Love these guys, brought my rig here for 2 major upgrades, and they gave me the best advice and help I could ever ask for, Without Brandon and Joshua and their team I wouldn't have this masterpiece. Any computer issue you have, they will stop at nothing to figure it out, best customer service out there. Thank you team! See you guys soon for another rig. read more

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

They have a decent selection and if something is not in stock, they transfer it from one of their other locations. Prices are fair for what they have. Knowledge of staff varies wildly and some are more interested in selling than educating so it pays to do your own research before you buy something expensive. Hard to tell if there's a lot of turnover or maybe I just happened to be there on different shifts. Currently you can't really go into the store, you pay online and they bring it out to you. read more

The family computer stopped working and the team at central computers was able to diagnose and provide a solution in my budget. Oliver was helping me! read more

i came in a sunday and some asian dude was helping me. forgot his name but he was hella cool and answered all of my questions. he had long hair, i think. figured i go the custom route after going to a chain store and buying and returning a computer 4 FREAKIN' TIMES!!! picked my parts, waited about a week as they was hella busy, and some dude named Bram put my computer together. came out perfect. straight up bad with all the pretty colors. now i can play minesweeper that way its meant to be. and diablo read more

Amazing guys! I had a little issue with my computer and Chester at the Santa Clara store made sure the guys at the San Mateo store took care of me. I dealt with Brendan the store manager at San Mateo, and he was very helpful, knowledgeable and professional. I really appreciate you guys taking care of my warranty. Five stars for Chester and Brenden for handling things in a very professional manner. They have great service and products, highly recommend! read more

I used to be a Fry's regular growing up but this place is everything Fry's wanted to be. The customer support is awesome and it was nice to talk shop with Brendan. I came in with a problem getting data off of a NAS and he took a job I was quoted as a minimum $1200, down to a couple hundred bucks and done the next day. You're the man Brendan. I'll be back. read more

Decided to give central computers in San Mateo my business because of the excellent service that I received when I had brought my computer in for a diagnostic. Their outstanding service and willingness to answer my basic questions helped to close the deal. I didn't _have_ to purchase a computer here, but decided to based on the people and service. Thank you! read more

I never stepped in the store and I am giving them two stars because, although the employees couldn't help me in any way, they were polite. My iphone home button was not working well so I thought I would give this place a try as I saw they had recently opened. When I called I explained my problem and asked how much and how long the repair would take? They quoted me what seemed a high price but one I would have paid for the repair. When I asked how long it would take the person asked me to hold. When she came back on the phone she said three days. Surprised I asked why and she said it had to be sent to the San Carlos store. I asked/stated it would be quicker if I just went to the San Carlos location and she said no. She must of sensed I was blown away because she put another person on the phone. This time he said it would take five days! I asked how many people actually do agree to this? Who could give up their phone for five days? The question went unanswered. I obviously cant do this repair myself but knew this was an unreasonable turnaround time so I called another place. My phone was fixed for considerably less and within 30 minutes. I will not be calling Central Computers again. As a follow up the manager responded to my post apologizing for the experience and encouraging me to try them again if I ever have a problem. I appreciated the professionalism displayed. read more

I want to say that their customer service was EXCELLENT! I know absolutely nothing about laptops and Josh was EXTREMELY helpful and knowledgeable with information to help me find the right laptop that fit my needs!!! If i could give him 10 stars i would! Thanks again Josh, great customer service is a rarity this day in age. read more

I was devastated when my local Fry's closed. All of my PC component and cologne needs were eliminated. Best Buy didn't cut it so I searched around and found this place near my place of employment. Last week, I was searching for a specific PC part that was supposed to be compatible with my older PC motherboard. I looked online and there were a few articles and reviews on said part. I went to the Central Computer's website and found the part. I figured I'd give Central Computers a shot since I couldn't wait for shipping. As I walked in during the evening hours, I wasn't greeted by a single employee, but some of the employee's eyes were on me. I had a general sense of where the part I was looking for was located so I aimed towards an aisle where I did find some of the parts but the brand I wanted wasn't on display. I was on a tight schedule (getting hungry) when I looked up and saw an employee stocking the end cap of the aisle I was in. I walked over and asked for some assistance. I carefully explained to an employee named Miguel about a specific part I was looking for and particularly that brand. He helped me search and couldn't find the brand. I then asked him what he would recommend as there were a few brands that I have never heard of before. Miguel recommended me a cheaper brand and told me that it should work as intended plus he gave me a few alternative options for my needs. I was a little skeptical but I trusted his expert opinion. I agreed to the off brand part and proceeded to check out. Upon check out, Miguel asked if I would like to join the Central Computers Preferred Card membership. I was suspicious of his motives but he told me that I could get discounts on purchases using the card and other perks. I caved and I signed up for it. Who doesn't like discounts? I went home and installed the PC part and it worked flawlessly. The cheaper brand that Miguel recommended was spot on plus it was cheaper than the brand I was looking for. I will be coming back to Central Computers because of the good selection of PC components and because of the helpful and informative employee. Would give it 6 stars if Central Computers offered price matching. read more

