Nice price too. A Yate Loon for not much more than a Glacialtech......

ahem.. if any aussies reading this thread are looking for an lcd
<plug> for my item sold </plug>

pccasegear now sell yate loons too,$12, not bad .

Just got this email response from PCCaseGear about possible availability of the Nexus Value 430 PSU in Australia:

Good news, thanks for letting us know

This is a basic pricelist of quiet PC parts (common to SPCR and not so common) available through Australian vendors for the benefit of readers in this part of the world.

I thought this would be a good contribution to the forum as more and more vendors in Oz are recognising the need and popularity for quietening the ubiquitous PC. While we are still a small niche market, there is enough stock at affordable prices available now that we could have only dreamt of a few years ago.

My resources are limited, I am not as clued up on the internet as some others, but I will try and keep this updated when I can. The more interest there is in these kinds of products the greater the likelihood that good vendors will source more and better range of quiet PC parts for us in Australia.

Prices in Australian Dollars AUD$ GST inclusive but not including freight costs. Based on prices collected from staticice correct at July 19 2009. pricespy can also be used for comparisons.
Pricing and actual product availability is volatile so please use this as a guide only. Check the price search engines regularly and contact the vendor. Most should be happy to help you.

Note I have not always chosen the lowest price available. Rather, I have chosen as close to the best price but from more well known and reliable vendors. If you are after the very lowest, check the above mentioned search engines for yourself. Remember to take into account other charges like shipping, cheque, money order and credit card fees (if applicable) to get an idea of the total cost of purchase.

FANS 120mm
Arctic Cooling F12 Pro - 9.00 PCCG
Arctic Cooling F12 Pro PWM - 9.00 PCCG
Nexus Real Silent - 12.00 PCCG
Noctua NFS12 1200RPM - 25.00 MSY
Noctua NFS12B FLX 600/900/1200RPM - 27.00 MSY
Panaflo/NMB FBA12G12L - 17.50 PCCG normally 35.00
Scythe S-FLEX 800rpm SFF21D - 26.00 PCCG
Scythe S-FLEX 1200rpm SFF21E - 26.00 PCCG
Scythe S-FLEX 1600rpm SFF21F - 26.00 PCCG
Scythe S-FLEX 1900rpm SFF21G - 26.00 PCCG
Scythe Kama Bay SCKB-1000BK 5.25" - 30.95 PCCG or 32.00 CoolPC

FAN CONTROLLERS/REDUCERS
Zalman Fanmate 2 - 5.50 CoolPC or PCCG
Zalman ZM-MFC1 Plus - 49.00 CoolPC or 49.50 PCCG

CPU HEATSINKS
Socket LGA775, AM2
Arctic Cooling Alpine 11 Pro - 15.00 PCCG
Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 LP - 22.00 PCCG
Arctic Cooling Freezer 64 Pro PWM (AM2) - 35.00 CoolPC
Arctic Cooling Freezer Pro 7 PWM (LGA755) - 35.00 CoolPC
Noctua NH-C12P - 89.00 PCCG or Scorptec or MSY
Noctua NH-U12P - 85.00 PCCG or Scorptec or MSY
OCZ Vendetta 2 - 55.00 PCCG
Prolimatech Megahalems - 89.00 PCCG
Scythe Katana 3 - 59.00 PCCG
Scythe Mugen 2 - 79.00 PCCG
Scythe Ninja Plus Rev.B - 45.00 Nexus Technology
Scythe Ninja Mini Rev.B - 69.00 PCCG
Scythe Zipang - 86.00 PCCG
Xigmatek HDT-D1284 - 45.00 PCCG
Xigmatek HDT-S1283 - 55.00 PCCG
ZEROtherm Nirvana NV120 - 72.00 PCCG
ZEROtherm Zen FZ120 - 62.00 PCCG

CHIPSET HEATSINKS
Noctua NC-U6 - 25.00 PCCG or MSY
Thermalright HR-05 IFX Wild Fire design - 29.00 Scorptec
Thermalright HR-05 IFX Wild Fire design for SLI - 35.00 Scorptec
Xigmatek Porter N881 HDT - 25.00 PCCG

