The choice to place this series in Las Vegas was not random. Among U.S. crime labs, Las Vegas is the second most active, surpassed only by the FBI lab in Quantico, Virginia. This fact is stated in the Pilot (2000).
While the majority of the techniques and technologies used in the show are accurate and true to reality, the writers and crew readily admit that they "time cheat". Tests that take a few seconds on the show often take several days or weeks in real life.
Real-life prosecutors have complained about something known as the "CSI Effect", where juries have unrealistic expectations about forensic science, either expecting copious amounts of forensic evidence, in even routine cases, or expecting an unrealistic level of accuracy and specificity from the tests presented.
All of the equipment in the lab is fully functional and was purchased outright, donated, or loaned to the show for product placement. When the series ended, the bulk of lab equipment and various other props and equipment were sold off. When the series was revived as CSI: Vegas (2021), new lab equipment was bought.
A fallout between George Eads and one of the female writers of the show prompted the absence of Eads for five consecutive episodes in season fourteen, including the milestone 300th episode.