Frequently Asked Questions

CREATE PCs currently has a turnaround time of 7-10 working days from order confirmation. Every system is hand-built, cable managed and stress-tested for 24 hours before dispatch. Customers receive progress photos during the build process.

Yes — free UK mainland delivery is included on every custom PC order. Systems ship in custom-fit foam packaging via an insured courier with full tracking.

Yes — visitors are welcome by appointment at our Stevenage workshop (Kings Court, London Road, Stevenage, SG1 2NG). Contact us to arrange a visit. Customers can see their own system being built if the timing works out.

Yes — we build systems for gaming, video editing, CAD, music production, streaming, simulation and all professional workloads. The configurator includes use-case categories to help find the right components for the specific software you run.

Every CREATE PCs system comes with our UK 5-Year Warranty: 5 years of free labour cover, plus 2+ years of parts cover aligned to each manufacturer's warranty (RAM, PSUs and SSDs often run 5-10 years under manufacturer terms). We handle the RMA process so you don't have to deal with multiple suppliers.

Email [email protected] or call 03333 444 127. Most issues are diagnosed remotely within 24 hours. If a system needs to come back to the workshop, you arrange the courier (we'll recommend one for the value of your build) and we handle the rest — diagnosis, repair, full retest and return. Our labour is free under the 5-year warranty.

Yes — and labour on major hardware upgrades is free for the first 5 years of ownership. You tell us what you'd like to upgrade or add, we confirm compatibility, raise the order for the part, and schedule the upgrade. You cover round-trip shipping; we cover the work and the 24-hour retest before it comes back.

Yes. Doing your own upgrades won't affect the warranty cover. We just ask that you check compatibility with us first, use anti-static precautions, and keep the original packaging in case the system later needs to come back for unrelated work. Damage caused by self-installation (bent CPU pins, broken DIMM clips) isn't covered, but we're happy to assess and quote for repair.

Absolutely. Our online configurator offers over 200 cases and the latest CPUs, GPUs, motherboards, RAM, storage, cooling and power supplies. Every component is hand-picked for compatibility and pre-checked against your case and other selections in real time. For requirements beyond the configurator, our bespoke service handles fully custom builds.

For 1440p at 60fps or above, we recommend at least an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti. For competitive 1440p at 144fps+, an RTX 5070 Ti or RTX 5080 provides the headroom for consistent high frame rates in demanding titles.

Yes. Every motherboard is flashed to the latest stable BIOS revision before assembly, with the appropriate XMP/EXPO memory profile applied and tested for stability. This avoids the common DIY-build issue of a system not posting because the shipped BIOS doesn't recognise a newer CPU.

A motherboard bundle is a CPU and motherboard sold together — sometimes with RAM and a cooler — that have been compatibility-checked by the retailer. The retailer confirms the parts work with each other and ships them as a single package. You still need to install everything into a case, add a power supply, storage and operating system, and do your own assembly and testing.

Sometimes. Most UK retailers (AWD-IT, Scan) sell CPU + motherboard bundles without RAM, while others (CCL, Overclockers UK) bundle in matched RAM and occasionally a cooler. Always check the listing before assuming what's included.

Usually only marginally. The "bundle discount" is typically £10-£40 vs buying the parts separately. The bigger value is compatibility certainty — the retailer has confirmed the BIOS supports your CPU before it ships.

Yes — that's the entire point. Bundles assume you're a DIY builder. You'll need to mount everything into your case, install the PSU, storage and OS, manage your cables, and run your own stability testing. First-time builds typically take 3-6 hours.

In most cases yes, but not always. Bundles guarantee the parts are compatible — not that the experience is fault-free. Common day-one issues for DIY builders include misseated CPUs, RAM not running at advertised XMP speeds, BIOS updates needed before the system posts, and thermal-paste application that throttles performance until reapplied.

A motherboard bundle is a sub-assembly of the most compatibility-sensitive components — you build the rest. A custom PC is the entire system: case, PSU, storage, OS, fans, cable management, everything assembled and stress-tested as a single unit and warranted as one product.

No — and the honest reason is we can't match the bundle prices of retailers who buy components directly from distributors in much larger volumes than we do. What we do better is build the whole PC: paired components, optimised BIOS profiles, 24-hour stress test on the complete system, photographed and warranted as one machine for five years.

Buy a bundle if you have a working PC you want to upgrade (case, PSU, storage and OS already in place) and you're confident installing the parts yourself. Buy a custom PC if you want a complete working system on day one, with one warranty covering everything and no troubleshooting if anything misbehaves.

CREATE PCs accepts credit and debit cards, PayPal, and Pay by Bank (instant bank transfer). Pay by Bank customers receive a 1.5% discount on their order total. All payments are processed securely through Stripe.

Not currently. We previously offered finance via a third-party provider but pulled it because the rates available didn't match our company values — even good credit scores were being offered APRs we didn't want to put our name behind. Until we find a finance partner with rates we're happy to stand behind, we recommend Pay by Bank, PayPal Pay in 3, or a personal loan from your own bank. We'll re-introduce finance when the right partner appears.

Yes — paying via Pay by Bank at checkout gives you a 1.5% discount on the order total. The saving reflects the card-processing fee we don't pay when you transfer directly.