GPU HEATSINKS
Arctic Cooling Accelero L2 Pro - 21.00 PCCG or 23.00 CoolPC
Arctic Cooling Accelero S1 Rev.2 - 38.00 CoolPC
CoolPC's range
PC Case Gear's range

THERMAL INTERFACE MATERIALS (TIMs) & CLEANING SUBSTANCES
CoolPC's range
PC Case Gear's range

HDD COOLING
CoolPC's range
PC Case Gear's range

GENERAL PC NOISE REDUCTION HARDWARE
PC Case Gear's range

PICO-PSU & MINI-ITX
Mini-Box.com.au
Vastute.com

ELECTRONICS HOBBY PARTS STORES
[url=http://www.dse.com.au[/url]Dick Smith Electronics[/url]
[url=http://www.jaycar.com.au[/url]Jaycar Electronics[/url]
Radio Parts Group
Tandy

Thanks Shamgar.

Interesting to see the price difference between the Scythe Ninja costs of PCCG and Nexus. Someone is making a tidy profit but that tends to happen if there is a monopoly in supply....
I noticed how cheap these coolers were when I was over in the UK recently but unfortunately didn't have any spare baggage allowance to take advantage

No worries. Just trying to help out the silencers here in the forgotten land of Oz .

I wanted to include things like PSUs, Cases, HDDs, CPUs and Motherboards but I've left them out for now. Those parts are more personal preference and depend on the users' requirements. It's easy enough to use the search tools to find a specific part anyway.
I really should add a section for PSUs since they are such a critical part of a silent and efficient system nowadays, but with the lack of availability and range of current generation (and SPCR recommended) units here in Oz, it's a bit difficult to put one up.


The price difference you see is because they are two different products! Don't worry, it's an easy mistake. The first is the Rev.B of the BIG Ninja. Nexus has always had the best price in Oz for that particular product. It's long been discontinued but Nexus still lists it. The second is the Rev.B of the MINI Ninja - which appears to be quite new.

I have to agree with you. Being a PC/silencing enthusiast in Australia means taking a big hit in the bank balance. Prices are off the scale a lot of the time. Our weak dollar combined with the GST, high shipping costs, lack of retail competition and sneaky vendor pricing makes PC parts buying a joke compared with other places in the world. That's why value for the dollar is so important, more so here I believe.

Some may ask why CoolPC and PCCG feature so prominently on my pricelist. Since I have dealt with them before, I know what to expect. I know they have most things in stock, I know their delivery fees (which are actually quite good for interstate orders) and most importantly, they specialise in enthusiast hardware that your typical corner PC store doesn't know much about. That doesn't mean they're they only ones you have to buy from though.


Hey, you could have snuck a few things in hand carrying only luggage. If they did a bag search on you, they might be wondering what that Ninja or Mugen was in your backpack. "We got some kind of an ancient artifact here?" Might have been spending a bit of time in customs. J/K

Great work Shamgar.

Note PC Case Gear currently has a 50% off sale on its range of Panaflo/NMB fans (as reflected by the $17.50 price for the FBA12G12L - normally some $35).

I already had various items stuffed in hand luggage including camera gear, a netbook, PicoPSU and a hefty Dell DA-2 powerbrick I'd just bought. A 500+g cooler would have been pushing it!

As regards PCCG and the Ninjas. I bought my original one from them and I appreciate that they keep a lot of stock of specialist items, it's just that where they have a monopoly on an item they tend price it up.
I remember when they were the only ones to do Thermalright the prices were high but as soon as other vendors started selling them the prices plummeted to match.
Just my observation and maybe it's all related to grey market imports vs official distributor channels etc etc?

Hey, that's some good gear you got there. Pity there was no more room.


You're right there. PCCG do have somewhat of a monopoly here. But it would be worst if they didn't exist, since they force other stores to at least get in similar products to compete. I emailed PCCG some time ago and got on their case a bit about how much higher their prices were than the competition. Their reply was that they do not have a pricematching policy at present. I sort of took this as a "Buy from someone else then, you cheapskate" . I have noticed recently however their prices are among the best and their overall pricing strategy has greatly improved. Hopefully, this means better competition and better prices for us all.

