Central Computers

Wanted to leave positive feedback for Rick. Over the years he’s built me multiple desktop systems and they exceeded my expectations each and every time. His knowledge, turn around time, and even the price for hour labor here is awesome. Even the due diligence to cable management and maximizing all USB ports is there! This may sound hyperbolic, but what you get vs what you pay for is awesome… maybe the most reasonable in the entire city of San Francisco in terms of hourly rate & value. My absolute favorite thing about him is that there’s no agenda to sell you overpriced elements to a build that other little in terms of a mechanical return. No upsell on liquid cooling, or even an attempt to layer more sticks of RAM into your tower. If you ask him a straight question, he will give you an honest answer. IMHO, this is exceedingly rare with service professionals who seem to relish adding unnecessary expensive parts onto all projects. Thanks for everything central computer, I have yet to have a bad experience in all these years. Cheers!

Was looking for a USB HDMI adapter, called ahead to ask if they had it. They confirmed. When I arrived and asked about the part, they led me right to it. Price was reasonable, store was clean and organized, great customer service. So glad I didn't have to go to Best Buy, happy to support the local biz!

I have been a loyal customer of Central Computers for nearly 3 years. Always great service, had no issues...until today. They refused to honor their return policy when I attempted to return a motherboard that was fried by a faulty AIO cooler, also purchased in the same order. They claim there are bent pins on the motherboard CPU socket, and thus they are unable to return it. I'm sure they get this all the time. But there are *zero* bent pins. Just some burned ones from when the AIO cooler fried the motherboard. See for yourself - pictures attached. Even after being shown proof with a high-powered magnifying glass, they point to the difference in color as proof that there are bent pins and repeatedly refused to honor their return policy. They did let me exchange the faulty AIO cooler - but not before taking nearly two hours to meticulously count every single screw and tiny component, presumably to try to find a reason to refuse this replacement as well. Don't get me wrong - I'm no Karen. I was polite (but firm) in my insistence on the integrity of the CPU socket. But they refused. I've spent tens of thousands of dollars at the store, and they will not get a penny more. Shame.

I purchased a $200 Keychron keyboard from Central Computers around 4 months ago. After working for 3 months; the keyboard suddenly stopped functioning. I contacted Central Computers to repair/replace, or exchange it given my businesses history with the company; and they said and I quote "go to the manufacturer, there's nothing we can do after 30 days". It's amazing to me that a company sells a product, and stands by it for 30 days. Now, I am left with an unfunctioning keyboard and have to spend $200 elsewhere to find a product that works. As a business that spends significantly annually on technical products, we always try to buy local; but after this mishap and lack of resolution, we will not be coming back to Central Computers. Good luck to anyone who buys anything from them.

This store has the worst staff. My negative experience is that I asked to hold the goods over the phone and agreed that I would arrive in an hour and a half, because I had a long way to go to this store. I arrived as agreed, they told me that the goods had been sold and they couldn’t help me, although they promised me over the phone that they would call me back if there were any problems, I just wasted 4 hours of my time and my money. I do not recommend going to this store, terrible service.

I had a great experience. Moses and staff were super friendly and knowledgeable.

I was extremely impressed by this store and its employees. I needed diagnostics and eventually a new graphics card for my gaming PC, and my experience at Central Computers was defined by professionalism, service, and speed. They found the issue within an hour, and within 24 hours my PC was up and running again. I would recommend this store without hesitation to anyone seeking computer diagnostics or repairs.

Dropped off my home-built PC for diagnostic because it wouldn't boot up. They were able to find the issue within a few days - thank you!

Wanted to leave positive feedback for Rick. Over the years he's built me multiple desktop systems and they exceeded my expectations each and every time. His knowledge, turn around time, and even the price for hour labor here is awesome. Even the due diligence to cable management and maximizing all USB ports is there! This may sound hyperbolic, but what you get vs what you pay for is awesome... maybe the most reasonable in the entire city of San Francisco in terms of hourly rate & value. My absolute favorite thing about him is that there's no agenda to sell you overpriced elements to a build that other little in terms of a mechanical return. No upsell on liquid cooling, or even an attempt to layer more sticks of RAM into your tower. If you ask him a straight question, he will give you an honest answer. IMHO, this is exceedingly rare with service professionals who seem to relish adding unnecessary expensive parts onto all projects. Thanks for everything central computer, I have yet to have a bad experience in all these years. Cheers!

