Until recently my favourite electronics retailer was NCIX. They have huge selection of computer equipment and pretty low prices. My favourite part though, is their price match policy. NCIX will match prices of any Canadian retailer, all they need is a link to competitor's page with lower price posted. Armed with that and some good "googling" skills you can get some ridiculously low prices.
To make things simpler, there are sites that can compare prices from multiple retailers. Simply search for the model number of the item you want. PriceCanada is my favourite. I particularly like their price history feature. Unfortunately, for more exhaustive search you'll have to use others as well. Here's my list:
Now if only I can get the same deal locally, without having to pay shipping fees and worry about RMAs… This is were Memory Express comes in. They are relatively new to Winnipeg computer and electronics scene, but by far the best choice. They might not have the largest selection or lowest prices, but they do have the same price matching policy as NCIX.
Just last month they've built me a gorgeous little white box server for just $1040 including tax and labour. Here is the part list:
- Motherboard: ASUS P6T SE
- CPU: Intel i7 930 Quad Core
- RAM: 3x2GB Patriot Extreme Performance Viper DDR3-1333
- Video: ASUS Radeon HD 4350 (512MB)
- Case: Antec Sonata III ATX with 500W power supply
- Other: 1TB HDD, CD/DVD burner drive
By shopping around for best deals on components and using Memory Express I paid $400-$700 less compared to Future Shop or Best Buy.
