Great service from start to finish here at Central Computers! I went in here to buy a new PC case and was greeted right away from Amon (I think that's his name, he had glasses). He was able to point me to what I needed right away and was very knowledgeable and answered questions that I had. After I setup my PC at home, I wanted to change some settings in BIOS and change my partition from MBR to GPT, Secure Boot On, and Legacy to UEFI but had problems doing so. I submitted a ticket through their website and got a reply right away from Chi. He gave me a quote and offered me an upgrade to Windows 11 along with the setting changes. The email conversations were quick and once finalized, I gave them a call to confirm when I can drop off my PC for the BIOS setting changes and upgrade to Windows 11. Needing my PC back quickly, I paid extra for the express fee. Laila checked me in at the service counter and took down notes on what I wanted done. Later that day, I got a phone call back from their tech Keymond. He explained what needed to be done in order to get my BIOS setting and partitions changed from MBR to GPT. I ended up getting a new M.2 SSD and the next day, I got a call back from them saying my PC was ready for pick up. Keymond was really nice in explaining what needed to be done and explained his process thoroughly, definitely a friendly guy. He was really nice over the phone even and was happy to explain to me the work done in person. Service here is great from Check-In to Check-Out. I would highly recommend this place for any computer parts and service. They have a wide variety of selection of computer parts. I will be coming back for any PC needs. Thanks to the team at Central Computers, my PC is up and running with the settings I wanted and Windows 11! read more

Central Computers East Bay - Looks good and happy with purchase and service. - IT Services & Computer Repair Near Me - Newark, California

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Since Frys closed down I started shopping at Central Computers, this place is fantastic. Even though we have a Micro Center, Central Computers is Locally owned, has a fantastic service center, and has prices that meet or beat MC. This is my go-to for networking (Unifi) gear for business and personal. What's best is that you can casually shop, but not after a couple people will ask you if you need help finding anything. Central Computers check my boxes for customer service, pricing, and friendly staff. read more

THESE PEOPLE HAVE GREAT VIBES!!!! So I went in with a budget and idea and they did everything possible to help me. The made every attempt to fit everything in the FLP02 case I wanted but they recommended the fractal define 7 xl which I LOVE its really nice! I build the computer but the MB I got did not have a manual just the quick install guide. and mistakes were made since my IT knowledge is still 10 years in the past so accidently bust the cmos battery holder off. So I call ahead and bring it in. THEY DID ME A HUGE FAVOR and exchanged the MB and tested the replacement there to be sure we were all good! THANKS LAILA FOR THE HELP!!!! Check them out! they are good hard workers and fun to talk too. Good deals too when they can! read more

Great experience. Looked up some items online, prices were great so I called to confirm everything was in stock and at the price listed online before I drove down there. Charlie S helped answer questions and gave great service. They even let me open up my laptop and swap the ram there so I could confirm it all worked as expected. Love this place, it's my new go-to since Frys closed , it's great to see aisles of components on shelves again. read more

I bought a NVIDIA RTX 5070 Ti Graphics card from them. When it's time to pick it up, they informed me that it's opened box instead of new. I agreed to buy it with 10% discount and they told me return policy and warranty would be the same. There is a promotion for a free Resident Evil Requiem when you buy any RTX 50 card, the instructions says that the seller is going to email you the code. I called for the redeem code and they told me it's not applicable for open box item. The sale person didn't tell me about this policy and neither does their website. If I knew this policy, I might not want to purchase the open box. I wanted to buy new in the first place, but they didn't have new available. It's a lot of trouble to return and get a new one. read more

I went there looking for a mounting kit for a liquid cooler...The employee wasn't much help...granted I had a very specific problem. It was just like "oh I don't know about that at all, call the manufacturer or I can sell you a whole new cooler." I'm not going to go into detail about my situation but suffice it to say that this place wasn't as equipped to handle it as I initially expected. They did have a lot of products though. If you need basic components you should be good. read more

