Straight answers.

Builds run $2,099 - $5,199+, quoted per project. The number depends mostly on your resolution and refresh target, whether you stream, and what the GPU market is doing that week. You get an itemized written quote before anything is ordered, and the consultation that produces it is free.

Yes. It is a 30-minute call with no obligation, and you keep the parts plan that comes out of it. We would rather you leave with good information than be talked into a build you do not need.

The $250 deposit comes after you have received and approved a written quote, never before. It is credited toward your build total and it reserves your slot in the queue. Payment runs through Stripe, and the quote reference travels with it so the deposit is matched to the right rig.

Turnaround depends on parts availability and the build plan. Your written quote includes the expected handoff date before you place a deposit.

Local. We serve Akron, Canton, Cleveland, Medina, Kent, Hudson, Stow, Fairlawn, and the surrounding Summit, Stark, Medina, Cuyahoga, and Portage county areas. Local handoff is deliberate: it is also how warranty service stays a drive instead of a shipping label.

No. Lake Effect Rigs is gaming builds and upgrades only. General repair, malware cleanup, and data recovery go to our separate brand, Ohio PC Rescue.

Often, and sometimes the honest answer is no. Book the upgrade and parts planning call with your current spec sheet and we will find the actual bottleneck. If your platform is the limit and a single part will not fix it, we will say so rather than sell you a card that your CPU cannot feed.

One person: the same one who takes the consultation call and answers the phone afterwards. He holds CompTIA A+, which is the industry's baseline hardware and troubleshooting certification, earned before CompTIA moved to three-year renewals and so grandfathered as a lifetime credential. It is not the reason a build turns out well, but it does mean the fundamentals were learned properly rather than picked up from a forum thread.

No. Parts are sourced as part of the quoted build, but the parts plan is yours. If you would rather buy the components yourself and build it, take the list and go. Some people do exactly that, and that is a fine outcome.

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