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I strong recomend the brand Toshiba. I bought laptop brand Toshiba 5 years ago, and this purchase really surprised me positively. I am not an expert on computers, andI use the computer for personal use only. In addition to not being a brand so expensive, the Toshiba computers are very sturdy and depending on their configurations can meet all your personal and school use needs. I could quietly recommend the Toshiba computers. You might have a configuration that will meet your needs.

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Fry's Home Electronics | Computer Parts & Accessories, Software, Games, TVs, Cameras - Frys.com

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Shop Frys.com for your home electronics, from computers & laptops parts to cameras, televisions & home appliances.

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TigerDirect Business - Electronics, Tablets, Phones, Office Supplies & Video Games

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Shop TigerDirect Business for the best prices on computers, computer parts, electronics & more! With over 100,000 items online to choose from, we offer a wide selection of your favorite products. You shop fast, we ship fast at TigerDirect Business!

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If you're building a new PC or shopping for upgrades, you need a trustworthy place to buy. Not all retailers are the same-some offer great discounts, good customer service, and even helpful tools so you buy the best gear for your money. This week, we're checking out five of the best, based on your nominations.

Building your own computer doesn't have to be super expensive, and there are lots of ways you can save money in the process. Earlier in the week we asked you to tell us where you go-online or offline-to buy computer components after you've put together your spec list. You weighed in with tons of great nominees, but we only have room for your top five. Here they are, in no particular order:

Dear Lifehacker,I'm in the market for a new computer. My friend says it's cheaper to...
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Micro Center operates both brick-and-mortar stores and an extensive online store, both packed with everything from CPUs and motherboards to pre-built computer systems, laptops, and monitors. Many people know Micro Center specifically for their often-incredible deals on CPUs, in many cases hundreds of dollars lower than available anywhere else online-and they appear frequently in your low-price list when you start building your computer at a site like PCPartPicker. Their physical stores are usually laid out and stocked like geek amusement parks, with tons of systems to play with, gaming consoles to kill time on, and plenty of opportunities to actually touch and try out the tech you're interested in before you buy it-not to mention a massive system builder's center packed with components, cables, cooling, tubes, and more-great for any system builder who's missing a cable or needs that one extra thing to finish their build and doesn't want to wait for shipping.

Those of you who nominated Micro Center also highlighted the popularity of its brick and mortar stores, and the great discounts and bundles available in person. They're not quite everywhere in North America yet, but they're in enough major cities to make them a great destination, and even if you're not close to one, their online store has much of the same gear at equally great prices. You can even order online for in-store pickup, and if you're running into trouble on what components to buy, their staff in-store is generally actually knowledgable, which is a refreshing breath of fresh air. Don't take my word for it though-read the love in their nomination thread here.

NCIX (and its US counterpart, NCIX US) earned the title of "Canada's Newegg" a while ago, but has since grown far above and beyond the comparison. NCIX is a juggernaut in its own right, serving both Canadian and US buyers with a wide variety of computer components on their website at highly competitive prices. Whether you need a new video card, hard drive, case, or CPU, NCIX has you covered. Their stock doesn't end there though, and the company sells pre-built systems, peripherals like mechanical keyboards and monitors as well. Their pricing is extremely aggressive, and if they don't have the best price on a specific item, they'll match their competitors. NCIX also operates a rewards program and newsletter for their customers that offers exclusive sales, discounts, and rewards just for signing up. The company is also committed to educating its customers and helping you make smart buying decisions, which we've seen through their NCIX YouTube Channel and their support for other channels like TechQuickie and Linus Tech Tips, all of which we love and have been known to post videos from frequently.

In its nomination thread, many of you showed your love for NCIX, and specifically mentioned that Canadian shoppers should ship through them exclusively, since they ship using Canada Post, meaning you pay less for shipping but get your gear sooner. You also called out NCIX's customer service for being exceptionally helpful, easy to work with on RMAs and DOA parts. Plus, if you're thinking about parting out a new computer but don't want to build or burn it in yourself, an extra $50 on your order means they'll assemble everything for you, test it, make sure it works, install your OS, and then ship the whole thing out to you. You can read more in its nomination thread here.

