When is the best time to buy a PC?

[Snoozer]

Is it worth it to buy a PC now (before Christmas) or will there be better deals to be had after Christmas? Or is it worth waiting for Intel / AMD to lower their chip prices?

[ajones]

I don't think there is ever a good time to buy a new PC... it depends upon what you are after. If it doesn't need to be cutting edge, then I normally wait until a month or two after a major hardware release (eg. Core i7) then try to pick up the previous hardware (eg. Core2) which has started dropping off.

I've always fixed my budget, then purchased the best I could without going over.

[moogle]

Summer always seems to be the best times when the price cuts by the manufacturers come in.

[muddyfox470]

... when the exchange rate is good.

So last summer about 5 months ago would have been a good time

In all honesty prices fluctuate all the time, sure the currency has a lot to do with imported items, but if companies want to shift stock they will. Just keep your eye out for a good deal, set yourself a budget and when the deal comes along snap it up. Patience is a virtue
Although I echo what was said above, soon after a new product release, or a competitor releases their new/competing product there seems to be mini price wars.

So if you are looking around be willing to source components from different places, if you're going for a whole PC keep in mind that is can be a lot cheaper to buy a baseunit and monitor from different places.