Building a new PC - but don't want to visit every shop in Pantip

[bkknow]

I want to build my own PC from scratch and I already have made a configuration list. However, I don't feel like walking for hours on at pantip to find the parts (if they are even available here).

In my homecountry I'd just order it online and have it delivered next day but I had too many bad experiences here with online shops so I don't want to go that route.

Does anyone know a few good shops in pantip with the latest parts?

[h90]

First of all you can try to find the parts at invadeit.

He might be not as cheap as the cheapest shop in Pantip, but you can ask things and you get good answers.

And if he don't know, he tells that he doesn't know instead of giving a BS answer.....

Else for Pantip: ground floor are 1-2 special shops.

And than there is Busitek (which I don't recommend) and behind another good shop.

Else you have the chains JIB, Hardware House and Banana IT which all have the same things, so no need to visit every branch of them.

[kkerry]

In the pinned list of Online stores further up the page are some links to Pantip shops Busitek, Jedicool and JIB. They have a good selection so long as you don't expect something released in the US to be available same day in Thailand. The shop next to Busitek is also worth checking out and there are other high end shops scattered around the ground floor. I never expect to get everything all at one shop, whatever they may show on their price list, so be prepared to substitute at least one item if you are doing a complete build.

[GuyL]

First of all you can try to find the parts at invadeit.

He might be not as cheap as the cheapest shop in Pantip, but you can ask things and you get good answers.

And if he don't know, he tells that he doesn't know instead of giving a BS answer.....

Else for Pantip: ground floor are 1-2 special shops.

And than there is Busitek (which I don't recommend) and behind another good shop.

Else you have the chains JIB, Hardware House and Banana IT which all have the same things, so no need to visit every branch of them.

I would add Advice Distribution to your list: http://www.advice.co.th/products/

If the Advice Distribution shop of your choice doesn't have one of the products listed on their website, you usually can get it the day after.

[WhizBang]

Go to InvadeIT. They have a good selection of parts and will work with you to find what meets your needs.

Scroll to the bottom of the page and make your selections from Computer Hardware, Peripherals, etc. I recently built a new system from scratch and did it all through InvadeIT. No issues and excellent service.

[ignis]

Also a Plus from me for http://www.advice.co.th/products/

always found them good, they have a good stock + have shops everywhere, and you can 1st check online on the parts and prices...

My new build, they had everything except the CPU I wanted, the FX 8320, they could get next day, or I could have a [1.000 baht off] reduced price FX 8350.. so was well worth paying only 400 baht extra to have the 8350..

have bought other things from them in the past, never a problem... if a fault with anything replaced there and then.

That is more than can be said when I used to go to Pantip [No 2 Nonthaburi] you go round and round buying bits here and there, if something is not working correct which shop did you buy it from + when you find the correct shop all they will do is say will send it back, so you cannot use PC for X amount of weeks..

[noise]

What worked for me in Chiangmai is along the lines of most of your replies. I ended up using InvadeIT as my data source, designed my computer the way I wanted it selecting each component by brand, noting the price. I used the vendor in our Pantip I had confidence in and gave them the spec. They gave me a quote that was acceptable. They tried to offer me different components because they had them on hand. For example, they wanted to give 16GB of RAM instead of the 32GB I wanted. But I told them I did not need it in the near term and that they had time to get items from Bangkok if they did not have it in stock. They did. The only change to my spec was the RAM brand, which was a good one, and they had a better case than the one I selected.

When I first started and just asked a competitor what components he would recommend for heavy photoshop work and no video, he tried to offer only what he had in stock. That is when realized I had to do the due dilligence research and design my computer, delivering a finished spec to the builder. Every shop I contacted in the local Pantip said they could order any part available in Thailand.

So the bottom line is, decide what you want based on what is available in Thailand using some on line sites as references. Give that spec to a reputable shop allowing them the time to order those specific components. You might also specify they do a 24 hr or more burn in so you do not end up with a immediate failure.

[userabcd]

In Pantip the stores with web sites:

- Ground floor - TKcom, Jedicool

- 2nd and 3rd floor - M2Power

- 4th Floor - Busitek, Compute and More

- As others have mentioned - Invadeit, JIB, Banana IT

From my enquiries in their stores they did not always stock all the products they listed.

