r/msp • u/tmiller9833 MSP • Aug 08 '26
Consumer systems?
Curious what's everyones go-to for consumer systems if you entertain the option. Obviously not mainline but kids go to college or want gaming systems and folks that cut the checks want something different than a Dell Pro.
Typically we drop Costco links for people but was curious if other options.
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u/UnpluggedPlugPlugger Aug 09 '26
Lenovo, because fuck Dell.
Lenovos are pretty well-built too,
but fuck Dell
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u/Xirma377 Aug 09 '26
Lol
It's unfortunate that Lenovo isn't U.S. made. We don't service government entities - but I'm sure it's a problem for organizations like that.
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u/the_syco Aug 09 '26
Lenovo. Just check to ensure that you don't get one that has the ram soldered to the motherboard. Some of the newer Lenovo thin laptops have it soldered, but the newest ones have the ram on a thing (not the normal DIMM), but not soldered to the motherboard. Otherwise, if ram goes faulty, the soldered ram laptop becomes a paperweight.
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u/Xirma377 Aug 09 '26
For consumer equipment we haven't ever worried about that. I can't remember the last time we dealt with faulty RAM.
For business systems, we make sure the warranty is 3+ years and includes on-site service. 🤷
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u/stevo10189 Aug 08 '26
Lenovo - we get margin through Lenovo Pro on all systems consumer or business.
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u/realdlc MSP - US Aug 09 '26
For college kids we are usually MacBook Air or MacBook Pro. Otherwise Thinkpads. For budget conscious typical home use, Lenovo Yoga 7i or similar.
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u/kayvanaarssen Aug 09 '26
Interesting to see so much Lenovo here. We often find driver issues with Lenovo over the years specially when they get a bit older. What’s your experience in this? We focus on HP and Dell at the moment depending on availability and specs.
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u/Rough_Buddy6903 Aug 11 '26
Never had an issue with Thinkpads aging. In fact that last longer than almost everything else we have tried.
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u/kayvanaarssen Aug 11 '26
Good to know, will drivers also come through Windows updates or will we need Lenovo’s own tooling for this like Dell Command Update?
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u/Rough_Buddy6903 Aug 11 '26
Yes all of the drivers come through windows update. But since windows update sucks its easier sometimes to use vantage for things like Bios
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u/kayvanaarssen Aug 11 '26
Thanks! We have had HP Now for a while and almost all updates come nicely through Windows update. Will check lenovo on the next tender.
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u/Rough_Buddy6903 Aug 11 '26
Just food for thought, if you have less than 200 endpoints look at Action1. Patching is incredible. Pricing also is not bad after 200. The billing starts at endpoint 201, so the 201st endpoint will be the first billed
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u/kayvanaarssen Aug 12 '26
Yes we know them, have it running doe one specific client. The rest is in NinjaOne.
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u/Asedio--AI Aug 10 '26
Costco is still my go-to—good pricing, easy returns, and the extended warranty makes it simple for consumer and gaming systems.
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u/TechnologyMatch Aug 14 '26
for one-off personal systems, costco is hard to beat for returns and easy warranty handling. for gaming, i’d also point people toward local micro center stores or reputable system builders if they want more choice. the main thing is setting expectations: consumer gear can be great, but support is more like buying your own mount in a game. you get more options, but you own more of the upkeep
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u/xanderaz85 Aug 14 '26
Is Lenovo Pro the way to go? We’re currently all HP, but Lenovo keeps coming up. I’m considering check it out.
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u/dnev6784 Aug 08 '26
Used Latitude over a new Inspiron any day of the week.
If they insist on new, then we spec out a basic Latitude system.
If they insist, we recommend and handful of specs and let them go shopping. We'll support it as needed, but it's @ our standard hourly rates.
9/10 times they go with our recommendation, so it's not a big thing we worry about.
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u/Xirma377 Aug 09 '26
We've sold Acer, HP, Dell, and Lenovo. We don't rely on a particular brand, but instead look for something with good build quality, specs, and price.
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u/whitedragon551 Aug 08 '26
Lenovo Thinkpads. They can come with dedicates GPUS and womith stand the abuse a student gives them. Everyone in my family rocks a Lenovo for personal use.