I just wanted to take a moment to shout out Central Computers and in particular Brandon who helped me navigate some power issues I was having on my phone. I have an odd sort of set of requirements for my phone as I use it as a streaming machine for musical performances, and he helped me find the right wireless charging option, recommend a new phone case to support it, and handled the transaction from soup to nuts. It was a much higher-touch and more helpful interaction than I've come to expect from most retail stores. While this is the experience that motivated me to write this review, it's by no means my only positive experience shopping there. I definitely recommend checking there if you need to find an odd (or even common) bit of tech to plug into a problem you're trying to solve. read more

Central Computers saved my new desktop build. The team was professional from start to finish, helped me complete the build with a fast turnaround, and provided exceptional customer service. The location is also very convenient, with plenty of ample parking. read more

Tldr- I had a good time shopping at Central Computers and their employees were nice and very helpful. I decided to visit Central Computers to pick up new parts for my PC. Their website was helpful in knowing which location had the parts in stock. I was lucky that the San Mateo location had all that I was looking for. The store itself is low-key and isn't flashy. It's an organized store with a ton of parts. The employee there was super helpful. She pointed me to all the parts I was looking for and answered my questions. The cashier was just as nice and helpful. I'd come back here! The employees were super nice and parking here is a breeze. read more

I was here with my coworker and wanted to add to his review. We came in with a pretty urgent issue about trying to terminate an Ethernet cable but gone wrong. To make it worse it was right before closing but Brendan (manager) really came through for us. He stepped in, took control of the situation, and made sure we got everything handled despite the time crunch. Truly appreciate his professionalism and willingness to help fix our issue, Brendan saved the day. Great customer service all around! Thank you. read more

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

Amazing location. Had an issue with terminating an Ethernet cable.... Wasn't able to do it onsite with customer... embarrassing to say the least Brought it back to central computers and Brendan was able to help get it done! He did have to do it a few times, so it made me feel better that I couldn't get it done ha Overall very thankful to Brendan and team for saving the day today read more

Central Computers - Had some major issues with terminating an Ethernet cable... Brendan was able to help us. Amazing.. thanks again - IT Services & Computer Repair Near Me - San Mateo, California

Decided to visit Central Computers after having trying to upgrade my home Wi-Fi with a low end solution from Amazon and having zero results. The service and products I received were just what I was looking for. After listening to what I needed, Daniel made an accurate recommendation of a Ubiquiti router and an access point. Since I'm a bit stubborn, I decided to try connectivity with just the new router first. Should have listened, because Daniel was right. Needed the access point. Came back to the store where Daniel helped with the ethernet cable, the access point and answered a bunch of my dumb questions. Great service and I love my new equipment. The router and access point installed seamlessly and without a hitch. I also bought my hubby a new laptop (Lenovo). Have not installed/configured that yet but pretty confident that it should be fine. Thank you to Daniel and Central. Support our local businesses and shop there! read more

I don't often write reviews but when I get exceptional service, I feel it's important that the provider receives their well deserved praise. In this case, it was Daniel for basically saving my butt when my computer crashed out on me. My computer unexpectedly shut down and would almost immediately shut off again after turning it back on. I knew this meant I had a hardware failure but without spare parts to swap out on hand, it was basically impossible for me to diagnose. I live in SF and called the SF location but was told they wouldn't even be able to look at it for at least a week. I called San Mateo next and Daniel said he could do some quick testing as soon as I arrived. This was huge for me as I had a project due by opening of business on Monday morning and this was already Friday afternoon. To make a long story short, he ran through a series of tests while I watched on and despite some strange symptoms, he was able to figure out that the pump on my AIO cooler had failed. It took about 15mins and what impressed me was his genuine attempt and finding a fix so that I'd be able to get up and running as soon as possible. He could have sandbagged it and had me leave the computer, knowing that they would make more money off me but instead, he went the extra mile to focus of my needs. This is how you build customer loyalty - too often I've experienced businesses trying to make more money in the short term but leaving me feeling less than impressed. However, with this past service, the San Mateo location now has all my future service and hardware business in addition to future friend/colleague referrals. Thanks again, Daniel - everything is up and working perfectly! read more

Charlotte was awsome explaining issues as she fixed my computer. I have been there before for minor fixes and was so happy to get Charlotte. I will definitely ask for her again read more

I placed an order with these guys for some keycaps. They charged my credit card for the sale but then informed me they don't actually have the product. Then to top it off, they then they tried to increase the price of the item AFTER THE SALE. I don't usually write reviews but my experience with Central Computers was so absurd I had to make an exception. No surprise that they have over twenty 1-Star reviews. Just go to a real electronics store. read more

