Need New Desktop

[craigt3365]

I am headed back to the US for a few weeks and desperately need a new PC. I only have a 5 year old laptop now, and I am getting worried about it. So, need a new PC!

I have done some pricing here in Thailand, and seems they are more expensive than what I can get back in the US. Plus, I have heard over here you sometimes get a lot of Thai related stuff on the computer. Back in the US, I can get a nice PC from a place like Frys, and it comes with a "real" version of Windows. I doubt I would get that over here?

What about the power supply? Would that need to be changed? I am assuming it would have to be, but not 100% sure.

I appreciate your comments!

Craig

P.S. I will just put it in my carryon suitcase. A bit heavy, but at least I know it will travel safely...

[nullx8]

i'm not get it ... in the US is cheaper not worries and warranty ... so whee is the point of buy here and carry over ?

about the legal/license things .... if you buy in the US in a small store a custom PC ... sure it comes without OS .. as the dealer not in the M$ Partnerprogramm and due this not be able to purchase OEM Licenses.

same here in Thailand.

if you buy the PC here in a big store .. they have always OEM Option .. and if the OS is clearly written on the label its legally included.

this is also exactly what makes the PC's more expensive then ... because a OEM license for Windows 7 goes for 100Bucks+

so this will be added to the price. (just to make sure you not comparing apples with bananas)

i recoment you buy a OEM PC anyway (brand name),

the times where custom PC's are "better and Cheaper" are really over .. (except you are a gamer or in need of a render farm or custom server)

i recoment Hitachi Barebone Chassis ... no problems, small and stable. and they come really cheap from japan over here to thailand.

[Bub]

I bought a computer at Pantip Plaza for a friend several years ago. You're right. They had no qualms about putting a fake copy of Windows XP on it. No documentaion whatsoever.

Also, there are far more choices back in the US, and there are frequent sales as well. I personally think there is great benefit in having a USA warranty, written in plain English.

Electricity is not an issue. Every electrical device I have ever taken to Thailand works fine at any voltage. In fact, what you don't want to do is use an adapter. Many travel guides are very specific on that point. The built-in circuits are better capable of handling various voltages than are the $5 adapters that arer possibly erratic. Those are apparently just for certain types of electric razors.

Having said all of that, if you live in Thailand, I would think that the value of a local warranty all by itself would outweigh my other arguments.

Good luck!

[DragonQuest]

Your warranty will be void when you leave the country, just buy it here like I did. There are some pretty good shops in panthip 4th floor with warranty also.

[proximity]

All my computers are running real versions of Windows. Almost any shop will sell and install it for you if you ask them. They assume like 99.9% of their customers you are too cheap to pay for it.

Some cheaper computer power supplies these days don't have the option to switch between 110v and 220v. Last time in the USA I saw some computers being installed that had stickers on the power supply "110 volt only". So don't take some posters word that everything he plugs in works. If you do buy in the USA make sure that you can use 220v, and use the proper grounded power cord (assuming you have ground) when you get here.

Edited April 24, 2010 by proximity

[toptuan]

Having said all of that, if you live in Thailand, I would think that the value of a local warranty all by itself would outweigh my other arguments.

Agreed. I bought a "Focus" LCD projector in the USA with an "international warranty." When the power supply went haywire less than a year into it's use here in Thailand, I had to ship it to BKK, wait for 2 months for them to get the parts from Singapore, and then had to pay $350 USD for customs charges (for the new part), and $180 USD Thai labor to install it. A total rip-off and non-performance of an "international" warranty. What a joke.

[jfchandler]

I certainly agree, all the brand name computer components and systems I've seen here tend to be more expensive...presumably because of import duties and such....

But I also agree, especially for a new system, having a manufacturer's warranty you can count on is meaningful and important consideration in a purchase.

Certainly for many or most of the major laptop makers, they have local service centers here in BKK, like Toshiba, Fujitsu, etc.... The question is...can anyone answer it.... will those places honor a warranty on a new product from their company purchased in the U.S.???

If I had a laptop brand in mind, I'd certainly probably go to check with their service center here and pose that question.... And I'd want to know the answer before making a purchase.... That would be for a name brand...

