What components do you all use?

[GCCRepair]

I'm a small home based computer repair business and I am wondering where does everyone buy their parts from? I mainly use Ingram Micro and I also use Ma Labs, D&H, ASI and sometimes NewEgg.

I like to use quality parts in my computer builds but it's just very hard to compete with Dell, HP etc.

What brand parts do you all use to keep prices competitive but using quality parts?


Here is a list of standard build I currently use:

Motherboard: Asus M4A785T-M/CSM

CPU: AMD Athlon II X4 640 3 GHz

Ram: Corsair 4GB 2X2GB DDR3 1333MHZ

Hard Drive: Western Digital 500GB SATA 7200 RPM 32MB

CD Drive: LG Double-layer DVD/RW

Card Reader: Cables Unlimited All in one Card Reader with USB 2.0

Case: Antec New Solution VSK-2000

Power Supply: Corsair CX430 ATX12V

Case Fan: Antec TriCool Case Fan 120MM

Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium - 64-bit

 

[vdub12]

Well first off don't compete with Dell. You will loose every time. What I do is Spec out a reasonable system at a reasonable price. If the customer still would rather have a Dell then I charge them to set it up. In both cases I win. Even better I almost make the same amount of money setting it up as I do building it So in the later case I ab better off because I don't have to have a warranty.

Now to answer your question I would eliminate unnecessary parts. First the card reader is a waste and just make the price higher. Also the Antec is just to expensive. Don't get me wrong I love there cases but I typically stick with I have been using Apex cases for close to 15 years. They are cheap and I consider them good quality. I have built thousands of systems out of them and had very few problems. Also they come with power supplies that would be sufficient for those system specs. I personalty still use DDR2 in my systems because DDR3 is still to expensive. Definitely stick with a good brand though like Corsair or Kingston. ASUS boards are great I can't remember the last one I had that failed. I have an A7V8X-Deluxe in my living room in my MCE that I built years ago and its running great even with popped caps. Finally I would stay away from LG drives like the plague. I would use LITE-ON. There about the same price and great drives.

Hope that helps.

 

[vdub12]

I just updates my systems.

Here is an example of one thats close to your specs.

http://www.cybercpu.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2384&PN=1&ads=high%20tech%20jobs

This is about $30 less then the quad core Insperon 580. The only difference is the Dell has a 1tb hard drive and 6Gb of ram. In all reality 4Gb would run just as well and a 500Gb drive is fine for most customers. If I matched the spec's to Dell this system would just be slightly higher. In that case I could market the fact that i set the system up for the customer and transfer there data.

 

[vdub12]

Here yeah go.

This system is almost exactly like the Insperon 580.

http://www.cybercpu.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2385&PN=1&ads=high%20tech%20jobs

Its about $30 more but like I said that includes data transfer and setup.

 

[numnutz]

I use D&H pretty much exclusively, you can find better prices else where but there customer service / return policy and shipping is excellent. anything I order by 3pm I get the next day ground shipping 95% of the time.

I agree with most of what vdub12 said, I use Asus boards most of the time and Corsair or Kingston memory I do use Antec cases though, I think there quality is very good but have had issues with a few of there 3 year warranty ps. Also I either use Asus or LG drives. I have had issues with a few Lite-On drives

 

[pceinc]

I learned early on (15 years ago) that it was not worth the hassle to build cheap systems just to make a sale because it would come back to bite you in warranty repair and bad reputation. With that said, I have used the same brand components almost exclusively for about 10 years and some since I started. I may have substituted some brands in one off builds due to shortages but it hasn't happened often.

Intel Motherboards which means I only use Intel Processors. Never sold AMD.
Western Digital Hard Drives
Kingston, Crucial, or Wintec Memory
LG Optical Drives (they have the smoothest tray in the business and are quality)
In-Win Chassis
ATI video cards by ATI or Asus

That pretty much covers it.

 

[vdub12]

I learned early on (15 years ago) that it was not worth the hassle to build cheap systems just to make a sale because it would come back to bite you in warranty repair and bad reputation. With that said, I have used the same brand components almost exclusively for about 10 years and some since I started. I may have substituted some brands in one off builds due to shortages but it hasn't happened often.

