Gamers Nexus Reviews the Walmart Gaming PC

I have heard of this before - it's difficult to believe that it is cost effective to retool and get different lines of suppliers just for one retailer- even a massive one.
There are even different models of TV's made solely for black Friday specials...
 
1400$ in parts but you paid 2100$, that likely is retail prices but obviously they didn't pay retail for part's so likely could take least another 10-20% off the prices since they bought in bulk. SO i would doubt that machine was much over 1200$ if that at best.
 
Be interesting when they get the correct PC. Not surprising that a mid range PC has mid range stuff. The one reviewed does seem to use standard parts so it should be fairly easy to upgrade parts. Unlike a lot of HP/Dell stuff which always seem to have a custom something which makes changing parts out a PITA.

I'm not surprised at all by this. I look at Walmart this way, if it has a plug and cost more than $100, buy it somewhere else. There is a long standing rumor that manufacturers make cheaper models of the same products to sell at Walmart to be able to compete (Walmart forces many suppliers to undercut their own prices). . . . .

This has been going on for a long time. Back when VCRs were still high end products, wasn't all unusual for Best Buy to have a Sony model abc-345A and Circuit City to carry a Sony model abc-345B. They would look the same but the different model numbers allowed the stores to deny price match. Wasn't at all unusual for the Sony website to not even list the BB or CC models as legit. They might only show abc-345. And Sony products weren't the only ones done this way.
 
1400$ in parts but you paid 2100$, that likely is retail prices but obviously they didn't pay retail for part's so likely could take least another 10-20% off the prices since they bought in bulk. SO i would doubt that machine was much over 1200$ if that at best.

Yeah, they got all their parts real cheap wholesale, since Walmart typically buys in bulk quantities.
 
I feel like Walmart is not going to want to take that PC back. He took it apart, probably scratched the fuck out of it, and removed their thermal paste... and their super glue... Does this thing not have tamper tape for the warranty? I don't think he mentioned if it did.


it's walmart they'll take anything back no questions asked.
 
1400$ in parts but you paid 2100$, that likely is retail prices but obviously they didn't pay retail for part's so likely could take least another 10-20% off the prices since they bought in bulk. SO i would doubt that machine was much over 1200$ if that at best.

I doubt they paid anything near 1200 The case and psu sound like pennybin stuff. I bet those boards are bulk like under 10 bucks. The only money in that box is the 8700 and gtx1070. I cant look at the video atm the moment, Im curious if the gtx is some generic nonbrand.
 
ofg ya want a $2100 PC buy the parts ,,have microcenter build it for you ..then wipe it and install your stuff your way ..or better yet build it yourself for less money .
That's the whole point... The people buying a computer a computer at WalMart don't even know Microcenter or any of the good system builders exist nor would they have the background knowledge to make those buying decisions. WalMart is preying on the least-informed of all the PC consumers and ripping them off more than anyone else would. If they are going to put their name behind what their subcontractor is supplying them, then the review should absolutely focus on what the value of this product is versus the competitors.
https://www.walmart.com/reviews/product/621888364
The system they reviewed has two 5 star and one 1 star review so what does that tell you about their target audience?

I feel like Walmart is not going to want to take that PC back. He took it apart, probably scratched the fuck out of it, and removed their thermal paste... and their super glue... Does this thing not have tamper tape for the warranty? I don't think he mentioned if it did.
It wasn't super glue it was hot glue gun. Not really uncommon in OEMs as I've definitely seen it used inside of Dell desktops back in the day. And do you seriously think WalMart is going to inspect how well he reapplied thermal paste on this system when it's not a defective product return, but a wrong delivery return? I would be very surprised if there's more than a single guy working at the distribution warehouse that knows enough to check, let alone is being paid enough to care. This system is definitely going to someone else eventually.
 
That's the whole point... The people buying a computer a computer at WalMart don't even know Microcenter or any of the good system builders exist nor would they have the background knowledge to make those buying decisions. WalMart is preying on the least-informed of all the PC consumers and ripping them off more than anyone else would. If they are going to put their name behind what their subcontractor is supplying them, then the review should absolutely focus on what the value of this product is versus the competitors.
https://www.walmart.com/reviews/product/621888364
The system they reviewed has two 5 star and one 1 star review so what does that tell you about their target audience?


