Buying parts from a computer show... good or bad idea?

Ok so coming up on the 29th is the Great Midwest Computer Show at the College of DuPage in Illinois. I'm currently in the process of building a new system (first timer) and I want to get your opinion of buying parts from a show like this one. Yes or no? Good or bad? What's the policy on defective items etc? RMA policies still good from shows like this?

Thanks for any information you guys can give me.

Personally, I hate attending computer shows. The prices are not that great (compared to on-line shopping) and the components are just shy of current. However, if you keep your eyes open, and you're looking for something in particular, then you can succeed nicely. For example, a couple of years ago I bought a used 21-inch monitor, like new, for less than $200. Of course, the other advantage of a show is the instant gratification.

There are some things you can buy at the shows. Motherboards are usually just a bit above what you would pay online and you have the instant gratification factor. CPUs and memory are also good to buy there. In fact, in many ways I prefer buying my CPUs at the shows because I can actually look at it and see what I'm getting. If you're looking for a specific stepping, a computer show is your best bet.

Biggest problem with computer shows is that you're not likely to find much high end stuff there as far as cases and video cards and the like go. Last one I went to had tons of GF4 MX and a few GF4 Ti4200 cards. Nothing really high end though.

I go to the CoD (College of Dupage) show quite often. I'm actually impressed with that one over any others in the area. I won't be hitting that one this time around, though.

I picked up a used 20MB notebook drive for cheap there last time. But I've bought plenty of stuff there over the last couple of years. Usually, I go to find small or replacement parts for cheap. I'm almost always spending money whether I came with something in mind to buy or not.

Some of the good and bad points have been posted, here are a few more:

Fly by night vendors- many times you will NOT be able to RMA anything

Liars- many vendors will swear up and down how well something will work (and tlak a good game doing it!) and then you go home and check and find that what you bought is completely incompatible per the manual.


I do like to go and check things out, but you must be careful: know what you are looking for and what the going rates are.
Look for vendors that also have a B&M somewhere.

If in doubt about a product or vendor do NOT buy!

I will admit that I enjoy some of the bozos trying to tell me things that I know are false Price of admission can be worth it just for that, lol.

Thanks for the info guys. I actually do have what I want in mind. I'm looking at the DFI Pro875 or the Abit IC7-G right now, so we'll see if they have either of those, and I'm also looking for a Radeon 9600Pro vid card and either the 2.4C or 2.6C depending on how nice my paycheck is this week. Memory should be easy to come by I'm assuming....

The instant gratification factor sounds very nice. I don't have to wait. However, I don't want a defective POS component either. I may stick to NewEgg or something for the board and processor, but like a HDD or DDR or optical drives, I may have to take a look-see.

Bad.

You can get stuff quicker on the Internet and you trade sales tax for whatever shipping you can stand...

If you are looking for cheap floppy drives, software, DVD Drives, etc. then a comp show is your best friend. If you are looking for current hardware then wisit newegg.com or another online vendor. Comp shows suck for value on current hardware.

mbigna said:

I go to the CoD (College of Dupage) show quite often. I'm actually impressed with that one over any others in the area. I won't be hitting that one this time around, though.

I picked up a used 20MB notebook drive for cheap there last time. But I've bought plenty of stuff there over the last couple of years. Usually, I go to find small or replacement parts for cheap. I'm almost always spending money whether I came with something in mind to buy or not.

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Hey Mike! How the heck are you?!? I haven't seen you since the last AMD get together in Chicago.

You have the right idea. Know what you are going there to look for. Take a list. On that list, also have current prices that you can find online (include and taxes and S/H charges to be fair) and in local stores.

Don't stop looking at the very first vender that has what you're looking for. Look everywhere first. They usually hand out flyers. Take them and note on them what item you are looking at and how much. (note their location in the building too..) (NOTE: It's been my experience that they put the most expensive venders at the front of the show..)

