If you have a gaming computer that you built yourself, i dont recommend taking it to any regular computer repair place like this. They will not be familiar with stress testing for games or all the ways things can go wrong during the computer building process or what settings/etc. games need to function. I described how i wanted him to do stress testing for games and that he should swap parts out to see what makes a difference, which is the main reason i even brought it to a computer place, since as a first time computer builder i didnt have spare parts. He did a stress test, but i imagine it was for normal activity since he didnt learn anything from it, but games are much much more demanding than that and need other kinds of tests.
He ultimately did not even recreate the situation where my computer shuts down, which i confirmed through event viewer, so he could not have seen for himself what went wrong. He ends up updating a random driver, thinking that would be enough, and sent it back to me, but it wasnt. To be fair, he did explain that it would be a long process to figure it out and to bring it back to him if it didnt get fixed, but i could tell that he wasnt going to find the solution and i wasnt about to pay for each time he didnt find the problem after a half-way finished job.
I end up spending weeks trying to figure it out myself, and i find out its bc my fans were not set up to speed up once things started getting hot. Im quite sure he would not have figured that out bc specific fan speeds are purely a gaming computer problem and the fans were working fine otherwise. I only realized it could be that bc i realized that i never heard much noise coming from my computer even in the middle of gaming. And i had to download a program specific to the fans to fix it. I cant imagine anyone who is not specifically familiar with gaming pcs would ever have any experience with that because pre-built computers would never have that problem.
Ultimately, do every possible thing you can to fix your problem yourself and from online like reddit, and if you really still cant do it, then take your gaming computer, especially if its custom built, to someone who is explicitly familiar with everything to do with games and gaming computers, cause this guy is not familiar with them at all. But if you have a normal computer or laptop, this place is probably...
   Read morePlease read this note before you make the same mistakes I did. Finding a reliable trustworthy technology solver like Ahmed is difficult. I went through many, many other computer repair shops searching for someone I could trust. My first experience was replacing my iPad screen. I called a few shops and unfortunately for me I chose to save $15 and did not go to Sphinx, I went to a different repair shot in Lombard on Main Street. They did indeed replace my screen and although I did save 15 dollars they damaged my bezel and after 2 weeks, I was experiencing further issues. Although the screen was new and replaced, it wasn’t reassembled with proper care and it wouldn’t charge. So, I took it back and after 3 more days of being without my device I picked it up. The bezel had been even more damaged in the process and the issue was still not resolved. In the end I spent almost $200 to repair an iPad which was unusable. Not wanting to throw away a $600device, I later took this iPad to Ahmed. He was able to repair the bezel and charging unit for less than I had previously paid to fix a broken screen. I am writing this review on that exact repaired iPad. I have since worked with Ahmed and his staff for more than 4 years now. Yes this is an old iPad, about to be obsolete, but it felt appropriate to write this review using the device Sphinx had resurrected. Since then Ahmed has replaced iPhone screens, bad hard drives, eliminated viruses, upgraded my laptop, replaced laptop screens and has recently built my son a absolutely amazing gaming computer that performs better, while costing less, than any store bought, out of the box solution. I am so please with Sphinx, that I have left my personal contact information with Ahmed and his staff. If you would like to speak with me directly as a reference, please ask them to provide you my information. Please don’t make the same mistakes I did, contact Ahmed first. It doesn’t matter if you are highly technical, a novice or a small business, save yourself the time and money of making a bad choice. Call him. Or after you don’t and you’re let down like I was, see if he can make it right. Cheers...
   Read moreI needed a new motherboard, power supply, and fan put together in a case (my skills at putting computers together dropped dramatically since I last did it in 2016). I was upgrading my gear to make photo editing for my business more effiecient.
Ahmed and Dorothy, aka Sphinx Computer, were recommended from a local neighborhood board/thread. And after my experience with them, I see why.
Sphinx was spectacular. Any questions I had were answered professionally and with courtesy. Their answers showcased a remarkable knowledge of computers, and electronics in general.
After my initial chat with Dorothy, I brought in my components. And with quick turnaround--less than a week--I had my new rig ready for me to put the final touches on. In-between the time I dropped off the components and picked up the new computer, there was constant contact, keeping me up-to-date on the current status (of my computer).
I have been nothing short of ecstatic with my new pc. Sphinx put everything together solidly. The cost was exceedingly fair (I did some research to see what the "average" cost was for other places in the area), if not a bargain. And I'll reiterate again, the customer service was phenomenal.
Ahmed and Dorothy are a reminder of why I adore "mom-and-pop" businesses over big box. The personal attention, the professionalism, the cost, and the craftsmanship (for lack of a better word), all make them (Sphinx) head-and-shoulders above other companies in their field.
I know where I'm going with any future PC needs. I can't recommendedSphinx Computer enough. Thank you for being you, Ahmed...
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