Which Vendors Do You Trust For PC Parts?

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?

Comments

Re:A few...

[ShaunC]

Where in Tennessee are you? I'm in Memphis; I realize this has nothing to do with the topic at hand, but I couldn't help but be curious.

Re:Multiwave

[donaldm]

Before buying from anywhere I would do my homework on what type of system I require and how much I would be willing to pay. Since you want a gaming rig I would assume you would go for a good quad core cpu with a quality mother board, at least 4GB memory (dictated by your mother board and possibly your OS) and a good quality graphics card (can cost almost as much as your base PC) that you would be satisfied with for the next two to three years. As for a hard disk I would recommend a a smaller disk for my OS and a larger disk for my main storage. Don't forget an external disk that is capable of backing up your data (your choice) which will add extra but is definately worth it. It is also worth purchasing a good case (450W to 600W) with large fans (lights are fun but not necessary) since large fans are also quiet fans and great for the PC user.

Now for software. Most gamers choose a Microsoft OS because that is what most commercial games run on and you will most likely have to get some virus protection software as well. How you get this is up to you although some shops will build the whole PC for you with an OEM version of MS Vista or even XP (less likely now) for a reasonable price.

Once you have decided on your OS and your hardware you will need to decide on a monitor. This is where the fun starts because you want a good monitor that is 20" to 24" (bigger if you can afford it) but you also want a good response time and reliability so a quality monitor (it will cost more) is a good choice. Actually a good rule of thumb is the monitor should be anything from a quarter to half the price of the computer. If you get a good monitor it normally is worth paying for a nice "practical" computer desk although I would recommend being very careful here since the key word is "practical" not necessarily pretty.

Even after making a choice on hardware you really don't want to buy from a number of shops since you could spend a lot on postal or even driving around. As I have said before some small shops will for a reasonable cost assemble your PC and provide an OEM OS and possibly a warranty if you buy most of the components from them.

Note I have not included a DVD player/recorder or even a DVD/Blu-ray player/recorder which are getting cheaper at US200 (25GB write) but for gaming DVD is fine. You also may want to think about wireless, Buetooth and/or wired Ethernet cards. For gaming a good mouse and keyboard is essential so don't get cheap ones or you will regret it. Wireless can be more expensive but very functional however most rabid gamers prefer wired (the choice is yours).

Like I have said from the start you need to do some homework before you decide. Do this well and you could save a considerable amount of money and at the same time be very happy with your purchase. Remember you get what you pay for so don't try to get the cheapest, get what is the best value for your money.