I Paid a Best Buy to Build Me a Gaming PC...

**A Mixed Experience with Best Buy's PC Building Service**

I recently had the opportunity to try out Best Buy's PC building service, and I must say it was an experience that left me both impressed and frustrated. The process started with a stated budget of $1300 Canadian yen, but due to the parts crisis, I ended up having to bring my own components as placeholder parts. Despite this, I wanted to stick to the original budget, which meant that I had $400 left over for the actual graphics card, motherboard, and CPU.

**The Build Process**

When I arrived at Best Buy, I was greeted by a friendly employee who helped me get started with the build process. They asked me about my expectations and what I wanted to achieve with my new PC. I explained that I wanted to play some games and do some light video editing, which they seemed to take seriously. The first issue I encountered was when they added an extra terabyte SSD for $130, which I felt was unnecessary for my intended use. A 500GB SSD would have been sufficient, but instead, they opted for a more expensive option.

**The Cost of Upgrades**

One upgrade that did seem justified was the switch from a CX-650M power supply to an RM750X, which is a better power supply. The employee explained that this was necessary due to the motherboard's limited power connector capabilities, and I couldn't argue with that. However, the justification for upgrading seemed a bit weak, as I wouldn't be using the full capacity of the new power supply.

**The Assembly Process**

Once the components were installed, the employee performed a thorough check to ensure everything was working properly. They also applied thermal paste to the CPU and other components, which is always a good practice. However, I couldn't help but feel that there was too much thermal paste on the pins, which could potentially cause issues in the future.

**The Final Bill**

When it came time to pay, I was surprised to see that the total bill had exceeded my original budget by a significant amount. The assembly of the PC cost $100, and an additional $280 for the Windows installation fee, including the cost of a Windows key, brought the total cost to over $400. This left me with only $200 remaining from my original budget.

**Conclusion**

In conclusion, while Best Buy's PC building service did not exactly meet my expectations in terms of budget, I was pleased to find that the final product was well-built and functional. The employee who assembled my PC seemed knowledgeable and competent, but the initial price quotes were a bit off-putting. Overall, it's clear that this service can produce high-quality PCs, even if the prices may be a bit steep at times. If you're in the market for a new PC and want to see what Best Buy has to offer, I would recommend taking them up on their offer, but be sure to carefully review your options and budget before making a decision.