When is a good time to buy (build) a PC?

AirForceElite

Senior member
Nov 8, 2004
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I know the answer to when is probably "when you need one" but I am semi-fine with my current 3 year old single core AMD.
It does it's job which is very basic, and the biggest load this computer ever faces is Photoshop + Firefox + winamp + watching a DVD.

Anyhow, I am looking to build my next computer and would like to know if there is certain season when everything goes cheaper to make space for new technology.

I am trying to save every penny I can after spending a lot on Boxing Day buying 46 inch TV + other stuff.

My computer really needs to be replaced, but I can wait a very long time before prices go down. Even if I will save as little as $100 as opposed to buying right now, I would be happy.

What I had in mind:

-Dual core AMD or Intel
-2GB DDR2 RAM
-250-320GB HDD
-A very cheap video card

 

Blain

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
23,643
3
81
Originally posted by: AirForceElite
I am trying to save every penny I can

My computer really needs to be replaced, but I can wait a very long time before prices go down. Even if I will save as little as $100 as opposed to buying right now, I would be happy.
If you can "wait a very long time" even to "save as little as $100", you should WAIT.

If you or your cash is that tight, you can stand to hold off.
And to answer your question, "No" there really is no written in stone "season" for saving $$ on new parts.
You've just got to constantly keep an eye on new technology and prices and jump when you're confident that you're getting a good bang for the buck.

 

v8envy

Platinum Member
Sep 7, 2002
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I've noticed late winter/early spring (late Jan through March) is an excellent time for good deals on computer components. Late summer and the time between black friday and boxing day are by far the worst. Now is not a good time either -- retailers are banking on people having to spend store credit and gift cards. I expect things will start getting back to normal after Jan 8th.

Most of my 'smoking' computer component deals happened in the spring -- $125 socket 939 HP from CompUsa when just the CPU was $150 at newegg, $249 X1800XT spring of 2006, etc etc.
 

Slugbait

Elite Member
Oct 9, 1999
3,633
3
81
Originally posted by: v8envy
I've noticed late winter/early spring (late Jan through March) is an excellent time for good deals on computer components.

Actually, Fall has historically been the best time. For example, Intel had numerous significant price cuts last Fall, and their roadmap suggested no further price cuts until February (outside of discontinued Pentium D, Xeon and Celeron procs, that is).

Prices for 500GB hard drives came down a LOT last Fall, and then dropped a bit more by the end of November and seems to have stalled. Still, around $150 shipped is very nice.

Normally, the six month leap-frog happens around Fall as well. Unfortunately, last year AMD released woefully inadequate video cards, so nVidia had no reason to drop prices this time.

RAM is an all-year kind of thang...there's a really good deal on quality RAM almost every month (if you don't mind rebates).

LCD monitors are the same: all year. However, many "great deals" are on monitors you wouldn't want to game with. Higher-quality monitors usually drop in price as new models are released.

Cases are a crap-shoot. I thought I lucked into an Armor for cheap last Fall, but since then TT seems to have hefty rebates for the Armor all the time.

Sometimes you'll find a great deal on a quality PSU, but that's more the exception than the norm any time of the year. Crap PSUs are on sale every day (example: how many thousands got an Ultra V-series FAR over the last year...and got one every month?).

Forget about the quality mobos. You might luck into free shipping, or find one $10 less than the next e-commerce site, but getting a great deal on one is few and far between. If a new socket is introduced, the price will lock or actually go up until stock is depleted. Once it's depleted, price goes up a little bit again on eBay.

Sound cards are more difficult to call...Creative owns the lion's share, so you can get a price break sometimes, but the good deal happens once the current generation is discontinued, which doesn't seem to happen at any particular time of year.

DVD drives are rock-bottom...wait to save $5 on one of the better drives? Not worth it.
 

CitizenSnips

Member
Dec 31, 2007
51
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Generally you'll find the better deals towards the end of the year, with stores having all the Thanksgiving/Black Friday/Xmas sales, not to mention by then sometimes hardware released earlier in the year will have had the prices already cut.

If you haven't already, subscribe to Newegg to get their emails, there's subscriber-only codes that get sent out quite often, and it alerts you of items that're going on sale. I bought my RAM in December because the newsletter showed it was on sale from $139.99 down to $99.99, and then the newsletter had a code for $20 off of that, so I got my 4 gigs of it for $80 with free shipping.
 

Old Hippie

Diamond Member
Oct 8, 2005
6,361
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Welp, there ya have it AirForceElite. The only bad time to build is in the Summer! :D

How 'bout this, all your computer parts will be cheaper in the future. We just don't know how long it will be.
 

Jiggz

Diamond Member
Mar 10, 2001
4,329
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The month of November for us over here South of your border. Most especially during Black Fridays!
 

jackschmittusa

Diamond Member
Apr 16, 2003
5,972
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Sales here in the U.S. often hit a high note in Feb-Mar for everything up to and including cars, as everyone vies for a piece of income tax returns. Winter weather is also considered to be a factor that requires incentives to make people go out and buy.