Falcon Northwest — Attraction in Medford

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...

I recently bought my second Falcon Northwest Talon. It replaces my eleven year old Talon. The older one has run 24/7 since I bought it in 2011 and I've never replaced a thing. When I bought the first one, I was unaware of the lifetime support. I bought it because it looked like a superior product and wasn't much more than run of the mill offerings. Over the next nine years, I would learn the value of eager, English-as-first-language support.

When it came time to replace the 2011 model, I ordered an HP desktop. Quiet frankly, I felt a little guilty going first class as my wife and I are on a retirement fixed income. The specs looked good and I would save (maybe) a couple hundred bucks. When I opened the case to see what I got, it was almost empty. There was a tiny no-name, unpainted power supply and every other component looked as if they were taken from a cheap laptop. It had one very small fan. I sent it back immediately and gladly paid a $70 restocking fee. I didn't have it 24 hours. My wife was angry that I hadn't ordered the Talon in the first place. She knows how much pleasure it gives me. And she's the one who has to listen when I stomp around cursing in frustration owing to a lack of support with other tech devices.

So I ordered my new Talon. The shipping carton alone weighed more than the HP. Everything about FNW computers is beefy (and beautiful). But the quality of the physical PC itself is not nearly as important as the lifetime support. When I ordered the HP, I knew I was trading that in for some offshore phone bank where English is a second language. I'm pretty savvy myself, figured I could tolerate that as I can usually work out my own problems.

Mind you-- I have know problems with other cultures. It's just very difficult for me, and I was reminded how stressful that can be when I called to get an authorization to return the HP. By contrast, I speak to FNW support who-- most likely-- don't even know any language other than English. Over the years, I've come to know a few of them by name, and most importantly, they know me.

A few days ago, on a Sunday, I was having trouble with a soundbar I had ordered from Amazon. I didn't know if I'd gotten a lemon or if my Talon had a sound issue. I emailed FNW support in hopes of resolving the issue over the next few days. Within hours (yes, on a Sunday), I got a phone call from Brett. He remoted my computer and began looking for the problem. As usual with FNW support, the issue was resolved within minutes and my blood pressure remained normal throughout the process. I just folded my hands and watched his cursor poke around for issues.

It was neither the PC or the soundbar, but a janky Windows update which had disabled my sound. Mind you-- I can still get support for my 2011 Talon! It's long since run out of warranty, but the support goes on. And support is usually all anyone needs. If a part does eventually burn out, I'll let FNW advise which part I probably need.

I'm not anyone's fanboy. I'm just telling you that Falcon Northwest is the only way to go if you want high quality to start with and incomparable support after the sale. I cannot overemphasize how comforting that is. I didn't have to choose from eight options on a phone tree, I didn't get put on hold to listen to elevator music, and I didn't struggle to understand the person I finally go to talk to.

I didn't have to explain why they should help me with a third-party sound bar, and I didn't have to retrieve documents to supply the support person with model and serial numbers. It was Brett calling Bill. My name alone gives him access to everything he needs to know about my Talon. Next time you're stressed to the max trying to get help with you computer, resolve to make FNW your next PC. You can...

I built my previous two gaming PCs, so I was reluctant to go the pre-built route, but the 2021 GPU/CPU shortage forced my hand. Falcon NW was not the cheapest option, but their decades-long reputation for quality and support made the decision an easy one. I had high expectations for my PC, and when it arrived it far exceeded all of them!

First and foremost, that case. The Talon case is truly an engineering marvel, and a work of art. The thick aluminum panels give it a substantive feel that I've never seen or felt in a PC case before. The RGB lighting is tasteful and understated - glad they finally went this route!

I'm an engineer obsessed with attention to detail and quality assurance, so the detailed check sheet for the build, configuration, test, and burn-in process was so delightful to see. This is where the benefit of a small, boutique company comes to the forefront - this kind of individualized attention ensures that the system just works, right out of the box. The shipping box may as well have been an armored tank - nothing was loose or broken, and everything fired up the first time. (Remember to hang on to all your packing materials for the first-year overnight shipping service!)

The performance of my PC (Ryzen 9 5900X, 32GB 3600 MHz RAM, RTX 3080 Founders Edition, 2x 1TB PCIe 4 NVMe) is amazing, and I can game at 1440p 165 Hz without the machine breaking a sweat. Heat management is great, and even at their highest settings the fans are not obtrusive.

I had to contact tech support within the first week of ownership...because I was an idiot and flashed a BIOS update without saving my settings first, and lost all Falcon's custom profiles (XMP, fan curves, etc.). Tech support replied literally three minutes after my e-mail was sent, with detailed instructions on how to restore, and a backup plan in case that didn't work. No blindly following a script, no demanding all kinds of information first, no asking me to reboot - this is what all tech support should be. This kind of support alone makes the higher price more than worth it - especially since it's lifetime tech support!

Two months in and I'm still completely satisfied with my purchase. If you want a well-designed, well-tested, hand-built, lifetime-supported gaming system without compromise, Falcon Northwest is the...