First attempt to assemble a computer -- advice appreciated

[Joseph Spain]

I am about to undergo my first attempt to assemple a computer. Any help
or advice anyone can offer would be greatly appreciated. I have been
using pricewatch.com to find the parts I want. This is what I have so
far...

--------------

Motherboard: $54.92

M957G Pentium4 LGA775 DDR Motherboard (800FSB) (MB)

http://www.partspc.com/store/product462.html

Can anyone recommend a better motherboard, without integrated video and
audio, for the CPU below? I'd prefer to have at least 6 USB 2.0 ports,
vice the 2 offered here. WIth my Dimension 8250 (with 6 USB 2 ports) I
constantly get errors stating that my device would work better if I
connected to a USB 2.0 port. I think this is because only 2 are actually
USB 2 ports and Dell daisies the other four. I could be wrong, but it's
still a pain, regardless. I know many others have the same problem and
I'm fairly sure it isn't driver related.

--------------

CPU: $268.99

Intel Pentium 4 3.4GHz 800MHz LGA775 1MB CPU - OEM (FAN/HEATSINK NOT
INCLUDED)

http://www.smksuperstore.com/catalog/viewitem.asp?ID=13302

--------------

CPU FAN/HEATSINK: $?

Can anyone recommend a good (and hopefully quiet) CPU fan and heatsink for
the CPU above? I understand the fan/heatsink included in the retail box
is unsatisfactory.

--------------

CASE & POWER SUPPLY: $29.00

LCT Mid ATX 400Watt Case Black

http://www.oneclickpc.com/compatibility.aspx?product_ID=1295

--------------

CASE FANS (FRONT/BACK): $?

Can anyone recommend good front and back case fans suitable for case and
CPU configuration I am describing?

--------------

HARD DRIVE: $126.00

250GB Serial ATA Hitachi 7200 RPM, 8MB . SATA-150

http://www.upgrade-solution.com/detail.cfm?show=yes&PID=855&add=yes

--------------

CD-RW: $27.00

MITSUMI CR-485GTE 54X32X54 CD-RW,W/Nero, BULK, COLD GREY

http://nt-micro.com/ntik/details.asp?item=CDRMITCR485

--------------

MEMORY: $170.00

1GB 128Mx64 PC4200 Dual Channel 184Pin-DDR Ram

http://www.dvcentury.com/Merchant2/...Product_Code=88-533-1024&Category_Code=PC4200

Will the 533mhz speed of this mem act as a bottleneck for my CPU with it's
800mhz FSB?

--------------

VIDEO CARD: $280

ATI Radeon 9800 PRO AGP 8X 256MB DDR Video Card w/TV-Out & DVI Retail
***Free 2nd Day***

http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=320765

--------------

AUDIO CARD: $67.00

Creative Labs Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS 7.1 PCI Internal Sound Card

http://www.ewiz.com/detail.php?p=SC-0350ZSB&c=pw

--------------

ETHERNET CARD/INTERFACE: $5.78

Intel Pro/100+ PILA6461 82558B 10/100 Network Interface cards, Wake on
Lan, PCI, Ethernet Adapter 100BASET- PULL

http://www.gearxs.com/gearxs/product_info.php?products_id=3353

--------------

MOUSE: $7.00

Logitech 2 Button Mouse (USB, OEM)

http://www.jpmccom.com/Products_i272852.html?catId=16517

--------------

KEYBOARD: $11.20

CT-Generic Keyboard PS/2 Beige KW-300

http://www.htcnetstore.com/htcnetstore/gekebek.html

--------------

This whole system will cost around 1050 (including shipping), plus a
little extra for the case fans and cpu fan/heatsink that I have not picked
out yet. Thanks much for any help, comments, advice, or ridicule. I'm
happy to learn what you're willing to teach/share.

Season's Greetings...

Joseph

 

[Dave C.]

I am about to undergo my first attempt to assemple a computer. Any help or
advice anyone can offer would be greatly appreciated. I have been using
pricewatch.com to find the parts I want. This is what I have so far...