Newegg is a juggernaut, and for good reason. The company has been operating for ages, selling computer components and peripherals to system builders and enthusiasts for years and years. For many people, Newegg is their first and last destination when it comes to PC building, and even for those who wind up buying elsewhere, they do a great deal of their research at Newegg first to make sure they're buying the best gear at the best prices. Newegg doesn't skimp on the selection, either-literally everything you need to build a computer is available from their online store, with fast and affordable shipping, complete with enough tools and options to make sure you're buying exactly what you need, nothing more and nothing less-and that all of your components will work together when you get them. Newegg has comparison tools to help you make that difficult decision between one video card and the next model over, and their sales and discounts-especially around the holidays-are forces your wallet may not be able to resist. Their forums and customer reviews are well traveled, and while their customer service has been great in my experience, it's noteworthy that component manufacturers often hang out in their forums and in the reviews of their products as well, making sure their customers are happy and offering to make any issues right if someone gets a bad part or has another problem. Newegg also operates a pair of YouTube channels dedicated to helping you make smart buying decisions-their flagship Newegg TV channel, and their Newegg Products channel. On both they often post product reviews, unboxing videos, first impressions of upcoming products, and more.

The nomination thread for Newegg was massive, and like any major retailer, was filled with both praise for their fast shipping, great selection, amazing discounts, and great customer service....and full of complaints about those very same things. Most of you however highlighted the tools that Newegg makes available to help you compare products, check reviews, and learn more about any specific item you're thinking about buying. The community around Newegg-not just its staff-are passionate, intelligent, and genuinely helpful. There's a reason why Newegg was an obvious nomination here. Many of you noted that Newegg doesn't always win out on price, but they do win out on research and information, and depending on where you live, even their cheapest shipping can mean that your gear gets to you the next day. If you need any more reasons, check out the nomination thread here -it's packed with them.

The "store that sells everything" also sells computer components and parts, and usually at fairly competitive prices-even better if you're an Amazon Prime member and get free shipping on virtually all of the components you purchase. You have to know what you're looking for of course-Amazon doesn't make it easy for you to part out a PC or make sure components will work together or are compatible with one another before you buy, but they do offer a ridiculously huge selection of both common and obscure parts, new and old, so you can always find what you're looking for, either straight from Amazon or through an Amazon seller. Their prices are good enough that if you do use other tools to part out your computer, like PCPartPicker, for example, you'll wind up seeing Amazon's product listing in the top two or three most affordable versions of the parts you're thinking about buying almost every time.

In the nomination thread, many of you called out the fact that you used to shop at other part retailers and now buy from Amazon almost as often if not moreso-largely because Amazon just has everyone else beat on price. That makes sense-they're a logistical juggernaut, and they have the size and scale to compete with all of the other parts and electronics retailers while simultaneously undercutting them on price and shipping costs. Many of you even noted that you use those other sites to do your research, and then eventually wind up going with Amazon because of either free shipping or price. To boot, many of you also praised Amazon's pretty liberal return and RMA policies (something I can attest to-I bought some components from Amazon recently, had the shipment delayed several days-we feared it was lost-and Amazon overnighted replacements to me the next day, with just the promise that if the original shipment showed up eventually that I send it back to them) if you ever have problems with the items you ordered. You can read all the conversion stories in its nomination thread here.

TigerDirect used to have a bit of a bad rap, but the retailer has come a long way to position itself as a solid option for people looking for one more place to price check and score deals on computer components, peripherals, and software. They do have brick and mortar stores (although not many), but their primary business is through their website, where they offer a wide selection of PC parts from memory and CPUs to fully built systems and other home electronics. Their prices are often worth a solid look-while you may not think of them immediately, in many cases TigerDirect can sneak in with the lowest price on an in-demand item (like a 4K monitor or a popular SSD model) with plenty of stock and fast shipping right to you. They also operate a fan newsletter that's packed with exclusive deals just for signing up.

In its nomination thread, a few of you pointed out that their brick and mortar stores are worth a look if you have one near you, and pointed out that their inventory is solid, their site is easy to use and browse, and while they don't have the same comparison and shopping tools that other retailers have, they're a great option if you're shopping around for a good price on something that may be out of stock or more expensive everywhere else. Read more in its nomination thread here.

Now that you've seen the top five, it's time to put them to an all-out vote to determine the Lifehacker community favorite:

This week's honorable mentions go out to Fry's Electronics and Other World Computing (OWC), both of which missed the top five by just a handful of votes.

Fry's Electronics operates both brick-and-mortar and online stores packed with products, and is up there with Micro Center in that many people describe it as a bit of a geek's amusement park-somewhere you can go and spend all day browsing, trying out gear before you buy it, researching different options, checking out things you want to buy in person, and talking to other knowledgeable people. Their website is much the same-packed with a great selection of products at great prices. You even described it as "Costco for computer parts," and we think that's accurate. Check out its nomination thread here.

