Are you buying hardware months in advance?

[Rhezuss]

Hi, questioning about buying stuff in advance, like memory and motherboard, without installing them right away but in a few months from now.

Do some of you do that and how to you store your hardware without damaging them?

 

[VirtualLarry]

I buy hardware when I see a good deal, and I just store it on a shelf. Half the time it becomes obsolete before I use it (still have a Q6600 NIB), but that's life I guess.

Things like HDs, DVD burners, and RAM, I can always use though.

 

[mfenn]

Hi, questioning about buying stuff in advance, like memory and motherboard, without installing them right away but in a few months from now.

Do some of you do that and how to you store your hardware without damaging them?

Seems silly to me. Except in special cases (HD 58xx comes to mind), you will be able to get a better part for the same price or the same part for cheaper if you just wait. I can see the argument for spare parts, but really, 2 crap mobos probably cost more that 1 decent mobo.

 

[ThorofThunder]

It's usually hard to tell. Search around a bit for whatever specific parts you're interested in and check our their price trends as well as the price trends for their respective companies. You'll get a decent handle on the fluctuations of the market and you'll then know when it's best to bite. It's also worth noting that each component, as well as its supplier, has unique trends.

With regard to experience in purchasing things ahead of time, I snagged a $200 i7 930 at Micro Center a couple weeks ago and I won't be able to use it for another two months; it's definitely a worthy investment.

Also: read through the Hot Deals section daily. There are some really lucrative deals hidden in there.