You're experience with ordering a laptop without certain hardware?

I was wondering what people's experience is with ordering a laptop from XoticPC and installing your own hardware? How does this affect warranty, build time, and quality assurance of the laptop?

I'm thinking of ordering without any RAM, HDD, and OS. Then buying my OS and an SSD on Amazon (because of gift card money), ordering the RAM on Newegg, and of course ordering the laptop at XoticPC.

How does not getting an OS affect the software and drivers discs that you get?

I'm thinking of the following [NP9150 from XoticPC]:
-Standard Matte Screen Upgrade
-8GB 1333MHz RAM downgrade (then ask for no RAM in comments, I was told by Justin it saves $40)
-Stock HDD (ask for no HDD in comments, I was told by Justin it saves $50)
-Stock i7-3610QM
-Intel Ultimate N 6300
-No Branding
-DVD Burner or Blu-Ray Reader (not sure yet, depends on if Blu-Ray movie playback software is provided from XoticPC/Sager)
-GTX 675M or GTX 680M (depends on if I want it to last me 5+ years or forever, I'm not dealing with the headache I've seen from AMD, with the 680M, I can get the $50 NBR member discount for sure)
[assuming a DVD burner instead of bluray, with the 675M it would be $1434 minus $90 for the removed components. with the 680M it would be $1829 minus $90 for removed components and minus another $50 for the NBR over $1500 discount, in both instances I would opt for the cash discounted price which I calculate to be between $1304 and $1639 depending on the card]

Amazon (I have $330 credit from selling textbooks):
Windows 7 Professional SP1 64 bit OEM -$140
Crucial M4 256GB SSD - $205

Newegg (One of these 2 RAM sets, can anyone guaruntee if they work in a P150EM? Any recomendations as to which to get?:
Newegg.com - G.SKILL 8GB (2 x 4GB) 204-Pin DDR3 SO-DIMM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Laptop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBSK -$48
Newegg.com - Kingston HyperX 8GB (2 x 4GB) 204-Pin DDR3 SO-DIMM DDR3 1600 HyperX Plug n Play Laptop Memory Model KHX1600C9S3P1K2/8G -$70



Thanks for all and any help!!!

 

I've done that several times. No problem. All the drivers you need are on a CD/DVD they provide.

 

This is my normal procedure for purchasing things from vendors actually. On my NP9170 I actually went the 8 gig 1333 downgrade (it was actually cheaper than having them remove it all together, so I just moved it to a different laptop) Bought an SSD from Newegg, and got my professional Win 7 disc ready. When it got here I put my previous 1600 Hyperx in it, my new Crucial m4 and my own operating system on it.

No problems at all, the driver disc works fine as long as you are not installing XP. It is actually the better way to do it I feel.

Check with Justin again. From what I know it is -50$ to pick the downgrade, OR -40$ to have the ram removed, you can't have both.

 

Its fairly easy to put in your own components and install the OS as long as you're comfortable doing so. If you've built your own desktops or upgraded notebooks before you'll be OK. If you've never done it before I would have us do it. But in the end it all comes down to you.

 

Unless you're planning on sticking with Windows 7, I'd just get Home Premium and then the upgrade to Windows 8 Pro is only $15 more. About $95 altogether if I'm not mistaken.