geek paradise. take away all the douche-y shmoozy salespeople and start offering some competitive prices and i might actually buy something here. that being said, i don't mind wandering and dreaming of all the gadgets i can see in person, but will end up buying online for a better price. read more

The best computer hardware/software/peripherals store in the whole Boston area.

Joe D. says you need to know what you're doing to go to Microcenter. This is probably true. If you're intimidated by the prospect of assembling your own computer from the guts out, you're not going to be in love with the place like I am. Also, the prices are generally not lower than newegg, but I will happily drive to a place with a parking lot to avoid waiting an excruciating couple of days for new toys...erm...critical hardware. I've built two systems on a budget, and one based solely on the "I want to play at MAXIMUM settings for EVERY game!!!!" criterion. At no time did I ever feel like I was getting the hard sell. Yeah, he asked if I needed an optical drive (it's useful for stuff like installing Windows), but I said I had an old CD drive to use, and I didn't get an earful about how good blurays look on computer screens. They asked if I wanted a solid state drive, and once I did. So, we found an affordable one (taking into consideration that I believe in rebates). The next time I said I didn't need one, and that was the end of that. My first time building a system, I wanted to be sure all the boxes came with all the right cables and such...the staff was happy to assure me they were in with whatever part, and I had no trouble. Didn't get sold spare parts or anything. The salesman even volunteered that my processor came packaged with a heatsink, so I didn't really need the better one I had picked out unless I was overclocking. If you buy fancy peripherals they offer a 2 year no-questions replacement plan for about $10 per $100 price. I mean, if these questions sound intimidating, you need to bring a friend who says "no." I've been that friend. I, personally, find the staff very helpful and fair about their recommendations. The selection at this place is off-the-wall amazing. My friend who wanted the crazy system had a video card picked on newegg that they didn't carry...but they had a totally equivalent one. That's the closest they've ever come to not having what I wanted. A word on rebates...they're a pain. They can save you a pile of money, but two months after you go shopping you're toting a wallet full of $30 Amex debit cards you don't know where to spend. Last story...a couple weeks ago I bought a gaming mouse, and paid for it with a combination of leftover rebate debit cards. Today I decided I didn't really like where the 16th and 17th buttons were positioned, and I decided I'd return it and get a better one. I head in to the counter, get the return done in 30 seconds (Thanks Mike M), and hit the floor to find someone to get me the crazy mouse I want from the warehouse. I realize as I walk away from the return, that I just had those obnoxious debit cards I shredded get the refund money... While I wait I'm running through how many phonecalls and password retrievals it's going to take to get replacement cards I will hate owning. So I pick up my new mouse and head back to see Mike M. I explain that the refund went to cards I don't have, and I throw myself at his mercy to cancel the return transaction, and then give me store credit instead, so I can use it right there to buy the even more absurd mouse. He looks concerned...I am concerned...a two minute eternity later there's a manager at Mike's register fixing my problem completely. Thanks Microcenter. My satisfaction was guaranteed, and it is complete. PS - The parking is great and you can distract your significant other with food and booze from the trader joe's in the same lot. read more

I must say Microcenter has really gone down in terms of value and service in the last few years. It was never the cheapest place, but the service was pretty good a long long time ago. Nowadays the customer service is pretty much non existant, the sales people don't know the product, they lie about return policy, and are generally bored looking and don't make you feel welcomed. Here is my most recent experience. I needed a new motherboard for my computer and I didn't want to order one online because they made 2 versions of the mother board for that model, and its tough to tell without actually looking at. So I printed out every spec avaliable for my system and went to microcenter to get a new board. After about 30 minutes I found a sales person to help me. He stared at the list, dug around in the motherboard boxes and proclaimed he found a perfect replacement. It took me about 1/2 second to figure out that that board wouldn't work for me because it uses a different type of ram. That should have been my clue to go somewhere else, or find another sales guy. But after waiting for a half hour, I just wanted to get the damn thing and leave. So he found another board for me that would use the correct type of ram. I asked about the return policy in case something doesnt work, and he said "30 days no problem". I bought the board, brought it home and guess what - it was totally incompatible with my system. When I brought it back the next day, the return people told me "you can't return motherboards". That was too much. At that point I had to resort to some dirty tricks to get my 170 bucks back. I asked for the manager. When he arrived I told him that I would rather buy a new computer from them, then fix my old one, but I will only do it if they accept a 100% return on the motherboard. He agreed. I went over to the pc dept and picked out a middle of the line system. I took it over to the returns dept and returned my motherboard. Then I just left the new computer in the middle of the store and walked out. Not a very pleasant experience. Thats why I give this place a 2. read more

