Which Hardware Defines PC the most?

[Bill_Bright]

Like I stated before, in my experience most people tend to call their PCs by their CPU, CPU/GPU and/or CPU platform

"Most" people? We definitely have a different experience there. I certainly have heard people refer to their computer as "CPU". But that's different and none of those users are "computer people" - they are just users who see their computers as another appliance in the house.

"My gaming rig" (or something similar as @cvaldes suggested), "my work computer", "my tower", or just "my PC" I hear a lot. I just cannot remember anyone calling their computer their "Intel" or "Nvidia". Or my Gigabyte or MSI.

I tend to go by function rather than a brand name. I don't say "my Ford F150". I say "my truck". But to each their own, I guess.

But I do notice - at least with vehicles, for many there is a "snob appeal" factor. For example, Cadillac owners often say, "my Caddy". And has anyone ever heard a "vette" owner say "my car". Same with my "Beemer". Now I have heard Harley riders say my "hog" or "my scooter". But never "motorcycle". LOL

 

[cvaldes]

IT is the fatherboard!

Son, you need to throw in a metal umlaut for it to be cool.

It should be a "vaterbörd".



Anyhow, it really comes down to the individual builder call it what he/she wants.

As I mentioned earlier, I've swapped two mini-ITX builds between two cases so the functional systems were identical, they just ended up wearing different clothes.

 

[Eskimonster]

I always call my builds Bamboo´s

 

[dirtyferret]

Now I have heard Harley riders say my "hog" or "my scooter". But never "motorcycle". LOL

was always more of a suzuki & kawaski guy but I just always called them my "bike", ducati guys will sometimes call their bikes by the brand but most of us called Harley's "potatoes"

 

[theFOoL]

"Most" people? We definitely have a different experience there. I certainly have heard people refer to their computer as "CPU". But that's different and none of those users are "computer people" - they are just users who see their computers as another appliance in the house

Heck my mom at times still refer to that lol

 

[Bill_Bright]

I had a Suzuki and I also called it my "bike" or sometimes, the "rice burner". But that might not be considered PC - as in politically correct - these days. Sorry if not. No offense meant.

 

[lexluthermiester]

IT is the fatherboard!

Zieg Heil Mein Heeren!

 

[mclaren85]

In fact, most software companies, including Microsoft, say, in terms of software licensing, you can swap out any part and the license remains valid - EXCEPT the motherboard. When you swap the motherboard, that constitutes a "new computer".

In my humble opinion this is the most decent approach.

Thanks everyone!

 

[Ruru]

I'd say that it's the motherboard after I have even a distant idea which CPU I'm going to get. Upgradibility is also an important thing so the motherboard plays an important role in that as well.

 

[maxfly]

"Everyone"? Ummm, sorry but not even. You might and that's perfectly fine if that is what works for you. But lots of people have more than one computer where more than one may be AMD or Intel. I have 5 computers here right now. If they were referred to as the AMD or Intel rig, no one would know which computer was which.

Once again our boy bill shows his aptitude at taking things out of context and purposely misconstruing the obvious. I should have been more specific in anticipation of bill.
In the case of everyone calling their "builds" Intel or AMD "rigs" you might notice the differentiations between- builds...and rigs. Builds in this case meaning, a system in the process of finalization. Rigs meaning, finished systems. And of course bill, we ALL refer to our main, backup, laptop rigs as such.

But yeah the sticker part at the end was...clever.

 

[Vario]

My computer has been a ship of Theseus for some time now as I rotate upgrades, changing components out for newer ones. The one thing in common is the purpose and where it sits on my desk, so I associate it by its location and purpose.

Ship of Theseus - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Bill_Bright]

so I associate it by its location and purpose.

What? Then you are doing it all wrong!!!! According to maxfly, "Everyone has and will always refer to their builds as their AMD rig or Intel rig".

Once again our boy bill shows his aptitude at taking things out of context and purposely misconstruing the obvious.

LOL Can you debate a technical topic without resorting to and degrading the thread with puerile personal attacks when others don't have your same point of view?

I took nothing out of context. I am sorry but (1) you don't represent or speak for "everyone" and (2) claiming "everyone" does this or that is an "absolute" that means "all". And of course, not "all" do as you claim they do. So you misconstrued the facts, not me.

Builds in this case meaning, a system in the process of finalization. Rigs meaning, finished systems.

Oh? And where are these terms defined?

While repairing computers much longer, I've only been building (or more accurately, assembling), and in the custom PC business, one way or another, since the mid-80s. And while often interchanged, the definitions I am familiar with are not the same as your definitions. A "rig" does not imply the system is a finished system. It could still be in the process of being built. And a "build" typically (but not always) indicates the computer is or was self or custom built by an independent assembler. Perhaps the user. Perhaps a friend or local shop. Point being, a "factory built" system is not normally called a "build". A "build" may or may not be "finished". A "rig" may be a factory "build". Or a "rig" may be a self-built computer still undergoing assembly. And then there is "system" and "machine", as some call their computers - regardless their state of assembly.

Currently, all but one of the "builds" in the shop are finished "rigs". As are my own personal "builds". There is one "gaming rig" still being built that is awaiting delivery of its graphics card. Then the "build" will be ready for the OS install. After that, it will be ready for delivery to the client and he can then install his games and other apps. After that, whether he calls it his "gaming computer", "gaming rig", "game build", "Gigabyte PC", "my computer", "game room computer" "game machine", "basement computer" or whatever, will be up to him.