This is the place to go! ton of supply and great prices and most importantly, super knowledgeable staff. Mousa knows everything you need to know and will try to save you from spending more money than you need to!

I purchased a $200 Keychron keyboard from Central Computers around 4 months ago. After working for 3 months; the keyboard suddenly stopped functioning. I contacted Central Computers to repair/replace, or exchange it given my businesses history with the company; and they said and I quote "go to the manufacturer, there's nothing we can do after 30 days". It's amazing to me that a company sells a product, and stands by it for 30 days. Now, I am left with an unfunctioning keyboard and have to spend $200 elsewhere to find a product that works. As a business that spends significantly annually on technical products, we always try to buy local; but after this mishap and lack of resolution, we will not be coming back to Central Computers. Good luck to anyone who buys anything from them.

Overpriced. Customer service is horrible. Despite asking for receipts for thousands of dollars of computers, they consistently do not provide unless we ask repeatedly. Plus they charge way over general shipping costs. A 15 dollar cord- shipping 20 dollars?? We have spent roughly 100k over the years with this company. We will never be spending another dime with them. Stay away!

Almost flew down to Micro Center in SoCal because we didn't think we had a good computer store in San Francisco. Was pleasantly surprised when we arrived at Central Computer on Howard Street and was greeted by Andrew. Andrew proved to be highly knowledgable and understood what we were looking to buy. He made great recommendations and we left feeling incredibly happy about the choices we made. We can't thank Andrew enough for all his time, help and expertise. Central Computer has a fantastic selection at competitive prices, and if you are lucky Andrew will be there to help you.

Update February 14 - Attempted to pick up laptop and was told the delivery driver was expected after 3:00 P.M. No follow up by Central Computer since. The good news is I do not have a business dependent on a working laptop. The negative news is no one has any answer when my laptop will be returned. Meanwhile I am learning how difficult it is to use an iPhone instead of a laptop for daily activities.

**UPDATE** On my below comments you may see the store responded and did the right thing in the comments. I appreciate this and this is exaclty the kind of "stand behind your expertise" that should happen to keep places like this relevant today. Thank you to the management for responding so quickly. My approach should probably been to ask for a manager rather than walk out. ***** I bought a Synology NAS here recently. I also bought 4 SSD drives and 2 SSD NVMe sticks. The reason I came here is for expertise. I was assured all the drives will work. While the regular SSD drives worked fine, the NVMes did not. Synology reported they were not certified due to heat profiles. While the store returned them, they charged me a 15% restocking fee for them being open. I respectfully protested, and they respectivley declined to do anything. There is no point in going to a store like this if they don't have the knowledge and don't stand behind it. Back to online and doing my own research.

I came in today to wanting to buy an anniversary present for my wife. I knew what she wanted, to build her own custome keyboard, but did not know where to start. Lucky Jose came to the rescue! He not only helped me pick out what I needed to get started, he explained the different sizes to me, the kind of switches there are, and the many color combinations of keycaps I can pick from. He event went above and beyond and began searching for a Q6 on the system just to make sure the store did not have any on hand. We ended up with a Keychrome V6 and I am very happy with my purchase. If you need help with custome keyboards Jose is your guy! Thank you!

I am very impressed with Central Computers. When I came here to buy my motherboard (ASRock Taichi B550), the bios was already updated to the latest one. I have never seen any electronic retailer ever go above and beyond!?? I'm definitely coming back to Central Computers in the future. Four stars instead of five because parking is quite limited here.

