff Bakalar's CNET published an exclusive review for the Avalanche, AVADirect's first high-performance hardline liquid-cooled gaming computer, . "But now that it's all said and done, the final product is not only a liquid-cooled machine that outperforms every similar rig we've tested, it's also a work of art."[24]
Tweaktown's Anthony Garreffa reviewed the pioneering AVADirect AVA OMNI VR DESKTOP, specifically handcrafted for the Virtuix Omni to bridge the gap between standard PC gaming, and a fully immersed, total body virtual reality gaming experience. "With all of the news of VR headsets and games, one can get lost in the reality of it all when it comes to purchasing a new PC that is ready for all things VR. This is where AVADirect's new Omni VR desktop comes into play," says Anthony Garreffa.[25]
PCWorld gave AVADirect Custom Computer's i7 X99 Custom Gaming system a gleaming review (4.5 out of 5 stars) in late December 2014. "The configuration of the i7 X99 that AVADirect sent us comes as close as any PC I’ve seen to perfectly melding class and gaming flash", said Freelance Writer for PCWorld, Jon L. Jacobi.[26]
Tom's Hardware reviewed an AVADirect Mini Cube Gaming PC form factor - Good Looks, Price, And Performance, (December, 2013). "AVADirect offers a vast array of top-end hardware and an extremely talented staff. But the company decided to go even further to prove that its custom-built machines could challenge both the quality and the value of our own efforts," says Thomas Soderstrom.[27]
On September 26, 2011 AVADirect had a system reviewed in the premiere episode of Wrecknology for machinima.com. The system was stated as being "One of the fastest computer we have ever tested!" and was then sawed entirely in half. In December 2008, AVADirect received 8 out of 10 from MaximumPC for their Core 2 Crossfire DDR 3 Gaming System, with reviewer Gordon Mah Ung citing the system as "a nice machine and sensibly priced, given the amount of hardware it packs".[28]
In March 2009, AVADirect's Core i7 computer was reviewed alongside two other boutique manufacturers, Alienware and Cyberpower, on Tom's Hardware.[29]
Competitors
AVADirect’s indirect competitors include large manufacturers such as Dell and HP. Its direct competitors include boutique manufacturers such as Alienware, Digital Storm, Falcon Northwest, Origin PC, Maingear, Puget Systems, and Velocity Micro.
References
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