PC and desktop repair in Schaumburg and Des Plaines

PC won't turn on: power supply and motherboard faults

A desktop that is dead, spins its fans with no picture, or shuts off seconds after you press the button can have a bad power supply, a motherboard fault, or a failed part plugged into the board, such as the memory or the graphics card. We track down which one it is before quoting.

When the motherboard is the problem, we work on it at board level in the store: we trace the fault to the component that failed and repair the board itself.

Signs that point to a power or board fault:

• No lights, no fans, nothing at all
• Fans spin but the monitor stays black
• Turns off or restarts by itself
• Beeps or shows an error code at start-up
• A burning smell or a pop from the case: unplug it and leave it off

Graphics card (GPU) faults and installs

Graphics card trouble looks like this: no picture from the card; lines, flicker or colored blocks on screen; driver crashes; a black screen in the middle of a game; or a PC that shuts down under load. The same symptoms can come from the power supply, the slot, the cable or the drivers, so we pin down the real cause before you buy a new card.

If the card itself has failed, we tell you so and help you choose a replacement that fits your case and power supply.

We install new graphics cards. A newer card often draws more power or uses different power connectors than the one it replaces, so check your power supply before you buy, or ask us.

Freezing, crashing and blue screens

A desktop that freezes, drops to a blue screen, restarts in the middle of a game or gets slower every month can have a hardware fault or a Windows fault, and from the outside the two look the same. A memory stick going bad, a failing drive, a graphics driver, heat building up in a dusty case or a power supply that drops out under load can all crash Windows. We find which it is before we quote the fix.

Failing drives, SSD upgrades and cloning

A start-up that takes minutes, files that are slow to open, a drive that clicks, or a "no boot device" message usually point to a failing hard drive. We replace it with a solid state drive (SSD), and if the old drive still reads, we clone it across, so Windows, your programs and your files stay as they were.

A desktop that still runs from a working spinning hard drive starts and opens programs much faster on an SSD. The clone carries everything across unchanged, and an SSD upgrade is usually done the same or next day.

If the drive has stopped reading and the files matter, turn the PC off and read about data recovery before anything else is tried.

Custom gaming PC builds, upgrades and water cooling

We build gaming and power user PCs to your spec and budget. Bring a parts list you've put together, or just a budget and the games or programs you use, and we work out the parts with you and assemble the PC.

Call or stop by either store for a free consultation on a custom build before you buy anything.

We also install water cooling and graphics cards, and upgrade gaming PCs that you or someone else built. If an older desktop still works, an SSD or a newer graphics card may be enough instead of a new build. Every upgrade is quoted before any work starts.

Want a ready-made machine instead? See used and refurbished computers. Stock changes, so call the store to check what's in.

Desktops we work on

Windows desktops and towers, prebuilt gaming PCs, and custom-built PCs, including ones you built at home.

Other devices have their own pages: laptop repair for Windows laptops and Surface, MacBook repair for Macs, and game console repair for PlayStation, Xbox and Switch.

Setting up office workstations, printers or a network is small-business IT support; a broken office desktop is repaired here like any other PC. Pop-ups, a virus or a scam warning on screen: see virus removal.

How a PC repair works

Bring the tower to either store, no appointment needed. Our Schaumburg store is at 831 E Algonquin Rd in Algonquin Plaza, and our Des Plaines store is at 1635 E Oakton St. Both are open Monday to Friday, 11 AM to 6 PM, closed Saturday and Sunday, and both have on-site parking, which helps when you're carrying a tower. We don't make house calls.

1. Walk in, or request a repair online and the store replies by text or email.
2. You get a diagnosis and a quote back the same business day.
3. You decide. Nothing is repaired until you OK the quote, and the diagnostic fee goes toward the repair.
4. We repair, upgrade or build, and let you know when it's ready to pick up.

Common questions

How much does a PC repair cost?

It depends on the repair. We find the real fault first and tell you what it costs before any work starts. There is a diagnostic fee, and it goes toward the repair.

How long does a PC repair take?

The diagnosis and quote come back the same business day, and an SSD swap with cloning is usually finished the same or next day. Other repairs, upgrades and custom builds depend on the parts involved, so ask when you get your quote.

Will I lose my files?

A graphics card install or a motherboard repair leaves the drive alone, so your files stay where they are. When a failing drive is replaced with an SSD, we clone the old one if it still reads. If the drive has stopped working, turn the PC off and ask about data recovery before anything else is tried.

Do you build custom gaming PCs?

Yes, to your spec and budget. Call Schaumburg at 847-348-0264 or Des Plaines at 847-585-2355, or stop by either store to talk it through before you buy anything.

Do you make house calls?

No. Bring the PC to Schaumburg or Des Plaines, Monday to Friday, 11 AM to 6 PM. Both stores have on-site parking.

Do your repairs come with a warranty?

Yes, repairs come with a 90-day warranty. If something goes wrong with the repair within 90 days, bring it back to the store that did the repair.