For desktops, however, particularly non leading brand types, I might think differently, considering that a) almost everything in desktops nowadays is generic components, and labor for computer service here in Thailand is pretty cheap. So if you have a desktop and a part goes bad, you can pretty much figure to go to any shop you trust and have it fixed for a reasonable price.

If I could get a really good deal on a desktop PC at a place like Fry's (discount electronics dealer with stores in the U.S.), I'd consider packing the CPU into my luggage and bringing it back here...and taking my chances in terms of warranty, figuring I've already come out ahead on the price.

Another consideration, of course, is the OS.... Here in LOS, you can figure to add the cost of that into the base purchase price, unless you already have an available OS disk of your own to use. In the U.S., you can figure the cost of a real Windows OS, most of the time, is already built into the base purchase price.

[BWPattaya]

Absolutely pointless buying one here. Voltage issues aside (240 here, US 110) you will have no way of getting it repaired under warranty, spend more money buying one etc. Just buy it when you get back to the US.

[oldgeezer]

The OP states he is going back to the U.S. "for a few weeks" only. Buy in Thailand and get the warranties here. I bought a new gaming HP PC for less than $1000 here with legal windows XP, monitor and keyboard. Had a free home service call from HP tech regarding a video card problem. He installed new one. No charges for parts or labor. Deals are even better now.

[craigt3365]

Wow...great replies. Thanks!!!! Here is what got me going regarding buying in the US. It is refurbished, but like some pointed out, labor is cheap here to fix problems...and I would have a month in the US to flush out any initial problems (hopefully).

http://www.frys.com/product/6168779

Not sure whether I will buy this one or not, but deals like these can be found. I mainly use the pc for internet access and a few games. That's about it...so don't really need anything serious.

I am pretty sure I could fit the case inside my carry on....

I had a laptop setup with Windows 7 last year at pantip. I got some Thai stuff on there I can't figure out. And guaranteed it is not a legal copy.

[negreanu]

Would recommend the new iMac either 21" or 27" ease of transporting back to Thailand. Worldwide warranty dual voltage and everything in one neat box.

Considering its a 27" ips monitor and the latest quad core processor and decent graphics card and memory the price is excellent.

Edited April 24, 2010 by negreanu

[JSixpack]

Wow...great replies. Thanks!!!! Here is what got me going regarding buying in the US. It is refurbished, but like some pointed out, labor is cheap here to fix problems...and I would have a month in the US to flush out any initial problems (hopefully).

http://www.frys.com/product/6168779

Not sure whether I will buy this one or not, but deals like these can be found. I mainly use the pc for internet access and a few games. That's about it...so don't really need anything serious.

I am pretty sure I could fit the case inside my carry on....

I had a laptop setup with Windows 7 last year at pantip. I got some Thai stuff on there I can't figure out. And guaranteed it is not a legal copy.

HP OEM, gag. Well, that's about 17,500 baht refurbed. I dunno why you think that's such a great deal. You can get a new one built w/ better specs (note that the refurb HD is only 5400 rpm, PSU 300 watt, probably low quality), better case, except 4 GB of RAM (you don't need 8 GB) here in Thailand, with off-the-shelf parts, no need to deal w/ HP service:

Part / Price THB

AMD Phenom II X4 940   5,790

WD Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB SATA 3440

Asus M4A785T-M 2,790   

G.Skill DDR3 RAM 4GB (2GBX2) PC3-10666 (1333Mhz) F3-10666CL7D-4GBRH 4650

Asus 4350/512 DDR2 Silent   1,170  

LITE-ON 24X IHAS124 B/P 740     

Samsung SFD-321F   190    

400w OCZ StealthXStream 1,790

COOLER MASTER Canturion 5 Black [CAC-T05-WB-BT/Chassis Mid Tower] 1990

TOTAL 17,660

Prices from jib.co.th and hwhinter.com (JIB and Hardware House).

'Course you'd need to add Windows but it doesn't need to be tied to THAT computer as you are w/ HP, no disk. Or you can take the ol' Thai shortcut . . . .

