Best time to buy a new computer?

[xequence]

What time of the year is the best time to get a new computer? In terms of getting a good deal.

I am planning to get a new one sometime in the next couple of months. (Sometime after christmas).

Also, I asked this awhile ago on a topic that noone came too, but are AMD semprons 64 bit?

[PatrickMay16]

All year round, if you build it yourself.

If you live in the UK, a great place to buy computer parts is www.aria.co.uk.
If you're in the US, I think this website would be helpful.
http://www.newegg.com/

And here is a link that might be helpful for someone who is building a computer for the first time.
http://www.pcmech.com/byopc/

Though I dunno much about deals for pre-built computers. Sorry about that.

[xequence]

Id build it myself if I was getting an expensive gaming computer, but I have found out that its cheaper to get a pre-built one if it is cheaper. (Im thinking sempron, 80-100 GB hard drive, 256 MB RAM but ill probably upgrade that to 512)

[kingsidy]

I think that right about Christmas and new years is the best time because a lot of the manufacturers try to get as many sales as possible before the year's ends. If not discounts, you get a little bit more like accessories and things, or more ram and such. So check out the deals. I have noticed that they are cheaper about this time of year. A lot of people buy computers about this time, or give computer to their children as gift, so manufacturers try to come up with attractive packages or slighly cheaper computers.

[atoponce]

Also, I asked this awhile ago on a topic that noone came too, but are AMD semprons 64 bit? Yes. The AMD Sempron chip is a 64-bit chip that is 32-bit backwards compatible. However, with that said, it is equivalent to an Intel Celeron as it has consideralbly less on-die cache than the AMD Athlon chips.

[matthew]

Id build it myself if I was getting an expensive gaming computer, but I have found out that its cheaper to get a pre-built one if it is cheaper. (Im thinking sempron, 80-100 GB hard drive, 256 MB RAM but ill probably upgrade that to 512)I think your observation is true. I like to build my own, but when I bought a new computer for my wife it was cheaper to buy a pre-built HP on sale.

Seems like just after Christmas sould be pretty good, unless you just happen to run into a screaming "we ordered too much and no one is buying it" sale. :)

[az]

It depends. Where do you shop?

I find combing through the local computer magazines useful in finding out who has the best deals. I would never buy a computer from a big chain computer electronics store.

I think I can get a better deal from the specialised computer shop which moves a lot of stock. They often have a set price for the hardware-of-the-month. Often you can get two-month-old powered system at a steal.

[LoclynGrey]

I've worked in the Computer hardware reseller industry for the last 4 years.
The best time to buy a PC is when you are ready, most shops/online dealers would do you deals anyway, all you have to do is ask. However it is true that most retailers / manufacturers do bundle specials, either before or after a major event (such as Christmas) or at the end of their financial year. (so they can get rid of their oldish stock)

Computer hardware is subject to constant change, what is new and perceived to be the "bee's knee's" today can and probably will be superseded in the next quarter. But then where do you start and really you should start somewhere, so you might as well start now.

In my opinion, prebuilt machines (such as dells, compaqs, acers etc) are generally cheaper because they may contain out of date hardware or hardware that is being superseded by the new technology. (For example, socket 478 which is now considered to be phasing out for the new sockets 754 and 939 ) OR (and this is my main gripe) because it contains hardware that you may not be able to upgrade in the near future. That frankly is the trap and if you are unaware of exactly what you are buying then you will get caught out, especially when you want to add something to it.

To build your self a pc you just need to get good advice on the correct combination of hardware. By combinations I mean, motherboard, cpu, memory that work well together in terms of compatibility and performance. I've seen an Asus AGP video card not work on a Asus motherboard due to an incompatibility between both bits of hardware. Go figure...
I've found the best advice has come from oem system builders who spec / assemble numerous combinations of hardware based on the clients needs.

If you are going sempron I'd go for a sempron 64 (even though you may only use it with 32bit software) and I'll start with 512MB of memory, ideally have 1GB if you can but defiantly don't bother with 256mb. For hard drives its more cost effective to get a 200GB over a 80 or 100GB. Another trick for a performance booster is selecting the correct video card for your application.