It wasn't super glue it was hot glue gun. Not really uncommon in OEMs as I've definitely seen it used inside of Dell desktops back in the day. And do you seriously think WalMart is going to inspect how well he reapplied thermal paste on this system when it's not a defective product return, but a wrong delivery return? I would be very surprised if there's more than a single guy working at the distribution warehouse that knows enough to check, let alone is being paid enough to care. This system is definitely going to someone else eventually.


Not that specifically, but usually PC builders have tamper stickers on the side panel that if broken can void your warranty.
 
I’m surprised Walmart did this for two reasons.

1) They’re discount, mass market retail. Premium customers are not walmart’s demographic. I go to Walmart for maybe groceries and tube socks, I don’t go there for high end equipment.

2) Given point 1, why are they putting such a high price point, particularly for a low cost item? No one wants to go to Walmart for a $2100 PC.
 
It'll do the job but, but its probably not very efficient. I guess, I've used far worse in my 20 years of building. Anyone remember those 250w Allied power supplies with the sheet metal housing? Archaic by today's standards.

Yeah, but the quality of the delivery can also have a negative impact on the rest of the system components.
 
Honestly this looks like something that would fail...………….6 months to a year.. maybe. Death by Dust, Heat, or crap power supply?
 
Walmart: graduating from cheap crap to expensive crap.
 
well they'll send him the one he ordered after they get theirs back so that's just walmart being a good retailer.
 
I feel like Walmart is not going to want to take that PC back. He took it apart, probably scratched the fuck out of it, and removed their thermal paste... and their super glue... Does this thing not have tamper tape for the warranty? I don't think he mentioned if it did.

What makes you think he scratched it? They're not going to check the thermal paste. He didn't remove the hot glue, he pulled the USB 3 connector off, but the glue stayed on the board and the connector. Anti-tamper seals are illegal, the FTC ruled them unenforceable and demanded that companies cease using them.
 
I feel like Walmart is not going to want to take that PC back. He took it apart, probably scratched the fuck out of it, and removed their thermal paste... and their super glue... Does this thing not have tamper tape for the warranty? I don't think he mentioned if it did.

Man arrested for defrauding Walmart of $1.3 million in PC return scheme

"Authorities in Yuma, Arizona, have arrested a 23-year-old man accused of making fraudulent returns at more than 1,000 Walmart stores across the country over an 18-month span.

Officials picked up Thomas Frudaker after he allegedly attempted to return a computer to a Yuma area Walmart he’d previously purchased. Authorities believe Frudaker had purchased the PC then removed select components before attempting the return, presumably to sell elsewhere for a profit.

Upon further investigation, police learned that Frudaker had pulled off similar antics at more than 1,000 Walmart locations across the nation over the past 18 months, defrauding the big box retailer of over $1.3 million in the process."
 
Just done some quick price checking, mostly on Amazon of the same parts used in this system, or very similar ones where I couldn't find an exact match.

Motherboard $47.29
GTX 1070 $349.99
ADATA 256GB SSD $114.16
2TB hard drive $59.99
500w PSU $23.99
CPU cooler $23.99
Core i7-8700 $429.98
ADATA 16GB DDR 2400 $149
Case $49.99
Total $1224.39

Plus a windows OEM license. I am sure that Walmart can source the components for much less but the price isn't far below the $1,399 that they charge for it. I am suprised really.

CPU - I7-8700k- $340.00
Cooler - CM- Hyper212 EVO - $20.00
Mobo - MSI Z370-A Pro - $80.00
RAM - Adata XPG Gammix D10 16GB(2x8GB) - $98.00
SSD - Adata XPG SX850 256GB - $44.00
HDD - Toshiba - P300 2TB - $48.00
GPU - EVGA - 1070 8GB FTW ACX 3.0 - $330.00
Case - Rosewill Cullinan - $80.00
PSU - EVGA - BR 500w 80+ Bronze - $26.00

Grand Total - $1066.00 - All name brand parts...… and they are selling this for $1400.00 grant it no Win10 license with mine but you will still save $200 after that, and these are retail prices, so for sourcing I'd imagine your profit would be based more on bulk pricing and last years tech pickings, either way I am not sure how they realistically expect to turn a profit after labor costs and such even with the junk they are handing people, that PSU in there was real shady, personally I wouldn't let anyone use that, I'd send them to a proper OEM that can make profit margins and still hand quality parts to customers, Every Retailer I have ever seen that tried their own PC branding has failed(Except RadioShack the Tandy line was beast back in the day), Best Buy tried and so did Staples, I even think Gamestop or one of its subsidies they obtained tried and failed. They just can't farm the parts at a price that allows a decent profit margin compared to already established branding dedicated to the industry.
 
