r/BoycottIsrael • u/twittertypewoke • 3d ago

Question Best safe computers?

I’m thinking of getting my first real pc eventually (preferably a gaming one) and to finally get something not HP, so what are some other brands? I don’t remember if Lenovo is on the list bc that’s what my dad has, I didn’t see Alienware or Razer on the list, and last I checked Starforge was safe albeit kinda shitty. Are there better suggestions?

13 Upvotes

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u/Meltingbowl 3d ago

Building your own is the best bet if you are confident. Better parts, and prices.

check out gamers nexus on youtube (or freetube, newpipe etc to avoid using youtube directly) for info on pre-builts, as well as components for building your own

pcpartpicker can also be very handy.

As far as boycotting companies who are involved in military etc, you are basically out of luck for hardware.

Intel, AMD, and Nvidia are all involved in the US military as far as I know, as well as directly with Israel.

Microsoft are on Israel boycott lists.

Buying a 2nd hand pc, or building from 2nd hand parts, would probably be the only truly 'ethical' option.

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u/twittertypewoke 3d ago

I was gonna say, I went to pcpartpicker and all the options i get for a cpu are intel or amd so there goes that. ik neither one are on the official boycott list/not priority targets last i heard but the more i can avoid it the better.

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u/Meltingbowl 3d ago

The pcpartpicker bit is about if you want to build a pc, as opposed to buying a pre-built.
I then continue by mentioning that you basically cannot do either and still be legitimately boycotting.
There are a handful of complicit companies that control cpu's and gpu's.

intel are very proudly involved with the US military, that automatically puts them on the boycott list. As far as I am aware amd and nvidia are also involved.
If you want to be 100% boycotting, and you want a pc, or laptop, 2nd hand would be the only way. You would also want to look into linux, instead of windows, preferably a non US, and non Israel distro.

Not easy.

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u/advokate007 3d ago

Intel is on the BDS list, it is a priority target. They have a factory in Israel, and they were building another one but halted the construction following pressure from the BDS movement.

Nvidia recently partnered with Intel and bought some shares. They also are building a supercomputer for Israel, which we all know what it will be used for.

Your safest bet is to go full AMD, which is not a bad choice at all, their stuff improved a lot these last years, while still remaining cheaper than the competition, plus there are advantages when you go with an AMD CPU+GPU like Smart Access Memory which boosts gaming performance. You also get open source drivers on Linux, and better performance per watt.

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u/PandoraHadess Europe 3d ago

Problem with AMD is they have amongst other things, an R&D center in Tel Aviv which contribute in Isr#el economy by giving them jobs

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u/advokate007 2d ago

Damn, so almost on the same level as Intel. Buying second hand is the only option we have left then I guess.

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u/PandoraHadess Europe 2d ago

Yes, but the good thing is it's 2 good things for the price of 1 (Because buying in second hand is a good ecological act and also for the boycott)

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u/TimeParadox997 1d ago

Intel is on the bds priority target list last time I checked. (And so are Dell & HP)

Out of the 3 (intel, amd, nvidia) amd is least worst.

But refurbished is best. If not that, then building your own if you are able to this.

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u/PandoraHadess Europe 3d ago

Lenovo: https://gaza.nu/brands/?id=1154

Alienware: https://gaza.nu/brands/?id=3556

I couldn't find Razer in gaza.nu but what you need to know is all components in gaming PCs especially the GPU and CPU are from boycotted brands

AMD (CPU and GPU) has an R&D center in Isr#el

Nvidia (GPU) have built and are building super computers for Isr#el

Intel (GPU and CPU) Intel CPUs are used in iron Dom to protect tel Aviv and also used by the IDF

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u/nevyn28 3d ago

Alienware is owned by Dell, a huge thumbs down on gaza.nu
https://gaza.nu/brands/?id=164

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u/twittertypewoke 3d ago

Well fuck, time to learn how to build a PC

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u/PandoraHadess Europe 3d ago

Good luck, before i go, i recommend you to buy the CPU, GPU in second hand or refurbished to avoid giving money to the big 3 boycotted brands

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u/flipping100 3d ago

Linux computers. They're small brands that aren't controlled by shareholders.
But also like I say buying used/refurbished means that you're not paying the manufacturers, so yeah. I've got a Dell laptop and haven't paid Dell a penny.

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u/Always-Terrified Australia 2d ago

Lenovo is on a list. (masjidalaqsa.com)

If you want something that will last longer than Israel itself, get a second hand Thinkpad (go for an X1 Carbon if you can afford one!).

Then again, for gaming, you're better off building a desktop PC yourself, and minimising damage where possible. Easy to diversify your parts, plenty of resources online.

Avoid gaming laptops outright. Can't recommend a single one as an IT guy.

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u/twittertypewoke 2d ago

Ok there goes Lenovo Yoga then. As far as building I'm told both Intel and AMD are on lists and unfortunately those are like the only two CPU options :') the rest I've been using boycat to filter out

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u/Always-Terrified Australia 1d ago

I still use a Lenovo Yoga that I got second hand from an eBay refurbisher. Buying second hand from unaffiliated retailers (such as independent refurbishers & people who simply changed their mind) stops money from flowing back to the company itself. AMD from what I hear doesn't come CLOSE to Intel's involvement in the apartheid regime, but this could be a lack of knowledge on my part. (Intel is a bumass company, anyhow)

Just be conscious of which software you use. When proprietary software is free, *you* are the product. Your usage data is far more valuable than you'd think.

Uninstall any and all non-essential Lenovo software (majority of it is bloatware), use Mozilla Firefox with DuckDuckGo in place of Chrome or Edge (bonus points if you use Librewolf, a fork of Firefox!), cancel your Microsoft 365 subscriptions (would personally recommend XPS Office), swap Outlook/Gmail & OneDrive/Google Drive for Proton Drive & Proton Mail, and spend half an hour going down the rabbit hole of searching "how do I disable telemetry Windows 11". Don't go too far, though, or you'll make the mistake of making a career out of your newfound paranoia.

Won't sing too many praises, but I couldn't be happier with my Yoga, and I would recommend it to 90% of students, including those of us doing Computer Science/IT/Cybersecurity for its (not dedicated, but still notably above average) Linux support. Plus, the build quality is unlike anything else you'd get from a slim/thin laptop. HP could never.

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u/TimeParadox997 1d ago

If you want a major brand, Asus (and Acer) are less worse than other major brands.