Gamers Nexus Bought My PC 

I think I’m going to buy one. No joke

Anyone who follows GN on a regular basis will know that this was insanely high praise coming from them. Their attention to detail in reviews is unmatched and they are brutally honest. By GN standards, this was about as close to a glowing endorsement as you can get.

Steve is known for being very critical, him saying "I gave it to someone" is basically his version of extremely high praise!

I like Steve's straightforward honesty. If your system's got off generally lightly in a review by GN, you've done a good job. As for the packaging, I remember years ago when I had a small computer building business. I mailed one off via courier and the motherboard blew when the user turned it on. The package had been shaken so violently that the CPU heatsink/fan had shifted so that it was touching a capacitor. So he returned it and I rebuilt it with a new motherboard. He was then screaming on the phone at me because this time the case had a split down the front. I found out a few years later that these problems were caused by the courier. A larger company had been using them but getting damaged monitors returned. They investigated and found that the courier's conveyor belts had a 1 metre drop on the end and items were just being allowed to fall from it onto the floor. That courier was one of the UK's largest but is now no longer in business. Pretty sure I had some graphics cards stolen by them as well.

I would say this is looking pretty good for Starforge. Some small details but otherwise looking very good! I would also say that I really like that Asmon is not afraid to watch this live on stream in front of thousands of people, really shows character of the company trying to do as good job as possible (also pretty cool you get feedback from big reviewer and you can improve on it).

As a career IT field support guy, the screw situation doesn't need any complicated or expensive solution: it's literally just a workflow issue. You solve it by getting everyone together, and you say, "Hey guys, you're killing it, but I need you guys to stop and check your screws and peel-offs on each component before moving on to the next one." A checklist sheet of little things to look for between steps might help there. Very proud to see Starforge doing this well in just a year or two. This kind of work isn't easy; it's common for a lot of IT guys to forget a lot of little things that end up impacting overall performance over the life of a workstation, so seeing only a few loose screws and similar minor hiccups is a great sign. Doubt I'll ever buy a pre-built when I can do it myself, but if I had to recommend a pre-built to a friend, Starforge looks like they'll be on the short list of recommendations.

Asmon has an amazing attitude towards taking feedback and wanting the product to be better. Far better than many larger companies do.

Massive respect for how well you receive feedback. This is _exactly_ what I'd want from someone to whom I'd give $4-500 overhead to build a computer. Very happy to send you some business the next time I refresh my windows machine.

That was probably the best prebuilt review from GN I’ve seen. And even though the screws have been loose, it hasn’t been thermal throttled to hell like many of the other pre builds. So I see why it was rated this good

For anyone not following GN news, Starforge apparently reached out to GN in a matter of hours after their review went live with plans to fix the mistakes GN found. Now obviously nobody knows if that actually ends up doing anything yet BUT it was a well worded and quick response and the overall judgement from Steve even with those mistakes was very good, especially considering other prebuilds.

If this is anyone's first Asmongold video, they see a CEO of a company paying attention to an honest critique of their product and speaking with their community about it in a serious and respectful manner. That alone makes me deeply consider my next PC being a Starforge PC.

Props to you for watching this and taking an interesting in what could be done better. A lot of this was little things, but I would say the loose screw inside and the m.2 cover tape are the 2 things that need to be sure to fix. Looks like you have a great product here, and I foresee it will get better with time.

I've been doing this kind of work for 20 years, regarding a couple loose screws, its about building a consistent employee base, if youre constantly cycling through good assemblers, you'll consistently find missing or loose bolts and stuff. When you do something enough you get a routine and these little things dont happen

its actually a HUGE compliment, to have somebody like GamersNexus, TELL YOU TO YOUR FACE, your product is good enough for ME to gift it to another person. im not sure ive ever heard GN say something like that, in such a way. he was genuinely impressed, and i think he was even thinking about that double shipping with screw retention... great review, and a great video review sir! impressive, my next PC ill be buying from your company

Asmon, OTK and the Starforge team should honestly be _very_ thankful for such an objective, in-depth and high-tier critique of their product. Companies spend thousands to do this kind of QA testing in-house and they are getting it for free. GN truly are the realest of deals - massive respect to them for their dedication to excellence as well as their hardline consumer perspective. Oh and the PCs look pretty good too!

