Consumer Rights and Safety Issues in Hardware

Multiple incidents: Gigabyte thermal pad film left for five years, warranty denied; ASUS PSU RMA returned with bypassed safety fuse; G.Skill $2.4M settlement over misleading RAM speed marketing; Newegg trade-in poor value; ASUS Armoury Crate vulnerability; Noctua clearance discrepancies. A new refurbished gaming PC buying guide provides actionable inspection checklists and discount thresholds for budget builders. Reinforces need for stress-testing, warranty scrutiny, and consumer advocacy.