In the same vein, Other World Computing has been in business for ages, and while it was once primarily a site for Mac owners to find specialized gear for their computers (and to find great prices on Apple gear that often beat out Apple directly-not to mention one of the first places to offer upgraded and refurbished Apple products at great prices) the site has grown to be a great resource for all computer shoppers, whether you're shopping for a new PC or just looking for upgrades for your current one. Check out its nomination thread here.

Want to make the case for your personal favorite, even if it wasn't included in the list? Remember, the top five are based on your most popular nominations from the call for contenders thread earlier in the week. Don't just complain about the top five, let us know what your preferred alternative is-and make your case for it-in the discussions below.
The Hive Five is based on reader nominations. As with most Hive Five posts, if your favorite was left out, it didn't get the nominations required in the call for contenders post to make the top five. We understand it's a bit of a popularity contest. Have a suggestion for the Hive Five? Send us an email at tips+hivefive@lifehacker.com!

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If you're building a new PC or shopping for upgrades, you need a trustworthy place to buy. Not all retailers are the same-some offer great discounts, good customer service, and even helpful tools so you buy the best gear for your money. This week, we're checking out five of the best, based on your nominations.

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Computer Parts & Upgrades at Office Depot OfficeMax

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Buy computer parts & upgrades from Office Depot & OfficeMax to save big. Shop online or in-store today for computer parts & more.

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cpu hardware networking pcs notebooks digital cameras camcorder projectors fax printers lcd plasma tv monitors byopc components upgrades optical dvd cd media hard drives video sound cards motherboard backup ink cartridges pda mp3 players cables furniture technical manuals software video game system movies

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Micro Center - Computers and Electronics

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Micro Center - Computers and Electronics - Thousands of products to buy: desktops, laptops, monitors, build your own PC parts, upgrades, digital imaging, printing supplies, portable devices, audio equipment, software, video games, movies, tech books, plus repair service, store hours, directions, and employment opportunities.

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This wikiHow teaches you how to build a desktop computer using custom parts. Successfully building a computer is largely contingent on defining your computer goals and budget, buying the right parts, and putting everything together in the...

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How to build a computer: The complete guide!

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How to build a computer: The complete guide!

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Building a computer from scratch gives you the perfect machine for your needs, but it can be daunting the first time around. Here's our complete guide, from picking the parts, to putting it together and installing your OS.

This Night School series was originally published in 2011. We've gone through and given it some much-needed updates: we changed outdated references, added some new resources and tools, and expanded a few sections. Enjoy!

For our first lesson in building your own PC, we start with a little computer hardware basics.

In this lesson, we'll show you how to most effectively pick out and shop for your parts.

Assembling your computer can seem daunting, but it's actually pretty easy. In lesson 3, we show you step-by-step how to put everything together.

Once you've put it together, you're past the difficult portion. Lesson 4 deals with installing your operating system and get everything up and running.

There's a lot more computer-building info out there than we can fit into one Night School. In our final lesson, we share some other resources that should help you in both the building and post-building steps.

If you'd like all of these lessons in a printable format, I recommend sending each article to a service like Readability or Pocket. That way, you can print out a clean, readable version that you can reference as you build. Thanks for learning with us this week!

Check out the full Lifehacker Night School series for more beginners lessons covering all sorts of topics.

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How to Build a Computer: The Complete Guide

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Building a computer from scratch gives you the perfect machine for your needs, but it can be daunting the first time around. Here's our complete guide, from picking the parts, to putting it together and installing your OS. This Night School series was originally published in 2011.

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Many people rely on technology to stay connected to the world and organise their lives. Buying a new device can be a difficult task. There are many options and factors to consider such as computer capability, physical size, Wi-fi access and security.

Laptop, desktop, tablet or smartphone?

There is a range of different models and manufacturers producing devices at various prices.

Before you buy a device, you should consider:

what you'll use your computer for

if you'll need to use it in different places

frequency of use

what other devices you need to connect to

Laptop

If you travel often or want a computer that you can take anywhere, a laptop could be suitable for you.

A laptop is a personal computer for mobile use. A laptop integrates most of the typical components of a desktop computer, including a display, a keyboard, a pointing device (a touchpad, also known as a trackpad or a pointing stick) and speakers in a single unit.

