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Computer Shopping

zMiiChy-

Banned
I haven't purchased a PC in a while and I need a new desktop and laptop. The desktop will be primarily for gaming and the laptop should be something I can use in college but also for gaming.

My question is: Where are good places to shop for computers?

I'm terrible at shopping for electronics online so I'd prefer to buy from an actual store. I do not know how to build a desktop and would not even trust myself to do so if I could so please don't recommend that I personally build one.

Where do people normally buy their gaming computers and where do you recommend buying one?

We live in Texas so a local store would be something interesting to check out as well.

P.S. Edit: I'm more concerned about time than money, which is why I don't want to invest towards building one myself. The cost is not a major concern right now.
 
Unfortunately buying prebuilt desktops can be a confusing task. One recommendation I have would be to check out the Reddit community r/buildapcsales where they will sometimes post entire PC's or laptops that are good deals. But a lot of time you will get horrendously ripped off.

Secondly, I would recommend buying a desktop separate from the graphics card. I know you don't want to build one yourself, but adding a graphics card to an existing desktop is only marginally more difficult than inserting a Nintendo cartridge. Most prebuilt gaming pcs will either come with garbage graphics cards or overcharge for the privilege.

Let us know what you want to play and we can give you an idea of price and specs to look at.
 

Pantz

Gold Member
If you have no desire to build your own, I'd suggest Digital Storm (online store). I was completely satisfied with my purchase. You can find cheaper stuff that skimps on the quality and support but just pay a lil extra with them and you don't have to worry about anything.
 
I normally advocate building your own PC using PCpartpicker.com and assembling it on your own, but is a hassle and there are no safeguards - if anything happens, you're on the hook for it and not all are comfortable with their existing know-how to commit to such.

As such, the best alternative is actually to determine what features you want: a high-end GPU, split drives, easy overclocking, etc., then to Google builds offered by the likes of Cyberstorm, Alienware, and others. There are decent assemblies available at numerous retailers, and I recommend using Slickdeals to perhaps find the one for you.
 
I'm in Texas as well, depending on where you are Fry's Electronics or MicroCenter carry a decent selection of pre-built PCs. That being said, building a PC can be a daunting task but with the plug and play components of today it's never been easier. Often a personal build can be cheaper than a pre-built depending on what you are looking for and you get none of the bloatware that comes pre-installed on the pre-built machines.

Just food for thought. (FYI I'd be happy to assist with the build if you change your mind.)
 

BiggNife

Member
I'm terrible at shopping for electronics online so I'd prefer to buy from an actual store. I do not know how to build a desktop and would not even trust myself to do so if I could so please don't recommend that I personally build one.

definitely build your own desktop, meaning you'll buy all the parts off amazon and newegg.

MtZ9N.gif


ffs dudes read the OP's post before replying to the thread.

If you absolutely must buy in store, I feel like Fry's is your only real option there, and they generally have good prices so it's worth a look. If ultimately decide you're okay with buying online, try Digital Storm or NCIX US. I believe NCIX even lets you pick out all of the parts and then they build it and ship it to you for $50 which is really reasonable.
 
Also, check out local listings of folks around you who might be selling a used gaming pc. They'll take a small profit of course, but if you find someone who knows what they're doing, you'll probably get a good pc at a good price. If it was made recently enough, most of the components will still be under warranty too.
 

Ravelle

Member
You only buy your pc when it's the first computer ever and you don't know any better.

The best way is to assemble a computer using a website like https://pcpartpicker.com/ have a budget in mind and juggle with different parts and prices and reviews they get.

Asking around here or on reddit or other forums what the best value for your buck is a good idea as well. Building own own also gives you the knowledge to fix your computer problems and the ability to upgrade it yourself when it's time to.

When you have a assembled list of your computer, order the items separate online and start building. It really isn't as difficult as you might think. There's enough YouTube guides or maybe even friends willing to assist building one.
 