Avoid Central Computers Fremont - Wasted Time and Mismanaged Inventory I hadn't shopped at Central Computers in years, and my most recent experience just confirmed why. I needed a computer part that, according to their website, was in stock at their Fremont location - the only place in the SF Bay Area showing availability. Because the store is far from my home (San Jose), I called ahead to double-check. They assured me they had it, matching the inventory status shown online. After driving all the way there, I was told the item was not in stock. Both their website and their in-store POS system reflected the wrong information. In 2025, there's no excuse for such poor data management. This isn't just a minor mistake - it shows how poorly they are running their business. No wonder competitors like Micro Center have opened a massive store in the South Bay. Just last week I spent over $1,000 at Micro Center with zero issues, while the part I came to Central Computers for was only less than hundred dollar. The cost of their mistake was my wasted time and gas. I genuinely want to support local brick-and-mortar businesses because they employ local staff and strengthen the community. But businesses like this, that can't even keep their inventory data accurate, are on the path to becoming another Fry's Electronics - gone. read more

Central Computers is a my go-to place for my IT and computer needs. Our dental server was experiencing slow performance. I decided to bring it in for diagnostics. Jonathan was very helpful to identify the failing hard drive and offered recommendations. They pricie and service is excellent. Highly recommended. read more

This stores literally has almost everything that you need to set up your desk and electronics. You can find all sorts of computer parts, electronics, and other accessories here. I am thinking about shopping and buying products here rather than having to go to Best Buy many times. It's much convenient to go here since it's closer to my home and am not really a big fan of taking the highway to get what I want. This is like Amazon except that it's in store. I also heard that they offer services to repair products like your PC, laptop, and gaming consoles. You can also have them create custom PCs for you if you don't create PCs or just don't have time to do it. They also create keyboards too! Again, I will look around and see if I want anything there the next time I come by here. read more

I just paid 30 dollars for them to wrecked my computer. My laptop was still working with external monitor but it cannot find an internal monitor. They charge me some money for an attempt. I thought although they cannot fix it, i can still use the external monitor. Not only the computer was not fixed, but the tech guy wrecked it. The computer does not turn on. Now, i have to get a new one. The tech guy could not careless. He just hush me away. Very rude on the phone. In addition, he told me to bring a USB drive to retrieve my data, but my usb drive is too small so i want to look at the data first to decide which one i should keep. He just hush me away, saying that he is too busy to let me have a look. Super disappointed. read more

I don't often write reviews, but I couldn't in good conscience not recognize the outstanding service, character, and humility of Chi Yip at Central Computers in Newark on Mowry Avenue. Chi was absolutely instrumental in helping me build my Synology NAS (specifically the DS1621+). From the very beginning, he was incredibly kind, patient, and knowledgeable. Even after the transaction was complete and I had paid, Chi continued to support me without hesitation. That level of integrity and dedication is rare. I've been to many computer stores across the Bay Area, but Chi stands out--not just for his technical expertise, which is top-notch--but for his genuine willingness to help and his calm, humble demeanor. Whether you're someone new to tech or someone who knows what you want but not how to build it, Chi makes the experience feel welcoming and empowering. If you're looking for honest, expert help with your computer or NAS build, I would wholeheartedly recommend Chi Yip. I'd return to him without hesitation for future needs. Thank you, Chi-- God Bless read more

Friends and co-workers of mine have used & recommended Central Computers for years. I wanted to figure out whether it'd be worth upgrading an old system or if I needed to just get a whole new setup. Ryan walked me through the pros and cons, and helped me pick out a configuration that was a good balance of cost-efficiency and performance. Super easy to work with, the system was built & ready for pickup in just a few days, and the whole process was super easy. It's certainly possible I could have saved a bit on a prebuilt - but I'm happy to have supported a local business, a was glad to get real advice from an actual person, and a custom setup that does exactly what I wanted it to, and even with all that, the cost difference between a mass-market prebuilt and this wasn't significant. If I needed parts or a new system in the future, I'll be going to Central Computers first. read more

As Fry's is no longer around...gosh I'm still not over being one of the last people to review Fry's just a day before it shut down. Still feeling the guilt folks. Anyways, my bf needed a motherboard and they were the only place that had it in stock in person. So off we went to Central Computers East Bay. I've grown up in the area and I've seen this building basically my whole life and I never stepped foot in it until this day. I didn't know what to expect but when I stepped in, it was like a small Frys without the fluff and focused on just electronic goods and parts. We didn't stay for long as we knew exactly what to get and we paid and left immediately. But it looked pretty stocked up and kind of old school Radio Shack and of course Frys. I think I may try to find out if they have a power source for my old hard drive as I seemed to have misplaced mine and I'd really like to see what's on it. There's a small parking lot that's shared with a few other restaurants and shops but we easily found a spot directly in front. It's nice to have a place like this as it's hard to find a computer store these days that hold specific peripherals or internals without having to just order online and wait for shipping. MicroCenter and Frys are out. So let's just make sure this place stays in business folks. Come visit and peruse the aisles. read more

