Walmart Tries Its Hand at Homemade Gaming Desktops and Laptops

[Guest]

Walmart has created its Overpowered gaming PC and laptop line.

Walmart Tries Its Hand at Homemade Gaming Desktops and Laptops : Read more

 

[robin2rl]

The laptop is the same Tongfang gaming laptop that OriginPC, Eluktronics (i.e. Amazon listing B07FPGPQXL), and others sell. The desktop lacks top mounted fans and has little to no space in front for letting intake in so airflow is very poor and inside it runs hot. Also, $1899 is a jacked price when considering "i7-8700 gtx 1080 desktop" search on Amazon yields $1399+ desktops with better airflow (i.e. B077J275KK, B0788X6D9Y, B07932Q7HZ, etc...).

Also, Walmart took no time in choosing the case. They simply picked the 12th case that shows up in google image search for "computer gaming case" which comes from China ODM Dongguan Orient Technology Co.Ltd.

This is what happens when companies that don't know the first thing about gaming computers try and do gaming PCs.

 

[bigdragon]

I'm having trouble looking past the logo -- it's very ugly. The laptops look decent, although I would not trust Walmart more than Asus or Lenovo.

 

[bigpinkdragon286]

So, aside from the subjective looks and price, is there anything objectively wrong these?

The specs actually sound reasonable.

Would mean a lot more if we got details on both the power supply and motherboard, and whether these differ with each model.

 

[USAFRet]

So, aside from the subjective looks and price, is there anything objectively wrong these?

"Walmart backs up its gaming desktops with a one-year warranty"
The individual parts would otherwise have a 2-3-5 year warranty.

Sounds very much like a rebranded CyberPowerPC.

Overpriced for the exact parts list.
Probable cheesy parts where no one notices.
Crap warranty.

 

[USAFRet]

The specs actually sound reasonable.

Would mean a lot more if we got details on both the power supply and motherboard, and whether these differ with each model.

Make/model of the SSD's?
A WD Green is a whole different thing than an 860 EVO.
As long as no one looks past the term "SSD", it's all good, right?

 

[bigpinkdragon286]

The article doesn't really give us the meat and potatoes of the boxes, so it's hard to judge them as flat out bad computers. They probably work just fine, and if WalMart expects to sell them in any quantity, the parts are likely to be good enough to facilitate at least that. The premium price is what one pays when one isn't able or willing to put a little effort into getting a better value.

The way I see it, at least, even the worst of the three, should run most game titles without issue, so the unknowing but well intentioned mom and pop who buy one for Christmas or the ignorant consumer will not be subject to immediate disappointment.

It's also one less pile of parts that shows up in the forums as, "I threw all my PC Part Picker parts together in a case and all I get is a black screen!"

Maybe somebody in the review space will end up bench marking one of these against a similarly equipped machine?

I'm curious about the software load out that comes pre-installed.

 

[bit_user]

Would mean a lot more if we got details on both the power supply and motherboard, and whether these differ with each model.

I'm betting both were areas of cost cutting. The PSU is probably minimum spec, marginal quality, and probably lacks additional cables. The motherboard probably has unused connectors and headers removed.

Of course, if they're clever, they'll launch with a better PSU, mobo, and CPU heatsink. Then, after all the reviews go up, claiming it's actually decent, they'll do a round of cost reductions in time for the holidays.

 

[compprob237]

This is what happens when companies that don't know the first thing about gaming computers try and do gaming PCs.

Like The Verge?

 

[velocityg4]

The laptop is the same Tongfang gaming laptop that OriginPC, Eluktronics (i.e. Amazon listing B07FPGPQXL), and others sell. The desktop lacks top mounted fans and has little to no space in front for letting intake in so airflow is very poor and inside it runs hot. Also, $1899 is a jacked price when considering "i7-8700 gtx 1080 desktop" search on Amazon yields $1399+ desktops with better airflow (i.e. B077J275KK, B0788X6D9Y, B07932Q7HZ, etc...).

Also, Walmart took no time in choosing the case. They simply picked the 12th case that shows up in google image search for "computer gaming case" which comes from China ODM Dongguan Orient Technology Co.Ltd.

This is what happens when companies that don't know the first thing about gaming computers try and do gaming PCs.

I'd say odds are Walmart just contracted one or more of these builders to make the computers for them. With the case using Walmart's branding.

 

[brandonjclark]

I don't know why Toms' readers would be so opposed to Walmart doing this. PC building isn't some divine art.

 

[USAFRet]

I don't know why Toms' readers would be so opposed to Walmart doing this. PC building isn't some divine art.

Any rational 12 year old can assemble a PC.
Crappy parts selection at the expense of the bottom line is the issue.

Far too often we see an "oohhh shiny" prebuilt PC.
The basic stats look good. And all that RGB LED stuff looks really fly.
And then when you get under the hood, you find substandard parts, where people don't notice.

Not all 600w PSUs are built the same.
Not all 250GB SSD's perform the same.

I'd have to see the full parts list breakdown, to actually recommend this to someone.

The People Of Walmart, however, will not notice.
They'll see "i7, SSD, gaming, and some blinken lights". That's all that matters.
No, it isn't.

 

[aliullah]

The logo looks like 2 guys about to make out.

