Over the years we’ve bought a lot of computers for the school, friends and ourselves. The list is quite endless really…
Mostly we just buy them in specialist stores, occasionally we have them built ourselves or buy them from (ahem) department stores, where it’s rare to have anyone why a PC is different from a washing machine.
We’ve also purchased about 5 or 6 secondhand from other owners or recycled parts. But one avenue we’ve not tried is surplus electronics, where you can buy a big lot supposedly at a better price.
I’m not sure where I’d find them in Asia, but some sites do seem to have some decent deals. Of course, with surplus and secondhand and refurbished, there is more risk of problems, so the price should factor in that risk premium. Service, and warranties will be minimal, I’d expect.