Central Computers East Bay - Outside - IT Services & Computer Repair Near Me - Newark, California

Great place to find electronic/PC parts with knowledgable and friendly staff! I came looking for a custom mechanical keyboard base and keycaps a while back. Talking with the staff, they were able to find the specific model in stock in the back and opened it to allow me to take a look/demo like the ones they have on display. Friendly and easy to talk to for your needs. Prices would be retail, but if its available you can take a look and pick up immediately instead of waiting for delivery without seeing the product. There is plenty of parking in the area, though the location is not so obvious to find. read more

Pj was amazing. He took a lot of time to talk, educate, and show me around the store. I was building a new computer from scratch and he saved me a lot of money. Some of his advice i took, some i didn't with parts. Regardless, i'll be coming here for all of my computer needs. They were willing to price match, special order parts, build it, etc. extremely happy with the level of service and professionalism PJ showed. read more

This place has amazing people and service! Had my computer put on for testing and within a week they figured out what happened. Prices are expensive (I mean it's computers you're dealing with) but they can solve a wide variety of problems and do a deep diagnostic. Thanks guys! read more

Excellent service. They are very knowledgeable and friendly. Their prices are great too. I just appreciate they didn't make me feel stupid for not knowing how to fix such a simple problem. read more

I think they did an excellent job of diagnosing my failing system, and did a very good job of building the new system... Context: I had a 10-year-old machine that I had upgraded to a modern AMD Ryzen motherboard and CPU, two years ago... over the years, virtually *everything* in the machine had been upgraded, except for the case and power supply (PSU). The PSU was a 750W unit. Everything was fine until I decided to upgrade my GTX 1070ti video card with a GTX 2080ti, which uses far more power... the machine booted successfully after the upgrade - *once* !! The second time that I tried to boot it, it just lagged and wouldn't boot... LSS, it never booted again, even with the old video card... I tried various things to fix the issue, but couldn't get it to work, so I decided to see what Central Computers could do... I dropped the machine off with them, described the problem, and asked them to not only fix the machine but get the new video card working as well... Okay, here's an overview of the results: their diagnostics were quick and effective, they verified that all of the hardware except the motherboard, were working fine. Motherboard was dead, and PSU was not functioning to spec. They upgraded PSU and tried again, motherboard was dead... Beyond this, let me summarize results: 1. (problem 1) When they reported the dead motherboard, they recommended a replacement board which was *not* equivalent to my previous board - in particular, the second M.2 drive slot was not Gen4, which would have been unfortunate for me, since that was my 4TB gaming SSD; I'm a little disappointed that they didn't do better research on that. However, *I* double-checked their data, found the error, contacted my support person there, and we selected an appropriate replacement board that fit all of my requirements. 2. (good) They ultimately delivered a system that worked beautifully!! Their ability to diagnose the issues were excellent. Their ability to build the new system and get all the components working, was as ideal as I could request!! They apparently did a better job than I was able to do, in applying cooling paste, because both CPU and GPU are running at roughly 37C at idle, and not heating up much even under heavy gaming!! This was definitely professional work!! 3. (problem 2) They left out *one* cable in the system... there is a USB cable that needs to run from the AIO cooler block to a USB connector, so that Corsair's iCue software can monitor temperatures and manage fan speeds - they did *not* install that cable, so iCue current doesn't know I have any hardware installed... this is actually a rather odd oversight, because the cable was already installed on the system that I handed to them... My opinion about this oversight: if you have to miss something, this is possibly the least-problematic one to miss!! I have ordered a replacement cable from Amazon; undoubtedly I could have taken the machine back to them, and they would have dealt with it with no problem, but I had everything hooked up to all of my endless cables, and didn't want to take it apart again, just for a USB cable, so I'll do that myself. 4. (good) One of the big challenges for a support person, is dealing with someone who keeps calling up and wanting more tweaks, while they are trying to get the original issues dealt with... yep, that user was me!! 4a. I had taken all of my spare drives out of the machine before I gave it to them... "could I drop off my other drives and have you install them, so everything gets tested before you declare it done??" NO PROBLEM!! 4b. "Could you upgrade the CPU from my current (working, already tested by them) unit to a higher-end CPU?? NO PROBLEM (yes, I paid for the CPU, but they didn't charge extra for the additional efforts). TL;DR - They did a superb job of diagnosis, the person working on my machine was *very* professional... the two small issues that I discussed previously, were very minor, and my tech was quite prepared to deal with whatever issues came up. Installation was superb. I'm looking forward to dealing with Central Computer again in the future, if I have any further issues. read more