Can definitely say that this place is great as a no fluff computer store with anything that you need related to technology. I came here once when I moved across the country to SF and had left a few essentials for my work station from home. They had an HDMI cable and a few other things that I needed to make sure that I had a great setup. I came back recently when I needed a new IPhone charger when I broke mine that I had had for 2 years. They were incredibly helpful and showed me a few options (they had all different lengths from 1m to 3m, if I am not mistaken!) I got both a 1m and a 2m charging cables and they were very inexpensive. I love them after using it for several weeks. They're durable, reliable and compare to chargers where I have spent $30 on.

After having posted my 1 star review I was contacted by the company. We had a detailed conversation and came to an understanding surrounding the issue. The level of customer service makes me feel much better about my purchases. I will certainly consider buying things from them in the future.

Great employees - sent them an email with my newegg cart contents and they had all the gear ready to pick up when I showed up. Ver knowledgeable about part selection too, and they somehow have more inventory on the stuff hard to find online.

Known about and been to Central Computers over a decade ago but went back recently to find a bluetooth transmitter for my big screen LGTV at my new apartment. The gentleman there was very helpful, guided me to what I needed and answered all my questions thoroughly. I've been making many purchases for my new apartment and decided to go back since I was planning on adding a gaming system to my place. A very helpful and smart young man named Brom and his coworker(Alex, I believe) not only informed me that my current laptop was upgradeable but guided me to all the necessary parts needed to make it gaming ready and helped me install the hardware right at the store. Instead of me probably spending another grand or 2 on a new console and games etc. I was able to get a substantial upgrade on my laptop for about $200-$300 including a gaming controller and am happy with it's perfomance after playing a handful of new games. Central Computers is lucky to have bright employees like this working for them and I can honestly say I was happy to spend my money there. I work for a pretty big company and we value employees with this type of enthusiasm for their job and products, this is why I took the time to write this review.

Always pop in for PC parts. Pricing is good,and they are local. However. Today on a trip I had the pleasure of talking with associate Moses, who proved himself very knowledgeable and interested in my project. He made some great recommendations after I told him of a product that didn't meet my needs, which I had purchased elsewhere. He went over the pros and cons of my selected AIO, and was very patient and helpful. One of his recommendations was out of stock, so he took my name and number. A few hours later he gave me a courtesy call to let me know they had arrived. Very stand up guy, and his attention was appreciated. 5 stars for Moses!

While the employees are couteous and try to be helpful, there are a number of issues: - I made an online order, and after over an hour, I didn't receive a notification that my order was ready for pick up. So I stopped by the store on my lunch break only to learn that one of the items was not in stock. An employee should have contacted me about the issue. - For another purchase, I got a 10-foot video cable and it turned out to be only 6 feet. - I needed to get some software and, because of my previous experience with online ordering, I decided to go and purchase them at the store. I checked the software availability at the website, in which it said there were 7. I get to the store, and they only had 2, and I needed 5. - I requested that the software be transferred from another store and was promised they will be available the next day. I followed up the day after that, and they didn't arrive as promised. Again, an employee did not bother to contact me to inform there was an issue. The service quality and inventory needs a lot of improvement.

Since Frys closed I never found a place that cattered my needs and I am wondering how I didn't find this place first, I had three different people help me and got all my needs and fast, I have definitely found my new toy store, I strongly recommend

I needed a new external hard drive, so I did a Google search for computer stores near me. One store had a poor selection of drives. Then I telephoned Central Computers and I was happy with what I heard about their choice of products. When I visited their store, a salesman showed me a wide variety of devices at reasonable prices. He was very helpful and an expert who reassuringly answered all of my questions. My visit could not have been better. This product, from Samsung, was perfect for me. It was plug and play, the easiest type of technology to use. I certainly recommend Central Computers at 837 Howard Street in San Francisco for your technology needs.

Okay so someone please tell me why I am being charged over $100 just for this technician to install a solid state drive into my laptop when the other locations (San Mateo, Santa Clara) charge only $29 for this service. What makes this location overly charge and the others don't? Overly priced and not very friendly. My girlfriend was way more smarter then this technician is. She had to point out what model my computer was by showing and telling him what model it is. He didn't even know what it was called. Then he says he has to take the whole computer apart just to put solid state drive in which makes no sense because all you have to do is take the back part out and put it in. Don't go here for repairs unless you want your items sitting on a desk for god knows how long. Be warned stay away from here!

