Best Way To Buy a Desktop Computer

[Steve-French]

Thanks for the suggestion. I browsed some of the options, and it looks like you're sacrificing gigs for the lower prices.

Gigs as in Hard drive space? You can always upgrade you're hardrive or get an external. A friend of mine just got a 2TB HD for $50.

 

[GearSolidMetal]

I've bought my last two off of ibuypower. I'm sure it's overpriced but I'm too lazy to research and put it together myself. It basically has pre-built Pcs and you customize it however you like.

This.

Can't recommend IBuyPower highly enough.

 

[jefferz]

I have not bought a desktop in over 15 years. What is the best way to get one now? At a retailer like Best Buy or are there still companies now like Dell where you can custom order one online?

What is your budget and what do you plan to do with it?

 

[rob mafia]

I've bought my last two off of ibuypower. I'm sure it's overpriced but I'm too lazy to research and put it together myself. It basically has pre-built Pcs and you customize it however you like.

my comp is/was an ibuypower. it was a phenomenal deal at the time, even when i factored in the cost of a new gpu/psu (it was the setup's weakpoint).

for OP, it's kind of a crazy time for pc parts right now. i'm not sure there's a "best" at the moment. waiting might even be a good idea, if that's possible for you.

 

[KidBaize]

Why was this thread moved to the video game forum? This is for work, not games. lol

You'll be the only guy in the office who can run spreadsheets at 4k.

 

[Philo-Publius]

What is your budget and what do you plan to do with it?

It's for working from home. I will need dual screens. My budget is flexible, but I don't want to overpay.

 

[Based and White Pilled]

Newegg has went the way of other retailers. Everybody is overpriced.

That's too bad. I haven't checked it out in like six months.

 

[Wariowokecancel]

The best way is to buy the parts and assemble it yourself. There is a thread dedicated to it here where you can get pretty good advice on how to get the most out of your budget. There are also a lot of tech forums where you can get good advice.

If you aren't comfortable with that, there are a lot of websites where you can customize one and order it. Often those kinds of websites will have deals on specific rigs that will be cheaper than having them make a custom one for you.

Ummmm nowadays it might be a bad idea to build a custom rig with GPU prices insane. Ready computers can avoid that problem.

 

[EffinCraig]

I've built my own previously, but I think next time out I'll visit a local hole in the wall retailer and see what they can put together for me. I know enough to fumble through it but have realised I'd rather leave this kind of thing to experts.

 

[jefferz]

It's for working from home. I will need dual screens. My budget is flexible, but I don't want to overpay.

Are you working with Excel Spreadsheets, rendering video, etc? What's a dollar amount you're willing to spend? To some people, a $1000 is lot of money but to some it's throwaway money.

 

[GSP_37]

I recently watched a YouTube video by thisNatasha of a Akihabara tour where she says this one parts shop there is the best for buying the parts to assemble your own computer where if you buy the bulk of the parts there they give a nice discount.

 

[jefferz]

I recently watched a YouTube video by thisNatasha of a Akihabara tour where she says this one parts shop there is the best for buying the parts to assemble your own computer where if you buy the bulk of the parts there they give a nice discount.

It was probably Micro Center. Video card prices are inflated their as well.
It’s a really shitty time to build a pc right now.

 

[Quipling]

It's for working from home. I will need dual screens. My budget is flexible, but I don't want to overpay.

If you're just using it for work, and not gaming (and you don't do anything graphics intensive for work), prices are completely fine. Couple hundred dollars fine.

 

[Unknown Pleasures]

I have more money than sense sometimes; last computer I got was custom from digitalstorm.com .

I really really love it. I paid a lot, but I don't feel ripped off. Thing has been stable as hell and is just plain beautiful to look at. Kinda like this, but I didn't go with red.

 

[Abortedone]

How do you guys feel about a pc place like Fry's?


My current pc was custom built by them and I dig it. Not sure if they have a good reputation in the tech world tho


Maybe @Doughbelly or @Madmick would be helpful here too

Be careful of frys you pick the shit out then let them
Build it because they will used open box shit and not tell you

 

[sverre054]

Due to the current market with parts, Your best bet is through a direct manufacturer or a place like Costco. My Last desk top I called Dell's efurbished department (which is located in the USA, if you call Dell's normal number you will get someone in India.) I called the refurbished department, and told the guy what I was looking for, and really what my budget was. The guy told me almost all the unti, have never actually been opened or used but are returns that can't be sold as new, but pretty much are. The guy gave me an incredible deal on a I-7, 16gb ram, ect all the stuff I asked for, and it was under $500. Pricing one new, even when using $300 off coupons were closer to 1300 with everything I wanted. Worth a try. For new, I think costco is the way to go, and they double your warranty length, and will let you return if you have any major issues.

 

[quadrunner]

I just got one built this weekend, a friend from work builds computers as a hobby and we went to micro center and got everything for it.

I ended up spending about 1200 total, that's with the monitor also, and I love it.

Granted I know next to nothing about computers, but he built his about 5 years ago for like 1600 and he says mine is better than his in pretty much every way.

Like someone said, prices on some of the stuff were high because of the mining going on but micro center had pretty great prices compared to the stuff I found online.

 

[jefferz]

I was more referring to a brick and mortar store, but yeah that's a good deal. I also got my laptop a few years ago. I'm sure there are other online outlets that have good deals too, but New Egg has always been good to me.

A chinese company bought the majority stake in Newegg and it's now went to shit.

 

[Steve-French]

A chinese company bought the majority stake in Newegg and it's now went to shit.

Really. That's a bummer. They have been my go to site for the last 10 years whenever I need randam parts.

 

[jefferz]

Really. That's a bummer. They have been my go to site for the last 10 years whenever I need randam parts.

I don't think I'd order a cpu/gpu/mobo from them, I've read to many horror stories the past couple of months. I don't think they even accept returns anymore unless you pay to be a part of their preferred club.
I still order certain things like coolers, cases, fans, etc from them when I can't get them from PerformancePC's.