[Langsuan Man]

One of the advantages of using http://www.invadeit.co.th/ is that when they list a component they will have a link to the distributors or manufacturers product page where you will find additional information about the item

Saves you a lot trouble of trying to find the info for yourself. If they don't have an item they will either suggest a good alternative or will tell you when it will be back in stock (usually never over a few days)

I lived across the street from Tukcom in Pattaya, yet I used InvadeIt because I didn't want to deal with the salespeople at Tukcom who did not have a clue as to what they were selling but would insist that I needed to buy it from them

[bendejo]

At Panthip the higher you go the lower the prices get. The 3rd and 4th floors are best, go to lower floors only when I can't get what I want on the upper.

A lot of places have price lists you can grab.

A hazard of building your own system and buying components from different vendors is if something goes wrong you can find yourself stuck in the middle. Eg, the graphics card has problems so you bring it back and the vendor tells you the card is fine, pops it into a system he has there and sure enough, it works. Now you have to go to the place that sold you the motherboard etc...

This is not a criticism of the Thai merchants, it has happened to me elsewhere.

[totantaz]

I can also vouch for InvadeIT, built my custom gaming machine with their parts.

felt good having a hassle free internet shopping experience in Thailand !

cheers,

Edited September 21, 2014 by totantaz

[JimShortz]

I can also vouch for InvadeIT, built my custom gaming machine with their parts.

felt good having a hassle free internet shopping experience in Thailand !

cheers,

I agree about their service, BUT, adviceit have branches all over Thailand and are almost invariably cheaper on all components. Up here in Chiang Mai I have long since stopped shopping around to buy components to build PCs for friends, I now just go to adviceit.... I have found them to be friendly and efficient, with all of the benefits described by others of buying everything from a single vendor.

[draftvader]

InvadeIT is a great call
You can also look to find more "niched" parts through Lazada as they distribute for a wide range of retailers (amazon model)

In Pantip my only port of call is tkcom

[manarak]

JIB computer is good and cheaper.

[keeniau96]

I mostly use jedicool at PP for the more upscale items. They have their hardware price list on left-hand side of home page with good listing of the key components and their prices. Also just underneath on theat left sidebar are the detailed listings for indivicual igroupings eg. CPU, cases, etc. Good descriptions of the items then phone in to make an order (they have english speakers), pay by ATM, they will send by express (I get SDS delivery the next day in Phuket). The express service they use is very cheap (typically 200 baht for my items) and everything has been reliable over the past three years or so, maybe 12 purchases totaling over 100k baht.

[Satcommlee]

JIB are good...

They will order the parts in for you, used that service many times.

[bkknow]

Thanks for the advice guys. I've come up with a configuration list, any comments?
The system will be used mostly for multitasking office / adobe programs and perhaps some games in the future.

CPU: Intel i5 4690 - 7440 THB (J.I.B.)
Memory: 8 GB RAM PC DDR3/1866 CORSAIR VENGEANCE PRO - 3250THB (J.I.B.)
MOBO: MSI H97M-G43 - 3350 THB (J.I.B.)
HDD: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB – 5290 THB (J.I.B.)
Case: normal atx: Cooler master N300 – 1490 THB (J.I.B.)
Powersupply: Corsair CX500M, ATX, 500W (2390 THB (J.I.B.)
DVD burner: LG - 500 THB (J.I.B.)
Monitor: Dell ultrasharp U2414H, IPS panel 1080p – 8890 THB (J.I.B.)
GPU: Not sure yet, not going to play any games in the next months (or years? still waiting for half life 3!) so i'll decide later. For now, the i5 has a built-in GPU.
Cooling: I will use the stockfans for now but upgrade to watercooling when adding a separate GPU.

Total price ex. monitor: 23710 THB

Total price incl. monitor: 32600 THB

If going for the unlocked processor + z97 mobo shipset then it will cost +/- 1000 THB extra.

invadeIT looks credible but i've had good experiences with J.I.B. in the past.
Didn't know they had such a large stock though.

