Think Fry's Electronics (RIP to them) but with inventory and customer service. Or think Micro Center type inventory but small business type vibe. I literally never knew this place existed until a few months back when on a whim, I did a search here on Yelp for computer stores when we were in the are for a weekend. I was pleasantly surprised when I first stepped foot in this store. It's like computer enthusiast heaven. They have everything you need to start your build at almost any budget point. That first time I went in, I really just meant to look around for 10-15 minutes, and not really buy anything. 45 minutes later I'm walking out with a new x570 motherboard to replace my x470 board. A month later I'm back to buy a new PC Case, PSU, and AIO. This store is dangerous for PC enthusiasts.lol Pricing is fair, in many cases better deals can be had on Amazon or Best Buy on a good day, but the inventory of what they actually have in stock and items that they carry cannot be match by any other brick and mortar store except for a Micro Center. And, you're supporting more local business this way. For those of you that want GPUs, they have GPUs, though for NVIDIA cards, most if not all of the higher tier cards are available only in a bundle and not standalone. And, as is the market these days, cards are sold for marked up market value vs MSRP, which is not to be unexpected. For those who want to pick their own parts they also have a build it for your service. You pick they build. If you're into PCs, if you're looking to get into PCs, or you're looking for wires, connectors, or niche items, there's a good chance you'll find it here. Long story short, it's like 90's era Fry's Electronics in terms of cool, interesting, and quality inventory, but without the crowds, poor customer service, and the smoke and mirrors decor. read more

This place has a little of everything. Prices are good and the staff was incredibly helpful

Shout out to Rohan at the repair desk. I thought I needed a new laptop charger, or worse, charging port in the laptop. He noticed a small piece of plastic in the charging port and removed it. Problem solved in 5 minutes. I'll definitely be back. read more

I so utterly disgusted with this place, seething. Run a non profit and for profit and try and support local businesses, never again. System one purchased. 15 minutes to boot up and obviously hardware issues. Called and 3 or 4 days to turn around after you sold us a garbage system. Paid custom install on this machine, worthless. System two. Windows 10 unregistered and told to bring in and leave. Your mistake and sold us an unregistered PC and again your error. 100% failure and you want to charge a restock on your failures, pathetic. You want me, on my time, to drive 90 minute round trips to make up for your failures. If you are reliant on technology and systems this is not your place, total utter waste of time. Disgusted at your service, maybe try saying to people "sorry" not brain surgery is it? Go somewhere else that actually stands behind what they sell. read more

Just bought a GPU. Was so excited cuz the guy helping me was super helpful and knowledgable. I let him know I know nothing about computers so needed the help. Get home and the GPU is incompatible with my computer because i guess pre built dells have the wrong power source and cant be changed? Go back the next day to return it and its a 15% stocking fee. I protested because they didnt ask me any questions about the type of computer i had other than existing GPU, and the guy at the front told me its my fault for not giving them the correct info and that its not their job to ask those kinda questions... You work at a computer store and its not your job to make sure the card is compatible?? And now i gotta pay $70 to return it?? You guys suck read more

I ordered a CPU + Motherboard combo In which the motherboard came DOA. I contacted Central Computers and told them that I troubleshoot each part except for the motherboard and CPU since I didn't have spares. They promptly asked me to return the item for inspection. Once Central Computers received the return they proceeded to do their own troubleshooting within the same day. They reported that there were no issues with either the motherboard or CPU and informed me that they can either return the item to me or refund me with a 15% restocking fee (more like 20% because they will charge for shipping). I opted for a refund because I was really sure that the motherboard was faulty (either a dead dim slot or something else). I then proceeded to my local Microcenter within the same day and bought a new motherboard + CPU and everything worked, this concluded my suspicion that the motherboard was the dead component. I emailed Central Computers back with my results and they ignored me. TLDR - great prices and I'm sure they're a reputable retailed, however, beware of returns/RMA's they're even worst than Newegg read more

Michael was my repair guy. He was an absolute beast. He knows how to communicate efficiently and effectively about technical problems. This was my first time ever using another shop because I ran my own shop on the east coast for five years. Michael is the kinda guy that gets it done - indispensable. He had my new build fixed up (ram was not being detected and it needed a couple other things) and ready to go within one day. Additionally, Michael has a great attention to detail, he pointed out a couple things about my build I could improve. I will buy those improvements here instead of amazon because of Michael's professionalism. read more