Central Computers East Bay - IT Services & Computer Repair Near Me - Newark, California

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Great service and highly recommend! Johnathan checked in my PC and Jorge was the technician that work on my PC. Jorge was great. He kept me up-to-date on the status and had my PC back in a timely fashion. Thank you so much Jorge and thank you so much central computers. read more

I've passed by Central Computers so many times in Newark, CA but never had the urge to stop in. This is all pretty much changed when the GPU shortage hit and I was trying to buy a Nvidia RTX Card. With Central Computers, you can sign up for notifications and buy stand-alone RTX cards without competing with bots or paying outrageous prices to scalpers. They also put a limit on how many GPU's you can purchase (one every 30 days) Really appreciate them trying their best to counter the GPU shortage. Also shoutout to the amazing staff at Central Computers. They were all really nice and seem passionate about tech/computers which made chatting with them extra fun because you can really geek out on tech related news, your build, etc. The location is right off the 880 freeway on Mowry so it's relatively convenient. The plaza is half paved in asphalt while the other side is in rock which makes it seem kind of ghetto but other than that, it was nice. I will definitely be back as I have now found my local PC store that is not a big chain such as Best Buy and Fry's (RIP). read more

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I've been coming to this location for years. The customer service here never disappoints. If you ever have any issues with your laptop/desktop I highly recommend them. read more

Reasonable price and good service. They did not try to upsell. I am pretty happy about the repair outcome of the laptop keyboard.

Unprofessional scammers, built my pc and then claimed the windows 11 key was inactive, tried to tell me i could buy another through them for $119, when the one i gave them was brand new not opened. Then I told them I'd install it myself, picked it up and couldn't connect it to my monitor. Tried displayport and the hdmi, nothing, looked at my lights inside and there's a yellow light on the motherboard which indicates something is wrong/ not properly connected. They tried to turn it on us saying we were plugging it in wrong, Im not stupid, I know how to plug in an HDMI, especially considering there's literally only one port for it on the graphics card ‍ Then they try to say we have to reset the motherboard or something??? Like how did they turn it on in the first place to try and install windows 11 but when i bring it home it has an error? Sounds like they either tampered with it prior to pick up, or just straight up lied about even trying to install the OS and its had an issue since they built it and they never test ran it. Either way, this place sucks, their employees are rude and speak to you in a "you must be stupid" kind of tone yet they were the ones who fucked up the build in the first place ‍ read more

Central Computer was an instant choice when my computer decided to stop working. got on the phone, found they had a "refurbished HP computer (200 ish). except it wasn't. it's a module that "Microsoft authorized refurbisher" assembled -with generic module and parts -keyboard that's buggy -microsoft tries to sell u all kinds of stuff tries to get u to consent to send them all kinds of data so they can sell u stuff...2 ish star. Central staff doesn't know what's it's selling, just what in their computer. be aware! read more

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I rarely ever write reviews (second review of all time), but the S-tier customer service I've experienced at Central Computers has solidified this place as my go-to for computer parts going forward. I purchased multiple, hard-to-acquire PC components for a custom build I was going to work on and I was fortunate enough that Chi Yip was the representative that would help fulfull my order. I had a very tight deadline and Chi ensured me that my timeline would be met. He went above-and-beyond in our email and phone conversations and made sure my parts were shipped the moment his store acquired them. Because of his urgency, I ended up getting my parts a day sooner than I expected. Thank you Chi! I also want to give props to a sales member from the SF branch, Adrian Uribe, who gave me stellar advice for a mini-ITX case that I didn't even know existed yet met my dimension requirements perfectly! read more

