Would a 1 year warranty be sufficient for desktop ?

[JordanJP]

I just need opinions, If I was going to buy a desktop computer, should I spend more money and get the extended 2,3 or 4 year warranty ? Or should I just stick with the standard 1 year.

Compared to a notebook, a desktop is obviously less prone to damages, obviously due to not transporting it around and so on.

Anyways, I would appreciate opinions, I'm thinking and looking into possible getting a gaming desktop soon.

PS

Would you agree that the hardware in a desktop is stronger and less susceptible to failure compared to a laptop ?

 

[bigmck]

I just need opinions, If I was going to buy a desktop computer, should I spend more money and get the extended 2,3 or 4 year warranty ? Or should I just stick with the standard 1 year.

Compared to a notebook, a desktop is obviously less prone to damages, obviously due to not transporting it around and so on.

Anyways, I would appreciate opinions, I'm thinking and looking into possible getting a gaming desktop soon.

PS

Would you agree that the hardware in a desktop is stronger and less susceptible to failure compared to a laptop ?

I wouldn't buy one. I haven't ever had much problem at all with the ones I have had. I don't know the money involved, but you can have them fixed pretty cheap these days.

 

[DreemWarrior]

I just need opinions, If I was going to buy a desktop computer, should I spend more money and get the extended 2,3 or 4 year warranty ? Or should I just stick with the standard 1 year.

Compared to a notebook, a desktop is obviously less prone to damages, obviously due to not transporting it around and so on.

Anyways, I would appreciate opinions, I'm thinking and looking into possible getting a gaming desktop soon.

PS

Would you agree that the hardware in a desktop is stronger and less susceptible to failure compared to a laptop ?

Not necessarily. And this is just my opinion...
Laptops are built to be portable, obviously. So by nature components have to be able to withstand much rigorous stress and abuse as opposed to a desktop.I know I have put my poor laptop throught the ringer, and it takes it and keeps going.
As far as warranty, most hardware failures will occur inside that one year warranty. Thats not to say the extended isnt a good idea. Its always good practice to protect your investment. I am at the end of a one year warranty on a Dell(never do that again), and after NUMEROUS calls to support, and OS reinstalls that I cant count, about the only advice I can give is that unless you build your own rig(almost done w mine) and have the ability/funds to repair it yourself, get as much coverage as you can or be prepared to fork over a few hundred for every in home service call.

 

[Joan Archer]

Well when I bought this machine of mine, it came with Vista and I installed Windows 7 on another partition, I took out an extended warranty that takes me into 2011.
I'm not in a financial position to be able to pay out for repairs if anything goes wrong and it covers on site visits, which is a bonus to me.

OK if it's software related problems I know I can get help here or just get my son-in-law to sort it out, he runs his own repair business for computers.

 

[Little Darwin]

I have never heard a professional financial advisor etc ever suggest getting an extended warrantee, although I did hear one with an exception, but it wasn't for computers.

In general the retailers offer extended warrantees for profit, not for your benefit.

With that said, I did have a 3 year extended warrantee on a laptop, and just before the 3 years the keyboard lost a key and the power connector on the motherboard got loose. The heyboard and motherboard were both replaced (I don't know if they were new or refurbished, but they both work, so I don't care. ). I bought fairly high end back then, so my wife is now using it for her studies at university, and it is doing quite well. The school uses XP, which is what the system came with... If nothing else, the extended warrantee bought us an additional year or more of reasonable laptop usage. But I think that it was the exception, and not the rule.

 

[NoN]

I just need opinions, If I was going to buy a desktop computer, should I spend more money and get the extended 2,3 or 4 year warranty ? Or should I just stick with the standard 1 year.

Compared to a notebook, a desktop is obviously less prone to damages, obviously due to not transporting it around and so on.

Anyways, I would appreciate opinions, I'm thinking and looking into possible getting a gaming desktop soon.

PS

Would you agree that the hardware in a desktop is stronger and less susceptible to failure compared to a laptop ?

I will suggest you at least 2 years warranty as if you plan gaming it might takes a lot of ressources and make the pieces works more that planned.

I'm on a laptop and didn't take straight away the extended warranty of the retailler, but the manufacturer for the same price offer a 2 or 3 years choice extended warranty on his site...Between the first day of purchase from 90 days (3 years choice) to 365 days (2 years choice), I'll have to buy this extended warranty and activate it.

Maybe check before on the brand site if they do such manner then take your usual 1 year warranty from the retailler and you could decided by yourself later if you need really one.

 

[TheSchaft]

I just need opinions, If I was going to buy a desktop computer, should I spend more money and get the extended 2,3 or 4 year warranty ? Or should I just stick with the standard 1 year.

Compared to a notebook, a desktop is obviously less prone to damages, obviously due to not transporting it around and so on...

... Would you agree that the hardware in a desktop is stronger and less susceptible to failure compared to a laptop ?

As with some other posters, I'd go with the extended for a laptop, but not a desktop. Reason? Laptops almost always take more abuse, and desktops are cheaper - and getting more so all the time.

As for the hardware being stronger and less suceptable to failure, I'd tend to agree - with no emperical evidence, mind you. A laptop has to be lighter, so the components are thinner and a laptop is exposed to more heat because there isn't anyplace for it to go.

All that being said, read the warrantees carefully - do you return it to the store or send it in? Who pays shipping (both ways)? And, most important, check what is and isn't covered.

 

[rjmach]

If I was going to buy a desktop computer

Hello
I bough a new Dell i7-435T-9000 desktop with one year warranty. I had it running for a couple of months and one day it would not boot up.:mad2:

So i called Dell and they told me i need a new mother board & video card. One wk went by and the tech guy put in the new parts and i was up running again.
So now i am thinking of going to 2years now. If i was you buy 2 years warranty.

I hope this helps you to make the right decisions.

 

[stormy13]

Hmm let's see what you get if you build your own,

motherboard - most come with a 2-3 year warranty
video card - depending on manufacturer, anywhere from 1 year (most start at 2 years) to lifetime warranty
memory - most have lifetime warranty
power supplies - most reputable brands are 3-5 years
monitors - most are three year

won't count DVD drives as for what they cost new, not worth worrying about.

All of that beats the standard one year warranty that comes with most if not all pre-builts, and doesn't cost extra for the extra years. To me an extended warranty is about the same as buying a lottery ticket; if something goes wrong (not often) you win, if nothing breaks in that time you lose (most of the time).

 

[SIW2]

Don't you get an extra year added on to the manufacturer guarantee by your credit card company?

Quite a lot of them do.

 

[NoN]

Don't you get an extra year added on to the manufacturer guarantee by your credit card company?

Quite a lot of them do.

Was it only for damage or stolen material and problem on payment delay? Might depend of what kind of card.

 

[whs]

If you add the cost of an extra 3 year warranty, you can probably get a new computer. And after 3 or 4 years you will anyhow. In my book these warranties are a scam - like most insurances.

 

[seekermeister]

Personally, I would never purchase additional warranty on anything, including a desktop, but then I would never buy an over-the-counter desktop anyway. I always build my own, and the only warranty involved is the ones on the components used to build it with. It will vary with the type of component, and the version chosen, but generally the warranty periods of the components that I buy exceed 1 year, which I find preferable to relying on some manufacturer's warranty.

Building one's own computer is very easy, and does not require a lot of time. If things goes well, I can assemble a computer in about an hour, and have it running in 2. Doing this, I don't have to worry about voiding the warranty by opening the case, as is the case with some store bought computers.

All that said, I would not consider a 1 year warranty to be adequate to cover all situations on a desktop, laptop, etc. If I had to pay extra for a longer warranty, I would look for another computer with a better warranty as standard.

 

[whs]

If I had to pay extra for a longer warranty, I would look for another computer with a better warranty as standard

Unfortunately there are none of those around, or you pay thru the nose to get the better warranty - indirectly. But even if you do not build yourself, you can go to a small local builder. There you can usually make individual arrangements.

 

[Terrorz]

Its been 2 months now I got my laptop, and I didnt get any warranty with it, most come with 1 yr of manufacturer warranty... and long as you have a good antivirus, dosent have to be a paid one, Microsoft Security Essentials is great and free. For hardware I would say you have to treat your laptop well, and use it very delicately and PCs are stronger I would say, but in my opinion in the long run laptops are better, but of course as long as you take care of either, then they both will be perfect. Get a lapptop

 

[Frostmourne]

Build your own PC and if it breaks a stupid technician will not have to fix it, taking years.

 

[HJA]

Build your own PC and if it breaks a stupid technician will not have to fix it, taking years.

How true!!! I needed to replace a Gateway 486 board (I know, I'm old)and Gateway wanted $700 for a new one. Found a used for $75 and replaced it myself. Never looked back. Learn to repair it yourself. Much cheaper and faster.

 

[whs]

Build your own PC and if it breaks a stupid technician will not have to fix it, taking years.

How true!!! I needed to replace a Gateway 486 board (I know, I'm old)and Gateway wanted $700 for a new one. Found a used for $75 and replaced it myself. Never looked back. Learn to repair it yourself. Much cheaper and faster.

$700 for an old board - that is street robbery. Only problem with building yourself is with laptops. I have not seen anybody build one of those yet. But I guess it can be done.

 

[pebbly]

Build your own PC and if it breaks a stupid technician will not have to fix it, taking years.

How true!!! I needed to replace a Gateway 486 board (I know, I'm old)and Gateway wanted $700 for a new one. Found a used for $75 and replaced it myself. Never looked back. Learn to repair it yourself. Much cheaper and faster.

$700 for an old board - that is street robbery. Only problem with building yourself is with laptops. I have not seen anybody build one of those yet. But I guess it can be done.

i think the logistics for that is out of our reach but i would certainly love to have a go at building a laptop

 

[noyb]

I know too many who have been disappointed with the extended warranties ...
Their computers were tore up being serviced by non factory personnel.

Personally .. I like the manufactures warranty ...
Notice that the top two computer Here .. Have a 2 year factory warranty.