Also include a 'backup' to what you are looking for. They may not carry exactly what you are looking for. Are you willing to compromise for something else? If so, what is it? Again, know an average price...

Try hageling (sp) with the seller if you find a lower price up the row. Sometimes they will drop their price a few $$ lower than the guy up the row.. Also see if they have any "package deals". If you're looking for a mobo and a cpu, see how much off he will give you if you buy both from him, as opposed to buying from 2 different venders. Makes RMA a bit easier if there is a problem too.

Ask about return policies. If they are local, can you return it to the store? If there is a problem, can you return it to the vender at the show, or do you have to send it to them? Is there even a return policy or you bought it.. too bad. Is there a time limit to returning the item if it's defective? Make sure that what they say is covered in writing. If they try doging these questions, quickly move away and red 'X' them.

Know if what you are buying is a retail package or OEM. Alot of times, they will display a retail package and sell you the OEM. Not a big problem, if you're expecting it..

Pay attention to where the crowds are. The people who go to these things all the time know the good venders. If there is a booth with alot of stuff and no one there, beware. Chances are they don't have a good rep., or, they are new. be careful and ask pleanty of questions.

How many days is the show? The one here in Pittsburgh is 2 days. I try to buy critical parts on the first day and try to get them in by that night. If there is a problem with the part, you have the next day to return it to them.

Take a little extra dough with you. There is always some stupid little thing that you'll want to buy. Get it. You deserve a 'toy' for putting up with these stupid venders anyway..

ALSO.....

Check out the 'junk bins'. I've found many temp. regulated fans in these boxes for like 2-3$ in all sizes. You can also find PSU extention cables too, along with thumb screws and all kinds of stuff. Keep your eyes open.

Hope I was some help..

Well the show wasn't quite what I expected, and they didn't have what I was looking for in terms of drives etc. The prices for HDD's were outrageous! I can get them cheaper from Best Buy! That brings me to a question... buying HDD's from NewEgg vs. like Best Buy or something, the prices are very different. However, I have noticed that NewEgg sells just the drive itself, but Best Buy sells a boxed product. What is the difference between OEM and retail products?

Oh well... thanks for the information guys. At least I went in educated on the subject.

Mikes95XLT said:

What is the difference between OEM and retail products?

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OEM products come without accessories usually. Boxed (retail) often do. OEM are "barebones" basically.

Mikes95XLT said:

Well the show wasn't quite what I expected, and they didn't have what I was looking for in terms of drives etc. The prices for HDD's were outrageous! I can get them cheaper from Best Buy! That brings me to a question... buying HDD's from NewEgg vs. like Best Buy or something, the prices are very different. However, I have noticed that NewEgg sells just the drive itself, but Best Buy sells a boxed product. What is the difference between OEM and retail products?

Oh well... thanks for the information guys. At least I went in educated on the subject.

Click to expand...

The boxed HD will come with a compatible (80 pin, probably) IDE ribbon cable and mounting screws. It will have installation instructions and possibly a floppy with disk diagnostic and low-level formatting programs on it.

The 'bare' drive will be JUST the drive. No cable, no instructions, no screws or disk. However, the money you save will more than pay for the screws and the ribbon cable. Heck, you will probably be able to afford a nice 80 pin colored round IDE cable with the extra $$$.

you had just better know what you are getting. I would balk at buying an expensive piece of hardware at a show. The nearest show for me is a 2 hour drive so if the memory i just bought is bad it's like i just flushed money down the toilet.

However, small components, software, and yes cpu's are nice to get there. I personally like to see the exact stepping of a component.

Otherwise, it's just a rat race of people just trying to make a buck.

Retail versions usualy come with a longer waranty. 30 days to one year on oem, upto 3 years on retail. Check the fine print where you purchase!! Many sellers have a 30 day exchange, or 20% restock, after that all problems are through the manufacturer. Sometimes the ease of replacement is worth the added expence.