A screw loose is far more dangerous then just a noise in the PC. If that screw happens to fall and touch 2 contacts on the board it could short circuit things on the board

You could apply (Loctite) Purple 222 for small screws. What is the blue stuff on laptop screws? The blue coating on laptop screws is typically a thread-locking adhesive that helps to keep the screws in place and prevent them from loosening due to vibrations or other movements. It provides additional security for the components inside the laptop and helps to maintain the integrity of the device

Asmon's attitude of "This isn't our fault, but we should still try to address it" is an extremely good attitude to have for a business. so many times Businesses will blame their suppliers without any self awareness that it's part of their business decisions. They can choose a different supplier, or work with their suppliers to improve the quality, or making sure the screws are tight enough after delivery.

Given how critical and thorough Steve and his team are, a "pretty good" is absolutely glowing. Good job, you guys can get better from here.

for the screws: spring washers to put torque on the screws so they won't loosen to vibrations OR loctite threadlocker (the blue one)

I'm glad Asmond trying to be impartial on this. There are always things to improve, and a blind test by one of the leaders in benchmarking PC's is an excellent tool to get free research.

Asmon keep your chin up, having a Steve review that doesn't end horrendous is a very good thing. Dude is not only probably the most respected PC hardware reviewer to date, he is also the most meticulous in the biz. The fact you all responded so fast as a company to his review with acknowledgement and commitment to work on it, and just your overall reaction and concern for tightening and improving processes shows you all are gonna be alright. I don't think I've ever seen a perfect Steve review tbh so yeah you guys are doing good for sure.

I think this is the best review on a prebuilt system I’ve ever seen from gamers Nexus, he usually tears them to shreds.

that clip edit to you with the pc omg thats so good.... you're a legend dude

You should make sure checking all the internal and external screws are not loose on a quality assurance checklist , you may even consider adding some tape strips over the external case window screws to reduce the likelihood those shake loose and just add removal of the tape to your step one on the guide.

That trolling by Steve with the streamer voice analysis was the hardest I've laughed on a RU-vid video in a while. That was absolute gold. Azz mon gold.

I really appreciate the fact that Asmond is actually invested in the constructive criticism that's given and is fully taking it in as something that needs to be worked on, as opposed to "these people are trying to bring us down by finding our faults"

As uninterested as I am in going over this for your company, just get an industry-standard torq screwdriver and test it to find a torq setting you find works for you. So screw in ten screws with various settings and then vibrate the case somehow to see if any screws loosen up. Then implement a shop standard and train all employees on that standard.

Gratz on the growth of your company man. It's nice seeing how involved you guys are and how you roll with the memes related to your products. It's wholesome in an era where we have to many faceless hollow corporations.

That part where GN shows Asmon unboxing his pc was priceless 😂

I won a starforge comp in a giveaway. it's so quiet my wife thought it was broken for like a week. it's the $1200 version

Rubber washers on the screws will be a huge help to remove vibration noise and stop screws from potentially loosening in shipping and operation.

For damage while transporting, you can put black hard foam in the box around the PC. For the torque: a torque screwdriver will do wonders, and if there is a way to use the two-ayes check method, it will help you a lot.

I love that, unlike others, you're not taking this personally and see it as a learning experience for future builds. This just shows how serious you are at making this a better experience for the customers.

Gamer's Nexus is the one of the very few channels I trust for unbiased hardware reviews, esp. after the recent controversy with Linus Tech Tips. That was a fair review, & a good response by the vendor. This is how you build trust with the customer - other companies please learn.