A laptop is powered by mains electricity through an AC adapter or away from an outlet using a rechargeable battery. A new laptop battery typically stores enough energy to run the laptop for three to five hours, depending on the computer usage, configuration and power management settings.

When the laptop is plugged into the mains, the battery charges, even if the computer is not running. As the battery ages, energy storage will progressively decline to last only a few minutes.

If you want a device that you can work on comfortably for long periods of time and can store lots of large files, you might make the laptop your choice. A laptop accommodates all work functions from spreadsheets to emails and social media.

Desktop

A desktop computer is a good option if you have a home office and you don't need to take the computer to other locations.

A desktop computer is a personal computer (PC) in a form intended for regular use at a single location, as opposed to a mobile laptop or portable computer.

Desktop and tower computers are two styles of computer case that use desk space in different ways. Desktop computers are designed to lay flat on the desk, while towers stand upright.

"Desktop" indicates a horizontally-oriented computer case usually intended to have the display screen placed on top to save space on the desktop. Most modern desktop computers have separate screens and keyboards.

Tower cases are sometimes incorrectly called desktop computers as some will put them on a desk instead of on the floor under the desk. Cases intended for home theatre PC systems are usually considered to be desktop cases in both senses, regardless of orientation and placement.

Tablet

Slim and lightweight, tablets are a type of internet-enabled computer that work in a similar way to smart phones, with touch screens and downloadable apps.

Although Tablets are capable of running work applications, they are mainly bought as a portable device used for quick web browsing (internet), emailing and portable entertainment.

As well as being simple to use and easy to carry around, tablets turn on quickly, providing almost instant access to the internet or your apps.

Apps can be downloaded to add an enormous range of functions, from drawing to games and work- based activities like Word Excel.

Here's a list of the most common uses for tablets:

reading books, newspapers and magazines

browsing the web

playing games

watching catch-up TV

sending and receiving emails

making video calls

Smartphone

A smartphone combines the features of a mobile phone with those of other popular mobile devices, such as media player and GPS navigation unit. Most smartphones are accessed by a touchscreen, can run third-party apps and have camera phones. Those produced from 2012 have high-speed mobile broadband and mobile payment mechanisms. Not only can you talk to one another on your smartphones but you can text, play music and games, get directions, take pictures, check e-mails, find a restaurant, surf the internet or watch a movie.

Portability

It's important to consider size when choosing a device, especially if you will be travelling with it. Devices range in both size and weight.

Screen size

Screen size is very much a personal preference, however, do consider what you are mainly using the device for. The size of a smartphone screen is usually about 6.5" to 8" in diameter, the screen size of a tablet ranges from 7" to 13.3" and the screen size of a laptop ranges from 11" to 17". Resolution and clarity of the screen depends on the device. It's generally accepted that the larger the screen, the shorter the battery life. Smaller size is great for travelling, however, having a large screen can make watching movies and videos more visually entertaining.

The processor

The processor controls the speed and performance of a laptop. A processor's speed is measured in gigahertz (GHz).

Memory

Also known as 'RAM', Random Access Memory is a form of computer data storage and is what the computer uses to run applications, your browser and the operating system.

Gigabytes (GB) are units of computer memory storage capacity.

It's important to choose the amount of memory depending on what you wish to use the device for.

Photos taken with smartphones are improving in quality and may reach 4MB per photo. Using that as an estimate benchmark, 1GB would hold about 256 photos. If you take 10 photos a day, you'll fill up 16GB in a little over a year.

Apps have also grown in size. Some games can go from between 40MB to over 1GB per game.

Hard drive

The hard drive determines how much storage capacity your computer has. When you download music, store photos and videos, you are taking up space on the device's hard drive. If you store many music, photo or video files, you should choose a device that has a higher number of GB. 16GB or 32GB is normally enough for most to survive on their mobile devices if not over storing Apps or files.

Battery life

You should check the battery life for a particular laptop or netbook. In general, the larger the screen, keyboard and device, the less amount of time your device can keep running on a charged battery.

Tips to help you choose

surf the internet for the specific information on each device and model

visit a retailer to get a better idea about any device you are considering buying

lift the device to gauge its weight

play around with the touchpad on the device to see how comfortable you are with it.

For all computers and laptops, it's important to buy or download security software to protect devices from viruses.

