Insider Secrets for PC Buyers

Shopping

The lowdown on retail and Web shopping: Get the most out of a warranty and know what to do when something goes wrong.

Where to Buy: Retail, Online, or Both?

Retail vs. Online: Retail shopping has its advantages: the comfort of being able to drive the PC back to the store and deal with a human in case of trouble; the chance to touch and feel the machine before buying; and walking out the door with a PC right away. But you won't find rock-bottom prices at retail chains. Computer customization options are also more limited at retail stores.

Best of Both Worlds: If you like the comfort of a physical store but prefer to compare systems on the Internet, a hybrid shopping approach may be perfect for you. This method lets you order a system online and then pick it up at the store (Circuit City offers this option, for example). You avoid shipping costs this way, but you still pay applicable sales tax. Or choose a seller like Best Buy, which lets you purchase the system online and receive it by mail, but return or exchange the PC in the store.

Before You Buy: Read all the fine print on the retailer's site before hybrid-shopping. Store policies vary. At CompUSA.com, you can't return any clearance item to the retail store. Also, you have only 14 days during which to return or exchange; and you can get hit with a 15 percent restocking fee on any opened item, unless it's defective.

Parts Pitfall: Confirming exactly what's inside a PC can be tricky or impossible at a retail store or bargain-basement online store. Always take the list of the PC's specs and carefully research the parts online. Be especially cautious with parts like graphics cards: A midrange card and a bottom-of-the-line version can have very similar names. Check the component maker's Web site to make sure you don't get stuck with a less powerful or older version.

Generic PC: Deals Galore

Think Cheaply, Shop Locally: A local store is the smartest place to buy a white-box computer--a no-name, built-to-order system. Buying a PC from independent retailers also gives you access to store owners, many of whom have earned a reputation for being responsive to users' questions or complaints. Web shops--including some listed through Amazon, EBay, and Yahoo--sell generic PCs, too, but many of them mix new and refurbished items, and use enough bad grammar to make anyone nervous.

Check the Power Supply: Beware of cheap power supplies: A bad power supply can wreak havoc on your PC. Local stores may be more inclined than others to skimp on this component. Get one that generates 350 or 400 watts of power; anything less than that could cause problems. For more on this topic, see Hardware Tips.

Beware of Switcheroos: If you're at all suspicious, ask the store to open the PC and prove it contains the parts you ordered before you take the machine home. A store might try to substitute one brand of hard drive for another.

Choose Name Brands: Brand-name motherboards (like models from Intel, Asus, or Abit) and memory modules (such as ones from Crucial or Kingston) last longer and have fewer problems than their no-name counterparts.