The middle markup is actually not bad when you take into account the time spent on things like cable management, setting up the bios, updating the bios version, they definitely could do with a checklist making sure they remove tape and tighten screws properly though lol and when you factor in that they aren't accepting buyouts to add bloatware to your pc, that seems like a pretty decent trade off

Watched both the LTT and GN vids out of curiosity, good to see previous feedback from LTT was taken on board re: PSU cables. In regards to the motherboard stand-off issue, that happens if the 1)the stand-off is not threaded properly, 2)Overtightened in the case, 3)the screw is not threaded properly 4) was screwed in at an angle. I've had these happen on me over the years. A quick QA pass about the screws once motherboard is installed and another when all put together would solve that problem as torqued screws will only resolve part of the problem.

I have watched numerous secret prebuilt videos of GN and just getting "decent" remark from Steve is a good enough reason to be happy. Let alone a near perfect score. It's is the highest compliment that he has ever given to another SI.

For the screws, typically companies will put a medium-hold thread-lock on the threads before assembly to prevent them from coming loose. Some screws can probably be held in place as-is by engineering design too, but that's not the standard screws that you'd see in most places.

On top of using the right torque, what you can do additionally to prevent screws from loosening, is using an appropriate thread locker. Just a drop of a medium/low strength should be enough. While this may be overkill if you build your own PC, it might be necessary for a prebuild that is being shipped and will be submitted to higher vibrations. It might add to the time required to build the PC, but it should prevent screws from loosening if the right torque is applied. You might be able to find screws which already have thread locker pre applied, but not entirely sure about that one.

For loose screws just have the assembly teams, start using locktite (the BLUE). just a small drop on each screw, and they will never un-intentionally back out or come loose again.

I'll be honest, if this was my first PC I'd be over the moon. Honestly, for the consumer and not folks already online, this is a great PC for a common household.

Steve not trashing this is actually decently high praise. Really, fixing some of the design things and a bit of process could make it a really high end product. Honestly, I'd recommend this to family and friends already. They just want to place the PC on the desk and plug things in and it works. Always keep your customer in mind, which seems like you are kind of your customer, so you should probably be trying all the products out. The tape on the ssd is likely the biggest issue.

Love the way you keep saying yeah like he’s there talking to you in person. Shows you’re really into it and listening/learning

Looking to upgrade from my old Falcon Northwest I bought in 2016 (this week, I have finally had my first issue with this PC as its time to upgrade). I'm a father and work a lot, so I don't have time to build PCs anymore. One value to give to your customers is not only providing high quality products, but make it easy to upgrade parts on the device over time, and the cable management/ positioning of components matter. Looks like a pretty solid product overall. Great job!

I love how much he actually cares about the quality and improving it anywhere possible, that's hard to find in any industry now a days.

The Cock Rocket PC Building team really did a great job with that cable management in the back that really warmed my heart

on the screws thing: yes, that can happen in shipping. Vibrations loosten fasteners, it's a near universal rule. there is a product out there called Loctite designed to stop this, you put a tiny amount in the threads of the screws and it is basically just a glue to keep them from twisting loose. for reference, this stuff is used in industry (as in, heavy industry) to keep bolts from shaking loose or spinning out. for the sake of anyone who later wants to re-use the case, use the blue loctite (blue liquid, not red liquid. bottle will always be red) as the red loctite on small screws is sometimes as good as welding the damn things in place.

There is a paste for screws that tightens them up a little bit more. They're not glued completely but they can't unscrew themselves by vobration/transport.

Gotta say I'm genuinely impressed with your reaction and willingness to learn from GN's review. I'm a huge GN fan, and I already recommended a Starforge system to some coworkers after seeing their review. I was super impressed by Starforge's response to GN, and now watching this I'm even more impressed with Starforge's leadership.

having your work rated as pretty good by basically the god of PC tech RU-vid, that's an excellent achievement

Congrats mate, I’d be interested to see a follow up review in the future

A "pretty good" from Steve at GN is high, high praise compared to most tech reviewers. His word carries a lot more technical weight than a Linus.