Great service and so many products. I have been coming here for years and there are more gadgets than I can name. Great place!

What an amazing team of absolute professionals and geniuses! I would highly recommend this shop to ANYONE looking for custom PC products and knowledge, or if anyone needs their pride and joy (PC) fixed or looked at! Within 48 hours the team had identified my PCs issues and had a solution ready to go, and the solution didn't break my wallet in half, it was extremely reasonable. I'm so happy with the service I received from start to finish (great communication throughout) and even happier my PC is home and healthy. Was able to confidently run and play all my favorite games for the first time in a while! THANK YOU SO MUCH TEAM! I will definitely be back! read more

We had a great experience here. We came to buy an external hard drive and ask questions about a macbook pro that is on the fritz. They helped us realize we didn't need an external hard drive and get away with a 128GB flash drive which is cheaper. We asked questions about her macbook and the mac expert was able to ID her laptop and it's specs without even seeing it. You could tell he was passionate about computers and was super helpful with our questions. Yes, you'll probably have to ask them for help if you need it. I'd rather have to ask someone for help myself and have them know what they are talking about than have some one clueless ask me if I need help. read more

Don't know much about computers, employee refused to help me find a solution waste of time

Staffs are friendly. Miguel was great and fast at checking items out. Great collection.

Diagnosed and fixed a motherboard issue with my new build in a timely fashion, for a reasonable price. Took the time to explain everything clearly during the repair process. I will definitely be using them for my computer repair needs again! read more

Twenty Five years ago, Fry's Electronics was the place to get what you need for PC's. Yes, some associates demeanor varies from friendly and helpful, to indifferent, but these guys knew their stuff. Fry's was the original Nerd Central (well, some may argue Radio Shack was first). Since that time, Fry's has become a huge, selling anything and everything store. So huge, however, that their associates have a hard time knowing everything about the products they have in their inventory. Central Computers have also been around for a while, since the big PC boom of the late 80's and early 90's. They started to sell custom PC's, and have since expanded to sell an extensive line of computer components, cables, as well as accessories for smart phones. I've come here many times to look for inexpensive Apple sync cables (both 30 pin and Lightning), HDMI cables, card readers, hard drives,..... A lot of their stuff is made overseas, and pretty expensive, but fully functional. I had various PC-related questions, and I found their staff to be knowledgeable, and able to recommend the appropriate item to remedy my problem. Yes, this place is the Nerd Central of the Mid-Peninsula! read more

Friendly efficient service that gets the job done when they say they will. I ended up here when the promised visit from an HP tech to replace my hard disk never happened. I'm actually glad that we waited ALL DAY for the tech to never show up or I might never have found this place. My son has been recommending it for a few years and now I know why. We took my ailing computer in first thing in the morning and they called to say it was done an hour before they closed for the day - very reasonable prices and excellent work. I'm done with HP after my last go-round with them and will have Central Computers build me my next computer rather than sticking with HP. THANK YOU Central Computers for saving my day (and computer!). read more

