Don't got much to say but it's my favorite store with such amazing customer service who provides fun customization to your future gaming peripherals read more

My 12 year old laptop finally refused to turn on. In a panic, I brought it to Central Computers in San Mateo. Oliver assisted me. He assured me that a data transfer was possible once I got a new laptop. He gave me helpful advice on choosing a new laptop. Oliver was informative, patient and kind throughout the process. Oliver transferred my data perfectly. All of the directories and files matched exactly as before. The data transfer was very reasonably priced. Equally important, I was never made to feel "less than" because my technical skills are on the basic level. He also erased my old hard drive and recycled my old laptop. I highly recommend Central Computers and Oliver if you ever find yourself in a similar situation. read more

I brought in my laptop to be fixed. The person who helped me was very knowledgeable and honest about the concerns that I had (they needed to send out my laptop to get a part replaced; and my current specs were expected not to keep up with gaming requirements anymore). After a thorough consultation, I ultimately decided that it wasn't worth the potential cost to fix my laptop (it'd be better for me personally to buy a new one when this one eventually breaks). However, I did want to give an excellent review for having all of my questions answered in an expert manner. If I were to have another computer hardware issue in the future that needed to be fixed, I would 100% return. Thank you! read more

I'm want it to be known that the San Mateo location, manager Brandon and his staff provided me the best customer service. Today I was in a bit of situation and initially stopped by the Fremont location on mowry Ave to return some items. The short bald Asian guy who wears glasses, apparently the manager there, provided the worst customer service i have ever received. I kindly told him the situation and he completely did not care. He refused to let me to the returns and only offered store credit, he placed my receipt on my item and continued to type on his computer, completely making me feel so insignificant, like my situation meant nothing to him. He did not want to help me, there was no empathy or anything, just a "no" and completely ignores me. So I grabbed my stuff and left. Then I thought of calling the next location over, which is San Mateo. I spoke with Matthew over the phone, he listened to me and understood what I was going through and ensured me that he'll find out what he do for me. Then I was transferred to speak with the Brandon the manager, and he was super nice and understanding. During our conversation, I found out that when you buy specific non-refundable items, the staff is supposed to tell you at the time of purchase that those items cannot be returned. But when i bought it at the Fremont store, the workers never told me that. When Brandon heard about that he ensured me that he would take care of my situation. I drove almost an hour in prime traffic time just to go to his store. His store has great vibes and his team are awesome. I wished I lived near his location instead of the Fremont store.. the Fremont store is super dark and has a lot of open boxes and products spread all over the store. Super unorganized... I appreciate Brandon and his team! Thanks a lot again. read more

Similar experience to someone who left a previous review. Online order was easy peasy. The least they can do is put my order in front of the queue because it'll technically be 1 month til I receive a product I spent +$2,000 for. Here's why... 1. Ordered a custom gaming pc from the website and received an update that same day that a special order was needed for the case I selected and that it was in queue to be built. And they would let me know what the lead times were like. 2. I waited a week before I asked for an update via email to confirm if they had ordered it. Didn't get a response right away --maybe they're busy--so I waited another week to see if they would get back to me. No response. 3. Called the store and they tell me they NEVER ordered the case and that it would take another two weeks for it to come in. 4. We cancelled the special case and ordered a cheaper one they have in store and so now I have to wait another who knows when it to be built because of a queue. GG. read more

Awesome, knowledgeable staff. I recently had my PC custom built with Central Computers and am very satisfied with the care and attention the staff gave me throughout the process. It was a pleasure. At every phase of the process, someone would call and update me on their progress, and it was really appreciated. I highly recommend having them build a computer for you. read more

My gaming computer had problems starting up. There was a power outage and my computer wasn't off and it messed up the power supply. I brought it in and branden helped me run some test and replaced it. He also rearranged my build so it could work better. It took about 3 days , price is fair. I like how knowledgeable they are and the 90 day warranty they have. Will be back if I have any other issues in the future ! read more

Central computers is my "go to" place for computer help and computer needs. In particular, Charlotte is always there to help. And Austin showed me how to deal with a new computer. He helped me to reformat the whole computer. thanks all for your help read more