I had about the simplest SOFTWARE problem you can imagine and they claim it took them 2 hours to solve the problem and I got my laptop back after 2 full days. And this cost me $198. They did fill out the invoice with tasks I didn't ask for, but it appears they charged me $198 to upgrade to the latest version of Windows 10 and to install the latest security updates. Unless your problem is even simpler than a corrupted downloads folder -- or you have money to burn -- I can't recommend Central Computers to anyone. I'm a little surprised they were willing to admit that it took them this long to do something so simple. And JUST IN CASE you have the same problem I did -- seems to be relatively common -- save yourself trouble and money by simply backing up the files in that folder (see the "Recent Files" folder) and then upgrade to Windows 11. That will also get Microsoft off your back.

I've been a customer of Central Computers for years - it's great that they are still open during the current pandemic. They are one of the very few spots in the city where one can get their IT needs met. Typically, staff members are very knowledgeable and can easily find what you're looking for. They also tend to have very particular or hard-to-find pieces available. Currently, there is no indoor browsing...you can go to the door and a staff member will meet you and provide you with anything you need. I was easily accommodated and the transaction went smoothly. I recommend this place for all your technology needs!

As a F(22) Keyboard enthusiast there aren't many places you can go to get keycaps and switches and lube. I will say some things are marked up but I'm fine with that because I would rather have my high quality keycaps today then wait for Amazon Prime. You can look on their website and see if anything is in stock. It updates fairly quick. (1 hr ish)A few issues I did run into is things are in a case cause it's San Francisco and crime is high. However it was hard to see the items that have all the same packaging but different sticker to tell you what it was. Sometimes the prices were gone so I had to go look up the item. Other times I would just see employees sitting there on the work pc or talking to another when I was trying to ask for help. (Could be cause I'm a female ) One employee was dumbing down an item for me when I said I wanted it.) Other then that I would say for keycaps and switches and most other keyboard related things I like it here. When I saw this place online and there was one here in the city I got up screeched like a pterodactyl! so much so I freaked my dog out. I wish they had more DSA keycaps. Oh well!

Would 100% recommend this business to anyone with computer issues. The technician did a great job trouble shooting and then repairing the issue, all while being friendly and professional. All employees were helpful.

Actually 3.5 or 3.6 I remember bring my Drive for Data Recovery it was partially half ass job. If u need to get cables & accessories drop by half of the supplies are useful half are plentiful not crap though. Buy the DYI repair computer DVD. I drop by 10 times before, I need cables or if I am bit down I drop by to buy items. Read the billboard & learn about computers / data/ etc, etc: in-siteful. It will be decent if they sold medical devices. FYI websites don't die even if they appear missing the server is down & relocated bypass the steps. Located in DownTown SF u can't miss them Nerds, although they are Nerds u can learn and I was taught how some IT careers. Disappointed: do a better job on computers don't fall a sleep!

I bought a new computer from this location and the staff was really accommodating. They even went above and beyond by having a dialogue with me and recommending components from issues I had on my computer build. Small thing, but Very rare these days. Overall, everyones super friendly and very knowledgeable. I would prefer them over Newegg, Frys or even Best Buy. Thank you central computers!

Good inventory, poor service. If you know what you need already, save a trip and get it from Amazon.

They don't allow single purchases of 30 series GPUs or Ryzen 9 processors unless you're buying 5 other components, I understand this is to prevent scalping and that's understandable. What doesn't sit well is the fact that they're scalping the products themselves! It's hilarious. Their CPU's and GPU's are marked up by $100 or more. A $800 Ryzen 9 they're selling for nearly $1000 after taxes, a $679 RTX 3070 gpu will sell over $850 after taxes, oh the irony, and to try to force the customer to pay for a whole new build if they honestly ONLY need a cpu or gpu....well that's just convenient for you Central Computers isn't it? You claim to be doing the community a favor, but we all know what you're doing.