As far as fixing the screws loosening during shipping, there's always thread lockers like loctite and a million other brands. It will drive up costs per screw in terms of actually needing to purchase the product when you didnt before, and slightly longer times for assembly in making sure each screw has it applied. Whether that's worth it for the peace of mind during shipping, i would wager a guess and say no, but you'd have to run some numbers. It's one of those things in isolation that isn't a big deal, but when you're moving volume, it adds up to quite a lot.

For the loose screws a small amount of blue loctite. It breaks away easy with a screwdriver, but wont allow vibrations to loosen the screws in transit. they also make a form of loctite that is not conductive.

Respect for airing this and taking an interest in what Starforge is delivering to the customer. FWIW everything I've heard about them is positive. You're never going to hit 100% perfect all the time, but getting a "it's pretty good" from Steve really means you're doing awesome.

The front panel could be replaced with mesh for better airflow (This could also add some performance to the system and fix some of the acoustic issues by lowing the internal temps. Hence, the fans would spin slower by the fan curve configuration in the BIOS). The screws could be secured from shipping vibrations with loctite threadlocker. For the tape in the SSD thermal pad, you could create standardized processes (a checklist) for the builders.

The tape on the thermal pad is the same as the label on the SSD. The Chips need direct contact with the thermal transfer pad for best results.

In regards of screws coming loose. Use loctite. Probably a blue loctite. Keeps it from vibrating loose. But also allows you to unscrew it easily. Yes, it adds to production time but itll help

As someone who works in the manufacturing space. My first solution to the screw problem would be electric torque wrenches (super expensive but fast) or just regularly calibrated torque screw drivers (get 1 screw driver for each torque, do not let the line change torque values on the fly, color code multiple tools, calibrate on a schedule). Tighten screws in a pattern, go over the pattern at least twice. Since in a PC not all screws are needed and the danger is actually having one fall out more than having one that is not properly tightened. At my work we started using screws that have thread locker (Loctite) baked on to the threads, that way we don't have to mess with liquid thread locker and we throw away all included hardware. Again to clarify I work in manufacturing, we do not manufacture computers so some of my suggestions might not apply, just sharing what I know from what we do.

This is a great video and honestly, the humility and sheer relief that his work passed muster and willingly took the feedback with humility is a testament to character of a leader. It's about taking feedback in stride and making it better! I'm building a system for my son who has dreams of being a creator, so I'm teaching him how to build the systems.I'm going to consider this solution as a viable strategy for my son's next box. Nice work Team!

A little blue Loctite should do the trick. It should keep those screws from moving without having to use a torque reading, but also not glue the screws so tight that a user can't easily remove them if they do an upgrade down the road.

I'm looking to buy or build a gaming PC for the first time in over a decade, and I've been watching Gamer's Nexus pre-built reviews. I just watched this one the other day and it's really cool to see your reaction to someone breaking down and reviewing your companies PC.

"Ya boys, this PC can run Wrath of the Lich King Classic - so ya" I laughed so hard I spit Whisky all over my monitor

Reacting to a GN Video is ballsy. They are fair but BRUTAL with high standards and have ABSOLUTELY MURDERED some SIs in the past, tearing them and their builds apart to the point of turning them into Memes (see "better than Dell" award). I'd honestly like to see him react to the Dell G5 video to put the praise he got from GN in context. Anything beyond "not absolutely terrible" from them is already an achievement.

When he talks about buying components wholesale... which he's referring to "OEM supply chains" which is usually components bought without packaging, without cables, etc etc... they buy everything retail, in full boxes. So everything should have a decent manufacture date, firmware version, etc. OEM components for supply chains can sometimes sit around in warehouses for years or get moved around and sold numerous times. Yes not having to unbox everything, not having to deal with the recycling, the trash, etc has a cost, but its the same cost that any one of us would expect when going to a retail store, buying on amazon, newegg, etc. Its generally a better product.

