Buying a PC can be
a complicated and expensive process, if you do it wrong. Follow our tips to make sure you do it right!
When you’ve been buying systems as long as
we have, you pick up a few tips on the way. You can’t put a price on the value
of experience, so to try to save you some money, we’ve distilled the lessons
learned into 11 easy to remember tips. After all, buying a system isn’t just
about finding the lowest prices - it’s also about spending your money in the
smartest way possible. Follow our advice and hopefully you’ll be able to do
both.
1. Check the Clearance or Outlet Sections for Bargains
Most websites have a perpetual discount
section they use to get rid of stock that can’t be sold as new. Don’t worry,
these products aren’t second hard; normally, these listings are a combination
of end-of-line models, ex-display goods that have been run in a limited manner,
and products that were returned but aren’t faulty. Normally, you’ll find these
items listed as ‘clearance’ or ‘outlet’ items as a reduced cost.
Check
the Clearance or Outlet Sections for Bargains
It’s a bit of a gamble as to what’s
available, but there’s every chance that if you’re building a system, you’ll
find something you need, whether it’s a monitor or mouse. One thing to bear in
mind is that these products will be available in very limited quantities only.
If you see something you want, don’t expect it to be there in a few days’ time
- treat it as a now or never purchase!
This doesn’t just apply to component
retailers either. System retailers like Dell often have their own outlet
website (for example, www.dell.co.uk/outlet),
where you can buy returned, refurbished and end-of-line systems at a discount.
You still get a warranty as normal, and the same support and delivery as when
you buy a full Dell system; the only real difference is that the price is
slightly lower.
You need not be too worried about the
quality of clearance and outlet items. Indeed, if anything, because they’ve
been thoroughly tested prior to listing, they’re actually less likely to fail
than any random component you buy!
2. Use Price Comparison Sites to Find the Cheapest Vendor
Price comparison websites may often seem
better at getting retailers traffic than getting consumers good deals, but that
doesn’t mean the latter can’t happen. The price of computer components can
fluctuate wildly because of the instability of wholesale costs and the fierce
competition between retailers, and that means a metasearch is your best bet at
finding the cheapest place online.
Use
Price Comparison Sites to Find the Cheapest Vendor
Performing price comparison on computer
products is sometimes tricky. If a price looks too good to be true, it’s
probably because some error has been made. Perhaps a 1GB graphics card model
has been matched with its 2GB line-mates, or some retailer has listed their
prices without VAT. If you look around, though, you should be able to find who’
s selling the product you want at the cheapest price.
In particular, Google Product Search
(www.google.com/prdhp) offers a no-frills service that should let you speedily
identify who has the cheapest price for any given component (both with and
without postage). It’s not perfect, but it’s quick to use and easy to read, and
that makes it a valuable tool for any system builder looking to save a few
quid. You may not save any more than that, but if you’re putting together a
whole system it’ll soon stack up!
3. Scour eBay For the Product You Want
It might seem desperate, but if you’re
looking for something that no retailer has in stock, there’s a very good chance
you’ll find it on eBay. We don’t mean to suggest that you buy second-hand
products (although you could), but rather that you use the site as a way to get
access to the one-off, boxed, as-new items that have been found at the back of
cupboards or given as gifts and are slowly making their way, unused and
unopened, onto the secondary market.
Scour
eBay For the Product You Want
As with anything, getting a bargain on eBay
is a distinct possibility, but you can easily end up paying over the odds if
you let yourself get sucked into a bidding war. The best way to find bargains
is persistence. Use alerts and custom searches to make sure you’re watching
every product listing for the piece you want. Check misspellings and alternate
listings in the hope that you can find an advert others have missed. You might
even be able to import one from abroad using the worldwide search.
The key thing to remember is that eBay is
more or less like any other shop. Assuming you pay through legitimate channels
and conduct all communication through the internal email system, you’ll have
all the protection you need if a product is faulty or missing. However, do
remember to check the seller’s feedback before you bid, just in case…
4. Use Release Schedules to Inform Your Buying Habits
When you’ve made the decision to buy a
piece of hardware, it’s tempting to simply throw your money down and stake out
your place by the letterbox. But wait. Ask yourself: how likely is it that the
successor to this piece of hardware will be out soon? And if it’s due, can you
hold out for a few more weeks with what you’ve got?
Computing is an industry with iterative
design practices that can make a piece of hardware seem practically obsolete
within months of you buying it. Rather than cursing the natural depreciation of
your hardware purchases, why not use it to your advantage?
Look at it this way: if the new version of
the hardware you want is about to hit the market, holding out for only a little
while could mean the price on the version you actually want will drop sharply.
Retailers want to get rid of their old stock to make way for the new model, and
as it gets closer to shelves they’ll practically shower you with discounts. If
not, you might just be able to negotiate one.
The risks here are that the product you’re
trying to get a discount on sells out and isn’t refreshed, or the new model
gets pushed back, leaving you waiting even longer, but it’s worth keeping in
mind. If a new graphics card is due in the autumn and you’re putting your
system together in October, can it really hurt to wait a few weeks in the hope
of a discount?
