Skip the Black Friday Madness?

October 27, 2009 11:51 AM

I am in need of a new desktop computer. I am wondering if I should wait until Black Friday and brave the crowds or take advantage of some of the Windows 7 deals this week. I live in the Twin Cities, MN metro area if that makes a difference.
posted by dyno04 to computers & internet (14 comments total)

Build one, you get nothing of value when you buy from a "name brand" when it comes to PC's (assuming you are not talking about a laptop, which is probably not a safe assumption). If you are uncomfortable with assembly it is still cheaper to get the parts off of newegg.com and have a local computer service center assemble it for you.

Otherwise I would just purchase a laptop directly from the manufacturer, nobody in my family has bought a computer from a store, its a bad deal.
posted by BobbyDigital at 11:58 AM on October 27

Subjecting yourself to Black Friday for computer kit is pointless. Your time and mental health are more valuable.

I'd second BYO, using something like the Ars Technica guides to avoid the hassle of speccing out parts (and dealing with the interminable forum wars over GFX cards or RAM performance). But if you just want to go with a name brand, the various deal websites (fatwallet, etc.) are where the bargains are at, since they'll highlight special offers the moment they appear. Or somewhere like the Dell Outlet site.
posted by holgate at 12:16 PM on October 27

I've built quite a few computers from the Ars Technica specs, and I've never had a problem. Their recommendations are quite good.
posted by fatbird at 12:29 PM on October 27

I worked at Best Buy for a number of years, and was always amused at how the insane, amazing deals worth waiting in line for hours in the freezing cold usually were repeated in the weeks before Christmas, but with zero hype.
Keep looking at store fliers, check out Black Friday ads as they leak (http://www.theblackfriday.com/ was the first site that popped up for me) and sleep in on the 27th.
posted by Coffeemate at 12:33 PM on October 27

I have done the BYO computer thing my last couple of computers and just didn't want to go through the hassle of building one again and having to go through the RMA process when parts fail.
posted by dyno04 at 12:47 PM on October 27

It's not as true anymore that you can't buy a brand name system of fair quality for a good price. Especially not in the budget-realm, and especially not with legal software on it.

Sure, you can custom build a power rig for thousands less---but not a regular ol' desktop.

If I were you, I'd keep an eye on the weekly special posts @ consumerist and lifehacker and snag one when it comes along.

Lots of decent midline systems popping up in the last couple weeks in the $300-$450 range.
posted by TomMelee at 12:53 PM on October 27

If you're looking for local, I've had good experiences with General Nanosystems (just west of 280 on University). Haven't purchased a pre-built system from them, but that's where I go when I need parts and upgrades. As for computers, their prices are in line with Dell, HP, and the other OEMs, and you can specify them built exactly as you want. It's also nice to have the warranty backed by a local company that can do same-day service, rather than waiting several days or weeks with shipping.
posted by bhayes82 at 1:55 PM on October 27

Computers are sold with almost no margin. There's no real need to wait for BF. The last BF the big "deals" were real POS machines you wouldnt want anyway. Seconding going to woot, fatwallet, bensbargains, etc.
posted by damn dirty ape at 1:57 PM on October 27

From what I've read, all the great BF deals on computers this year will occur in the netbook segment w/ prices between ~$150 & $200.
posted by torquemaniac at 2:00 PM on October 27

Large computer companies buy components in bulk, and get better pricing. I've built and bought, and now I buy. Manufacturers also get a better price on legal software, if you want Windows and Office. If you want Linux, building your own saves you a compulsory Windows license.

I like Newegg.com and Geeks.com. I've bought refurbished and off-lease with good results.
posted by theora55 at 3:28 PM on October 27

Gizmodo's Dealzmodo tag usually has some of the best deals around the web. Give it a looksee.
posted by deezil at 3:32 PM on October 27

Note: There is a woot-off going on today. You might see something there. You also might just see a bunch of crappy RC helicopters though, so it's sort of a crapshoot.
posted by NoraReed at 3:46 PM on October 27

Subjecting yourself to Black Friday for computer kit is pointless. Your time and mental health are more valuable.
for what it may be worth, a lot of places offer their black friday specials online as well as in store now. I did a lot of my shopping on black friday last year without ever leaving my house.
posted by Kellydamnit at 4:58 PM on October 27

If you don't want to build it yourself, Microcenter in St Louis Park has some pretty decent deals right now, in-store specials for prebuilt Dell and HP systems. (I bought something there a while back and now get spammed with the weekly ads.) Under $700 for a quad-core system with 8 gb RAM in their latest flyer. Less for systems with lower specs, and even less if you'd rather stick with XP. I'd certainly rather buy there than a big-box store.
posted by caution live frogs at 5:58 PM on October 27