Why not? Not like him getting the right system would have changed how it was built. It would have another stick of the exact same RAM, a higher capacity version of the exact same SSD, a Gigabyte 1080 ti instead of the 1070, and everything else would be the same. Same board, same HDD, same CPU, same cooler, probably the same PSU or maybe a slighter higher wattage version of it, same shitty case, same retarded USB-C expansion card, etc. If anything, getting the right system is going to make them look worse because the 1080 ti is going to shove a lot more heat into that piece of shit case than the 1070 will.


Or it could be a case of the more you pay the better built it will be, doubtful i suppose.
 
CPU - I7-8700k- $340.00
Cooler - CM- Hyper212 EVO - $20.00
Mobo - MSI Z370-A Pro - $80.00
RAM - Adata XPG Gammix D10 16GB(2x8GB) - $98.00
SSD - Adata XPG SX850 256GB - $44.00
HDD - Toshiba - P300 2TB - $48.00
GPU - EVGA - 1070 8GB FTW ACX 3.0 - $330.00
Case - Rosewill Cullinan - $80.00
PSU - EVGA - BR 500w 80+ Bronze - $26.00

Grand Total - $1066.00 - All name brand parts...… and they are selling this for $1400.00 grant it no Win10 license with mine but you will still save $200 after that, and these are retail prices, so for sourcing I'd imagine your profit would be based more on bulk pricing and last years tech pickings, either way I am not sure how they realistically expect to turn a profit after labor costs and such even with the junk they are handing people, that PSU in there was real shady, personally I wouldn't let anyone use that, I'd send them to a proper OEM that can make profit margins and still hand quality parts to customers, Every Retailer I have ever seen that tried their own PC branding has failed(Except RadioShack the Tandy line was beast back in the day), Best Buy tried and so did Staples, I even think Gamestop or one of its subsidies they obtained tried and failed. They just can't farm the parts at a price that allows a decent profit margin compared to already established branding dedicated to the industry.
As an example of bulk margins, I looked into the cost of bulk ordering motherboards earlier this year. It was a special situation as they were embedded ARM, but the cost for one unit retail was $90 each, 500 units was $34, and 1000 units was $27 each. I doubt this would scale anywhere near the same in PC components-land, but I'm sure Walmart's margin is way higher than we might expect. Especially with bulky volume, low complexity parts like the case, power supply, and HSF.
 
Or it could be a case of the more you pay the better built it will be, doubtful i suppose.

I highly doubt it. With how bad even the "cheap" model is I wouldn't even be surprised if they kept the same PSU and tried running the system off of it.
 
I like the coverage Steve does for these videos and I'm glad he looked at this PC.

I just disagree with him on this one (outside of the error in shipping obviously). He states several times in the piece that this system is for consumers/grandmothers/kids/people who don't know better, but then critically critiques it with an enthusiast eye. There's nothing wrong with that, but it's obvious that's not the market segment so of course it's not going to be as good as something we could/would build. So it just makes him sound pretentious.

The comments on the motherboard irk me. Yeah, the card is only going to get 8 PCI-E lanes, which is just fine and is not going to limit it anyway. The DMI 2.0 is irrelevant because the system is not designed, marketed, nor even has room for AIB cards that will saturate the 2.0 DMI. I cringed when he called IOPS I-O-P-S. Regarding the case fan filter (lack of), again it's for some kid or generic consumer, so yeah it's going to get dusty. A filter (that they won't clean anyways) would just clog up and restrict airflow more than no-filter and dust everywhere would. And finally, I thought it was funny that he was goign to give an opinion on the thermal paste installation where he has commented many times that it doesn't really matter. And finally, on the cable routing, he didn't consider that these systems are probably mass produced on an assembly line where time is money. So yeah, they are not going to do great with the routing, but the kid/grandmother/etc consumer isn't going to care.