[futz]

Best time to buy a new computer?

ALWAYS!!! And as often as possible!

[xequence]

It depends. Where do you shop?

I find combing through the local computer magazines useful in finding out who has the best deals. I would never buy a computer from a big chain computer electronics store.

I think I can get a better deal from the specialised computer shop which moves a lot of stock. They often have a set price for the hardware-of-the-month. Often you can get two-month-old powered system at a steal.

Futureshop has the best prices of all the big stores like that, though I am not sure how I would be able to buy from them after how horribly I was treated a week ago. They had a great price a couple weeks ago. It was a eMachines with an AMD Sempron 1800+, 256 MB RAM, 100 GB HDD, and a 17" CRT for 450$.

There is a small computer store near to me that ill probably check out. I have been planning to do so for months though, I am so lazy ;)

If you are going sempron I'd go for a sempron 64 (even though you may only use it with 32bit software) and I'll start with 512MB of memory, ideally have 1GB if you can but defiantly don't bother with 256mb. For hard drives its more cost effective to get a 200GB over a 80 or 100GB. Another trick for a performance booster is selecting the correct video card for your application.

I planned to get the 256MBRAM/80GBHDD at first, then upgrade the RAM to 512 and get an extra hard drive (160 GB) for music and movies later, as I am on... Not a very big budget here ;)

In the end I want a computer that is very upgradeable. I want to be able in a year to take out the sempron and put in an athlon XP or something if I feel like it. I want to be able to put in a 256 MB graphics card if I want to.

Yes. The AMD Sempron chip is a 64-bit chip that is 32-bit backwards compatible. However, with that said, it is equivalent to an Intel Celeron as it has consideralbly less on-die cache than the AMD Athlon chips.

But it is better then a celeron, right? AMD is almost always better then intel with high end chips, id think low end would be the same.

I think that right about Christmas and new years is the best time because a lot of the manufacturers try to get as many sales as possible before the year's ends. If not discounts, you get a little bit more like accessories and things, or more ram and such. So check out the deals. I have noticed that they are cheaper about this time of year. A lot of people buy computers about this time, or give computer to their children as gift, so manufacturers try to come up with attractive packages or slighly cheaper computers.

I heard that dells prices are up alot, then down alot, to meet quarterly sales expectations.

[psoleko]

I use Semprons in my computers that are just for surfing and general use, they are relatively fast and a good value. If I had a choice I would get the 64bit variety so I could mess around with Ubuntu Amd64.

[LoclynGrey]

I recently did a quote for a client who wanted a PC for home/business use. I recommened a Sempron 3100 64Bit setup. She came back saying that a friend of her's recommened a Intel celeron 2.8Ghz which sounds better on paper because it seemed to be better than a Sempron 1.8Ghz.

I did some digging and found on Toms Hardware that a 3100 Sempron 64 vs a Celeron 2.8, the AMD out performed the Intel CPU. Thats a 1.8Ghz AMD Sempron 64 vs a Intel 2.8Ghz. hmmmm
Celeron is Intels budget CPU and Sempron is AMDs (used to be Duron). But with the now available 64 bit technology it seems the scales are tipping a bit.

In the end I want a computer that is very upgradeable. I want to be able in a year to take out the sempron and put in an athlon XP or something if I feel like it. I want to be able to put in a 256 MB graphics card if I want to.
> selecting the correct motherboard is where you start. (you probably wont get a choice if you buy prebuilt)
> if you are working to a budget (like we all do), get a motherboard with everything on board (video, usb, firewire etc) but make sure it also has a AGP slot that you can put a better video card in later. (unless you are going PCi-E).

[nrwilk]

ALWAYS!!! And as often as possible!

Word.

[Iandefor]

> selecting the correct motherboard is where you start. (you probably wont get a choice if you buy prebuilt)
> if you are working to a budget (like we all do), get a motherboard with everything on board (video, usb, firewire etc) but make sure it also has a AGP slot that you can put a better video card in later. (unless you are going PCi-E).
I agree with LoclynGrey; I've been configuring a computer for my home use, and the motherboard is the biggest pain to get if you're on a budget, especially if it has to run Linux. I disagree with him on the point about getting everything on-board. Integrated video and Linux seem to be uncomfortable around one another; I'm damned if I can find an integrated video chipset that Linux will support.