First time going into CC to get a gaming pc repaired since it completed stopped working. Just when we thought we would have to invest $$$$ to purchase another one, Edwin discovered the problem, he let me know what needed to be repaired and costs before proceeding. My gaming computer was promptly repaired. Great service and price. See Edwin, he's your guy!! read more

In July 2022, I did a case swap and PSU replacement. In April 2023, my PC did not start, so I took to these guys to look at. They said it was the PSU, but refused to process RMA for me since it was over 90 days olds old. I contacted the manufacturer and got my PSU replacement. A few days later they called and said it was either motherboard or CPU. They suggested that I should let them replace CPU, motherboard and Windows. They spoke without knowledge and were rude since management could not find employees during this time. Stay away from Central Computer Santa Clara. Go online, buy components and build your own desktop. I will never come back. I will provide copies of my receipts for reference. read more

I came in just a few days to look for pc parts. Ended up getting help from the team and they answered any questions I had. Thank you for helping me with my pc and getting me back to my guild lol! Time to try out the new season of rainbow six siege. You guys are the best . Highly recommend this place if you need pc parts or even a pc service. One stop shop & a dream-come-true for nerds like me. Thank you!! ^__^ -Jasmine read more

I've ordered multiple Gpus from Central Computers and they were lightning fast about getting them to me. Their customer service was exceptional at helping me with an issue I had with one card due to a manufacturer defect. I will 100% always choose this company first over any local, and online retailer out there. read more

I was in need of some cat6a termination ends, and simply couldn't Find them anywhere else. The inventory is great, and the staff is equally as helpful Thanks Central computers I'll be back read more

The customer service at Central Computers is good and everyone I have interacted with has been very friendly. Their prices are slightly higher than what you can buy online, but in today's computer shortages, the slight price increase is fair. My three star's comes from what stock is available online to what was actually available in store. I drove down from the Easy Bay because their website said there was stock. I get there, I ask for the part and they had no idea. The worker talked to his boss and said that those parts are already allocated to customers. If they are are already allocated/ sold, why say they are in stock? read more

Came to get parts to upgrade my PC. Employee was difficult, behaved rudely when asked questions, explained specs of the motherboard poorly and I had to look up acronyms myself at the register to decide if it would be compatible with my current build. Ended up with a CPU/Motherboard discrepancy and had to buy a new CPU from Best Buy where the employees immediately knew what would/wouldn't work. Also witnessed another customer with a return due to incompatibility. Doesn't seem like any employee really cares or wants to be there. read more

I just had my ten-year anniversary of my first purchase at Central Computers! While I was visiting the area October 2010, I learned what an SSD was, and had to have one for my MacBook Pro. I wanted to use the Expresscard 34 slot - this was actually a great idea, I swear - and I couldn't believe that a *local* shop had Expresscard 34 SSD's in stock. Central Computers really has amazing selection. I've now lived here for five years and shopped at every Central Computers location at least once - that includes the old Sunnyvale location. For the best selection, the Santa Clara location was my go-to before I moved out to the East Bay. Sometimes you have to drive to a further location if you want something specific same-day, but hey, it's still same-day. They're also honest about their pricing, and I love them so much for it. In 2019, it seemed like the worst time to buy a power supply. *Everyone* was price gouging, and the specific one I needed was $339 minimum anywhere. But not at Central Computers, where I paid just $209. I've had this a few times over the years - memory, video cards, PSUs, SSDs. CC's baseline price is usually a few dollars a little higher than the massive wholesalers online, but they treat people right and don't price gouge. I usually do all my own work on my PCs, so I only have one experience with the repair folks. I bought an X470 motherboard used, and until I got my new CPU installed, I wouldn't know if the motherboard had the required BIOS update. So I took the board to Central Computer, bought my new 3700X CPU there, and then a technician who helped me did the update for free so I could go home worry-free. They regularly offer this kind of service because they do right by their customers, and that's why I shop here. ---This final bit is specific to the high-end video card shortage of late 2020--- Speaking for myself, Central Computers is handling demand for the RTX 30-series fairly. They're transparent about the list and the expected wait times. I am gladly accepting the no-return policy and 10% price increase if I'm able to get the specific model I'm after. I think it's a fair tactic to give local gaming enthusiasts a leg up on scalpers. The one thing they could do "better" is donate the 10% overhead to charity, but I'm not going to fault a small business for trying to survive, especially in 2020. read more

I came in today to purchase some additional key caps and ended up with another keyboard, switches, and additional keycaps. The associate Jose was very knowledgeable and helpful when I had questions about which keyboard to buy. If you need help with building your own custome keyboard definitely ask for Jose! read more

The workers were very kind, helped us straight on. The store had everything, really nice.

