building a PC abroad

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Cloudy

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jan 31, 2003
Messages
372
E2180 9,480円
http://www.dospara.co.jp/goods_pc_parts/goods_pc_parts.php?dr=50&sc=2&iv=y&stk=0&findtext=e2180&sn=y

WD32000AAKS 7,480円
http://www.dospara.co.jp/goods_pc_parts/goods_pc_parts_spec.php?ic=70325

GA-P35-S3G 11,480円
http://www.dospara.co.jp/goods_pc_p...r=50&sc=2&iv=y&stk=0&findtext=GA-P35-S3G&sn=y

Arctic Silver 5　 1,580円
http://www.dospara.co.jp/goods_pc_p...0&sc=2&iv=y&stk=0&findtext=arctic+silver&sn=y

Freezer 7 Pro 3,080円
http://www.dospara.co.jp/goods_pc_p...dr=50&sc=2&iv=y&stk=0&findtext=freezer+7&sn=y

DDR2 SDRAM PC2-6400 ADATA 1GB　x2　5,360円
http://www.dospara.co.jp/goods_pc_parts/goods_pc_parts_spec.php?ic=72058

Evergreen SilentKing4 450W (LW-6450H-4) 3,980円
http://www.dospara.co.jp/goods_pc_parts/goods_pc_parts_spec.php?ic=77664

ECS 9600GT 22,980円
http://www.dospara.co.jp/goods_pc_parts/goods_pc_parts_spec.php?ic=79762

65,420円, $608

So this is what I'm looking at. A cheap, overclockable system. Yes, that is the plan. Gonna go for that 3Ghz sweet-spot. I'm still up in the air on the case, not looking for anything too fancy as I'll likely be selling the system about 16 months from now anyway. Also, I need a monitor. Again, nothing too crazy. I'm going to set the monitor price limit around $200 max. I should be able to play all the new titles a nice 20" widescreen's resolution no problem.

Questions

1) Is the PSU ok? The stuff I've been reading around the boards lately all point to corsair. I don't want to spend the money on one of them. This PSU looks like a great deal if the voltages are consistant and efficient.

2) How about ECS as a video card maker? The other brands listed on this site I'm familiar with are gigabyte and leadtek, though I choose the ECS to shave off a few bucks. A quick note, the cheapest 3850 is actually more expensive than this 9600gt, so this card seemed like an obvious choice.

3) The ram. I've read that A-Data is rockin', but have no experience with it myself. any problems there? Pushing the CPU's FSB to 300Mhz (3Ghz = 300Mhz * 10x multipler) will put the ram at what? 300Mhz * 2? So the ram will actually be running underclocked if I remain in sync, correct?

One more thing, as I've relocated, I've left behind all my old building tools. I thankfully remembered the Arctic Silver and screwdriver(s), but what am I missing? Assuming I take care of a DVI cable, am I missing anything? Power cables? SATA cables? Putting together and troubleshooting. Comments, advice welcome and appreciated

Thanks,

Original Post

Hey everybody,

This post has been a long time coming. I'm currently working as an assistant english teacher in japan and my laptop just hasn't been fulfilling me. This is the first time I haven't had a desktop in 7 years. I'm conflicted between a couple ideas that are both overwhelmingly fill with cons. It would be possible for me to buy pieces from a japanese website and assemble the computer myself, though I'm a little worried about that for a few reasons. The manuals and customer support will obviously be in japanese. RMAing would be a nightmare. And it's been a few years since I've pieced together a computer. I'm not feeling as confident as I did in college.

The other option is buy a pre-made. I could do this through an american company and either see if they can ship internationally, or have a family member be the go-between. The problems there would be similar. If I bought from an american country, I don't know if I would be voiding any warranties shipping it overseas/using it overseas, not to mention the risk of having a computer shipped.

So those are my ideas as they've been floating around my head for the past few months. I've signed the contract to continue this job at least until august 2009, at which point I'll likely sell this desktop to someone here and move onto my next place in the world. That being said, I don't need a leet box and I'm not concerned about components at this point. After I figure out a means, I'll work on the specifics. Thanks,
 
Don't they have computer stores in Japan? Why not just go buy one from them? There has to be an equivalent to Best Buy or Fry's over there, I'm sure. Still has it's con's, but that would remove any shipping issues.

- Joey
 
Also, most manufacturers will have manuals available online in English, so don't let that put you off. I would NOT like to have my computer shipped internationally, but then I have no real experience with that kind of shipping so I may be overreacting.

I'd go ahead and put it together myself, and maybe go with brands that pride themselves on their customer support like EVGA in case anything needs to be RMA'd.
 
@Cloudy

I build my PC in China for my job and to play games on, and I have no problems in buying the parts here as for going home I don't think about go back the UK ever I have a better life here,

The only problem is some shop dealers just want to rip you off over the price for the parts, if you find a good dealer then all goes well for you. You have got to shop around. ask some of you students were the best places to go or ask the college I am sure they will help you. or you can take a male students with you that way you will not get rip off.

NEVER BUY A PC. ALWAYS BUILD IT YOUR SELF.
 
Japan does have computer shops, though they're just like the overpriced, spyware loaded things you buy anywhere else. The great thing about buying things online in this country is you can pay upon delivery. So you can check your order when they show up and refuse to pay if they messed something up.

I guess that's what I'll do then. I'll update the thread accordingly when I start piecing things together.
 
I cant believe that there isnt a Japanese speaking person on this board that couldnt help you.

We could always spec teh system for you and you could then get it that way.
 
Build It Yourself. Many of the "On Shore" companies are based over seas so your reliability concern is unfounded. You can also find step by step how to files on the net to help you in fuzzy areas. If worse came to worse couldn't you find someone to translate if you needed to RMA ? If you are living there you must be communicating in some way.

Take the Leap !!!!!:D More fun that way..
 
I pieced together a quick system, as a reference, to gauge prices and availability of hardware. What I found was gear is significantly more expensive over here. I used one of the first websites that google found me, dospara.co.jp, though the prices are the same over the japanese net.

The yen is about 107 to 1 usd right now, so I subtract about 5%, move the decimal over one, and I have a rough idea. 18,000yen for the Antec Sonata III for example comes out to ~$168 whereas it's about $110 in the states. I'm going to list out my pieces and give this thread another bump to see if anybody else has any other ideas.

Antec Sonata III, ~$168
E8400, ~$240 (retail)
9600GT, ~$220
GA-P35-DS3L, ~$115
A-DATA DDR2-800 2x2gb, ~$85
WD 500Gb SATAII, ~$90

Adding up the yen and then converting it takes the total to $933. I pieced the same system on newegg and it comes to $810. Because the price is so different, I'd like to see if anybody else has any other ideas. I'm also going to need to buy a monitor, so I'm not sure what I'll do there. :confused:
 
I'm gonna give this a bump and see if anybody else has more advice. I did find two holistic, well-reputed websites that would ship internationally: ewiz and tigerdirect. The shipping of the same setup with ewiz would bring the total about $50 over buying here in japan (before shipping, so I have no idea what the real cost would be)
 
Have you been to a SofMap? Or a Bic/Yodobashi?
I don't know where you are in Japan... but the prices at Sofmap aren't too terrible.
It would probably be a lot cheaper than having it shipped from the US.
Your best bet would be going to Akiba and barganing at one of the shops there.
Oh and I would highly reccomend picking up a Windy case ... you can only get them in Japan and they are just amazing .... make Lian Li look bad :)
 
No, I haven't. I'm only 70km away from saitama, but I'm in the most rural place in the country as far as I'm concerned. My village has like 600 people, no grocery stores, but a giant ski resort. Training to akihabara to spend a weekend buying all the pieces and training back would end up costing me several hundred dollars in itself. I'm just looking for help on the components at this point.
 
Yeah .... it is expensive... I didn't know where you were, but figured you were somewhere rural. I'm in Nagoya and train fare to Tokyo is very pricey.
If you are a hop away from Saitama there is a Sofmap GigaStore there:

埼玉県さいたま市大宮区桜木町2-1-1
大宮西武ビルアルシェ1F・B1F

Goodluck!
 
Professional Foreigner? haha. It certainly feels that way. I'm in fukushima-ken. As a ken, it's up there as one of the the least populated per capita prefectures, right with nagano. Though our biggest city is about 300,000. No Nagoya's around here. What are you doing about your pieces? Hitting up akihabara or ordering the stuff? I've already found the means to buy everything, I'm really looking for this community on component advice. Looking through my list, I realized I completely forgot about a dvd drive. Also, I'm having serious doubts about that power supply. Here are the ratings

450W
+3.3V(DC出力) 30A
+5V(DC出力) 35A
+3.3V&+5V(統合出力) 145W
+12V(DC出力:1) 15A
+12V(DC出力:2) 17A
+3.3V&+5V&+12V(統合出力) 450W
-12V(DC出力) 0.5A
+5VSB(DC出力) 2.0A
140×150×86mm
 
I brought a decent gaming laptop with me when I first came. Then after about a year I got the urge to build a desktop. I got most of my stuff from Sofmap, and a few things from a local shop that actually had some good used stuff.

As far as the power supply, I think it will be fine for what you are doing.
 
I'm in Saitama, Near Tokyo right now, I often go to Akihabara to look at used parts and special deals. My advice if you go there, stay away from the main street, the further back you go, the better deals you will find.
 
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