# Microcenter vs The World



## Ahhzz (Jul 20, 2011)

...or mainly just the 'Egg

So, for those still hopeful on the 'Dozer, I was checking prices around, and Microcenter still has the best price by $20 on the 2500k, and that's after the competition used a coupon . Are Microcenter's prices usually significantly below everyone else? There's one in Atlanta not far from our normal monthly shopping spree, and I could easily arrange a trip there around release of the BD. I'm going to have to replace my power supply to make sure I'm powering my hopeful video card, as well as a new one for the second computer, so I'm looking to squeeze out all the pennies I can.


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## parelem (Jul 20, 2011)

on processors, yes. everything else is about the same or a bit more, and considerably more when you factor in sales tax


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## Arctucas (Jul 20, 2011)

Microcenter sells several CPUs at a loss (in-store only), believing most customers, since they are "already here" will purchase other merchandise.

Even on items where Microcenter is higher, I have had the manager price match with Newegg by simply printing out the Newegg item page and taking it to the store. For example; I got my PSU for $299 when the normal Microcenter price was $379.


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## Ahhzz (Jul 20, 2011)

Oh, I'm definitely one to buy from multiple vendors, esp on computer parts. Wherever I can save the cash, and if I'm already in Atlanta, it's no extra gas to stop there on the way to Suno's


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## streetfighter 2 (Jul 20, 2011)

I've been getting good deals at Microcenter for a long time.  Some of their mobo-cpu combos can't be beat.  Also they give out free USB flash drives all the time!

Most deal hunters agree that it's still better to live near a Fry's than a Microcenter.  Anyone who lives near both is super lucky. 

Also PSUs and graphics cards are usually not good deals at Microcenter.


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## Arctucas (Jul 20, 2011)

streetfighter 2 said:


> <SNIP>
> 
> Also PSUs and graphics cards are usually not good deals at Microcenter.



Find a deal at another large retailer (Newegg, TigerDirect, Fry's, etc.), print it out and take it to the store, get the manager and ask for a price match. It has worked for me.


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## erocker (Jul 20, 2011)

If Microcenter was smart they'd have more retail locations.


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## Hotobu (Jul 20, 2011)

Arctucas said:


> Find a deal at another large retailer (Newegg, TigerDirect, Fry's, etc.), print it out and take it to the store, get the manager and ask for a price match. It has worked for me.









erocker said:


> If Microcenter was smart they'd have more retail locations.



I dunno. Etailers are slowly taking out brick and mortar stores. Borders going out of business isn't the best analog, but I do believe it's a symptom of things to come. By now the vast majority of people who know about system building know how to shop online, and Microcenter struggles to compete. As was mentioned earlier the big killer is tax. Microcenter will have to beat an online price by a difference >= the customer's tax rate... that ain't easy.


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## happita (Jul 20, 2011)

Hotobu said:


> http://trollpics.com/img/face/Cereal/CerealSpitting.png
> As was mentioned earlier the big killer is tax. Microcenter will have to beat an online price by a difference >= the customer's tax rate... that ain't easy.



That's a good point.
Online etailers have been gaining ground in this respect for years because they don't have to pay tax. Unless of course they have a warehouse in the state that it's in where they ship to(I'm looking at you Newegg New Jersey...)


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## Ahhzz (Jul 20, 2011)

I get lucky  I'm almost to the Tennessee border, but still in Georgia, so their Memphis warehouse is ASAP shipping for me, with no tax    But, I'll have to check them when BD hits with my price list, and make sure to take it with me to Microcenter, just in case 

Did just discover a Fry's right down the Road from the Microcenter in Atlanta, so that makes me a shoppin' fool  come BD time, as long as those benchmarks hold up, and the prices hold down


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## freaksavior (Jul 20, 2011)

streetfighter 2 said:


> I've been getting good deals at Microcenter for a long time.  Some of their mobo-cpu combos can't be beat.  Also they give out free USB flash drives all the time!
> 
> Most deal hunters agree that it's still better to live near a Fry's than a Microcenter.  Anyone who lives near both is super lucky.
> 
> Also PSUs and graphics cards are usually not good deals at Microcenter.



You know what's even better than that? Living near both! mwahahah

Mc has good deals on procs, Frys has good deals on hdd's and ram(sometimes),  newegg has everything else it seems.