Overall, a great experience at this location. Came here for a full PC build and the staff were super helpful. They made recommendations in line with the right technical knowledge, ensuring that all the components fit and work together. The staff and manager there even reviewed the build and made recommendations on where to save money, i.e. comps that were overkill. They took time to answer questions, grab components to check, and were patient with all the questions. Was able to get a GPU since it was a full build. It's great that they save some GPUs for folks who actually just want a PC vs. buying to mine crypto. Central had a SLA of 3-5 days for the full build. Purchase components and put in the build order on a Friday and following Monday, got the call that the PC was done. Super fast. Post sales support was great too. Had a question after taking the PC home and the staff was super helpful over the phone to explain how to set up the SW. Overall, great staff and great service. Prices are reasonable. read more

One of the best pc/tech stores around...not just even I the Bay Area, just all around. thank you Central Computers for letting me come geek out and for answering all my questions and putting in the time to help out. read more

Son fried his Motherboard and came in to get the data on M2 and Sata ssd and see about repairs. Tibor took great care of us and gave us the straight news. One of the few places that tries to repair motherboard unlike other tech shops on yelp. Modern day Frys with actual customer service without the junk food and coffee shop... just like to good old days. read more

Company refused multiple orders from lines of credit regardless of credit worthiness because of their "chargeback insurance". Basically they refuse to let you protect yourself incase of a mishandling on their end. It sounds like they have had a lot of customers charge back for poor eccomerence service so now they don't accept anything but cash. I was asked to zelle them, extremely shady. I suggest you read reviews and look elsewhere. read more

I bought a new computer and they were able to accommodate issues I had with my graphics card. They even went above and beyond when low in stock, by checking inventory in other stores and reserving. Everyone's super friendly and very knowledgeable. I would prefer them over Newegg, Frys or even Best Buy. Thank you central computers! read more

Central Computers came through! I ordered computer parts from amazon and bestbuy to build a couple computers but the motherboards were "undeliverable" from amazon at the last minute. After waiting a couple weeks for parts to arrive, nieces were really looking forward to building their computers Friday. Checked all online sources and parts would not be delivered for at least a week. Then I remembered Central Computers was local. Checked their website and they had the same mobo I was looking for as well as several other brands, all around the same prices as amazon or lower. Placed an online order late Wednesday night and picked it up the next day. The Nieces will be playing Fortnite tonight. I used to buy most of my computer parts from Central Computer years ago. Will definitely remember to check them first next time. read more

A great place to go when you need to anything related to computer and they even fix my failed iMac hardware and I don't have to buy a new one. Very good price and super professional people there . read more

I've had three custom computers built by Central Computer Stevens Creek over the last 18 years. They've helped tweak my initial requests to improve the choices on occasion to come up with really good, reliable computers. They've added DVD or BlueRay writers when I asked. They do comprehensive burn in testing. I've had some minor issues at times and they've always helped, and often for free (Example: a automatic bios upgrade hung and locked up my system). I've had them do some transparent upgrades (bigger SSD). My upgrades have been because I thought my old machine was getting relatively slow, but none had total failures other than a graphics card that died after 5+ years..... and even then they sold and installed a cheap, used one to let me transition to a new machine. read more

The employees at Central Computers in Santa Clara were so incredibly helpful at getting everything I needed for my fiancés birthday present. Renin helped me through multiple visits and was super patient while he explained every difference between component brands and models. He provided me extra info that I was able to take home to do some more research on, and gave me multiple estimates for different configurations. In the end, I realized I wasn't going to be able to carry it all alone, so I brought my fiancé to the store to surprise him there. The employees were so considerate, they were hesitant to say anything because they didn't want to spoil the surprise!! It was so sweet. I'll always go to the SC store!! read more

Great prices and fast shipping. I wish there was a retail store in the East Bay.