Really sad the one in Pleasanton closed because I finally found a shop that I'd trust to go to for anything without feeling like I'm being scammed. San Mateo's is also great but they're not as down-to-earth as Pleasanton's office. You can find anything you need here at the same market price. In other words, the supplies they sell are not affordable but they work, and if not you can return it and the associates will kindly help you find what you need. Central Computers is best for fixing specific problems with your computers. You do have to be prepared to give them your computer's password, but my data was never compromised. I did 3 macbook battery replacements that every other store (including the Apple Store) could not fix since the battery was out of production and rare. My macbook was such a pain in the butt that Central Computers had to send it offsite, where it endured 3 weeks of testing, apparently it "blew up" a few times... but they fixed it, didn't come back with dents/scratches, all the data survived, and it only costed $140! Also fixed another computer with backup data issues. I asked a bunch of pesky questions the internet couldn't help me with and they were able to help me every single time, and gave me a reasonable quote for each. If you have any issues with your computers, it's best just to come in and ask than to search the internet and look for independent contractors. They will never force a sale on you. read more

F@&$k Amazon, support this local biz! They're cheaper and actually human! Called while stuck helping my 10yr old with his first gaming pc build. Damon helped pick a cpu and graphics card within minutes. Staff is above and beyond caring, knowledgeable and friendly. And a cool bonus is they value teachers with a discount on service. Will be a loyal customer for life!! Thanks guys!! read more

I came into Central Computers with my boyfriend with the intention of building a computer for my brother. I know absolutely nothing about computers so I was really relying on my boyfriend to know everything. The catch: I came a little under an hour before closing. (I KNOW. I AM SO SORRY.) We were asked by Wenn if we needed any help and his help was QUALITY. My boyfriend was able to bounce off his ideas for what he wanted for the PC with him. Wenn was extremely patient with us and he seemed like he really didn't mind helping us out even though he helped us until a little after closing. He answered all the questions with a smile. I was also indecisive on which graphics card I wanted so seriously, props to him for being so knowledgeable, nice, and patient when I switched my graphics card choice at least 3 times. He also gave honest reviews for parts and alternatives to what we needed. He was not trying to sell me things that I didn't need. Just an all round honest person who was trying to help us build a good PC at a reasonable price! I will definitely be looking for him to help me whenever I come to Central Computers. read more

Two things earned Central Computers 5 stars for me: 1. Their buying policies right now given immense GPU shortages. For people like me who needed to build an entire PC rather than just a GPU, Central Computers actually had stock of RTX 3070s, I didn't have to reserve, wait 3 months, or pay $2,000 for it since I bought everything needed for a PC. 2. Customer experience. I walked in and had Paolo (pardon if misspelled) field just about 30+ questions as I went around picking PC parts. I'd built computers before but it's been years, and Paolo not only gave pointed recommendations, but also knew the potential upsides and pitfalls of each component and made sure I knew. And before the purchase was complete, he took the time to check compatibility even with cable management and the like. These folks are gold. read more

Sam and Bram are exceptional computer shop technicians. Their expertise, professionalism, and friendly service are commendable. They efficiently rebuilt my mini ITX and patiently answered my questions. Highly recommended for top-notch service! read more

I'm very pleased with the service the staff here has given me. I walked in to piece together a full build and was helped picking out various parts for the build. It took about 2 weeks to get the finished product but overall I had a great experience here. This is my first PC and I'm glad I went with a local business like Central Computers, their employees really know what they're doing when it comes wiring management for the case and the rig came out super cleannn. I will definitely be coming back here for any future purchases read more

Central Computers - IT Services & Computer Repair Near Me - San Mateo, California

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It's a shame that Fry's electronics has shut down forever but at least we still have central computers. The San Mateo store is great. I had a custom build through an employee named Brandon and he was just excellent throughout the whole process. And I'm pretty high maintenance when it comes to my world of tech. He went the extra mile helping me out while on the phone a few times and tolerated my many emails. They know their stuff and they got a lot of stuff. Just go in person as their website is not exactly the best to shop on. Either way kudos to Brandon as officially today he is a lifesaver. Thanks Brandon McArthy! read more

I've been shopping at Central Computers for 5 years and have yet to be disappointed. They have the same if not cheaper prices than what you can find on online and big retailers but their shops are small enough that their employees can really dedicate their time to help you find the best for your use case. They have an extended tech knowledge and seem to be very friendly to people of all ages and backgrounds, even those who are not tech friendly at all. I myself also have a very good tech knowledge and when I go there most times I just let them know what I want and I can pay and leave within 3 minutes. They definitely are not pushy and have a quite big selection of products for such small sized locations. Every opportunity I get I recommend my friends to shop there and you should too! read more

Bram and Ethan fixed my keyboard on the spot for me. They knew what they were doing and they were super nice. If/when I need additional computer repairs, I'm coming here! Thank you so much to this location of Central Computers! read more

