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Buying DDR3 memory in China


westmeadboy

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I'm currently based in Xiamen and would like to buy this (or similar brand):

8GB Kit (4GBx2) DDR3 PC3-10600 • CL=9 • Unbuffered • NON-ECC • DDR3-1333

for my Toshiba A660-11M. See: http://www.crucial.com/store/listparts.aspx?mfr=Toshiba&model=Satellite%20A660-11M

I looked online and the prices seem to be around 130RMB for a single 4GB (Kingston) module.

So I went down to the local electronics mall, and while the guys on the ground floor quoted prices around 180RMB (which is in line with the online prices), the guys on one of the higher floors were quoting 170RMB for TWO Kingston modules! I asked them about 10 times to check they were not quoting me prices for a single module.

How can they be so cheap (half the price)? Could even fake ones be that cheap? Or maybe they appear to be 4GB but turn out to be 2GB?

Note - all modules were 1333Mhz at 1.5V (could not find any of the 1.35V ones which I would prefer).

Can dodgy/faulty memory damage your computer? This is my main concern.

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Both quotes are about the same distance from the online quote. I don't know enough about what memory really costs, but the guys downstairs will have much higher rent to pay and will be more accustomed to quoting high prices to people who've just wandered in off the street. In those 电子城 places the higher floors are usually catering to more tech-savvy people and you hopefully shouldn't get quite so much nonsense (always remember a friend who bought a Mac, as 'only Mac's have wifi'.)

I don't think dodgy memory can cause any permanent damage to your computer - it might fail to boot or start crashing though. I'd probably do whatever I could to check the cheap stuff is legit, and if it checks out then buy it as a punt. Or actually, I'd probably stay at home and order it online.

Edit: I was going to provide a link to a page about fake memory. However, MSE has flagged it up as a potential threat. There's a moral in there somewhere.

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Fakes are pretty common. I know some stores that only sells fake products to foreigners.

Part of that is because you need to ask for a return receipt or else you won't get one and can't return it so it's easy to take advantage of foreigners.

But with that said, if you really want a guarantee, buy it from a major store and not a mall where people only own little shops.

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Thanks for the tips guys.

My suspicion comes from the fact that normally the lowest prices anywhere are online (or does this not apply in China?) so to have something that is almost half the price makes me really suspicious.

I'll probably take my laptop down there and get them to install it and, at the same time, run some memory check tool. Will search for one now...

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