Quality Control
The quality of any company’s product is dependent on proper control procedures. Our extensive quality control system ensures that your computer receives all the attention needed to make sure you get what you paid for! Every one of our configurations receives a customized checklist, depending on the components in the system, applications we know the customer will be running on it, and other factors. Below is a sample of what our build check-off is like.
Example of Puget Systems Build Checklist
Phase 1 Build / Assembly
Review Work Order, Build Notes, and Internal Status
We review the order and notes to ensure that any special build requests are performed.
Check Parts and Serial Numbers
Before starting assembly on your system, we verify that we have all the correct parts and everything is accounted for.
Install M.2 Drives
We install your M.2 drives to the motherboard.
Assemble Core Components
We assemble the core parts of your system outside the chassis. This includes the motherboard, CPU, CPU cooler, and system memory.
Disable Onboard Video via Switch
We disable the onboard video on this motherboard to avoid conflict with a dedicated video card.
Verify Condition of Chassis and Panels
We inspect your system chassis for any structural or cosmetic defects before beginning to mount components.
Apply Puget Branding to Chassis
We brand the front door of your chassis with the Puget systems logo.
Mount Fans
We replace the stock fans with upgraded models.
Mount Drives
We securely install your drives in your system.
Apply Order Number Sticker
We apply a small sticker with the order number to the back of your system.
Mount Motherboard
We install the motherboard in your system and ensure it is fastened securely and ports line up correctly.
Mount Radiator
We mount the radiator for your closed-loop cooler.
Phase 2 Build / Assembly
Review Work Order, Build Notes, and Internal Status
We review the order and notes to ensure that any special build requests are performed.
Verify Condition of Chassis and Panels
We inspect your system chassis for any structural or cosmetic defects before beginning to mount components.
Wire Front Panel Connections
We connect any switches and ports integrated into your system’s chassis to the appropriate connectors on the motherboard or add-in cards.
Wire Power Supply Connections
We run the cabling from your power supply to make all necessary power connections to the motherboard and backplane.
Connect Supplemental PCIe Power to Motherboard
We connect the supplemental PCIe power connectors to the headers on your motherboard.
Wire Data Connections
We connect the data cables for your drives securely and neatly.
Verify Complimentary Hard Drive Pre-Wire
We make sure that any requested pre-wiring for drives is in place. Additionally, for our more user-serviceable chassis, we ensure every system is wired for at least two hard disks to allow for easy addition of storage to single-drive configurations.
Install Cards
We install any video cards or other add-in controller cards in your system.
Secure Any Unsecured Cables
We use hot glue on any delicate connections to help keep them from becoming disconnected during shipping.
Mount Power Supply
We mount the power supply securely in your system’s chassis.
Install GPU Brace
We install a custom video card support brace to help protect your system during shipping.
Install Chassis Reinforcement Plate
We install a custom brace to join two internal plates within the case for added structural rigidity when your system ships. We have found that this greatly reduces damaged to the video cards and motherboards caused by potential shipping carrier mishandling.
Check for POST of fully completed system
With assembly fully completed, we make sure that the system still turns on and boots correctly.
Update System BIOS to Approved Version
We update your motherboard’s BIOS to the most recent stable release provided by the manufacturer and approved by Puget Systems.
Change Remote Management Password
We change the Remote Management Login Password to comply with California Senate Bill 327. The updated password will be provided in a binder with the system accessories.
Apply Standard BIOS Settings
We configure your system with our standard BIOS settings.
Disable Full Screen Boot Logo
We disable the manufacturer splash screen that displays during system POST.
Verify Secure Boot Setting is Correct
We ensure that the Secure Boot Setting in the BIOS is set to Windows
Verify All Devices are Detected and Connected to Appropriate Ports
Save BIOS Profile
Verify Condition of Chassis and Panels
We inspect your system chassis for any structural or cosmetic defects before beginning to mount components.
