Pencils ready?
We're almost ready to begin.
Jason Perlow
Dead
Alive
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes
The moderator has delivered a final verdict.
While there's no doubt that big-box PC OEMs have driven computer prices into the dirt – so much so that it's hard for the OEMs themselves to cut a profit – there's still room in the market for DIYers who want to build their own PCs.
If you want to make a good meal then you need to make sure that you use the best ingredients and put them together carefully.
This is something Mr. Perlow knows all about.
Sure, there's nothing wrong with going out and pick up 'fast food' PC from the nearest greasy spoon, but you probably don't want to know what when into it, or how it was put together!
Also, a quality homebrew PCs doesn't have to cost the earth. You can put together a $300 or a $2000 system, and be sure that you know that you have a quality product that should last for years.
We're almost ready to begin.
Because I've got the facts on my side.
I am for Dead
I'm ready for a battle.
I am for Alive
Since the needs of a business are often very different from an individual consumer's needs, let's approach each scenario separately. And once we've examined both business and consumer perspectives on homebrew PCs, we'll wrap up with a look at how trends in the overall desktop computer market are affecting the build vs. buy equation.
Thinking only about businesses, what are the biggest advantages to building your own PCs or having a local IT firm build custom, white-box desktops (i.e. not name brand machines)?
There very few advantages to building your own PC or having a reseller/integrator do this for you today. 10 years ago, more realistically 15 or 20, there was a healthy ecosystem of diverse component vendors as well as businesses that could competitively price systems built from scratch as well as provide significant differentiation and value add with building systems. Part of what came along with this would be personalized support.
But that ecosystem is not healthy today, the component supply chain has become heavily consolidated, and the Tier-1 vendors can provide excellent on-site tech support contracts.
If you really prefer local, personalized tech support, there's always independent consultants who specialize in this -- who have largely ceased the practice of building and reselling systems due to the resale tax burden as well as being unable to compete with system margins sold in retail, brick and mortar retail/discount clubs, and with e-commerce direct to order.
I am for Dead
First off, while I'm a huge DIY PC advocate, I'm not suggesting that business build every PC they need – although I know some smaller businesses that have done this. This is a foolhardy endeavor that doesn't bring much in the way of gains.
However, for some sorts of PCs it's a great idea for the following reason:
Bottom line, with a brand-name system you have very little control over what goes into the machine. Usually they are the cheapest components that the OEM can find. While this is great for general–purpose systems, if you need something a little more specific then most OEMs either aren't going to be able to cater for your needs, or are going to charge you a premium.
I am for Alive
Again thinking just about businesses, what are the biggest risks to building your own PCs or having a local IT firm build custom, white-box desktops (i.e. not name brand machines)?
First there is the risk of a local IT firm or whiteboxer being unable to support your systems by the very real possibility of them closing up shop and you being stuck with non-retail, bulk OEM PC components with limited warrantees. While this sounded ludicrous 15 or 20 years ago, that's now a very real possibility today.
The second is being able to consistently source the same components and not being able to standardize installs and drivers. While this is not necessarily as much of an issue as it was, say, 10 years ago with the advent of componentized and scripted installs, as well as superior PnP technology in today's PC OSes, it still adds to the support burden and it adds significantly to overall level of effort and time sink.
Why? Because you are spending an inordinate amount of time and energy on system verification rather than unpacking OEM systems from boxes and turning them on, and pushing down a standardized image with all your apps on it. Time is money. Do you want your highly-paid IT staff wasting valuable time playing PC tech, or to focus their energies in support your line of business applications and infrastructure?
I am for Dead
As with most things, there are risks attached to taking the DIY PC approach:
I am for Alive
Even if homebrew PCs aren't right for every business situation, are there specific scenarios where it makes more sense for a business to build a white-box PC rather than buy a name-brand machine, even one that has customized hardware? What are they?
It almost never makes sense to do this. Never. One could argue that there are edge-case vertical industry scenarios where they need a specialized graphics or PCI card, or an extreme high performance internal storage device, extremely high-speed networking, or what have you.
