While most of the major PC brand vendors have been launching new gaming products, competition among ODMs for their gaming PC orders has also heated up.
Currently, Compal Electronics manufactures gaming notebooks for Alienware, the gaming sub-brand of Dell. Alienware's desktop products are mostly outsourced to Micro-Star International (MSI).
Pegatron Technology mainly handles Asustek Computer's Republic of Gamer (ROG) series orders.
China-based PC brand vendor Haier's Thunderobot notebooks are manufactured by Taiwan-based Clevo and its desktops by Elitegroup Computer Systems (ECS). Lenovo, which has partnered with Razer to enter the gaming market, has given their gaming product orders to China-based BYD.
Because of the high gross margins offered by gaming PCs, not only brand vendors are competing for the market fiercely, their ODMs are also eagerly looking to benefit from it.
None of the above-mentioned ODMs were willing comment on their orders or clients.
The gaming market has been growing fast, with China, South Korea and Russia having established e-sport as official sport events. They have been stepping up efforts to boost the market's development.
Currently, Asustek, MSI and Dell are the top-3 gaming notebook vendors. Asustek is mainly expanding in the gaming market with its ROG brand, while MSI has been rising quickly thanks to its gaming notebook's strong price/performance ratio. Dell is mainly focusing on the mainstream and top-notch segments.
Acer and Gigabyte Technology have also joined the gaming market with their respective Predator and Aorus gaming brands. Lenovo is mainly pushing into the gaming market leveraging its partnership with Razer.
Haier is the largest gaming notebook vendor in China with its Thunderobot- branded products. In the China market, domestic PC brand vendors such as Hasee, Tsinghua Tongfang and Colorful have also recently joined the gaming PC competition.
While Alienware gives its gaming notebook orders to Compal, Asustek has Pegatron make its devices. For MSI and Gigabyte, their gaming notebooks are made completely in house. Although Lenovo and Razer's gaming notebook orders are currently outsourced to BYD, Lenovo is said to be considering shifting the orders to its own notebook manufacturing joint venture set up with Compal.
Haier and Tsinghua Tongfang's gaming notebook orders are given to Clevo and MSI, respectively.
As for the gaming desktop, Dell's Alienware orders are handled by MSI. Haier has recently placed orders with Elitegroup Computer Systems (ECS) for its next-generation Kaby Lake-based gaming desktop.