And I agree with Futz, to some extent. It doesn't need to be upgraded as often as possible IMHO, but certainly, don't let technology get ahead of your computer.

[futz]

Futureshop has the best prices of all the big stores like that,
Are you joking??? Futureshop is the ripoff joint of the entire world, dude! Watch their flyers and buy ONLY what's on sale *if* they aren't makin ya do a stupid mail-in rebate to get the deal. Which is almost never. Their loss-leaders (cheap stuff to get ya in the door) can sometimes be good deals, but everything else is horribly overpriced. They got overhead, ya know!

EDIT: Oops, I saw the "has the best prices" part, but not the "of all the big stores like that" part before I popped off. Hehehe! :mrgreen:

The little shops usually have much better prices, around here anyway. This is mostly not true in small towns, though!

Where in Canada are you? If you're in either Vancouver or Toronto, I can link you to some places with MUCH better prices. In other towns you'll just have to shop around. Also there are some terrific online order places in this country, with great prices.

[benplaut]

not to take over your thread, but what would be the best time to buy a prebuilt gaming desktop, in the $1000 range? i'm looking at Ibuypower/Cyberpower, but if anyone else has a brand to suggest :)

athlon 64 3700
1 gig Kingston Ultra
200gb hdd
Gigabyte SLI nforce4
Nemisis elite case
6800GS 256mb
=about $1002

[matthew]

not to take over your thread, but what would be the best time to buy a prebuilt gaming desktop, in the $1000 range? i'm looking at Ibuypower/Cyberpower, but if anyone else has a brand to suggest :)
Not really an answer to your question, just an FYI. I had a horrible experience with Cyberpower. Terrible customer service: slow and I had to contact their local Better Business Bureau and file a complaint to get them to replace a defective part that was under warranty. Pain in the tookus.

[atoponce]

But it is better then a celeron, right? AMD is almost always better then intel with high end chips, id think low end would be the same. It depends on how you define the word "better". AMD chips generally run cooler than Intel chips, they are about 10% faster, and come with a cheaper price tag. However, with that said, you will find more support for Intel chips than AMD chips, and without a good deal of on-die cache, you won't notice much of a difference between the Seprons and Celerons, IMHO.

[poptones]

I did some digging and found on Toms Hardware that a 3100 Sempron 64 vs a Celeron 2.8, the AMD out performed the Intel CPU

Ahem... Tom's hack Hardware?

It would behoove anyone to take everything from Tom's with a big rock of salt, but especially with the 3100. There are a lot of 3100 machines on the market right now that are basically surplus dumps of first run chinese systems. They don't use the "new" 3100 they use the first gen 3100 which is a completely different design than the ones being made now. Be very careful about suggesting these low end systems, especially to valued friends.

[mstlyevil]

First, what is your budget? That will help us in determining if you are better off to build or buy prebuilt. What will you use it for (running Linux is always better if you use a nVidia video card for example.).

If you want to upgrade from a sempron to a athlon64 later, you will need a 939 socket mobo and a 939 socket sempron. You are probally better off if this is the case to go with a Athlon64 3000 which sells for around 130 USD. Since you are not gaming or overclocking you could get a cheap mobo like chaintech and a geforce 6200 video card pci express and still fit in a small budget of around 400 to 500 dollars. That would include a 80 gig sata hard drive and 512 memory plus a cheap case comboed with a psu. You would have to sacrifice a new monitor, but if your old works fine then it would be worth the sacrifice for the ability to upgrade later.

[mstlyevil]

I just built a entire tower online at newegg.com for less than 450 USD using the criteria in my previous post. This thing will blow away anything you could buy with a sempron and on board video. I used the geforce 6200 64 mb video card which will make the computer very compatible with linux. The mother board is a foxtron nforce 4 chipset boad pcie. The chip is a Athlon64 3000 newcastle core and the hard drive is a 80 gig western digital sata drive with 8 mb of cache. The memory, case and power supply were generic.

