Eurocom questions

I live in Canada. Recently, my XPS M1710 's second 7950 GTX died on me, and dell says sorry. So I have to get a new notebook.

After 1 day of searching, it comes to conclusion that Eurocom make sense for, in terms of shipping, price, specs, and etc.

1. I have question about their quality, warranty, tech support, wait time on phone, repair time. Can you guys comment on that those? And I don't live in the same province as them, i live in BC, which doesn't have any dealer for good notebook.

2. I am looking at EUROCOM M57RU DIVINE-X and EUROCOM M570TU Montebello, the price of these 2 are considerably cheaper than D90, am I missing something?

3. Do you have experience to buy these notebook in BC? Do you have other recommendations for my need, such as (9800 GT/GTS/GTX with decent CPU and screen) for gaming?

Thanks alot. I am such a noob with these brands of notebook.

 

I have ordered from them. It was easy and they were helpful. Especially John Shore. Try to talk to one guy, get him to know you/your order and he'll be able to help you no matter what.

I did try and use their tech support and was not impressed. But then, I did have a very strange problem that I can't remember now, I just fixed it myself - with the help of the guys on this forum. And I was trying to use the email support, not the phone support, so I can't comment on that. edit: I think it was a problem with two things: the intel turbo memory - which sucks, and RM clock was causing my computer to crash - I didn't know that at the time, I stopped using RMclock.

But I'm so happy with my purchase. I would certainly buy from Eurocom again. I'll never go back to a big company for a laptop like Dell or HP again.

 

2) Divine = older verson of Montebello (which reminds me of portabello, but nevermind that) the D90XC is a lot larger and more powerful as it uses desktop processors and has space for 3 hard drives.

I do know that you can attempt price matching with US resellers, however, with the recently weaker Canadian dollar, it might not be the best idea to do so.

 

I wish they have 1800 number. It seems like phone support from them is minimum.

Are you living in the same province as Eurocom?

 

Oddly enough, my impression was that they seem to prefer phone support. And no, I don't.

 

I am typing this on my Eurocom M570Tu right now. I had one of those long waits when this first came out. My biggest problem with Eurocom is that their communications was pretty poor, until it actually shipped. I received my notebook and two days later it died. Screen went black and nothing functioned. I got a hold of someone who gave me an RMA number and back it went. They paid shipping both ways (I am not sure if that was standard or because I had the machine for so short a time). Turns out a ram stick died and it would no longer pass the post. The tech told me about my repair and said he wanted to test it some more. So I let it go, life got busy and I did not hear from them for a few days. I was about to call when the system was returned at my doorstep. Turn around was about a week. The service is not bad but it can be frustrating at times. A simple email saying the system was enroute would have been great, but I am grateful that it is back and fully functional.

One great thing about ordering Eurocom and living in Saskatchewan was I only had to pay the GST and shipping was cheap. I would definitely order from them again.

 

Thanks for your comments.

I want to hear bad stories about them. Anymore?

 

I actually was living in the same town as Eurocom (Ottawa) and thus avoided shipping. I thought they did have a 1800 number? They do: 1 877 EUROCOM

Once you get dealing with them personally they're really helpful. However just like the above poster I found communication poor from them. When I did email them for tech support, I got a reply right away and wrote back - then I never received another email from them, solved the problem myself and forgot about it.

There is a bad story a few weeks ago on this forum that John Shore personally replied to. The theme of the thread turned quickly to bashing the original poster, I don't even remember what his complaint was.

I'll do a quick search for it and post again in this thread with the link.


Oh and about the Montebello thing: There's this giant log cabin an hour from Ottawa called Montebello. I assumed that's what the model was named after, I might be really wrong though. It's where that recent SPP meeting with Harper/Bush/Fox(from mexico) took place last year. It is an ugly name though, if you ask me.
Edit: This was the thread I was thinking of:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=299826


If you search around though you can see that their good about returning defective models.

