Are used parts risky?

They are when nobody tests them. Every used part here is run before it goes in a machine, and the two parts most likely to fail or to take the machine with them, the power supply and the drive, are always new.

How much cheaper is a rebuild?

Roughly half the price of the same performance in new parts, because the graphics card and CPU carry most of a build's cost and used ones cost a fraction of new. The exact number comes with the parts list.

Can I upgrade a rebuild later?

Yes. It is a normal desktop built from standard parts, so a graphics card, more memory or a bigger SSD can go in later, and those upgrades are quoted as repairs.

Why is the price different from last week?

Because the parts are whatever tested stock is available, and used prices move. The quote names the exact parts going into your machine, and that number is what you pay.

What is the warranty on a rebuild?

90 days on the whole machine, used parts included, plus the manufacturer's warranty on the new power supply and SSD. If a used part fails inside that window it gets replaced, not argued about.

MTech Builds / Rebuilds

Tested used parts. Roughly half the price.

Most of a gaming PC's cost is the graphics card and the CPU, and good used ones cost a fraction of new. I source those from tested stock, fit a new power supply and a new SSD, and build the machine the same way as any other, with the exact used parts named in the quote.

Tell me your budget All-new builds

New PSU + SSD: The two parts that matter most are never reused
Tested: GPU, CPU, board and memory all run before they go in
90 days: Warranty on the whole machine, used parts included

Tiers

Three budgets to start from.

The tier sets the target and the class of part. The quote then names the exact CPU, graphics card, board and memory going into your machine, because used stock turns over week to week.

Entry rebuild

Quote first

1080p, medium to high settings, 60 fps

6-8 core previous-generation CPU
16GB DDR4 memory
512GB new NVMe SSD
8GB used mid-range graphics card
New 550-650W 80+ Bronze power supply
Fresh Windows 11 install

Mid rebuild

Quote first

1440p, high settings, 60-100 fps

8-core previous-generation CPU
16-32GB DDR4 memory
1TB new NVMe SSD
Used upper-mid graphics card
New 650W 80+ Bronze power supply
Fresh Windows 11 install

High rebuild

Quote first

1440p ultra, or 4K entry

8-12 core recent CPU
32GB DDR4 or DDR5 memory
1-2TB new NVMe SSD
Used near-flagship graphics card
New 750W 80+ Gold power supply
Fresh Windows 11 install

Rebuilds are quoted part by part rather than at a fixed price, since what is available changes. Nothing is ordered until you approve the itemized list, and the price on that list is the price you pay.

What is used, what is new

Which parts get bought used, and which never do.

A rebuild only makes sense if the parts that matter are chosen and tested properly. This is the line taken on every machine that leaves the bench.

CPU, GPU, motherboard, memory, case: Sourced used, then tested here before it goes in a machine: the graphics card under a sustained load test, the CPU and memory through a stability run, the board checked port by port.
Power supply: Always new. A tired power supply is the one part that can take the rest of the machine with it, so it is never reused, however good the label looks.
Storage: Always a new NVMe SSD. Used drives carry someone else's history and an unknown amount of life, and the drive is where everything you care about sits.
Cooling: New thermal paste on every cooler, and any fan that ticks, rattles or runs uneven is replaced rather than cleaned and hoped for.
Windows: A fresh Windows 11 install with current drivers and updates, set up and activated before handover, and the install media left with you.

The build

Stock changes weekly. The standard does not.

Every rebuild gets the same teardown, clean, burn-in and documented handover as an all-new build.

01
Tell me the budget
What you play, what you play it on, and the number you want to spend. That decides which parts are worth chasing.
02
I check the shelf
Used stock changes week to week, so the quote names the exact CPU, GPU, board and memory going in, not a vague class of part.
03
Build and burn in
New power supply, new SSD, fresh Windows, then a load test that has to pass before the machine goes out.
04
Handover
Collected locally, met up nearby, or shipped tracked and insured, with the parts list and warranty in writing.

Questions

Rebuilds, answered.

Whether used parts are a risk, how much you save, what is new, and what happens if something fails.

Build guides

What used parts really save.

Whether a used graphics card is worth it, what $1,000 buys, and how a rebuild compares with a prebuilt of the same price.

All guides

MTech Builds5 min read

What $1,000 buys in a gaming PC

A thousand dollars is still the most common budget and still the most misunderstood. Here is the honest machine it buys, and what it can and cannot do.

Read the guide

MTech Builds6 min read

The PC your games actually need

Two buyers with the same budget can need very different machines, because the games decide where the money goes. Here is how to work backwards from your library.

Read the guide

MTech Builds5 min read

A first gaming PC for a teenager

Parents usually get sold either too little or too much. Here is the machine that survives a teenager's first three years of gaming, and the parts worth saying no to.

Read the guide

Tell me the budget, and I will tell you what it buys.

Send the games, the monitor and the number you want to spend, and you get an exact parts list back.

Start a rebuild request All three build paths