Intel Motherboards which means I only use Intel Processors. Never sold AMD.
Western Digital Hard Drives
Kingston, Crucial, or Wintec Memory
LG Optical Drives (they have the smoothest tray in the business and are quality)
In-Win Chassis
ATI video cards by ATI or Asus

That pretty much covers it.

Personally I have been using AMD processors for years. I have yet to see a difference in quality. Intel on the other hand. Not sure if this is still true but FIC use to make there motherboards. Intel subs out there mobo manufacturing to the lowest bidder. I would never use an Intel board unless I had no other choice. One example is an Atom based system i sell uses an Intel board but thats because the CPU is part of the board. I have in the past had countless problems with Intel motherboards. There processors are fine, just priced to high in my opinion, but as long as there on an ASUS board I would say there fine. Bang for the buck will always be in AMD processors. Yes Intel processors are faster but a Ferrari is faster than a Porsche and we still respect Porsche, and there cheaper. The performance difference between Intel and AMD is a mute point when your talking about consumer systems. Fast is fast and a few points faster does not account for double the sticker price.

 

[pceinc]

Personally I have been using AMD processors for years. I have yet to see a difference in quality. Intel on the other hand. Not sure if this is still true but FIC use to make there motherboards. Intel subs out there mobo manufacturing to the lowest bidder. I would never use an Intel board unless I had no other choice. One example is an Atom based system i sell uses an Intel board but thats because the CPU is part of the board. I have in the past had countless problems with Intel motherboards. There processors are fine, just priced to high in my opinion, but as long as there on an ASUS board I would say there fine. Bang for the buck will always be in AMD processors. Yes Intel processors are faster but a Ferrari is faster than a Porsche and we still respect Porsche, and there cheaper. The performance difference between Intel and AMD is a mute point when your talking about consumer systems. Fast is fast and a few points faster does not account for double the sticker price.

Intel boards have been nothing but stable and reliable. If you're an Intel product dealer and purchase at least $5k per year from an authorized disti you get advanced replacement on RMA's. If I have a board failure I can call dedicated tech support for dealers which means no hold time, and request an RMA without jumping through hoops for the tech support rep before they will issue an RMA. I can also request an RMA online. The RMA has free overnight shipping both ways. What other manufacturer offers that? It could be argued that all manufacturers go for the lowest bidder on motherboard manufacturing. Foxconn is a major vendor for motherboard manufacturing and manufactures for Intel. I will say this, Intel boards can be picking about memory and that may account for most issues people have.

 

[1aComputerServices]

Intel boards have been nothing but stable and reliable. If you're an Intel product dealer and purchase at least $5k per year from an authorized disti you get advanced replacement on RMA's. If I have a board failure I can call dedicated tech support for dealers which means no hold time, and request an RMA without jumping through hoops for the tech support rep before they will issue an RMA. I can also request an RMA online. The RMA has free overnight shipping both ways. What other manufacturer offers that? It could be argued that all manufacturers go for the lowest bidder on motherboard manufacturing. Foxconn is a major vendor for motherboard manufacturing and manufactures for Intel. I will say this, Intel boards can be picking about memory and that may account for most issues people have.

I agree. I prefer to use them unless building a gaming or performance system and then I usually use Asus.

 

[vdub12]

Intel boards have been nothing but stable and reliable. If you're an Intel product dealer and purchase at least $5k per year from an authorized disti you get advanced replacement on RMA's. If I have a board failure I can call dedicated tech support for dealers which means no hold time, and request an RMA without jumping through hoops for the tech support rep before they will issue an RMA. I can also request an RMA online. The RMA has free overnight shipping both ways. What other manufacturer offers that? It could be argued that all manufacturers go for the lowest bidder on motherboard manufacturing. Foxconn is a major vendor for motherboard manufacturing and manufactures for Intel. I will say this, Intel boards can be picking about memory and that may account for most issues people have.

All I know is for the last 10 years I have been using ASUS and I can't honestly remember the last time I have seen one dead. Intel on the other hand I have changed a number of dead boards. Specifically I can remember a bunch of D875PBZ boards dieing. I think that was one of the boards made by FIC.