Stocking Up On Computer Repair Components And Accessories

Are you running a high-demand repair shop? Do you plan on opening an electronics store with an emphasis on custom computers? Getting a decent supply of parts on a regular schedule can be tough, especially with rapid changes in the computer design industry and so many brand choices that your local customers may or may not flock to immediately. Here are a few key components that often need replacement or repair, just to make sure that you have a grab bag of sorts for the most common computer emergencies.

Storage Drives Of Past And Present

It's increasingly becoming wrong to call every storage drive a hard drive. Hard disk drives (HDDs) and solid state drives (SSDs) are both still relevant, and asking for the wrong device out of habit can lead to either excessive costs or failed performance expectations.

The storage drive is both a vital and easily replaceable component, while somehow being one of the most critical failures a computer owner can face. Except for the most expensive SSDs, they're relatively inexpensive, with hard drives nearing 3 and 4 terabytes (TBs) for under $100 in some stores. Unfortunately, it's the data that is so valuable, and it could cost hundreds of dollars to recover data from a hard drive.

Beyond data recovery, you need to have a plan for keeping a working computer available. By removing the affected drive and swapping in a new, good drive, you can leave the old drive for recovery purchases without causing additional damage. The new drive can be configured with a fresh operating system install or image backup, and productivity is back online.

Deciding whether to carry hard drives or SSDs is largely a supply versus demand issue. Many custom computer users will be fine with purchasing hard drives for the high amount of storage at low costs, but as SSDs become cheaper, they may become the norm. To test the market, stick to hard drives over 1TB and SSDs with at least 100GB of space.

Power Supplies And Connections

Computer power supplies don't simply fail from normal wear and tear within a few years--or even within a decade in many cases. Random failure is rare, but failure from power surges can happen quite often.

People who live in hurricane-prone areas or anywhere with a lot of electrical storms can expect at least a power supply lockup, where the power supply shuts itself down using a last ditch power protection feature that needs to be reset by holding down the power button (or other proprietary techniques).

Bad wiring or local power company fluctuation can cause similar failure. As a parts provider, you'll need to carry power supplies that meet the average computer user's needs.

There's no such thing as too much when it comes to wattage, as the wattage is just a capacity. A computer can use up to the maximum amount, so you don't have to worry about a 1000w power supply sending costs through the roof unless parts inside the computer are actually demanding that much.

The more important limit is the minimum. Not many modern computers can do much with less than 400w, and the costs at various 80 Plus quality levels are relatively low. Gaming and graphic design computers may have around 600-800w demands depending on the other parts in use (which can be calculated at power supply manufacturer sites), but these higher limits are subject to custom computer hobbyist preferences.

Contact an electronics wholesale distributor and discuss the component options available to stock your parts drawers or stores.

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