Great experience overall. Staff were friendly and knowledgeable. Price was fair. Got my new custom gaming pc working proper. Being my first build, something was off and it was crashing and BSOD often, till it finally took a crap on me. Now it's working flawlessly and I don't have any anxiety it's going to crash on me again. Thanks guys. read more

Awesome, Charlette was wonderful and absolutely focused on my computer issue was great and just trustworthy. Thank you. read more

I recently worked on a PC build for personal use. I had ordered a Cooler Master AIO from Amazon. But two separate units delivered turned out to be defective. So I decided to go to Central Computers where the team helped validate that I did indeed receive faulty units. The team there also helped me pick out an alternative cooler from Noctua. Overall, it was a great experience and Central Computers has been a go to for many other tech stuff that I quickly need. read more

Central Computers - Noctua NH-U12S - IT Services & Computer Repair Near Me - San Mateo, California

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This review is long overdue, but wanted to share my experiences with ordering a custom PC from here last summer. With five locations around the Bay Area, Central Computers is a Bay Area staple when it comes to brick and mortar computer stores. Sourcing computer components at a reasonable price in this day and age might be difficult (especially with graphics cards), but Central Computers offer very competitive prices, which makes it an attractive option for someone who wants a custom PC. With my gaming days long behind me, I did not need a top-of-the-line rig, but I did not want to settle for a budget PC from a big-box store; as a PC hardware hobbyist, I still wanted a very capable machine. I've built a few computers in the past, but this time around, I'd rather save my own time from building the PC myself, and let them assemble it for me. I spoke with Charlie, one of their reps, about the specs I was looking for. He also inquired on what the use for the PC would be, so he would be able to come up with an ideal setup that would fit my use. Never at any time did I feel that I was being up-sold at all. We spec-ed out a solid mid-range build that I felt would serve me well for the next few years (Zen 4-based platform, 32 GB DDR5 memory, RTX 4070 Super, 2 TB NVMe, 850 watt power supply). I did not commit to the build just yet, as I wanted them to give me a quote for the build so I can think about it first. The prices they quoted were in line with the prices if I were to buy the parts individually from online retailers. I also spec-ed out an equivalent PC from various system integrators and it would have cost at least $200-$300 more than the quote that Central Computers gave me. As a result, I decided to go ahead with the build and agreed to the quote. The process was very straightforward. I paid 50% of the total upfront, and paid the remaining 50% when I picked up the PC. Their $99 build and testing fee is very reasonable. I also opted to not purchase Windows, as I was fine with just running an unactivated version. The build itself would take no more than a few hours, but I was told that it will take a few days until it will be ready for me to pick up. Given the number of PCs I saw they had behind their counter that were being assembled or serviced, this is understandable, as they have a queue of other customers to take care of. It's also worth mentioning that when I was there getting my initial quote, a customer brought in an RTX 4090 FE card for them to install in his rig. After a few days, I gave them a call and confirmed that my PC was ready for pickup. The PC was securely stored in the box that came with the case, and they also packed the boxes for the other components in a separate box. After bringing it home and plugging everything in, the computer was working and it successfully booted up into the BIOS. Installing Windows was a breeze. I inspected the build quality, and I can confidently say that their technicians do an excellent job with their builds. Everything was properly connected and the cable management was very clean. Their technicians definitely know their way around computers, and they put in the time to make sure customers are satisfied with their builds. While I can only speak from first hand experience about the customer experience at their San Mateo location, I am confident that customers will receive the same quality experience at their other locations. Overall, I highly recommend Central Computers if you are looking to have a custom PC but don't want to assemble it yourself and don't want to pay a premium to system integrators for an equivalent PC. read more

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Great shop. Took in my machine with what I thought was bad motherboard but they were able to diagnose problem with extensive tests as actually being CPU related. Decided to upgrade my system and they built the best desktop I've had, super quiet. Very communicative and helpful throughout the process, everyone I interacted with. I'll definitely shop here again the next time I'm updating my rig. read more

Central computers has very nice employees, went there to have a laptop wiped and they did it on the spot. Courteous and helpful!

9+ year old MacBook adapter dies and I don't have spares. Call central, they put it on hold for me. Day saved. Thanks!

Scored a deal on a refurbished laptop and saved $300! Staff was helpful, but there was no suitable hub for this laptop in stock.

