Question Are you a brand loyalist?

[SHaines]

With tech evolving every day, we're seeing big leaps forward in the tech we take for granted. For the most part, we tend to pick the best available item, regardless of brand. However, some of us may still have some preferences for specific items.

Do you consider yourself a brand loyalist for any of your tech? If so, why that brand?

For me, I've broken the habit of buying Sony headphones every single time I upgrade. When I was younger, Sony was the only name brand I could afford, so I just got used to using their equipment for pretty much anything related to music. I did use them pretty much exclusively for about 30 years though.

How about you?

 

[delaro]

I prefer not to call it brand loyal, I prefer to call it a good warranty and customer support loyal. I avoid companies that offer craptastic warranties and source their customer support out to India.

 

[bit_user]

since I have to remove cooler to clean fans & wash the rest in hot soapy water to remove grime, have to replace thermal paste anyway.

I don't think I've yet waxed about positive pressure in this thread... you should definitely try it!

1. Start with a case that has dust filters in front of the intake fans.
2. Ensure the cumulative CFM (or m^3/s) of your intake fans exceeds that of your exhaust fans.
3. Rinse out the dust filters as needed.

If you do it right, you'll probably find the inside of your case remains virtually spotless!

If your case doesn't have dust filters, these might be an aftermarket option:

https://www.demcifilter.com/magnetic-computer-dust-filters-for-your-computer​

Don't know why MB OEM's still includes 3 pin fan hubs & case OEM's (some premium models) includes 3 pin fans in 2020,,,,,,so 2010ish.

IIRC, somebody has a patent on PWM fans. So, each 4-pin fan header costs additional license fees. I don't know when that's set to run out.

 

[bit_user]

Audio-Technica M50x headphones! ... In fact, were designed for studio usage, am amazed the model has withstood the test of time.

I have ATH-M50's on right now! They're probably about 7 years old or so, but I didn't use them frequently, for much of that time. My main gripes are that the headband material cracked and flaked off and that the plastic creaks when you adjust them or anything. Minor points, I know. They still sound good and I'm so glad I got the version with the coiled cord.

If you want bullet-proof headphones, the sturdiest pair I've owned are the AKG-240M. They're an open-back design, however. I got mine > 20 years ago and still use them frequently.

 

[magnusfl]

Yes very much do to warranty as i build close to top end so all my computers i build for my house which is 3 all have EVGA parts and with 10 year warranty on each one.and a company that offer up 10 ten year warremy even for a smal extra fee stand behind there parts

 

[Oasis Curator]

Depends what it is.

Dishwasher, washing machine, TV, generally the same brands.

PCs, no.

 

[magnusfl]

By the way i loyal from Intel as in the 1990s amd cpu had a bad problem with thermal runaway burning out there chips and burned me as a builder so they would honor there so call warranty but I have say they fixed that and are are making good chips now.

 

[dominic03]

My go-to brand for SD cards is Kingston. They're cheaper than SanDisk, but still very reliable.
I also only use Logitech wireless mice with my PC.

 

[csugden]

Yes Intel and Asus!

 

[TheHouseOfTom]

I am a brand loyalist, unless I've been treated unfairly. Working in the customer service industry for a long time I have a tendency to know what fair is or isn't. I understand that there are limitations as to what companies can do and some more than others. I take all that into effect whenever I'm trying to solve a problem with them. My current brand loyalty for computer hardware and accessories are as follows.

Hardware:
AMD - Processors (Never had one problem with all the computers I've owned and no problems = brand loyalty.)
Gigabyte - Motherboards (Same as the processors, not one problem and they get the job done for what I do,
Corsair - Memory (See accessories below.)
NVIDIA - GPU's (I had an AMD RX 580 but it couldn't put out what I wanted from a GPU so I bought a 2060 Super and I don't know that I'm going back. Especially after all the 5700XT Issues I've read about.)
EVGA - PSU's -(They are the gold standard when it comes to PSU's in my opinion.)

Accessories:
Everything Corsair
Why do you ask? I like the iCUE software, and I like being able to only have one profile for all my accessories.
Corsair Nightsword Mouse
Corsair K95 RGB Platinum XT Keyboard
Corsair RGB Void Elite Wireless Headset
Corsair Headset Stand (Not necessary but it lights up and I'm a sucker for it)
Corsair Anti-Fray Mouse Mat XL Edition

I've had other accessories in the past such as Razer and Logitech but the folks at Corsair Customer Support have always taken care of me.

