The Problem with E-Machines

**The Computer Valet** · June 17th, 2003, 03:10 PM

Many of you here have worked on eMachines.

Indeed, their reputation precedes them quite well.

I've not worked on one, but can anyone spell out for me what KINDS of problems they often present?

For instance, I've heard the P/S is notoriously underpowered and gives out early.

What say you?

m

**meatwad** · June 17th, 2003, 03:14 PM

Unreliable and underwatted power supplies, poor room for expansion, inferior quality optical drives, cheap hard drives, stupid name, scam internet access contracts, poor warranty service, TONS of useless software pre-installed. I'm sure there's more, but my brain hurts.

**scott** · June 17th, 2003, 03:54 PM

I was given a brand new emachines etower 433. Oddly enough, i have never had any problems with this machine. Has ran fine now every day for about 4 years now. It is not my main computer, and in no way am i depending on it to run, it just does. Came with 98se, 4.3 gig hd. Now i have 256 megs of Ram and 20 gig hd, running Win2kPro. I even added a cd-burner thinking the psu would die for sure.
Just my personal experience though.

**Packrat** · June 17th, 2003, 03:56 PM

Cheap components (friends emachine's onboard sound went out) P/S cheaply made and when it does blow out it doesn't take a standard ATX one, you have to get one from them. Cheap optical drives, Cheap HD, Cheap Memory, No upgradeability.

**The Computer Valet** · June 17th, 2003, 04:00 PM

Evertek pushes a lot of refurbs. 's why I asked...

**Ferrit** · June 17th, 2003, 05:07 PM

Well ya I have but I should warn you . It was only to disassemble and junk it
MWAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHA

**DocPC** · June 17th, 2003, 05:13 PM

The shorter list is what's good in 'em : Nothing

**rgharper** · June 17th, 2003, 10:05 PM

I have two eMachine Celeron 566's that I use for our network backup machines. They run 24/7/365 with Windows 2000, SCSI controllers and external HP DAT jukebox drives ... and they never let me down. EVER.

Personally I think they're no better or worse than any other PC. You buy the low end of the product line you get the low end. You buy the better box and you get better stuff.

**Shard92** · June 18th, 2003, 02:12 PM

About the only thing I can add is kind of a reply to those who have them and run them with good luck.... just like everyone makes mistakes sometimes.... everyone gets lucky sometimes too....

Seriuosly though... The biggest problem with e-machines is they are basically disposable computers. You use it till it dies. If you are lucky the hd servives and you can recover your stuff and buy a new one. Unfortunately a lot of other companies are now going with this idea.

**kato2274** · June 18th, 2003, 02:47 PM

for me power supply and proprietary case design is the biggest problem.

people here say they use cheap components. . . . I wonder how many have actually looked inside an e-machine to see that most of their mobos are custom ASUS OEMs? and the hard drives I've come across have been WD, SEAGATE, MAXTOR, and SAMSUNG (which just recently has been getting excellent reviews for their hard drives) Optical drives I've seen were samsung, Liteon etc. (that's far from crap people)

Power supply is often an issue in these. reliability is no better or worse than most, but when they go you have to get one of those special small ones or be prepared to swap into another case, in which case you may loose one or more USB ports (because of the custom front mounting) game port (same reason) and optical drives (if they have crazy custom shaped bezels)

but I've bought and reconfigured several of those from evertek and compgeeks at various times and they have setup and run just fine.

but as shard said, they are more or less disposable, but really what isn't anymore these days. compaq and dell are using proprietary power supplies so if they go it's cheaper to replace the board and power supply with standard than it is to get a replacement. unless you build it yourself, buy from mom and pop, or pay out the nose for something from alienware or vodoo computers, most everything is disposable anymore.
(though I really like ABS computers - cheap and industry standard quality components)

**The Computer Valet** · June 18th, 2003, 09:25 PM

ABS?

**kato2274** · June 19th, 2003, 12:24 PM

ABS

**Pendragon** · June 21st, 2003, 07:01 AM

Just ware gloves when opening up the case... or just have some plasters handy... I think they make the cases from old razor blades...

**techs** · June 21st, 2003, 11:35 AM

I have no problem with e-machines. I love e-machines. I hope they sell 100 million e-machines. I make tons of money fixing e-machines.

**Adrenachrome** · March 11th, 2004, 04:39 PM

I never had a problem with an Emachine, other than not being able to upgrade the video :-/

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