# So, which computer brands should I avoid **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 30, 2010, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-which-computer-brands-should-i-avoid/527032 "2010-01-30T17:11:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2010, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-which-computer-brands-should-i-avoid/527032/21 "2010-01-30T22:08:09Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > All I can do is add to your anecdotal data about eMachines. My wife and I each bought one several years back, and both of them died in their second year of use. Emachines was always a discount machine and they buy the absolute cheapest crap they could. The magic question is how far to push the lower price/probability of failure point. When you build hundreds of thousands of machines a 5% failure rate on a component starts getting ugly in a hurry. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2010, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-which-computer-brands-should-i-avoid/527032/22 "2010-01-30T22:45:39Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > There are online custom builders Frankly that’s what I would recommend. While you will always find folks dissatisfied with their experiences ( computers being finicky beasts, prone to punishing careless builds ), outfits like [KC Computers](http://kc-computers.com/) or [Cyberpower](http://www.cyberpowerpc.com/) are reasonable alternatives to the big names. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2010, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-which-computer-brands-should-i-avoid/527032/23 "2010-01-30T22:58:16Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > Frankly that’s what I would recommend. While you will always find folks dissatisfied with their experiences ( computers being finicky beasts, prone to punishing careless builds ), outfits like [KC Computers](http://kc-computers.com/) or [Cyberpower](http://www.cyberpowerpc.com/) are reasonable alternatives to the big names. I’ve seen some real horror stories about Cyberpower, ditto Ascendtech for poor QC and difficult customer service, wrong parts installed, burn-in service not done, etc. Falcon seems to be well regarded though _very_ pricey. This is why I decided to tackle building my own, if something goes wrong, it’s my fault or a failed component will be under warranty. ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2010, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-which-computer-brands-should-i-avoid/527032/24 "2010-01-30T23:18:01Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Avoid Packard-Bell. Beyond that, we need to know for what purpose you’re purchasing the computer. I’ve been told this before. But our first PC was a P-B, and it worked flawlessly for about 5 years untilo we upgraded. We have a Dell now. It’s been reliable, but the horrific customer service outsourced to India makes me think twice about buying another one. Joe ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2010, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-which-computer-brands-should-i-avoid/527032/25 "2010-01-31T00:02:44Z")
_Consumer Reports_ has regular reports on computers, and they give their reliability ratings to the various brands. Based on a large survey of their subscribers, so I guess it’s still anecdotal data – but anecdotes from a couple hundred thousand people is pretty convincing. Though I still think this is a really broad overview. For example, Dell has 3 major lines of computers, with different quality levels. But people report them to _Consumer Reports_ as just “Dell”. That’s rather like lumping together all the reports on “General Motors” cars. ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2010, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-which-computer-brands-should-i-avoid/527032/26 "2010-01-31T03:03:36Z")
More than what you buy, is how you power it…get a good line conditioner/UPS. I suspect a great majority of computer failures come from interrupted power. ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2010, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-which-computer-brands-should-i-avoid/527032/27 "2010-01-31T03:10:39Z")
I’ve said it before, but I’m a big fan of Falcon Northwest & their Talon line of machines. The current Talon is $1500 and has the intel Core i5 750, 4gb RAM, nvida gts 250 and a 500 gb hard drive. 1 year warranty. You can adjust that too. Add a sound card, maybe, if you want. But the base machine is super. Falcon’s known building for crazy souped up maniac machines for stupid money. The Talon is their basic model and I think that’s a pretty respectable deal for a gaming machine (assuming you don’t go nuts and add the optional $600 paint job.) ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2010, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-which-computer-brands-should-i-avoid/527032/28 "2010-01-31T03:15:50Z")
[Laptops ranked by failure rate](http://www.electronista.com/articles/09/11/17/reliability.study.has.apple.4th.place/). ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2010, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-which-computer-brands-should-i-avoid/527032/29 "2010-01-31T03:31:46Z")
> [@Unintentionally\_Blank](#): > > More than what you buy, is how you power it…get a good line conditioner/UPS. I suspect a great majority of computer failures come from interrupted power. He should get a bunch of Monster Cables too. ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2010, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-which-computer-brands-should-i-avoid/527032/30 "2010-01-31T03:34:56Z")
Was that sarcasm? My subtlety gland is on the fritz. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2010, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-which-computer-brands-should-i-avoid/527032/31 "2010-01-31T03:45:31Z")