The customer service here is absolutely terrible. Decent selection of products, great location. I'm not sure who manages this place, but it's obvious that they can't properly lead a team or create a moderately helpful service environment. read more

Coming from somewhat of a computer enthusiast - this place is the best. They have any kind of computer related part you could think of (you could easily walk in here and build a very affordable machine) but they'll also price match with Newegg, which makes coming here a no brainer. The dissenters in these reviews are people that don't know the first thing about computers - if you need a power supply, a hard drive, a cable, a new laptop....this is the place to go. read more

The service is garbage. Dont go there please,also they rip people off! I literally spent more than $2000 over there, and regretted the time that i went there to buy my pc components!! It was actually my first and last time to shop and fixing my pc :/// read more

Mixed experiences. Microcenter is definitely going down hill. Used to have attentive and knowledgeable staff. Now when I call or email for help, I often get no response or a useless response. Still good in terms of inventory, selection, and basic components. But avoid "special deals" or repairs there. read more

They only get one star because I can't give them no stars. I needed a keyboard for my ipad, and was advised to go to microcenter. Found a nice one but unfortunately the keyboard was bad. Went back to the store and tried another of the same brand. Same problem. Not their fault, but it was hard to get taken seriously. Chose another brand, but the magnets weren't strong enough and everything kept falling apart. Went back a second time. 5 customers but no salesmen in the Apple room. Went next door to the big tv room and there were tons of salesmen. Asked for service in the Apple room. Someone came along and showed me another couple models, then someone asked him for an ipad and he disappeared. By now there were about 9 customers in the apple room. When I had more questions, there were no salesmen in the apple room again. Went next door and asked the same guy as before for service in the apple room. He said, "There's somebody there. He's busy." I said, there are 9 customers and he left me to sell someone an ipad. I have more questions." So he decides to do some work in the apple room. I asked my questions, found out that they didn't have anything I wanted, and told him I would return the one I had. He said, loudly, "OK. I'll just clean up this mess," which his co-worker had made, but he seemed to think was somehow my responsibility. Get to the returns counter and the guy is just putting in his cash drawer. He says, curtly, "Wait a minute." I said, "Please." He pauses to chat with a co-worker about the fact that he doesn't know something. He processes the return and orders me to swipe my credit card. I gave him a long look and said, "Please." He just looks at me as though I'm speaking Martian. When he ordered me to sign the box, I just looked at him. I said, "I just had a shitty experience in your apple room. Some courtesy wouldn't hurt." His co-worker, the only woman I saw in the place, said, politely, "Please." And then she said, "Thank you." And then she offered to help me in any way she could. Those 30 seconds were the best experience I've had there. NEVER GOING THERE AGAIN. NOT IF IT'S THE LAST STORE ON EARTH. read more

They will probably have something in stock that'll do the job if you're desperate enough but PSUs could include a better selection. Items are somewhat overpriced. The staffs are ok but not great. I was obviously looking for something and appeared slightly confused. I noticed a few of the staffs not doing anything but just stood there talking amongst themselves. Finally someone came over and before saying anything pretty much slapped a sticker on the item I was holding. He was able to answer a few questions insightfully and didn't try to upsell too aggressively. There's always a looong line which can get frustrating, maybe some of the sales reps not doing jack can ring me up next time. read more

Horrible customer service. The reps don't care about you or your problem one bit, they lose your paperwork, they never look you in the eye or apologize. I've had to follow up with them every step of the way, and every time I've talked to somebody, I've been told something different. The final straw was when i was told that a new motherboard had been ordered for my computer without my consent. I drove over there, took my computer back, and talked to the manager. It took quite a while to convince them not to charge me for the diagnostic, because the service had been absolutely horrendous. Don't go there. They basically don't give a crap, and you will never see your computer again. read more

