Is Desktop/Laptop Reliability based on manufacture irrelevant?

[Felix]

I'm just double checking my logic. I have people ask me all the time, who makes a reliable computer? Dell, Acer, HP, etc.?

I usually respond by saying that the manufactures get all of there parts from suppliers and assemble the machine, so I can't say who's more reliable because they could be using the same or different parts at various times.

I just want to double check to make sure my thinking is correct, I'm not 100% sure about laptops, but desktops get their motherboards from whomever, their ram from samsung, micron, etc. Hard drives from Western Digital, Seagate, etc. I'm not to sure who usually supplies the motherboards for laptops, but I do know that some laptops are really from companies like Sager who provide the basic machines which are then re branded.

I also realize that for example PC World and Consumer Reports rate manufactures, but that information always seems inaccurate to me.

Any thoughts?

 

[SOHO-NZ]

There are definitely differences in the quality (& longevity) between say a super cheap PC marketed for home use, and say an HP business desktop PC.

Many of the HP desktops come with a 3 year warranty - they wouldn't do that if they thought they would get many claims on it.

HP, IBM etc often modify Seagate or Western Digital hard drives to their own specification, usually to make them more reliable.

All this comes at a price, of course...

 

[usacvlr]

The absolute worst laptops are HP and Compaqs. That's in terms of board failure rates. Next would be any high end system by any mfr. Never spend more than 750 dollars on any laptop and never buy a large 'multimedia' system with a large screen. They all overheat an they will most likely die a sudden and painful death. The mfrs are trying to pack desktop performance in a case that has laptop cooling and it just doesn't work. I recommend everyone buy Toshiba then Acer or any low or mid range Dell laptop. Never buy a 'high end' laptop. You're asking for a hefty repair Bill in 6 to 12 months.

 

[frostbyte5014]

I guess if you was just starting out, you would have to rely more on hardware reviews from magazines or websites. I tell my customers that because I work on a lot of system I get to see what holds up best. I base it on experience and not so much on reviews.

 

[Jory]

I guess if you was just starting out, you would have to rely more on hardware reviews from magazines or websites. I tell my customers that because I work on a lot of system I get to see what holds up best. I base it on experience and not so much on reviews.

Reviews can't be trusted because the publication often relies on advertising revenue from the companies they review. Even if they were honest it wouldn't tell you how reliable something is. By the time you really know for sure the product is many years old.

Even basing your recommendations off of what you personally work on is inherently flawed because it's all anecdotal. All of us do it by nature though. The truth is there isn't a lot separating the major computer manufacturers, and any true knowledge of reliability would quickly be outdated anyway because parts are constantly changing. I don't believe the assembly process is going to make much of a difference on reliability compared to the parts used.

Personally I recommend Dell if they want me to order it for them, and set it up. I only chose them because they're constantly having sales, their systems actually come with a windows disk, the website is the best for getting drivers, and they typically they look nice. Just avoid the models with proprietary parts (if they still do that).

 

[dhrandy]

All cheap desktops are what they are. Cheap. They user generic power supplies and generic everything else.

Gaming computers normally use more expensive parts from good manufactures.

As far as laptops go, the ones I don't recommend are the more rare brands that most people haven't heard of like Micron or Avertec. I also tell them to be weary of HPs because of the problems they have had lately.

 

[purple_minion]

While I haven't bought any OEM machines since my very first HP back in 2002, I will say this... you get what you pay for. That is my motto, along with you can either buy it once (more expensive) or buy it twice (when the first cheap on breaks/doesn't work). You buy a cheap XXX you get cheap parts. You buy a more expensive XXX it generally should be better. Granted there are always exceptions, but always do some research on whatever you're buying. Like it was said before, reliability can't be measured until the machine is obsolete, you can at least look at user reviews and see what is said about duds, customer service, etc. Also take with a grain of salt since most people don't go and say XXX was really great, you usually hear when people complain. (Side note, why is it always JUST one grain of salt... seems tiny.)

 

[Felix]

That's what I mean.
I like HP's Business class laptops.
But I don't buy desktops, since I'd much rather build it myself (with good parts).
And it's d**n near impossible to figure out what exactly a manufacture is putting in a computer without cracking it open. So therefore I can never tell a client that spending more money will get you a better computer.

 

[l337]

i like with the business laptops how easy it is to open them up to expose the fans,heatsinks making them very easy to keep clean. compare it to a cheaper laptop where u have to completly dismantle and in some cases even remove the mobo to get to the heatsink/s lol.

as for brands im still a fan of dells products they seem powerful and fair priced

 

[TimeCode]

The absolute worst laptops are HP and Compaqs. That's in terms of board failure rates. Next would be any high end system by any mfr. Never spend more than 750 dollars on any laptop and never buy a large 'multimedia' system with a large screen. They all overheat an they will most likely die a sudden and painful death. The mfrs are trying to pack desktop performance in a case that has laptop cooling and it just doesn't work. I recommend everyone buy Toshiba then Acer or any low or mid range Dell laptop. Never buy a 'high end' laptop. You're asking for a hefty repair Bill in 6 to 12 months.

That is good to know, thanks!

 

[usacvlr]

Averatecs, oh the joy. They pile up on my shop doorstep like a pile of dead gophers left by a cat.

All cheap desktops are what they are. Cheap. They user generic power supplies and generic everything else.

Gaming computers normally use more expensive parts from good manufactures.

