Question System not displaying after a new CPU Cooler was installed by the Geek Squad ?

[SOCRVTIC]

Hello tomshardware enthusiasts!

I'm currently facing a challenging issue and need some advice. I recently swapped the case of my prebuilt HP Omen 30L into a Fractal Design North case with the assistance of my local Geek Squad (let's call this Geek Squad A). The thermal improvements were less than I had hoped for, so I decided to upgrade to a Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120, replacing the original 120mm AIO. I entrusted this CPU cooler replacement to a different Geek Squad location (Geek Squad B). Unfortunately, I was informed that after the installation, my system no longer displays anything. It's been a week of "advanced diagnostics" with no success.

Here’s what they’ve tried:

• Reinstalling the original AIO to rule out a faulty new air cooler.
• Testing different graphics cards to see if the GPU was the issue.
• Testing RAM (details unclear).
• Confirming that the CPU was not removed from the socket during cooler installation, so bent pins are unlikely.

Recently, they mentioned that their manager would decide whether I would receive replacement components or a new PC. I'm skeptical about receiving a new system, as I was perfectly happy with my original setup.

I've had prior issues with Geek Squad B concerning a laptop repair, so my expectations are not high.

I don’t want to unfairly blame Geek Squad if it’s not their fault, but I'm trying to understand how a seemingly simple cooler installation could leave me potentially without a functioning system as it was working just fine before I handed it off to them.

1) I'm only working with information relayed by the technicians and haven't been able to troubleshoot the system myself. Based on the situation described, what are your thoughts? What could potentially be causing my system to fail to display?

2) Considering my previous experiences with this particular Geek Squad location, do you think it's worthwhile to press for some form of reimbursement or replacement, or should I just retrieve my PC as it is and seek a second opinion from a different repair shop? What would be your approach in this situation?

Specs:
HP Omen Orisa Dorado OC Mobo
Intel i9-10850k
Geforce RTX 3080 (OEM from the HP Omen)
HyperX 32 GB DDR4-3200

I immensely appreciate any help and effort put in to this matter.

 

[Ralston18]

Unfortunately you are in a situation where finger pointing involves multiple parties: Geek Squad A, Geek Squad B, you, HP, AIO manufacturers, Fractel Design, etc..

Once you regain control of your PC then then you could be blamed (rightly or wrongly) for anything that is astray with the build.

I would hold on retrieving the PC.

And I would ask some interim questions about what specific troubleshooting was done with respect to the display failures. Hardware, software, configuration, defective cable, drivers.... Were there, for example, temperature problems that warranted a new AIO to begin with? Was there any attempt to boot into safemode.

My suggestions:

The first thing to do is to sit down and make full honest accounting of what transpired from beginning to end. Include specific details and do not try to second guess, assign blame, or otherwise go off track from what transpired.

Include dates, times, names, correspondence, text messages, etc. and copies of all related documentation.

And while doing so, read throught all of the available documentation: motherboard, case, AIO, etc.. Could simply be some error of omission or commission. Lots of possible reasons for display failure.

Because Geek Squad B (if I have followed correctly) was the last to work on your PC then present your case to the applicable assigned tech, then the squad manager, and then escalate further if necessary via the host Store Management.

And it would be fair for you to cite any reasonable expectations on your part.

The documented details may be enough to sway the case in your favor.

If not, then escalate upwards as far as possible.

Do you happen to have Best Buy Free, Plus, or Total Membership? (The latter two are expensive and an after the fact purchase would not help.) You may be able to leverage the free membership a bit if you have signed up.

There may be other suggestions and ideas. In the meantime start working on your "case".

 

[geofelt]

Some good comments by Ralston18.

Sit down and document everything before proceeding.

Were you informed of the error via telephone, or by an email?
Continue your conversations via email if possible so there is documentation and no misunderstanding.

Do not accept the pc unless it is working. Either with or without the desired cooler.
Ask for a demonstration of working in the store.

If you take it back non functioning, the store will claim that YOU broke it.

 

[SOCRVTIC]

Unfortunately you are in a situation where finger pointing involves multiple parties: Geek Squad A, Geek Squad B, you, HP, AIO manufacturers, Fractel Design, etc..

Once you regain control of your PC then then you could be blamed (rightly or wrongly) for anything that is astray with the build.

I would hold on retrieving the PC.

And I would ask some interim questions about what specific troubleshooting was done with respect to the display failures. Hardware, software, configuration, defective cable, drivers.... Were there, for example, temperature problems that warranted a new AIO to begin with? Was there any attempt to boot into safemode.

My suggestions:

The first thing to do is to sit down and make full honest accounting of what transpired from beginning to end. Include specific details and do not try to second guess, assign blame, or otherwise go off track from what transpired.

Include dates, times, names, correspondence, text messages, etc. and copies of all related documentation.

And while doing so, read throught all of the available documentation: motherboard, case, AIO, etc.. Could simply be some error of omission or commission. Lots of possible reasons for display failure.