Purchased a Sony laptop about a year ago and it suddenly stopped having wireless web access. Brought it in to Micro Center for a fix and was told it needed to be reimaged and they would need the original discs that came with the machine at a cost of $100-$160. When I got home a friendly nerd moved a button on the front of the machine that brought the wireless connection back. The techs at Micro Center have no idea what they are doing! read more

After been referred to their site by someone I consider knowledgeable in computer hardware, I placed an order. I received it in a timely manner, but when I had issues with it straight out of the box, I was told I had to bring it to the store and they might be able to help - I live over 2 hours away. Not good enough - Never again! read more

Long lines, cheap processors. Totally understaffed but maybe that's how they can afford to sell their processors for less than newegg. Stay away if you can get it cheaper on newegg. read more

I had a fantastic experience getting my laptop serviced here. I was so scared when I found out my hard drive was failing, and I could potentially lose everything on my laptop. They were able to back up my data, and install a new hard drive for me. Tony gave me a quote of 2-3 days which I thought was awesome (my school's queue was weeks long...) and then he called me just hours after I had dropped it off saying that all the work was completed and I could pick it up at a convenient time. I'd recommend this place/come back here if needed read more

It used to be there were many brick and mortar stores that offered all things computer related, but not any more. This is one of the few that not only survived but also has a good selection. If you want some obscure part right now, they are the place to visit. read more

Ive been reading alot of your reviews on microcenter, because even though my manager spouts off about having the customer service around, i know better. Im based out of the tustin, ca location, started as a cashier, moved to the general sales, and now to the peripherals (geek) department. While i was a cashieer, there were some stupid things that alot of customers just dont understand, first of all we sound like broken records, "hello, did you find everything ok?" "no i didnt find anything im looking for, im pissed" "thats great, were you interested in a replacement plan on this item?" "no" "well thats fine, can i have all of your personal information?" "no" "ok, you are all set, have a nice day sir" "fuck you" honestly the cashieers have to deal with sooo much bullshit that you cant blame them. Company policy requires them to ask for warrantys on every product possible, ask for information for mailers, spam the bags with advertisements, and more, then finally highlight the receipt and beg them to go take our survey. As for general sales, we tend to get people who are "know it alls" in the computer world, and ask for an analog 1080p-pincount DVI cable. as with the other departments, they are paid straight commission, when a person asks them a question like "where are your adapters?" he wants to scream, because he knows fully well that once again hes come across a customer who doesnt know what they need. On occasion we get people who come in looking for some free tech support, and after spending an hour holding onto a salesman, leave without buying anything. You have to realize that hour that he took from the salesman was probably a good 15 bucks that the salesman could have had, some of us have become rather toutchy on that subject. when we sense that a sale is going to turn into a conversation, we shut it down, even if what they want to do is possible, if it requires more then 5 minutes to explain, "its not possible". So understand that if you shop at microcenter, make sure you know all the details first. if you come in asking for an adapter, be sure to tell me if its a AC, VGA-DVI, gender changer, etc... Also, if you havnt ever worked at a retail store, ill tell you straight up. The store represents the manager, and his store policys. once in a blue moon does the GM actually come out and talk to people, everybody else is under his rule, and have to abide to his rules. So if you are pissed at a salesman or cashieer, keep in mind that they are usually trying to do the best they can with those limitations set on them. read more

The store has great prices, but it annoys me that they always ask for your address and phone number at checkout...even if you are buying something that costs less than 2 dollars (for ex., AAA batteries) and using cash! I understand why it would be convenient to have customer records linked to large purchases of computers, laptops, etc. to ease returns, but I think the cashiers should have some common sense about this. read more

I was searching for a economic laptop. I called a friend he told me about micro center we visited it together, my first time there. I have never heard of this place. But upon arrival was looking at some laptops and was approached by a sales person named Barry. I know nothing about electronics and I was so impressed by his knowledge and customer service skills. His patience and knowledge was outstanding. He was balancing with multiple customers. And when coming back to service me remembered we're he left off a continue his service. I can honestly say I have never cared about electronics but after the way he explained the differences between laptops and caring what I need a laptop for I have learned that speed and different software are important. Thank you so much Barry great Job! I will recommend anyone to micro center the prices are great but most important your customer service is outstanding! read more

They sold me a piece of crap tape-to-computer device that cost $80 and is now too late to return. Don't waste your time with this place.

