Deals, Discounts, and Best PC Component Buys & Builds

It looks like most of those parts are coming straight from Best Buy. Makes me wonder if they aren't actually pulling the strings behind the scenes. It’s presented as this independent site, but everything seems to lead right back to their doorstep.🤔

It’s not some massive steal or anything—but if anyone is actually looking to pick up an SSD, just a heads-up SSD OCZ ARC 100 240GB...
SSD 250 GB Samsung 850 EVO Basic

You seriously picked that shop? Nobody shops there because their customer service is trash and they make returns a total nightmare.

I haven't heard about many actual product issues—honestly, my biggest gripe is just how pricey the assembly and shipping are compared to other top-tier retailers. From what I can tell, even the shops Downtown have these SSDs listed at basically the same prices. The only real headache is that they constantly list stuff as "in stock" when it isn't—and if you actually try calling them to verify, they might miss three calls in a row, or it takes them three whole days to even bother replying to an email.

You clearly haven't heard... Around here, there have been plenty of complaints about people taking a deposit for a job and then, well, nothing happens. Just vanished. Suddenly there's "problems," and they aren't exactly thrilled when you try to file a complaint or anything like that. It's a mess.

I was thinking about grabbing that ASUS card up there from Micro Center, but I don't know, I'm a little hesitant to just drop the cash online. I much prefer ordering stuff that shows up at my door so I can just hand the delivery guy the money.

With deals that good, I’d personally pull the trigger there. People actually have successful returns and resolutions—just search the forums for experience threads—so they're miles ahead of someone like Best Buy. Plus, you can find similar pricing at other retailers anyway. My advice? Shoot them an email first to confirm they actually have it in stock. You can never trust a website blindly; who knows if they even update their inventory?

Timothy Kim60 said:First, just email them to see if they actually have it in stock. Forget the website—who knows if they even bother updating it?

It’s pretty weird that this model is only showing up at Micro Center. Even on Amazon it says it's out of stock, and they're basically the main importers for ASUS.🤔
I've heard that keeping their inventory updated isn't exactly Micro Center's strong suit.🤷

That’s exactly why I’m telling you to double-check. It’s entirely possible they’re out of stock; in my experience, whenever a killer deal pops up, those items vanish within a day or two at most.

Amazon is just one online retailer, so even if they're sold out, Micro Center might still have some sitting on the shelf in-store. Just because one place is out doesn't mean everyone else is.

crimsonstag84 said:http://www.microcenter.com/xfx-r9-380x-4gb...380x-4df5.aspx

http://www.microcenter.com/xfx-r9-390-8gb-...390p-8df6.aspx 😬

Awesome

I’d strongly suggest staying far away from those websites, please 😁 ...some of us would actually prefer to keep the little bit of money we have left in our wallets 😁

I’ve picked up about four items from Micro Center over the years, and honestly, my experience has been quite positive. On one occasion, I bought a graphics card that arrived DOA, but I sent it back that very same day and had a functional replacement in my hands within two or three days. It was a seamless process. They also had a really great deal on a Samsung

Honestly, you might want to just grab it while it's actually on sale—unless you enjoy watching prices skyrocket again later.
Some people claim you should avoid Micro Center because they supposedly had issues, but I don't know... does anyone actually have a perfect track record? It seems like everyone runs into hiccups eventually—some things go smoothly, some stuff gets stuck, and that's just how it goes—it’s not like there's some magically "perfect" store out there anymore.

They definitely exist. As far as I can tell, you can find them at Uber and Best Buy. :P

I honestly think RS Magazine and Uzishop are total clean slates—nothing but positive experiences from my side, and I’d say Future is part of that reliable circle too. The only real difference is that RS Magazine is by far the veteran of the group.

In my experience, Uber is probably the most reliable shop out there—mostly because the crew there actually hangs out and talks on Reddit, some of them even moderate the boards. They even give a 3% discount to members, which I guess shows they actually care about their reputation and customers; they're super approachable too, always ready with solid advice and recommendations when you need them.
They aren't just an online store anymore, either—they finally opened a physical location in Washington, D.C.

Future is easily the most up-to-date shop around; their site is constantly updated so you actually know what’s in stock, and they are incredibly responsive and helpful.

IBM is where I've bought the most components and handled most of my returns—everything always went smoothly without a bunch of hassle and was resolved quickly. Plus, they reply to emails fast and suggest great alternatives if something is out of stock. Lately, though, I've been hearing that they haven't stayed as professional—there have been complaints about everything from how they handle returns to being pushy or trying to upsell low-quality parts.

The team at the warehouse is fantastic—you can pretty much work things out with them easily and even test stuff before buying. They're really accommodating, though I suppose the only real downside is that their prices are a bit higher compared to the others I mentioned.

I’ve picked up nearly two full builds from IBM over the years and honestly, I haven’t had a single issue—their customer service is top-notch, and they are incredibly quick to get back to you via email. I also grabbed a power supply from their retail store recently, and once again, the staff was just as helpful and friendly...

IBM just isn't playing in the same league as those three companies mentioned above (if we're being brutally honest based on experience). They deal with complaints constantly (check out these recent ones; they supposedly used to be better). That doesn't mean they're untrustworthy—I actually recommend them quite often myself—but if we’re being strictly precise, their service isn't top-tier compared to the best of the best.

Matthew Alvarez said:if something isn't available, they provide high-quality alternative solutions.

I really can't agree with that; in fact, that might be their biggest weakness. At least from my own experience with everything I've ordered, they have NEVER provided the best or most cost-effective alternative when an item is out of stock. It was always something subpar (like a more expensive, inferior DDR3 graphics card) or just whatever they happened to have sitting in the warehouse at the moment. One guy once sent a request to all the relevant shops to build a PC within a specific budget; the guy from Future sent the best proposal, the runner-up was Best Buy, and everyone else (IBM, Centro, etc.) suggested incredibly overpriced and inefficient components.