As far as laptops go, the ones I don't recommend are the more rare brands that most people haven't heard of like Micron or Avertec. I also tell them to be weary of HPs because of the problems they have had lately.

 

[frostbyte5014]

Reviews can't be trusted because the publication often relies on advertising revenue from the companies they review. Even if they were honest it wouldn't tell you how reliable something is. By the time you really know for sure the product is many years old.

Even basing your recommendations off of what you personally work on is inherently flawed because it's all anecdotal. All of us do it by nature though. The truth is there isn't a lot separating the major computer manufacturers, and any true knowledge of reliability would quickly be outdated anyway because parts are constantly changing. I don't believe the assembly process is going to make much of a difference on reliability compared to the parts used.

Personally I recommend Dell if they want me to order it for them, and set it up. I only chose them because they're constantly having sales, their systems actually come with a windows disk, the website is the best for getting drivers, and they typically they look nice. Just avoid the models with proprietary parts (if they still do that).

Jory, I was referring to customer reviews but I totally disagree with you about the experience factor. I know what works best and because of that I have had only one hardware failure in the past six years. I CAN recommend hardware based on experience. I also give my customers a three year warranty on all new systems. As for Dell, that's a whole other subject. I have replace more bad hard drives on Dell's with in the first year of ownership than I care to remember. On the other hand I have made a lot of money off of Dell.

 

[usacvlr]

We all love maxtor drives don't we? Replaced sooo many of those.

As far as mfrs go, I can attest from around the 1K laptops I've done that without a doubt some brands are just plain crap and some aren't and there are some problems they all have. There is so much in consumer electronics that is just plain plastic cheap junk.

 

[frostbyte5014]

Hardware I Use...

Hi Guys,

Thought I'd share a little info about the hardware I use. I don't expect this works for everyone but it has worked for me for quite a while.

Mobos: Intel, MSI
Hard Drives: Seagate
Optical Drives: Samsung, Liteon
Memory: Kingston
PSU: OCZ, Thermaltake, Coolermaster
Case: Compucase

Brand Name Systems: Acer, Lenovo, MSI.

I have used this lineup for over six years and have only had one hardware failure during this time. I don't cut corners ever on quality. I also don't sell low end systems because It's so hard to build a quality system to meet my standards.

 

[hitch]

I'd like to weigh in on the laptop debate. I work at a local college and we have about 500 laptops that we look after during the course of a semester. We see all makes and models. By far the ones that have the most problems are the Acer laptops. These things are junk in my opinion. They are made from what seems to be a cheaper plastic and we are constantly seeing broken clips, and switches. Hardware errors also seem to be common. These are followed closely by HP/Compaq. Like a previous post said they are the kings of board replacement. Other common problems we have seen are hard drives and network cards. Toshiba seems to be in the middle of the pack. You get the odd problem, but all in all they are pretty stable. We rarely have to look at a Dell and when we do it is most likely due to the user more then the machine. Given the price point it is what I recomend most. The top machines we see are the lenovo's (IBMs) which rarely fail and are built like tanks. In fact I'm typing on one now. The price is a little higher, but they are rock solid.

With regards to desktops I have to agree with most of the others. I feel as though you get what you pay for these days. I'd rather do a custom build then spend the money twice. I was always under the impression that Asus provided HP with mobos for their desktops. I'm not 100% on that though... can anyone else back me up on that? If I had to buy a desktop however I would probably again choose dell. Optiplex's tend to stand the test of time pretty well.

 

[Felix]

I'd like to weigh in on the laptop debate. I work at a local college and we have about 500 laptops that we look after during the course of a semester. We see all makes and models. By far the ones that have the most problems are the Acer laptops. These things are junk in my opinion. They are made from what seems to be a cheaper plastic and we are constantly seeing broken clips, and switches. Hardware errors also seem to be common. These are followed closely by HP/Compaq. Like a previous post said they are the kings of board replacement. Other common problems we have seen are hard drives and network cards. Toshiba seems to be in the middle of the pack. You get the odd problem, but all in all they are pretty stable. We rarely have to look at a Dell and when we do it is most likely due to the user more then the machine. Given the price point it is what I recomend most. The top machines we see are the lenovo's (IBMs) which rarely fail and are built like tanks. In fact I'm typing on one now. The price is a little higher, but they are rock solid.

With regards to desktops I have to agree with most of the others. I feel as though you get what you pay for these days. I'd rather do a custom build then spend the money twice. I was always under the impression that Asus provided HP with mobos for their desktops. I'm not 100% on that though... can anyone else back me up on that? If I had to buy a desktop however I would probably again choose dell. Optiplex's tend to stand the test of time pretty well.

I hate the older dell desktops though. The design of them is just so stupid.
I'm talking about the old some of the old GX desktops with the cases that spread open and the usb ports on the front bezel are at a bottom angle.
And from what I've heard from other techs Dell put crap power supplies in most of them.

 

[hitch]

I hate the older dell desktops though. The design of them is just so stupid.
I'm talking about the old some of the old GX desktops with the cases that spread open and the usb ports on the front bezel are at a bottom angle.
And from what I've heard from other techs Dell put crap power supplies in most of them.

I know exactly what you mean and I have to agree with you on some of the designs. Espically that usb port issue. Honestly I haven't encountered any issues with the power supplies. We did have one batch of precision workstations that ended up having a board replacement on every unit. That shook my confidence a little to say the least, but I still think they are solid.

 

[usacvlr]

Only issue I've really had with Acers is the lcd switches. As a general rule I unplug them.