--------------

Motherboard: $54.92

M957G Pentium4 LGA775 DDR Motherboard (800FSB) (MB)

http://www.partspc.com/store/product462.html

Can anyone recommend a better motherboard, without integrated video and
audio, for the CPU below? I'd prefer to have at least 6 USB 2.0 ports,
vice the 2 offered here. WIth my Dimension 8250 (with 6 USB 2 ports) I

Intel Pentium 4 3.4GHz 800MHz LGA775 1MB CPU - OEM (FAN/HEATSINK NOT
INCLUDED)

http://www.smksuperstore.com/catalog/viewitem.asp?ID=13302

--------------

CPU FAN/HEATSINK: $?


CASE & POWER SUPPLY: $29.00

CASE FANS (FRONT/BACK): $?

250GB Serial ATA Hitachi 7200 RPM, 8MB . SATA-150


MITSUMI CR-485GTE 54X32X54 CD-RW,W/Nero, BULK, COLD GREY

MEMORY: $170.00

1GB 128Mx64 PC4200 Dual Channel 184Pin-DDR Ram
Will the 533mhz speed of this mem act as a bottleneck for my CPU with it's
800mhz FSB?

--------------

VIDEO CARD: $280

ATI Radeon 9800 PRO AGP 8X 256MB DDR Video Card w/TV-Out & DVI Retail
AUDIO CARD: $67.00

Creative Labs Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS 7.1 PCI Internal Sound Card
ETHERNET CARD/INTERFACE: $5.78

This whole system will cost around 1050 (including shipping),

Yikes. Good thing you posted here first. Any particular reason to go with
LGA775? Socket 478 will be easier to build, and LGA775 is not any faster
NOR is it any more future-proof.

But regardless of socket, why choose a Micro-ATX motherboard for a full-size
ATX case? Well, at least you asked about a better motherboard. There are
TONS of them, it will be hard to choose. (more later)

CPU fan:
If you MUST go with LGA775:
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=35-150-046&depa=0
If you go with socket 478:
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=35-151-114&depa=0

Oh, do NOT use a generic power supply. Try the following instead, even if
you go with the same case you already chose (just swap the power supply) :
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=17-153-006&depa=0

Your chosen case does not say what size fans it needs, so there is no way to
recommend fans for it. For a nice case that comes with fans installed
already, try the following:
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=11-156-018&depa=0

For a 800FSB processor, you need DDR400 (PC3200) RAM. The 533MHz RAM you
chose might also work, but it will be under-clocked IF it does work. That
RAM would be matched with a 1066FSB processor. Also, unless you are going
to be video editing or doing something else RAM-intensive, 512MB of RAM
should be enough.

Your video card is way over-priced. It should be closer to $200. You can
get a better video card for less:
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=14-130-220&depa=0

As for motherboards, there are tons. First, avoid PC Chips at all costs.
Some good alternatives:
LGA775, if you insist:
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=13-128-253&depa=0
Note that this has built-in LAN, so no ethernet card is needed

Socket 478:
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=13-130-450&depa=0
Note that this also has built-in LAN, so no ethernet card is needed

-Dave

 

[Mac Cool]

Joseph Spain:

I am about to undergo my first attempt to assemple a computer. Any
help or advice anyone can offer would be greatly appreciated. I have
been using pricewatch.com to find the parts I want.

Take this advice... don't buy from the the vendors on pricewatch without
checking their feedback on resellerratings.com.

Here is a better option for you:
http://arstechnica.dealtime.com/xCH-computers~linkin_id-3054886
If you buy from the trusted dealers then you will never know how much
aggravation you missed.

I also recommend you spend a few minutes studying some of the following
sites and consider the components they recommend. Again, this should save
you some aggravation.
http://arstechnica.com/guides/buyer/system-guide-200411.ars
http://www.extremetech.com/category2/0,1556,838239,00.asp
http://www.sharkyextreme.com/guides/MVGSBG/article.php/3435541

Can anyone recommend a better motherboard, without integrated video
and audio, for the CPU below?

Don't limit yourself to boards w/o audio and video, you may exclude some
very good options. Remember that you do not have to use the onboard
options.

CPU: $268.99
Intel Pentium 4 3.4GHz 800MHz LGA775 1MB CPU - OEM (FAN/HEATSINK NOT
INCLUDED)
http://www.smksuperstore.com/catalog/viewitem.asp?ID=13302

Using the dealtime search I found a retail processor (with retail
warranty), from a reputable dealer, for only $9 more and free 2 day
shipping.

CASE & POWER SUPPLY: $29.00

Spend twice that and buy a quality case and power supply, again it will
save many headaches.