I've lived in this neighborhood for 8 years and traditionally by my computers from Dell and accessories on Amazon. My laptop disk drive broke and I went in to either get it repaired or by an external one. The reviews here were mixed, so I decided to try them out and I'm really glad I did. The first sales person helped me as soon as I walked in the store. I explained what I was looking for and he told me I'd be better off getting an external one to save labor costs, since I had said the convenience of having one inside my computer did not matter to me as I rarely use it any more, but still have the need. After I picked one out (they did not have a USB 3.0 version, which was disappointing), I browsed new laptops and tried out an Asus ultrabook with Windows 8 they had out. Another sales person came up (Jack) and we talked for about 20 minutes about Windows 8, touch screens on laptops, ultrabooks vs. notebooks, the new Haswell processors coming out and more. Truly amazing service - it's been literally decades since I've had a conversation like this with a sales person in a computer store! It was a really valuable conversation for me and very much appreciated. I had just spent hours the night before researching laptops and his advice cleared up some issues for me - I had been leaning towards a touch-screen ultrabook and I am now convinced that I will get a higher-powered, more durable notebook, most likely without a touch screen. He explained the pros and cons of each and the reason why he favored the notebook and I agreed with him. It was great to have a sounding board like that and he was very knowledgeable and gave practical advice that wasn't overly "geeky". I will go back to them for other computer-related purchases. If I choose one of the laptops they offer, I may very well buy it there, though price factors in more for me for a $1-$2K purchase than it does for a $30 accessory... Thanks Jack - you've made me a loyal customer after one visit! read more

So I came here today to purchase a motherboard, memory, and processer. I was beingng helped by a guy with glass. Looked kinda Mexican or Filipino. He seem like he does not want to be here or even want to help me with my purchase. His knowledge on the items I wanted to buy was insufficient. He seem annoyed of us. Wasn't help even helpful at all. Also when he billed me out it was a $30 difference ALL THE PRICING ESPECIALLY THE ONE IN THE CASE ARE OFF. WORST CUSTUMER SRRVICE WORST CUSTUMER SERVICE WORST CUSTUMER SERVICE PS the person that helped us was rays read more

I love this place! Great service, competent, professional and friendly people. My HP laptop (1.5 years old) stopped working. Initially I took it to another service place. The service person there - even before checking my laptop said that the laptop needs a 'reflow'! They sat on it for 10 days and said they cannot fix it. I then brought it to Central Computers. They first tried out various things to analyze what the problem is. Phillip predicted that it could be that the VGA chip that needs a replacement. After which they sent my laptop to their repair center and I received it repaired after 5 business days. It was indeed the VGA chip that was kaput! I would recommend this place to my friends and family. read more

Walked in with the co worker looking for a quick buy on for some cables. Strangely everyone her except for us was speaking Cantonese. Some kind of Triad front? Hmmmm...well a usb t omini port is $5.99 which is 4x whay it should be. Not the first place I'd return to for tech parts... read more

I would advise just going to Frys. The prices here range from average to overpriced. The management does not have the customers interest in mind. If you return anything, prepare to pay a 15% restocking fee and get interviewed by the management. Then they will insult you. To the management, Look, I know you didn't personally create (with your own hands) the product I bought (how could you, you work as a sales manager), You didnt have to take it personally. The product didn't work for my rig. I was a customer. I'm not your employee coming in late. If that's how its going to be, I quit giving you guys money. ever. Thats it. you're fired. read more

Really great service! Was building a new high end PC and needed some advice on some of the more esoteric parts, and the person in the store took the time to walk me through all my options. It was a great experience! read more

This place is so on top of it all! Have gone 4 times for computer issues and the staff is so nice an knowledgeable! Plus tons of gamer stuff!! Thanks Once again! The best place for all computer needs and they are so helpful in helping you know what you need!! Josh helped me today and am so happy! I thought I needed a whole knew Yeti Mic but it was just the chord! Thanks Josh! Lisa and Jeremiah! read more

I've been coming here for about 10 years. We mostly get our Laptops fixed, also buy various wires, chargers etc. The staff is always knowledgeable, helpful and friendly. read more

manager helped me out with an initial issue i was having trouble with and was extremely nice about it. He even went out of his way to clean up my laptop and refund me my initial diagnosis after the frustrations I had. Very ethical store and nice manager, highly recommend :) read more

This place is ok if your looking for something and don't feel like driving to Fry's in Palo Alto. It's kinda gone down hill in the past six months. If it is late afternoon after the manager leaves you can walk in and these guys are experts at ignoring or you. So-So, nothing special, nothing bad. read more

