Caught between a rock and a hard place...

Craig B

As a few of you know I have posted a thread on a 900 PC build. Turns out, I'm not allowed buy from abroad.
I have to buy from an Irish store so I get piece of mind. I have gotten two quotes and I know there not the best value.
I will post the quotes, 1 from Max Burns and 1 from a guy called leinster PC.

I am posting this thread to ask for help sorta. Can anyone recommend somewhere to buy somewhere else so that I can get piece of mind nearby the Dublin/Kildare area.
I cannot buy second hand and I need at least 1 year warranty. If someone here would buy all the parts and build one for me I would probably buy it with the permission but you would have to offer warranty :L

Thanks.

Quote 1 (Max Burns)
Windows 7 Trial (I have a copy at home)
i5 3570k
ASRock Z77 Pro 3
ASUS Radeon HD 7850 DirectCU II
Seagate 1TB Barracuda Green
G.Skill 8GB (2x4GB) Dual Channel Kit Ripjaws Red
Sony dvd-rw
Zalman Z9 Black Midi Tower Case (ATX/M-ATX)
Antec 520W ATX 12v v2.3 Power Supply

Total: 940


Quote 2 leinster PC
Intel Core i5-3570K Box, LGA1155
DVD/RW
Samsung SSD 830 64GB SATA 6GB's
Antec High Current Gamer HCG-520
Seagate Barracuda 7200 2000GB, SATA 6Gb/s
Sharkoon T9 Value Red Edition
Crucial 8GB 1600MHz
ASRock Fatal1ty Z77 Performance
2GB MSI R7850 Power Edition 2GD5/OC
Arctic Cooling Freezer i30 CPU Cooler
Tp-Link 150Mbps
Also it has
Windows 7 Ultimate 64Bit with the latest Microsoft updates and hardware drivers installed
Keyboard & Mouse
Bitdefender 2011 Pro Antivirus
And 1 programme and 1 game of my choice.

I'm a bit wary of leinster PC as I wonder how does he get all that software.
Like, that amount of software has to cost loads.

Anyways, total: 1360!! (Overbudget much?) but I'll have to fork it together, maybe borrow a few quid of someone.

Eboggles

Is dabs ok? You'd get a better build from there.

Craig B

No I cant buy online, only in store.

Tea_Bag

I can guarantee you'll get better piece of mind with the Germans.

and how is leinster PC still going? wasn't he reported for giving out cracked windows and Photoshop etc? what happens if you need to format the drive in 6 months time?

for the lols, ask him if you get a licence with that windows, and if you can play the game online.

deceit

How come your not allowed buy online or abroad?
for piece of mind I would trust any of the bigger online retailers over any shop thats in ireland at the moment?

Craig B

ok, will do
I was wary of that, I will ask him when I feel bothered. Also what I mean by piece of mind is that I can walk in to a shop, leave it there under warranty and pick it up a few days later.

Craig B

I'm not allowed buy abroad cause my dad doesnt like the idea of spending hundreds of euro online and if something goes wrong having to ship it to germany

Eboggles

Komplett?

Craig B

The only loophole I can think of is if one of you guys built one for me but I would have to talk to my dad first.

Craig B

Ill try but do they assemble it?

Eboggles

Nope, but I'm positive someone would like to chip in to build it. What's your budget and do you need peripherals?

Craig B

Budget would be up to 1000 with keyboard and mouse.
No monitor needed.

Craig B

I'll put one together now

Eboggles

Craig B wrote: »

I'll put one together now

So will I

Craig B

Eboggles wrote: »

So will I

you win, nearly all my components are OOS

devnull

You really need to buy online if you can. Generally most of the decent parts are impossible to get in retail stores, and even if they are possible, which is doubtful, they are very over-priced to say the least.

I built a machine from a mix of online retailers nearly five years ago now, and I figured I saved at least 200-250 euro by doing it that way and got exactly what I want and the parts I wanted from the brands I wanted. The result has been what I must say is my proudest build.

I've had this machine now for almost 5 years and it's still going strong, not a single hardware failure, two blue screens in five years, both of which were caused by Windows Update continually updating a driver to the incorrect one, and performance that has not deteriorated at all.

I really should build something new in the next year or two, but then again this machine is quite nice apart from the graphics card still to this day, but I'm short of cash so it'll have to wait.

Tea_Bag

what about komplett.ie?

your dad will think he's buying in bricks if you pick it up from the pickup point in Blanchards town. actually, in a way it is a bricks and mortar.

Craig B

Tea_Bag wrote: »

what about komplett.ie?

your dad will think he's buying in bricks if you pick it up from the pickup point in Blanchards town. actually, in a way it is a bricks and mortar.