There may be legacy hardware/peripherals with software and drivers that still needs to be supported that doesn't run on modern systems, but in cases like this the business should be considering migration/transformation to rid themselves of these high-risk devices that could severely impact their business if they fail.
Industries like computer graphics / engineering/ content creation have demanding requirements that may occasionally outstrip the capabilities of what many PC vendors might offer, even with their most high-end workstations. But these are extremely rare cases and more often than not there are practical workarounds which don't require a custom build.
I am for Dead
I've come across several situations where a DIY PC outperforms a name-brand system. Here are a few examples:
- Lab setting, where there are specific requirements that might be hard for an OEM to pull off (or at least pull off cheaply).
- Challenging environments, such as workshops of garage settings, where eliminating fans and mitigating the effects of dust are paramount.
- Sound studios that require quiet PCs (these are much cheaper to build than to buy off from specialist retailers).
- Custom system for recording or duplicating CDs and DVDs (again, much cheaper to build than to buy a custom solution).
I am for Alive
How does the size of a business (number of PCs) change the build vs. buy equation?
I'm going to say this again. It doesn't matter about the size of your business. You should never consider building your own PC if you actually care about the dynamics of your business and require consistent support.
You aren't going to save money, your support options are not going to be better with white boxes than with an OEM certified system, because you can get a support plan from an OEM, and you can get local consultants to deal with break-fix on simple items if the machine comes out of warranty.
And in most cases, when a key component of the system dies, it's probably simpler and more cost effective to just replace it rather than repair it due to labor costs alone.
I am for Dead
A total DIY PC solution only works either for small companies, or big organizations that are willing to invest capital in having a group devoted to the task of building and maintaining PCs.
Bottom line however is that if you want a bunch of cheap PCs for regular desktop usage, then it's always going to be quicker and cheaper to buy these off–the-shelf than it is to build them.
I am for Alive
If a business does decided to build its machines in house or purchase white-box PCs from a local IT vendor, what are some best practices to follow?
Go send your IT staff to a clinical psychologist or call the police, because your business is suffering from mass psychosis or someone put hallucinogens in the water cooler. See my last answer.
I am for Dead
I recommend the following:
- Know exactly what you want – the DIY PC approach isn't for people who aren't clued up about PCs. If you don't know your HDDs from your SSDs, and your CPU from your GPU, this isn't for you.
- Realize that 'in house build' does not mean 'free build' – set aside resources for the job like you would any other project.
- Buy spare parts – there will always be components that fail, so plan for them.
- If a third-party is building the systems, get it clear from the start what the support terms are.
- If you are using a third party, consider the benefits and risks compared to buying a name-brand from an OEM.
I am for Alive
Okay. Let's think about the individual consumer now. What are the biggest advantages to building your own PC or buying a custom-built, non-name-brand machine?
There are no advantages to doing this today. None. Zero. Zilch. Zippo. Nada. If we are talking about a typical consumer with a capital C (and not a Hobbyist, or a Gamer) someone who browses the web, engages in social networking, and uses productivity and typical multimedia applications, and plays games casually, then you should never consider building a PC.
First of all, a brand-new PC is going to come with a Windows 8 license. A white boxer or a PC hobbyist building a system from scratch will need to buy the OEM System Builder Kit, since there is no Retail license as with Windows 7, there are only Upgrade licenses for consumers.
That System Builder license of Windows 8 will run you about $95 on Amazon for the regular version and about $135.00 for the Pro version. That's going to negate a lot of the perceived cost savings of building a box right there.
Your old Windows 7 Retail license can be re-used if your old PC is discarded, but you cannot re-use the OEM copy that came with a OEM-built system without violating the Microsoft EULA. This counts for businesses as well, unless, they have volume licenses and EAs.
And yes, my Linux friends? Building a system doesn't help you either. You can buy perfectly good Linux certified systems from OEMs and virtually every OEM system out of box that runs Windows works fine with Linux anyway, and even with the cost of that OEM license built in, you'd be hard pressed to save time, money, and frustration from building your own box. I've done this, many times.
