We have a variety of PCs in our PC Lab and other areas that have been donated and or sponsored by area businesses and members. These computers are used mostly for training, graphics stations, and other maker-related activities. Some advanced programs (Adobe, Fusion360, etc) require more robust hardware and GPU's to operate efficiently. These can be expensive, and as a method of helping to fund these computers, we allow people/businesses to “sponsor” a PC by providing funds to improve it.

Did we also mention that we use these computers for gaming sometimes? Improved gaming performance goes hand in and with improved graphic-intensive programs. We use 3D Mark to benchmark each of the workstations and post them on the wall to add a little competitive incentive as a way to stimulate sponsorship.

A business or individual informs the PC Lab lead of their interest to sponsor a computer. They can choose to sponsor an existing one (to improve), sponsor one from scratch, or donate a computer and to (optionally) provide a budget to add to it. The PC Lab lead will evaluate the request and determine if it is a good fit, and where it can be used effectively.

Volunteers will be sought out to help build/augment the computer in question, or the sponsor may wish to participate, which is normally the case. ChattLab may offer up additional resources for the build including cases, spare memory we have, power supplies, etc. The sponsor should be responsible for at least 50% of the cost of the build to get their name as sponsor. If ChattLab adds to it beyond the initial build, the sponsor's name still remains.

PC Sponsorship has the following limitations:

1. Sponsored PCs will become the property of ChattLab and will need to remain on premises.
2. ChattLab is allowed to determine where used within the lab.
3. The PC Lab lead will have administrative privileges to the PC and will determine it's applications that will run on it.

Sponsorship of a ChattLab PC has the following benefits:

1. A gift receipt with our registered 501©3 credentials can be provided if requested (for tax write off).
2. If ChattLab can no longer use the computer, or it is unusable, the sponsor will be consulted on how we remove it from our inventory.
3. Sponsor gets a major input on how it is used.
4. Sponsor has naming rights of the computer (provided it's not objectionable by the PC Lab lead).
5. If used during game nights, the sponsor has exclusive use of the machine.