Bizzare, dishonest, imposssible to deal with. Friends warned me against going to Microcenter, but did I listen.... no...Shame on me. AVOID MICROCENTER IN CAMBRIDGE LIKE THE PLAGUE. !!! Aside from false pricing, not standing behind products or handling returns honestly, and being incapable (with four tries) at handling repairs, Microcenter in Cambridge seems to hire the only people who could not get jobs at airport security. Yes, a few good people there, but many of their staff are clueless, even worse is that the General Manager, Peter, is a moron who lies to customers and has zero sense of customer service. I bought a laptop and two televisions there. I called with a problem with the televisions. First problem is that they have a phone system from 1950's. I made five (5) calls, and spent at least 30 minutes on hold each time. The operator rings departments, and nobody picks up the phone for 25 minutes or longer??? No way to page or reach the store manager (according to the employees who finally answer the phone). This is either an absurd lie or even more absurd if its the thruth. When at one point I actually reached Manager Pete, he said the staff is just too busy to answer phones, and that's why they want us to email questions....... What, email questions.... to a retail store... and on a problem with a purchase??? Peter said he would have a staff person call who could help me in a few minutes. Peter, (again he is General Manager of a significant business operation), actually said that he was too busy to help me and same for his staff at that time. Amazing!!! And knowing of my prior calls, and a problem with purchase. An hour later, and a day later, still no call from Microcenter. I called twice more today, and spent even longer on hold. And still no help! I could have driven there faster! PATHETIC Two friends warned me not to buy at Microcenter. Both friends experienced pricing tricks and also screwed up computer repairs. They also warned me that Microcenter was bad on exchanges, that you often waited for help due to inadequate staffing, and that even when you decided on and they wrote up your purchase the procedure often required another 20 minutes in line, first to pick up, and again to pay and leave the store. Same absurd and long process to pick up a repaired item. The Corporate office seems not care about store proceedure, and that is a shame. Yes, some saies people are knowledgable and helpful. Might stop in with a question or a tiny item that is in stock. But overall, especially on computers or televisions, or any repairs, dealing with Microcenter is a nightmare, and one I won't repeat. Acutally eaiser and better to buy on line, or go to Best Buy or any retail outlet. Prices are at least as good, service is better, and much easier. So if you value your time and sanity, then as I said above, AVOID MICROCENTER LIKE THE PLAGUE! , Note: this is a Microcenter reply to one of MANY yelp reviews here on horrible customer service. The person emailing the apology below (albeit his 5th response without any prior apology), and asking the customer to email his phone number to custrel@microcenter.com.... is Arfin.... an assistant manager at Cambridge Microcenter. He is a good guy. Sad fact: I called the store several times today asking to speak with Arfin, who was working. That after giving up on moron general manager Peter, and hoping for help with two televisions sitting... but not working.... in my home. Like a third marriage... Triumph of hope over experience. Problem is..... four calls trying to reach him, and every time I spent at least another fifteen or more minutes on hold, with nobody, not Arfin or anyone else, picking up the phone. BTW...I tried the email address suggested in his response below to another unhappy customer, it didn't work... great for a tech operation. Here is his reply to one of MANY unhappy Microcenter customers: _______________________________________________________ I do apologize for the poor experience that you had at the store and we do take it very serious, that is the reason why, immediately, upon the receipt of the review, we tried to ascertain what went wrong through the use of private communication. We did analyze this within full scope and the issue with regards to customer service are serious and those were addressed immediately. They were not ignored but rather addressed right away. The issue with the stock level was confusing as the product was sold out the week before and that required additional information. Once again, I do apologize for the poor service that you received. In order to better communicate and avoid the limitations of electronic communication, please email your phone number where we can reach you to custrel@microcenter.com and we will call you, so we can better discuss this. Thank you ____________________________________l Maybe time to return the return the TV's... What fun awaits. read more

Great prices that match, or nearly match, newegg.com prices. Customer service was terrilble though. One of the people there looked scared to answer a question. read more