Edited April 24, 2010 by JSixpack

[craigt3365]

Wow...great replies. Thanks!!!! Here is what got me going regarding buying in the US. It is refurbished, but like some pointed out, labor is cheap here to fix problems...and I would have a month in the US to flush out any initial problems (hopefully).

http://www.frys.com/product/6168779

Not sure whether I will buy this one or not, but deals like these can be found. I mainly use the pc for internet access and a few games. That's about it...so don't really need anything serious.

I am pretty sure I could fit the case inside my carry on....

I had a laptop setup with Windows 7 last year at pantip. I got some Thai stuff on there I can't figure out. And guaranteed it is not a legal copy.

HP OEM, gag. Well, that's about 17,500 baht refurbed. I dunno why you think that's such a great deal. You can get a new one built w/ better specs (note that the refurb HD is only 5400 rpm, PSU 300 watt, probably low quality), better case, except 4 GB of RAM (you don't need 8 GB) here in Thailand, with off-the-shelf parts, no need to deal w/ HP service:

Part / Price THB

AMD Phenom II X4 940   5,790

WD Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB SATA 3440

Asus M4A785T-M 2,790   

G.Skill DDR3 RAM 4GB (2GBX2) PC3-10666 (1333Mhz) F3-10666CL7D-4GBRH 4650

Asus 4350/512 DDR2 Silent   1,170  

LITE-ON 24X IHAS124 B/P 740     

Samsung SFD-321F   190    

400w OCZ StealthXStream 1,790

COOLER MASTER Canturion 5 Black [CAC-T05-WB-BT/Chassis Mid Tower] 1990

TOTAL 17,660

Prices from jib.co.th and hwhinter.com (JIB and Hardware House).

'Course you'd need to add Windows but it doesn't need to be tied to THAT computer as you are w/ HP, no disk. Or you can take the ol' Thai shortcut . . . .

Thanks! I appreciate you taking the time to do this. It is exactly what I was looking for. I am NO computer expert.

What you pointed out is what I should do. I am in Pattaya, and don't like Tukcom. But for service, I will probably buy here.

I saw this in a store last week:

Phenom II X4 945 3.0 GHz: 29,000.

Includes:

ECS mainboard

4GB DDR 2 RAM

500 GB SATA

VGA GF9600GT 2GB

21.5" monitor LCD LG

5.1 channel Ac'97

10/100 Mbbps Lan

6 USB 2.0 ports

Free: keyboard, optical mouse, 240w speaker

This is the reason I was looking to buy back in the US...seemed a bit expensive to me???? But if I buy here, I don't have to lug it back!

[Spoonman]

I just built a PC yesterday.

I3 -540

4gb DDR1600 (Corsair)

Asus P7H55D-M PRO Mobo

2 x 1TB WD green hdd's (storage)

1 x 320gb WD black hdd (Win 7)

Corsair 500w PSU

liteon dvd burner

Samsung 21.5" LCD monitor

Total was 26,000 all items purchased at Tukom Pattaya (not including case, I had an empty TT case here already)

Its not as fast as my quadcore machine but the quad cost a heap more to build, bang for buck the I3 seems to perform well.

Edited April 25, 2010 by Spoonman

[jfchandler]

Buying computers and computer parts is oftentimes perplexing/exasperating for me here...and I do most of my in-person shopping at FortuneTown IT...

Some examples:

--Trying to buy cans of compressed air for cleaning all the dust and gunk out of the inside of my PCs periodically... In the States, they're easy to find. Here, it's like going on an Easter Egg hunt... None of the larger or regular computer and computer supply shops seem to carry them. Amorn in FortuneTown IT does for about 250 baht per can, but a couple of small accessory places downstairs do for 200 baht... But any shop that actually sells computers and computer parts...instead of odds and ends...forget it...

--Recently, I wanted to install a internal 4-USB port PCI card into one of my PCs... All the Thai shops carry the no-name Chinese external hubs, but those aren't always so good in terms of supporting things like external USB hard drives, which pull a bit more power... So internal hubs clearly work better for those... Walked all the floors of FortuneTown IT and couldn't find a single name brand USB hub PCI card... Finally found two places that sold the same cheapo crap Chinese-made card for 300 baht/$10... In exasperation, took it home, plugged it in, and of course, it didn't work on a Windows 7 machine...