For example: I updated the firmware on my Keyboard and all of a sudden it turned it into a removable drive. I searched the web for a solution and found, on this site I may add, instructions on what to email Corsair. I emailed them and got a response in about an hour and a half on how to fix. I was expecting not to be able to use my keyboard for a few days. Needless to say, it is fixed.

 

[TheMysticTheurge]

Not really, bang for the buck is always the major factor. However, if I can get Kingston or Corsair for within a buck or two of no-name, well...

 

[NightHawkRMX]

I don't think I've yet waxed about positive pressure in this thread... you should definitely try it!

1. Start with a case that has dust filters in front of the intake fans.
2. Ensure the cumulative CFM (or m^3/s) of your intake fans exceeds that of your exhaust fans.
3. Rinse out the dust filters as needed.

If you do it right, you'll probably find the inside of your case remains virtually spotless!

If your case doesn't have dust filters, these might be an aftermarket option:

Gonna be honest, never seems to work for me.

I have 2x Arctic F14 PWM 140mm fans at the front as intake and 2x Arctic F12 PWM 120mm fans as exhaust. Should have positive pressure since there are larger fans at the front

My case has a filter at the front and a PSU filter.

Still gets caked with dust in the inside

 

[m30067]

Brand loyalty just keeps you with either a rising ship or a sinking one and have no choices outside of your own emotional decisions.

 

[Phaaze88]

Gonna be honest, never seems to work for me.

I have 2x Arctic F14 PWM 140mm fans at the front as intake and 2x Arctic F12 PWM 120mm fans as exhaust. Should have positive pressure since there are larger fans at the front

My case has a filter at the front and a PSU filter.

Still gets caked with dust in the inside

I think your setup favors negative pressure.
It's too bad that there's only like a couple of manufacturer's who display the fan curves for their fans... most people don't run their fans 100%, so one is left with 2nd guessing a fan's airflow and pressure at a given speed.

The rear and top of a case typically have the weakest resistances. A positive pressure setup is harder to achieve than it appears...

 

[Mooons]

CPU: Intel
GPU: EVGA or Nivida FE
Cooling: Corsair
Keyboards & Mice: Corsair or Razor
Cases: NZXT
PSU: EVGA

 

[Sithtiger]

Nope. I go with the tech that is the best and fastest. For example, I've used Intel the most and I've only had about 3 AMD CPUs, but the last AMD CPU was the Athlon XP 2600+. I had the first GHz CPU, the AMD Athlon 1.33 GHz. You can see my current setup in my sig. I'm waiting to upgrade to an AMD Ryzen 3900X or I'd rather have the equivalent to that with the 4th gen Ryzen. A 4900x perhaps. I'd get the 3950x or equivalent, but I don't have close to $300 for a CPU that is faster and has more cores, but it's not worth the price. That said If a 4950x were released, but not a 4900x (assuming they're releasing any 4th gen this year) equivalent and the price drops to the price point of the 3900x I might get a 3950x or I might save my money, get the 3900x and save money for the 2nd gen RTX.

Anyway, the only bias I do have a little is with AMD GPU's because in the past they had horrible driver support with the Catalyst drivers and Nvidia is just faster. I won't be upgrading my GTX 2080 RTX since it's only a year old, but my 6 core 9600 is slightly bottlenecking my system for current games. I know a Ryzen 3600x would work just fine for me, but I'm a component snob if I'm able to buy the best parts that fit inside around a $1200 range for a full upgrade which, for me means CPU, mobo, RAM and GPU. I only get SSD/HDD's and a Blu-ray burner if I need to. Yes, I still like to have an optical drive, despite I rarely use one.


I'm hoping though, early reports of the 4th gen Ryzen (desktop) were reportedly up to 40% faster, but I take that with a grain of salt.

 

[Questors]

If it has served me well, that brand will be my first choice next time. That said, I will still shop, read and compare other brands next time also. Competition drives innovation, provides variety and keeps prices honest (so to speak). To me, auto-buying a particular brand all the time is detrimental to my own needs.

 

[Eyssant]

Always ASUS for me.

 

[RodroX]

Well, until this last motherboard I got for my home build, every motherboard for like 20 years were always ASUS. Never had a problem with them, not even with the ones I bought to build PC to clients and family (and thats a lot of motherboards).

For cellphones I tried a lot of brands (LG, Microsoft/Lumia, Nokia, Motorola), but after I got my Sony Xperia XZ1, I don't think I would go with a diferent brand next time. And I have to tell the Microsoft Lumia 640 LTE was by far one of the best budget smarphones I ever owned (the camera was mind blowing for the price).

