Where do you buy your hardware?

[mtosev]

Almost exclusively online. I mostly buy from computeruniverse.net and Amazon.de

 

[RUSerious]

Probably 3:1 online. I'd shop in store more often, but Microcenter is about a 2&1/2 hour round trip for me. Makes returns annoying.

 

[lilhasselhoffer]

Actually, the Georgia store is on the north side of Atlanta, which isn't too bad. It takes 4 hours to get there and 3 hours to cross Atlanta from there, in non rush hour traffic.

I'm screwing up my directions. It seems to almost be an equilateral triangle then. I have family in Knoxville, so the 6 hours is probably being distorted by recollections with holiday traffic. 4 hours from CLT to ATL, ATL to Knoxville, and Knoxville to CLT. That is assuming 40 is back up and open after the area was obliterated in the storm this year.

I know that was a tangent, but I think it's a rather important thing to note. Sometimes even large cities don't have a technology brick-and-mortar store in them. You then get madhouses like Atlanta that have two Microcenters, used to have Fry's, and because how much public transportation sucks the gridlock to cross one city can literally mean adding hours onto a trip. It's kind of why online shopping is as good as it is...though it is still completely awesome to have access to a store that smells of ozone, plastic, flash dried paint, and magic smoke being released by accident.


Maybe I should seek help. I sound like I mainline powderized computer chips as an experience of choice.

 

[RaceT3ch]

75% of my stuff is used.
How do you think I got that quote?
I got a Viper Ultimate (50, but discontinued)
XG2431 (200, was 350 new)
5700 XT (320, during the mining crisis so it was a good price)
and the 5600 for 200 (probably wasn't a good buy, but this was when zen 3 peaked.)
All off Facebook Marketplace.
(Not to mention I bought my phone off there too, going used can get you a lot more value these days if you're patient enough)
And not once have I had an issue, for those wondering if its less reliable, just check the product in person and if possible test it.

 

[Athlonite]

I'd buy local if the electronics store were any good here but they're not they're overpriced and crappy stock never anything there when you need it always want to order it in for you so I may aswell just buy online from a nz wide retail/online store PBTech

 

[1d10t]

Online only, my local e-commerce always give hefty discount to all items includes used / second hand items

 

[b1k3rdude]

Depends on the item, here in the UK there are hardly any brick and morter stores where you can check stuff out. So for the most part your stuck buying stuff online, hence why we have robust distance selling regulations.

 

[64K]

Amazon for a long time now. Before that from Newegg.

 

[kondamin]

Online, having a 2 week no questions asked return law is just to good not to make use off.
its killing retail though, only significant computer hardware mortar and brick store left in Belgium is alternate a German chain.
20 years ago every town had a little computer store or 2 all gone.

 

[lexluthermiester]

We're wondering, whether you're buying most hardware online, or prefer to go to retail stores to check out the merchandise first.

There are a few options that seem to be missing. Many of us have a split of buying sources. For example, I do both pretty much evenly down the middle. I'm far from alone. So If I may suggest a change of option to add the following so more people can accurately include themselves:
1. Online
2. In Retail Store
3. Check out in retail, then buy online
4. Both online & retail equally
5. Mostly online but also some retail
6. Mostly retail but also some online

The absence of additional options is why I didn't vote. None of those three options are representative of my buying habits.

Microcenter is nice but bear in mind they don't have that many stores. I could drive from Budapest to anywhere in Hungary in less time than it takes for me to get to my "local" Microcenter.

Bestbuy?

 

[MCJAxolotl7]

Have MicroCenter 15mins away, try to buy what I can there, if they don't have something (which is quite unlikely) I get it from newegg/amazon.

 

[Capitan Harlock]

Online only unless i get the chance to find something in some Used Store.

Between Aliexpress , Amazon but depends and Ebay.

Recently got very cheap in one of those Store a Nintendo Wii and softmodded it

 

[Rabit]

Online read as Ebay and similar sites in used category I usually aim to get hardware below 50% current retail price, or if older bellow 40% to retail price of comparable performance new hardware.
I also hunt for broken hardware I personally bought 2 dozen of AM4 era CPU with bend pins and fixed them to get nice profit. 2 broken AM4 boards also fixed it and 2 AM5 one need only fresh bios other bending back pins in socket.

 

[Chrispy_]

Online, there are almost no physical hardware stores in my country, and all of them target a very specific segment of laymen who have no technical understanding of things, in other words, they sell old tech at extremely high prices.

That has become true for the UK too, almost.

You can still go into a physical stores (John Lewis, Currys) and buy a prebuilt PC or laptop but Currys in particular will pressure people hard with upsell for junk services they don't need. Those add-ons are close to worthless since the retailer is legally obliged to do 95% of what the upsell offers as part of consumer rights and UK sales laws. They're preying on people's ignorance and I know from someone who used to work for Currys that the upsell is commissioned HARD. If there was ever a reason to avoid going to a store in person, it's pushy sales people who have an agenda that works against your own interests.