--Been looking lately to buy a Linksys N router/access point to upgrade the current G router in my home... Fortunately, various shops do carry Linksys networking products.... But I tried some of the various online shops, including Hardware House and the place that's opened in Hua Hin that has a good reputation, and no Linksys to be found... Why???

All in all, just shopping for and getting simple routine parts takes a lot more time, and of course is more expensive for quality parts, than what you'd ever find back in the States... There, it's go to Amazon, choose from among dozens of supplier/vendors who all are competing on price for any given item, and the part's delivered to your doorstop at a good price in a couple of days...without you ever having to step foot outside...

What Thailand needs is a local version of Amazon... or at least something close to it dealing with PC stuff...

[JSixpack]

What Thailand needs is a local version of Amazon... or at least something close to it dealing with PC stuff...

Our forum sponsor, InvadeIT, has quite a lot of stuff. But before you order something, you need to email and make sure they can get it.

And there are some other online shops here in LOS.

But more to the point, even if you bought a box in the USA, if you want add-ons here, you have the same problem, except it could be worse w/ proprietary hardware.

[JSixpack]

Thanks! I appreciate you taking the time to do this. It is exactly what I was looking for. I am NO computer expert.

What you pointed out is what I should do. I am in Pattaya, and don't like Tukcom. But for service, I will probably buy here.

I saw this in a store last week:

Phenom II X4 945 3.0 GHz: 29,000.

Includes:

ECS mainboard

4GB DDR 2 RAM

500 GB SATA

VGA GF9600GT 2GB

21.5" monitor LCD LG

5.1 channel Ac'97

10/100 Mbbps Lan

6 USB 2.0 ports

Free: keyboard, optical mouse, 240w speaker

This is the reason I was looking to buy back in the US...seemed a bit expensive to me???? But if I buy here, I don't have to lug it back!

You're getting more with that box than with the refurb HP, so it's accordingly more expensive. The CPU is better than the HP, it includes a big monitor, and the graphics card is a lot better too. Apples to oranges.

I like the config I gave you earlier better (DDR3, better power supply and case). You can add a better graphics card and maybe have two 500 GB drives rather than 1 1 TB.

Edited April 25, 2010 by JSixpack

[Gluestick]

I would get one from the US only if you are able to fix computer problems by yourself. I have bought my computers in Thailand but I have never gone back for warranty. If something is wrong, then I just solve it by myself. The guys in the shops do a lame job generally compared to what I am able to do myself.

[phetaroi]

If you bring back a desk top computer from the States, aren't you going to end up paying duty?

[craigt3365]

Great stuff. Thanks for all the info. I think I will NOT get one in the US and just figure out a config that suits me and get it here.

I would not have to pay import duties unless caught coming in through customs. I came here with 6 suitcases in December filled with all kinds of stuff...including lots prescriptions bottles for a friend Everything was Xrayed...which made me nervous...but we got through...I guess they are primarily looking for cigs and booze?

[JSixpack]

Great stuff. Thanks for all the info. I think I will NOT get one in the US and just figure out a config that suits me and get it here.

I would not have to pay import duties unless caught coming in through customs. I came here with 6 suitcases in December filled with all kinds of stuff...including lots prescriptions bottles for a friend Everything was Xrayed...which made me nervous...but we got through...I guess they are primarily looking for cigs and booze?

Good decision. When you get back, you can check the guides here:

http://www.anandtech.com/show/2936

http://arstechnica.com/hardware/guides/200...009-edition.ars

then go to a good shop like Jedicool at Panthip:

http://www.jedicool.com/ (see price list)

and get a rough equivalent built (labor is free). Be sure to get a good case and power supply (good PSU costs at least B1500).

I wouldn't recommend a Thai pre-built such as you spotted in a random shop. They always use a cheap case and PSU and may cut corners elsewhere. I'm not a fan ECS mainboards, for example--I generally like Asus or even Asrock. A good PSU costs at least B1500.