CPUs, I been always toward perofrmance for the money, but to be honest before 2017 AMD wasn't worth it (not for mid to high end gaming). But now Im back to AMD and happy with it. If Intels comes with something better for the 10nm or lower node, then Ima switch back to them, or who knows what AMD have under the sleeve.

GPU -> nvidia, I think I never owned an AMD GPU ever, as for the graphic card, I have lots of brand all of them were good so no loyalty there.

Never owned a DeepcCool component but I have to admit this Gammaxx GTE cooler (which is on the low~mid range) its, for the money, and awesome piece of tech.

Cases, where I live there aren't many choice for cases, and the ones like Corsair, Fractal (which is very, very hard to find), Cooler Master, NZXT are usually very very expensive, so lately I go with Cougar and its been a good ride for the price segment.

For PSU, Seasonic by far, but also some EVGA and Corsair models could be on a buying list too. (As I said there aren't a lot of brand to pick from here).

As for the rest RAM, SSD, HDD, etc. As long as its a well know brand and with good reviews I'll pick whatever gives me more room and/or speed (Kingston, Western Digital, GSkill, Corsair, Adata, Samsung, Intel).

 

[pcguy578]

With tech evolving every day, we're seeing big leaps forward in the tech we take for granted. For the most part, we tend to pick the best available item, regardless of brand. However, some of us may still have some preferences for specific items.

Do you consider yourself a brand loyalist for any of your tech? If so, why that brand?

For me, I've broken the habit of buying Sony headphones every single time I upgrade. When I was younger, Sony was the only name brand I could afford, so I just got used to using their equipment for pretty much anything related to music. I did use them pretty much exclusively for about 30 years though.

How about you?

Im very loyal to be quiet! power supplies. Ever since my first build i've had a be quiet! power supply. I find them as there name suggests there quiet, and reliable as well. The one thats in my system now is 7 years old and is still running good. Some might say "be quiet!! They make good quiet fans why chose there power supplies over something like a Corsair or a EVGA?" And I say, "I LOVE there power supplies and you might not but I do it's my personal preference."

 

[spongiemaster]

No, not for computer parts. There are brands I will avoid due to bad experiences. When I was a broke college kid value for dollar was priority #1, and I enjoyed tinkering and troubleshooting. As I've grown older, I've moved towards buying parts that are reliable and just work regardless of whether they are the best value or not. The Logitech mice on my kids' PC's look like they survived a plane crash and still work. I've owned two Razr mice. Neither were abused, but both needed to be replaced within a year. I won't buy Razr any more.

 

[Phaaze88]

I've owned two Razr mice. Neither were abused, but both needed to be replaced within a year. I won't buy Razr any more.

~Ohh, you've reminded me of my experiences with Razer mice, specifically the Razer Naga - former WoW player.
The darn things have no real durability to them, and I've been through several. I don't recall a single one lasting me more than 2 years - I'm not even a hardcore WoW player either!
They all eventually develop the dreaded double clicking.

I settled on a Corsair Scimitar during the Legion expansion(my last one), after which I settled on a Steelseries Rival 600; loving it!

Ironically enough, there's a some Razer mice on Tom's Best Mice list...

 

[PsyaNyde]

Nope, I look at several qualities before a purchase : price, functionality, looks and reliability, then my wife tells me what i can afford and i go with that

 

[captaincharisma]

i have buit up my PC many times over the years and i have many go to brands. my last build had a gigabyte motherbord that failed so i went to asus for my next build but i did have a mobo from MSI in the past too

i switched from NVIDIA to a radeon GPU once but i found the image quality and drivers on it suckled so i went back to an NVIDIA GPU

 

[JWMiddleeton]

...it seems to me that many advocate what they have bought themselves.
In part, that makes sense if the experience was good.

That is what I was realizing as I pondered posting. Asus has done well for my main system, both their MBs and GPUs. I've used it all. Back when SETI1 was going strong, I would build systems with the best deals I could find, usually from the outdoor computer market on 3rd Saturdays in Dallas, TX.

 

[GorillaMonsoon]

Not so much these days. Seems like lots of companies make good reliable gear and it's super easy to research everything and get a good idea of if it will be a good choice for your needs. AMD is killing it tho with their price to performance ratios.
Seems like most of the companies that made a name on reliability have now decided to make a budget line that pretty much stinks and your paying for a name, not just in the computer world but pretty much everywhere.

I'm way more of a look for the best price with the highest number of positive reviews kinda guy now.