Purchasing a PC Online

[Czari Zenovka]

I have only purchased PCs from a store or had one built for me locally.  I am now looking at some PCs I can purchase online; especially interesting are the ones that I can configure.  My main concern is if there is something wrong with the PC after delivery, packing it up and sending it back does not thrill me.

I would be interested to hear from those of you who have purchased PCs online and your experience, especially regarding any "issues."  Thank you in advance. :matte-motes-smile:

[Teagan Tobias]

I now have, or the family now has, three PC's from iBUYPOWER. You pick the basic box you are looking for and every piece can then be changed. A running tab of the price is shown on the screen. I had a video card quit after about six months and I mailed it back to them and they mailed me a new one. You do need to follow the return procedure but it was easy and I had no problem with it. I had another video card from my old PC that I put in my new PC while I waited for the replacement card so for me it was no problem. I thought the price was good and I got to select everything from the case, fans, lighting [if you like], the main board, everything. Watch for specials on there web page, when I got my daughters PC I got a free hard drive upgrade from 1TB to 2TB for free. Another PC I got upgraded from 4 core to 6 core CPU for free. I went back and went through the building process a dozen times or more before I got the first PC. Have had the oldest one for over a year now and no problems with that one at all.  Of the three only the video card in one PC had a problem.  That is my PC that I access SL with.

[Czari Zenovka]

Thank you, Teagan. :matte-motes-smile: iBUYPOWER is actually one of the sites I've been checking out; I saw it mentioned on another computer-buying thread (perhaps by you) and do like the configuration process with the running total.

I appreciate your input on the issue you had with a video card.  Considering you purchased three PCs from them, it sounds like you're a satisfied customer.

[Jennifer Boyle]

I have bought a total of 6 PCs online.  I have bought them from Dell, Sony, HP, and Newegg.  The only problem we had was that a Dell that had a 64-bit CPU and four GB RAM was shipped with a 32-bit version of Windows.  Dell was not eager to take it back, but they did.

When we bought a laptop from HP a few years ago, they offered extensive customization options on their Web site.

If I wanted to buy a new PC, I would definitely buy it online.  

[Czari Zenovka]

Great to hear! Thank you so much, Jennifer. :matte-motes-smile:

[Tari Landar]

I only buy pcs online now. Mostly because there aren't places around here that I can buy them, or have them built. Well there are a couple places that build, but they are expensive as all get out. In some cases as much as double what buying online and customizing myself would cost. That's just nuts, for me, lol.

I like buying online because customizing is a lot easier. I have also noticed, and this may vary of course, the warranties on things are much better when I've bought online. Not only from manufacturers but also the place I buy from. In brick and mortar stores, those aren't always available. Shipping things can be a pain, but it's not likely you'd have to ship the whole thing back if something goes wrong. Usually it's whatever part broke or isn't right. Most times they pay return shipping too. Not always, but most.

[Czari Zenovka]

Thanks, Tari. :matte-motes-grin:  Ok, I'm feeling confident in purchasing online. Your point about the shops that build custom PCs being more expensive - I found that out as well.  Back in the dark ages when I had my current PC built, it was less expensive than the "Big Box Stores" when comparing equal PCs.  I got more PC for my money than I would have.

I checked out two places in my town that build PCs and, you're absolutely correct; both were more expensive than a comparable PC from online & were using older components even though I specified specific parts.  The first store also required all the money up front so they could order the parts - I didn't like that.

The second store I went to was owned by a woman who sat down with me as I customized what I wanted in a PC.  She later called with three quotes for two mid-range PCs and one higher-end.  I posted the specs on these forums and discovered that even the highest priced build, which I couldn't afford to begin with, had older parts.  There is one more store in the area that builds PCs but I decided to ask about buying online first.

[Thinkerer Melville]

I have bought several PC's online--from HP and Dell (Alienware).  HP used to offer more customization than it did the last time I checked.  It also offers the Slimline version, which I want because it is small enough for me to carry.  The extended service warranty from HP also proved to be worthwhile.  

TKR 

[Czari Zenovka]

Thank you, Thinkerer...I appreciate your input. :matte-motes-smile:  Sounds like most well-known manufacturers are "safe" to purchase online or the self-configuring models that iBUYPOWER offers.

