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: 937
Puget Systems was the only company I could find who would actually provide me with exactly the computer I wanted. They really went that extra mile to accommodate my needs, including ordering a special keyboard for me. They responded very quickly to my queries, and were very helpful providing additional information about the computer I requested before placing the order. They delivered in a timely fashion, and there were no mistakes or delays of any kind. Puget Systems’ service is truly excellent, and I would recommend them to anyone.
Legacy Testimonial: 932
My past and present computer purchases with Puget Custom Computers has been an A++ experience without a doubt.
The communication I had with the staff was exceptional, every e-mail or phone call I made was returned with all the information I was looking for and ready to answer any more questions I had.
The staff was very patient with my decisions on the build and giving me great advise on the hardware and parts I could use, all the time keeping my budget in mind.
I highly recommend Puget Custom Computers to anybody looking to build a custom computer. Very professional business.
A pleasure doing business.
Kevin Stoner
Michigan “
Legacy Testimonial: 931
From the initial contact to my final specification two months later, William, my very patient sales rep took the time to ask questions & provide alternative options, to not only save me money, but make a system better tailored for my needs. It was as if I was the only customer he had. Emails were answered in a timely fashion, Typically within an half hour. Now that is what I call service.
When the computer arrived I was astounded by the packing job, All the documentation for the components & a bag of spare screws, cables, and other stuff that they did not use but I paid for were included. (will come in handy when I add a drive or two down the road) Plus all the software discs & performance test reports were included in a binder. Not to mention a nice thank you letter from the boss letting me know he appreciates my business. Very professional from start to finish. The machine booted right up & i was not bombarded with special offers & crap you get from the big makers.
I know where my next computer will come from now. Thanks Puget for a great job.
Legacy Testimonial: 929
I cannot overstate my satisfaction with Puget Systems, and the wonderful PC I received not quite twenty hours ago.
First off, the physical build is top-notch: quality parts, quality assembly, and quality packaging for shipping.
Second, the absolutely unparallelled customer service. At every step of the way, I felt that the people handling my order really cared about ME, not just my wallet. My sales rep even made suggestions that LOWERED the cost of my build, without sacrificing the specs in any way. How often to sales reps do THAT, do you think?
Once the computer arrived, and I proceeded with unboxing it, I was even happier, for a few reasons. To begin with, all the various little stickers and such that can be put on a computer case were there – in the bundle of paperwork, NOT stuck t the case. Even their own little inch-square sticker. It’ll be MY choice what, if anything, will go on my case. It’s a small thing, but it’s indicative of how thoughtfully Puget Systems treats it’s customers. Added to that, was a three-ring binder with all the benchmarking results, as well as small pictures to put with the names of the technicians who’d put it all together – so I have a face to put with each one. But that’s not all, no; they also included all the extra screws, brackets, cables, and so on that the case, CPU, cooler, and other components had come with, but which weren’t needed just yet. Should I expand my computer in the future, I won’t have to buy third-hand mounting hardware, data cable, and so on.
All in all, I can’t think of any way in which my experience could have been improved. Nope; not one single way.
Legacy Testimonial: 928
Puget built an awesome computer.
It was packed nicely in a double box, the system is up and running without a glitch.
Very sleek.
Customer service was very good before I placed the order and after I received my computer.
The documentation about the testing and the computer parts is neatly organized in a bineder together with the CD-Roms.
Even though the Puget is not exactly around the corner from where I live, it all worked out well.
Thanks
Daniel
Legacy Testimonial: 926
I just rec’d my Deluge extreme gaming system and received it within 2 weeks of ordering–fantastic! It was cool checking the updates on the site every day as well, very nice feature.
As to performance, I have been busy just re downloading games from Steam, Blizzard so haven’t had much chance to play but I did play Far Cry 3 at absolutely maxed out settings and it ran superbly. Very quiet, but heat was very low from what I was used to on my old PC and it was rock solid stable. I can’t wait to play more of my favourites maxed out as soon as I can find the time
In terms of packaging, this was first class, everything thought of. As mentioned in other testimonials, it was overkill packaging that prevented anything from moving or getting damaged. Instructions were included for seemingly everything, including how to open the box properly. All parts and accessories were in neatly labelled bags so, for example, when I added my 3 sata drives yesterday, I easily found the package with the hard drive screws without any hassle. I love that kind of attention to detail. Another small thing, but the computer was absolutely spotless on all its surfaces, including the glass side window. No fingerprints, smudges or anything to indicate a human had put this together. This emphasizes the superb quality control and pride Puget has in their products and how the customer will react to that factor. Amazing!
A small word on customer service. I haven’t really needed it except initially when I was configuring the system but Will was superb. He actually told me buy less expensive components on certain items as he thought it might be overkill for my uses. I took that to heart, but in the end splurged for the more expensive items anyway! But, how many times does a salesman every UNDERSELL you??? Hope he doesn’t get in trouble for that–ha ha!
