Galactic Computers — Local services in Beaverton

CAUTION!!! SHADY BUSINESS!!! DON’T END UP LIKE ME!!!

(I work on JSON and C++ so I know bit about computers) A while ago I was using my laptop at work when it started to shut off and would not finish a boot cycle. I took the laptop into Galactic Computers the next day during lunch. The owner said he would fix the problem for $150 flat, said it would take five days, not bad. Five days come and go and no call. Tried contacting him but would never answer the phone. Checked the website for the business hours and went by there on the sixth day around 10am – the guys business is closed! No sign, nothing. Called the number, and left a message. Next day he returns my message to say the laptop is ready for pickup. I go by after work, the guy is once again not in during business hours! I finally caught him the next morning to get my laptop back.

I get it back to the office and yeah, the laptop will finish a boot cycle but now it will not hold a charge. They guy gave me my laptop back without checking it or accidentally broke something when fixing another part, though I think it might have been even worse than that. I left him a voice mail and took the computer back in the next day. The day after he calls me and says it will be another $150 to fix the laptop. It was then when a third thought accrued to me, he may have intentionally sabotaged the computer to make me bring it back in. I do believe this is the case as the laptop sat on my work desk for less than 24 hours when I had come back in about the persisting problem and he said on the phone that I must have been the one to break it. I had enough and said I would pick up the laptop and go somewhere else. Went the next day and guess what? That’s right, the dude is closed again during his sites stated business hours! I was finally able to catch him in the morning to get my laptop back. So now I am out $150 and still have a broken laptop. Even if he did not intentionally sabotage the computer, it does not change the fact that he is at least very incompetent at his chosen profession in life. This is one small business you do not want to support! Go to Geek Squad first before here. DO...

I got my Asus ROG laptop charge port replaced here after it had finally broken internally (dropped lightly onto that side while charging cable was plugged in by the previous owner, bent the case inward a little but worked fine for over 2 years that way). When a new charger didn’t fix the lack of charger detection I kept running into, and I realized wiggling it just right was the temporary fix so it must be something internal, I checked around for local repair places with good reviews, and called to see if it was something he could work on. He sounded knowledgeable (but not pushy salesman type), so I took it down same day for an estimate, and he really impressed me with his friendly and helpful attitude, the fairness of his price (not given until he looked up the actual model for a parts list, also a good sign), and how quickly he expected to have it done during pandemic shipping delays. His timeline was spot on, quoted 5-7 days and had it done in 5. No extra fees or charges, just the quoted price, delivered when promised, and quality workmanship, this is an absolute gem of a small business, it’s a hidden away little shop but it’s truly top notch. Also has a surprisingly large collection of spare parts and components on hand if you are looking at building a rig, or replacing something on an existing rig but having trouble finding the right part. I have been giving the repair a full month of use to test installation /component quality and have nothing but good things to report, he even fixed the bent case edge on the outside when he installed the new port. Looks as good as new and works like it too, no more wiggles needed for a good connection, the charger clicks right into place and it feels nice and...

I botched a battery replacement on an old game system - a PS Vita. The battery connector was basically half-melted so it broke off of the circuit board entirely when I was tinkering with it. Not easy to find someone to work on that. Called galactic up, he said bring it in - showed it to Frank, he said yeah he could fix it up. Price I felt was fair for the oddness of the job and to save a nearly 15 year old machine that I had done a lot of software customization on. Come back a week later and it was powering on again with the new battery inside. The connector was apparently half-melted even before I had broken it off and was so small and old that it was melting further as he tried to solder the old connector on, so he had to sidestep it entirely and solder the new battery cords straight to the board. I was never going to be able to do that, and my expensive paper weight is a game system again....