 

[John Doe]

I am about to undergo my first attempt to assemple a computer. Any
help or advice anyone can offer would be greatly appreciated. I
have been using pricewatch.com to find the parts I want.

I am just going to recommend online stores, I don't have time at the
moment to answer the hard questions.

You list ZipZoomFly as a possible vendor, so I will assume you are
in the United States. Instead of going with the cheapest, this is my
recommendation for stores you should shop at, roughly in order of
preference. This is not rule of law, others have other opinions.

ZipZoomFly.com (my current favorite)
Newegg.com (apparently well-liked by many others)
Buy.com (hit and miss)

Good luck.

<snip>

 

[BigJIm]

like everything but the case get a better case and power supply.

 

[ModeratelyConfused]

Oh, do NOT use a generic power supply. Try the following instead, even if
you go with the same case you already chose (just swap the power supply) :

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=17-153-006&depa=0

I also recommend this power supply. I bought it based on Dave C.'s
recommendation, and it has been great. The only problem is that the wires
are incredibly long, as in longer than needed for even a tower server case.
You can also plug the PSU fans into one of the chassis fan sockets on the
motherboard, so that the fan speed can be changed. Get it now, while the
price is low because I've noticed that it fluctuates a lot.


MC

 

[Matt]

I am about to undergo my first attempt to assemple a computer.

Don't undergo it---undertake it!

 

[Joseph Spain]

Yikes. Good thing you posted here first.

I want to thank you for responding. Good responses like yours, and the
others I received here, are an important part of the learning process for
me.

Any particular reason to go with LGA775?

Not really. I thought it was the best based 3.40 ghz Intel processor
based on an article I recently read, but I have also read opposing views.
I did more research based on your recommendation and learned that what you
posted made a lot of sense. In fact, I made a lot of changes to my
configuration based on your recommendations, as well as the recomendations
of a couple of others here. I read quite a bit about the changes the
folks in this newsgroup recommended.

Oh, do NOT use a generic power supply.

Roger. Others share a similar sentiment.

For a 800FSB processor, you need DDR400 (PC3200) RAM. The 533MHz RAM
you chose might also work, but it will be under-clocked IF it does work.
That RAM would be matched with a 1066FSB processor. Also, unless you
are going to be video editing or doing something else RAM-intensive,
512MB of RAM should be enough.

Good call. I checked this out and made the change.

Your video card is way over-priced. It should be closer to $200. You
can get a better video card for less:
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=14-130-220&depa=0

I've been a firm believer in ATI and their products. In short, they
really support their $hit. To me, that's the most important aspect.
However, I researched nVidia based on the card you recommended. I learned
that they also have very good customer loyalty and support. I do have a
question though. How will the 128mb graphics card be superior to the
256mb graphics card? I realize it isn't fully memory related, but what am
I missing? BTW, I'm not a big gamer. My primary usage of the graphics
card will be porting from s-video to RCA so I can watch movies and tv
shows on my big bedroom tv -- (avis, mpegs, and DVD). The results are
perfect using my current Radeon 9700 w/ TV out. It has 256 mb of mem.
I've never had a problem with this card. I does exactly what I want it
to.

I am also very interested in the "quietness" of my modified configuation
(below). Does anyone have any comments on this aspect? Silence is
golden.

As a side note, I am quite disappointed in my two Iomega external hdds
because of how loud they are. One is a 120 GB hdd, and the newer one is a
250 GB hdd. The newer one is exceptionally loud and annoying. Also, the
fan went out on the 120 GB and it was out of warranty. When I tried to
get a new one from Iomega, they basically told me to G.F. myself. For
clarity, I wasn't upset because they wouldn't replace the drive or fan on
a product that's out of warranty. I wasn't even upset because the fan
busted after only 1 year of use. I was upset because they don't publish
replacement part numbers, nor would they even discuss obtaining a
replacement part or part number with me. In other words, they hoped I'd
buy a new one. I will never buy another Iomega product (or Dell
product -- a whole other story) again. Neither supports their stuff IMO
and experience. I think next time I will buy an internal Maxtor or
Western Digital and purchase a portable housing unit for it. Those are
lower in price and also quieter. Any comments?

Here is my modified (currently planned) configuration (price ~$1075.00 w/
shipping)...