I would recommend you just build it and at least you know what you got and can upgrade it for a couple of years to come.

[LoclynGrey]

I disagree with him on the point about getting everything on-board. Integrated video and Linux seem to be uncomfortable around one another; I'm damned if I can find an integrated video chipset that Linux will support

Sorry, that was very WINDOWS of me lol. My own Ubuntu system is not running on a "everything on board" motherboard. But I do run Fedore 3 as a web server on a mini ITX board that has everything on board. Just a point, not looking for a Fedore vs Ubuntu talk lol.

[LoclynGrey]

Ahem... Tom's hack Hardware?

Good point, can we trust Tom? lol
Although I'm not talking about prebuilt machines (aka branded machines), my post is more in reference to custom built machines. (they call em clones over here, not sure why).
My other source of information and why i recommended a Sempron 3100 64bit CPU was from a OEM system builder, from the reseller market. Who builds a variety of setups / combinations and tests them against each other. (as you do if you have the tools)

I personality would not touch a branded prebuilt PC (unless it was a mac, cause they macs rock). I guess it from my experience over the last fours working in the PC hardware industry. Custom built machines (clones) are just like hotting up your car. Surely you'd want to put the best bits in to get the better performance.

[rjwood]

[quote=xequence]What time of the year is the best time to get a new computer? In terms of getting a good deal.

When someone else is paying?

[poptones]

I personality would not touch a branded prebuilt PC..

Ummm... no, you're assuming again. today's Chinese factories crank out systems for whomever wants them. A great many of these machines enter that "clone" market as unbranded systems that local shops purchase and label as their own. Small shops have to compete too and they can now (and often do) make use of those chinese knockoff plants just as well as Dell and Gateway and Compaq.

Go to linuxdevices and look at the stuff being hawked there. I have a friend in cali who has even purchased chinese tivo-type set-top box systems that he OEMs.

[LoclynGrey]

Ummm... no, you're assuming again.

Sorry, i need to be clearer. in our very small country (and its smaller than damn small linux...) when we refer to clones we sort of mean custom built machines. I don't know why we do, we just do. Although i do understand what you mean in reference to pc clones in the rest of the world. (which makes better sense than our meaning lol)
:) Cheers.

[poptones]

All I'm meaning to say is that those machines that may appear to be custom built are really made from the same parts as all the others How is it any different to you if I buy motherboard, power supply, memory hard drive and lall the other "basics" as individual parts or buy them complete in boxes as "barebones systems" and customize them to order?

this is what I'm talking about: it goes on a LOT nowdays. You cannot be competetive selling PCs hand picked from parts - even small retailers purchase these "bulk systems" because they are cheaper (and they often come with a cut rate windows license to boot). Once in the door they may add sound cards and video cards and whatever else the customer wants, but the basic kit is "prefab" in china and shipped over complete - it costs just as much to ship air in those case sized boxes as it costs for those boxes full of ram and video cards. See?

Anyway, given the chouce between a Sempron and a Celeron I personally would go with the Celeron. Not that the Sempron is a bad chip, just that it's not worth the money when a "real" amd64 is just a couple of bucks more and even a Sempron 3100 isn't much beyond a 3200 Barton core mobile chip in performance.

[xequence]

not to take over your thread

No problem ;)

Where in Canada are you? If you're in either Vancouver or Toronto, I can link you to some places with MUCH better prices. In other towns you'll just have to shop around. Also there are some terrific online order places in this country, with great prices.

Barrie. An hour north of toronto.

First, what is your budget? That will help us in determining if you are better off to build or buy prebuilt. What will you use it for (running Linux is always better if you use a nVidia video card for example.).

I have 360$ at the moment, but with birthday and christmas money, ill have more. (You see, I have no idea how much im getting for birthday and christmas)

Ill definitally have windows installed... Ill first try FreeBSD, if that doesent work ill probably put on ubuntu.