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
Owner.

 

[Bill_Bright]

Hi,
Owner.

LOL How true!

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
Only exception is if the owner got someone else to do it then they'd be clueless

 

[bobbybluz]

For the past 23 years I've always referred to my builds by the motherboard/chipset or CPU used. This is for technical purposes. Of course I've always had nicknames for various rigs as well. I've never named a customer build.

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
Think money pit is a common nickname

 

[OkieDan]

In a custom built system, which part do you think defines system the most?

Definitions:
Define: "to determine or identify the essential qualities or meaning of".
System: "a regularly interacting or interdependent group of items forming a unified whole"

The "essential qualities" of a "custom built any system" are all essential parts that make the system function for the role it's designed for.

It should be self-evident that you cannot have a system if any one essential part of the system is missing. This means no one part is more important than another simply because one part relies on another, as a system requires all parts and thus all parts rely on each other to work for the system to work.

Systems are designed for specific purpose(s) or role(s). It's with this understanding we should look at what part makes the system perform the best for the role it was designed to determine the most essential part of a system. For code compilation it might be the CPU, for gaming it might be the GPU. An accountant might care most about a clickity-clackity mechanical 10-key. If it's a movie prop then maybe the case or even the monitor design is most important. Maybe we need a ton of PCIe lanes so we need a server CPU/MBD as they're both required for a lot of lanes, but which one is most important would still depend on the role that server is used in, not just one criteria being that we need a lot of PCIe lanes.

The point is, when you ask what part defines a system the most, you have to know that a system requires all parts and you cannot determine the most important part without knowing the role the system is supposed to serve. Since you are the system builder it's for you to determine the role the system is built for, as you should have already known the role it's for before starting the build, and as such, you should know which part of the system is contributing most towards serving that role.

... which brand could be considered as the system brand?

I would not consider any of the part brands to be the system brand, if someone asks me what brand PC I have I tell them it's custom built. That said, you are the system builder and you could assign any damn brand you want to so long as you don't try to sell it or publicize it as Brand X without permission from Brand X, unless you want pay a lot of money to an attorney and/or Brand X.

 

[64K]

If it's a gaming rig then I think the GPU defines the rig followed by the CPU and then the amount of RAM. If you get those 3 pieces of hardware right then the next would be SSD.

 

[LabRat 891]

Your Surname- brand.
*You* are the Original Equipment Manufacturer.
You chose the subcomponents, and you 'contracted' with a supplier to 'source' your desired BOM.

If I take the time to edit the sysinfo in Windows, I always set the manufacturer to my name.

Assuming some reason you don't want to take responsibility for manufacturing the completed PC...
From a technical perspective, to best 'associate' reliability, etc. I'd choose the main board's brand. ie. A system built with an Asus motherboard would be an "Asus-based build".

 

[erocker]

I would think from an everyday Joe kind of perspective. The case.

 

[rethcirE]

If someone were to try and define their computer to me with as LITTLE information as possible I think the most pertinent information would be the Socket type and/or chipset. From that you can certainly ascertain the capability of it, and the possibilities of its related hardware. You would know (or hopefully know) what generations of CPU were compatible, what memory configurations it might support, what speeds that generation was roughly running at, etc.

 

[OkieDan]

If someone were to try and define their computer to me with as LITTLE information as possible I think the most pertinent information would be the Socket type and/or chipset.

Someone telling me they have a Gigabyte B450 Aorus Elite board tells me very little about a system compared to someone simply saying they have a 5800x3d. But alas, context matters and apparently there are contexts where the parts that best defines compute performance of a computing system isn't what best defines a computing system.

 

[Deleted member 185158]

What an interesting topic. My main wife calls my PC the other wife.

Little does she know, I have a lot of wife's. I hide them and occasionally set up a red head on the side. XD

 

[Bill_Bright]

It should be self-evident that you cannot have a system if any one essential part of the system is missing. This means no one part is more important than another simply because one part relies on another, as a system requires all parts and thus all parts rely on each other to work for the system to work.

Ummm, tires and wheels are essential to a car. So is a car no longer a car if the tires and wheels are stolen? You remove the prop from a Cessna Piper is it no longer a plane?

Is a computer no longer a computer if you remove the boot drive?

Systems are designed for specific purpose(s) or role(s).

No, sorry! Very few systems are designed for specific purposes. If that were so, then most users would have multiple computers, one just for gaming, one just updating social media, one just school projects, etc. But the reality is, the majority of users have just one "general purpose" computer they use for all their computing needs.

If it's a gaming rig then I think the GPU defines the rig

So if this gaming rig has a NVIDIA graphics card, is it a NVIDIA GeForce rig? What if you swap that card out for an AMD? Is it now defined as a different computer? And would it now be called an AMD Radeon rig? Except for drivers, it is the exact same OS, CPU, motherboard, RAM, drives, case, and PSU - even the exact same games, with everything (except the boot splash screen) appearing on the exact same monitor, displaying the exact same images.

What if that new AMD card fried and you decided to go back to the integrated graphics? What's it called now?

Let's not forget that many "gamers" play many popular games that are more CPU intensive than GPU. So why would the GPU define those gaming rigs?

Here you go: A Chevy-Kaiser-Olds-Mo-Laca-Stud-War-Linco-Baker

We can call our computers whatever we want. But it is still the motherboard that establishes the "platform" of that computer from which everything else is built upon.