Upgrade Service in detail
UK Gaming Computers are not just a retailer for gaming and custom PC's, we are here to keep your rig on form for as long as you want it to be. Gaming PC's need to be fairly current in order to keep on top of new titles, simulators and workstation programs that are constantly being brought to market. A top end graphics card that's 5 years old wont cut it in the modern age. As a result we offer a upgrade service for both systems we built and systems built by yourself or elsewhere - in other words if it has a power button, we can do something with it!
Getting Started
Frst and foremost, before proceeding, you need to be ready for the upgrade. Investigating upgrades, discussing options, pricing and compatibility is unique to every system and thus is manually handled buy ourselves. This takes quite a bit of time and whilst its included as all all part of the service some customers will ask us to spend the time going over the options in great detail only to then say this is something they will look to do in a few months, by then, all the options would have likely changed as well as the pricing and we have to start all over again. Please only approach us for an upgrade enquiry if this is something you are thinking of going ahead within the next couple of weeks.
Secondly, we need to know the exact spec of what we have to work with and there are a few ways to go about this.
1 - Is this an order from us? Great, just give us your order number and we can look up your exact spec. This gives us every possible piece of information on your system and makes upgrades very straight forward.
2 - An order from another builder - Have they got a spec you can copy paste or an invoice you can scan or take a photo of?
3 - Unknown/own build - send us the spec yourself. Tip - Use the free version of "Speccy" to scan your PC and list whats inside your system - You can download it here. Install and run it and feel free to just send us the outputted file which will list the spec.
4 - Unknown/own build - Show it to us either by bringing it in or by simply shipping us the system to our address with a copy of this webpage along with your contact details and we can then give you a call to discuss your options and goals.
Often with customer listed specs we are sent a brief spec list with the core components but often missing the important details like the make and model of the motherboard, case and power supply. It is important that we have as much detail on the system spec as possible and without key specifications it is not possible to carry out an upgrade.
An ideal spec list would look something like this;
- Intel Core i7 7700K
- Asus Z270-P
- 16GB Corsair Vengeance LPX 2400Mhz RAM
- 1TB Seagate 7200RPM HDD
- Corsair 600T Case
- Cooler Master Master Watt 500W PSU
- Nvidia GeForce GTX 780
This gives us all the details we need. It then allows us to work out what parts can be reused and their limitations for a new build. A good example would be if a power supply or case cooling is up to the job of powering or cooling a nice shiney new graphics card.
Goals and budget
Once we know what we are starting with we need to know what your goals and budget are. You may have something exact in mind or you may not know where to even start, we cater for both ends of the scale so feel free to let us us know you want the New Nvidia Titan GPU, compatible PSU with a £2000 budget or that you want to run the latest Battlefield and other FPS games on ultra settings settings with a £400 to £700 budget.
The more info you give us the more specific we can be with working out the right upgrade path for your system so feel free to send us as much information as possible here.
Our Magic
Once we have a detailed spec, goals a budget we will be able to send you a draft quote with options and questions with what we believe is the best route forward. This is where you OK it/ask questions and we adjust it and then send you over a formal PDF quote and a link to purchase the upgrade.
Please do not ask for quotes/advise way in advance of a potential upgrade - prices and available parts in this industry change almost on a daily basis as does your mind. A quote that is a few months old will almost be irrelevant and unlikely to be the right price or even the correct upgrade path if revisited.
Formal quotes for upgrades take a lot of time and resources to produce so for us to do it all again 3 months down the line is not ideal, we will presume that you will be ordering within a couple of weeks of being quoted.
By all means if you are looking for a very rough quote/idea of what to upgrade then tell us at the very beginning before you even let us know your goals/budget and we can let you know if your goals are realistic for your budget and a rough budget you should be looking to spend. Do not let us go to the effort of a full quote or lenghty discussion if you have no intention of going through with it in the near future.
What is next?
Upgrade decided, the quote has been ordered and we have processed the payment. An email will arrive (during working hours) to your inbox which explains in detail on how to get your system to us (if its not already here) along with how to pack your system.
This email also contains links to a few courier comparison sites for you to get online quotes and book a consignment. A courier will be pretty much able to pick up a consignment and deliver it anywhere in the UK so you will be able to have it collected from your home, work or your grand parents for example. Cost wise, a typically sized gaming PC 50cm x 40cm x 50cm at around 18KG would cost you between £8-£14 for a typical weekday service.
When the system arrives with us we will drop you an email confirming it has.
Packaging
If you are upgrading a system that was built by ourselves then if you box the system up in the same packaging that was used to initially ship you the system then we should be able to ship the upgraded system back - We will naturally quote for return shipping during the quoting phase. If you don't have the original packaging tell us and we can leave it off the quote otherwise we can refund it once the upgrade is complete.
If you don't have the original packaging or purchased/built the PC elsewhere then you will need to ensure it is sufficiently packaged to ensure it can make the journey both ways. A tri wall cardboard box complete with loads of packaging chips and maybe a bit of bubble wrap should do the job nicely.
You will need to include your upgrade order number with your packaging/paperwork so we know what to do with it when it arrives otherwise its unlikely we will be able to guess what system it is and what is meant to be happening to it (we have lots of systems come in and out on a daily basis). In addition to a order number we also will need any passwords or access to the operating system for testing unless the operating system is being reinstalled.
More Magic & Timescale
Once we have the system we will carry out the upgrade. We normally give a rough estimate of the timescale involved when quoting. Most upgrades take between 2 to 10 working days to complete depending on the complexity of the upgrade and we also offer a priority upgrade service (£40) if you need an upgrade flipped as quickly as possible so be sure to ask for this if time is of the essence.
If there are any issues with the upgrade then we will contact you to explain the situation and advise on the best route forward.
Finally
When the upgrade is complete and we are happy with everything we will drop you an email to arrange return shipping to yourself or give you the all clear to arrange collection yourself either in person of via courier (same as before when booking the original shipment, you just reverse the collection and delivery address). We will use the packaging you supply us. If your consignment needs a label from your courier then just send it over and we can print it off and stick it in place.
This may seem like a lot of info but if it answers one question then this will all be worth it as we get a lot of repeated questions about upgrades and how it all works. Remmeber, you also get a detailed email once the quote is ordered with all this info and more, this page is more to explain further about our upgrade service information page.