Very nice people! They were very helpful for someone like me who knows nothing about tech, also replaced my hard drive when it failed 11/10 would recommend read more

They all but ignored my existence and do so every time I enter despite spending over a thousand there this past week and a half. I hate going in here to be all but ignored by workers that talk to each other until I come down the isle then split faster than an atom in the sun. I even told two employees who had nothing to say about it. I replaced my whole rig in order to enjoy faster development time in projects for school but will never go back. Amazon from now on. read more

Micro Center - Gaming and Development PC - Computers Near Me - Madison Heights, Michigan

We swung by to get an in store pickup of my husband's ordering. This did not mean we came in, got it and left though, oh no I am not that lucky. We stayed to browse and drool, well he did at least. I was just along for the ride and to get some Madison Heights grub. As my belly growled and my head spun it was hard to appreciate the place I will admit. James however was happily engrossed in geek gear and bargain hunting. He seemed to find deals and that works. I reap the rewards. I'm not that into the getting of the goods part, but once we get home and you set whatever it is up I'm all happy with it. Yep there you have it, I am not a geek. I fail. Luckily I have one who hooks me up with whatever electronics I need though. If Microcenter helps him do that and keeps him amused while he does it, that is good enough for me. read more

I've been here multiple times throughout the years for both specific and pretty run-of-the-mill computer things they definitely are no sales people that do you need to get commission but as far as stores for the employees work like that because they are by far the most helpful andFocused on trying to understand what exactly you need and if they have it every time I've been there I've been satisfied with the prices and usually what's there for very specific computer part sometimes they don't have it but they will at least direct me where to go potentially online read more

Tons of cool products Fairly well organized Staff everywhere if you have questions Line moves slowly Pretty clean Plenty of parking read more

I have been a Micro Center customer for 20+ years and until today, I was a satisfied customer. I was in the Sterling Heights store this afternoon after I ordered RAM for my laptop and installation online from their website. I received an email telling me to go to Quick Drop Off and show them the email. They would check me in and perform my service, then letting me know it was done. I paid in full online so I should have been in and out in 20 minutes, right? WRONG! I get to Quick drop to find Matt W, who immediately began expressing his superior intelligence by saying I had the wrong instructions and needed to go to the online pickup, "But wait, let me ask my manager..." 6 minutes later, he reemerged to inform me that they could perform the order there. Made sense since THEY were installing. Matt W proceeded to disassemble my computer and IMMEDIATELY exclaim that I had purchased the WRONG memory chips. ok, one would think being in the store, it would be no problem, right? WRONG!!!!!! Now, my thought (being a former retail manager) is that you find the correct memory chips and perform an exchange. Call me mentally challenged, but I don't see why that is not the simplest thing to do. NOOOOOO! Matt W would have none of that. After I finally got him to understand that two 32gb chips would do the same thing whether purchased separately OR in a bundle pack. So, if I could have the two 32gb chips, that wouldbe great. He proceeded to input all the information and looked at me and asked for the same amount I just paid online!!!!! WTF??!?!?!?! he processed the transaction as a refund rather than exchange (for some reason) and from that moment on, I had to return (or cancel) the original and wait 3-5 days for the money to "go back" (because it wasn't a refund according to the manager at the door) to my account. I asked to speak to his manager (I have been here thirty minutes now) and he ges again to the back. He returns with another person named Matt H, who was supposed to be the "Knowledge Manager". Matt H enters in full confrontational mode asking, "SO, what's the problem here?!" Not Hello. Not How can I help you......NO NO So What's the Problem Here??? THAT is what he said to me. I explained that I did not understand why I had to pay MORE money today when they could just exchange it and put the RAM in and be done. He kept repeating that refunds take 3-5 days and eventually changed to it has not been charged to my account and would fall off in 3-5 days. I am so sorry. But that made NO sense to me I am going to pay $600 for some memory because a person is too incompetent, too lazy, or too racist to accommodate me. I asked to speak to the store manager, and was told by Matt H that I would deal with HIM, or no one and I would NOT speak to the store manager! He went on to say that if I wanted the memory I would have to pay for it and wait for the original to fall off, or just wait for it to fall off. Either way, he was done. He slammed his card on the counter. I am almost 60 years old and a great deal of that time has been in retail management. I promise had I heard of ANY employee of mine even thinking in the tone of voice that Matt H "SPOKE" to me in would have been fired immediately! I get that everyone is emotional these days and I appreciate people working. But working is a choice that EACH employee makes and customers should not be penalized or mistreated because they are unhappy. See, cause what happens is that people like ME never again go to 32800 Concord Dr., Madison Heights, MI 48071 for their computer needs. There was no NO NO reason for this incident to have escalated to the level that it did. I paid the money for the RAM because I wanted it, i was frustrated, and I wanted to get out of there before i blew. the Final manager I spoke with was very apologetic and very helpful. I did not get HIS name. But, he was running front end and sending people where they were needed (register 4, Isle 4, etc...) Very nice guy! He explained that they were using a new system and not everyone was up to speed on it. HE was the only reason I made a purchase today. While it MAY have been true, then you explain tot he customer that you do not know how to do it. You dont talk to them as if they are an inconvenience. You dont look at them with vitriol in your eyes because they challenged you. You make sure the customer is happy and go on with your day. I was in that store for an hour. Christ in Heaven, all anyone had to do was perform an exchange!!!! You would rather argue and be nasty to the customer than just do the f-ing exchange and be done!!!! NOPE not going back there again and I will be writing to the corporate headquarters AND filing a BBB complaint because this is ridiculous. Huge fail, #Microcenter read more

