Computer repair for desktops of every make and build
Computer repair across the UK — branded, custom and everything in between
When a desktop stops behaving, everything that depends on it stalls with it — the working day, coursework, creative projects, streaming and gaming alike. Computer repair at CrC Repair®, trading as Pocket Geek, covers desktop machines from every major brand and just about every configuration, at all ten stores in the UK network. We build custom desktop PCs too, if that is what you are really after.
Our method is simple and slightly unfashionable: find the actual cause first. No swapping parts until something happens by luck, no upgrade pitched when a straightforward repair would do, and no quote for work we haven’t diagnosed properly. You get a clear price before we begin, and a one-year warranty on the finished job.
Machine refusing to boot, or just crawling? Book your computer repair online, send us the details below, or bring it into your nearest branch.
Tell us what your computer is doing
Desktop brands we work on
Every Pocket Geek by CrC Repair® store handles desktop computers from all the major manufacturers:
Custom-built desktops are equally welcome — ours, another shop’s, or your own weekend project. Mac desktops are covered in more depth on our MacBook & Mac repair page. If it is a desktop and it is misbehaving, bring it in.
Desktop hardware faults we repair
Motherboard repair and replacement
Everything in a desktop plugs into the motherboard, so nearly every fault either starts there or travels through it. The symptoms vary enormously: no power at all, power but no POST or display, shutdowns with no pattern, USB ports going dead, RAM that stops being detected, or a machine that grows less stable month by month.
Getting motherboard repair right means methodically clearing the RAM, GPU and PSU of suspicion before blaming the board. Our technicians run those diagnostics across a wide range of systems, and where the board genuinely has failed we source a compatible replacement and handle the swap — operating system and drivers reinstalled as part of the job. One-year warranty applies.
CPU repair and replacement
Processors fail less often than other components, but years of running hot — poor cooling, thermal paste long since dried out — take their toll. A dying CPU can leave a desktop refusing to boot, crashing reliably under load, unstable across every application, or throwing blue screens with processor-related stop codes.
We diagnose CPU faults, renew thermal paste as standard during the work, and fit compatible replacement processors where they are available. You will always get an honest view on whether the repair makes sense against the machine’s age and value before anything is ordered. Covered for one year.
RAM upgrade and replacement
Bad or simply insufficient memory causes more desktop instability than almost anything else — and gets misdiagnosed more often too. Random crashes, blue screens quoting memory stop codes, unexplained freezes or a refusal to boot can all trace back to a single failing stick rather than anything graver.
Our technicians test modules one at a time to isolate the culprit, fit compatible replacements, and where the motherboard allows it push capacity or speed higher. A RAM upgrade is frequently the best value improvement available to an ageing desktop; the difference when juggling applications can be striking. One-year warranty included.
Graphics card (GPU) repair and replacement
A graphics card on the way out announces itself anywhere between subtly and spectacularly: flickering pixels, corrupted textures, bands of colour across the display, crashes whenever the machine is pushed, no video output at all, or a system that won’t boot because the GPU cannot initialise. Drivers and display cables produce similar symptoms, so we rule those out before anyone mentions graphics card replacement.
Where the card is genuinely at fault we handle thermal maintenance on tired cooling solutions and fit compatible replacements across a broad range of desktop systems. One-year warranty applies.
Power supply (PSU) repair and replacement
The power supply is the component people suspect last and should often suspect first. One that has stopped delivering steady, clean power will produce random shutdowns, instability whenever the system works hard, components that never power up properly, or a desktop that simply will not start — and at worst it can take other parts down with it.
We diagnose PSU faults and fit correctly rated replacements matched to what the system actually draws, with sensible headroom on top. One-year warranty applies.
Storage drives — HDD and SSD upgrade
Of all desktop faults, a failing drive is the one that threatens your data. Clicking or grinding from a hard disk, boot times that stretch and vary, long pauses opening files, applications crashing repeatedly, disk-related blue screens, or a drive that has vanished from the system entirely — treat all of these as urgent and think about data recovery straight away.
We replace and upgrade HDDs and SSDs across every desktop brand and configuration, including the jump from a spinning disk to a fast NVMe SSD that transforms how an older machine feels. Your data is transferred across as part of the process. One-year warranty included.
Cooling maintenance — fan cleaning and thermal paste
Dust is the most underestimated performance problem in computing. As it packs around the CPU cooler, GPU heatsink and case fans, airflow chokes, temperatures climb, thermal throttling drags performance down, fans get louder — and given long enough, components suffer.
Add thermal paste that has dried and cracked through years of heating and cooling, and the effect on CPU and GPU temperatures becomes substantial. A proper internal clean with fresh paste — especially worthwhile on gaming desktops under heavy load — resolves it outright in the vast majority of cases. Covered for one year.
USB, audio and port repair
Dead USB sockets, audio jacks that crackle or do nothing, damaged display connectors and unresponsive front-panel buttons are all fixable on most desktop systems. The first job is working out whether the fault sits with the motherboard’s onboard ports, an expansion card, or the case’s front-panel wiring — then repairing accordingly. One-year warranty applies.
Software services — Windows, security and diagnostics
Windows reinstallation
Some desktops are past patching up: genuinely slow, persistently unstable, or corrupted beyond a sensible fix. Whether the cause was malware, a botched update, years of software silt or damaged system files, a clean Windows 10 or Windows 11 installation puts the machine back in full working order. We reinstall Windows, add every required driver and configure the system before handing it back — and we always talk through backup options first.