Argos is at least an option where you can buy a laptop as a sealed box, but you're not going to see it on display, you just pay for it blindly and you get your sealed laptop box from a counter once someone has dragged it out of the warehouse behind the counter. I've done that if they're cheaper than online for something, but it's rare - and I have to make the effort to drag myself to one of their stores or back, and I value my free time at double my effective hourly rate at work, so it needs to be a sizeable discount to beat "next day free delivery".

Online and used.
I only get something from the store if I need it immediately like an ssd or sd card, wifi stick, stuff like that.

Commonly-needed essentials exactly like you've just described are being covered by Amazon same-day in most UK cities now. Unless minutes matter, I do that because the brick-and-mortar stores will offer those things at a ridiculous markup. MicroSD cards and cables are often 2-3x the price of online retailers. HDMI cables and USB cables are the worst offenders at probably 5-10x markup. You've clearly made the trek to their actual physical store because you're desperate and they know it.

 

[chrcoluk]

Here retail options are very limited, the best we had was pcworld, which I suppose was our version of micro centre, now its online dominated.

 

[Wasteland]

I voted retail (brick & mortar), but of course that isn't 100% true. For major upgrades, I try to buy at Microcenter, which is about an hour away. I do this even on the rare occasion that Microcenter costs more, because I think brick and mortar stores are worth supporting, in this era of retail-mega-consolidation. The ability to talk to someone at the store, even if you inevitably know more than they do, is highly underrated. Microcenter is basically the last holdout in the United States.

Anything small I buy at Amazon or Newegg. And of course certain items (e.g. HBAs) can only be sourced on Ebay.

This is a good topic.

Currys in particular will pressure people hard with upsell for junk services they don't need. Those add-ons are close to worthless since the retailer is legally obliged to do 95% of what the upsell offers as part of consumer rights and UK sales laws. They're preying on people's ignorance and I know from someone who used to work for Currys that the upsell is commissioned HARD. If there was ever a reason to avoid going to a store in person, it's pushy sales people who have an agenda that works against your own interests.

Sounds just like Best Buy.

 

[LurkyLurker]

I look online, then get a price-match/price beat from a local retailer when possible.

 

[tommo1982]

Saying simply online is not very informative. There aren't many PC hardware shops left with good selection. I buy parts online, but one seller has local stores and the other is similar to US Amazon.
I also work at retail and the last thing I want is to visit shops full of people.

 

[Andyr]

Mostly online.

There is only one bricks & mortar store in driving distance (CCL) - other than Currys / PCWorld.

Amazon.co.uk is a mainstay of mine.
Others I use are Scan, NeoComputers, NovaTech, Currys, CCL, OverclockersUK, eBuyer.
Quite happy checking out 2nd hand from eBay.

I have been to MicroCenter in Philadelphia when visiting my son.

There's very few decent bricks and mortar options in the UK these days, unless you live near CCL or OCUK. Even Tottenham Court Road is pretty pathetic - no choice and sky high prices.

 

[unwind-protect]

I would like to buy at Microcenter and have one 30 minutes from me.

But they are always too full with cashier lines I won't take.

 

[lexluthermiester]

But they are always too full with cashier lines I won't take.

Waiting in line for 15 to 20 minutes VS waiting 4 or 5 days for shipping... I'll take the line thank you very much! I live 8 blocks from my local BestBuy and 10 blocks from my PC shop. So I'm a bit spoiled...

 

[rethcirE]

Because there is a MicroCenter within an hour of me I usually end up there. Occasionally there are better deals online. When building a PC it was actually cheaper and faster to get it through MicroCenter for the build I wanted.

 

[starfals]

Local stores. I have never bought anything hardware related online. Mostly food. I do check online for prices and then I go to pick em up in the store. So, 100% not using the net to do shopping, and 100% using my legs. Go go pre internet timez. Fun fact, most people here do that too, must be a country thing. I know in other countries, they die if you take away their credit cards. Here its all about cash baby!

 

[lexluthermiester]

Local stores. I have never bought anything hardware related online. Mostly food. I do check online for prices and then I go to pick em up in the store. So, 100% not using the net to do shopping, and 100% using my legs. Go go pre internet timez. Fun fact, most people here do that too, must be a country thing. I know in other countries, they die if you take away their credit cards. Here its all about cash baby!

I wish the US was still like that!!

 

[bitsandboots]

The poll being either-or is weird. I just buy where the deal is best.
But I start with physical stores for HID because the ergonomics, sound, and visuals are difficult to evaluate virtually.
Also, ebay has been quite nice for enterprise equipment because buying new is often either too expensive or too painful "contact a salesperson for price" yeah no thanks

I wish the US was still like that!!

It is in the vicinity of microcenter.
But the US has a lot of places in the middle of nowhere.
Still count your blessings that amazon delivers to such places because other countries may have neither good stores nor good websites!