Regarding genuine vs grey market imports, I have heard this come up many times in Australia. There are definitely dodgy vendors out there who get stuff from parallel import routes. When you get something in suspect packaging and without an English manual or warranty slip, alarm bells should be ringing If something is an absolute bargain and you know the risks, then sometimes parallels can be a good buy. I certainly would not be buying things like cameras, notebooks and expensive gear from an unknown online or even brick-and-mortar store. There is no fullproof way to tell if PCCG and CoolPC get all genuine parts, however I put more trust in them than some of these other online vendors who mysteriously come and go.

I bought a Xigmatek heatsink and a pair of Slipstream 1200s from an online store I found through staticice. They had the lowest price in Oz at the time so I thought I might risk it and order from them. Shipping was quite rich but they eventually arrived and there were no signs of being dodgy or grey goods. But some of these online stores only give a 3-6 months warranty; after that, you have to RMA direct with the manufacturer.

To be on the safe side, I suggest buying from the reputable stores, whether online or brick-and-mortar. If you want to risk it with an unknown, then buy one or two items and keep the purchase small. Then you won't get stung too badly if things go wrong. More corner PC stores in the major cities are ordering in silencing gear, so things are improving. Their prices still leave a lot to be desired however compared to online only, but considering no shipping costs are involved, if you can get down to a local shop and get some Scythes etc, it beats waiting for the courier truck to arrive.


Thanks for the encouragment.

Shamgar, you may be interested in this discussion on warranties & consumer rights as per the ACCC.

Ultimately, "each sale is a contract between the seller and the consumer" and sellers are responsible for providing remedies. Sellers cannot set limits to consumers' statutory rights and it is illegal to mislead about rights (e.g. placing time limits on remedies, or insisting consumers return goods unopened or in their original packaging).

Consumers can try to pursue remedies from manufacturers/importers, but they "are not required to issued refunds unless the consumer purchased the goods directly from them." And "if a seller has to return goods to a manufacturer for assessment or repair, the seller should arrange delivery."

I am writing to avoid the following:

http://www.mini-box.com.au

I ordered a Via Dual Riser card for my mini-ITX. There was a "delivery that went missing", and then after 8 weeks of pestering, they finally gave a refund after saying they'd get stock in 2 weeks.

Not impressed. Avoid. At least they gave a refund.

damien, that is quite a common problem. Would you believe I am still waiting for 2 fan cable adaptors after nearly 5 months?

My price list is meant to give a decent representation of what is available in Australia. As to who to recommended or avoid, that is something that user feedback, like your own, helps us to form our purchasing decisions.

I have had some terrible dealings with computer parts retailers and even mainstream big store outlets in the shopping districts. It is a sad part of life I wish would happen less.

And to also respond to HueyCobra (thanks for your input BTW), even though ACCC and Consumer Protection in each of our states is available, they can't seem to do much, unless you really want to take the fight up to the dodgy business in question.

I have rung up Consumper Protection in WA a number of times in the past. They are always nice and helpful in a customer service kind of way, but can do little for you when you are in a state of dissatisfaction, confusion and frustation with a retail experience. You can fill out a complaint form (ask them and they will send you an info kit) and they can take the case up for you.

It seems that in Australia our consumer rights are written there in the letter of the law, but the lack of teeth in the tiger allows companies to continue to rort the system while we the consumers get the short end of the stick.

Unfortunately that is often quite true. However, I would suggest that it is still very worthwhile for consumers to know and understand their statutory rights, added to their own level of personal caution in choosing which businesses to deal with.

Although Fair Trading/Consumer Protection often can't seem to do much, as you noted, a little bit of knowledge can still be quite effective on occasion. Some businesses will indeed back down before a consumer who knows their rights and can point to the legal evidence (and is waving the ACCC booklet around ), and who could potentially become a larger annoyance. (Not necessarily by pursuing their personal consumer case, but by submitting a complaint with regard to illegal practices.)