Yes indeed. Unless you live in one of the very few places in the US which have frequent and persistent electrical issues line conditioners and UPSes are nothing more than snake oil. A basic surge protector is all that you need. Line conditioners are especially ridiculous on a PC because all the power runs through the PSU and anything “conditioned” is rendered moot. ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2010, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-which-computer-brands-should-i-avoid/527032/32 "2010-01-31T04:05:25Z")
> [@](#): > > Unless you live in one of the very few places in the US which have frequent and persistent electrical issues line conditioners and UPSes are nothing more than snake oil. A basic surge protector is all that you need. Line conditioners are especially ridiculous on a PC because all the power runs through the PSU and anything “conditioned” is rendered moot. Like California in the brown-out season? Perhaps your laptop is on the same circuit in the kitchen as, say, your Mixer. Mom n Dad needed a pretty good one for when they switched from Shore power to the Genset. Perhaps there are people in different situations than you? So my legal clarification is this: Get a thing that conditions your power. Make sure it doesn’t say Monster. Pay more than $5 for it. Don’t get it from walgreens. One with a Battery is better. ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2010, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-which-computer-brands-should-i-avoid/527032/33 "2010-01-31T04:28:25Z")
> [@Unintentionally\_Blank](#): > > Like California in the brown-out season? I live in knoxville. I dont’ think I need this anyhow. Power interruptions are not he problem, although occaisional lightning strikes are. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2010, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-which-computer-brands-should-i-avoid/527032/34 "2010-01-31T04:30:08Z")
Toshiba laptop. Piece of shit. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2010, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-which-computer-brands-should-i-avoid/527032/35 "2010-01-31T12:26:10Z")
> [@Unintentionally\_Blank](#): > > Like California in the brown-out season? > > Perhaps your laptop is on the same circuit in the kitchen as, say, your Mixer. > > Mom n Dad needed a pretty good one for when they switched from Shore power to the Genset. > > Perhaps there are people in different situations than you? > > So my legal clarification is this: > Get a thing that conditions your power. Make sure it doesn’t say Monster. Pay more than $5 for it. Don’t get it from walgreens. One with a Battery is better. In every case a UPS solves your issue, as much as it needs to be solved. “Conditioners” are snake oil, pure and simple. ---
**Author:** ![Cardinal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardinal/32/4000_2.png) [@Cardinal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardinal)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2010, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-which-computer-brands-should-i-avoid/527032/36 "2010-01-31T13:25:45Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Avoid Packard-Bell. Beyond that, we need to know for what purpose you’re purchasing the computer. I had no idea they were even in the market. I’ve not met anyone with one in over ten years. Oh, I see on their website that they have no option to choose that you live in the USA. Are they still prominent in Europe? ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2010, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-which-computer-brands-should-i-avoid/527032/37 "2010-01-31T14:26:25Z")
> [@Omniscient](#): > > In every case a UPS solves your issue, as much as it needs to be solved. “Conditioners” are snake oil, pure and simple. So you’re flaying me on a single word? A Line conditioner IS a surge supressor. :dubious: Some ‘line conditioners’ are snake oil. All line conditioners are NOT snake oil. Fine, I submit the following: “Buy a friggin UPS. Something from APC or Tripplite. Then fuggetaboutit.” - This statement has been sent to my lawyer, **Omiscient** , because I’m obviously not qualified to run a keyboard. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2010, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-which-computer-brands-should-i-avoid/527032/38 "2010-01-31T16:38:14Z")
> [@drachillix](#): > > Two words: Quality control. Most brand names have none, you are the QC department. When you open up your box from most big OEMS, the machine has literally never been turned on. This is absolutely true. At one time I would hardly have believed it. But it happened to me a week ago. Brand new desktop, would not power on. They sent a tech to the house who replaced the motherboard and power supply. It’s a brand I’ve bought many times over the years and always had great experiences with. I hope this one was just an aberration. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2010, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-which-computer-brands-should-i-avoid/527032/39 "2010-01-31T17:13:26Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > Toshiba laptop. Piece of shit. Really? Mine is great. And Toshiba’s service (at least in this country) is excellent. ---
**Author:** ![yoyodyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a9a28c/32.png) [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2010, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-which-computer-brands-should-i-avoid/527032/40 "2010-01-31T17:27:52Z")
> [@drachillix](#): > > From my normal wholesaler is $46 our cost. Newegg sells it for $46.99 with free shipping. 😕 Newegg sells a LOT of drives. I’m sure they get a good deal direct from the factory. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-which-computer-brands-should-i-avoid/527032.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-which-computer-brands-should-i-avoid/527032.md?page=3)