Good inventory, great prices for the City. Horrible customer service. They close early, 5:00, which can be a drag. I knew that and beat it downtown yesterday afternoon to get there at 4:45. Sign on the locked door said they were short staffed and to knock, someone would come to the door. Which I did. 5-10 minutes later someone shows up and starts pulling the gates on the inside to close down. I tried to explain all I needed was a plug adapter. He refused to help me but flashed one of those big cheesy smiles that geeks use to pretend it means they are giving good service. They aren't.

Lots of stuff here. Cables, adapters monitor, computers etc. You'll find it here! Staff was also very helpful. I needed a cable and I couldnt find it and he helped me right away.

If you can get into Central Computers they have literally thousands of tech gadgets (made in China mostly) that you didn't even think you wanted, and at bargain prices compared to other consumer tech gadget emporiums. I discovered folding keyboards that fit in my purse to bluetooth to everything I own for only $35. Check it out and expect to find the unexpected, handy, useful ... yet their employees are rank & file customer service wonkies that would rather not be too bothered by questions.

This place is outstanding. I can't imagine anybody giving them a low rating. Their prices are competitive, they are extraordinarily knowledgeable, always honest, and they even have a great repair department. This is always my first stop for computer parts and accessories and peripherals.

I recently ordered some computer parts from Central Computers during the pandemic and my items arrived via Fedex safe and sound (shipped in 3 business days). It did take a week for my items to be prepped, which meant it took 2 weeks for me to actually get my order. I didn't mind though since I wasn't in a rush to get my order. I think they have opened their storefront at this point so if I was in a rush I would just go there in person to order.

I miss Frys but Central has a pretty good electronics selection. They have many products so I appreciated the staff helping to find stuff for me and answer product questions. Maybe I was unlucky but the products I looked at were kind of mixed up like solder equipment and some didn't show prices. They checked prices for me but that's a time waster. I just want to grab what I need and go because of the parking meter.

Went here twice and had pretty good service. Picked up an adapter then replaced my hard drive for more storage space. Doubled my storage $150 done that day with all dada transferred over. They are not the warmest bunch of people but heck who is now of days. They did good by me - I will use them again.

Friendly, ethical, and knowledgable. They aren't scalping on hardware components during current inflation/supply shortages and very grateful that we still have a decent retail service in operation. I have stopped buying parts thru amazon/newegg and only shop here.

Went in today looking for a new monitor and case after having a good experience getting a GTX 2080 from them a few weeks ago, and like last time their service and prices were exceptional. Found exactly what I needed at a ridiculously good deal. Peter helped me move the boxes around the store and eventually even helped me load them in to my uber.

The place is a great place to go with equally great prices. They staff are knowledgeable and helpful.

San Francisco--the heart of Silicon Valley (yes--up here guys)--wouldn't be what it is without this place. You need a place with inexpensive tech--in high volumes. This place will outprice Amazon and is right downtown! It's a complete and total lifesaver. No bones about it. This is an institution. If you need a reel of Cat6, a new Router, a new Switch, some new Wireless Access Points--any kind of USB or data cable--this is the place. It will save you a bundle and they'll have the options you're looking for. iPhone and iPad chargers! Data HD to USB converters. All the USB-C adapters and converters. HDMI... it goes on and on. Plus laptops, drones, speakers, batteries--tons of batteries--selfie sticks... keyboards, displays... CPU cases! Power supplies, motherboards, memory, HD and Solid State Storage, Processors, 3D cards! All the hardware. All of it. Right here, downtown.

These guys are great. They offer top-notch service: they patiently answered my questions with well-informed explanations and recommendations. They don't have hard-sell sales tactics. Very reasonable prices; better stock and prices than Best Buy. Super safe during covid (they take temperatures upon entry, have plexiglass everywhere, social distancing, they get you the equipment you need. They were very accommodating in testing my old equipment out for defects and testing it with the new accessories. Easy, free street parking on Sundays.