This is THE go-to store for all of your tech needs! :) I have been coming here for the past two years since I moved to the peninsula. My boyfriend helped build my first PC and this is where he obtained all of the parts. Amazing price, high quality, and really, really wonderful people working here. All of the guys I've met here are super knowledgeable and won't try to sell you things that you don't need. They are more than able to tailor your build to fit you and what you're looking for! My most recent purchase involved a Barebones Keychron V6 that needed to be transferred from one of their other locations. Placing the order was super quick and easy through Damon on the phone. It was ready to be picked up the next day! I also chose my keycaps on their website - which was very accurate in terms of showing what they had in stock - and selected my Deep Sea switches in person, where they have a huge selection under their custom model keyboard (that helps you see what switches you might prefer). We will always frequent here and recommend everyone we know to come here for custom builds, recommendations, or any tech-related questions. read more

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This is like a high 4.5 for me but I'll round it up to 5. First and foremost this isn't the first I've bought parts and received service from Central Computers but this is the first time that I've tried this location since it's close to my workplace. If you're looking for certain PC parts expect them to have most of them here. I would suggest giving a call beforehand despite the inventory count shown on their website. If they don't have it in this location chances are that they're getting it shipped from their Santa Clara location and you can usually get it the next day. When it comes to Diagnostics though this one can be a hit or miss depending on how busy they are. I recently left my PC here after it started having boot up issues and it took them 8 days just to get the diagnostics started. When it comes to suggestions and solutions though I must say that I definitely appreciate being given options and the follow up step by step of the rebuilding process. read more

Great full-service computer store. They were incredibly helpful with my last PC build, and graciously fixed my Open Box motherboard that I brought online. Support your quality independent brick-and-mortar businesses! read more

Just wanted to express my gratitude to the staff over at Central Computers. This was my first time bringing in my PC for a repair. I came in for a BSOD error. Even during the busy holiday, they were able to diagnose my PC promptly within a few days and figure out the solution. Their communication was on point and promptly notified me of the issue and alternative solutions. I replaced the necessary part as they instructed and my PC was good to go again without any hiccups. The service they provided was straightforward from start to finish and answered any questions I had along the way. They didn't have to, and I had no expectations of them to clean the dust out of my PC. It was pretty gnarly when I brought it in (keep in mind this is a 8 year old PC and my 1st PC I've ever built. I also noticed they helped me switch out the CPU fan because the old one I had previously had a broken prong. They also bent my PC case cover back into shape so that I could align the screws back into place. I don't know what I did to deserve this, but y'all are angels. This was extremely kind of them. They didn't even charge me for the extra services they provided but for that I am extremely grateful and those little details have earned you guys a customer for life. I'll definitely recommend y'all to anyone in need of repairs or a new PC. When it's time for me to upgrade my PC, best believe I'll be back. Thank you guys again! read more

I can't tell you how happy I am with these guys that work here. I purchased a cpu that wouldnt boost properly and i brought my build into the shop and within an hour they diagnosed and helped me with my problem. Shoutout to Damon for being the absolute greatest tech. Theyve earned a lifelong customer! read more

Been going to this place for years, haven't built out a machine in more then 10 years, glad to see components didn't change much. Gutted an old machine running Windows XP rocking the cool 4GB ram and processor of 1.8 Ghz hahhaa it still runs, parts were from all over Fry's, new egg, Mircocenter, Computer Central both the SF office and San Mateo, collection of dust was more then any one air can could handle haha Once gutted, made my way to this store since it is the only one remotely open since covid happened, since majority of shops have closed or are no longer a presence in the bay area this was a good spot to start doing another dream build haha. Stepped in with my son, and no this was not a gaming PC built for him, it was for me haha, so all the bells and whistles, seems everyone is going the RGB route, like inside a club but with a PC haha. Staff was very helpful, picked a board, picked the processor, picked the ram, picked the M2 hdd drive, and all the other extras you need to build your new machine, oddly they had almost everything in stock, video cards during this time is key, if you can't find one, since their recent stock, they may have what you are looking for. Due to the case I had limited in space, everything had to be low profile, the case is about 10+years old, but I know it still worked so why not do a project PC and see if everything still takes. Again the staff was very helpful and provided insight on anything you wanted to put in your new rig, some suggestions of this would be better then this or you can try this since it is now the norm, glad I stopped by and gave these folks a chance, definitely won't be my last build with them, they got stock so hurry up and buy haha currently they have the 3070 and 3060 geforce video cards in stock, you can be waitlisted for the 3080 if you like, they had pretty much all Ryzen processors avail, went with the 9 pushing the 3.8Ghz 12 core, overkilled with 64 (16x4) GB DDR ram at 3600mhz, picked up the M2 500GB HDD, still had an older 1.5 TB mechanical drive from the old system that just stores pictures and videos from lifetime ago, other then that build is all brand new soon to be gaming with this new rig and do some more video editing, picture editing, sound editing, and possibly more, we shall see Thanks again to the techs that helped me suggesting and helping me pick out what I need and cross checking to make sure everything is compatible, again definitely will come back to build out another machine, their prices were slightly cheaper then amazon, walmart, and several other sites, go get your build on now before they run out of stock computers ***** very knowledgeable, helpful, fun mock up when building your machine price $-$$$$ depends what you are building service ***** stellar assistance with everything I needed ambiance ***** neat, clean aisles, everything that mattered was in a locked glass case. read more