The only thing in the system that I think should be changed, even for the market segment they are targeting, is the PSU. That POS will probably fail long before any other component in there would. Everything else uses reasonable name brands.
 
I am sure this is all about crypto. Hear me out.
A giant corp. like Walmart is making decisions and market projections well ahead. This is a gaff! A year ago everyone would have stripped that system for the Gpu. Walmart thinks it is doing the market a favor. Based on a year ago they are pricing competitively.
Uneducated corporate "yes-men" are doing their best in uneducated fields.
Sigh....
 
Just done some quick price checking, mostly on Amazon of the same parts used in this system, or very similar ones where I couldn't find an exact match.

Motherboard $47.29
GTX 1070 $349.99
ADATA 256GB SSD $114.16
2TB hard drive $59.99
500w PSU $23.99
CPU cooler $23.99
Core i7-8700 $429.98
ADATA 16GB DDR 2400 $149
Case $49.99
Total $1224.39

Plus a windows OEM license. I am sure that Walmart can source the components for much less but the price isn't far below the $1,399 that they charge for it. I am suprised really.
Yeah you missed big on a few of those. Here are the obvious ones:

ADATA 256gb SSD... $37.59
Core i7-8700... $308.99
16gb DDR4 2400... $104.99

And you're already down to $1006.81.
I doubt the onehunglow brand cpu cooler is more than $10, same for the PSU, and the case is probably closer to $20, but since I'm not in the mood to browse amazon all night I'll give those to you.
But when you figure in the fact that these are retail prices, and walmart ISN'T paying anything close to retail... that $1400 system probably cost them closer to $700 in parts.
 
The irony, Gigabyte mobo.... If I was going to build a pos and fuck someone over they would be my brand of choice! /cry I miss UD3s :/
 
The irony, Gigabyte mobo.... If I was going to build a pos and fuck someone over they would be my brand of choice! /cry I miss UD3s :/

Gigabyte has excellent boards these days. Honestly, they probably one of the better companies at the mid and high end right now. Low-end garbage is low-end garbage no matter the brand.
 
Gigabyte has excellent boards these days. Honestly, they probably one of the better companies at the mid and high end right now. Low-end garbage is low-end garbage no matter the brand.

Son google Bullzoids videos and get back to me.
 
Prebuilts from Cyberpowerpc, ibuypower, Dell, HP, NZXT are decent alternatives. Obviously this Walmart one is not a good choice. And of course build your own is the best for those with the skills and motivation. Shout out for pcpartspicker as a good resource.
 
The videos where he is praising the shit out of Gigabyte's Z390 lineup because they have some of the best VRMs at every price-point?
Son apparently you missed the video of him calling Gigabyte out for false advertising...

 
Son apparently you missed the video of him calling Gigabyte out for false advertising...



I did. Don't watch every video he puts out and actually did miss that one. I hate to say it, but that is something every single company does these days on some products. ASUS lies through it's teeth about some of its Z390 boards, AsRock has a long history of it, MSI isn't immune either. Companies love claiming to have better VRMs then they really do because they can get away with it. Its not so much "hey, Gigabyte has bad boards" as it is something every manufacturer needs to stop doing.
 
I did. Don't watch every video he puts out and actually did miss that one. I hate to say it, but that is something every single company does these days on some products. ASUS lies through it's teeth about some of its Z390 boards, AsRock has a long history of it, MSI isn't immune either. Companies love claiming to have better VRMs then they really do because they can get away with it. Its not so much "hey, Gigabyte has bad boards" as it is something every manufacturer needs to stop doing.

Son, as he points out in the video, the other manufactures never claimed to be something they were not. Why are you apologetic to Gigafail?
 
Son, as he points out in the video, the other manufactures never claimed to be something they were not. Why are you apologetic to Gigafail?

You can knock off the "son" bullshit. I am not your "son" and your attempts at belittling are not welcome. Either talk to me like an adult or don't reply again.

Really? They never claimed it? So ASRock never claimed to be using IR parts when they weren't? ASUS never outright lied about the phases on the Z390 boards sent to reviewers for the 9900K launch? I'm not being apologetic to Gigabyte, I'm pointing out that there are problems industry wide with companies not being truthful about VRMs on some of their products. Doesn't matter which manufacturer it is, its crap and needs to stop.
 
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