I just built a entire tower online at newegg.com for less than 450 USD using the criteria in my previous post. This thing will blow away anything you could buy with a sempron and on board video. I used the geforce 6200 64 mb video card which will make the computer very compatible with linux. The mother board is a foxtron nforce 4 chipset boad pcie. The chip is a Athlon64 3000 newcastle core and the hard drive is a 80 gig western digital sata drive with 8 mb of cache. The memory, case and power supply were generic.

I would recommend you just build it and at least you know what you got and can upgrade it for a couple of years to come.

That sounds about right to what ill have for money after christmas. I might ask you for the exact specs on that (EXACT) later, beacuse that looks like a great computer to get ;) Id love to be able to get that.

[mstlyevil]

No problem ;)



Barrie. An hour north of toronto.



I have 360$ at the moment, but with birthday and christmas money, ill have more. (You see, I have no idea how much im getting for birthday and christmas)

Ill definitally have windows installed... Ill first try FreeBSD, if that doesent work ill probably put on ubuntu.



That sounds about right to what ill have for money after christmas. I might ask you for the exact specs on that (EXACT) later, beacuse that looks like a great computer to get ;) Id love to be able to get that.

I failed to mention some assembly required. Actually tou have to assemble the whole damn thing yourself, but that is a small price to pay for upgradeability.

[xequence]

I failed to mention some assembly required. Actually tou have to assemble the whole damn thing yourself, but that is a small price to pay for upgradeability.

Heh, it will take some time, but when im finished I will have learnt alot =P

[futz]

Barrie. An hour north of toronto.
There ya go. I've been to Barrie. Worked there a bit in 1988. I was living in Brampton then and working in every town between Oshawa and Stoney Creek.

The store I buy from (online) occasionally in Toronto is Premier Computer Canada. Decent prices and good inventory. http://www.pccanada.com/

My favorite local store (Richmond, B.C.) is A-Power Computer. They're more of a retail shop than an online store, but they do mailorder. Good people and decent prices. http://www.a-power.com/

Another place I do business with occasionally is NCIX.com. http://www.ncix.com/
Not all their prices are good. You have to shop carefully, but some of their prices are pretty decent. Just last week I bought a ASRock 939DUAL-SATA2 and a Athlon 64 3500+ and some RAM from them for my Ubuntu box. The prices weren't too bad. What they have going for them is good inventory.

For modding supplies and coolers and stuff like that, I shop at Bigfoot Computers in Toronto. Their prices aren't great, but they have some stuff that's tough to find elsewhere. http://www.bigfootcomputers.com/

[AllenGG]

The question is interesting! best time to buy a new computer ? for whom ?
OK, for me. When what I've got won't cut it ! OK, a client, small business, when they really need something that works !
No offense Futz, but nothing beats Toronto for prices and new equipment, even when I ran shops in South Florida or dealt with South Asia , hot spot central is Toronto!!
The real answer is capacity, is what you have up to the job ?
A little reality here, Linux , at this point, using Ubuntu, is the only real choice for small businesses.
Go set up a computer for Aunt Martha with 5.10, just do it !!
A.

[futz]

No offense Futz, but nothing beats Toronto for prices and new equipment, even when I ran shops in South Florida or dealt with South Asia , hot spot central is Toronto!!

Actually, I think Vancouver/Richmond is better. We have tons of little Chinese-run computer shops, mostly all in the same areas, and all competing hard against each other. It's great, and it drives prices down.

On the other hand, for mail-order, Toronto is where it's at.

A little reality here, Linux , at this point, using Ubuntu, is the only real choice for small businesses.
Speaking of small business, can you recommend a good accounting package for a very small company (just me and sometimes an employee)? I'm currently using Simply Accounting Pro on WinXP, but I'd like to play with a linux accounting package and maybe in future move all my business over from XP.

I don't need inventory, but might sometimes need payroll. Invoicing/statements/payables/receivables are a must, obviously. I don't want something similar to Quicken or stuff like that. That's fine for balancing your personal chequebook or whatever, but not for business.

[mfarquhar]

10 years from now

in 2015 you can get a computer from 2013 that costs about $10 dollars and is 100 times better than what you're getting now

remember thes words of wisdom:

in the world of computers when you go to the store and buy one people say it is obsolete by the time you get home...not true...it's obsolete before you bought it...