Apart from the PSUs which were to a specific design, what other components are bespoke? And it is not something I would worry about.

Yes the cases might be as will some mounting hardware but that happens with EVERY manufacturer.

It might be relatively expensive, but consider going to te three year at home repair/support service. As with all PCs year 1 will be covered but it will be early life failures that will occur - downstream in year 3 something may fail and are you competent to resolve it?

I have just come out from a 5 year warranty on a Dell Laptop and 4 year on Desktop. A few pixels were black on te laptop screen - sorted without question. On the desktop - the graphics cars was being problematic after nearly 4 years and it was changed/upgraded, again without question.

Thanks for all the help. Think shall go with the the dell.

In reply to a post by MHC:

Apart from the PSUs which were to a specific design, what other components are bespoke? And it is not something I would worry about.

Yes the cases might be as will some mounting hardware but that happens with EVERY manufacturer.

The worst one is proprietary motherboard

Presumably graphics will be onboard so if there is limited space for a replacement graphics card repairs / upgrades could be expensive.

In reply to a post by greenglide:

In reply to a post by MHC:

Apart from the PSUs which were to a specific design, what other components are bespoke? And it is not something I would worry about.

Yes the cases might be as will some mounting hardware but that happens with EVERY manufacturer.

The worst one is proprietary motherboard

Presumably graphics will be onboard so if there is limited space for a replacement graphics card repairs / upgrades could be expensive.

So, HP, Samsung, Toshiba, Panasonic, &c &c &c don't use proprietary motherboards?

And the graphics are NOT on board unless you opt for the very basic level.

Two years ago I built two PCs for others.

1. Dell.
Notionally, the only task was to install Office. Actually the principal task was to remove the crapware and fix the networking after autorunning Dell s/w had stopped it from working.

2. Bare bones system
It came without a DVD drive, and so that had to be installed. It was then possible to install Windows XP and Office.

It took less than half the time to get the bare bones system up and running. Yes, that's right, it takes more time to remove the crapware from a Dell PC than to install Windows. Appalling. Don't ever buy a Dell PC.

What "crapware" ...

My Dells come with Windows, Office (if requested), Internet Explorer and McAfee. And NOTHING else.

I'm afraid I don't remember all the details, but would classify as such any software other than Windows. Both PCs were purchased by a charity based in Surrey. The most irritating piece of software was a Dell networking program that ran automatically at every system boot and changed a perfectly working network connection into one in which no connection could be made to either local PCs or the internet. You may like McAfee, but for a user with a licence for a different product it is just crapware that has to be uninstalled before the required product can be installed.

Order it without McAfee ... yes it is supplied free but can be specified without with no change in cost.

I did it with the last laptop ordered. Dell sales can be very flexible and accommodating to give the customer what they want.

I am glad to hear it is now possible to order a PC without McAfee "pre-installed" - I was told by the person who ordered the PC that no such option was available then. Does Dell still install various Dell branded Windows "extensions", or has that practice stopped since Windows 7 came out?

P.S. I am not trying to get at Dell, (and am very pleased with my new Dell monitor), just reporting a specific experience.