Caayn

Member
I think that LTT reviews prebuild gaming computers from time to time and to my surprise they often come out pretty decent, although there's a lot of junk. If you browse that channel you'll certainly find a few prebuild reviews which may help you in your decision.

I love how there's some sort of stigma against prebuild computers.
Secondly, I would recommend buying a desktop separate from the graphics card. I know you don't want to build one yourself, but adding a graphics card to an existing desktop is only marginally more difficult than inserting a Nintendo cartridge. Most prebuilt gaming pcs will either come with garbage graphics cards or overcharge for the privilege.
You forget that they will not always come with a sufficient PSU that either lacks the required cables or simply doesn't have the capacity.
 
I would highly recommend building your own, but since you refuse to take that advice I'd say visit your local Micro Center or NCIX.

You only buy your pc when it's the first computer ever and you don't know any better.

The best way is to assemble a computer using a website like https://pcpartpicker.com/ have a budget in mind and juggle with different parts and prices and reviews they get.

Asking around here or on reddit or other forums what the best value for your buck is a good idea as well. Building own own also gives you the knowledge to fix your computer problems and the ability to upgrade it yourself when it's time to.

When you have a assembled list of your computer, order the items separate online and start building. It really isn't as difficult as you might think. There's enough YouTube guides or maybe even friends willing to assist building one.
best post
 
You forget that they will not always come with a sufficient PSU that either lacks the required cables or simply doesn't have the capacity.
I didn't forget. What's with the condescending tone?

A GTX 1050ti is a fantastic card that doesn't require a beefy power supply or a 6 pin connector. Hell, even a 1060 will probably run fine even on a 300 watt power supply given the right cables.

The OP still hasn't told us what kind of PC games they want to play yet.
 

Kill3r7

Member
If you want to avoid diy then go on slickdeals or other such sites and set a deal alert. There are some pretty good deals on a weekly basis. Ideally you should read up on reddit or GAF about building a gaming PC. So you have a better understanding of components and what you need to look for. Microcenter sometimes has some amazing deals on open box or refurb units.
 

hoserx

Member
This isn't great advice. What if a component fails? Why waste time trying to figure out what went wrong when instead you can use your warranty?

Because a) it probably won't fail, b) it's fun to build your own and if something does go wrong, c) you can learn valuable skills.

also, parts have warranties too.
 

zMiiChy-

Banned
Thank you everyone (or at least those that read my post) for the replies. I appreciate it and will check this stuff out. Please keep posting your ideas or advice.

Just food for thought. (FYI I'd be happy to assist with the build if you change your mind.)

I may take you up on it. I'm just kind of in a hurry and worried about making a mistake that I don't have time (or patience) to fix.
 
This isn't great advice. What if a component fails? Why waste time trying to figure out what went wrong when instead you can use your warranty?

I went through the same thing two years ago. I was going to buy a prebuilt machine until some friends convinced me to go through the process of building my own. it is ridiculously easy to do so and I have now helped build three other computers without fail. it is cheaper, it gives you an understanding of how the individual components of a computer operates, there is way more customization, you'll know exactly how to replace parts years down the line when you inevitably need to do so, etc etc

i almost bought a prebuilt one. I'm sure things will work out for you if you do so OP, but the better option imo is to build your own
 
Thank you everyone (or at least those that read my post) for the replies. I appreciate it and will check this stuff out. Please keep posting your ideas or advice.



I may take you up on it. I'm just kind of in a hurry and worried about making a mistake that I don't have time (or patience) to fix.

Getting a friend or GAF poster to build you a PC is a great idea.

One thing to think about is that PC's can be whatever you want, at lots of price points. If all you want to play are odd indie games, you may not need to soend more than $300. Even if you want to play at 4K but don't mind medium at 30fps, that's not an expensive build. So think about what games you want to play, at what settings, because then you'll get the best advice.
 

Blam

Member
If you need a easy way to build a pc.

/r/buildapc, and pcpartpicker.com is your friend it's very easy to make, and it's confusing at first but follow the instructions, and think of it like a bigger set of legos you need to build.
 

inner-G

Banned
You say you don't want to build one, but you should definitely build one.