I'm going to leave out the intangibles of the warm and fuzzy feeling of geekish accomplishment having put together a PC and becoming one with the homebrew universe. That's not part of what we are debating and is completely irrelevant to the discussion.
I am for Dead
I've built my desktop PC systems for almost two decades, and I will continue to do so for the foreseeable future for the following reasons:
- Price: I build quite high-end systems, and these are invariably cheaper than anything I can buy with a name-brand badge on it.
- Quality: I like to make sure that my systems are built from quality products, and I can only do this by taking charge of every component that goes into the system.
- Ease of repairs: If you built it, you can fix it. No having to wait for a technician.
- Ease of upgrading: Again, I know what went into it, so I can upgrade it, and there are no warranty issues to worry about.
- Warranty: All the parts I buy come with a warranty, usually a better one than a complete PC comes with, so I'm better covered when things do go wrong.
I am for Alive
Likewise, what are the biggest disadvantages to building your own PC or buying a custom-built, non-name-brand machine for the individual consumer
Read the first part of my answer for businesses:
First there is the risk of a local IT firm or whiteboxer being unable to support your systems by the very real possibility of them closing up shop and you being stuck with non-retail, bulk OEM PC components with limited warrantees. While this sounded ludicrous 15 or 20 years ago, that's now a very real possibility today.
I will add a slight modification to this for the typical end-user:
The second is being able to reliably source quality retail components for a PC build via mail order from online suppliers and also the high risk of running into hardware and driver compatability issues during the PC build process.
I'd like to cite my last PC build in 2009 as a good example of the many issues you might run into.
While this is not necessarily as much of an issue as it was, say, 10 years ago with the advent of superior PnP technology in today's PC OSes, it still adds to the support burden and it adds significantly to overall level of effort and time sink for a PC build.
Why? Because you are spending an inordinate amount of time and energy on system verification rather than unpacking OEM systems from boxes and turning them on and installing your apps.
I am for Dead
I'll be honest, there are down downsides:
- Time: All that planning and building takes time.
- Garbage: Buying the components separately generates a lot of waste to get rid of. Keep on top of this or you will bet buried.
- Little support: Something you have to get used to.
I am for Alive
Are homebrew PCs only for computer DIY enthusiasts, case modders, or gamers?
I believe these groups certainly identify themselves as PC builders. There are prosumers and hobbyists which, for whatever reason, have had a history of building systems and are permanently fixated in a DIY worldview who can never be convinced to buy systems from OEMs due to whatever misguided or outdated ideologies about build costs or component quality they may still maintain. But this this such a small and ever declining portion of the PC using population and is no foundation for a PC building industry to survive on.
I am for Dead
This is without a doubt the biggest market for homebrew PCs. This crowd appreciates quality PCs, loves putting together solid systems, and are constantly tinkering with their hardware.
I am for Alive
Lastly, let's examine how trends in the overall desktop computer market are affecting the build vs. buy equation.
In April, IDC reported that PC shipments fell 14 percent in the second quarter of 2013--the worst year-over-year decline since the company began collecting the numbers in 1994. Data from Gartner and even Intel show a similar downward trend. Many attribute this decline to the proliferation of mobile computing devices (tablets, smartphones, wearable computers, etc.) and the growth of cloud-based software, services, and storage. How will the overall decline in PC sales, affect the homebrew PC market?
Now we're really getting into the meat of the debate. Movement towards low-cost SoC-based and APU-based devices, whether they be Ultrabooks, tablets, smartphones, convergence devices, wearables, shifts computational power and infrastructure from the destktop to the datacenter and Cloud and also software from a purchased/licensed to a subscription and SaaS/DaaS model. So building PCs will make far less sense than ever before.
Many of the component vendors who make PC parts are also moving their business models towards supporting and manufacturing the above mentioned systems and away from things like graphics cards, hard drives and mainboards, which will make building PCs that much more difficult.
I am for Dead
While PC sales are falling, I see no sign that the homebrew PC market is declining. Supply chain data on components destined for this market – especially graphics cards – suggests that the homebrew and after-market upgrades market is growing.
