Gaming PC’s Forensic Technical Intake: Gaming PC Systems Service Protocol: Performance Isolation & Modular Replacement 1. Primary Fault Classification Fault Group (A-Z) — Select Group — Audio (Internal/DAC) Cooling (Thermal/AIO/Fans) Graphics (GPU/Display Output) Logic Board (Motherboard Swap) OS Performance & Frame Rates Power (PSU/Modular Cables) Storage (NVMe/SSD Swap) Specific Fault — Select Group First — Describe the specific performance failure: 2. Data Backup & Storage Forensics Forensic Insight: Gaming PCs often use high-speed NVMe SSDs. If the motherboard has failed, swapping the board may require a clean OS install to ensure driver stability. We need to know if your game saves and personal files are safely backed up. Date of Last Full Backup Storage Modality Single NVMe/SSD RAID 0 (Performance Striping) Multiple Separate Drives 3. Graphics & Thermal Forensics AI Technical Insight: If you see “space invaders” or “sparkling” on your screen, the GPU VRAM has likely failed. If the PC shuts down after 10 minutes of gaming, the AIO Pump or Thermal Paste is no longer managing the heat spike. Visual Artifacts Observed? (A-Z) No – Clean Image Yes – Blocks/Lines/Dots on screen Yes – Extreme Micro-stuttering Yes – Screen goes black under load Reported Peak Temperatures (CPU/GPU) if known: 4. Power Delivery Infrastructure Forensic Insight: High-end GPUs (e.g., RTX 40/50 series) require massive “transient” power draws. If your PSU is aging, it can no longer handle these spikes, leading to a “Hard Reboot” without a Blue Screen. Power Behavior (A-Z) No Power / Won’t Start PC Restarts during gaming (No Error) Burning / Electrical smell from rear Coil Whine (High pitched squeal) 5. Customization & Modification History Why we need this: We need to know if the BIOS has been modified or if the system has been Overclocked. This data allows us to reset the system to stable factory defaults before attempting modular swaps. Has the CPU, RAM (XMP/EXPO), or GPU been Overclocked? No – Running Stock Yes – Modified Settings/Hardware Please list all hardware mods or BIOS tweaks: 6. Mandatory Packaging Compliance CRITICAL: Gaming PCs often have heavy GPUs and large air coolers. In transit, these can snap the Motherboard PCIe slot. The responsibility for secure packing remains entirely with the customer. You MUST use internal expanding foam (Instapak) or remove the GPU and ship it in a separate anti-static bag. Confirm your internal bracing method: