Where to buy components?

[Draggy]

Hi guys.

I might be building a PC for the first time soon and I'm wondering what is the best shop selling computer components. Novatech gets bad reviews, I also heard Overclockers is not too good. I have always used Amazon for online shopping, would it be okay? What other retailers should I consider? It's not only about price, but also the way they would deal with returns, refunds and replacements.

Thanks in advance,
Draggy

 

[V_R]

A very subjective subject.

Never had a prob with Amazon (non marketplace, Prime only), Overclockers, Ebuyer or Kustom PC's myself. They are the only ones i'd personally use.

Novatech i've heard are good for the most part. (Use the search function of the forum, there is a thread about them recently)

Wouldn't touch Scan or Aria with a barge pole that's wearing a condom.


But, thats my opinion, i know for a fact that a lot here wouldn't use OcUK for example. Yet i've never had an issue with them, bar a packaging problem that is now sorted. All my returns via them have been sorted easily, and i've spent a lot with them over the last few years.

 

[Draggy]

Thanks a lot for the response. I would most happily use Amazon too, but I'm wondering if they provide a warranty after that 30 day period when you can return any thing without a problem. What if something brakes, let's say, half a year after I bought it from Amazon? Would the manufacturer warranty be the only one I could count on?

 

[muckshifter]

Amazon, Novatech ... never had to return anything in warranty, they mostly been retired and replaced with the new sparkly, or, died of old age.

The only "best shop" I found, was the one I owned, never had any problems.

 

[Draggy]

Novatech seems to have great prices, I couldn't find Sapphire 7850 that cheap anywhere else (about £180). I'm just worried about opinions on them, for example on this website: http://www.reviewcentre.com/reviews3916.html . If you have anything else to say about them, the way the warranty on Amazon works or other retailers, I'll be really happy to find out what you guys think.

 

[Anon_F]

Novatech gets bad reviews

Where?
For a company that provides good pc's & sought things out quickly if their's a problem their not bad!
Only my view though.

 

[Draggy]

Where?
For a company that provides good pc's & sought things out quickly if their's a problem their not bad!
Only my view though.

Check out the link in my previous post. I still think I'm going to buy a few components from them, they've got really good prices. The rest will be bought on Amazon which, from my experience, is great.

 

[floppybootstomp]

Where to buy components?

Ask any individual that and they will give you a reply based on their own experience with a given supplier.

You see, no one supplier is perfect, that's a fact. One bad experience with a company and most people will then boycott that company for life, I know I do. For instance, let's take OCUK, forum member V_R reckons they're the bees knees yet they recently messed up twice with me so I quit using them.

Result? For every one person recommending a supplier another will diss it. Fact.

Plus you have to take into account the suppliers themselves are constantly manipulating websites and opinions to their favour, the link you gave to a 'review site' may itself be just a fabrication and initially I suspected a spam link but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt

I've read bad things about almost every supplier out there even though with some of them I've never personally experienced any problems.

The real test of a supplier's worth is when something fails and how they react to it. For myself, this is where Scan failed miserably, not once, but twice.

I've read Dabs can be bad yet all I've ever received from them is good service, though haven't bought anything from them for about 5 years now.

For me, one supplier stands out like a diamond amidst a cesspool of slurry and that is - Kustom PC's. They regularly win polls for best service and supply a personal service, giving advice and responding to e-mails quickly. Time was they were a bit more expensive than most but lately their prices are on a par with most. Only downside is they are often poorly stocked so you may have to wait a few days for stock to arrive.

You'd do no worse than to read this Forum's own 'Retailers' section to get an idea about some retailers.

Ok, FWIW, my personal views on some suppliers:

E-Buyer: Bought my last build from them and now my regular supplier. Have returned stuff, no probs. At time of writing - faultless
Kustom PC's - The best, bar none.
Aria: Have used them occasionaly, one rma sorted out quickly, no probs.
Scan: Despicable bunch of shylocks, make you pay for postage when returning faulty goods - avoid
Novatech - No personal experience of them but I'd be wary following a forum member's recent experience
Dabs: I've never had a problem, goods sent quickly and well packed but there again I've never had an RMA with them.
OCUK: Were once good but they messed me about once too often and there are a host of horror stories about them on just about any computer forum you care to visit. So I dumped them and no longer use them.
Amazon: on the whole good but standards seem to have dropped lately, I've had a few minor probs with them, mostly, it has to be said, down to a poor choice of delivery couriers.
Play.com: Mostly good but deliveries can be a bit erratic.
Printerland: Crap. Rubbish. Bilge. Balderdash.

I'm sure I've missed a few but there's something to be going on with

 

[Draggy]

Where to buy components?

Ask any individual that and they will give you a reply based on their own experience with a given supplier.

