Micro Center — Local services in Santa Clara

Went during the soft opening during Memorial Day. The store had a little bit of everything for you average computer geek. Unifi network rack check (though limited stock on their more interesting gear imo). Various monitors, computers, laptops, etc. check. Hardware tools (soldering, wires, etc.) check. Computer accessories, cables, check. Hobbyist gear check. DIY check (actually had a good amount of 50 series card in stock).

How far do they go into each niche. Custom Keyboards was a bit weak imo. Akko and keychron was the most niche brands. No Owlabs or QK customs. Gaming gear is whatever (steelseries, razer, etc.). They only had 1 DP 80 cable that is 3ft. Associates in that area didn't really know much about it or what VESA certification was. As mentioned, unifi gear was available and had a display but no associate dared to stand around there. I assume most were not trained in networking gear. PC cases, to my surprised, had a nice variety on display that covered even the SFF niche (signage even helping to guide you to find parts). Everything is nicely organized by brand. If I had to suggest, also suborganize by motherboard size (e.g. ATX, mATX, ITX). Its just brand then random placement of boards.

There was a good amount of RTX 50 series card available though the highly sought out Asus Astral was gone shortly after I arrived.

During my visit, I picked up a GPU and Monitor. The GPU was a quick grab and I was helped by an associate Joe. For GPU, it must be brought up to the front and during checkout you can then pay and take home. Can't be carried around the store for good reason I bet. Though, there was a lot of confusion when I went to check out as they thought I had a mobile order and I kept telling them I went into the store and associate Joe said he'd leave it up front and just mention my name and their name.

There's a promo that during 30ds of grand opening, monitors are 20% off. You can purchase early and come back to get cash on the difference as suggested by their associate Kevin in the PC department.

Lastly, I did not receive my 125GB flashdrive. 3 Different associates told me entirely different things on what is required. This is either just misadvertisement as the website mentioned just email sign up was required or employees apply shady practices for some commission/bonus. Keven had mentioned all I needed to do was apply to pre-qualify for the credit card which I found odd but sure as I didn't really want the card but would do it for free stuff. Then an associate upfront mentioned I needed to actually have the card in hand with a temporary number (so hard credit check) to get the flash drive. Then, the Cashier Nicholas mentioned it was just account sign up/register. I ended up bailing as there was no consistent story and felt shady and never received the flashdrive. In fact, as soon as I mentioned I was uninterested, the associate handling the processing tone change as if I was wasting his time which gave off the vibe that this was commission/bonus involved. Throughout the process, they assured there's no pressure and whatever. While I gave no care, this tactic would definitely work on certain individuals to sign up for such a card. Took off a star for this shady interaction with 3 different employees on this.

Every store associate when purchasing will mention this protection plan. I was uninterested but asked for the pricing anyways to see if it made sense. There's so heavy guilt tripping citing generalities without specific sources. For example, GPU catching on fire is a general problem with 5090s and the 12VHPWR cable. So, a lot of handwaving but no source cited and their main claim was computer engineering degree/student (wasn't sure which). Again, the average person that comes into this store would likely be purchase something due to fear mongering tactics that I didn't really appreciate.

tl;dr: Great to have a computer hardware store back in South Bay. Associates could do some research in their general area but if you know what you want no need to...

Giving one star for the Tech service / PC Builders at Micro Center in Santa Clara. If I could give a negative review, I would definitely do so. I went with my partner today to drop off his PC at Micro Center to get a general diagnostic. He was experiencing a blue screen and his PC crashing last night, so we thought bringing it to Micro Center today would be a good idea to get a full diagnostic. Micro Center offers a $50 diagnostic, so we set an appointment at 10:40 a.m. today, we got there at 10:30 in case there was a line, but luckily, we were the only ones there. This guy, Shaun, immediately checked us in and talked us through getting a Priority Care Plus. He said we are getting a great deal by having this as it includes a full diagnostic, tune-up, updates, etc. So we thought that sounded great! We paid $150 for this Priority Care Plus (3x more than we anticipated to pay in the beginning). After the check-in, Shaun mentioned there were four computers in front of us, but he can certainly take a look at my partner’s PC now and see what’s going on. I’ve asked if he has an estimate on how long it will take so we can figure out if my partner and I should wait at Micro Center or get lunch nearby, but Shaun confidently said it should not take that long and they will text or call us about the status. So we said, great and we left Micro Center around 11 to get lunch, hours passed by, and no word from them, no follow-up, no text or call, nothing… so we went back to Micro Center around 3 p.m. and saw the line and waitlist on their screen had names in it, so we figured they might be busy (by this time, I wish I had insisted on talking to someone). We gave them the benefit of the doubt that they might be short-staffed (even though there were literally 9 people there standing chit-chatting and not doing anything, but still gave them the benefit of the doubt). Instead, we went to the car, sat down, and waited there for hours. Now it’s 7pm and this is now getting absurd. Still no text, no calls, no emails or follow-ups from the service dept. 7:20 p.m. we finally got a chance to talk to someone named Chase. Shout out to him; he helped us end our miserable long waiting hours. He managed to get us the PC back at 8:55 p.m., 5 minutes before Micro Center closed. Our appointment is at 10:40am and we got the PC back 10hours later?!! I mean, I’m no IT or anything but this is simple general diagnostic that should only take 45-1hr but 10 hours?? What are we talking about here!!! This is ridiculous as we had to cancel our dinner plans with family and had to rush back to our dog all the way to Fremont. It’s absurd how much disrespectful this is and they absolutely did not care about our time!! We thought that the other benefit of getting the Priority Care Plus is to get us in “priority lane,” but I guess not. So don’t waste your money on paying triple if nothing major is wrong with your computer. I am in disbelief that we have wasted our Saturday waiting, waiting for someone to tell us the status of the “general PC checkup.” If someone just sent us a text and made us aware that they will take all day, we could’ve planned our day more. Thanks, Chase, for getting us out of the door, and I will definitely not recommend Micro Center Santa Clara Tech...

Listen up, Silicon Valley darlings! After waiting FOREVER since Fry’s Electronics left us high and dry, mama finally has her tech sanctuary back! Micro Center Santa Clara is LIVING and I am HERE FOR IT!

Walk through those doors and you’ll be served LOOKS, hunty! The circuit board wallpaper? Chef’s kiss The industrial chic ceiling with those gorgeous pendant lights? It’s giving “futuristic warehouse realness” and this place is STOCKED to the heavens with everything a tech queen could want.

The PC parts section? STUNNING! Those Acer displays would make any gaming queen weep tears of joy. The online order pickup area with numbered stations? Efficient AND elegant because mama doesn’t have time to wait around looking busted! And don’t even get me started on that 3D printer filament wall… it’s giving “rainbow realness” with more colors than my wig collection!

The cables section is ORGANIZED to perfection. DisplayPort, HDMI, charging cables all lined up like they’re ready for RuPaul’s Drag Race inspection! You know when something is laid out this beautifully, you’re dealing with professionals who understand the assignment.

The staff actually knows what they’re talking about. Revolutionary concept, I know! These tech angels can help whether you’re building your first rig or you’re a seasoned queen like myself. Plus that entire UniFi display section? Swoons Network equipment has never looked so good!

After years of having to order everything online, having this tech paradise back in the Bay Area feels like a homecoming. Whether you’re a DIY builder, a gaming goddess, or just someone who gets their life from quality electronics, this store will have you feeling like the main character in your own tech transformation story!

VERDICT: SICKENING (in the best way possible)! Five stars,...