Which Vendors Do You Trust For PC Parts? 520
CaryTheSane writes "After six years, it's finally time for my old Pentium 4 to retire to web browsing duties, and I want a new gaming PC. I'd like to build my own this time, and I've scoped out most of the parts I want for a moderately high-end system. Which online vendors have you used before that you trust for parts? I've dealt with NewEgg, and I like them, but I live in Tennessee, a state in which they have a presence. Unfortunately, this means they have to hit me up for 9.5% sales tax. That really eats into my system build budget, so I'm looking for alternatives. I'd like to use the fewest number of vendors (preferably only one), so that all the parts arrive at the same time and I don't have one part's 30-day return policy run out while I'm waiting for parts from another vendor to show up. So, which reliable and economical parts vendors do you recommend?"
Conversely, are there any you'd recommend avoiding?
Local Store? (Score:2, Interesting)
Sales Tax? (Score:5, Interesting)
I love Newegg, you may also want to look at pricewatch.com
it may not be all from one vendor, but you may find a vendor who has everything you need.
Comment removed (Score:4, Interesting)
http://www.cyberpowerpc.com is good for built PCs (Score:1, Interesting)
Rather than "build myself" from parts, I wanted someone else to build & test with quality parts I specified. It was surprisingly hard to find a site to build what I really wanted at a good price.
Eventually I went with http://www.cyberpowerpc.com and ended up with the PC I really wanted.
I got an nForce with 8800 GT and power supply wattage I specified. Since I run Linux on the box, they nicely let you buy sans Windows.
I took the system apart enough to make sure all the components were really what I ordered and they were. The system just worked. I got Ubuntu installed without too much hassle.
I built a Shuttle box before with parts from newegg and it was stressful when something doesn't go right (fortunately for me it was just difficulties getting every cable plugged in given the small form factor--and not bad parts).
Re:Tigerdirect - avoid (Score:3, Interesting)
I've never had a problem.
So, you are basically confirming the original statement that if they don't screw up your order, then they are as good as any other merchant who does not screw up your order.
zipzoomfly and mwave (Score:2, Interesting)
I love Newegg but I don't buy harddrives from them (Score:2, Interesting)
After getting a few drives that were packed with just crumpled paper around them, I believe that the responsibility for the higher failure rate may lie more with Newegg's handling and packaging than with the manufacturer's quality control. I still order almost all of my parts from Newegg for all of the reasons that others have mentioned, but I've started getting my drives from CDW [cdw.com] instead. Each OEM drive I've ordered from CDW has come packaged in it's own plain brown cardboard box, held suspended in plastic shock absorbers like retail boxed drives do.
I could be wrong, of course, and it was only a few months ago I decided this, so time will tell.
Re:Multiwave (Score:2, Interesting)
Don't get quad core yet. Spend the same money on a dual core that has 1.5 times the clock speed (unless you're rolling in the dough). Why? Because very, very few games a written with multiple cores in mind as of yet. While I expect some to start coming out soon, the majority of games are written in a traditional single-thread manner. This means that the game will be stuck in one core. Your OS, drivers and other software will sit in the other core, thus giving you benefit, but because of the limiting nature of single-threaded games, you'll see more benefit from a faster dual-core CPU than from a slower quad-core.
Re:Local Store? (Score:2, Interesting)
Discrimination hasn't got a thing to do with it.
My state has no authority to tell me what I, nor my representatives, can do, while acting in another state. They can't charge me with crimes I may commit while out of state, and they certainly can't collect taxes, based on a purchase I made in another state. Either is quite obviously illegal on the face of it.
NewEgg (Score:2, Interesting)
I usually shop around, then end up at NewEgg.
I avoid TigerDirect. I've had bad experience with defective merchandise more than once, they give the illusion of cheapness with rebates, and the customer service is poor.
Re:OVERKILL dude (Score:2, Interesting)
Anyones price cap should be PS3 price, else just get a ps3.
I'm not denying the PS3 can be impressive hardly an ideal system.
It depends on the type of games you play.
If you like Guitar Hero/Platform kinda games, like to switch off your mind for a few hours or the kinds of games with lots of FMV & pretty cutscenes then get a PS3.
If you like FPS/RTS games or those you have to think about a PC is a much better option.
If you like games you can mod, alter or want loads of addons you're also better off with a PC.
Even if that wasn't the case, my disability prevents me from using the controllers that come with the PS3/Xbox/Wii.
Oh and Sony is evil and should be removed from the planet for repeatedly trying to screw its customers.
Not ebuyer (Score:3, Interesting)
So I now have ebuyer in my hosts file pointing to localhost with a rewrite rule pointing to this statement
WARNING
Everytime you buy from Ebuyer you end up regretting it !
You do realise that since 2001, you have had to fight for refunds with a total value of over £1000 !