Long-distance customers, beware! Central Computers offers competitive pricing for computer components and other electronics, but the advantages of doing business with them stop there. If you are a customer in the Bay Area, you might have better luck with your purchases, but I would recommend finding products elsewhere if you are out-of-state. In the long run, you will save more money even if you end up paying 5% more on the sticker price of an item. Central Computers' strict return and exchange policies are allegedly the reason they can afford to offer low prices, but in the end these policies end up costing unlucky customers the most. If your product arrives damaged and you would like an exchange, Central Computers requires you to pay the shipping costs to return or exchange the item. It is worth noting that when damage is the fault of FedEx (their shipper of choice), the seller is able to file a claim in order to receive reimbursement for their losses. These claims are not available to buyers. So, while Central Computers might be reimbursed for their losses, customers of Central Computers do not receive any reimbursement for their shipping costs on a return or exchange. If you are unlucky enough to receive a damaged 30 pound large item (such as a new case), be prepared to take a loss of $100+ in shipping costs if you would like a replacement. If you are willing to gamble that the item you order is in perfect working condition and will not be damaged in transit, then perhaps Central Computers is the right place for you. For many who are long-distance customers, I think that finding an alternative seller will be a safer and more cost-effective route to take.

Their customer service is great. Their supply and inventory is next to none- however, the techs in the back are a little too old school for my tastes. They mumble or speak unintelligibly, have no suggestions or input about installations and gave me awful advice. And to top it all off they did a hack job putting my build back together including but not limited to: installing my cooling system backwards so my tower overheated and could not load Windows. While installing a new motherboard they didn't ask me which drivers I'd need installed- they didn't even have the common courtesy of putting my USB 3 connections back online- and it took TWO MONTHS! Bottom line: you want supplies- a hard drive, a motherboard- TO INSTALL YOURSELF -great spot. You want speedy service, someone who can talk shop with advanced users, and tip top repairs? Go elsewhere. My computer is everything to my business and they made things exponentially worse. I will not return.

Caveat emptor. I ordered a new gaming laptop for 2.8k as the other listings for the same model were running for around 3.1k. The website said the model was in stock and didn't have any additional terms listed. Once I placed the order I immediately received an email loaded with disclaimers including "no-returns", "may not be exact specs", "prices may change in future" etc... Two days later I receive an email notifying me that they only had 1 model left in stock and it was a display/floor model, open box. The email didn't even bother to mention if the floor model had the same specs or matching SKU. No discount was offered for open box status. I had to call the sales line and according to the rep I spoke with the floor model should have the i9 chip and 3080 gpu and be free of obvious blemishes/defects. I will wait until I receive the laptop at which point I will raise or lower the score depending on if they actually ship the right unit free of defects. (Edited for new information.)

The hard drive in my Dell crashed last month, and a friend recommended that I take my ailing computer to Central Computers. They diagnosed the problem, made honest and reasonable recommendations (including that I could probably get by with a smaller and cheaper replacement hard drive than I chose to purchase), installed a new solid state hard drive and some additional memory, and salvaged the old data (including photos, etc.) on an external hard drive. The work was done within a couple of days, at a reasonable price, and my computer is better than new. I agree with the comments that it takes them a while to respond to phone messages, etc., which is the only reason I didn't award 5 stars.

I received extremely rude and unprofessional service from this store. I went in looking for a silent mouse so I could work late at night and not disturb my partner. I asked if there were any quiet mice and was told that they're all the same, that none are quiet. When I mentioned why it meant a lot to me to find one, he told me condescendingly,"just tell your girlfriend to put in headphones", and that I need to "man up" as I was checking out. I explained to him why that's unreasonable to ask late at night, marvelling at how unempathetic and misogynistic this employee was. To top it all off, I ended up finding the exact product I needed by myself, the Logitech Silent Plus. So they're incompetent as well as rude and clueless.

was having a really hard time finding the PSU I wanted, and they came through, even during lockdown! Thanks!!!!

