Buying a PC online
December 13, 2010 2:40 PM Subscribe
How do you get a good deal on a pre-built PC online?
My parents are getting a computer for my younger brother for Christmas. He's been asking for a desktop PC for gaming and schoolwork. Their budget is about 1000$, including monitor and keyboard/mouse. They've told me they're planning on just walking into best buy and choosing something in their price range. I have a feeling they could get a significantly better deal online, but I've never bought a computer online before so I don't know what to recommend.
I know that building your own computer is very much the hip thing, but I don't think my parents would trust my brother to build his own computer - they'd rather buy something that's already put together.
I'm a generally computer-literate, but my parents are less so and we're both longtime mac users. So, do you have any tips for buying a gaming PC online? What are things to avoid, or to look for? Buying a PC, there are a lot of different brands available - Acer, HP, Dell, and so on - what are the differences between them, if any? What online retailers have you had good experiences with? I've bought hard drives from newegg before, and had a good experience, but how are they with whole PCs?
I know similar questions have been asked before, but it seems like the technology that's out there is always changing. Thanks for your help.
My parents are getting a computer for my younger brother for Christmas. He's been asking for a desktop PC for gaming and schoolwork. Their budget is about 1000$, including monitor and keyboard/mouse. They've told me they're planning on just walking into best buy and choosing something in their price range. I have a feeling they could get a significantly better deal online, but I've never bought a computer online before so I don't know what to recommend.
I know that building your own computer is very much the hip thing, but I don't think my parents would trust my brother to build his own computer - they'd rather buy something that's already put together.
I'm a generally computer-literate, but my parents are less so and we're both longtime mac users. So, do you have any tips for buying a gaming PC online? What are things to avoid, or to look for? Buying a PC, there are a lot of different brands available - Acer, HP, Dell, and so on - what are the differences between them, if any? What online retailers have you had good experiences with? I've bought hard drives from newegg before, and had a good experience, but how are they with whole PCs?
I know similar questions have been asked before, but it seems like the technology that's out there is always changing. Thanks for your help.
HP and Dell are the biggest players and they have tons of inventory to push out. That means sometimes they will give good discounts. Also check out Dell outlet - some of the refurbished ones are pretty good deals.
If you want to get it soon, I would recommend Newegg. Their customer service is great. I've almost never heard a negative comment regarding their customer service. They are like Amazon in computer hardware business. They might have to buy the monitor separately though - there are not as many deals that include monitors (for gaming, at least). But getting a monitor is easy (easier than purchasing a desktop, if your brother is a hardcore player then he should know what kind of monitor he wants).
Good luck!
AVOID BESTBUY AND GEEK SQUAD LIKE IT'S THE PLAGUE.
posted by jstarlee at 2:51 PM on December 13, 2010
If you want to get it soon, I would recommend Newegg. Their customer service is great. I've almost never heard a negative comment regarding their customer service. They are like Amazon in computer hardware business. They might have to buy the monitor separately though - there are not as many deals that include monitors (for gaming, at least). But getting a monitor is easy (easier than purchasing a desktop, if your brother is a hardcore player then he should know what kind of monitor he wants).
Good luck!
AVOID BESTBUY AND GEEK SQUAD LIKE IT'S THE PLAGUE.
posted by jstarlee at 2:51 PM on December 13, 2010
Fat Wallet forums and Got Apex are good places to start looking for discounts. Note that some discounts come and go in a matter of days.
Since it also sounds like they're not too sure what kind of computer to get him, look at the requirements and suggestions for current games, and bump that up a notch or two. Gaming is usually one of the common uses that pushes people to get newer computer and components. For most everything else, you can get an older computer and be fine.
posted by filthy light thief at 3:10 PM on December 13, 2010
Since it also sounds like they're not too sure what kind of computer to get him, look at the requirements and suggestions for current games, and bump that up a notch or two. Gaming is usually one of the common uses that pushes people to get newer computer and components. For most everything else, you can get an older computer and be fine.
posted by filthy light thief at 3:10 PM on December 13, 2010
Yeah I would avoid Best Buy. God knows what you're going to get pushed on you down there.
HP and Dell both make decent desktops. However they both also make some total shit, and some other stuff that's not bad but overpriced. In general, at least with Dell, the "consumer" oriented stuff is garbage designed to be sold to rubes who don't know better. That's my take on it, anyway. Their 'small business' line isn't bad though, and you'll save someone (maybe you!) a lot of time de-crapwareing the machine that way. It may even come with actual Windows install discs, for the inevitable refresh down the road. I suspect that the HP stuff is similar.
In general, anything "consumer oriented" means "built for idiots." And not in a positive let's-make-it-indestructible sort of way, but in a fool-and-their-money-parting-ways sort of way. Hardware manufacturers long ago stopped having any sort of respect for purchasers in the consumer market, and their contempt shows.
