Sound & Graphics Cards

[Kringle]

Got a friend looking to buy new sound and graphics cards and wants to where to buy and about how much here. The 2 different models he's looking at for both are as follows.

Sound card:

Creative labs sound blaster Audigy 4 pro

or

Creative labs Audigy 2zs platinum 7.1 surround sound 24 bit

Graphics Card

Connect 3d ATI Radion 9600 XT 256 MB Dvi TV-OUT

Connect 3d ATI Radion 9800 pro 128MB DDR DVI TV-OUT

Thanks for the help,

Kringle

[Highwayman]

Creative Sound Card Audigy 2 ZS Platinum Pro7.1, 24 BIT Multi Channel (7.1 Ch.) IEEE , Sound Card + External Drive with remote

Power Color VGA Card, ATI Radeon 9600 XT, 256MB DDR, DVI, TV-Out, AGP 8X

A quick look on Pantip Price came up with the above, maybe not exactly what you're after but similar.

[The Coder]

Just goes to show you'd be crazy to buy any hardware in Thailand:

Video card at Pantip 8300 baht. In USA 3500 baht.

Sound card at Pantip 10300 baht. In USA 6300 baht.

[Firefoxx]

Don't be fooled by the name. The prices at "Pantip Price" are *not* the prices at Pantip. They're an online reseller, and their prices are pretty expensive compared to Pantip.

If you want "real" prices at Pantip, go to the "real" store websites:

www.hwhinter.com (lots of stuff, good prices)

www.jib.co.th (only cheap stuff, but very cheap)

www.busitek.com (exotic stuff, OK price)

They're updated quite often, and usually reflect the prices at the store.

[monty]

Another one:

http://www.famous.co.th/price/brochure.cgi

[The Coder]

Not impressed with prices on any of those links. I challenge you to come up with one example of ANY piece of hardware that can match US prices. JUST ONE EXAMPLE. It doesn't matter if it is a hard drive, video card, speakers, or anything. The reason I ask is you use phrases like "very cheap" and "good prices". Here is good source for street prices in the US for comparison: http://www.pricewatch.com. If you are unable to do that, I am still curious about the item/items you desribe as "very cheap". I am always looking for good hardware sources in Thailand.

[h90]

????

whats that??

As you may know or not know, this is a forum about thailand, not about USA.

Nor the topic title is compare Computer prices thailand versus USA.

but if you want, go in Panthip placa and ask for software, it is pretty cheap in compare to USA

Not impressed with prices on any of those links. I challenge you to come up with one example of ANY piece of hardware that can match US prices. JUST ONE EXAMPLE. It doesn't matter if it is a hard drive, video card, speakers, or anything. The reason I ask is you use phrases like "very cheap" and "good prices". Here is good source for street prices in the US for comparison: http://www.pricewatch.com. If you are unable to do that, I am still curious about the item/items you desribe as "very cheap". I am always looking for good hardware sources in Thailand.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[The Coder]

As you may know or not know, this is a forum about thailand, not about USA.

Nor the topic title is compare Computer prices thailand versus USA.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

This forum seems mostly inhabited by persons whose reference point is in another country. They can just as well ship or otherwise carry in things purchased in their home country by themselves or a friend. And then there are the people who just assume things must be cheaper in Thailand and make the mistake of actually waiting and shopping in Thailand for cameras, flash cards, computers, or what have you. So I think it is valid to understand where Thailand's prices are in relation to other countries. It is quite eye opening for instance Seagate hard drives manufactured in Thailand are cheaper if purchased in the west! If it were just a small sum of money, that would be one thing but the markups tend to be large. Not uncommon to find things cost double, particularly if you are into the state of the art.

[monty]

Price difference is not that huge between US and Thailand!

The only thing is that it is very hard / impossible to find the latest hardware over here!

For Coder,

I just bought a Maxtor DiamondMax Plus 10 300GB SATA 7200rpm 16MB at JIB in Pattaya TukCom. They installed for me including the cables all for 8300 Baht.

A small check at pricewatch came up with following vendor as the cheapest:

http://www.bestbargainpc.com/index.asp?Pag...ROD&ProdID=2310

184 US$ for the drive and 12.99US$ for the cables and the screws gives me 196.99 US$

Today I would buy 1 US$ for 40.61 Thai Baht (Bangkok Bank) which would be exactly 8000 Baht.

While admittedly this is not cheaper then compared to the USA, I did like the convenience of driving to the shop, getting the drive installed and back home all in 45 minutes.

For the princely premium of 300 (three hundred) Thai Baht

Besides, I'm kind of unsure how to get the silly drive all the way from BestbargainPC USA to my PC in Pattaya Thailand

I most definately ain't gonna get it to come here for 300 Baht

[monty]

Oops Coder , we were typing at the same time

I'm writing from the point of being a resident here. I go once a year back to my home country, so its a bit hard to save up all my purchases till then (pus the price difference with Europe is neglectable, mainly due to the outrageous VAT/Tax levels).

Add to that since I live here I need the convenience of the local warranties...

It is however true that it would be silly to start buying things here as a tourist out of the assumption that Thailand surely must be cheaper!

[Firefoxx]

I'm really sorry if I misled anyone with my comments about "cheap" and "good prices". It was all relative, as in relative to Thailand, and relative to Pantipprice, since I was talking from a reference point of someone living in Thailand. I know very well how cheap computer periperhals are in the US... I've commented on the fact quite often in this forum. I've also bought many things from Newegg (and commented on the fact).

However, I think you might have the wrong impression about prices in Thailand. Granted, there are certain items that are way overpriced (exotic items, printers, scanners, digicams) compared to the US, but most common items (mainstream harddisks, processors, ram, mainboards) have comparable prices. For these, you'll usually see them sold around 1-5% more than discount places (Newegg) in the US. There are also many things, which, if you know where to look, you can get cheaper here than in the US.

I currently don't use pricewatch to shop, since a lot of the ultra-cheap prices are from non-reputable retailers, and I've had my share of grief from them. You also have to include their shipping rates to really know the price. I recommend Newegg or Fry's if you're in the US.

If you have the choice of buying here (in Thailand) or in the US, without any penalty (no overseas shipping, no ticket cost), then I would recommend the US, since it is generally cheaper. If, however, you're living here, as most people in this forum are, then the "cheap" stores I mentioned are a nice start, no?