Verify all fans are spinning at desired RPM
We check that all system fans spin up and operate with the intended settings. For fans connected to a chassis controller, we check that they operate correctly on all settings of the controller.
Test Reset Button (If Applicable)
We check that your chassis’ reset button (if it has one) is connected and functional.
Verify front LED functionality
We check that any appropriate chassis indicator lights, such as power or disk activity LEDs, are connected and functioning as expected.
Phase 1 Testing
Begin memory testing
We run an initial test on your CPU and RAM to check for errors that could lead to instability or a corrupted OS install.
Complete memory testing
We review the initial CPU and RAM test results to confirm that everything is working as expected.
Install / Setup
Review order
We check for any special instructions there may be for your order to ensure that the system is configured exactly how you want it.
Install Windows 11 Pro 64-bit
Your primary drive is installed with a base level install of the operating system, which is later customized to your order.
Install / update device drivers
All the most recent drivers (downloaded from the manufacturer) are loaded for your devices.
Load Install Program
Puget Systems uses an internally developed utility for deploying updates, software packages and customized benchmark suites.
Apply Puget OS Branding
Give the system a nice Puget Systems feel. We change the background and lock screen as well as add our contact information to the computer properties which can be viewed by pressing the Windows key + pause break buttons.
Install approved Windows updates
All Windows updates and service packs are applied.
Confirm successful driver installation
We double check all installed devices to confirm that all drivers loaded correctly.
Compare System Specs to Order specs
We double check all installed devices using an inhouse utility to confirm that they match what was ordered.
Confirm Windows serial key(s)
We double check the serial key assigned to your system using an in house tool to confirm that we will not run in to issues activating the system.
Initialize and format additional disks
We initialize all additional internal drives as GPT and format them as NTFS. We then assign them a drive letter based on how they appear on the order (i.e. secondary drive = D, tertiary drive = E, etc.). If Linux is on the order, these drives will be reformatted when the final OS is installed.
Confirm latest SSD firmware
We open the manufacturers management software for your drive(s) and confirm it has the latest firmware. If needed we will flash them to the latest firmware.
Confirm correct Discrete GPU bandwidth
We double check to make sure that the systems video card(s) are running at the expected bandwidth in relation to motherboard specifications.
Test front panel USB ports
All front USB ports are tested to confirm connectivity and speed.
Test front panel audio
We confirm that the front panel audio jacks (sound and microphone) are working as expected. The rear audio ports will be inspected during the QC phase.
Phase 2 Testing
Double check system specs
Your system specs are double checked for any mistakes, using an automated utility we have built that not only checks for the right parts, but that they are configured correctly.
Stress Test
We run a combination of Prime95 and AIDA64 to stress your system far beyond typical loads.
CrystalDiskMark
We run CrystalDiskMark to benchmark the read/write speeds of all your hard drives.
LAME MP3 Encoder
LAME MP3 Encoder is used to test system performance when encoding MP3 audio files
NeatBench
NeatBench is a standalone benchmarking for Neat Video – a popular tool to reduce visible noise and grain found in footage from digital video cameras, DSLRs, TV-tuners and even digitized film or VHS.
OctaneBench
OctaneBench is a benchmarking utility based on OctaneRender (a popular GPU-based rendering engine). This benchmark evaluates the rendering performance of your GPU(s)
V-Ray
V-Ray is commercial plug-in for third-party 3D computer graphics software applications and is used for visualizations and computer graphics. This benchmark evaluates both CPU and GPU performance when using V-Ray.
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Photoshop is the most widely used professional photo editing and manipulation software currently on the market. Our benchmark tests a wide range of tasks to give an idea of how your system should perform in Photoshop.
Adobe After Effects
Adobe After Effects CC is a widely used application for motion graphics and animation. Our benchmark tests two critical areas of performance – RAM Preview (live playback) and Rendering (exporting) – with a number of different projects.
