[Analysis & Debate] Captiva & Alvano: The ghost catalogue that makes up 84% of Digitec's gaming PCs
Hello community, I'm putting out an alert and I'd like to know if I'm the only one shocked by the quality of PCs from the Captiva and Alvano brands, which dominate Digitec. A few figures to start with: these two brands account for 5,170 references, or more than 84% of the PC Gaming range! But what's even more absurd is that less than 0.5% of this massive catalogue is actually in stock for next-day delivery. The real problem is that almost all of these machines, analysed at random, suffer from serious technical aberrations, designed to fool the unwary buyer. The pattern is always the same: The RAM is systematically sabotaged: Very often we find a single-channel configuration, which halves the bandwidth and causes a performance loss of 15 to 25% in games. A 2479 CHF PC (Captiva R89-085) sold with "1 x 64GB DDR5 5200MHz" is a technical heresy. The components are "No-Name": unbranded and uncertified power supplies (PSUs) and SSDs are installed, even on machines costing almost CHF 4,000 (Captiva R90-729). It's like playing Russian roulette with expensive hardware. Stability and security are sacrificed. Platforms are often obsolete: In 2025, PCs costing over CHF 1,000 (Captiva R88-503) are being sold on a 2017 AM4 platform, with no possibility of upgrading. My question is addressed directly to Digitec: how can your in-house expertise allow machines that are the antithesis of all good PC assembly practice to go by? It's a paradox that seriously damages your credibility. My approach is not to accuse, but to alert. So I ask you: am I the only one shocked by this situation? Is it normal for a reference brand to allow its catalogue to be dominated by thousands of phantom and technically dubious configurations? The debate is open. To end on a constructive note, there is one obvious solution: Digitec should launch its own range of 'Digitec Certified' PCs. 5 to 10 configurations, not 5000. Machines designed by your experts, totally transparent, that the community would be proud to recommend. It would be a real vote of confidence.
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