--------------
mwave.com (2 products)

* CPU: $296.00

Intel Pentium 4 3.40E GHz 800MHz 478PIN 1MB Retail

http://www.mwave.com/mwave/skusearch.hmx?SCriteria=BA20909

* MEMORY: $97.00

KINGSTON KHX3200A/512 512MB PC3200 400MHZ CL2 DDR DIMM W/HEAT SPREADER

http://www.mwave.com/mwave/skusearch.hmx?SCriteria=BA19781

COMBINED PRICE INCL. SHIPPING: $404.47

--------------

newegg.com (7 products)

* Motherboard: $79.00

MSI "865PE Neo2-PFS (Platinum Edition)" i865PE Chipset Motherboard for
Intel Socket 478 CPU -RETAIL

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=13-130-450&depa=0

Note: I wonder if I will need to purchase an LAN cable to run from the
NIC port to the case front? I'm not clear on this.

* CPU FAN/HEATSINK: $16.49

Spire CopperStream II CPU Cooler For Socket 478 CPU, Model
"SP420B8-2" -RETAIL

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=35-151-114&depa=0

* CASE (WITH FANS): $28.50

RAIDMAX Black 10-bay Case, Model "268WBP" -RETAIL

http://www.newegg.com/app/viewprodu...ption=11-156-018&CMP=OTC-pr1c3watch&ATT=Cases

Note: I really liked this case you recommended. Much better airflow.

* POWER SUPPLY: $36.99

Thermaltake Silent PurePower, 420W ATX power supply.UL, CSA, TUV, CE
Approved. Intel Pentium 4 Compliant

http://www.newegg.com/app/viewprodu...6&CMP=OTC-pr1c3watch&ATT=Power+Supply+for+Cas

* HARD DRIVE: $135.00

Hitachi 250GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive, Model HDS722525VLSA80 Part#
13G0255, OEM Drive Only

http://www.upgrade-solution.com/detail.cfm?show=yes&PID=855&add=yes

Note: I can't figure out if this comes with cables or not.

* CD-RW: $27.50

MITSUMI 54X32X54 Internal IDE CD-RW Drive, Model CR-485FTE, OEM

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=27-150-005&depa=1

Note: I can't figure out if this comes with cables or not

* VIDEO CARD: $229.00

EVGA nVIDIA GeForce 6600GT Video Card, 128MB GDDR3, 128-Bit, DVI/TV-Out,
AGP 8X, Model "128-A8-N350" -RETAIL

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=14-130-220&depa=0

COMBINED PRICE INCL. SHIPPING: $590.14

--------------

ewiz.com (1 product)

* AUDIO CARD: $67.00

Creative Labs Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS 7.1 PCI Internal Sound Card

http://www.ewiz.com/detail.php?p=SC-0350ZSB&c=pw

COMBINED PRICE INCL. SHIPPING: $67.00

Note: I'm concerned this *could* be a refurbished unit. It isn't
advertsied as such, but it is substantially lower at ewiz than any other
site I researched.

--------------

JPMC INC (2 products)

* MOUSE: $3.00

Logitech 2 Button Mouse (USB, OEM)

http://www.jpmccom.com/Products_i272852.html?catId=13773

* KEYBOARD: $4.50

Generic Keyboard (Black/PS2)

http://www.jpmccom.com/Products_i869375.html?catId=13772

COMBINED PRICE NOT INCL. SHIPPING: $7.50

 

[Joseph Spain]

Take this advice... don't buy from the the vendors on pricewatch without
checking their feedback on resellerratings.com.

Thanks, Mac. Excellent advice.

Here is a better option for you:
http://arstechnica.dealtime.com/xCH-computers~linkin_id-3054886
If you buy from the trusted dealers then you will never know how much
aggravation you missed.

Thanks for this site. It's excellent.

I also recommend you spend a few minutes studying some of the following
sites and consider the components they recommend. Again, this should
save
you some aggravation.
http://arstechnica.com/guides/buyer/system-guide-200411.ars
http://www.extremetech.com/category2/0,1556,838239,00.asp
http://www.sharkyextreme.com/guides/MVGSBG/article.php/3435541

Thanks. I will.

Spend twice that and buy a quality case and power supply, again it will
save many headaches.

Excellent advice. I made changes to my planned config -- still tentative
for now. (See my post to Dave C.)

Joseph

 

[Joseph Spain]

You list ZipZoomFly as a possible vendor, so I will assume you are
in the United States. Instead of going with the cheapest, this is my
recommendation for stores you should shop at, roughly in order of
preference. This is not rule of law, others have other opinions.