 

I'd get quotes from ProStar, Xotic PC, and Dark Smiley Systems... I know the Canadian Dollar is low right now, but you still might be able to beat Eurocoms prices

 

You can search the forums for people that have had some bad experiences with Eurocom. I posted somewhere that I found that prior to my payment they answered all my questions within 30mins albeit I could never get them on the phone. After payment my sales rep took a lot longer to reply but still was within 24 hours.

I received my new laptop from them only 10 days ago and had a weird noise coming from my hard-drive and upon calling their tech support said they gave me an RMA number (their method of a work number) and sent it off. It seems to me at least that their tech and shipping department are fairly impressive but there is only one retail sales rep so wait times are variable.

Oh and second what ARom said, always ALWAYS send a price quote (in CAD) to Eurocom from the ones he listed above. You'll find sometimes, but not all, that Eurocom are more expensive.

 

I afraid to get robbed by the border and don't know how the warranty goes thru the border.

 

That was part of the reason I went through with Eurocom because if I did have issues it was only shipping within Canada as opposed to over the border.

But check out livesoft's import guide for Canadians:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=290458

That'll help you get an understanding of your cross-border costs but as for the warranty, a warranty is a warranty no matter where you are. I bought my laptop in the US, moved back to Australia and one of the terms of the warranty was it'd cover shipping only within the US not cross border but besides that they paid all parts and labour costs. Just make sure to read your warranty thoroughly and choose what's appropriate for you.

 

I can't imagine what it would be like if the repair is oversea. I am planning to move to asia in the next year.

for the newer generation laptop EUROCOM M57TU, they seem to have decent price compare to other places.

Another question, i have my xps m1710 's graphic died on me, can i take the wireless card , Intel 3945, from it to use it in the M57TU to save ridiculous $85?

 

thx for your comment.

I just finished checking out their prices, it turns out that Eurocom is decent for the 57TU, mostly because Eurocom allows me to choose 9800M GT instead of GTX which is around $350 to $500 extra for 5% difference in real game performance (2 to 4 Fps increase). And I choose GTS to save another $100 for about 2% difference.

It's a different case for 57RU, eurocom doesn't reduce the price on the old technology.

So, I am probably going to order the 57TU today. Any more comment about Eurocom and their shipping time for out of province?

I most likely will going to start a new thread if I purchase on them, and review their service and quality, and about my research. Because I think many Canadian will find it convenient if they are looking for any decent laptop other than dell.

 

Just post the specs and the price before you pull the trigger

 

Eurocom is pretty simple:

1) Talk to John Shore.
2) Ask for a price match. (Although that might not be the best idea right now, I actually can't believe the dollar is at 78 cents now...2 months ago it was on $1 US = $1 CA...)

My experience with them was awesome; easy to deal with, fixed all the problems I had, shipping time once my order actually went through was 2 days, and the one time I had to call tech support they answered my question within 5 minutes.

 

$2,135 CAD
In short, I want the cheapest CPU, with cheapest GPU, cheapest ram, cheapest HD, even no wireless (I assume I can take the one from my XPS M1710 and put it in this one), no OS, with 2nd year warranty (because my credit card gives me 1 extra year to 3 years total), and 1 extra power adapter.


The following is the web quote:

EUROCOM M570TU Montebello $2,135 CAD

Summary
Base
System and Display EUROCOM M571TU DIVINE-X; Silver Stripe & Silver Back Cover; 17-inch Widescreen with Glossy Surface; WSXGA+ 1680-by-1050 pixels
Built-in WebCam for Video Conferencing, Skype Ready Without WebCam installed
Biometric Security Device - Log on to your PC or Web sites with the touch of your finger Integrated Fingerprint Reader for Secure Data Access and Easy Management of Passwords
VGA Technology 512MB GDDR3 Nvidia GeForce Go 9800M GTS; 16x PCIe; DX10; NB9E-GT
Internal TV Tuner None - Choose from the options below
Graphics eXpansion Modules for Surround Design None - Choose from the options below
Upgradeable Processor 2.26GHz P8400 Intel Core 2 Duo Mobile; FSB1066; 3MB L2; 45nm; 25W
Memory Configuration 2GB; 2x 1GB; DDR3-1066; PC-8500; 204-pin - 2 SODIMMs
Turbo Memory or 3G HSDPA Module None; Choose from the options below
Hard Drive: Choose Regular, Hybrid or Solid State Drive(s) 160GB; SATA; 5,400rpm; 1.5Gb/s; 8MB cache; 2.5-inch
Hard Drive(s) Setup i.e. Multiple Partitions, RAID 0,1,5 etc None - Choose from the options below
External Hard Drive for Data Backup or Network Storage (NAS) None - Choose from the options below
Choose Your Keyboard (Language) English; US & Canada
Operating System(s) None - Choose from the options below
Optical Drive - to Backup large capacity HDDs and to Store data-rich digital content 8x Multi DVD +-RW/-RAM Burner; SATA; Dual-Layer; Tray-based; w/ Software
Bluetooth for Wireless Devices None - Choose from the options below
HSDPA/HSUPA Worldwide Mobile Broadband Optional - via ExpressCard or PCMCIA slot, internal Turbo Memory slot or via USB port
Wireless LAN None - Choose from the options below
ExpressCard Adapters - eSATA, Firewire, Serial, HSDPA, 2nd LAN, etc None - Choose from the options below
Wireless Access Point for Home, School, or Small Business Optional Wireless Routers Available ... see below
Office and Business Productivity Software None - Choose from the options below
Digital Content Creation; Multimedia & Graphics; CAD, CAE & CAM; 3D & Animation None - Choose from the options below
AntiVirus, Security and Utilities Software None - Choose from the options below
Gaming Accessories None - Choose from the options below
Internal Card Reader 7-in-1 Card Reader; MMC/RSMMC/SD/Mini-SD/MS/MS Pro/MS Duo
Standard Battery (internal) 8-cells Smart Li-lon Battery
Standard AC Adapter 120W AC Adapter; 100-240V Auto-Switching
Standard Power Cord - included US / Canada Power Cord
Carrying Case None - Choose from the options below
Choose Your Warranty Plan 2 Years Return to Factory Depot with 2 Years of Tech Support
Options
Get 2nd AC Adapter for Home, Office and Travelling 120W auto-switching AC Adapter

 

a quote from US powernotebooks is
Price: USD1636 with Blue Ray + latest wireless card + 320gb 7200rpm hd
that's quite a bit cheaper, but only to USA.
1636/0.7855 = 2082 CDN and the BR is worth $110, wireless card is around $90, the 320gb hd is worth $120 , estimate price is 2082 - 320 = $1762.

quote from sagernotebook.com is
1658, same spec as powernotebooks, but with case too.

I wonder if i can ask eurocom to price match to 1950.

 

I though Powernotebooks didn't ship to Canada?

 

powernotebooks don't, i just compare them.

Wow, xoticPC is at least 200$ cheaper than sagernotebook.com, and only $110 for no brokeage expedite shipping.

Now I see why people say eurocom is overpriced.

 

You're matching the 570RU to the 5793. The TU is priced relatively okay @ Eurocom, but the RU is definitely overpriced due to the huge discount offered on the 5793 by Sager right now.

Sager and its resellers are having a fire sale on the 570RU right now to clear existing inventory.

Also, sagernotebooks will be willing to pricematch with xotic/powernotebooks.

Also, regardless of who you pick, be it sager, xotic, powernotebooks or eurocom, you'll still have to fork out quite a bit for shipping should you be moving to Asia.

If you're intending to move, and you're really worried about warranty issues, a better bet might be picking out a Dell (3 year complete care), HP (business class) or Asus model as these have international warranties. You'll probably be able to get them service in the country you're in, unlike the Clevo models, which you will have to send back to North America for servicing. They may send out parts to you, but HP/Dell/Asus do that as well.