14:00 Vibration undoes screws. That's why we use thread-lockers such as Loctite and Vibratite, or things like nord-lock and spring washers...

Impressive to hear from Steve himself that the build is "almost perfect". That's the highest praise I've heard from him regarding any prebuilds

I work in auto industry, they have programs for each tool that will read anything to a 0 torque( completely missed screw) to over torque…your pc will never have any issues with this kind of tool…or have an assigned torque monitor ( person) to check & recheck before shipping

Thanks for showing this and the LTT teardown/test video. I usually build my own desktops but I'm in my 70's and just don't feel like going through the build process et al again even though in the past I equated building a PC to making chocolate chip cookies as far as complexity. SO ANYWAY. You'll get the sale when it's finally time to upgrade my current 2 year old basic gaming PC.

A little bit of red loctite for thread locking paired with the correct torque on the screws goes a long way, it will reduce the issues with vibrations AND will make sure that the customer get a non-tampered pc equipment.

The fact Gamers Nexus goes through so much work to test out rigs is amazing, and the positive attitude Asmon has towards feedback - good or bad - is exactly why he's successful. I wish I had known you guys had a PC company when I made my last big gaming PC purchase but rest assured, my next big splurge, I will check you guys out first.

Loctite blue is a good option. It's the stuff they use on laptop cover screws to prevent them vibrating out but is light enough that it can be undone.

You could probably use lock washers on your case screws. They hold up to vibration really well, so probably fine for shipping too.

Torque specs do prevent a majority of loose screws speaking as a mechanic. The pressure is equalized which makes it harder for vibrations to find weak points. Weak points being over tightened screws.

Asmon should go on a tour watching some of the other prebuilts GN reviewed, the Starforge one is like a godsend by comparison overall

It's really refreshing to see your commitment to solving problems without thinking you personally know all the answers. Seems very sound from a company ownership perspective, and it gives me a new level of respect for you and for Starforged.

So yeah get Skyforge to use torque setting screwdrivers if they aren't already, OEM doing it all by hand-feels-about-right is not good enough. ANOTHER thing I would do is get some low-grip loctite which creates a little bit of resistance (don't overuse it) on the threads so during shipping they don't wiggle undone!

The torque thing is right. I work for a pharmaceutical company that makes incipients. We torque all our lids for example. But then there's random checks to make sure they're correct. We often find the odd one that isn't done correctly. Despite all the tools being used being calibrated regularly. Human error is a thing yo

this was a glowing endorsement and honestly the best advertisement for your company, if i had to recommend to a friend a prebuilt id consider star forge because of this review.

'Not bad overall' is an absolutely shining review from Gamers Nexus. Well done! Keep it up :)

This is so cool. I did not know you had your own company. I just started watching your channel and I'm hooked.

Asmon, Quality Control Inspector. It's common for electronic manufacturers and assemblers to have QC, Quality Control, who pull sample quantities of finished products and go through them thoroughly every day/week to keep on top of quality control. There are industry standard numbers that you inspect in each batch to have a good idea of the batch quality. For example 30 inspected per 400 built, but this varies on the product AND recent quality history issues. 1 experienced and enthusiastic person in charge of this makes a huge difference to daily quality and customer satisfaction. Saves the company a ton of money and builds an amazing reputation. Visual inspection, functional inspection, sample inspection, product list inspection, etc. Seems like you're doing great and want to be best in class. Go for it!