I highly recommend trusting Central Computers with your repair needs. I had a great experience with Pedro. My computer was dead and he was able to diagnose it on the spot and recommended a simple and low cost solution. (Unlike Best Buy who wouldn't even talk to me unless I paid them $180 upfront, and they were not friendly) Pedro was professional, knowledgeable and took excellent care of my situation. I will always go there for my technology needs. read more

Charlotte was very helpful diagnosing and fixing an issue with my power supply. It took a very short amount of time and the staff are very knowledgeable about their work. read more

I needed a bit of mildly uncommon networking hardware, an SFP to Ethernet adaptor/transceiver. Easily solved on Amazon, but that would mean waiting at least a day if not three. I stopped by Central Computer and was helped by Charlotte, who was knowledgeable, patient and friendly. Turned out Central Computer had a selection of SFP to Ethernet transceivers. Charlotte was quick to admit she wasn't an expert on SFP transceivers which I appreciated, but was generally very knowledgeable about networking hardware, and patiently helped me select the most cost effective and best fit for my application. The boxes weren't priced, and cryptic model/part numbers were practically the only way to tell them apart. The pricing on the display tags was jumbled and Charlotte took the time to help me match up capabilities to part numbers, to prices. Bottom line: I was able to count on Central Computer to have something big box computer stores would never have, at a great price and with excellent service. I'll be back for sure! read more

Ordered a custom $4000 rig on the first of the month. Was told it would take 5-7 days. Waited 9 before calling them for an update and was told 2 more days because the processor failed a test or something. I didn't hear back from them so I went in to ask in person. At this point it had been 2 weeks. Was told they had been busy with a corporate order and their test equipment was behaving oddly, or something. Now, I can handle equipment malfunctions, it happens. What I can't handle is not being notified about these delays at all. I had to make all affirmative contact about this order. Most egregiously, I can't handle being told that a bigger order is holding mine up. Imagine going to a restaurant and being told your tables' meal will be later because a big party came in. No real solution offered other than, the tech working on your order will be back tomorrow so it will be a couple more days. Can't recommend. read more

Prompt, friendly, and professional assistance. They clearly described how they may help with my issue and resolved the problem as per their estimate. Service cost was surprisingly low. read more

ShoutOut to Alex R. & Crew. My Surface Pro 8 got screwed uP & The 3rd party Warrantor/3party/ l purchased from Walmart would Not help me. I wasted 4 hours trying. So, for $ 99 Central, wiped drive and reinstalled Windows 11. I Drop off 10:00 am and Ready for pickuP at 11am. Wow, EXCELLENT turnaround. Darryl/Food Sage read more

Thanks Baolo (hopefully I am spelling that correctly) for the very friendly help. Something went kaput with my prebuilt PC's power supply and I came in for a replacement. The price of the new PSU and installation was fair and the turnaround time was faster than I expected. Think they even did a bit of light dusting, and they even helped carry the fixed PC out to my car after pickup. They did a bit of extra diagnostics stuff for the prebuilt, including leveraging more of the RAM and checking the cooling system's programming. It remains to be seen what the effects of these will be. I am reasonably knowledgeable about PC builds and just have not had the time to deal with things for my latest computer, but it all sounded like it made sense. Typing this review from my fixed PC! read more

SUPER FRIENDLY AND EXTREMELY HELPFUL!! I am new to computers and their internal workings. They are able to explain the pros and cons of certain upgrades and are able to steer you in the right direction for your needs. Will definitely be returning not only for repairs but also more knowledge!! Thank you so much!!! read more

They have saved the day a few times for me. They have always had what I was looking for so YES, I'd recommend this shop!

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

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

I came in on a Sunday and was promptly assisted by Kendric who went above and beyond regular customer service to help me with some minor issues with my son's HP chrome book. Even though they do NOT service chromebooks, Kendric was friendly and took 5 minutes to just show me some minor things I can do to speed up the boot up time of the device. He showed me how to update the apps running in the background and how to switch off the zoom on startup doc screen. Really appreciate your help Kendric! Most technicians will just say no and send me on my way, but he was most helpful and even looked online to see if there's anyone nearby who was reputable for chromebook repair. Thank you!! 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

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

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