OCZ Technology Intro DIY Gaming Notebooks – ‘Dream it, Configure it, Create it’ [DIY Notebooks]

OCZ Technology have announced a new ‘pioneering’ Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Gaming Notebook Program allowing users to purchase unconfigured notebooks and pick and choose components – from CPUs to memory, to HDD/SSD options, etc – in a bid to create the gaming notebook of their dreams (or as close as budget constraints will allow) which OCZ Technology will then subsequently professionally assemble on the user’s behalf prior to shipping.

The Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Gaming Notebook Program was announced by Eugene Chang, Product Manager for OCZ System Solutions, who states that ‘For years consumers have wanted to build their own mobile computing platforms, but the product offerings and market simply did not serve them as they did in the desktop do it yourself segment…With the OCZ Do-It-Yourself Notebook initiative, OCZ empowers with the resources like validated component guides, documentation, tech support, and a warranty to allow consumers to configure and build a true gaming notebook with the exact specification that matches their unique requirements.’

OCZ Technology cites the benefits concerning their Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Gaming Notebook Program as being:

Customization – User selects Operating System, CPU, memory, and HDD/SSD of choice.

Value – User can save money by purchasing components individually through sales, bundles, rebates, auctions, trades, etc. Additionally there is no mark-up for labour costs of assembling the notebook.

Craft – User sees the notebook from beginning to end and enjoys building their own notebook, savvy consumers can go one step beyond and personalize the outlook of the unit, creating a truly handcrafted notebook.

For those interested in OCZ Technology’s Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Gaming Notebook Program, the specifications of the base level notebook are as follows (valid at the time of writing):

• 15.4″ WXGA Display w/ Glossy Finish
• Intel PM965 Chipset + ICH8M
• NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT with 512 MB DDR2 Video Memory
• PCI-Express™ 16X
• 8X DVD±R/RW + 4x Dual Layer Combo drive
• Built-in HD Audio Codec
• 3D Surround sound
• Integrated Touchpad
• A4 Sized Keyboard
• 1 Lithium-Ion Battery (9 Cell)

An interesting idea, certainly, though arguably Dell and Alienware – especially the latter – have been offering a high degree of end-user customisation with respect to their gaming rigs for some considerable time so, whilst we accept that this program is seemingly offering greater choice to the consumer (from a list of OCZ Technology validated components, we should add) we do question whether this service is quite as ‘pioneering’ as OCZ Technology would have us believe.

Ultimately, time will tell (specifically with respect to the scope of their validated, user selectable components list).

OCZ Technology