Fry's weekend MB/CPU combo deals

Mohonri

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Here are the weekend deals for MB/CPU combos at Fry's. This is confirmed for the Houston area, but most will apply in other places as well. Links work from anywhere.

Athlon64 3000+ w/ ECS MB - $130
Athlon64 FX-55 (retail) w/ Asus A8N-SLI - $939
Athlon64 X2 4200 (retail) w/ ECS nForce4-A939 MB - $500
Athlon64 3500+ w/ ECS NF4-A939 - $230 <--Good deal here! (available at outpost.com for $279 )
Athlon64 3200+ w/ Gigabyte GA-K8NSC-939 (S939) - $300 <--not so good deal here, but you can get it for $270 at outpost.com
Sempron 2800+ w/ PC Chips Socket A Motherboard - $70 <--VERY good deal!
Also, an Athlon64 3200 w/ ECS MB (socket 754) for $170

In addition, there is an even better deal. I DO NOT CONDONE DOING THIS (I don't think it's quite fair to Fry's), but it seems legal. I overheard while standing in line a couple days ago that if you get the combo, the CPU and MB are listed separately on your receipt. The discount goes on the CPU. The person I overheard said that he bought the $70 combo, then returned the motherboard for $50 (in-store credit), netting him a Sempron 2600 or 2800 for $20.
 
BTW: this deal: (at least in Phoenix) Athlon64 3000+ w/ ECS MB - $130 has a MB that uses a NF3 chipset.

==>Lazn
 
I tried that long time ago (the return the motherboard only thing) at the Renton, WA fry's. Didn't work, they wanted the whole combo. so YMMV
 
Apparently in my Fry's (not quite close to home, but close to work) on I-45 in Houston, it works. yes, YMMV
 
Mohonri said:
In addition, there is an even better deal. I DO NOT CONDONE DOING THIS (I don't think it's quite fair to Fry's), but it seems legal. I overheard while standing in line a couple days ago that if you get the combo, the CPU and MB are listed separately on your receipt. The discount goes on the CPU. The person I overheard said that he bought the $70 combo, then returned the motherboard for $50 (in-store credit), netting him a Sempron 2600 or 2800 for $20.

Just so you know, that sounds like misinformation!

I've done MANY Frys MB-CPU deals and they have ALWAYS taken the discount off of both items.
Sometimes they will let you return one or the other, but technically it's a UNIT purchase and they may not let you split it up... :(
 
I think it depends on the employee or not being able to know what a CPU/MB Combo looks like on the recipt.
 
Man, the Fry's ad isn't up on the latimes site. I might have to go buy a paper.
 
odoe said:
Man, the Fry's ad isn't up on the latimes site. I might have to go buy a paper.

Pfft, at least you HAVE a Fry's near you. :( I'd practically kill for one down here (Pensacola, FL)! That Athlon 64 3000 combo deal is really hard to beat.
 
I dunno what west coasters think these days, but some of my dot-bomb-fallout friends now here in the midwest regard Fry's as the ultimate in sleazy retail for their policies of the mid to late 90s... specifically dozens of stories of putting returned, broken, and improperly labelled merchandise back on the shelves after re-shrinkwrapping in the back.
 
RogerX said:
... specifically dozens of stories of putting returned, broken, and improperly labelled merchandise back on the shelves after re-shrinkwrapping in the back.
Fry's does put returned merchandise back on the shelf, but they put a return sticker on it as well, so you can tell the 'real' new stuff from the 'returned' new stuff.
 
Ive bought a combo and returned the board before for a refund, they split the discount out between the cpu and mb. they didnt seem to have a problem doing it either.

Ive been very very tempted to get one of those amd/ecs bundles instead of replacing my dying socket 478mb with an ic7. infact that 3000+ and ecs board is cheaper than JUST the ic7-g
 
Athlon64 3000+ w/ ECS MB - $130 has a MB that uses a NF3 chipset.
I bought this about a month ago, I must say for a BUDGET set up The board and CPU are Fukin FAST! I was amazed. The ECS board has alot of OC options. Was one of the easiest Build and loads ive done.
Stuffed a 512 3200 Corsair stick in it.

It boots from button on to go in about 15 to 18 seconds! :eek:

I bought this to build a budget system for the Wifeys Sister. She didnt have the cash so I let a neighbor test drive it for a week last week, Called him yesterday and wants 2 more!
So off I go to frys this morning.

ECS gets alot of bad rap from the typicle "we know it all crowd but we have never owned one or actualy seen one fail" Its only been a month but the board seems very solid! For the price the gamble is worth it!
I am gonna get 3 more 2 for my neighbor and 1 more for me to tweak , Im gonna push the OC a bit and see what it does.Then Ill sell it to the wifeys sister if it dont blow
:D Its gonna be a expensive shopping day :D
3 Combos, 6 Opticles drives, 3 Hard drives, A handfull of Mem sticks, and 3 XP OEM's. I alreay have the case's Bought 4 centurian Cooler masters on E bay for $5.11 each :eek:

BTW the combo DOES NOT COME with a Heatsink and fan! its a bare CPU
 
i think all of my computers, except for mine, were built starting with fry's mobo/cpu combo's.... 2 A64's, and 2 Sempron 2600's, you cant beat their deals... and if doesnt work (which only happens if you get a returned mobo so watch for the sticker) just return it for another one
 
damn, i want 2 of them amd 64/ecs for 130$ combo's..

no fry's around here..

anyone wanna grab em and ship em to me.. *a little grease money will be included in what i send*
 
Mohonri said:
In addition, there is an even better deal. I DO NOT CONDONE DOING THIS (I don't think it's quite fair to Fry's), but it seems legal. I overheard while standing in line a couple days ago that if you get the combo, the CPU and MB are listed separately on your receipt. The discount goes on the CPU. The person I overheard said that he bought the $70 combo, then returned the motherboard for $50 (in-store credit), netting him a Sempron 2600 or 2800 for $20.

ive tried it (i know! sorry!) and it doesnt work. They told me that since these were bought together, they need to be exchanged/returned together.
 
Veeb0rg said:
damn, i want 2 of them amd 64/ecs for 130$ combo's..

no fry's around here..

anyone wanna grab em and ship em to me.. *a little grease money will be included in what i send*

How much we talking? ;)
 
RogerX said:
I dunno what west coasters think these days, but some of my dot-bomb-fallout friends now here in the midwest regard Fry's as the ultimate in sleazy retail for their policies of the mid to late 90s... specifically dozens of stories of putting returned, broken, and improperly labelled merchandise back on the shelves after re-shrinkwrapping in the back.

That is why we call Fry's: Try's . MB's and chips are constantly returned after Joe Sixpack realizes that those ECS boards do not overclock well, and keep returning chips until thye find one that overclocks a little better. :rolleyes:
 
Hey, I got that combo of 3000+ and ecs mobo about a month ago, unless you have tried it, don't bomb on this combo. Atleast for me, I oced this and bench marked it, giving scores the same as a a64 4000+, not bad if I do say so myself.

So don't assume, when you don't know. ECS k7s5a board was a piece of shit and basically thats where it stemed from that ECS boards were crap. Seems they have upped their quality now though and with many OC options now also.
 
yeah, ive been hearing pretty good things about the newer ecs boards, id get that 3000+ combo except its socket 754
 
swetmore said:
That is why we call Fry's: Try's . MB's and chips are constantly returned after Joe Sixpack realizes that those ECS boards do not overclock well, and keep returning chips until thye find one that overclocks a little better. :rolleyes:

i returned those ecs boards cause they just never worked for me...
 
Gh()st said:
What's the ECS board model/version?

K7VTA3 if it's a Socket 462. However, lately they've been putting the PC Chips M848ALU with the Sempron combos. Both PC Chips and ECS are owned by Elitegroup.
 
Starrbuck said:
K7VTA3 if it's a Socket 462. However, lately they've been putting the PC Chips M848ALU with the Sempron combos.

I actually found it out on ECS's website. It's a NFORCE3-A939 (1.0).

linky
 
That's a Socket 939 (Athlon 64). I thought you were talking about the Sempron board.
 
the 3000+ bundle is socket 754, not 939, atleast from what ive seen in store and in the ad
 
Yep, the specials are typically not the latest or most-desired versions of chips and mb's.
 
I got that 3500 and ECS board combo and it is L337. I was surprised on how good the board was because I know all too well about ECS's bad rep. And my friend has returned a mobo after buying it from a combo, but it was broken
 
fry's has good cpu/mobo deals

i jumped on a celeron D/soyo deal.... sold the mobo and put the celeron D in a sff.... overclocks great

side note:
J4BOnlin3 your sig is waay too long.... it is suposed to be no longer then 10 lines
 
being that Im on a business trip in Anahiem right now I figured I would go down to frys(always wanted to go to one) and try and get the $130 combo to use for a htpc or something. The guys at the desk where the mobos/cpus are didnt know what I was talking about. Upon asking them what combos they did know of they replied "We dont do combos!"


I was amazed by the store though. I wish we had them in Kentucky.

I did find some other good deals though. I dont know how Im going to fit all this stuff in my suitcase when I fly back home on friday.
 
bink said:
I did find some other good deals though. I dont know how Im going to fit all this stuff in my suitcase when I fly back home on friday.


You could always just FEDEX it to yourself
If you send it ground, you should have it by Monday (latest).
 
bink said:
being that Im on a business trip in Anahiem right now I figured I would go down to frys(always wanted to go to one) and try and get the $130 combo to use for a htpc or something. The guys at the desk where the mobos/cpus are didnt know what I was talking about. Upon asking them what combos they did know of they replied "We dont do combos!"


I was amazed by the store though. I wish we had them in Kentucky.

I did find some other good deals though. I dont know how Im going to fit all this stuff in my suitcase when I fly back home on friday.

no no no, the anaheim ones have stupid people. the fountain valley one is the one to be at.
 
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