Antivirus installation and malware removal
An infected desktop is slow, unpredictable and potentially dangerous — more so if personal or financial details live on it. We clear existing infections, install and configure reputable antivirus software, and explain how to stay protected afterwards. Malware often leaves damage to system files and performance that cleaning alone won’t undo, so our team will say plainly if a full reinstall is the wiser follow-up.
Software diagnostics and troubleshooting
Driver conflicts, corrupted system files, settings gone astray and failed updates imitate hardware failure convincingly — sluggishness, crashes, error messages, general instability. Thorough software diagnostics find the real culprit quickly, and frequently save people the price of hardware they never needed.
Driver updates and system optimisation
Drivers that are outdated, corrupted or fighting each other are a routine and easily missed source of poor performance. We audit what is installed, update what needs it, and carry out a wider optimisation to lift performance without a full reinstall wherever the underlying installation is still sound.
Data recovery for desktop computers
A dying hard drive, a corrupted file system, a deletion you regretted immediately, or a desktop that simply will not boot can put years of documents, photographs and creative work at risk. Our data recovery service covers desktop machines with failing or failed storage at every store in the UK network.
What comes back depends heavily on the nature of the failure. A drive still spinning and partly readable has far better prospects than one that has seized or taken physical damage. Our team assesses the drive thoroughly and gives you a straight answer on what is recoverable and what it will cost before any work starts — and we will never charge you for an unsuccessful attempt without discussing it with you first.
Desktop PC upgrades that actually pay off
A new desktop is not always the answer. Very often a well-chosen upgrade restores real performance to a machine you already own. Our technicians handle upgrades across a wide range of systems at all our UK stores:
- SSD upgrade — swap a slow spinning disk for a fast NVMe SSD and watch boot and load times collapse
- RAM upgrade — more memory for smoother multitasking and better behaviour in demanding software
- GPU upgrade — a more capable graphics card for gaming, video editing or multi-monitor work
- CPU upgrade — a faster processor, where the motherboard supports one
- Additional storage — a second SSD or HDD alongside the primary drive for extra capacity
- Cooling upgrade — a better CPU cooler or extra case fans to bring temperatures and noise down
We will assess what you have, advise honestly on which upgrades give the best return for your budget, and carry out the work including any driver installation and Windows configuration needed afterwards. Every upgrade carries a one-year warranty.
Computer repair cost: quoted before we start
Nothing gets touched until you have a price and have agreed to it. That is true of every repair, upgrade and diagnostic across the network — no vague estimates, no surprise line items when you collect. What it costs depends on the fault, the components involved and how much work the job genuinely takes, and we will be straight with you about all three.
Call in at your nearest store or use the online booking tool for a quick estimate.
Diagnosis first, work second
Ask people what went wrong with their last computer repair and the same answer comes back: they paid for work that didn’t fix it, or for parts that were never the problem. We diagnose before recommending and quote before starting, which removes most of that risk at a stroke.
Desktop repair rewards actual technical knowledge. Components interact in awkward ways — what looks like a failed hard drive can be a PSU delivering unstable power; what looks like a dead motherboard can be one faulty RAM module. Getting that judgement right first time is the whole difference between a professional repair and an expensive guess.
We are a long-established, award-winning repair company running branches in England and Scotland. Every desktop gets worked through methodically: identify the root cause, source the right components, do the job to a professional standard — and back it with a one-year warranty.
Our computer repair warranty
One-year warranty
Every computer repair and upgrade carried out at a Pocket Geek by CrC Repair® store is covered for twelve months — motherboard repairs, CPU replacements, RAM upgrades, GPU replacements, PSU replacements, storage upgrades, cooling maintenance, port repairs and all software services included. Cover attaches to the work we carried out. Knocks, spills and separate faults arriving afterwards sit outside it. The detail is set out on our warranty page, which also covers the lifetime guarantee on phone screen repairs.
Computer repair near me: ten UK stores
Computer repairs and upgrades are carried out at every store in the network. Find the one nearest you:
Bournemouth
Colchester
Farringdon
Glasgow
Norwich
Romford
Stoke-on-Trent
Surrey Quays
Whetstone
Wolverhampton
Each branch page carries its address, hours and directions — or use the store locator to find the closest one.
Why choose CrC Repair® for your computer repair?
Diagnosis first, always
We establish what is actually wrong before recommending anything. No parts swapped hopefully — root cause identified, correct repair quoted, work carried out.
Every brand and build
Dell, HP, Lenovo, Acer, Asus, MSI and the rest — plus custom-built systems — repaired at every store across the UK.
Data recovery available
Failing or failed storage handled at all ten stores. Your files, documents and photographs matter, and we will do everything possible to bring them back.
Software as well as hardware
Windows reinstallation, malware removal, driver updates, diagnostics — resolved as efficiently as any hardware fault, and we will tell you when software alone is the answer.
Insurance approved
Going through an insurer for the repair? Our branches are set up for insurance claims.
Same-day or next-day service
RAM replacements, SSD upgrades, PSU swaps and software reinstalls are usually done the same day or within 24 hours. Complex jobs take longer, and you will get a realistic timeframe upfront.
Computer repairs we’re proud of
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