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## happita (Jul 20, 2011)

Ahhzz said:


> I get lucky  I'm almost to the Tennessee border, but still in Georgia, so their Memphis warehouse is ASAP shipping for me, with no tax    But, I'll have to check them when BD hits with my price list, and make sure to take it with me to Microcenter, just in case



I think that's better anyway. At least you won't have the anticipation of waiting on the shipping for something like BD to get to you


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## suraswami (Jul 20, 2011)

Where I live both MC and Frys are near by, but I like to shop at MC for many reasons,

1.  Processor pricing is always aggressive and they are always cheaper when compared to Frys (unless on sale) and mostly same or cheaper than egg too.  Its available immediately available if I want to finish off a build the same day.
2.  HDD prices are also cheaper than Frys and mostly same or sometimes cheaper than egg.
3.  Laptop and Netbook prices are cheaper than Frys (again unless on sale).
4.  Very good customer service, I know almost all of the staff in the store I shop.
5.  Open box items are really discounted not like Frys, which is only pennies less usually.  Few Open box items are tested before its put back on shelf, so chances of success is more, at Frys its just repacking the same crap over and over again.
6.  Orange tag items usually have 25 to sometimes 50% off.  I have once picked loads of computer parts for even 90% off (special sale occasions where they clear old stuff or excess inventory from the store).

TV and media related, home appliances usually Frys is good, especially their extended warranty, but I prefer Best Buy.

Frys stopped doing their CPU + mobo combos, which was unbeatable, may be its a huge mistake too.


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## Pestilence (Jul 20, 2011)

I prefer Fry's as they have more selection


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## parelem (Jul 20, 2011)

Ahhzz said:


> Did just discover a Fry's right down the Road from the Microcenter in Atlanta, so that makes me a shoppin' fool  come BD time, as long as those benchmarks hold up, and the prices hold down



Fry's recently started promoting that they match any competitor, online or brick and mortar,  price in store, print out all the best deals and stop at microcenter to get yourself a sales ad before you go to Fry's


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## Arctucas (Jul 20, 2011)

Hotobu said:


> http://trollpics.com/img/face/Cereal/CerealSpitting.png



^^^???^^^




Hotobu said:


> I dunno. Etailers are slowly taking out brick and mortar stores. Borders going out of business isn't the best analog, but I do believe it's a symptom of things to come. By now the vast majority of people who know about system building know how to shop online, and Microcenter struggles to compete. As was mentioned earlier the big killer is tax. Microcenter will have to beat an online price by a difference >= the customer's tax rate... that ain't easy.



Some states charge sales tax on on-line orders, or charge (like mine) 'use tax', which makes that a wash. As I see it, the advantage to buying at brick-and-mortar stores is getting your merchandise immediately and, if there is a problem, getting a refund or replacement immediately. 

Personally, I also prefer to keep as much money in my local economy as possible.


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## DanTheMan (Jul 20, 2011)

Here in Houston it's 
(3) Fry's, (1) MicroCenter, and Directron (great for cables, hard drives, and sometimes other small misc stuff)
Can't beat those MicroCenter deals on AMD CPU/Motherboard bundles, and Fry's on their software rebates/discounts
I've had trouble before on Fry's and MC not wanting to price match (yet they claim they will)
Oh well I still love my NewEgg


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## Hotobu (Jul 20, 2011)

It depends on what your priorities are. For me it's price. I don't really care if I have to wait 3-5 days because in a month I wont even remember or care about having my product earlier, but I will know that I spent more money on it. Some people have to have it now, now, now.

Another advantage is transportation. If I want to buy something like a HAF X case and don't have a car ordering online is an advantage too, as the UPS guy does all of the work on transporting the thing. 

Returns for most would be easier at a brick and mortar store, but Staples (a UPS drop point) is far more accessible than Microcenter so returns to Newegg for me are actually easier. They also have prepaid shipping labels so I don't even have to pay.


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## Arctucas (Jul 20, 2011)

Hotobu said:


> It depends on what your priorities are. For me it's price. I don't really care if I have to wait 3-5 days because in a month I wont even remember or care about having my product earlier, but I will know that I spent more money on it. Some people have to have it now, now, now.
> 
> Another advantage is transportation. If I want to buy something like a HAF X case and don't have a car ordering online is an advantage too, as the UPS guy does all of the work on transporting the thing.
> 
> Returns for most would be easier at a brick and mortar store, but Staples (a UPS drop point) is far more accessible than Microcenter so returns to Newegg for me are actually easier. They also have prepaid shipping labels so I don't even have to pay.



