When I’m ready to buy a new computer, I often consider the brands I recognize as producing reliable quality products.
The most reliable computer on the market will have the least mechanical parts, the best part quality, & the highest manufacturing standards. For example, tablets and mobile phones are typically the most reliable because they have the fewest mechanical parts and are tested to higher mobile standards.
According to RESCUECOM, at the time of this writing, the most reliable computer was the Microsoft surface, followed by Lenovo products, with Apple products in third.
What were the RESCUECOM reliability report results?
As I mentioned, the RESCUECOM top rankings had the Microsoft Surface at number one, with Lenovo products at number two, and Apple products at number three. If you look at past reports, you’ll find that Lenovo and Apple are typically highly rated, with Asus, Samsung, and Dell bouncing around from year to year.
Apple and Lenovo have consistently produced high-quality products for some time, so that isn’t surprising. Samsung and Asus are constantly battling in the consumer market, so to see them move around a little is to be expected. A surprise to me was to see how much movement Dell had. Typically I consider Dell to be one of the higher quality options.
Something that RESCUECOM notes in their review were inexpensive components used by the various manufacturers. I found this to be an interesting observation since most of them are using the same supply chain. Each manufacturer has its various product lines from budget to business, and mixing parts between the various lines could contribute to what they see.
Both Apple and Lenovo target a higher-end market; therefore, any gaffs in quality significantly impact them. You do have to pay for it, though. On average, both of these companies have more expensive products. However, I’ve been using Lenovo products for years and can attest to the quality, reliability, and attention to detail.
What makes mechanical connections unreliable?
Mechanical strain can impact the reliability of a connection or component. If a cable or component is loose or not properly supported, it is constantly subject to forces that will cause it to fail over time. It may seem trivial, but even small movements over time can cause metal fatigue and broken connections.
Connectors can become worn with repeated movement making them no longer capable of maintaining a connection. Components with a higher profile on the board can have lateral forces capable of breaking them off if not properly supported. Overlooked strain is a major contributor to reliability in electronic devices.
Corrosion on connections can cause intermittent connectivity or even complete connection loss. Depending on where the corrosion is, it could result in the entire machine failing. Significant efforts go into making sure corrosion doesn’t occur, but it can still be an issue if proper care isn’t taken.
In particular, if you live in a more humid location. Proper connections and methods to protect them from corrosion must be taken to prevent corrosion problems.
Sometimes we drop our devices. We don’t mean to, but accidents happen. Depending on the device, the fall may create forces that exceed the mechanical limits of the components inside. Cables can come loose, connections can be broken, and impacts can break off components. Mechanical connections must be properly secured and supported to prevent failure.
Some components are held in place using spring tension or a compression fit. This can work well, but it can also wear out or become fatigued over time. In particular, when used in a device that is carried around a lot like a laptop is.
The quality of these connections needs to be very high for them to work reliably. One such connection is sometimes used on sticks of RAM. Have you ever had loose RAM before? It isn’t much fun.
What manufacturing standards impact reliability?
Using hard connections over connectors can be more expensive in assembly time but produces a more reliable product. It does come at the expense of upgradability, but depending on the computer and the target market, this may not matter. Soldering in a component with proper support is always more reliable than using a connector.
Electronic components are often very fragile and need the proper support to prevent them from moving or breaking off. It could be something as simple as a thin sheet of foam or some silicone caulking.
In extreme cases, manufacturers use a potting technique, where the electronics are placed in an enclosure. Then a rubberized material is poured in with it to seal and lock everything into place completely.
Electronic chips and other components are typically soldered to a fiberglass board. The fiberglass board is intended to provide a flat, consistent surface for the components to attach to.
However, if the board is subject to flexing, the components can become damaged and even break off. The rigidity, support, and protection of the board built into the device prevent that from happening. In addition, devices that are rigid with a good frame are often more reliable.
When electronics heat up, they can heat up enough to expand. If they’re allowed to heat up and cool off enough times, this is called thermal cycling. It can cause metal fatigue and broken connections. Manufacturers want to include good thermal transport, or cooling, to ensure that the device doesn’t get too hot and fail but also reduces the impact of thermal cycling.
A device that has good cooling will be more reliable. Cat hair is the sworn enemy of the thermal engineer.
What choices can I make to get better reliability?
If you want to know what choices you can make when buying a device that will increase its reliability, you can start with considering devices with fewer mechanical parts. For example, choose a solid-state hard drive over a mechanical drive.
The type of computer also matters. A desktop computer that sits on your desk all day will end up being more reliable than a laptop you carry with you daily. Choosing the correct product line of the manufacturer for your application will also help.
If you want to leave your computer at home versus carrying it with you every day, then a budget computer will likely still meet your needs. On the other hand, if you need to take it with you all the time, a more business-centric computer might be a better choice.
You can stay current on which manufacturers produce the more reliable machines through sites like this one or RESCUECOM. In general, Apple and Lenovo are good bets, but there is a third or fourth good option worth considering every once in a while.
What can I do if I’ve experienced poor reliability?
If you’re lucky, you’ll still have the manufacturer’s warranty, and you can take it in for repairs or replacement.
I’ve tried the extended warranty offered by retailers before and I haven’t had a good experience. I know some people have had a good experience, but I stay away from it. It effectively amounts to insurance, and like all insurance, they will try and deny you coverage. So it’s not worth the trouble, in my opinion.
If you’re lucky enough to have a local repair shop that can help you out, check their reviews and maybe try them out? Shops like RESCUECOM and Rossmann Repair Group provide quality service, and they might be able to help you out.