Originally posted by: jpk
If the brand name is the same either at a computer show or from CompUSA, I would think the level of quality would be the same.
"IF", yes, but it can as easily mean they're both junk.
That's
relative though, maybe you only need a year or two out of it. I am a snob about setting a system up so it needs nothing but dustey out and a battery swap for it's first decade of use. That's possible with a good low RPM fan but not the junk sold as chipset coolers, except of course if it's passive and that's enough cooling.
Actually, I have bought many components at computer shows, some known brands and some not so well known, actually pretty obscure, and I can honestly say I've never had anything fail on me.
Are you talking about random parts or staying specifically on the topic of small, thin, higher RPM fans? They are a problem in themselves, computer show or not.
Most of the parts I've purchased though have been well known brand names. I've also saved quite a bit cash doing that over going to big box places and even mail order. If I can buy a Vantec, Thermal Take, etc. at a comp show and the exact same fan costs me twice as much at a big box, why give your money away to them, they're not doing you any favors.
Sounds like you're only comparing, buying poor parts from a fair vs elsewhere. Thermaltake does not make ANY decent fans. For a brief moment they put decent 3rd party fans on a few select 'sinks and then went back to junk. Vantec aren't 'as" bad in full sized (80mm) fans but not in chipset fans. You still have to avoid small/thin/high-rpm.
Same thing with cpu heatsinks, why pay twice as much for the same thing. I guess you've got money to burn.
Depends on what it is. Insist on quality and if the fair has it, fine. Dont' just compare what the fair has to what's online if it's not what you want. SInce we aren't at the fair, randomness is not of use, it'll depend on exactly what they have. In general, it's rare to find decent fans at computer shows. For the most part, decent fans are not branded with computer parts vendors names, they are branded with major fan manufacturere's names. For example, panaflo, NMB, Sanyo, Nidec, Sunon, Delta, Papst.