The advantage of Eurocom is that you can remove "upgrades" that come standard with other retailers, meaning that if you have the hardware available, you can save by fitting in your own hardware. Eurocom's upgrades tend to be severely overpriced.

 

thanks a lot for some insights.

The problem is the price of Dell, and HP/Asus doesn't have any game machine in Canada. I would love to pay extra for Asus G70, but they dont have it here. I guess I really have to spend $3500 for a dell for international support, who I just wasted $3700 on because of my failed M1710.

On the other hand, if eurocom are willing to match sager's fire sale of 5793, I might take the risk.

Btw, there aren't much difference between the Tu and 5793, it's new chipset, but the faster front bus is not deciding factor anyways.

 

Correct, currently, Montevina is only slightly quicker than the Penryn processors for Santa Rosa, however, with the 5796/TU, you'll be able to equip quad processors as they drop in price. I see it as paying more for the potential.

As for your M1710, is it out of warranty?

 

I got the standard warranty, Yes I was cheap and think it would last longer than 1 year.

The GPU memory died on me 2 months already 1 year. BUT my premier credit card saved the day by automatically giving me 1 extra year of warranty.
Then the new GPU dies 2 months after the extra year is over. It was 7950 GTX, maybe I should try to find a GPU to replace to save some money. You got any place that sells that?

 

Here.
With buy it now, and live.com cash back, it will cost you about 280 USD.

 

No shipping to Canada.

And it's a used one that might died on the 31st day.

 

You could probably email the seller and see if they are willing to mail to Canada.

To be honest, used modules are about your only hope.

You can always try taking out a Squaretrade warranty on it, but I'm not sure how well that would go.

Still, fixing up your M1710 won't be solving your problems in Asia as it's out of its Dell warranty.

 

Thanks again for your comments.

I am now looking at the Asus G71, it seems it's a possibility. I can order from US if canada doesn't get it, and the Asus global warranty should work , right?

 

Yep, it should. That will also depend on where you're going though. Any idea which countries in Asia?

 

hk, china, or indonesia.

 

Not sure if you realized, but you're pricematching the RU (Sager/Xotic) vs the TU (Eurocom)

Asus/Dell shouldn't have be a problem for the first two countries. You will also have coverage in Indonesia, but specific parts may take a while to arrive as there isn't a Dell Indonesia just yet. However, they do have retail operations and offer coverage there.

 

Yeah, i realized that afterward, but I would be willing to buy the RU if they do pricematch, According to sager and other US reseller, they are doing $600 saving on the RU compare to TU, and they are almost the same spec-wise and performance-wise. The new chipset is faster but only about 1 fps increase. Eurocom's RU is almost the same as TU.

After 3 days of continuous research, I decided to buy the Asus G71g-A2 with the 9800m GS. Even though it's going to be around $2500 CDN in Canada(I estimate), more expensive than the RU or TU, but it's full featured with amazing warranty, 0 BOD pixel LCD. Extra 1 year of warranty is already worth $145+. BlueRay, Bluetooth, wireless card, mouse, case, lcd upgrade. The only down point is i have to wait for a month.

If eurocom are willing reduce the RU by 600, then I am willing take the hit in warranty support.

 

They might not match the full $600 but offer you say $500 to stay within Canada for your purchase. Your problem is that you're not on strong grounds right now with the CAD/USD

 

Yeah, the weak CAD doesn't give me strong bargaining power, but the US reseller is still cheaper with exchange rate and shipping factored in. On top of that, Asus G71 is to attractive for the price and is going to be available in Canada and I can get a deal from my friend selling it to me at COST. So I am definitely getting that if there is no other good deals before the G71 arrives.

I guess the only bargaining power is that if they want the business or not. If they can provide me good service and good price match, then a lot of other ppl in this forum will know, and they get more business. If not, they just don't get the business for sure. What is a better way to advertise their business for free and making money at the same time. If you are the boss or the manager of eurocom, what would you choose?