I want to change the case to something better. I prefer a smaller atx but i'll have to
check if the mobo and CPU + cooler will cause a problem depth-wise.

I'm not sure yet if i want to overlock the system. If i do i'll have to opt for the I5 4690k priced at 8290THB
and change the mobo to one with a z97 chipset like the ASrock Z97 pro4 (3850 THB).

The only thing I need now is an ultrabook, my budget for the ultrabook is +/- 50 to 60k. Too bad some of the top rated models are not available in Thailand.
Minimum requirements: 1080p resolution, HDMI, 256GB SSD, 4th gen i5, 15" screen and a pretty long battery duration.

Edited September 22, 2014 by bkknow

[draftvader]

Thanks for the advice guys. I've come up with a configuration list, any comments?

The system will be used mostly for multitasking office / adobe programs and perhaps some games in the future.

CPU: Intel i5 4690 - 7440 THB (J.I.B.)

Memory: 8 GB RAM PC DDR3/1866 CORSAIR VENGEANCE PRO - 3250THB (J.I.B.)

MOBO: MSI H97M-G43 - 3350 THB (J.I.B.)

HDD: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB – 5290 THB (J.I.B.)

Case: normal atx: Cooler master N300 – 1490 THB (J.I.B.)

Powersupply: Corsair CX500M, ATX, 500W (2390 THB (J.I.B.)

DVD burner: LG - 500 THB (J.I.B.)

Monitor: Dell ultrasharp U2414H, IPS panel 1080p – 8890 THB (J.I.B.)

GPU: Not sure yet, not going to play any games in the next months so i'll decide later. For now, the i5 has a built-in GPU.

Cooling: I will use the stockfans for now but upgrade to watercooling when adding a separate GPU.

Total price ex. monitor: 23710 THB

Total price incl. monitor: 32600 THB

If going for the unlocked processor + z97 mobo shipset then it will cost +/- 1000 THB extra.

invadeIT looks credible but i've had good experiences with J.I.B. in the past.

Didn't know they had such a large stock though.

I want to change the case to something better. I prefer a smaller atx but i'll have to

check if the mobo and CPU + cooler will cause a problem depth-wise.

I'm not sure yet if i want to overlock the system. If i do i'll have to opt for the I5 4690k priced at 8290THB

and change the mobo to one with a z97 chipset like the ASrock Z97 pro4 (3850 THB).

The only thing I need now is an ultrabook, my budget for the ultrabook is +/- 50 to 60k. Too bad some of the top rated models are not available in Thailand.

Cooling....this is Thailand. If you are spending B32,600 then spending close to B35,000 and having an after-market CPU fan and a couple of extra fans in the case are WELL worth-while. I have the CoolerMaster Hyper 212+ in 2 computers (1 graphics intensive running 16 hours a day, variable workload and 1 HTPC running 24/7) and have never had any cooling issues even though I only run air-con for 2-3 hours a day in the late afternoon.

There are other options but I have 2 great experiences with this particular model.

[draftvader]

Typical techie...sorry. RTFP (P for Post instead of M for Manual). I see that you mention a potential clearance issue with the case. I would upgrade the case if you have the space for it. Having more space inside a case is good future-proofing. You would be annoyed if your case didn't accommodate an after-market cooler later when you discover you need it. Also I would look to buy a bigger PSU if you plan to upgrade later to a dedicated graphics card as you could end up getting VERY close to 500W. Water cooling in the future will also add the need for increased power consumption.

Your intended consumption now is well below the PSU rating but in the future?

http://powersupplycalculator.net/

[bkknow]

You are right about the cooling but the airconditioning is always turned on here.

Your machine must sound like a vacuumcleaner

Hmm yeah I probably have to change the PSU if I want to add 1 or 2 GPU's later on. More like 650W?

Edited September 22, 2014 by bkknow

[draftvader]

JIB computer is good and cheaper.

I like tkcom because their build service is cheap and produces better quality than I do (who doesn't rush when putting their hardware together?) for B300. They can build a computer in 30 minutes (all cables are run beautifully and excess is handled very well with thought to future expansion) and test in 1 hour. I head off to do other shopping and have a bite to eat then take home my hardware to start my software installs.

