Computers & Networking

[hastega]

Can Best Buy repaste my GPU safely, and if so how much would this service cost. ( Not including the purchase of the thermal paste, just the labor ) Estimated time the service would take as well, thank you.

AsusG73 ( Purchased from Bestbuy) is the laptop I need repasted.

[RealGeorgeW Valued Expert]

Generally something that indepth isn't done in stores, so call your local store to check and see if they'd be willing to do it.

[TheLexMachine]

It would have to be sent out. It is against company policy to attempt such repairs in the store as the technicians are not trained or qualified to do it (anyone who does attempt it on a customer's item is subject to immediate termination per company policy due to liability rules) as they do not have access to the repair information and there are no spare parts available on hand should anything be damaged or require replacement.

[CrystalWoW Community Veteran]

Many stores do perform more in depth repairs in store, depending the technicians that they have and the certifications they carry. If an item was damaged, then it would of course get sent out. Definitely an ask the store situation.

[CrimsonRain]

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CrystalWoW wrote:
Many stores do perform more in depth repairs in store, depending the technicians that they have and the certifications they carry. If an item was damaged, then it would of course get sent out. Definitely an ask the store situation.

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This. TheLexMachine is correct. Officially, Geek Squad Precincts are not authorized to perform such intricate hardware repairs. Those repairs are to be sent out to the service centers where they will charge you anywhere from $70 for a "minor repair" to $150 for a "major repair" for just labor. With that said, I have worked in Precincts where there were very competent techs who could perform that sort of work easily. The last Precinct I worked at before I left Best Buy had two very awesome techs. One guy grand opened Geek Squad City (the primary service center of Best Buy) but moved to CA for school. Another guy worked at IBM's service center before Lenovo bought them out.

The primary reason Best Buy doesn't authorize in-store Precincts to perform such work is because of the warranty. First, the service centers get their parts from official channels (hence why the parts are also very pricey). Second, they are the beginning and the end of your work so they will warranty it. At the store level, it's a huge hassle (for you as the client and them as a company) if one store performs it, but you bring it to a different store because of a glitch and that store has no idea how to perform that work. And a distant slim third would be the tech training. If anyone says that service center techs are more competent than in-store Precinct Agents is full of it. Idiots: They work everywhere.

My advice: Ask around your local Geek Squad Precincts. Remember to ask about their work guarantee. Customarily, it's 30 days but in some states it's 60 days. I would also say be careful of the warranty of the part you provide them, but it's just thermal paste in your instance which the Precinct should be able to provide at no cost (a dab of it at least). A smart Precinct would inform you that any work related to it would have to be warrantied through that same store. Good luck!