A business is much less likely to be concerned about, and concede to, a consumer who has no understanding of their statutory rights and sellers' legal responsibilities.

You're right there, HC. You seem to have gone down this path a bit yourself, finding about your consumer rights etc?

I have a WA Consumer Protection 'Your Rights When Shopping' booklet. Is the ACCC pretty much the same?

Good advice on taking the booklet with you when you shop. It would certainly keep a business (if they respect the law in any way) on their toes and mindful of the consumer. Imagine if everyone took it in with them when they shopped -- would make quite a difference I would think.

In terms of consumer protection issues, the ACCC deals with misconduct by corporations, while state-based Fair Trading Offices / Consumer Protection authorities deal with misconduct by 'persons'. There is a fair bit of overlap, as any misleading or deceptive conduct on behalf of a corporation obviously has to be carried out by an actual person.

There is usually a lot of the same provisions mirrored in State and Federal legislation.

If you really want to know your rights, read sections 52 to 65A and sections 66 to 74 of the Trade Practices Act. The ACCC and State bodies usually have pretty good factsheets though.

In addition to the above, I tried ordering from www.mini-itx.com for the same Via Dual Riser Part as I was talking about before.

Despite paying an enormous amount for shipping ($50!! - yes, I really needed that part), I didn't receive a tracking number or, for that matter, an item.

Although they politely and promptly answered by pre-sales enquiries (to their credit), I attempted to email them twice about the missing delivery, both times without a response.

After launching a paypal dispute, they promptly delivered a refund, to their credit.

Your mileage may vary, of course.

JamieG: Thanks for the info and the link. I'll do my best to get through the legalese.

damien: $50!! And I thought I was being shortchanged with my $24 shipping from VIC-WA for 2 fans and a heatsink? Not as bad as another quote I got for 2 fans from NSW-WA for $30! I just don't get some r-etailers. CoolPC charged me a flat fee of $14 for a parcel of 9 items from QLD to "the other side of the world" (WA ) -- an Air Express Delivery too. If someone's not making a quick dollar somewhere, I don't know...

Good to hear you got your money back in any case. Oh well, judging from your experiences (and others) I guess these mini PC dealers in Oz aren't that great when it comes to order time.

Well, mini-itx.com is UK based, hence the woeful shipping charges. My point still stands

JamieG, thanks for your input.

Shamgar, I imagine the ACCC booklet is much the same as the WA Consumer Protection one. The research wasn't entirely my own initiative; I heard about the booklet at work and was very pleasantly surprised by consumers' statutory rights (even if it can be problematic in the real world).

I wouldn't mind seeing it developed into a hard-cover edition so customers could really throw the book at unscrupulous businesses But seriously, it can be as much for the education of businesses as for consumers, and the more people that know about it the better.

One can only hope it would make a difference.

That explains the shipping cost then. Isn't mini-box.com.au a more sensible place to go to now, seeing as it's based in Australia and their prices aren't that bad?


I think one of the worst things I've had to deal with when shopping is businesses who flat out deny giving a refund under any circumstances when the law says otherwise. They will talk themselves out of it and give you an option for exchange or a credit note/gift card to equal value. According to Consumer Protection, it is illegal to deny a refund if a product is found to be faulty, it doesn't do as advertised or you purchased something that doesn't match what you asked for in the store. There are probably other situations as well like recalls where you should get a refund if you don't want a replacement. You don't know how many times I've had to explain this to stores and so many of them are not interested in cooperating. In the end, I just accept the credit note or gift voucher because I don't have the time nor energy to keep fighting with them.

As you said, educating more consumers and businesses also about the Law and rights of each party will hopefully make a difference.

BTW if anyone is interested in the consumer rights booklet, call up C.P. in your state and they'll be more than happy to send you one. Ask for a complaints form or two as well, in case you ever need it. Happy shopping.

See my post in this thread on them.... my experience (for the same part!) wasn't exactly positive either.

Nice list Shamgar!