I didn't specify in my OP but I am looking for a desktop.  I have seen some really nice slimline cases for towers that I liked for the sake of size, but I was warned to stay with the larger tower width to be able to easily swap out/add parts.

[Porky Gorky]

Glad to see you are finally upgrading your computer Czari! I have been reading about your hardware inadequacies for far too many years now :matte-motes-big-grin:

What are planning on buying?

Regarding buying online, my advice is to find as much customer feedback online as you can relating to the company's repair process and turn around times etc. If a company performes poorly in this area you can guarantee people will be complaining about it on the interwebs. These forums being a perfect example of that.

[Czari Zenovka]

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Porky Gorky wrote:

Glad to see you are finally upgrading your computer Czari! I have been reading about your hardware inadequacies for far too many years now :matte-motes-big-grin:

What are planning on buying?

Regarding buying online, my advice is to find as much customer feedback online as you can relating to the company's repair process and turn around times etc. If a company performes poorly in this area you can guarantee people will be complaining about it on the interwebs. These forums being a perfect example of that.

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Hey now, I've just been talking about needing a new PC for one year...well, that's bad enough I suppose. :matte-motes-wink-tongue:

Will be purchasing a desktop and am debating between configuring one at iBUYPOWER or buying a Lenovo from TigerDirect.  OOOoooo...light bulb went on - I should configure a PC at iBUYPOWER with the same stats as the Lenovo and see how they differ on price.

Great idea about checking them out online.  I mentioned iBUYPOWER to a friend and she immediately did some checking on them.  Teagan has purchased three PCs from them so, that's one solid opinion.

[VRprofessor]

My first online PC purchase was a x286 machine in either 1986 or 1987.   I occasionally purchase a PC in a store--closeout or refurbished, but most of my pc purchases I make online. 

Part of my purchasing decisions are based on the fact that I live in a small community so running a PC back to the store (distance ~50 miles) is a greater hassle than packing and sending the machine back to where ever it needs to go should it fail (only one return that I remember).  Except for the refurbished machines--we have a nice store right in town that deals in refurbs and has a repair shop in the store.  If I need something for general surfing and word processing I feel comfortable purchasing from them. 

[Czari Zenovka]

Thank you for posting, Professor. :matte-motes-smile: I had no idea so many people purchased PCs online ("many" based on a relatively small random sampling, but still...).  I have the opposite living situation - have always lived in a large city or a smaller town but both offering many options to purchase PCs (or anything else) nearby.

I would not be pleased to have to pack up an entire PC and send it back - that was the one thing about which I was most concerned but, based on the responses in this thread, that is unlikely to happen.

[Suspiria Finucane]

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Czari Zenovka wrote:

 iBUYPOWER is actually one of the sites I've been checking out; I saw it mentioned on another computer-buying thread (perhaps by you) and do like the configuration process with the running total.

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Great choice :matte-motes-wink: I bought my current pc from iBUYPOWER and couldn't be happier. I've made some upgrades of course but that's one reason I bought from them. You can buy a stripped down comp with only what you want and add the upgrades later. I love the gaming cases too. You have plenty of room for ventilation and triple SLI if you so choose.

I always post this vid too cuz I love it! hehe

 

[Czari Zenovka]

Woot!  Another vote for iBUYPOWER. (Great vid btw!)  When I asked a techie friend if she'd ever heard of this company, she had not (she lives in the UK; not sure if that makes a difference) but she did some fast checking online and found this:

http://www.tomshardware.com/news/Revolt-Gaming-PC-Specs-Price-Release-Date-CES,20340.html

Definitely a great way to purchase a customizable PC and the prices seem reasonable.  Thank you so much, Suspiria!

[EnaudRecneps]

I have only purchased 1 pc online, the one I'm using now.  It's an HP desktop and when I bought it, I got all the bells and whistles I could afford!  Insurance money is fun sometimes  :matte-motes-bashful-cute-2:   I went to a ton of sites and liked what HP had on line, then built and rebuilt it about a dozen times trying to find a "perfect" for me configuraiton.  I did by the monitor (a Samsung) on line from Fry's Electronics, because what I got there has a whole lot more band for the buck.  Did my ordering and had the monitor in 2 days because the warehouse wqs only about a hundred miles away.  The rest of the pc took a week, because it came from Texas and also had to be built to my specs....got everything here and set up and was very happy...still am.  My original hard drive went belly up about 9 months ago and since I had purchased the extended warranty had no real problem getting a new shipped and installed.  First time spending that kind of money online and was very nervous....however love the pc and the experience so much, the next pc will also be from HP and purchased online...

