16 Systems-Reliability Secrets

• Don't shop on price alone. It will result in a higher initial profit margin, and purchasing motherboards with built-in components (particularly video) can save assembly time. Unfortunately, some of these systems are time-consuming to repair, typically have poor manufacturer support and benchmark more slowly than modular-based systems where components are added individually.
• Buy from a local distributor that will give you a no-hassle return/exchange policy. For example, my distributor guarantees everything it sells for a full year. It handles the paperwork, expense, tracking and waiting period for the return-merchandise authorization back to the manufacturer.
• Don't source parts from a local electronics store. With its limited return policies, packing and receipt disclaimers, and apathetic employees, looking for support is quite often an effort in futility. Restocking fees and other fine-print items can be an unwelcome surprise if you order your parts online or through the mail. A distributor may cost a few dollars more, but the lack of hassle will get you and your customer back to work quickly.
• Look for parts without fans. Fans are the most common warranty-related replacement part; to keep prices down and the customer coming back, you need to minimize warranty calls. I make sure that the video cards I purchase do not have a cooling fan, nor do the chipsets on the motherboards I select.
• Get the 8-MB cache option. Most hard-drive manufacturers offer this option for just a few dollars more. The bigger cache not only boosts performance but also may include a three-year warranty.
• When choosing memory, look for memory that has a lifetime warranty.
• Stick with nVidia or ATI video cards for easy support and current, easy-to-find driver updates.
• Use Lite-On CD-RW drives. They are inexpensive and consistently reliable.
• Don't purchase a monitor that has less than a three-year manufacturer's warranty.
• When purchasing networking components, I find those from SMC, D-Link, Hawking and NetGear to be the easiest to set up and the most trouble-free.
• Use AMD processors with DDR-RAM to save your customers money. Intel chips cost more, and unless they are coupled with the more expensive and proprietary RD-RAM, they run more slowly than equivalent AMD-based systems.
• Use less costly brands. While companies like Intel, 3Com, Sony and Asus offer great products, you're paying more for the name, and you're not getting a longer warranty or better performance in return.
• Stay away from brands that have a history of poor quality.
• Choose peripherals that use chipsets with native Windows support, such as nVidia-based video cards, Intel-based chipset modems and RealTek-based chipset network cards. This makes the initial build and future repairs easier because you won't need to research the component manufacturer and manually provide a specific driver after the operating system is installed. This also results in fewer support calls should a customer reinstall the OS and can no longer get the modem, network card or video to work properly.
• Offer a standard, one-year warranty. You can make money on repairing an out-of-warranty system, especially when the replacement part is still under the manufacturer's original warranty.
• Stick with one distributor, if possible. It will want to ensure your happiness to keep your dollars rolling in.

Carey Holzman ([email protected]) is a freelance writer based in Glendale, Ariz.