In summary, I am so glad a “local” company (I am in Vancouver Canada) provides this type of service and craftsmanship, and is backs there stuff up 1000%. Hopefully, I will never need troubleshooting or help with any issues, but I am very happy to know it is there, waiting for me, should I need to use it!
Great work Puget–keep it up! I am going to be a loyal customer for many years
Legacy Testimonial: 925
I have owned my $1500. Puget PC for a year without any major problems. I have an ongoing very small problem that I have not bothered to fix. which is… when the power shuts off by itself after a period of non-use , it cannot be restarted unless I unplug it from the wall for a few seconds and then replug it. Then the pc restarts properly. On the positive side… I have never owned or used a pc that is this nice. Good Lord is it quick and quiet ! I am certainly spoiled and therefore will not ever be able to have a lesser pc. I did not give the company a 10 rating because I have not had to test their customer service yet. Thankfully.
Legacy Testimonial: 924
I received my Spirit system on January 3rd and it has been perfect since the moment it arrived. The shipping materials are very effective: PC in a box with packing, inside another box with custom packing corners so it is “suspended” in the outside box. Essentially two levels of protection for the trip. Unpacked everything, hooked it up to two Dell U2412m monitors that I picked up from Amazon and it worked perfectly. A couple of things of note… the Spirit case is very spacious and incredibly quiet. I had to go with it instead of the Serenity as that case was a little too tall for my desk. No worries, without a power light it would be hard to know that it is on. My build, which is listed below, is incredibly fast. USB III – cannot say enough – very much worth it if you have to move photos or videos between camera and PC. Windows 7 ultimate proved to be the right choice for me… I needed the ability to remote desktop into work and use a multi-monitor display on both ends. Windows supports this but only if the two sides are a combination of (windows ultimate, windows 7 enterprise or windows 8 server). Not sure why MS makes this so hard, but I am happy to report that if you meet their requirements, it works fine. My other concern was whether the GTX 650 was going to be sufficient for some gaming that I do on the machine. No issues at all running Assassins Creed III on a single monitor (haven’t tried multi-monitor yet). On this front, I can also recommend the Saitek Eclipse II back lit keyboard and Mionix Naos 3200 gaming mouse (also lit). Set them all to blue with your Spirit and you have a very nice looking system. Overall I am incredibly pleased and have already recommended Puget to friends of mind who are considering a custom build.
Keith
Spirit Build
————–
Motherboard Asus P8Z77-V Pro
CPU Intel Core i7 3770K 3.5GHz Quad Core 8MB 77W
Ram Kingston 16GB DDR3-1600 (2x8GB)
Video Card EVGA Geforce GTX 650 1GB
Sound Card Onboard Sound
Storage
Hard Drive Intel 520 240GB SATA 6Gb/s 2.5inch SSD
Comments: Primary drive.
Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB SATA 6Gb/s
Comments: Secondary drive.
CD / DVD Asus 12x Blu-ray Burner SATA (black)
Removable Drive ATech PRO-57U USB 3.0 Internal Card Reader
Case / Cooling
Case Fractal Design Define R4 Titanium Grey
Power Supply Antec TruePower New Series 650W Power Supply
CPU Cooling Cooler Master Hyper TX3 CPU Cooler
Software
OS Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit OEM SP1
Software: Multimedia Cyberlink PowerDVD 10 OEM
Accessories
Services Warranty: Lifetime Labor and Tech Support, 1 Year Parts
Software / Preferences
Software: Courtesy Install Microsoft Security Essentials (Antivirus)
Legacy Testimonial: 923
Its nearly 12 months after installing my fourth Puget system in five years of great service from Puget Systems. Last week I been getting an occasional “error loading operating system” boot error message, went to the Puget web site on SUNDAY, put in a support call back request, expecting a response sometime on Monday. Later on Sunday I found I had a return email from Jeff Stubbers, a Puget Systems tech, with a set of instructions to reset my BIOS setting, which led me to an incorrect boot drive setting, which solved my problem. Jeff you are the man!
Outstanding support like this in these days of diminishing support by other vendors keeps me coming back to Puget Systems!
Yes – I have fire-breathing Intel i7-3939K 3.2 GHZ, 16Gb RAM, SSD OS drive, liquid-cooled system, but next year when Itel announces their new Wombat SurFire X8 chip I’ll be checking Puget’s website and asking Santa for a new Puget System.
Thanks John – Thanks Jeff
Legacy Testimonial: 922
I came to these guys with special needs for a special system. After 3 short days of work they were done. I couldn’t be more pleased then I am with this system. From start to finish this company went far and beyond my expectations. The quality of the build is top notch and the customer service was excellent. It was nothing short of a 10 out of 10 experience. Most of you know thats hard to come by these days when purchasing anything. These guys have my business for life.
Read more testimonials from Puget Systems clients.