Adobe Premiere Pro
Adobe Premiere Pro CC is an industry-leading non-linear video editing application. Our benchmark tests two critical areas of performance – Live Playback and Exporting – with a number of different media codecs, resolutions, and effects.
Unigine Superposition
Unigine Superposition is used to evaluate system performance in DX11 applications at display resolutions including 1080p, 4K, and 8K.
NBody CUDA
The Nbody CUDA benchmark is used to verify the maximum theoretical compute performance of NVIDIA-based video cards
CineBench
CINEBENCH is a real-world cross platform test suite that evaluates your computer’s performance capabilities. CINEBENCH is based on MAXON’s award-winning animation software CINEMA 4D, which is used extensively by studios and production houses worldwide for 3D content creation
Upload and review benchmark results
All the benchmarks taken during the phase 2 testing process are recorded on our server, providing you with benchmark scores, and providing us with statistical information that will help us assist future customers. We also upload our temperature logs, giving you a baseline you can compare to after you receive the system.
Quality Control
Review Order Updates and Checkoff
We review the order updates as it contains a build log for actions performed by the various technicians prior to QC to check if additional testing has to be performed and verify requests are fulfilled.
Verify Expected Video Card and Disk Results
We review key benchmark results to verify that installed components are operating as expected.
Verify Condition of Chassis and Components
We physically inspect the exterior and interior of the chassis to check for cosmetic blemishes around high friction points and that components are installed and aligned properly.
Verify System Initialization Noise
When the system is powered on and components are initializing before the system POST beep, we check that the configured components do not have excessive noise.
Disable Network Stack in BIOS
We use an imaging software for installing Windows that requires settings in the BIOS to be adjusted. We turn these settings off as they are not normally used outside of our imaging software.
Verify BIOS Profile is Saved
We check that a profile is saved in the motherboard BIOS that retains the settings we adjust to be used again in case BIOS settings are lost due to an unexpected occurrence.
Record Approximate Boot Time
We record how long, in seconds, the system takes to boot into the OS and also to check that it is booting in the expected amount of time.
Verify System Properties
We check in the OS system properties to make sure that the configured OS, processor, and correct memory capacity is detected.
Verify Puget OS Branding
We check that our Puget desktop background is set.
Verify Drives are Present, Partitioned, and Labeled
We review that all configured system drives are partitioned and drive letters are assigned based on drive priority.
Verify in Device Manager Components are Detected
Verify Sound Quality Output
We check the 3.5mm audio outputs for clarity and balanced volume.
Verify Functionality of Onboard Networking Devices
We test available networking devices on the system for proper network and device detection.
Test Thunderbolt Compatible Ports
We test that the available Thunderbolt compatible ports are detecting a certified external drive in an OS environment.
Test All External USB Ports
A USB thumb drive is plugged in and out from every external USB port to verify USB detection.
Test USB2.0 on Populated USB3.0 Headers
We check that USB 3.0 front panel ports and/or USB 3.0 expansion brackets can detect USB2.0 devices in the OS.
Test All Video Outputs
We verify that all video outputs are functioning correctly even if ports will be disabled or unused due to the system configuration.
Monitor System at Idle
We verify that the system is running as expected and within tolerances by monitoring the system at idle. This is performed by using a thermal camera and a wattage meter to monitor the system as load tests on the configured hardware are ran.
Monitor System under Load
We verify that the system is running as expected and within tolerances by monitoring the system under load. This is performed by using a thermal camera and a wattage meter to monitor the system as load tests on the configured hardware are ran.
Cap Secondary or Unused Video Ports
We cap the video ports on the system that will either be used as a secondary video card or the ports will be unused based on the system configuration
Clean Up Windows Installation
We remove the programs used to install the configured OS and necessary software to test the hardware and check that remnant files and folders are deleted from those programs.
Scan Windows COA
We input the Windows COA into our installation suite to be activated when the system is powered on and connected to the internet.