I went to this store to get help removing a stripped screw on my laptop. They told me they may need to use a drill to remove the stripped screw but they did not have the right drill bit so I would need to leave my laptop and come back the next day to get it when it was done. At no point in time was I made aware that this process would destroy my laptop screw hole and essentially make my laptop unable to be flush with the bottom base panel. Also now there is this hole at the bottom since no screw can be placed in the hole. If this was something that could not be done without damaging my laptop then I should have been told. read more

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Gave me a quick quote, saved me from Apple, did everything within their timeline. I just wanted to give a review for keeping things simple for me and my Macbook. My computer feels like new, nothing happened from my small liquid drops. read more

Amazing customer service and fast. They help you the best they can. Really nice people that work here.

Soooooo impressed and thankful to this place in having Alberto's knowledge and very honest help to offer for repairs and advice. I've gone here twice so far, once last year and just recently, in dire need of resuscitating my ancient laptop. Mine was seriously ready for the graveyard when I first went there, and again this time, yet he brought it back to working order somehow. He's extremely humble, and the rest of the staff there are quick to serve and respectful/kind. As one looks around at all the stuff they carry in this store, it would sure seem that they carry everything possible in the computer world! I'll bet they'll have the item you need or at least get it on order to you asap. A place I went to before seemed to charge me for repairs just by walking in the door. read more

I've been shopping at Central Computers for a long time, probably ever since I lived near the one in Sunnyvale over 10 years ago. I have always been impressed with their selection and having a brick and mortar store to pick up last minute computer parts and accessories was also a plus. Recently, thanks to the pandemic, and my "once every three year" PC building extravaganza, I've been shopping here a LOT. I appreciate that Central Computer has a good online shopping experience--it's pretty easy to see what's in stock at their various locations and then buy online to pick up in person. I found their inventory tracking especially helpful when looking for out of stock items (e.g. Nvidia graphics card). All you have to do on their site is hover over the link to 'view.' The covid-19 situation has thinned out the supply of almost all computer parts and it was useful to be able to pick up the items I knew were there rather than chancing it. The covid-19 protocols at this location were good; they took temperature before going in and appeared to be only allowing a certain number of people inside the store. In addition, I noticed hand sanitizer in several locations. One kind of bittersweet thing about Central Computer is the pricing; often the prices will be higher than amazon, B&H, and newegg. However, I was recently able to talk to the manager to price match with amazon (I'm not sure how successful anyone else will be or if this is a policy like Fry's). My argument was that I had spent thousands recently so I ended up getting a price match. Keep in mind that the return policies here are not as good as Amazon but then again nothing is except for maybe Costco. Check their website for policies before you spend a ton. Overall, I highly recommend Central Computers and am happy to see the return of computer building! read more

Central Computers East Bay - Some of my pc parts for my new build. - IT Services & Computer Repair Near Me - Newark, California

I came here because Best Buy in union city was closed due to construction and boy am i glad that it was! I needed a new monitor and keyboard for the serious gaming i am going to do and im typically pretty nervous about asking for help about new stuff and where to start, most people seem to hate what they do for some reason. But Damion was not only extremely informative but was with me the whole way on figuring out what was best for my needs also a very chill guy. Im sure i could not have gotten that type of quality service from the boys in blue n yellow lol I will most definitely be coming back for all my computer and tech services in the future, thanks again Damion! read more

They have cool electronics. Keep it on the low . The people are nice and even if I'm not sure what I am asking for they are sure they know what I want . And they nail it every time . read more

Central Computers East Bay - You are welcome for the business. - IT Services & Computer Repair Near Me - Newark, California

Today I went into this store to return an item, unused and in original packaging. The short bald Asian guy who wears glasses, apparently the manager, refused to do the return. He told me he can't give me a refund, only can offer store credit, and then placed my receipt on my item and continued to type on his computer... he didn't care or didn't want to hear why I want to return the item. I felt insignificant, as a customer I didn't matter to him. So I grabbed my stuff and left. I ended up having to drive almost an hour in traffic to the San Mateo store to be helped by the great staff, did my returns there while received the best customer service from them. I found out today that the item I wanted to return is a "non-refundable" item and that at the time of the purchase, the store employee is supposed to tell me at the time when I paid for it. But I was NEVER disclosed of that information. So it made me even more upset. Every time when my friends and I go to this store, it's always dark, unorganized (open boxes, products scattered all over the floor), unfriendly staff, and most the employees there didn't care, doesn't want to seem to help, and the interaction with the manager today was just the "cherry on top"... This is the worst store ever. I work in customer service and work very closely with my managers, and the interaction with this manager is unacceptable. I would give this ZERO stars if I could. read more