MicroCenter gets an A for service but a B- for knowledge and a C for prices. I cam in looking to connect my Dell Latitude laptop to a TV with all the standard inputs - RCA, HDMI and VGA. The staff was very attentive - and spent about 25 minutes trying to find the correct cable for me - and finally concluded that I need a Digital Monitor to HDMI cable. A simple Google search when I got back home revealed that I actually need a Display Port to HDMI cable. After all this time, they finally did locate an adapter + cable solution - but sold this 'kit' for $55. I just bought the cable I needed for $7.5 online... My suggestion - go to MicroCenter if you need advice - but don't buy anything there. read more

I think it is important to still do your research at home the commission system at microcenter kind of seems to work to a benefit some times and a curse others. I go here when I want to buy parts for a computer, anything else I go online. read more

I went here on a recommendation and am I glad I did. Patrick deserves 5 stars , he was very pleasant and knowledgeable. Being a person who uses their computer mostly for fun, I know very little, Patrick listened to me and recommended a Laptop for exactly what I need, basic and not fancy. I felt very comfortable with this and he didn't try to upsell me!! So why am I only giving 4 stars? When I was paying for my purchase Patrick shook my hand and said "It was very nice to met you" As he walked away another employee made a snide remark saying " Don't believe him he doesn't mean it" I asked the cashier if he really said that she replied very uncomfortably " Oh he didn't mean that he was just joking" Wish I had gotten that guys name, he belongs in the stock room and not dealing with the public with that attitude!!! All the people I dealt were great but that employee statement made me upset and that's my lasting impression of Micro Center. Also I wish the had some sort of waiting area while my data was being transferred I had to sit in my car for 2.5 hours since I didn't know the area. Thanks again Patrick!! read more

I cannot say ENOUGH about the service an expertise at this place! I had a great experience here previously with copying photos and videos from an old hard drive onto an external drive so I could view them on my new computer, and they were wonderful! Recently, my work laptop suffered EXTENSIVE water damage, and I rushed it into Micro Center to see if they could recover anything. They took it right in, and started working on it immediately. I was a complete wreck about how much I could possibly lose (many of my files weren't backed up, of course!), and they called me the NEXT DAY (on a Sunday!) and let me know that they were able to recover everything on the hard drive!! This saved me BIG TIME!! This is a place that treats you like a person and not a number- they are so helpful and provide personalized services depending on the situation- time was of the essence with my data recovery, and they were on it, with no added charges, and very happy to help me! I will NEVER go anywhere else- they have a customer for life! You HAVE to try this place if you haven't already- they are the BEST!! read more

Amazing! A retail giant in computers and computer stuff that has no concept of customer service and no place for it in the company ethos. Available assistance is based on whether you look like someone who will buy big. Where customer service is inevitable - repair intake or check out line - employees stand chatting and ignore the waiting line. I go only because they probably have what I need and I can't wait to have it shipped. No place on their website either for customer comments. read more

I was really, really surprised to see all the negative reviews here. I just had my first experience at this place, since my laptop monitor unfortunately kicked the bucket one month after the manufacturer's warranty (of course). I took it to their service desk, where the most stereotypical '80s balding long-grey-haired geeky (but very sweet) man told me the unfortunate news of how much it would cost. Seeing as I'm a poor college student, I opted instead to purchase the cheapest external monitor possible until I had the cash to get it fixed, and he quickly showed me the cheapest thing they had, which I purchased. I asked someone if I could use the employee computer to look up directions home, which they gladly let me do. Deciding I didn't feel like hauling electrical equipment through three bus changes in the pouring rain, I instead decided to take a cab. As I was looking up the number, the sales rep waved me away and said they would call a cab for me, which they did. The checkout woman was very nice and I had no problems. Is the place unorganized? Yes. Can their lines be a little slow? Yes. Does their logo (and some of their employees) look like it's straight out of the '80s? Yes. But I'll gladly put up with it if it means I'll be dealing with cheery folks and avoiding the horrifying leviathan that is the Best Buy/Wal-Mart/Target trifecta. read more

