A golden PC from St. Gallen? Who are Prime Computers?
13.12.2017
Translation: machine translated
A PC worth 1 million francs made of pure gold: why this marketing gag is not so crazy after all and how a St. Gallen computer company wants to assert itself against international competition with Swissness.
When we were looking for absurd Christmas presents for the digitec brochure, we came across the Prime. A mini PC made of 18-carat gold worth a million francs. This bargain is made for you by the St. Gallen-based company Prime Computer, on site. However, luxury gold computers are not the company's core business. I was able to see this for myself during a personal visit.
The Bill Gates of Switzerland
Prime Computer was founded in 2013 by the then 23-year-old Josip Sunic. Today, they sell locally produced, fanless mini PCs and servers in aluminium housings. Sunic, who was already a computer enthusiast as a child and assembled computers himself at an early age, was annoyed by the clunky and noisy PCs. So he started to compress them and equip them with passive cooling. Instead of relying on production facilities in China, he stayed true to his home country. The result is Prime Computer, just outside the city of St. Gallen.
"With his own company and his young age of 27, he's almost like a Swiss Bill Gates who started out in his garage - don't write that down," says Mario Tanner with a laugh as I continue to take notes. Sunic may not be a billionaire yet, but his concept seems to be convincing. So do Mario Tanner (Chief Sales Officer) and Olivia Imhof (Chief Marketing Officer). The two have only recently joined the up-and-coming company. The first thing I want to know from them is: why in Switzerland? Wouldn't it be more efficient and cheaper to produce in China? "I lived in China for a long time and saw many production facilities. The situation is very different from ours. A lot is produced quickly in China, but not for eternity. That's partly intentional. Who wants the same mobile for ten years," says Mario. This is not in line with Prime Computer's philosophy, where all devices come with a five-year guarantee. "We are against the throwaway mentality," he adds. The slowdown in hardware development works in their favour. "You used to have to upgrade your PC every 18 months on average, but the curve is levelling off more and more."
Sociology was another reason why the two started working at Prime. Creating local jobs and raising Switzerland's profile as a PC manufacturer are among their top priorities.
A smorgasbord of customers
During my visit, I was able to get my hands on the various models. The PCs and servers feel extremely high-quality. They are all milled from a solid block of aluminium. The prominent cooling fins are part of the design and ensure that no fan is required. Which brings us to one of the reasons why someone would buy a Prime computer, because they are significantly more expensive than the competition. The customers, half of whom are business customers and half private customers, are an unrivalled collection. "There are design enthusiasts who don't want to put a plastic PC in their smart living room. Or people with tinnitus who are disturbed by a quiet fan," says Mario. "For many, of course, Swissness is also a powerful argument, as are the energy savings, which should not be underestimated," adds Olivia. Over five years, this can add up to 800 francs, depending on consumption and the appliance.
Although they are in direct competition with Intel's NUC, Prime Computer has successfully carved out a niche for itself. "Many customers appreciate the fact that they can simply call. The simplicity and direct line play an important role for many - especially for older customers," explains Olivia.
A dream made of gold
But where is this golden PC now? "Unfortunately, the order hasn't materialised yet," says Olivia. They had a specific enquiry from the United Arab Emirates for a gold-coated Prime. As this was not ideal in terms of production, they came up with the all-gold version. So it wasn't just a marketing gimmick. Gold is a better heat conductor than aluminium. The device would therefore even be technically upgraded. Enquiries for a platinum model have also already been received. The idea of a housing being milled from a huge block of gold or platinum makes me smile. Maybe it will work next time. We'd love to be involved in this manufacturing process, I'd like to say.
Not 100 per cent Swiss Made
Prime Computer's open-plan office not only accommodates the twelve employees, but also the workshop. When a large order comes in, they produce 60 to 70 PCs a week here. Chief Technology Officer Dominik Prieth is currently applying thermal paste to the mainboard. However, not everything is made in Switzerland. The case is produced in Manchester and the hardware consists of selected components such as SSDs from Samsung and processors from Intel. When developing the case and selecting the components, one factor in particular was decisive: the heat. As the Prime computers do not have a fan that can blow the heat from the hardware out of the housing, the cooling fins have to take over. That's why the housing is made from a single piece, so that the heat can be distributed. "The build quality is top notch," Dominik confirms.
They also have a fanless server on sale. "We initially had problems with the CPU being able to dissipate heat perfectly, but it went straight to the SSD." I ask whether they could also build a gamer PC with their technology. "Difficult," says Dominik. For one thing, you need a much more powerful power supply and a dedicated graphics card. "You'll always have a small cube." But it still wouldn't be enough for the LAN party. "You just need a pallet for transport," Dominik suggests. The goal of standing out would at least be achieved.
But before Prime Computer takes on the challenge of passively cooled gaming PCs, the young company first wants to find its place in the market. "At the moment, our focus is on publicising our brand and increasing brand awareness," says Mario. The start has already been successful and if a few more Arab millionaires can be found who need a golden PC for their entertainment system, then nothing stands in the way of success.
A small selection
Here's the full range
Header image: You don't see that every day: a fanless server.
Philipp Rüegg
Senior Editor
Philipp.Rueegg@digitecgalaxus.chBeing the game and gadget geek that I am, working at digitec and Galaxus makes me feel like a kid in a candy shop – but it does take its toll on my wallet. I enjoy tinkering with my PC in Tim Taylor fashion and talking about games on my podcast http://www.onemorelevel.ch. To satisfy my need for speed, I get on my full suspension mountain bike and set out to find some nice trails. My thirst for culture is quenched by deep conversations over a couple of cold ones at the mostly frustrating games of FC Winterthur.
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