Brand named PC or cloned machine

This is a common question asked, should I go for a brand named PC or a cloned or none brand name machine?

This is an interesting question as the term cloned seems to have been redefined over the years. A cloned machine back in the day was a reverse engineered “copy” of the original IBM made personal computer (PC). So anything that was not made by IBM was labeled as a clone.

Since then, due to the massive popularity of personal computers, a complete industry of making PC's has developed with different companies offering their brand of PC. You have makers like Dell, Acer, Hewlett Packard and many others that basically have the same or similar components “under the hood” but have their own unique look and feel to them.

So the new definition of a clone is a machine that is custom built using various parts. It isn't tied to any hardware manufacturer and doesn't have to look a certain way. In fact, a cloned machine may not have a badge that typically tells you who has made your machine. You could say it was a no fills or no brand computer.

This raises the question. Is a no brand or cloned machine better than a branded machine?

Again, there are many factors to consider.

One of the considerations is cost. Branded machines will generally cost more. After all, you are paying for their brand and companies work very hard to cultivate their brand.

With this said, the PC market is incredibly competitive so big brands can and have to make their offerings attractive. They may add some kind of free hardware upgrade or a free carry case if the unit is a laptop for anyone that purchases their PC.

They will also push the fact that they use the best hardware components. Dell will crow that they use the latest Intel chip in their adverts on TV for instance. But in the end, the big Brand name PC's are made on a production line business model.

This can be good if quality control is strict but you also hear some horror stories of malfunctioning PC's out of the box.

A cloned machine is often more bespoke and the eventual owner can have more input into what goes inside the machine. It might not look as flash as a brand name but the insides might be much more powerful.

It could have more RAM or the latest video and graphics cards if you want to play games. Or it could have a larger hard drive if extra storage is a priority.

And in the end, it's what your computer can do for you that is more important than what it looks like.

A cloned machine isn't tied into using various parts either. If you want to use a different chip, you can do. And the same applies for any parts of the hardware.

In many cases a cloned machine will be built by a computer shop in the local area, or at least customized by a local computer shop. This could lead to more personalized service and help in the future.

Cloned machines may also be built with upgrades and modification in mind.

Posted By david on 13th October 2012

Updated : 11th June 2018 | Words : 531 | Views : 13370