Prepare and Verify Restore Media Creation
After a system inspection we create restore media for your system
Confirm Proper Windows Out of Box Experience
After creating restore media we check one last time to confirm that your system will boot as expected to the Windows Customer Experience screen.
Final Preparation
Verify Check-Off is Completed
We verify that all checkpoints have been completed throughout the production process and parts section.
Affix COA to Chassis
Your Windows COA is attached to your case.
Include HDMI Cable
We include a HDMI cable with your computer so that you are sure to have everything you need when you set it up.
Include Display Port Cable
We include a Display Port cable with your computer so that you are sure to have everything you need when you set it up.
Verify Power Cord and Essential Accessories are Included
We double check to make sure you have everything you need for system set up!
Packing / Shipping
Paperless Procedure (Optional)
Thank you for choosing paperless. We all must do our part to help the environment and limit or consumption of resources. Small steps like this can create a ripple effect for changes to come.
Include Marketing Materials
Getting stressed out? Grab your stress cube and give us a call! We included a sticker to show you are Puget Proud as well as some Business cards.
Take Pictures of the System
We take pictures of each system before we ship.
Final Chassis Cleaning
Since the computer has been handled, we ensure it is clean as a last step before boxing it up.
Read what our customers have to say about our quality control!
Legacy Testimonial: 1250
Puget Systems is a very bright light in the otherwise dark and unfriendly world of customer support. They build great performing systems. They know their stuff. Most importantly they treat their customers in a very special way — they acknowledge that you time is important. Today was good example: even though the tech support team was busy, the sales person that answered my call simply jumped in and got the service call started. When I later had to call back and my service adviser was on another line, the person who answered the phone didn’t say “let me have him call you back.” Instead they simply looked up the status of my call, jumped right in and walked me through the problem — which turned out to be a failed monitor part; not Puget system’s fault. This type of customer service is really hard to find and is even better from a Company that starts by building the best PC systems! Thank you!
Legacy Testimonial: 1249
IN 2009 I had a custom system built by Puget. Cost about $1100. Nothing super fancy
because I don’t do heavy graphics or video or CAD work and such. But I wanted
a system that was built with high quality components. I wanted a SSD, which were not to common
at that time. A decent graphics card. I’m not a gamer but use a lot of stock analysis software.
I did not need massive HD space so the SSD has plenty of room for my apps. I wanted a solid
and high quality mother board and an Intel processor and cooling system that was not
top tier but just a step below. Ten years later this machine is still bullet proof, never had a
problem of any kind and as fast as I need it to be. Much faster that some of my friends
generic desktops that are much newer. I would not hesitate to have them build me
another but I don’t even need a new desktop because their builds are so awesome.
Legacy Testimonial: 1248
Ordering the PC, virtually seeing it being put together and finally when it arrived, it was everything I expected it to be. Very quiet, fast and does the job it was designed for with aplomb. It is very quiet compared to my earlier machines.
Legacy Testimonial: 1247
I’ve bought a few custom PC’s before, and Puget went above and beyond all expectations and experiences I’ve had with other companies. They helped me find exactly the right computer parts that were specifically tailored to what I wanted to get out of my PC within my price range. They also explained which parts were better for which price and why in great detail when asked. They had very frequent step by step updates and comments as my system was being built, and the thoroughness they put into every step was easy to see. My PC arrived well packed in perfect condition, and was of exceptional quality. I couldn’t be happier with how Puget handled my order.
Legacy Testimonial: 1246
I first purchased a desktop computer from Puget Systems in 2013. Over the next five years it performed beautifully, and when I had any minor issues I found the support staff at Puget to be readily available, knowledgeable, and most pleasant. That responsiveness was a major factor in my return to them when I decided recently to move on to a new desktop. The transition to a new machine was not an easy one for someone like myself who is not tech-oriented and once again support was immediately available in assisting me in that process. I have no reservations whatever in recommending Puget System to anyone who might ask.