Thus ends one mans tale about the curret subject...

 

[Czari Zenovka]

I really appreciate your sharing your experience in onlin PC purchasing, Enaud.   Spending a lot of money online was another of my concerns but, based on all the responses people were kind enough to post, it all sounds very safe and convenient!

As a sidenote - some people ask why I'm not buying a laptop; these are non-SL friends, neighbors, etc.  I first try explaining SL to them and when I get the blank stare I just say I need a very powerful computer.  I know there are some great laptops out there, but I love being able to easily swap out parts on a desktop.

[Suspiria Finucane]

YSVW

Adding a little; if you have the option of liquid cooling I would recommend it. Not sure how you are with graphics use but consider dual PCI Express x16  expansion slots on the mobo.

 

Check this out at the 3:00 mark if you are worried about shipping

 

[Czari Zenovka]

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Suspiria Finucane wrote:

YSVW

Adding a little; if you have the option of liquid cooling I would recommend it. Not sure how you are with graphics use but consider dual PCI Express x16  expansion slots on the mobo.

 

Check this out at the 3:00 mark if you are worried about shipping

 

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Oooo..where are you finding those vids?  I winced when the tech knocked the PC off the table but that *is* impressive.  I loved the slim size when my friend pointed it out but, as with other slim case PCs, I was concerned I could not add stock parts.  If I'm understanding the video correctly, this case was constructed so the components fit when the case is on its side...hope I'm making sense there.

Am definitely going to go check it out but I have a feeling the specs I'd want in are above my budget but, ya never know.

Thank you again for providing that info!

[Astrid Kaufmat]

Buying a pc online is not a bad thing itself. As always when they want to purchase a pc I ask what do you want to dowith it?

To be happy with your purchase you should start from this.Do you need an office pc, a gamer pc, a pc to run high end programs like designers stuff?

About the possibility to ask pc's assembled online I'd suggest you to pick a serious company that would also tell you when the modding set that you chose is good or no.
To assemble a pc you need a bit of hardware knowledge and informatic knowledge, if you are not addicted to works then just putting pieces together will let your pc turn on but it doesn't mean that you're using all the potentials of each single component.

Building a pc sadly is not like when you assemble the pieces of the toys you find in your easter eggs.

As in all the things as for human body the keyword assembling parts is harmony, they must work well together in harmony without  bottle necks between a component and another.

Therer are web sites and fora on web where they betatest pc and propose configurations for pc. I would take a look there, maybe propose your configuration and also listen what other users think about it.

This fora is not the best place I belive to talk of tech stuff, also because to learn to assemble a pc it wouldn't be enough a thread or two but  a few years experience and it would be better a forum dedicated exclusively to assembling and modding.

 Try googling for modding and pc assembling  you can find great help by pro  that hang there and exchange knowledge and  thoughts about pc configurations.

My fun back then was to resuscitate  dead pc, putting together pieces ( of course withsome criteria) to let them still work, the funniest part was that I managed to kick in the arsepeople with super expansivve pc's.

AS I said above it's not the component nor the price that makes your pc good, but how you pick pieces and how you make them work together like in a symphonic group with harmony.

[Alicia Sautereau]

When not having assambled your own pc befor, i don`t think it`s wise to try it with a new pc when the one you have is falling apart slowly
If making a mistake and something gets fried, replacement parts are needed and if you don`t have the funds, this is a painfull lesson

I`ve never bought a pc and always built my own so no advice on the subject and my lack of posting
Just find a reliable shop some where in the area and ask if they can advise and assamble it for you to pickup/deliverd

[Alicia Sautereau]

The Titan alone would go abouve your budget i think :matte-motes-wink-tongue:

They cost here ROUND the 1,000 euro`s :matte-motes-sour: