Show HN: I built a tool that prices a prebuilt PC part by part

(pcdealcheck.com)

61 points | by adlep 4 hours ago

12 comments

  • xnx 4 minutes ago
    Cool idea. Promising, but failed for me on https://www.amazon.com/Dell-XPS-8950-Desktop-i7-1TB/dp/B0BR9...

    I got pretty good results when I asked an agent to put components to build an equivalent PC in a cart for me.

    • adlep 0 minutes ago
      Let me see what is up. Can you share output?
  • blue_green_maps 19 minutes ago
    Is this similar to https://pcpartpicker.com ?
    • adlep 7 minutes ago
      PCPartPicker is awesome but more manual work, at least for me, and that takes time. This is a quick “paste the link” that then gets read to identify the components. Those get priced, and the deal also gets a score. So it’s almost like them but in reverse, and designed for a quick decision reference.
    • hk1337 15 minutes ago
      I was actually wondering this. Is it the same as pc part picker or used in addition to it?
      • vonneumannstan 9 minutes ago
        Seems like the inverse? Select a prebuilt PC from Origin, Alienware, Cyberpower, etc and it independently prices each part of the build so you can see if you are getting ripped off(you are).
        • adlep 6 minutes ago
          Exactly. Thank you! 100% the intent to come across
  • adlep 2 hours ago
    Thank you for nice comments. This is just a self financed prototype that will get better with use! I appreciate your time with testing/using the site. Lets not get ripped off! I expect the supply to get even tighter and prices going higher unfortunately. Local AI models, GIS/digital twins uses, robot training, VR, of course gamers, content creators, casual users, and of course people overseas all will be competing for similar hardware.
  • chrisgarand 1 hour ago
    I like the idea, I tried using it, however it gave me the following error: New photo and listing checks are currently available in the United States. More regions coming soon. You can still view saved reports.

    At first I tried with a Canadian website, so I tried with a US url (the message confused me), but it still gave me the error, I checked the response and got the following:

    { "error": "New photo and listing checks are currently available in the United States. More regions coming soon. You can still view saved reports.", "code": "read_region_unavailable", "recovery": "region" }

    I figur it checks the requester's ip location.

    • adlep 1 hour ago
      I have to be stingy on usage/bots. But we will open it up to Canada and Euro markets next. But it will require some traction and use and feedback. I am limited with api calls for pricing data.
      • embedding-shape 59 minutes ago
        > I am limited with api calls for pricing data.

        You'd only need to make one request per component per week or something, how limited are you here? Sounds like a harsh limit.

        • adlep 18 minutes ago
          Harsh limit. And other api sources are like $299.00 plus a month so we have to work around what access we have. Results are noisy and have to be filtered the right way.
    • adlep 1 hour ago
      Forgot to specify: US market only: Canadian market will come next. Basically up to 20 biggest retailers will be supported - the usual suspects.
      • contingencies 1 hour ago
        Laptop support would be nice, even if it's just a desktop comparison. Australia support too please! I would like to send this to a school who are about to waste a lot of money buying garbage.
        • adlep 1 hour ago
          It would be nice but it will be difficult to figure out the value of components other than RAM and SSD - CPU and GPU if present are "built in". Also: what is the value of RTX 5070 mobile vs desktop? I know that there is a big diff in performance due to physics (cooling/wattage). Canada and Australia coming next. I will need to get some traction going first and other markets will be opened for sure. Thank you for your thoughts.
  • adamkumpf 44 minutes ago
    Super useful. I think everyone is swimming in the overpriced PC era due to the memory shortages and desire to run local AI when possible. Is this something you want to support long-term?
    • adlep 23 minutes ago
      This is the intent. I have a plan for this project to become a viable business. Discord plus additional features coming soon. If you like the project, stick around and refer others. Thank you very much for such nice comments!
  • creativeSlumber 3 hours ago
    Hey, cool project. Whenever I've seen a deal on a pre-built PC I've always wondered, hey, how much would this cost if I built it myself from parts.

    Some feedback on your website. I would suggest moving the "try it" from the bottom of the page towards the top of the page so that visitors don't have to look for it.

    • adlep 2 hours ago
      Cool beans! Thanks for your comment and pointers. Ill move it down a bit to make it easier to "try"... And btw: please, try it yourself and keep on checking deals! Let me know what you think. The price engine/scoring will change most likely as this is just a prototype that I want to have discussion about. And I hope the service will be helpful! Lets not get ripped off! I check prices every day at around 8:00am
  • onceandfuture 52 minutes ago
    would love to see support for B&H as a store, integrated graphics as a gpu option, and the intel wildcat lake series of chips
    • adlep 49 minutes ago
      Great suggestion. We will test today!
      • onceandfuture 48 minutes ago
        amazing! edited parent comment with chip and gpu requests too :)
        • adlep 21 minutes ago
          I've scooped domain: gpudealcheck.com and cpudealcheck.com as well. it will be coming with use and user support.
  • fhn 1 hour ago
    I thought about building this a long time ago. Can you add used prices as well - perhaps source from ebay, craigslist, facebook marketplace.
    • adlep 1 hour ago
      Would love to add FB marketplace but it won't happen without serious discussions about api access. Price checks have to stay automated. I'd love to reach out someone at Meta about access.
  • rgbrgb 36 minutes ago
    is there a way to find good deals other people have checked? seems like a nice data play if so and you could do affiliate links to monetize on some. I don't think people would mind you sharing the deals they found (could be a "share with community" checkbox too).
    • adlep 26 minutes ago
      People can share individual reports today; there isn’t a searchable community feed yet. We are are considering a feed of recent good-value listings, with dates and availability checks so it stays useful (so a next step). Affiliate links are our next step possible revenue source. The thing is that I'll have to see use and start working with more data in order to plan next steps. We will have discord soon.
    • esseph 26 minutes ago
      Your bio looks exactly as I imagined.
  • robinpie 1 hour ago
    I really appreciate the lightweight website!
    • adlep 1 hour ago
      Thank you please bookmark and use. Drop us a line in case of any issues!
  • SirFatty 1 hour ago
    Very cool... appreciate the work put into this!
    • adlep 1 hour ago
      Thank you, feel free to bookmark and use as at least some point of reference.
  • BatFastard 2 hours ago
    Great site! Nicely laid out, clear results.

    I was disappointed to see Costco selling high margin PCs.

    • BatFastard 2 hours ago
      One more thought, as you build up links and get an idea of who is selling lower margin PCs, you could recommend those sites. Perhaps even earning a small commission. Doing a service and making a little cash, win win.
      • adlep 2 hours ago
        that is the intent as well as paid for deal alerts for B and A rated offers. Please use the site and let me know if youll get any problems! We will get much better with use and feedback! Lets not get ripped off! I expect more demand as local llm users buy out more.