I just ordered an IPad 2 online through their website and used their in store pickup. It was an incredible easy website to navigate and my order was ready within 6 minutes. When I went to the store for pickup there was no line and the staff was so nice. The cost of the IPad was also the lowest price in the area. Great deal and super easy read more

I have done business with these people since floppy disks long before they started these stores. Bought lots of computers and supplies from them plus repair work. Just went back October 1, 2012 and wow, have they changed. Service department is terrible. They were always so good. I went back on the 13th and took my computer back out of there so I could get it repaired, they never got to it. These are their Powerspec computers. Horrible service. Used to reccomend them but now I won't. HAve to find a new place to buy conputers from. I try to use places that sell and repair if I can. They even sent me a letter about satisfaction of my repair last week before I gave up on them. Sign says 7 to 10 days to bench for repair. Even with that they always got back to me the next day. Too bad, I used to love this place. read more

Only two miles from MIT, there is a sanctuary for imbeciles. The store policy appears to be not to hire anyone who has a three digit IQ. In trying to explain a new laptop, four different sales associates gave me four different answers to the same question, and none of the four answers was correct. read more

I bought PS3 there. It didn't work, and I wanted to return it, but they NEVER answer their phone. Also, they lied about it having international warranty. read more

Terrible customer service--if you have a problem with a product you buy here, say your new computer that is fully under warranty two months after you buy it--they will take it for 10 days to run 'diagnostic tests' and then give it back to you, saying there's no problem. Better off with a cheaper internet-based retailer! read more

This place is TERRIBLE. Their customer service is disgusting, especially from the store manager. The place is grungy and dated. If you need assistance, don't bother calling them because NOBODY EVER picks up the phone read more

Phone service is just about like most these days. You could be on hold till spring. Got tired of waiting and hung up.

Microcenter is well stocked, and overall carries a range of product quality and corresponding price. If you know what you want, and it happens to work, and you don't need any other support.. they might also have a good price, and you can be satisfied. I've bought severl items there, on that basis. Here's the BUT.... I also bought HDMI cable and the requisite converter to connect flatscreen TV to Macbook about 18 months ago.. and then life happened and the cables remained unopened until earlier this week. When I finally made the connection... the TV read, 'no input'. I took the computer and cables back to Microcenter, and tested on their TV, same message. Floor person took a new converter, and it worked.. by the way the new converter was 1/3 the cost of the faulty converter that they sold. Ok this should be simple.. go to the return desk, return the faulty and buy the new working one. OOOPs not so fast, Micro center would not honor the return of its faulty converter connection, though I had original package, with their name on it, and they had a record of the purchase in their system. Thanks.. a great way to keep customers. I will be spending the additional money to replace a faulty unit that they sold in the first place..in another store. Thirty day return policy or no.. the equipment was bad. By the way, during the testing phase, the floor person helping with the testing said it was not uncommon to have a faulty converter connection. With Microcenter quality and customer retention doesn't seem important. Good luck! read more

Wondered in there from Cape Cod being a long drive as it is plus traffic I arrived shortly before closing. Needless to say I was greeted by a nice stumpy guy who helped me out by pretty much getting everything I needed; or so I thought. Granted I was in a rush and should of double checked things, but I wasn't expecting for the wrong memory - the wrong color case - and the wrong keyboard! Didn't bother returning all the way there for returns, instead I adapt and overcame...but boy he had the papers right in front of him printed directly from their site. read more

Bought a refurbished Macbook Pro. Was suspicious of only a 90 day guarantee. Well guess what, it completely doesn't boot up only 6 months into ownership . Poor customer service, impossible phone directory that leads you no where. Never will I purchase anything from this dump. read more

Great experience. Went yesterday with 2 possible computers in mind. Salesman was very knowledgeable, explained both machines and didn't try to push any others on us..I asked if there were some others that might be better even if a little higher priced. He showed us some other models and explained the difference, no pressure. We went with a little higher priced model... We also bought a printer... In less than one hour, we had everything explained, purchased and we were on our way with an assurance to call if we had any questions or problems... I would recommend Micro Center to anybody that needs a computer. I think they have a reputation with experienced computer users. but they are wonderful with people with limited knowledge.. read more

this is the computer superstore..always has new products, so many people there to help and answer any questions!, also have a great return policy and never got denied any returns i have made read more