Buying

Today's computer hobbyist builder has a wide variety of choices when it comes to where to purchase his hardware from. In the old days it was more about resisting the desire for immediate gratification found by driving to the local computer discount store. Simply by purchasing your hardware online you could save major bucks. While that is still true, it has become much more difficult to find the bargains amongst all the noise out there trying to make a buck. It's also less likely that the best deals will be available for all your components in one location. And the online buyer still has the problem of "knowing" what he is buying. You can't just go on your gut feelings. You need to do your research and due diligence. Especially since most of the good bargain online stores have a "no returns" policy. Let me tell you about some of my experiences when on the hunt for the components of my next computer build.