These days, I never buy anything unless the retailer has it in stock. If it needs to be ordered in, you never know when (or even if!) it will arrive. I have only made one order with MiniBox, a couple of years ago. It took months (and several emails - couldn't get through on the phone) to arrive. Never again.

I'm in Perth too. For what it's worth, I tend to use one of two computer stores these days. Golden rule with these stores is only order if it is in stock:

MSY: Stock Antec cases and various quiet PSUs. Usually have the best prices in W.A. (or even in Australia). Terrible website, but google for "MSY but readable" - somebody created a script to scrape their price list and present it in a much more useable format! Impressed with their customer service. For example, I wanted to buy the cheapest headset they had ($6!), and they took the time to bring out three different models and let me open the boxes to look at them. However, there are times when they don't answer the phone (presumably too busy) and that's the only way to check whether they have something in stock.

NetPlus: Good prices, great website (shows stock levels). Stock some quiet gear. System builder tool on website. I use them for PCs I buy for my office. Customer service is good, but they try to get you off the phone or out of the store quickly (not that they are rude, just always very busy). Best if you know exactly what you want before you call or go there.

I used to buy from Austin, but got burnt once, and have heard a lot of horror stories. Once I ordered and paid for a machine with 8GB of RAM, and only received 4GB in the machine. Took a lot of convincing a rude and indifferent manager to get my RAM.

Thanks. It could be better, but it will have to do for now.

Waiting months for something is pretty pathetic. Especially when you get two thirds of the parts you ordered and you can't build the rest of the system without the other parts. Seems to be a common problem though. That reminds me of a situation I had several years ago with a vendor in Perth, but I don't want to go into that as it stirs up too many painful memories. Getting burnt by these vultures is not something I want to experience or remember again.

Welcome to the dullest capital city in the entire world! A good thing too, honestly. I mean, do you really want to live in a crowded, 24 hour city with a 5 million plus population and air pollution thick enough you can't see through it? I like Perth the way it is, actually, the way it was a few years ago. If it's boring, so be it.

Sound advice. Something I have to always remember. However, only Netplus is upfront with their stock levels. The rest either don't indicate, are vague or make shallow promises. I'm sure you know which ones are which as there's only a handful of stores here.

Some of their prices are unbelievably low. The other stores must be so jealous and wonder, "How?" They are not for the inexperienced. If you don't know what you're after, don't bother, I'd say. Their stores have nothing on display; it's all behind the counter. You ask, they look, they find, you nod, you buy, you get, you leave. Welcome to the world of MSY! For the enthusiast, this system works well, but for the average joe who normally shops at HN's, it might be a bit of a shock to the system. BTW, I've heard some conspiracy theories about MSY, some pretty far fetched it seems.

Thanks for the tip. I'll have a look at it some time.

I've emailed the Balcatta store a number of times just to "test them out". It's a good strategy to employ, to see how interested a vendor is in your business. They always replied promptly (same day!), to the point and told me what I needed to know. However, it's best to call up beforehand on the day that you want to drop in and pick up an item. I've only been there once so far to pick up a set of speakers.

NP aren't known for friendly customer service. They are efficient and no nonsense. But they are quite reliable and usually will not lead you up the garden path. NP is probably the one still to beat (although MSY are going to give them a run for their money in coming years, assuming they keep a presence in Perth).

Familiar story. You are not alone. I haven't actually been "burnt" yet by them; they were actually quite helpful with getting me some parts when no one else had them in stock, or if they did, the price was too high. The problem I do have though is that some of those parts I bought from them aren't working as they should. I have already contacted them and the manufacturer about that. So we'll see how it goes. In future however, I will avoid buying from them for the sake of saving myself some potential grief.

PLE is also a good store, depending on whether they have stock of what you're after. I went in there recently and wasn't impressed to be honest. (Over the last couple of years, I've bought quite a few parts from them.) Hardly anything on display anymore (used to have lots of Antec cases for comparison), prices are a bit rich in places, and their checkout style service counters could be more efficiently run. When I had to return something to them under warranty, they were very helpful and their tech guys were friendly and easy going about the whole process. I would recommend them if they can guarantee they have stock. They usually can pricematch other stores--within their discretion. If the price is too low, they won't pricematch. You can't hate them for that though. They have to at least make some money on some things.