Yes, I can do it myself but for B300 to get better quality than I'll do in the time it takes me to collect some other bits and eat? No brainer for me.

[bkknow]

Just checked the recommended power supply on the website you mentioned.

Before upgrade 205W.
After upgrade 645W.....

Upgrade 2 X geforce GTX 760, 1 X hitachi 7200rmp 1THB SATA hdd, 2 additional DDR3 modules.

Looks like GPU's consume loads of power.

[draftvader]

You are right about the cooling but the airconditioning is always turned on here.

Your machine must sound like a vacuumcleaner

Hmm yeah I probably have to change the PSU if I want to add 1 or 2 GPU's later on. More like 650W?

Actually it is very quiet when running normally. When doing graphics intense processes or gaming it can get a little noisy if the room isn't air-conned and it is April! The biggest pain is that I have to vacuum the damn thing every week....BKK living!

I have a "slightly" older rig from 3.5 years ago but not too dissimilar to yours.

ASUS P8P67 Evo

i5 2500k

8Gb Corsair

Samsung 840 Pro 128

1 TB WD Caviar Black

1 TB WD Caviar Blue

Gigabyte GeForce 560Ti SOC

Hyper 212+ CPU Cooler

All in a Coolermaster CM690II Advanced (can't praise this case enough!)

650W PSU (can't remember the name, decent stuff though)

I have 2 fans top, 2 front, 1 side and 1 back. There are 2 fans on the 560Ti SOC and I have 2 fans on the 212+. Total 10 fans! Again, spent a little extra on buying decent brand fans (CM mainly) and they have only rattled on a handful of occasions when I was pushing the machine in high temperatures. Turning on the air-con solved all that!

My HTPC is a smaller mini-ITX affair in a BitFenix Prodigy case (again, high praise for this unit).

4Gb RAM

AMD on Gigabyte A75N-USB3

Using the onboard graphics from the AMD so only 1 front fan, 1 rear fan and 2 fans on the Hyper 212+

SO quiet. I sit next to it when I'm watching my projector based home theatre and I barely notice it!

[kkerry]

I recently built a very similar spec computer to the new one in the list. I don't have a graphics card so in a smaller case, no air conditioning, I use a front 180mm fan and 120 mm exhaust fan only, with a cheap Xigmatek cooler (bit smaller than the very popular Hyper 212). Most of the time it runs only 6 degrees over room temperature. The old computer it replaced ran at 18-25 over so clearly the current processors run very cool.

[wilailuk]

Best shop in Pantip:

http://computeandmore.com/

Very proff. and good english.

[zig]

Else for Pantip: ground floor are 1-2 special shops.

And than there is Busitek (which I don't recommend) and behind another good shop.

I used a shop next to Busitek some years ago. I gave them a list of components I had in mind, they prepared a price list with a discount if I buy all of them in their place, and agreed to put it together for me for free.

Went for some shopping for one hour and it was ready when I came back. Hassle free and nice service.

[zig]

Else for Pantip: ground floor are 1-2 special shops.

And than there is Busitek (which I don't recommend) and behind another good shop.

I used a shop next to Busitek some years ago. I gave them a list of components I had in mind, they prepared a price list with a discount if I buy all of them in their place, and agreed to put it together for me for free.

Went for some shopping for one hour and it was ready when I came back. Hassle free and nice service.

[CNXTim]

I found Advice staff in Maesai and Chiang Mai branches friendly, keen and genuinely knowledgeable. Thailand is unfortunately somewhat of a "dumping ground" for out of date, unpopular or obscure stock, but if you do your homework online in say the USA, you can then take your shopping list to them or others like Banana or JIB that are recommended here. Personally, i find Pantip Plaza in BKK downright depressing and "touty" ( the coffee at Amazon is OK).

[pjuk]

Another thumbs up for www.invadeit.co.th a good trusted company.

Thomas is always on the ball with advice, replying to emails promptly and sorting any problems.

[thairastawoman]

Is invade it sponsor here ? because it's so expensive that I even wonder why anybody would buy anything there except the stupid ?