Buying a device involves a series of decisions. Once you have assessed your needs, the process can be simpler. By keeping these factors and considerations in mind, you can avoid some of the frustration and confusion that accompanies finding the device that is right for you.

More useful links

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Many people rely on technology to stay connected to the world and organise their lives. Buying a new device can be a difficult task. There are many options and factors to consider such as computer capability, physical size, Wi-fi access and security.

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10 Things To Consider When Buying A Computer

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10 Things To Consider When Buying A Computer

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Buying a new laptop or desktop PC can be quite confusing. Many people find it difficult to compare prices, features, processor types, etc to find the right choice in accordance with their requirements. In this post, we will tell you the top 10 things to consider before buying a PC.

10. Usability

It is important that you first consider the tasks that you will be performing on your PC. If you wish to buy a computer for simply browsing the internet and using some online services than it might be better to buy a single core computer which satisfies your minimum requirements. On the contrary, if you require using it for heavy video editing and professional work, then it might be better to buy a system that has enhanced multimedia options.

9. Price

This brings us to our next consideration of price. There might be some very fancy features that you want in your new PC. However, if you don't have the cash to pay for let's say a graphics card with 1GB memory, then you might be better off choosing suitable alternatives.

8. Operating System Type.

Users with minimum requirements may be better off buying a Windows Starter or Home Premium version e.g. of Windows 7. For users who wish to take advantage of more enhanced features and require more effective tools such as connecting their PC to a domain are naturally better off buying a Professional or Ultimate Edition. Having said that the cost of a Windows 7 Ultimate Edition can be as much as 219$.

7. Size

Some people prefer buying larger laptops for a better display screen, whereas others prefer smaller and more portable sizes. If you are setting up a server which will be placed in a server room then size considerations will not matter much as large servers with multiple SCSI drives are normally quite big. Whereas, for people with weak eye sights a laptop with a larger display screen might be worth the price.

6. Peripherals

Peripheral devices such as printers, scanners, etc can significantly increase or reduce your price for buying a new PC. It might be better off buying a system with a DVD combo drive if you do not require writing data to DVDs.

5. Brand

Some brands offer better warranties, whereas others offer software packages that come with the system. For example, a Dell laptop with the same specifications may be cheaper than a Sony Vio. The reason is that Sony provides many of its own software with their laptops which saves the users cost for buying software, e.g. a DVD burning. However, if you already have many such licensed or freeware software available, then it might be better to go for cheaper brands. Acer, for instance, is known for its low-cost laptops that provide more enhanced specs like hard disk space and RAM as compared to its competitors.

4. Hard Disk

Hard Disk considerations might not mean much to a lay user, nonetheless, having the right amount of disk space and disk type might be necessary for the efficient management of regular tasks for a professional. A common user may merely have to decide between buying a 120GB or 320 GB hard disk system. An IT professional on the contrary might have to decide between a SCSI or a SATA drive. As a scuzzy or SCSI(Small Computer System Interface) drive might be required for Raid configurations.

3. RAM

It is obvious that for more professional tasks and to run a Xeon Server there will be more RAM required than for merely using a PC for browsing the internet. Moreover, the RAM type may matter more than many people might consider. For example, there are not many applications currently available that can take advantage of DDR3 RAM types, one may be better of saving some dimes by buying a system with a DDR4 RAM.

2. Processor

The Processor is one of the most important parts of a system and can mean the difference between a system that frequently hangs and the one that runs smoothly. Some people might think that going for the low-cost single core or Dual Core processors is a good idea but I would not recommend either of them for anyone who requires using a system for more than basic usage. Moreover, one might be better off buying a Corei3 system instead of a Core2Duo as the later might be more expensive and less efficient than the former. A Corei3 can cost up to 113$ whereas, a Core2Duo can cost 130$. For more demanding professionals, it might be a better idea to buy a corei5 (if not a Core i7), as the core i5 uses Turbo Boost technology other than Hyper Threading.

1. Warranty

Warranty makes up the most important consideration for people when buying a system. Having one covered with the right kind of hardware warranty is essential and should be unconditional. I still remember when Sony had to recall several Laptops due to a battery fault because of which their Laptops caught fire. I'm sure none of us would like to have a Laptop that we can fry omelets on without the guarantee of replacement.

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10 Things To Consider When Buying A Computer

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Buying a new laptop or desktop PC can be quite confusing. Many people find it difficult to compare prices, features, processor types, etc to find the right choice in accordance with their requirements. In this post, we will tell you the top 10 things to consider before buying a PC.