I came in with a few minor problems and looking to get my PC cleaned up a bit both physically and virtually with my drives. I had the pleasure of having Damien work on my PC and he was super helpful and friendly. He took care of all the problems I came in with and then some. On top of that he made sure to help me out with some precautions in case I ran into any issues again by providing me with links and steps on how to approach these problems in the future. Sensational Customer Service! read more

I came to bring my pc to this place because I thought it was overheating and needed it to be checked out. I drop the pc off, explained to the tech near the back for about 10 minutes, and they said they would call me when its done. Fast forward 3 days, they call and told me to come down, (couldn't understand them on the phone due to heavy accents). Once I got down there, they said the pc smelled bad and made the tech sick. Now, while the employee is telling me this ,I am standing right next to the pc and dont smell anything. Remind you when I first brought the pc in, (3 days ago) they did not mention any smell, and nobody was getting sick. I told them I felt like your refusing service to me because Im African American, and they did. So I took my pc down to "General Computer Systems" located in Oakland on Grand Ave. I explained the overheating to them as well, and they gladly took my pc and had it fixed in a few days. The people at General Computer Systems did not mention any smell, when I asked specifically "can you smell anything coming from my pc" they said they dont smell anything coming from pc. I would never recommend Central Computers to anyone, they are very under staffed, they are always backed up and need at least a week to fix anybodys pc/laptop, they are over priced and expensive, and the techs aren't nice or polite at all. I suggest you bring you pc/laptop to someone else besides Central Computers. Thanks for reading! read more

Common theme here. No customer service. If you go, know exactly what you want. Seems like prices are standard retail. If you can wait at least Amazon will thank you for the purchase at the end. Not the kind of store where customer service is a focus. I go brick and mortar stores when I can. But, this place is the exception. Same issue across all of Central computers in my experience. read more

Great place to get computer parts for your gaming PC. I went here looking for a rgb splitter cable since I had some custom rgb backplates for my PC and I needed a splitter cable to connect to my motherboard. I walked around the store a bit and they had a very nice selection of AIO coolers, power supplies, RAM, GPU's, etc. Side note: GPU's cannot be purchased by itself. There is a sign that says you can only get it with a PC build, which makes sense since there is a GPU shortage right now (damn you crypto miners!). I couldn't find what I was looking for so I had to ask someone for help. The guy also didn't know where to find it either and he works at a computer parts store? Hmm... Eventually I found what I was looking for and it was reasonably priced. I had to dock a star since the employee was practically unhelpful. I docked another star since there was about a dozen people working and NO ONE acknowledged me when I was at the register to pay, and there were at LEAST 7 people within 15 feet of me... read more

I called them before hand to let them know I had a pickup order and I was arriving basically at closing time. they said no problem just come. I drove 25 minutes and got there 1 minute after their closing time, and they didnt let me in and said they were closed. could've gave me a heads up when I called and let them know I was coming at closing time. read more

Good customer service. Was looking for something specific, called, said only one left but took the time to look to double check! They found it and asked if I'd like to put it on hold! Appreciate that small gesture to make life easy and trouble-free. Thank you! read more

And you say this is not scalping. You're selling these at over $500 difference from the original MSRP. You just lost me as a customer and others should not be paying this price either especially after you sent out an email that showed you were selling at retail. For a minute I thought you were going to be consumer friendly and do the right thing so when I took the time off of work I drove 50 miles only to be told your email ad was a "mistake" and the actual price would be 2000 INSTEAD and so now..... You have finally fully lost me as a customer and I had been a customer since 2008. I have as much faith in Central Computers doing the right thing as I have in the government in getting our citizens out of Afghanistan without bloodshed. read more

Central Computers East Bay - IT Services & Computer Repair Near Me - Newark, California