Because Geek Squad B (if I have followed correctly) was the last to work on your PC then present your case to the applicable assigned tech, then the squad manager, and then escalate further if necessary via the host Store Management.

And it would be fair for you to cite any reasonable expectations on your part.

The documented details may be enough to sway the case in your favor.

If not, then escalate upwards as far as possible.

Do you happen to have Best Buy Free, Plus, or Total Membership? (The latter two are expensive and an after the fact purchase would not help.) You may be able to leverage the free membership a bit if you have signed up.

There may be other suggestions and ideas. In the meantime start working on your "case".

AFAIK, there weren't any temperature related concerns that I would consider outside of normal operation, I just personally figured that I was missing some cooling potential from running a 120mm AIO instead of just a dual tower air cooler. I forgot to mention this in my inital thread but I had my system back from Geek Squad A after the case swap for around a month or so before I handed it off to Geek Squad B. During this month I experienced no irregularities if that adds any info.

I actually do have a Total membership, which was one of the main reasons I sought out the convenience of having Geek Squad complete the work order as I still have a few more months left in my membership.

Some good comments by Ralston18.

Sit down and document everything before proceeding.

Were you informed of the error via telephone, or by an email?
Continue your conversations via email if possible so there is documentation and no misunderstanding.

Do not accept the pc unless it is working. Either with or without the desired cooler.
Ask for a demonstration of working in the store.

If you take it back non functioning, the store will claim that YOU broke it.

All conversations concerning this situation were conducted over the phone.

Many thanks for the informative replies. I will begin establishing a timeline for the series of events along with any relevant documentation to present as necessary. Let me know if there is any other information I can provide that would be of assistance. Other than that, I'll update this thread as the situation unfolds.

 

[SOCRVTIC]

So a bit of an update!

The Squad level manager called this morning ackowledging full responsibility of the inoperable status of the computer. In lieu of that, they're now trying to provide me with a new PC. I've asked them to send over an email regarding all steps Geek Squad has taken to troubleshoot, as well as what they plan for moving forward.

Below is the email:

"I am writing this email to you regarding the information you requested. You drooped off your desktop on May 3 , 2024, to have a 3rd party CPU cooler fan installed. Unfortunately after installing the new CPU cooler Fan we did not get any display. These are the following steps we took to troubleshoot your device. Step one removed old CPU cooler Fan added thermal paste and installed new CPU Cooler Fan, step 2 removed new cpu cooler fan and reinstalled old cpu fan to determine if new cpu cooler fan was defective. Step 3 checked to see if graphic card was defective by installing our own working graphic card, step 4 tested ram with our working ram, 5th step we tested the power supply. None of these steps gave us the reasoning why your computer will not display.

At this moment the best thing to do is provide a new computer with all the same specs and the extra parts you have added, we will be using the extra parts that you have added for the new computer as they are working. You have a desktop that has a 3080 graphic card, 32 gb ram, 512gb m.2 on motherboard, a 2tb sata drive and a 2 tb regular hard drive. The specs for the new computer are as follows - 4060 graphic card, 1 tb ssd that comes with computer and will have 32gb of ram. Please let us know if I can continue with the solution we are providing, please email me with any questions or concerns."

They did not list my additional 1tb m.2 for a total of 4 storage devices, so I'll have to mention that in my reply. I also think there needs to be a bit more detail about the specs for the new rig they are offering. A 4060 from my 3080 sounds like a downgrade if I've ever heard one and I'm not exactly too keen on making this decision.

How else do I make sure all my bases are covered if I'm going this route? Thanks again for helping me navigate this whole process.

 

[Rokinamerica]

Regardless of how this turns out, you need all your storage drives back. That needs to be non-negotiable!

 

[ohio_buckeye]

I once applied to work at a geek squad, as I was a tech for a school system and was about to lose my job due to state budget cuts. Ironically they’d given me a raises few months prior. I actually had my Apple certification as well where I could do Apple warranty work etc. Plus had experience. The manager at that location seemed like a kid. Never did get any call back from them, kind of think I may have intimidated the guy? Either way I ended up doing repair work elsewhere at the time. We got a few systems in that Best Buy had told people they couldn’t fix or didn’t want to touch.

However make sure to get all of your storage drives back. For the future if the new computer is out of warranty and you want someone else to work on it, I’d recommend seeing if there are any local shops with good reviews.

 

[thestryker]

They did not list my additional 1tb m.2 for a total of 4 storage devices, so I'll have to mention that in my reply. I also think there needs to be a bit more detail about the specs for the new rig they are offering. A 4060 from my 3080 sounds like a downgrade if I've ever heard one and I'm not exactly too keen on making this decision.

How else do I make sure all my bases are covered if I'm going this route? Thanks again for helping me navigate this whole process.

They definitely need to specify the new components, your existing components and you should not accept a video card downgrade. The RTX 4070 is a bit slower than the 3080 and the RTX 4070 Super is faster so if they need to provide you with a new video card that's the level you should be getting.