Do you know which country has the best prices for PC gear? We looked at pricing in the United States, Canada, Germany, France, the United Kingdom and Australia to find out just how much prices vary from one market to another.

http://www.tomshardware.com/2007/1 [...] re_prices/

Thats a good article and interesting to read but you can't just claim back the VAT if you live in the UK. We have to pay that 17.5% and we can't claim it back unless we are VAT registered. If VAT was added I think the Uk would have been the most expensive.

In some countries in Europe there are very few stores that sell computer products.
In USA we have a pretty good amount of competition and availability.

eBay.

8800GTS over 8800GT? ok..

Why didn't you just add the tax on to make the comparison relevant, because it really isn't without it.....?

Ok

This has the potential for being a fantastic article, but since everything is quoted "tax-free", it's usefulness borders on poor. Modify the charts with a few more bars and some more math and this would be an excellent article...

For example, there's no sales tax refund for foreign visitors visiting the US, so a US price + sales tax is usually appropriate. Canada just got rid of their GST tax refund program for foreigners, so including PST/HST + GST is a must. Europe's VAT refund is never 100% of VAT once fees are calculated, and that assumes VAT is high enough to be refunded on the item. To add, US-based Internet/mail-order sales are tax-free, assuming the company has no presence in the ship-to state. Technically, foreign visitors to the US could order something online and have it shipped, tax-free to their hotel!

So, I wish the charts would show a few more values... For US prices, show values with no, low (5%), & high (10%) sales tax rates; for Canadian prices, only show values with low (7%-Alberta only) and high (14%) PST/HST/GST--since there's no refund or a way to get an item tax-free; for European prices, show prices only with "practical" VAT refund (say 75% of VAT) & full price (full VAT); etc. Show country-specific values only (i.e. don't show VAT in Canada or the US). Most people, myself included, have no idea what the tax structure is, refundable or not... Finally, show all tax-inclusive prices in USD & Euros.

For example, comparing the actual US$ price of the 2GB card in Canada vs. the US shows even bigger differences... While the US tax-free price is US$38.11 and the Canadian tax-free price is US$51.11, actual US prices would range from US$38.11 to US$41.92 (10% sales tax), while actual Canadian prices are US$54.69 (7% GST tax in Alberta) to US$58.27 (14% PST+GST). Someone shopping in Quebec would theoretically pay ~US$58 for this card but could go across the border to New Hampshire, which has no sales tax, and pay ~US$38...

Now, I know that someone could do most of the math above, but it's easier to compare "actual" prices instead of perceived ones... If this article was about gas prices worldwide, you'd show the price including taxes, since the tax-free price (that nobody can get) is about the same per unit of gasoline in most oil-consuming Western countries. Tax refunds should be considered to be "bonuses" or "rebates" and not automatically implied. Most shoppers will never see a tax refund...

USA, USA, USA!
I agree that taxes should be included, as they are nearly universal at least in the states.

Our prices sux, by our I mean Israeli prices
2327$ for all the products mentioned including tax,
thats a 3-2 months of avrage salary here...a

Everyone in Australia knows to use www.staticice.com.au for the best hardware prices!

I found it irrelevant without having China, Taiwan or Japan. I wouldn't buy electronics in Europe but there can be huge price differences in Southeast Asia where their is a lot more competing companies and huge local brands. Those computer malls make it really efficient to find the lowest price. If you want to check prices in these countries you just look on yahoo shopping and many retailers will match these prices. Taiwan had a huge difference in digital camera, latops and all kinds of accessories. And their big box stores had really good prices on desktops.

Very interesting. I live in Australia. When travelling earlier this year, I'd hoped to have an Asus-based system built in Taiwan, but didn't get there. I checked prices while in the UK, also had the possibility of my daughter in Vancouver bringing me stuff from the US, or me buying on stopover in Singapore. In the end, I couldn't stop over, no PC components at the airport. I built a PC when I got back, probably a bit cheaper than if I'd bought bits in the UK, even with VAT refunds on departure. I found various things in Changi (S'pore) airport cheaper than anywhere else, bought a game etc. My daughter bought a Dell PC in Canada which was much cheaper than Aus or UK. Earlier in the year I bough a 4Gb Imation USB drive and a Memory Pro stick at far below Aus and UK prices. Since the US dollar dropped, my son has bought many (non-PC) goods from the US, cheaper even with freight. My other daughter's in South Africa - no price info yet!

Within Australia, there are big price variations, one of the cheapest suppliers (UMart Online) is close to me, and my nearest retail outlet will match their prices. But graphics cards tend to be a lot more than in the US. Wherever you are, shop around and haggle! I bought a Samsung 320 Gb SAT II HDD for $A90 yesterday, about $US79. Almost free compared to when I bought my first PC in 1992!

PS: Australia has a 10% value-added tax, not sales tax. And, thanks moabboy, I'll check out static ice! With UMart, I can place an online order then pick it up a few minutes drive away - no delay! Or take the UMart price down the road to Woolongabba.

Excellent commentary, all of it, but where did you get the US 10% tax figure from? State sales tax ranges from 4% to a bit over 9% for combined state and local in a place or two. Note well, mail order companies collect state only as far as I know.

And if you really want to paint a fair picture for a Quebecer shopping in NH, do be sure to include the cost of gasoline and vehicle mileage depreciation, and the risk of having duties assessed if the folks at the border randomly decide to check your auto for consumer electronics.

At any rate, US prices do seem to be pretty much rock bottom. I was rather disappointed to find recently that the prices for Korean goods in Korea were no lower than the prices for the same goods in the 'States, even after having a native do the haggling...

-B