Took my PC in today because I was having a booting up issue. I believe it was (Jin, Gin, or Yin) who helped me he was very friendly and dropped what he was doing to take a look at the PC. He gave it a once over and explained what he was observing at first sight. It turned out to be a ram stick incorrectly installed (previous owner installled) and he verified all the components were in good working order and even found out some fans were pushing air the wrong way. He didn't try to upsell or charge me anything for his time which I was surprised because he fixed/spotted a lot of issues for me. But this will have me trusting him for future work I may need on the device. I will be definitely coming to him for any future purchases or repairs for his patience and knowledge and help. read more

I built my PC with all components purchased there. Store is organized and clean. Staff there is friendly and patience with all my questions since it was my very first build. Just brought my PC in last week and helped by Josh for a boot problem and same friendliness and patience was provided. Highly recommend this place versus the big box store since most sales personnel at those places knows nothing about computers. read more

I hope they are in the Bay forever. Would love it if they could open a location in Berkeley Or Emeryville.

Had a self-built PC with a damaged part. They very quickly identified the problem and help me find replacements for the part I needed, all the while being very helpful when further issues popped up. read more

I had a great experience at Central Computers in San Mateo! I went in to get help putting together a Mining rig, I had basic knowledge but I was not sure of what I needed to do to build something usable. I contacted Brenden who was the store manager who gave me great detail over the phone and when I came in he was ultra helpful with suggestions And ideas of how to put together my project. As I built my project I came back a couple more times to central computers and Brendan was always there to help and advise as I made other purchases for my project. This is exactly people should expect when they go into a business! read more

Amazing customer service. Came in wanting to build a custom PC for Black Friday sales and they helped me pick out the best parts for the price. The whole process took about an hour and they were constantly on top of it. Highly recommended. read more

Branden at Central Computers was a lifesaver. I had issues starting up my computer and talked with him to see if they can troubleshoot the problem. I dropped by about 30 min later and Branden was able to address the issue on the spot. I was in and out within 30 mins which saved me days (if not weeks) trying to solve the issue on my own. Customer service was excellent and I would recommend going here to get your computer issues fixed! read more

Getting ready to work remotely at my son's home when I realized the laptop charger I brought cross country was for an older Lenovo and not compatible. Being a Sunday the day before I needed to work remotely, I would have been SOL back in NC. These San Mateo guys were great. Found me the needed, custom 170w Lenovo charger and made sure it was compatible and would charge my laptop. Damon and Carter were lifesavers since I was looking at maybe having to burn PTO days without a viable laptop. Kudos! Great work guys! read more

Got a malware message which locked up my laptop, no curser, nothing. Came here to get it fixed and the guy took maybe 2 minutes to bring it back to life. I asked what I owed him and he said nothing! I wish I knew his name to personally commend him here. Highly recommend this business! read more

My brother who passed two years ago built a desktop for my mother seven years. In early December we noticed that the computer was not connecting to the monitor anymore. We thought it might be the cable and but realized it was something else and brought it into our local Central Computers in San Mateo. The diagnostic was $30 which goes toward the repair if you decide to have them repair it. Brendan found that the motherboard and a few other items needed repair. He also swapped out our hard drive for a newer one for a sum total of just over around $540. My octogenarian mom and I are both tech disabled and he patiently explained everything to us and gave us a bit of a discount on the labor. It took us longer to decide if we should go through with the repair or just buy a new machine. Once we decided to have it repaired he fixed it in a day and when I picked it up Jared took the time to generously install zoom on my mom's computer and make sure the video camera with mic we purchased was working. There were a few hiccups with the installation but he consulted his colleagues and got it set up. He also told me that if I had difficulty getting everything up and running at home I could call him. Of course I ran into problems when I got home. When I first called Central Computers the guy who initially picked up the phone did not want to assist me since it was a "home" issue. I got Jared on the phone and he helped me figure out how to get our old speakers set up to our newly repaired computer. My mom is so happy. She says everything is running faster and more smoothly without freezing and crashing. Thank you to Central Computer for being an affordable local option for those of us who did not grow up with a computer in the house! There was an irate guy in the store who got his car towed since he parked his white Mercedes horizontally across several places and it seems the manager of Central Computers had the chutzpah to leave him a note. He was pretty aggressive and seems to come in multiple times a day. Don't let him intimate you. Keep coming to Central Computer when the angry man with the white Mercedes is not visiting. read more

Central Computers has been around a few decades. probably as well known as Fry's in some circles. though i live closer to the other locations, it's convenient since i pass by here occasionaly. parking not a problem.. buys: keyboards, mouse (under $10) -on sale most of the time so i buy a couple for backup. take outs: -lots of imported stuff here (china), very cheap -quality stuff, last awhile until i spill soda/liquid onto the keyboard. -cell phone accessories available too, worth checking out..... read more

Young guy at the counter was rude and condescending, unwilling and uninterested to help find a part for laptop. I thought they did computer repair here? Bad customer service is bad for business. read more

Great customer service. Sales rep Bren was a patient and helpful gentleman.

