British boutique builder Fierce PC has announced a line of "GPU-less" gaming desktops that come bundled with all PC parts except the most important component for gaming: the graphics card. The idea is that you can install your own GPU, whether you already own one or are lucky enough to find a stand-alone graphics card in stock.

"We present a group of systems ready to install your own graphics card. The systems in this series do not come with a graphics card and will not boot without one. Please keep this in mind when ordering this product," states Fierce PC.

Fierce PC's new lineup of GPU-less systems (via Overclock3D) has starting prices ranging from £560 to £900 (about $775 to $1,245 in US currency). The least expensive configuration includes an Intel Core i5 9400F processor, Cooler MasterLiquid Lite 120 all-in-one cooler, MSI H310M Pro-VDH Plus motherboard, 8 GB Corsair Vengeance DDR4-3000 RAM, 240 GB WD Green SSD, 1TB Seagate Barracuda HDD, and 600W PSU (80 Plus Bronze) in a Micro-ATX system.

In addition to no GPU, there is no OS, and adding Windows 10 costs £90. All three baseline configurations are customizable to some degree, but no GPU is available for these particular builds (Fierce PC has a variety of other graphics cards with system configurations for sale).

Given that system builders are facing the same GPU shortage as DIY builders, the timing of this launch is probably no coincidence. To make matters worse, evidence suggests that the GPU shortage will not be remedied anytime soon. [Nvidia CFO Collette Kress said in January, "Our overall production capacity is not keeping up with the overall strong demand we have seen. In terms of constraints, we are constrained by the global compute surge, our overall capacity, and the capacity we need for assembly, testing, and sub-trade." But again, we are focused on this and working every day to improve the overall supply situation."

Looking at all the ways the world is trying to address the GPU shortage, selling pre-assembled gaming PCs without graphics cards is like waving the white flag in surrender to an untenable situation.

That said, Fierce PC is not outright saying that low GPU availability is the reason for a new desktop line without a GPU. Perhaps that is because the situation speaks for itself.