Fair enough, although Microcenter will, as I said, often price match.

I have not been a fan of UPS, due to issues I have had with damaged items, but I suppose it depends on your local branch and the individual driver.

Of course, if you have no Microcenter close by, it is all moot anyway.


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## ShogoXT (Jul 20, 2011)

They wouldnt do that for me. Ive tried to work with them before and get them to price match stuff, but they always give me a excuse like "online retailers dont count for price matching". Well whatever then il go buy from them.


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## Arctucas (Jul 20, 2011)

ShogoXT said:


> They wouldnt do that for me. Ive tried to work with them before and get them to price match stuff, but they always give me a excuse like "online retailers dont count for price matching". Well whatever then il go buy from them.



It is up to each store manager, if I recall correctly. 

I guess my store is one of the good ones.


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## Hotobu (Jul 21, 2011)

ShogoXT said:


> They wouldnt do that for me. Ive tried to work with them before and get them to price match stuff, but they always give me a excuse like "online retailers dont count for price matching". Well whatever then il go buy from them.



That's what I've always heard, and having worked in retail that was the rule I had to go by as well. I'd imagine the only reason a store manager would match the price is if a) he knows you as a loyal customer, b) he'll still make a profit on that item regardless of the markdown, c) he'll take a loss on that item, but will still make profit on the sale via other items on the ticket.

As was mentioned aggressive processor pricing is a really good idea because a processor is an item that absolutely has to be accessorized. You absolutely *have* to buy a motherboard, and usually new memory to match the new chipset, and I wont even go into the whole slew of other items that can accompany a processor purchase. Kudos to them for that idea... unfortunately in a few weeks when I get back to the states they're going to have to deal with someone like me. Someone who will travel for 1.5 hours to get there, and walk out with nothing but the processor. I'll give 'em a chance while I'm there, but every single item I've checked is always higher even before tax at Microcenter.


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## DanishDevil (Jul 21, 2011)

I asked the manager of my MicroCenter to price match to Fry's, and the store was closing. I showed her the ad on my phone, and I was going to buy a $500 video card to boot. She was a complete bitch, and told me that I had to have a printed quote, and if I didn't have it then I wasn't getting a discount. I made her look up my account and she saw that I had spent thousands there, and said tough luck. I handed her the CPU and GPU and told her to enjoy losing a customer. I now only go there if I have to, and never expect them to price match anything. Hopefully that manager is gone by now.


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## Hotobu (Jul 21, 2011)

DanishDevil said:


> I asked the manager of my MicroCenter to price match to Fry's, and the store was closing. I showed her the ad on my phone, and I was going to buy a $500 video card to boot. She was a complete bitch, and told me that I had to have a printed quote, and if I didn't have it then I wasn't getting a discount. I made her look up my account and she saw that I had spent thousands there, and said tough luck. I handed her the CPU and GPU and told her to enjoy losing a customer. I now only go there if I have to, and never expect them to price match anything. Hopefully that manager is gone by now.



Well it may be the case that her attitude wasn't what it should have been when handling the situation, but she did properly adhere to the policy. Usually places only match print ads. You also have to consider her position. It'd be really easy for some unscrupulous person who wants to get a deal to make up a fake web page, access it on their phone and look for a price match. In fact I'll give you 10:1 odds that it's been done before. Taking it a step further I wouldn't be surprised if store managers got specific orders not to match stuff on phones for just such a reason.


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## remixedcat (Jul 21, 2011)

mine's about 2-2.5hrs away and it's worth going there. I even went there with cat ears and so did my sister and they all liked it and a couple wanted pics LOL. the manager even liked us LOL. 

PLus we got a good deal on a monitor it was 50 bucks off and we had tons of people help us with it LOL. 

I'd rather go there then mess with shipping. we can spend 40 bucks on gas and get it that same day or spend 75+ and still wait more then 24 hours for newegg at the fastest shipping for a new system.


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## jpierce55 (Jul 21, 2011)

Microcenters sales on processors seem good. The only other things I can justify buying from them is small things like thermal paste or flash drives, where shipping will add to much to the cost.

Superbiz/Ewiz also have good cpu prices.


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