NZXT has introduced a service called BLD to help you configure, customize, and then assemble your next gaming PC. We said in our report on its launch that BLD does some interesting things--like predicting a system's performance in games like Rise of the Tomb Raider and Battlefield 1--but we balked at the $350 fee you'll have to pay for your system. Now the company has clarified a few things about how BLD works.
The most important clarification revolves around BLD's warranties. NZXT told us that it offers two-year warranties on all parts and three-year warranties on all its labor. "All parts in the build are covered by BLD," a company spokesperson said in an email to Tom's Hardware. "No longer does a PC builder have to call and deal with multiple manufacturers for service. Simply call BLD and we will resolve and fix any potential issue."
You also won't violate those warranties by upgrading the system yourself. If you decide to switch out a power supply, graphics card, or other part, NZXT's warranties still apply to everything else in the system. That's true if you build your own system, but then you run back into the problem of dealing with individual companies' warranties, and you could break warranty on a pre-built PC if you crack it open to upgrade a part.
Of course, the company has some conditions:
"You can upgrade your system as per your gaming requirements without voiding NZXT warranty for the original hardware in the system sold by NZXT. However, if there is a damage to the original parts of the system while upgrading it, NZXT is no more liable for the warranty on the original parts. Also, if you have upgraded your system and need to send the system back to NZXT for any service related issues, please make sure to remove the upgraded hardware as NZXT is not liable for any damage or loss to those parts."
Basically, NZXT doesn't want to be held responsible if you break something while swapping out another part, nor does it want to assume liability for any of the parts you purchased and installed yourself. That's pretty standard stuff. It could also help more people become comfortable with building their own PCs--swapping out a single component is bound to be far less daunting than assembling everything by yourself.
Still, we stand by our assessment that BLD is more of a stepping stone for people thinking about building their own PCs than a service on which most enthusiasts should rely. The service is certainly convenient--especially if you hate the idea of dealing with multiple companies' warranties--but that $350 could still go towards a better CPU or graphics card instead. We're all for people having more options when it comes to their setups, though, and BLD seems to be NZXT's way of offering people a service that combines ease-of-use with basic customization.
