Got sold a 'custom' PC build that was basically parts bin leftovers

I paid a local guy $600 for what he called a 'gaming rig' with a 6GB GPU and 16GB RAM. After 3 weeks it started crashing every time I tried to run a medium game. Opened the case and found mismatched RAM sticks from different brands and a power supply so cheap it wasn't even 80 Plus rated. Lost a solid $200 over what I could have built myself if I knew better. Anyone else get burned by a 'friend's deal' from a small shop?

2 comments

2 Comments

wadem891mo ago

Yeah I read somewhere that 80 Plus ratings are actually super important for stability.

brooke7671mo ago

Efficiency ratings are about power savings not stability. A bronze rated unit can be just as stable as a platinum one if it's built well. The real stability comes from things like voltage regulation and ripple control on the DC side. 80 Plus is only measuring how much AC power gets wasted as heat.