Or order from somewhere that will put it together for a fee.
 

Lunaray

Member
I used to think building your own pc was cheaper, but now I realize that the margin of difference in pricing between DIY and prebuilt is pretty small, especially when the prebuilt systems go on sale (as they do from time to time; check websites that aggregate deals). So it's up to you whether you think it's worth spending the time and effort to build a PC and potentially having delays on order of days because you have to RMA DOA boards or components.
 

Mifec

Member
I used to think building your own pc was cheaper, but now I realize that the margin of difference in pricing between DIY and prebuilt is pretty small, especially when the prebuilt systems go on sale (as they do from time to time; check websites that aggregate deals). So it's up to you whether you think it's worth spending the time and effort to build a PC and potentially having delays on order of days because you have to RMA DOA boards or components.

It's much much cheaper and effective to buy it in parts and bring it to a local store and pay them 50 bucks to put it together for you then to look for random sales.
 
Thank you everyone (or at least those that read my post) for the replies. I appreciate it and will check this stuff out. Please keep posting your ideas or advice.



I may take you up on it. I'm just kind of in a hurry and worried about making a mistake that I don't have time (or patience) to fix.

It's really very simple today.

You need your core components and an OS.

Core components are:

Motherboard
CPU
Hard Drive
Video Card (GPU)
RAM
Power Supply
Case
Mouse
Keyboard
Monitor
and
Operating System (Windows)
 

emag

Member
You can find some great deals on Slickdeals every so often.

For example, Acer Predator G3 (i7-7700, 32GB, GTX1070, 256GB+1TB): $1099.99

If you need a easy way to build a pc.

/r/buildapc, and pcpartpicker.com is your friend it's very easy to make, and it's confusing at first but follow the instructions, and think of it like a bigger set of legos you need to build.

Agreed. Twenty, thirty years ago such a task required some actual understanding and comprehension, but assembling a computer today is simpler than most LEGO sets.
 

Elfstar

Member
Well, i was a bit like you, i didn't want to buy a prebuit PC because i know that they're a scam in most cases, but i didn't want to build one with my own hand either, because i'm kinda of a clutz.

So, you know what? I picked the components online and then i paid about 20€ more to make them assemble it for me, and that worked out great.

I don't know if there is an american website that offers this kind of service at an honest price though, but in that case i would say go for it.
 
i know, i know.

http://www.xoticpc.com/

https://www.amazon.com/s?marketplac...2F0JSJ6&merchant=A2KYIV02F0JSJ6&redirect=true (want some machine listed or in their website with some customization? ask them, they will generate the link for you to buy it)

i shill hard for this guys but they have done me good for the last big purchases ive done. so if you want something personalized i recommend this guys laptop or desktop they will do good by you. they work through amazon as well in case you are an international customer. (not US/CA)

i know you said not online op but check them out, they have chat support as well in their site so they can help you step by step
 

BiggNife

Member
Well, i was a bit like you, i didn't want to buy a prebuit PC because i know that they're a scam in most cases, but i didn't want to build one with my own hand either, because i'm kinda of a clutz.

So, you know what? I picked the components online and then i paid about 20€ more to make them assemble it for me, and that worked out great.

I don't know if there is an american website that offers this kind of service at an honest price though, but in that case i would say go for it.

NCIX US offers this for $50, which is similarly reasonable I think. http://www.ncixus.com/products/?sku=7842
 

zMiiChy-

Banned
Update: I've decided to go with just laptops.
At this point in time, I really wouldn't be able to make that much use of a Desktop.

Would anyone be able to recommend a decent gaming laptop for about $1,000?
 
I built my own for the first time this year. I was a tad worried I might mess it up, but it's actually one of the easiest things I've ever done. If money is not a problem then building your own with the latest and greatest will last you quite a while.

However, as others have said, buying a pre built PC and adding your own graphics card is probably the next best thing.

Edit: can't help with laptops...sorry OP
 
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