What?

Eboggles

Hard to keep under budget, as the cheaper items were OOS, so you'll have to make do with a 7870

Item|Price
Intel Core i3 2120 3.3GHz 3MB S1155|€119.95
ASRock Z77 Pro4 - Socket 1155 - ATX|€121.95
Corsair XMS3 - 8 GB - 1333MHz -PC3-10600|€54.95
MSI Radeon R7870 Twin Frozr 2GD5/OC - 2GB - PCI-E|€349.00
A-Data HM-650 - 650 Watt - ATX|€79.99
Power Adapter from Schuko to UK adapter|€0.00
Seagate 500GB SATA-600 7200rpm 16MB|€79.95
Thermaltake Commander MS-I - Mid tower - no PSU|€52.95
Logitech G400 Gaming Mouse - Optical|€39.95
Razer Arctosa -Gaming Keyboard -Wired|€54.95
Shipping|FREE
Total|€953.64

There's no disc drive in there, and I didn't know if you needed Windows.

Craig B

Eboggles wrote: »

Hard to keep under budget, as the cheaper items were OOS, so you'll have to make do with a 7870

Item|Price
Intel Core i3 2120 3.3GHz 3MB S1155|€119.95
ASRock Z77 Pro4 - Socket 1155 - ATX|€121.95
Corsair XMS3 - 8 GB - 1333MHz -PC3-10600|€54.95
MSI Radeon R7870 Twin Frozr 2GD5/OC - 2GB - PCI-E|€349.00
A-Data HM-650 - 650 Watt - ATX|€79.99
Power Adapter from Schuko to UK adapter|€0.00
Seagate 500GB SATA-600 7200rpm 16MB|€79.95
Thermaltake Commander MS-I - Mid tower - no PSU|€52.95
Logitech G400 Gaming Mouse - Optical|€39.95
Razer Arctosa -Gaming Keyboard -Wired|€54.95
Shipping|FREE
Total|€953.64

There's no disc drive in there, and I didn't know if you needed Windows.

i3 :O will that not be a bottleneck? Also I will cut back on the keyboard, a basic one will do me.

Eboggles

Nope, it's a crazy processor for the price. Have a look at some reviews.

Craig B

Eboggles wrote: »

Nope, it's a crazy processor for the price. Have a look at some reviews.

Ok, will do. I'll get that, save a bit and sell it on for like 80 when I get a 3570k.

Eboggles

That's the idea .

Craig B

Eboggles wrote: »

That's the idea .

Or I can get the 3570k now and it will only be 1050, probably cheaper that way...
And I can probably say its for business and get a VAT back..........

Eboggles

Yeah, if you can stretch for it I can't see why not, maybe go for an i5 2500k instead? Arguably the same, and overclocks better than the 3570k, not to mention it's cheaper.

Craig B

Eboggles wrote: »

Yeah, if you can stretch for it I can't see why not, maybe go for an i5 2500k instead? Arguably the same, and overclocks better than the 3570k, not to mention it's cheaper.

Well I read the 3570k is better in performance from 2500k, like a 4.0 ghz 3570k was about a 4.3 ghz 2500k.

Eboggles

Craig B wrote: »

Well I read the 3570k is better in performance from 2500k, like a 4.0 ghz 3570k was about a 4.3 ghz 2500k.

But it's easier to get a 2500k to 4.3ghz than a 3570k to 4.0ghz, as the temperatures are lower on the 2500k. That said, those clocks are fairly low, but if you try a 2500k at 4.6-4.7 ghz, and do likewise with the 3570k, you'll see how hot IB is.

They're both great chips though.

Craig B

Eboggles wrote: »

But it's easier to get a 2500k to 4.3ghz than a 3570k to 4.0ghz, as the temperatures are lower on the 2500k. That said, those clocks are fairly low, but if you try a 2500k at 4.6-4.7 ghz, and do likewise with the 3570k, you'll see how hot IB is.

They're both great chips though.

I think I'll get a 3570k and then save up for a H100

FlyingIrishMan

I've seen some of that Leinster PC guy's stuff on Adverts.
It is rediculous how much he overcharges, over 400euro more than it would cost to buy it off the likes of HWVS.
Plus the fact that he is telling people he is giving away thousands worth of software for free which is no way legal.

Craig B

I have finally made a crack I'm aloud get a gaming laptop So how are these two 1 2 personally I'm going for 1, but what do you guys think.

Eboggles

Gaming laptop? Bit of an oxymoron if you ask me.

If I were you (I'm not though, so don't take this too seriously) I'd get down on my knees and beg your dad to change his mind over the desktop, It'd really be worth your while .