I work in the transportation industry. I can tell you that while in transit, the shipment will sacrum to bouncing and vibrations from the road while traveling. Depending on where the shipment is located at on the trailer, it could be more or less vibration. For instance. A shipment on a pup (28 ft box ) or ( 48ft 53ft ) van will ride differently over the axle. This also can be affected by weight of the shipment. The lighter the shipment. The more it tends to vibrate and bounce. A heavier shipment will vibrate and bounce less. This is probably the most likely cause on tiny screws loose and many things. Not just PCs. Dunnage ( Air bags, cardboard, bubble wrap, etc ) is another thing we use to cut down on this along with straps. But we can only do so much preparing a load for transit. Pot holes, uneven roads, etc add to this problem. Even driver error such as a hard hook or erratic driving. A possible solution. A tiny dab of liquid thread locker on the tip of the screw with ample drying time ( 24 hrs ) before transit. I think it should be common sense to check things such as these before use rather than blaming the builder. But it happens. We are all human after all. Hope this info helps to a glimpse into the transportation industry..... Old Dominion Freight Line Inc. Logistics.

I love to see that Asmon takes these issues to heart. This is what we need from these SI. Keep up the work on making these better and better. I build my own but glad to see you are hopefully addressing these issues.

The slow roast at the end does it for me lol

Its going to be a damn good product in the long run given how the public can practically get feedback from the boss himself. Obviously he’ll just direct any FAQ and inquires to the Starforge Website, but it’s reassuring to see Zach taking feedback seriously.

This is a overall impressive win for StarForge. Congrats!!

You did well. For a young company one of the hard things to get is consistent attention to detail. It's all part of the maturity curve. You'll sort it out. And from Gamers Nexus that was high praise :)

To be fair about some of the screw issues, the outside screws might be left loose to remove the shipping stuff inside. Idk if it's a no-no, but a tiny bit of loctite on each screw will keep them from backing out in shipping.

I'm thinking a little loc-tite on the screws and the torque screw driver will tighten everything up. Just be sure to use the non permanent loc-tite on the screws.

Asmon, add a “locking washer” to prevent radiator bolts from backing out in shipping & paper washers to the motherboard for similar reasons (acts as a spring keeping the bolt tight & mitigating vibration). All PC screws can be purchased with locktight/nylon(which expands as the screw is screwed in) pre-applied but they also sell inserts that you put into the screw-hole before screwing in components that increase friction.

rubber/plastic spacers are nice too. not only will it help you get it tighter but it will also prevent the screws from sneaking through the holes wich IS a thing that can happen ( for the AIO)

The only fix for the front panel issue on the chassis is to replace the CK560 chassis with a better airflow option. If there is a contract with DeepCool in place for components (which is appears there is) they may have a better airflow option and that would resolve the "percussive front panel" issue as well.

Congratulations on that review. This is the first time i came across your channel and you get a 👍 from Steve is the highest compliment you can get as a builder. I build my own but for people who want to buy a custom pre built, i will definitely steer them towards your company. Well done!

My thing is that the mistakes were mistakes, not bloatware, cheaping out on components, or otherwise being malicious or unforgivably incompetent. Given how disappointing even seemingly the best system integrators are at times, I'm kinda relieved to actually see this work out so far! That and the detailed, actionable steps in the feedback is unprecedented. If only RU-vidrs could learn a thing or two before making a response/apology.

As a solution to your screw problem. The screw hole tolerance might not be good. The hole might be too big for the screw. And therefore the screw even though tight, can back out easily by hand. Seen it on many things before.

That was such an incredibly high review from GN I'm not sure you even realise. The fact alone that he stated aloud he's gifting it to someone is enough to recommend Starforged to anyone. And that's ignoring how well you're taking in the review, listening to the feedback and criticism, and genuinely thinking about and recognising what it means, and taking it in stride to improve from. I normally build pcs from scratch, but if I ever want a prebuilt, or need to recommend a company to someone, I'm going to you.

If you haven’t been introduced to this, it’s called a click stick. It’s an extension/Bit that actually has a predetermined torque setting on it. A lot of manufacturing does it with electronics or sensitive parts like carburetors and stuff you will use the extension/bid and it will click like a torque wrench will when you get to the desired setting.

Honestly this is one of the best reviews I've ever seen him give of a prebuilt in the past few years. Props for taking the constructive criticism well. Considering some of the massive issues he's seen with other companies, the few issues were super fixable both in the moment and process-wise.