ZipZoomFly.com (my current favorite)
Newegg.com (apparently well-liked by many others)
Buy.com (hit and miss)

Good luck.

Thanks for posting. I made some changes to my planned configuration. I
tried to consolidate some of the products in order to go with few vendors.
The difference in shipping costs ended up offsetting some slightly less
expensive individual products available elsewhere, but I will revisit all
of this again once I make a final determination on my configuration.

Joseph

 

[Joseph Spain]

I also recommend this power supply. I bought it based on Dave C.'s
recommendation, and it has been great.

Thanks. I researched it further and I plan to purchase it.

Joseph

 

[Joseph Spain]

Don't undergo it---undertake it!

Thanks. English is not my first language. I will try to be more clear.

Joseph

 

[ModeratelyConfused]

Thanks. English is not my first language. I will try to be more clear.

Joseph

It wasn't a correction, he was, how can I explain this, encouraging you.
Kinda like "Go get 'em, tiger". I really don't know if that translates,
it's an American thing. I couldn't tell English wasn't your fist language.

MC

 

[Dave C.]

I've been a firm believer in ATI and their products. In short, they
really support their $hit. To me, that's the most important aspect.
However, I researched nVidia based on the card you recommended. I learned
that they also have very good customer loyalty and support. I do have a
question though. How will the 128mb graphics card be superior to the
256mb graphics card? I realize it isn't fully memory related, but what am
I missing? BTW, I'm not a big gamer. My primary usage of the graphics
card will be porting from s-video to RCA so I can watch movies and tv
shows on my big bedroom tv -- (avis, mpegs, and DVD). The results are
perfect using my current Radeon 9700 w/ TV out. It has 256 mb of mem.
I've never had a problem with this card. I does exactly what I want it
to.

Note: I wonder if I will need to purchase an LAN cable to run from the
NIC port to the case front? I'm not clear on this.

* CPU FAN/HEATSINK: $16.49

Spire CopperStream II CPU Cooler For Socket 478 CPU, Model
"SP420B8-2" -RETAIL

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=35-151-114&depa=0

* CASE (WITH FANS): $28.50

RAIDMAX Black 10-bay Case, Model "268WBP" -RETAIL

http://www.newegg.com/app/viewprodu...ption=11-156-018&CMP=OTC-pr1c3watch&ATT=Cases

Note: I really liked this case you recommended. Much better airflow.

Hitachi 250GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive, Model HDS722525VLSA80 Part#
13G0255, OEM Drive Only

http://www.upgrade-solution.com/detail.cfm?show=yes&PID=855&add=yes

Note: I can't figure out if this comes with cables or not.

* CD-RW: $27.50

MITSUMI 54X32X54 Internal IDE CD-RW Drive, Model CR-485FTE, OEM

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=27-150-005&depa=1

Note: I can't figure out if this comes with cables or not

* AUDIO CARD: $67.00

Creative Labs Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS 7.1 PCI Internal Sound Card

http://www.ewiz.com/detail.php?p=SC-0350ZSB&c=pw

COMBINED PRICE INCL. SHIPPING: $67.00

Note: I'm concerned this *could* be a refurbished unit. It isn't
advertsied as such, but it is substantially lower at ewiz than any other
site I researched.

OK, I built a similar system recently. I use it for (among other things)
recording movies off of dbs (dish network) and playing them back through my
home theater system. My graphics card is an nvidia fx5900xt 128MB. (I'm
not a gamer) I have no problems at all. I use a cheap leadtek tv tuner
card to record the movies and play them back. My second monitor is the TV
(really the A/V receiver) hooked up to the computer's video card with an
S-Video cable. I also have S-video IN to the TV tuner card from the
satellite tuner. There's no reason I couldn't use the RCA jacks, though.
On graphics cards, more memory allows greater resolutions. It also helps
with detail in 3D games, when pushed to extreme settings. However, my
nephew has the same 128MB video card I do, and he has no problem playing the
latest computer games, and he's a hard-core gamer. The nvidia 6600 series
is a lot faster than a radeon 9800. But you'd probably be happy with either
one, as the Radeon 9800 is a little faster than the card I'm using. For
what you want to use your system for, MY system works great!

OK, the NIC built into your mainboard has a jack that sits next to your
other connectors on the back of your computer. There is where you would
plug in a Lan/Ethernet cable. The other end of the cable would go to a
Cable/DSL modem or router or (if a crossover cable) directly to another
computer. The cable you need SHOULD come with other hardware, unless you
are going to run it directly to another computer.

Your drives (hard drive, CDR/W) probably do NOT come with cables. However,
your power supply comes with SATA power cables. Your motherboard SHOULD
come with IDE and SATA data cables. You should not have to purchase any
cables to hook up your drives.

The sound card you chose is decent, if a bit over-priced. I'd suggest you
look at something from Turtle Beach like the Santa Cruz (my sound card) or
the newer Riviera. (even cheaper) -Dave

http://www.jr.com/JRProductPage.process?Product=870290
http://www.mwave.com/mwave/viewspec.hmx?scriteria=3460072

 

[Joseph Spain]

The sound card you chose is decent, if a bit over-priced. I'd suggest
you look at something from Turtle Beach like the Santa Cruz (my sound
card) or the newer Riviera. (even cheaper) -Dave

Thanks. I appreciate what you are saying. Honestly, I have been elated
with all service (especially drivers that work as intended) from ATI
(video card) and Creative (sound card) for years. They have always
supported their stuff 100% in my experience. I am never left wanting from
those two companies. Maybe that's worth a few extra dollars. OTOH,
perhaps I will try something new, as you recommend. I just hate to change
from anything that is tried and true, but I may choose to try the Riviera
after reviewing it further, per your comments. Heck, it may even be
better. Thanks again for your advice. I love feeling liberated from
Dellhell and the like. My wife says I'm more at peace already.

Joseph

 

[jeffc]

Good call. I checked this out and made the change.

I'd be careful of that. Depends what they'll be doing, but I definitely
think 2x512 is worth considering if you'll be doing much multi-tasking.

 

[Mac Cool]

Joseph Spain:

* VIDEO CARD: $229.00

EVGA nVIDIA GeForce 6600GT Video Card, 128MB GDDR3, 128-Bit,
DVI/TV-Out, AGP 8X, Model "128-A8-N350" -RETAIL

One thing I should point out... AGP is a dying animal, it is being
replaced by PCI-E and all new video cards are coming out as PCI-E. AGP
cards will be available for maybe 6-12 months, but I suspect the standard
will die quickly. If you are a non-gamer then I wouldn't worry about it,
but if you plan on playing games or believe that you will want to keep
your system longer than 18 months and may upgrade your video card... then
I suggest using a PCI-E motherboard (something like the ABIT AG8) which
means going back to LGA775.

 

[Mark Ingram]

John Doe wrote...

this is my recommendation for stores you should shop at, roughly in
order of preference.

ZipZoomFly.com (my current favorite)
Newegg.com (apparently well-liked by many others)
Buy.com (hit and miss)

Buy.com probably has the worst reputation of any online store anywhere. I
have read many horror stories of their terrible customer service and
almost constant screw ups. A quick check at reseller ratings confirms how
bad they suck:
http://www.resellerratings.com/seller1823.html
1.25 six month rating, 2.08 lifetime

I agree with your first two and might add mwave.com, although their
website sucks the most.

 

[John Doe]

Joseph Spain:


One thing I should point out... AGP is a dying animal, it is being
replaced by PCI-E and all new video cards are coming out as PCI-E.
AGP cards will be available for maybe 6-12 months,

Are you predicting that AGP cards will be unavailable after 12
months? Assuming new products from well-known online stores, I
predict at least 30 months.





but I suspect the standard

 

[John Doe]

John Doe wrote...


Buy.com probably has the worst reputation of any online store
anywhere.

Whenever I see a movie review that starts out "Worst Movie Ever!" I
tend to skip it.

I have read many horror stories of their terrible customer service
and almost constant screw ups. A quick check at reseller ratings
confirms how bad they suck:
http://www.resellerratings.com/seller1823.html
1.25 six month rating, 2.08 lifetime

Over a period of about five years, I have ordered probably more from
Buy.com than any other online store. Early on, one time I tried to
cancel an order they already shipped. I refused the shipment and
they did not charge me anything. Nowadays shipping seems slow but
they have yet to make a mistake on one of my orders. One reason I
still look at their site is because they have some very low prices
on certain brands. I usually just look at the "free shipping" items.
The fact they stopped posting shipping costs with the shopping
basket is annoying to me.