Legacy Testimonial: 1245
Puget Systems delivered a solid computer build (“Johnny Cache” AE system with Blackmagic DeckLink card), extensive testing/benchmarking and great customer service! Quick response times to my questions and additional customization requests. Excellent work!
Legacy Testimonial: 1244
All the Mac employees are envious of the Puget Systems computer! It’s a rocket!
Seriously it’s the fastest computer we have ever worked on and everyone wants to try it for video editing, compressing, and exporting because it so much faster than any of our Mac Pro computers. The techs at Puget System knew exactly what system I needed based on my needs and hit it out of the park! A joy to work with!
Legacy Testimonial: 1243
Puget Systems is the best of all the companies I have ever dealt with. I have experienced a great attitude, quality, attention to detail and excellence when I purchased my desktop. They have made me feel like I am part of the process.
Starting with their recommended system for Photoshop, two phone discussions led to my upgrading and subtracting items from their baseline system. The phone representatives were very straightforward, knowledgeable and helpful. They did not advise me to spend money for the sake of spending money; the goal was value for each item and, indeed, they pointed out one key area where a very modest change would significantly increase productivity. Thankfully they did not come across as salesmen.
As the unit was assembled, performance tested, examined in quality control (including a heat IR photo and a temperature graph, performance testing and 44 BIOS setting photos) and prepared for Fedex ground shipping I received informative updates. I placed my order late on a Monday and it was delivered to my home (1500 miles driving distance) Saturday of the following week. The boxing was impressive and the unboxing instructions were very thorough. A 3 ring notebook with performance testing results, original CD’s and recovery USB drive was included along with various cables and instructions for their use. And they also included extra hardware for potential future upgrades.
Nice complementary polo shirt. And I appreciated their complementary installation of my software preferences.
The desktop is very quiet (air cooled). A nice touch was a 3 week checkup email asking for comments and if I needed any assistance. The performance is superb and Photoshop works so smoothly. After using the computer for 3 weeks I’m very pleased with it and brag about it and Puget Systems to my friends.
Legacy Testimonial: 1242
Puget Systems support team once again went above and beyond in helping me with my PC. I bought my Puget PC 7 years ago, needed to get a wireless adapter( I know, I know). I figured I’d email the support team for recommendations. I received a response within a half hour not only making a recommendation, but Ben(tech) told me he would send me one. No strings attached. Then offered to help me if I ran into problems with installation. Everything went well, no issues. Quality PC, and quality support. When I am ready to upgrade, I will order from Puget Systems. Try getting this type of support from Dell, HP, or Mac!
Thanks Ben, and Puget Systems, great job again!
Legacy Testimonial: 1241
I’ve bought a lot of computer equipment over the years. But I’ve never had an experience quite like dealing with Puget Systems. It’s not just that the computer itself is stellar (although it is). It’s the confidence that comes from dealing with a vendor that obviously knows their stuff and the ability to customize every detail and still get a system with the fit and polish of an off-the-shelf product.
I used to assemble computers from parts in the early days of the PC industry. I briefly considered purchasing parts and assembling a system myself to save a few bucks. Then I had a flashback to the endless tech support calls with parts vendors, the RMA numbers for returning defective components, the Russian roulette of whether a given set of components would work together seamlessly, browsing user forums trying to determine why I was getting some random error, etc. I decided that I am not a masochist. Dealing with a vendor who knows the current technology, has experience with the quirks of each component they use, and knows which components play well with others is invaluable. Add to that the thorough testing they do (which they share with you) and the overall buying experience and I would buy another system from Puget in a heartbeat.
I purchased the Serenity Pro system. It is as-advertised–so quiet that I have to check the light on the power button to see if it’s on. Speed, build quality and delivery were exactly as promised. I couldn’t be happier with a computer purchase.
Read more testimonials from Puget Systems clients.