On the Bench
On the Bench
Real computer repair, gaming PC build, upgrade and diagnostic work from the Your Geek Friend Computers workshop in Gloucester. No stock-photo nonsense, just genuine machines, real faults and practical workshop problem-solving.
This page shows a selection of real jobs completed in the workshop, including custom gaming PCs, cooling work, laptop repairs, upgrades and the occasional “what on earth has happened here?” diagnostic job. Some photos are tidy finished shots, some are honest workbench photos, because real repairs rarely happen in a spotless studio.
Customer-supplied 7900 XTX gaming PC build
Job date: May 2026
A high-end customer-supplied gaming PC build completed in the Gloucester workshop, including AIO cooling, vertical graphics card mounting, RGB and fan setup, and careful cable routing within the agreed budget. Some cosmetic lighting and cable choices were fitted to the customer’s instruction, with the build tested before handover.
Recent workshop jobs
A growing selection of real repairs, builds and upgrades from the bench. New examples are added as interesting jobs come through the workshop.
Custom water-cooling loop clean, flush and refill
Job date: October 2025
This custom hardline water-cooled gaming PC had not had a cooling service for over three years and was starting to overheat. Coolant residue and particulate build-up had collected inside the CPU and GPU cooling blocks, including the fine microfin channels, restricting flow and reducing cooling efficiency.
The loop was fully stripped down, the blocks, pipework and related cooling parts were cleaned, new seals were fitted, the system was flushed using suitable non-tap water, then purged and refilled with fresh coolant in the customer’s chosen colour.
Related service: custom gaming PC builds
HYTE Y70 gaming PC build with case screen
Job date: June 2025
This customer-supplied gaming PC build used a HYTE Y70 case with a built-in screen, an LCD CPU cooler/pump display and a clean showcase-style layout. These cases look great when finished, but they need careful assembly, cable routing and setup so the hardware, screens, cooling and software all behave properly.
The job included full assembly, fresh Windows installation, driver setup, updates and final checks before handover. A good example of why some custom PC builds are more than just “putting the parts together”.
Related service: custom gaming PC builds
HP Omen 16 gaming laptop cooling and performance service
Job date: May 2026
This HP Omen 16 gaming laptop came in running slowly, getting excessively hot, producing heavy fan noise and thermal throttling under load. CPU temperatures were exceeding 100°C, which was dragging performance down and making the machine unpleasant to use.
The laptop was stripped down for a proper internal cooling service, including cleaning, fresh thermal paste and thermal pad replacement. After service, it ran at around 70°C under full load with no thermal throttling, quieter fan behaviour and performance restored.
Related service: computer service and tune-upWhy show real workshop photos?
Because computer repair is easier to trust when you can see actual work. AI images and polished stock photos can look nice, but they do not prove much. These examples show real machines worked on by Your Geek Friend Computers in Gloucester, from everyday repairs to gaming PC builds, upgrades and diagnostic jobs.
Need help with a repair, upgrade or custom PC build?
Whether it is a slow laptop, an overheating gaming PC, a planned upgrade or a pile of customer-supplied parts that needs turning into a working computer, the workshop can help work out the sensible next step.
More real workshop jobs will be added here over time.