My past experience with CC has been okay. Had it not been, I wouldn't go through the hassle of parking at the Mission St garage and hauling my computer(s) in a cart just to get to their shop. Finally, someone there told me about their 'Will Call' pickup area in the back off of Clementina. This last experience, I was told it was likely that my screen (LED) had to be replaced on my desk top computer. That was on July 26th. I called a couple of times the following week to get a status report... both times always left on "HOLD" for an excessive period of time (8 minutes and 11 minutes) forcing me to always call back to speak to anyone else who could tell me what was going on. Communication is definitely a hassle. Never got any kind of satisfactory answer to my inquiries. Last time I called was on August 8th and Victor said he'd call the techs at Santa Clara and call me right back. He didn't. Then on August 10th, I receive a voicemail stating they couldn't find a replacement screen and to pickup my computer. I guess it took 12 days to determine the 'unavailability' of this particular part.

I came at the recommendation of a colleague. They said it is a fun store. It wasn't. Upon arrival, I wasn't able to find what I was looking for. After checking all the isle, I approached the only employee not engaged with a patron. His responses to my question of where I could find the charger I need was, "Go ask a sales person." This store treats patrons terribly with rude staff who refuse to provide any service. Spend your hard earned dollars someplace where they will treat you with respect and assist you.

i love this place. i burnt my rgb hub and that stopped my pc from running & they fixed it. they also managed all my cables. MY BUILD LOOKS AMAZING THANKS TO THEM. bought basically the whole build here. every time i come here i just HAVE to spend money bc they have it all lol. and really friendly and attentive workers :)

So I came in to return a motherboard that I was not satisfied with because it didn't seem to work right with my video card. one of the employees then takes the mother board and fidgets with the box its in. he opens the bag the mother board was in and tries to put the cpu protector back on.. he puts some stuff on top of it and sticks some wires that were in a bag ontop of the box. he forces it closed. after 20 minutes of walking around the store the employee comes over and tells me that the CPU connections are bent and that they don't accept returns on broken merchandise. Livid. I tell him that he must have broke it with how he was carelessly shoving things into the box. goes on to tell me theres nothing the store can do and that I can contact the manufacturer but that it would take a month for me to get it back and that they'd charge me 150$ to send it in. thanks for the 300$ useless motherboard that you broke. Truly the worst electronics store I've ever been to. They make fry's look like heaven for customer service. not to mention they wasted my time and provided no help at all. I hate these people so much.

Terrible Service. I was having a technical issue that I couldn't figure out. An old HDD kept blue screening randomly after a few minutes of use. I couldn't reinstall Windows on it because for some reason my USB installer wouldn't boot. Now I'm concerned that there is something else wrong with my PC. I've been to Central Computers before several times to buy parts so I'm familiar with their store. I called them and asked if they were available. They said they had no queue and I could swing by. Unfortunately when I got there, they told me that I would have to wait a full day, despite them telling me they were available and there was no queue. Since I was also having an issue with my USB installer, I asked if they could verify if my installer worked. This would take a few minutes max (plug it into a computer and check if you can boot from it) as they are a windows shop and have plenty of available, powered on window computers at the ready. They refused to do that for me. So overall, I called them for help, was told they were available, dragged my PC all the way to their store, found out they weren't actually available, and to top it off they wouldn't even verify if my USB installer worked. Actually, to top it off, the USB installer and pretty much all the parts in my PC were bought from that store. Good parts, good prices, piss poor service.

I'd give them 6 stars, if Yelp would let me. They usually have better prices than Newegg, Fry's or Amazon and they are _LOCAL_. Their staff has always gone above and beyond for me and have enabled me to build my dream custom liquid cooled PC. Candy, really helped me out by transferring the RAM I wanted from their Sunnyvale store up to SF. This saved me time, a long drive and gas! Vincent gave me some great tips on where to look for some custom liquid cooling components and I'm on my way to a fully custom hard line system. Again I can't emphasise enough how helpful, kind and knowledgeable their staff members' are. I've bought a Titan Xp GPU, ROG Rampage VI Extreme Motherboard, 128GB of Samsung RAM, and 12 Corsair Maglev fans from them. I believe it's important to support local businesses, you should too!