Fantastic customer service, selection, and prices. Ethernet cables are much lower in price than Amazon. They have a shockingly large variety of stock for such a small store. They are always the first place I stop in for any sort of tech advice or needs. One time I needed to know if a hard drive was healthy fully expecting to pay for their service. They wouldn't take a dime from me. Even if they don't have what you need they'll point you in the right direction. Love these guys. read more

This place just rubs me the wrong way. I bought a few items before and returned some of them and the manager inspected everything down to what the serial number was. I was waiting for about 10min. Maybe if i dressed in a suit he wouldnt do that? He even opened a sealed package to make sure I didn't switch out a product or re-seal it. I don't even bother walking in there anymore. They're not very welcoming or helpful. I knew more that the service guy did on another visit. if you're in a pinch and need a part then sure go there but seek out frys, newegg, and amazon. They are cheaper and easier to return items you don't want anymore. read more

Picked up a 7900 xtx today. A staff member had great tips to offer to make the most out of my card!

Competitive pricing, wide selection, and nice customer service. My go to shop for computer parts

I am so very happy. I was nervous in the beginning because we couldn't figure it out how to solve our problem. but their knowledgeable technicians quickly identified the way to solve my problem and got right to it. As a team, they helped me learn more about my custom-built computer that our in-house tech-dude failed to inform us about. Next time, I will have these guys build my next CPU. One technician helped me choose a set of speakers, and I was out the door in 20 minutes. Thanks for having a great store with a fabulous staff. read more

Pros: Talked to employee to do the custom build and they were very nice about discussing parts and differences very in depth. Cons: The PC build had some issues that weren't tested. Went to the store paying over $3,000 for a custom build expecting no issues. Then one of the headphone jacks didn't work so I bought a headphone from the store. Then the microphone input still didn't work even after buying a headset from the store and driving a total of 90 minutes. I even checked with the employee asking if it would "work" he said it would work for "sure". Another thing is that the build had the sound too "low" turns out the config file had it at -6DB. When I talked to the employee about this he said it was at 100% volume (which is true but definitely was very quiet still so had to figure that out myself). Mind you most equalizer settings on sound wouldn't be at -6DB. I don't know why they wouldn't have tried anything instead of just coming to such conclusions so quickly (no real testing or even took a look at it, just dismissive). Similarly to the previous issue about the microphone not being picked up it was stated I'd had to go AGAIN (mind you it's a 40 minute drive each way and I already went once about the sound). I tried calling to maybe do something like a remote desktop access but for some reason they said it's necessary to have it in person. Again I'm paying over $3,000 for something I expect a little more customer service. When I figured out to just use the usb dongle to still have a work around. Again not too tech savy but for some reason the employees were so quick to have a default response of having me come to the store instead of trying at least SOME solution. Definitely felt like it was very you're on your own once you paid the amount. Would recommend other stores to be honest as I definitely won't be coming back unfortunately. read more

These guys know their stuff. Thanks for all your help. You guys rock . They have good prices and most everything you may need. Only downfall is the long morning lines read more

Computer central is my go to place for any technical needs. Knowledgeable and dependable. They just assembled my son's gaming computer. read more

Fantastic Customer Service! I wanted to look for something more local and Central Computers appeared to be one of the last few physical stores you could visit for everything PC related. I called in (phone answered immediately) and was greeted by Jared who was able to answer every question I had, which gave me confidence to go ahead and build with them. After the call I was directed to email the build of my choice, which I was flexible to change and had a lot of questions based off my last build experience (Previously went with a large online company and returned the product due to lack of customer service/care). Jared was thorough and timely in his responses and able to provide insight and solutions for every query I had (total of 23 emails) and ultimately we worked together to build my ideal PC. I went into the store and was helped by Josh, who was also able to answer a couple of final queries in detail and was very helpful overall. Huge shoutout to Jared for all his efforts! Highly recommend going here! read more

I tripped over my laptop cord and charging became inconsistent - sometimes it would charge, and sometimes it wouldn't, and progressively it got worse. Paid to get it fixed, worked good for 90 days, which was the term of the warranty, then charging started becoming inconsistent again. What happened to the days when people stood behind their work? Ninety day warranty while seemingly arbitrary was actually spot on. read more