On your head be it !
Re:Tigerdirect - avoid (Score:5, Interesting)
Third here.
This is some of the communication I had with them....it didn't get any better.
We sincerely apologize for the situation that you encountered. We just saw the comments that you left on Resellerratings.com. We are dismayed over your perception of our company, and the feedback you posted. We are dedicated to satisfying our customers, in hope of making them âoelifetimeâ customers. If you would, please respond with details of you latest situation, and how, within reason and the boundaries of our contracts, we could make TigerDirect a place of business for you again.
Sincerely,
XXX XXXXXXXX
Customer Service/Web Response
Most of the problems I have had with your company started with the purchase of this item:
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-Details.asp?EdpNo=3564505&sku=TSD-500AS5 [tigerdirect.com]
As you can see as the top of this product info it states:
Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 500GB Hard Drive - 7200RPM, 32MB, SATA-300, OEM
The 32MB is the spec for this drive's cache. However, when I received the drive, it was labeled 16MB. I sent it back, again and again continuing to receive the wrong product. Finally in frustration, I stopped returning the drives, and settled for you had shipped me even though it wasn't what I purchased and of lesser value. I even opted to keep the two additional drives I had been sent to replace the last set, meaning I was paying for four, not two drives, that weren't what I ordered simply to get this behind me. I received a bill in the mail for these additional two drives and I called in and asked them to bill my credit card on file and was told they would do that.
At that point I thought the fiasco was over, but then just a couple of weeks ago I received another call stating my account had gone into collections. Finally after much time spend on the phone and speaking to customer service representatives and managers, I finally got some person to actually bill me for the product instead of just saying they were going to bill my card then send me to collections when they didn't follow through. On top of all that, I was billed something like $7.50 for late fees. That just bothers the hell of me since it was tigerdirect's own problem and inability to correctly process transactions that caused the dilemma.
The $7.50 or whatever really isn't the issue, I wouldn't even notice that was gone from my bank account. The issue is that this event in conjunction with several other problematic transactions, have left me with a large amount of doubt as to the honesty and integrity of your company for several reasons:
* You shipped me a different product than advertised
* Your representative's stated that the specs on the product I received were correct, as opposed to the specs listed in link above.
* If the above is true, then tigerdirect engaged in false advertising. Bait & Switch
* Your frontline representatives were incapable of resolving this matter in regards to both billing and sending the correct product.
* It is very time consuming to find someone capable of resolving problems. It is so time consuming it is easier to ignore problems related to tigerdirect rather than pursue them.
Like most consumer's, when given a choice between equal products, I'll chose the less expensive option. Once I have experienced quality transactions with a company, I'll continue doing business with them even if their price isn't always the best. That company will no longer be your company. In my mind, TigerDirect is now to internet sales what Best Buy is to a brick and mortar store.
Re:A strange question... (Score:3, Interesting)
This must be the Verizon music store [verizonmath.com].
Ok, I have to ask... (Score:3, Interesting)
You have a system now. It works. So why are you worried about parts arriving at different times? This makes sense in a business sense, but doesn't make sense from a personal/gaming machine sense. If you're worried about parts not working before you have all of them, heaven forbid you test them in the machine you do have before their 30-day return date passes. I also don't understand that logic. The parts are all warranted through their respective manufacturers. If something doesn't work, get it replaced. If you are returning things for other reasons, then you really need to do more homework before you buy.
Getting back to the topic, if you want parts to arrive in a certain amount of time then you're going to have to hunt for the resellers that have them in-stock and ready to ship. It's called due diligence. You will probably not find a single vendor to get all the parts from. Yes, some have more influence over distributors and can get parts sooner, but if the manufacturer is having supply problems, then so will the rest of the chain all the way down to the consumer. No way around that unless you go straight to the manufacturer. For a single, personal gaming system I think you'd be out of luck trying to get preferential treatment on supply direct from a vendor, but you might have the pull, don't know you.
Re:Local Store? (Score:2, Interesting)
The shipping company already pays a gas tax for the trucks, regardless of whether sales tax was involved or not.
Re:Multiwave (Score:2, Interesting)
No, rebates rock. The process for actually getting your money out of them tends to suck. I've gotta give Apple some credit on that one - just hit their website, type in some number at the bottom of the receipt and where you want the check mailed, and I had the checks within a week. No stamps, no cutting boxes, etc. More companies need to start doing that.
Re:Local Store? (Score:1, Interesting)
To be frank, I never heard anything about a "use tax" until this year. I never heard anybody mention it 20 years ago when mail order was the rage and my tax attorney has never mentioned it. So I'm gonna assume it's a made up thing and not worry about it. If the state comes after me for it, fine I'll pay whatever they can "prove I owe", but I don't believe they have the right to do so, just the guns.