Barebone computer

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"Barebones" and "Barebone" redirect here. For the English preacher and Member of Parliament see Praise-God Barebone.

A barebone computer is a partially-assembled platform or an unassembled kit that can consist of any combination of: case, power supply, motherboard, CPU, RAM, video card, and/or a cooling system. Barebone computers are available in nearly any form factor.

The purchaser of such a platform only has to equip it with a CPU, RAM, hard drive (if these are not already included) and additional input/output devices depending on his/her needs.

Barebones systems sometimes include a CPU or RAM, but rarely any mass storage media (hard drives) or Operating System.

Assembling a barebone computer by hand is usually less expensive than buying a pre-configured computer from a retailer. Some microATX forms offer a reduced footprint that can result in limited space for extra I/O devices or PCI cards.

[edit] See also

• Barebook
• Small form factor
• Shuttle Inc.
• Pricewatch