I am for Alive
For years, sound cards were separate PC components. But now, nearly every motherboard (even high-end boards) have onboard sound. More recently, reports have surfaced that Intel is slowly moving away from processors that use a land grid array (LGA) package (which can be removed from the motherboard and replaced) to processors that use a ball grid array (BGA) package (which are soldered to the motherboard). As PC component manufacturers make fewer discrete components, will building a custom PC become nearly impossible or at least be less attractive?
Alas, poor Computer Shopper. I knew him, Bill.
I've written a few articles about this already, so I don't have to re-hash this ad nauseum here.
Tablets, Ultrabooks: The future is unfixable
Are tablets now disposable computing devices?
In summary, we're moving towards a model where PCs are no longer going to be serviceable, whether it is a notebook computer with soldered-on everything or a PC mainboard that is simply a just a glorified SoC with onboard GPU, RAM and networking. I don't see how a PC building ecosystem can continue to be viable in that way.
I am for Dead
While there has certainly been a shift towards reducing the number of discrete components inside PCs – for the sake of making them easier to build for the OEMs – the major players (such as Intel and AMD) have all reaffirmed their commitment to the enthusiast market.
In other words, it's going to be possible to build PCs for the foreseeable future.
I am for Alive
Likewise, many PC makers seem to be focusing less on traditional, upgradeable tower cases and more on all-in-one desktops and laptops. Are consumers and businesses just naturally shifting away from the "beige box" to designs that are inherently less likely to be built in house or by an individual?
If you've walked into a typical enterprise lately, the tablet, laptop and notebook population far exceeds the desktop PC population. Let's face it, nobody is homebrewing or whiteboxing notebooks. And by the way, I consider "White Box" specialty notebook builders like Sager as pure OEMs, not whiteboxers.
I think we're also seeing a distinct movement toward touchscreen devices, whether they be on High-end Ultrabooks and Convertibles like the Lenovo X1 Carbon Touch, Asus's budget VivoBook X202E or all-in-ones like HP's TouchSmart line. Because while the PC market as a whole is in decline, these form factors are actually showing very clear signs of adoptance.
If the industry trends and hard numbers are of any indication, consumers value mobility just as much if not more than the enterprise does. So the PC desktop, be it OEM or home-built, is long overdue for total extinction.
I am for Dead
True, but the DIY market is shifting with the tide. You can now put together your own custom all-in-one systems, and I expect that this niche will grow as towers become irrelevant as component sizes shrink.
I am for Alive
Lastly, should the IT community want to preserve the homebrew, white box PC movement? If so, why? Or, should IT embrace the commoditization of PCs and refocus our energy elsewhere?
There is no "embracement" of the commoditization of PCs. As I said in my opening statement, there is only "Acceptance" in this stage of our collective Kubler-Rossian grief model.
We should be refocusing on supporting and building our line of business apps, and undergoing transformation processes that shift as much of our infrastructure to the Datacenter and Cloud as possible, and that includes moving desktops to VDI and DaaS. That may be very hard for some folks to accept but that is the path that has been laid for our industry going forward.
I am for Dead
Absolutely, and for one reason – choice.
OEMs are driven by the desire to maximize profits drive prices into the dirt as much as possible. While this is great for the majority of users who see PCs are a disposable commodity, for people who want PCs capable of carrying out certain tasks well, it's not such a great thing.
My belief is that the death of the homebrew PC will be the death of the PC as a whole. At that point the PC will become a commoditized, disposable items much in the way that smartphones and tablets are. At that point the PC is dead, and the IT landscape will be changed forever.
I am for Alive
Thanks to the debaters for a very lively discussion. Tune in Wednesday for the closing arguments and Thursday for my choice for winner.
A special thanks to all of you for joining in. Please vote.
Jason Perlow
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes
Don't you want to make the right choice from the start, and make sure you have a quality product made from the finest possible ingredients? And whether I'm spending $300 on a cheap PC for the study, or a $2,000 video rendering rig, I want the best possible PC for the money.
Bill Detwiler
For all intents and purposes, the homebrew PC is dead within the business and dying (albeit slowly) within the consumer market. I side with Jason.
Posted by Bill Detwiler