What you'll be able to find varies almost from minute to minute, but a little clicking on Dell's site turned up a not-obviously-crappy OptiPlex 380 with a Core 2 Duo E7500, 4GB RAM, 256MB NVidia 9300 (not great but better than integrated), and three years of next-business-day support, ready for immediate shipping, for $700. That leaves you 3 C-notes left in the budget for a monitor (there are lots of inexpensive 20"ers for under $150 on NewEgg), a decent keyboard and wireless mouse (I'd go with Logitech for both, but that's a separate question). The results will be far better than if you got a package with a bundled monitor/keyboard/mouse. I'd also think about speakers, or better yet a good headset.
If you're willing to get a bit closer to your budget ceiling, there are options with better graphics (an NVidia 9500 or better would be good), but whether that's worthwhile probably depends on the games that your brother wants to play.
posted by Kadin2048 at 3:12 PM on December 13, 2010
HP and Dell both make decent desktops. However they both also make some total shit, and some other stuff that's not bad but overpriced. In general, at least with Dell, the "consumer" oriented stuff is garbage designed to be sold to rubes who don't know better. That's my take on it, anyway. Their 'small business' line isn't bad though, and you'll save someone (maybe you!) a lot of time de-crapwareing the machine that way. It may even come with actual Windows install discs, for the inevitable refresh down the road. I suspect that the HP stuff is similar.
In general, anything "consumer oriented" means "built for idiots." And not in a positive let's-make-it-indestructible sort of way, but in a fool-and-their-money-parting-ways sort of way. Hardware manufacturers long ago stopped having any sort of respect for purchasers in the consumer market, and their contempt shows.
What you'll be able to find varies almost from minute to minute, but a little clicking on Dell's site turned up a not-obviously-crappy OptiPlex 380 with a Core 2 Duo E7500, 4GB RAM, 256MB NVidia 9300 (not great but better than integrated), and three years of next-business-day support, ready for immediate shipping, for $700. That leaves you 3 C-notes left in the budget for a monitor (there are lots of inexpensive 20"ers for under $150 on NewEgg), a decent keyboard and wireless mouse (I'd go with Logitech for both, but that's a separate question). The results will be far better than if you got a package with a bundled monitor/keyboard/mouse. I'd also think about speakers, or better yet a good headset.
If you're willing to get a bit closer to your budget ceiling, there are options with better graphics (an NVidia 9500 or better would be good), but whether that's worthwhile probably depends on the games that your brother wants to play.
posted by Kadin2048 at 3:12 PM on December 13, 2010
I just got a workstation PC from Portatech and am quite pleased.
They build stuff to order, and the order page options are very nicely laid out.
This $580 dollar version looks like the start of a good gaming PC--just keep clicking options until you hit your target price. Especially a better video card, and disk drive (though I would rather use branded disk drives than get theirs.) Oh yeah, and an operating system (there goes a quick $100 already).
Get the recommended 'better' case, at least. My PC came with a (small, 1/2 inch) bloodstain on the back!
posted by hexatron at 3:22 PM on December 13, 2010
They build stuff to order, and the order page options are very nicely laid out.
This $580 dollar version looks like the start of a good gaming PC--just keep clicking options until you hit your target price. Especially a better video card, and disk drive (though I would rather use branded disk drives than get theirs.) Oh yeah, and an operating system (there goes a quick $100 already).
Get the recommended 'better' case, at least. My PC came with a (small, 1/2 inch) bloodstain on the back!
posted by hexatron at 3:22 PM on December 13, 2010
Even amazon has a decent selection of gaming desktops. I don't know what brands are considered good, but it doesn't really make that much difference with desktops. Desktops are merely an assembly of off-the-shelf components (Dell was an exception to that. They made their own, terrible, terrible motherboards). Pay attention to what components are included and you should be fine. You may find that the Amazon descripition is a little weak, but most brands should have their onwn website. One nice thing about using Amazon as an intermediary is that their delivery and return policies are good.
posted by rtimmel at 3:58 PM on December 13, 2010
posted by rtimmel at 3:58 PM on December 13, 2010
Gaming computers tend to be like hot rod cars - basic chassis with customized parts upgrades to maximize performance and/or cool factor.
Many desktop PCs are quite upgradeable (avoid anything that's 'small form factor' or 'integrated'), so if he wants to supercharge it over time, he'll be able to save up and buy a new video card for $100 instead of a whole new computer, etc.
If you start with a system built for gaming, it'll be designed for this kind of modular upgrading. Take the suggestions on where to get gaming systems above, and see what your $1000 budget will get you (probably a lot), especially if you skip the cosmetics.
Or you could go the other way and get what LOOKS like a souped-up system cosmetically but comes with the base set of components and let him make it his hobby to start upgrading it with his spending money. Does he have an allowance or a paper route or anything?
posted by bartleby at 4:23 PM on December 13, 2010
Many desktop PCs are quite upgradeable (avoid anything that's 'small form factor' or 'integrated'), so if he wants to supercharge it over time, he'll be able to save up and buy a new video card for $100 instead of a whole new computer, etc.