They custom built my PC recently to my specs. 4.5 stars out of 5 (there was a hiccup on how they configured my drives but they were gracious in correcting it). Happy about the service, and I double checked the prices against amazon, B&H, newegg... competitive and cheaper in some cases, so overall the price for a custom built PC was much better than i anticipated when I originally asked for a quote. Really like this shop. read more

I came here the other week needing some parts for a new PC I was building. Let's put it this way, I will not be coming back again nor will I recommend anyone else to Central Computers. The service was horrid and downright rude. A lot of the products are obsolete and if they are what you need you can find the parts much cheaper at Fry's or online. read more

went to buy a memory upgrade other than getting a bad module, all was ok. returned to store and I was helped the tech swapped out the modules, computer booted up. I was quite pleased with the service I got I went here since I had bought a laptop here earlier in the year. read more

I left my computer for them check and see how much is the repair cost. They said they will call me but I never get a call. It took me two weeks for just having a cost estimation. Poor experience, a waste of time. read more

I went there with a wireless signal issue. They kept my computer for a couple days and couldn't find anything. Of course it worked just fine there, same as your car doesn't make that noise at the mechanic. One of the techs( Chester ) had me sit with him while we discussed possible problems and the solutions that I could try at home. Low and behold I get home and take Chester's advice.....TADA!! I am yelping. Not only were they polite and courteous, they are also knowledgable. I WILL take my laptop back there again........ but hopefully not real soon. Thanks Chester! read more

I was afraid I would loose the customer service I had working with smaller stores, but I was mistaken. Central Computers has been my go to place for buying computers, and tons of accessories for over a year. Most important, they are knowledgeable and get the job done. I came in a few months ago needing a customized approach to my computer setup. The young lady (tall with long black hair and sorry I don't know her name) was incredible. She disappeared for a while and came back to tell me they had a refurbished system with Windows 7 and ready to go at $200. That was the best computer purchase I have made since I have been buying computers since 1980! I had some problems with adapters and drivers and went in this past week and again, I was amazed at the focus and drive of the customer service people to make it happen. This time I worked with Alex and I left with all systems a go and me a happy camper. Thanks Central Computers! read more

Used to come here a lot but their service has gone way down. Their prices are hit or miss now. Tip: look for their sales, they have some pretty darn good deals if you keep your eyes open. read more

David was the best!! He made the experience so easy as my friends and I were trying to get ourselves some graphics cards. He's the GOAT!

The customer service helped me find great parts for my PC and everyone there was extremely nice, 5 star review.

I am a fairly sophisticated computer user and my desktop started slowing down and was using memory up. I brought it to Central Computers and they diagnosed it to have a bad hard drive, bad memory and a faulty graphics card. The recommendation was for a new computer. My fear was that I had tons of apps and short cuts and setups on my old computer that would be lost with a new one. Josh assured me that he could clone my old computer and my new one would have all the settings from the old one. I was skeptical (this isn't an iphone). Josh was correct the cloning process worked perfectly and my new computer is fast and runs great! The cloning and set up is why you should buy your next computer or laptop from Central Computers. Josh will take care of you. read more

Helpful service, good selection, good prices Almost 10 years ago I had a problem with a server. I called around everywhere and could not find a replacement motherboard for it, even from the company that I purchased it from initially (Hint: another Bay Area Computer store). I finally found one at Central Computers, and when I phoned and mentioned that I might not make it there before closing, one of the salespeople stayed late to make sure I got my motherboard and was able to work on the server that night. That's what sold me, and their great service and wide product line keeps me coming back. They will help you get the parts you need to repair your problems, and if you get stumped you can even have them help you out. If you buy a motherboard and CPU, they will even do a test post in the shop before you take it home if you like, so you know it works. Their prices are good and there are no shipping charges. You get instant gratification because you leave the store with what you want, and if they don't have stock in the morning, they can usually transfer your items from another store before the end of the business day. You have to watch a bit on the non-name brand stuff, remember, you get what you pay for and if you buy a cell phone charger for $1.50 it's still going to be a $1.50 cell phone charger, no matter where you get it from. Overall I love this place and will continue to go there. read more

Went here cause I read some good reviews. I have something buggy in my laptop that wasn't there before an upgrade. It's driving me nuts that it won't function as it did. Central Computers spent some time and took a look, and I thought they'd resolved it (so did they) but sure enough the problem persists. Gave it 3 stars cause I think they did their best. read more