Central Computers is a computer repair shop that has a good selection of computer cases, power supplies and everything you need to build your computer. A fraction of the size of Frys. They also carry phone cases and charge cables for Apple, Google and Samsung phones. If you need a USB cable they have the best selection. Easier than Amazon or NewEgg. read more

Awesome service by Central Computers by prioritizing real customers for RTX 30 series, which you probably know are highly coveted this holiday season. I joined their waitlist and emailed them the parts I wanted. They got back to me in no time and got my hands on the FTW3 ultra 3080! I was on the waitlist for 1 day ordered my parts and had the 3080 the next! Amazing! read more

Central Computers - RTX 3080! - IT Services & Computer Repair Near Me - Santa Clara, California

I am so grateful for this place after I was told by Best Buy that they couldn't fix my computer and told me to buy a new one. I paid $29 for Central computers to look at it, they called me and let me know what was wrong with it and what I needed to purchase to fix it. They were so transparent and super helpful throughout the whole process. The price was so reasonable too which was amazing. I will definitely be going back for computer repairs. Thank you Marcus! read more

Wow! I'm building the first PC that I've built in years, and I didn't pay enough attention to the compatibility between the mother board and processor. Silly me, I assumed since my processor was listed the brand new MOBO would come with the BIOS needed to support all the processors listed... Nope. Well mine needed an updated BIOS, which involves installing an older processor, flashing the BIOS, the reinstalling the processor... AMD will lend you an older processor, but you have to stand on your head and ask pretty please, MSI the MOBO manufacturer will do it, a few weeks back in forth in the mail. Or your friendly local computer tech, Michael, will do it, while you wait, and straighten out the pins I bent, in less than 30 minutes for $29! Didn't even give me a hard time for bending the pins. Michael was amazing, oh, and Kevin helped out too. Kevin actually started the work, but when he discovered the bent pins, he called in for back up. I'll definitely being a customer here again. Oh, and while they were fixing my rig I looked around at the hardware, they had my processor for $10 less than the cheapest price I found online that was in stock. read more

I want to thank Central Computers for always having what I need. With Amazon being delayed with non essential items, we needed 3D printers to help with printing face shield frames to donate to my fellow nurses. I was able to get both 3D printers up and running and in an hour or two have my first face shield frame printed. read more

Central Computers - IT Services & Computer Repair Near Me - Santa Clara, California

This is a great store that is way better than Best Buy or other "big name" tech stores. The people here really take the time to make sure you know what you are buying and help educate you on what you may need. I give Rennin full applause, as he was thoughtful about helping me setup my system and advised me on a few other items that would enhance my computer's performance. Centralized location and top name computer brands. read more

I got the computer busking service and all I can say is it is a great service and great computer building. You will find everything in this store! read more

AmaZing. So grateful for these guys! Logan, Evan and Tristan are incredible! Thank you

My 9-year-old son and I bought all the PC components from the store and assembled it at home. We had to return to the store for some assistance. We learned a lot, and the staff was very helpful. They were super nice and friendly, always willing to assist. Eric, the service technician, was exceptionally helpful. I highly recommend this place due to the excellent customer service and the friendly staff. read more

I'd give 10 stars if I could. After an exhaustive quest to get my laptop upgraded, Computer Central was my last hope. Where do I begin; I was greeted promptly, referred to a KNOWLEDGEABLE technician, given an honest and affordable quote and my computers working like brand new!!! Many thanks, Kevin!! Highly, highly, highly recommend! read more

23 days ago (and counting) I submitted my laptop for repair. There have been no updates and my inquiry (10 days ago) resulted in vague guesses. I went into the shop yesterday to get a status update at a minimum. They had no idea on the status of the repair and they could not contact the technician who was supposed to fix it. No resolution in sight (day 23 since I submitted my laptop for repair and not even a STATUS update). My poor laptop --- Lost???? BE WARNED, Santa Clara Central Computer Service Department has turned into a black hole for my computer. read more

Great friendly people at Central Computers. Finally was able to get a hold of a 3080 from them. Process went very smooth and they were up front about everything read more

Central Computers - EVGA 3080 FTW3 Ultra - IT Services & Computer Repair Near Me - Santa Clara, California

1st called the store today and spoke to Peter and he was extremely nice and helpful. Then a couple of hours later went in the store and was helped by Peter again. He was such a nice and helpful young man. I ended up buying a couple of things and was helped by Bates who was extremely nice as well. In fact everyone there was so nice and helpful. Even ran into one of the guys who worked there and he was great! They have so many computer items there! It's the place to go! I will for sure be going back! If I could give more than 5 stars I would! read more