If you start with a system built for gaming, it'll be designed for this kind of modular upgrading. Take the suggestions on where to get gaming systems above, and see what your $1000 budget will get you (probably a lot), especially if you skip the cosmetics.
Or you could go the other way and get what LOOKS like a souped-up system cosmetically but comes with the base set of components and let him make it his hobby to start upgrading it with his spending money. Does he have an allowance or a paper route or anything?
posted by bartleby at 4:23 PM on December 13, 2010
Response by poster: Or you could go the other way and get what LOOKS like a souped-up system cosmetically but comes with the base set of components and let him make it his hobby to start upgrading it with his spending money.
I think the idea is more the already-a-pretty-good-gaming-computer way. He's not going to care terribly much about see-through/LED-light-up cases, or anything. Part of the problem, though, is that besides basic specifications besides RAM and hard drive space, advertised specifications don't mean a lot to me. I don't really know how much video cards improve when you bump up the model number, or how differently branded chips compare.
To TL/DR my own question: Where can we go online to buy a computer that's about the right price and be confident we're getting the best components for that price?
posted by Rinku at 4:38 PM on December 13, 2010
I think the idea is more the already-a-pretty-good-gaming-computer way. He's not going to care terribly much about see-through/LED-light-up cases, or anything. Part of the problem, though, is that besides basic specifications besides RAM and hard drive space, advertised specifications don't mean a lot to me. I don't really know how much video cards improve when you bump up the model number, or how differently branded chips compare.
To TL/DR my own question: Where can we go online to buy a computer that's about the right price and be confident we're getting the best components for that price?
posted by Rinku at 4:38 PM on December 13, 2010
I've had a good experience with CyberPower PC, and their prices are very reasonable: you can get excellent value for the buck. Only possible downside is that they often take a while (~2 weeks, if I remember?) to build your configuration, and then there's shipping.
Best of luck—I'm certain your suspicion is correct that online over brick & mortar is the way to go.
posted by alexandermatheson at 4:53 PM on December 13, 2010
Best of luck—I'm certain your suspicion is correct that online over brick & mortar is the way to go.
posted by alexandermatheson at 4:53 PM on December 13, 2010
This is a *very* solid configuration for ~$850.
posted by alexandermatheson at 4:56 PM on December 13, 2010
posted by alexandermatheson at 4:56 PM on December 13, 2010
2nding Newegg-- find something in the right price range and look at the reviews.
Maybe this computer and this monitor? There are a lot of options, sorry. How old is this brother?
posted by sninctown at 4:56 PM on December 13, 2010
Maybe this computer and this monitor? There are a lot of options, sorry. How old is this brother?
posted by sninctown at 4:56 PM on December 13, 2010
Response by poster: 17. High school student, long time console gamer, generally tech-savvy. Probably capable of performing repairs / upgrades by himself if he needs to.
posted by Rinku at 5:15 PM on December 13, 2010
posted by Rinku at 5:15 PM on December 13, 2010
HP and Dell are the biggest players and they have tons of inventory to push out. That means sometimes they will give good discounts. Also check out Dell outlet - some of the refurbished ones are pretty good deals.
Good luck!
AVOID BESTBUY AND GEEK SQUAD LIKE IT'S THE PLAGUE.
True and true. Although the kid might not want to hear that. If he just wants something to work, and isn't interested in the "hobbyist" aspect of computer ownership, look at something like a Dell Optiplex. They will often be a little more than what seems to be a similar consumer machine, but this is because they will have more memory slots and a PCI-e slot for graphics. What they likely won't have, however, is two of them (16x), which is what I think the high end graphics cards are wanting these days. Another choice would be something from the workstation lines of HP/Compaq or Dell.
If he is interested in the hobby, just give him $800 and let him buy his own stuff. He will never be happy with someone else's decision.
posted by gjc at 7:43 PM on December 13, 2010
Good luck!
AVOID BESTBUY AND GEEK SQUAD LIKE IT'S THE PLAGUE.
True and true. Although the kid might not want to hear that. If he just wants something to work, and isn't interested in the "hobbyist" aspect of computer ownership, look at something like a Dell Optiplex. They will often be a little more than what seems to be a similar consumer machine, but this is because they will have more memory slots and a PCI-e slot for graphics. What they likely won't have, however, is two of them (16x), which is what I think the high end graphics cards are wanting these days. Another choice would be something from the workstation lines of HP/Compaq or Dell.
If he is interested in the hobby, just give him $800 and let him buy his own stuff. He will never be happy with someone else's decision.
posted by gjc at 7:43 PM on December 13, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by auto-correct at 2:47 PM on December 13, 2010