When trying to build
my new PC, I found it was quite difficult to find decent sites to
buy hardware from, here in the UK, at resonable prices. I'm sure
others are similarly pissed off, so I made this...
Online Hardware/Software Shops
---------------------------------------
OcUK -
They may be a bit pricey when it comes to generally available
stuff, but if you want something special, that you've read good
reviews about but can't find anywhere, OcUK will probably have it.
Great for quality cases, psu's and of course, Overclocking
accessories (fans, coolers for everything you could imagine
(including monitors), fan switches, Arctic Silver etc).
The Overclocking
Store - If you can't find it at OcUK, or really need free
delivery, try here, but be warned, the service can be iffy...
CCL Computers - The
only place I've found that sells Soltek motherboards, and also has
good deals on OS's and CPUs. Where I got my tbird. Also good for
miscellaneous OEM stuff.
Scan International - Has a lot
of quality hardware, at resonable prices. I got a well priced OEM
mouse here, and a floppy drive.
Buy.com - Had the best price for
my monitor, and maybe for other stuff too.
Dabs.com - Their specialised
shops help them to get some great prices. I got my Creative
speakers here, and my IBM hard drive. Cheaper nowhere else. They
also recently partnered with Crucial UK, to provide HQ RAM too.
Their service varies.
Insight.com - Not always
cheapest, but has a Netgear shop for nice cheap NICs. Usually very
reliable too, apart from with my cdrw and nic it seems (Remeber to
make sure you go to their UK shop!).
Crucial UK - Buy your RAM
here people! Others may be cheaper, but none can beat Crucial for
sheer quality.
MicroDirect - Good
prices on a lot of stuff. Good for motherboards and OEM
sound.
NetShop - Need network
stuff? Go here.
Over-Clock - Hmm, they
have good prices....
Other links to help you
--------------------------
PCIndex - A
superb search engine for finding the best deals on the best
hardware, fast. They don't do speakers yet though.
AnandTech - Check out
Anandtech for bazillions of reviews (mainly motherboards/graphics
cards) and the latest news! Their motherboard roundups have aided
me many a time. (Not UK based)
Neoseeker - Want the best of
the best of everything? Neoseeker contains a huge database of
hardware/software reviews, split into useful categories. If you
want to find a good -insert type of product here-, pay Neoseeker a
visit. (Not UK based)
VIAHardware - Got a
motherboard with a VIA Chipset? Then go here for plenty of news,
leaked drivers and comparisons. (Not UK based)
Reactor Critical -
Want the absolute best performance from your graphics card? Then
get the latest leaked/official drivers here, or just find out
interesting stuff about the wonderful world of 3d graphics. (Not UK
based)
Tweak3d - Not satisfied with
your PC's performance? Then follow Tweak3d's excellent tweak guides
and get the most out of that hardware! (not UK based)
I hope this was useful, as buying cheap hardware in the UK is a
REAL headache, especially for cases and speakers!