The MSY scraper is at http://msy.arpatubes.net/ and was created by sbobz on Whirlpool.

Not hardware but ...

... on a software related note, here's a tip for users on dialup or those who can't be bothered downloading Windows 7 RC and/or Vista SP2. All three of the major PC magazine publications in Australia have both these releases on their September 2009 coverdiscs. Look out for it at your newsagent or wherever such products are sold. Libraries also stock previous months' issues if you want to read up on technology articles with an Australian focus.

Also, if you're interested in Linux and in the same boat, all three publications will have distros from time to time on the coverdisc as well. I never get around to installing and trying out every bit of software; usually the tried and trusted plus a few new ones every now and then.

Hey another aussie here, first post.

Basically I'm trying to silence my PC that I use for gaming and as a DAW. I've looked everywhere for Nexus 92mm fans (I need four) and the only place that seems to stock Nexus products is PCCG. I sent them an e-mail and got this as a response:



They then sent me an e-mail the next day telling me they had one fan left... but I don't want to buy one as it would mean that I'd be paying for postage again when purchasing the other three.

All of the sites listed don't have Nexus products stocked... so the question is, where can I get Nexus 92mm fans in Australia? Or does anyone know somewhere to get them internationally with cheap postage?

OR should I just buy 4xNoctua 92mm's (they seem about as quiet and about just as expensive) as they seem readily stocked everywhere I go (MSY, PCCG, etc)?

Any help is much appreciated.

<cut... to save repetitive space... responding to previous post, obviously>


Hi. Welcome to the SPCR forums. I myself have been away for a while.

That's a shame to hear that PCCG may no longer be ordering in Nexus. For purely economic reasons, you probably can't blame them (or any other vendor for that matter). Nexus products don't have the price advantage in Australia as they might have in the Northern continents where there are bigger markets and stronger currencies compared to us here. Demand for Nexus is probably very small compared to other brands as they tend to focus mainly on quiet solutions whereas others try to fulfil both performance and quiet at the same time -- some doing a fairly good job at it e.g. Scythe, Thermalright, Noctua, Xigmatek.

I was also looking for quiet 92mm fans last year. They are hard to source compared to 120mm. I considered the Nexus but I ended up getting a Noctua NF-B9. I only needed it because of that size fan mount for an intake in the Antec Solo. It is a "just in case" purchase. I like to keep my hard drives cool so it will do service there during the warm seasons where it will be needed.

I don't know of many other quality 92's. Some forum members tell me that NoiseBlocker have good fans in that size but they don't appear to be available in Australia. You could try ordering from overseas but that may be expensive. That's why I'll avoid cases with 92mm and smaller fan mounts from now on and stick to 120mm or greater when looking for cases in future. This is the advice I would give you also. 120mm fans are far easier to source and tend to be cheaper on the whole. They are also likely to be tested by review sites more often then smaller fan sizes, so you will have a good idea of what you're getting beforehand.

Since you do need a 92 for your current setup, maybe you could purchase just one fan to start off with like the Noctua and see how it goes (there are plenty of places in Melbourne who stock them. MSY, PCCG, Umart list them for $19). It comes with two transistors for 9 and 7V to quieten it down while still giving decent airflow. There are cheaper fans available like Glacialtechs and so forth that will sacrifice some quality for price but may still be okay. Do a staticice search and look for fans under the $20 mark. You don't want to be spending more than that for a 92.

Hope this helps you.

Thanks Shamgar.

I'm actually just about to buy an Antec Solo and I need two 92mm intakes (to create some positive pressure) and two 92mms for a Thermaltake t-rad2 GPU cooler. I was tossing up between the P183 and the Solo, but things like a front door (unneeded and quite frankly annoying in my setup), the top opening fan grill, no suspended hard-drives and its price mean the Solo is a better choice. But this 92mm vs 120mm is another point arguing the opposite way.

I think I'll go with Noctua 92mms, and an undervolted Nexus 120mm (or a Noctua) exhaust.