 

[bit_user]

I don't know why Toms' readers would be so opposed to Walmart doing this. PC building isn't some divine art.

I think some of us are anticipating the inevitable pleas for assistance when these machines start failing or people want to augment or upgrade their contents.

On the first point, we're skeptical they'll use quality components, leading to a high failure rate. Perhaps they'll last through the warranty period, but maybe not much longer.

On the second point, PCs are partly defined by their upgradability. However, when big OEMs get into the game, they tend to do things that hamper this very principle, like using nonstandard motherboard mounting patterns & power supply connectors or by stripping down the mobo & PSU of connectors and cables so you literally can't add anything and don't have the needed capacity to swap in a faster CPU, GPU, etc.

All that said, if these turn out to be legit, then I'll eat my words. I have no philosophical problem with people buying PCs at Walmart.

 

[bloodroses]

I do not have much hope that the quality of some of these parts are that good; such as the power supply or the motherboard. Walmart has tried selling custom PCs before when they were trying to push 'Lindows', and the hardware was garbage then. I believe it was Logisys for the PSU and PC Chips for the motherboard. A friend's neighbor got one thinking he found a great deal then tried to pop a dedicated video card in it...

Even half the laptops Walmart sells at their stores are either overpriced for last gen or severely outdated, barely usable, garbage for a 'cheap price'.

Usually when I think of quality, Walmart is not a brand that comes to mind. I'd rather take the risk with a Dell or other more established brands for common users (such as my parents).

 

[average joe]

Insult me all you want but don't you dare insult my gaming potato. My Pc parts picker boxes always work.

 

[captaincharisma]

with how cheap these wallyworld PC's are going to be i doubt they will be upgradable.

 

[USAFRet]

with how cheap these wallyworld PC's are going to be i doubt they will be upgradable.

$1400, $1900, and $2100.
And STILL not really upgradable.

 

[cryoburner]

Rather than including 32GB of RAM in some of those gaming systems, which will mostly sit around unused for the next few years, it would have been much better for them to put that extra $100+ toward the graphics hardware. For a gaming-focused system, it's probably best not to bother with more than 16GB of RAM unless the system is already decked out with a 1080 Ti-level card and a good amount of SSD storage, and you're just looking for something else to spend money on.

 

[bigpinkdragon286]

Rather than including 32GB of RAM in some of those gaming systems, which will mostly sit around unused for the next few years, it would have been much better for them to put that extra $100+ toward the graphics hardware. For a gaming-focused system, it's probably best not to bother with more than 16GB of RAM unless the system is already decked out with a 1080 Ti-level card and a good amount of SSD storage, and you're just looking for something else to spend money on.

While I agree with you about the 32 GB memory being overkill for most, I disagree with where the savings from halving it would be best spent. It would be better to put the extra toward a higher quality power supply, if in fact that is found to be what's needed. Everybody has been moaning about cut rate parts, without any evidence other than Walmart's past behavior, which I will admit goes a long way toward such an assumption, but I would first spend the money on the more important core of the system before exchanging one frill for another. If the PSU is cut rate, in my opinion, adding a better GPU is not the most prudent first course of action.

 

[cryoburner]

While I agree with you about the 32 GB memory being overkill for most, I disagree with where the savings from halving it would be best spent. It would be better to put the extra toward a higher quality power supply, if in fact that is found to be what's needed.

Something tells me that the kind of person buying a gaming PC from Walmart isn't going to care much about the quality of the PSU, something they probably have no idea about. Of course, even if they were to put a little more money toward the PSU, they certainly wouldn't need to spend anywhere close to that much on it. It might not cost them much more than $20 or so to move up from a low-budget PSU to something a lot more dependable, which could still leave the majority of the difference to put toward something like graphics performance.

I guess they like RAM for the simple reason that bigger numbers sound better to someone who doesn't know what they are buying though. "Whoa, this one has twice as much! It must be way faster!" : P

 

[bigpinkdragon286]

Yup, just like the old days when you could get the upgraded, low end GPU with 256 MB vs the mid range card with only 128 MB. Works on some shoppers.

Still, how much graphics card should Walmart be putting into these things, especially if the display isn't going to allow the end user to appreciate the extra horsepower!

 

[Colif]

I watched Gamers Nexus video on this PC, the PSU made by Great Wall, the motherboard low end, the case doesn't have great airflow (follows design trend of being a great fishtank, not very good for fans). Everything about it screams cheap but has RGB fans so must be good, right??
Walmart also shipped wrong model out but still charged full price. So how many people who go to walmart are likely to take PC apart to see why their ram is only reporting half as much as they ordered? This is a trap for shoppers starting Black Friday and all way through the holiday season.

 

[goldwolf99]

Except for the misleading title, just as every other review of these have done, it is not a Walmart produced pc. It was made for Esports Arena and Walmart has agreed to market Esports arena products.

 

[bit_user]

Except for the misleading title, just as every other review of these have done, it is not a Walmart produced pc. It was made for Esports Arena and Walmart has agreed to market Esports arena products.

When Walmart agrees to sell a product, they often play an active role in cost reduction. They will even go so far as to negotiate with your supply chain and even replace components with similar ones from other suppliers.

So, the fact of being sold at Walmart is not merely incidental.