You see, no one supplier is perfect, that's a fact. One bad experience with a company and most people will then boycott that company for life, I know I do. For instance, let's take OCUK, forum member V_R reckons they're the bees knees yet they recently messed up twice with me so I quit using them.

Result? For every one person recommending a supplier another will diss it. Fact.

Plus you have to take into account the suppliers themselves are constantly manipulating websites and opinions to their favour, the link you gave to a 'review site' may itself be just a fabrication and initially I suspected a spam link but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt

I've read bad things about almost every supplier out there even though with some of them I've never personally experienced any problems.

The real test of a supplier's worth is when something fails and how they react to it. For myself, this is where Scan failed miserably, not once, but twice.

I've read Dabs can be bad yet all I've ever received from them is good service, though haven't bought anything from them for about 5 years now.

For me, one supplier stands out like a diamond amidst a cesspool of slurry and that is - Kustom PC's. They regularly win polls for best service and supply a personal service, giving advice and responding to e-mails quickly. Time was they were a bit more expensive than most but lately their prices are on a par with most. Only downside is they are often poorly stocked so you may have to wait a few days for stock to arrive.

You'd do no worse than to read this Forum's own 'Retailers' section to get an idea about some retailers.

Ok, FWIW, my personal views on some suppliers:

E-Buyer: Bought my last build from them and now my regular supplier. Have returned stuff, no probs. At time of writing - faultless
Kustom PC's - The best, bar none.
Aria: Have used them occasionaly, one rma sorted out quickly, no probs.
Scan: Despicable bunch of shylocks, make you pay for postage when returning faulty goods - avoid
Novatech - No personal experience of them but I'd be wary following a forum member's recent experience
Dabs: I've never had a problem, goods sent quickly and well packed but there again I've never had an RMA with them.
OCUK: Were once good but they messed me about once too often and there are a host of horror stories about them on just about any computer forum you care to visit. So I dumped them and no longer use them.
Amazon: on the whole good but standards seem to have dropped lately, I've had a few minor probs with them, mostly, it has to be said, down to a poor choice of delivery couriers.
Play.com: Mostly good but deliveries can be a bit erratic.
Printerland: Crap. Rubbish. Bilge. Balderdash.

I'm sure I've missed a few but there's something to be going on with

Thanks a lot for this awesome list. Kustom PCs looks great, but, as you have mentioned, they don't sell most of the components I need. By the way, has anyone ever used Currys? I've found Sapphire 7850 for £180 on their website, and they also provide a 10% off graphics and sound cards until Wednesday. A pretty good deal, isn't it?

 

[floppybootstomp]

If Currys (or PC World - the same) are offering what you want for a fair price - go for it. The likes of Currys don't usually quibble on returns and if it goes wrong you can go back to the store for an exchange rather than messing about doing an rma via the post.

I bought a card reader from Currys two days ago, ordered it to collect from store online. Whilst there I spotted 4 way USB port in a sale for 3.99 so bought that as well, going to try it with my Rasberry Pi.

 

[Abarbarian]

If Currys (or PC World - the same) are offering what you want for a fair price - go for it. The likes of Currys don't usually quibble on returns and if it goes wrong you can go back to the store for an exchange rather than messing about doing an rma via the post.

I bought a card reader from Currys two days ago, ordered it to collect from store online. Whilst there I spotted 4 way USB port in a sale for 3.99 so bought that as well, going to try it with my Rasberry Pi.

Ebuyer and Aria have both given me good service. Both handled RMA's well.

Flops I hope that was a "powered" hub you got.

I'm using the one below but I always power on the PI first and then power up the hub, Similarly I power down the hub and then the Pi. This is due to a power feedback problem with both the hub and the Pi. See the link fro the Pi forum for more techy info and on the next page (page 8) you will see that the RPF have addressed the issue and are making modifications to newer Pi's.

http://www.dixons.co.uk/gbuk/logik-lp4hub10-4-port-powered-usb-hub-04979038-pdt.html

 

[floppybootstomp]

Damn, completely forgot about the need for the hub to be powered for the Pi, that's 4 quid up the swannee then, unless Currys take it back, it's unopened. Mind you, probably not worth the journey for £4.

So the Pi-Makers have addressed the problem have they? Don't help me none though does it? Looks like I'm stuck with a flawed product. Tbh I've hardly touched the Pi, distinctly unimpressed with it, it's so slow.

And I have another one on the way, eventually, from RS, already paid for. I wonder if my powered hub will work with the new one? If so I'll flog the old one.

Anyhoo, getting off topic here

 

[Draggy]

I have ordered the power supply from Novatech, the DVD drive from CCLONLINE via Ebay (£2 cheaper shipping ), the graphics card from Currys and everything else from Amazon. I'll let you know what their service was like when I get my items.