HP Potentially Developing a Vehicle History Report-Like System for PCs
In an innovative move to bring transparency to the used computer market, HP is developing a new firmware-level system called PCFax. This digital log, inspired by the vehicle history service CarFax, is designed to provide detailed usage, maintenance, and health data about a PC before purchase, particularly in enterprise or business contexts.
The system, currently in development, collects telemetry such as CPU and system temperatures, SSD wear levels, power consumption, fan speeds, system utilization, and other diagnostics from built-in sensors available in modern PCs. This data is stored securely on a dedicated write-protected partition of the device’s SSD, making it tamper-resistant.
Beyond telemetry, PCFax aggregates manufacturer supply records, customer support logs, diagnostic history, and repair details—including those from third-party service providers—to provide a thorough device history. The data collector runs at the firmware level and uses an Endpoint Security Controller firmware (existing on HP's business-class PCs) to securely gather and log information. HP claims the system uses AI to analyze and generate the usage and health report for each device.
Compared to CarFax, which focuses on the automobile sales and resale industry, PCFax targets the enterprise/business PC resale and reuse market. The data source differs, with PCFax relying on sensor data, SSD health, power use, and manufacturer and repair logs, while CarFax relies on vehicle maintenance, accident reports, and mileage.
The main goal of PCFax is to reduce e-waste by making it easier and more reliable to buy and reuse older computers with full knowledge of their usage and health. By providing a "clean bill of health" on used machines, HP hopes to encourage reuse and extend device life cycles.
However, some skepticism exists around the adoption and impact of PCFax, considering logistics in enterprise IT and HP’s history in widespread innovation. The high volume of used enterprise machines being sold may pose challenges in the implementation of the system.
HP's PCFax is expected to operational in the year 2025 and is not intended for individual consumers but rather for enterprises or businesses. The system is aimed at laptops and other hardware that might get discarded before reaching a true end-of-life. The system is designed to alert potential buyers of hidden damage caused by intensive mining, gaming, rendering, or AI applications.
It's important to note that the proposed system by HP bears similarities to Intel's Management Engine, which has faced criticisms in the past. The potential economic benefits of PCFax are also being questioned.
In summary, HP’s PCFax is a secure, firmware-level, AI-assisted digital log embedded inside PCs to track and report on device usage and health over its lifetime, aiming to bring transparency to the used computer market analogous to CarFax’s role for used cars, but tailored to the unique technical and enterprise contexts of computing hardware.
- The computer industry is set to witness a significant change with HP's development of PCFax, a firmware-level system designed to provide detailed usage, maintenance, and health data for PCs, much like CarFax for vehicles.
- PCFax collects data from built-in sensors, including CPU and system temperatures, SSD wear levels, power consumption, fan speeds, system utilization, and diagnostics, storing it securely on a write-protected partition of the device’s SSD to ensure tamper-resistance.
- Beyond the telemetry data, PCFax aggregates manufacturer supply records, customer support logs, diagnostic history, and repair details, aiming to offer a comprehensive device history, particularly in enterprise or business contexts, with the goal of reducing e-waste and encouraging reuse of older computers.