This is a place you can take your Mother(board), be an Inspiron to all, be an Acer and choose a computer, be a visitor into the Gateway of the world, have a porn name Hard Drives(ewww sorry), be a former singer Sam -sung, be a scotsman names McAfee, go to sea world and close the Seagate, eat your favorite fruit, the Apple, look Intel everyone what you saw, be a waitress and look for a Server, forget everything you saw and have a Flash Memory, have a dumb look on your face and be a Blank Media, dress up and wear your Accessories, open up your rain coat and Flash Drive everyone, and of course don't forget your Camcorder so you can record everything! This place Rocks! What else needs to be said! read more

Micro Center - Computers Near Me - Madison Heights, Michigan

I actually have been to their parking lot last summer and my dad and I got off at the wrong exit. We drove into the parking lot here to ask for directions. Hahaha. I didn't know this was a chain. I love how they feel like a best buy but more down to Earth. Things seem more affordable and they have a wide variety of items. A lot of people shop here! I was so shocked. It felt like an electronics version of Costco! I will come here more often if it weren't so far away. read more

Not sure what time you all went who said it was crazy busy, but I went at 11:15am today and, after wandering through for a minute or two, was approached by a few sales guys (side note, do they make commission?) who helped me. THE PROBLEM: my almost-5-year-old HP battery charger + cord had completely SPLIT APART last night. I'm a blogger who is excessively attached to her computer, so this was a major issue and I needed a new one ASAP. THE SOLUTION: The guy asked if I wanted to buy a $35 one, and said they may have some on clearance. I found a $23 iGo one on clearance and then (even though you all said not to) got the 2 year warranty. The reason for this is because otherwise, you only have FIFTEEN days to return it (their non-refurb stuff is 30 days) and if it stops working on day 16, you are screwed. This was my first time here and I'll definitely be back in the future. BB's prices are usually high-ish (though they do match Amazon, apparently) so it's nice to have an alternative in the area. read more

I purchased my prior motherboard and processor (X99 and 5930k) from Microcenter, and now I've also purchased a deal of a PC (~$450 Amd 2600g computer). The PC was running a totally messed up bios version (the revision didn't actually exist for the motherboard), but the PC was very good components for the money. Recently, I went to this location and purchased a good deal on a clearance refurbished gtx 1070. It was a good deal, however when I brought it home and plugged it in to the vr, black lines started. I brought the card back disappointed, knowing they were sold out of 1070s and I'd need to buy a 2060 if I wanted to keep/improve performance. I spoke to the manager and he offered to split the additional cost 50/50. That was a really nice gesture given the experience. I'll be back again because I've had a generally good experience here. read more

If you need computer parts now, this is the place to go. The store itself is overwhelming, but the staff and service is excellent. These folks go out of their way to be helpful, but they aren't at all pushy. They work well together as a team, too. They carry a large variety of hardware, and bits and pieces to put it together yourself. I was surprised to see so much inventory available at hand. read more

I find the salespeople here to be very helpful, and these guys have the best electronic deals around. Batteries, cheap. Laptops for less than $300 Desktops for less than $100 Spend more, and you get nicer stuff of course, but if you wanna get cheap stuff at decent quality, these are your guys. Repair computers too. read more

I used to LOVE this store! I mean selection is great, and in the past, service has been good as well. But lately, and I understand COVID, the service has slipped GREATLY!!! I checked in a computer after buying $500 in hardware and was getting some things installed. Two days later, which is when they said it would be done, no calls, no updates...nothing. Normally I can understand this. I tried to call the store, but this is what really irritates me...there's no way to call the actual store. They forward you to a contact center. All lines are busy and all spots in hold are full. I then try their chat feature. All of this because there's a huge line around the building, and I really don't mind waiting (did this to drop it off), but don't want to wait to only find out it's not done. I just want a status update!!! So I start the chat...17 in queue. Finally get someone on chat and they say, "give me your info and I'll have someone reach back to you in 72 hours". I get it if you have lower staff in the store and you want to focus in-store help instead of manning phones. But if you are going to forward all calls and inquiries to a shared services center, make sure they can actually answer local brick and mortar store details!!! Isn't that the point?! Super frustrating...well, I'm on my way to stand in line now just to get an update on something with a better plan, system, or better tech (come on guys...you are a COMPUTER STORE!!) to get live updates on service, etc. Definitely will impact my shopping decisions moving forward. read more

My buddy has taken his new PC build to your guys techs to fix an issue 5 different times now. Every time they say the issue is fixed but never is. I have no faith in this company's ability to provide a good service to their customers. WOULD NOT RECOMMEND. read more

Micro Center is the place to be. This is the only one in the state of Michigan and if you're a computer geek, say no more. This place has some of the most widely computer-related products out there. A lot of products like Apple iPads can be bought much cheaper refurbished here and certain products that are new fall under the same category. There are also others than can be bought cheaper online or elsewhere so it all depends on what you're looking for. I bought a Raspberri Pi Zero here and I was lucky that they have them in stock. I find the DIY computers are pretty cool for learning about hardware on a microscale. My dad used to take me here all the time to check out DVD media and computer parts when he was building them. Still a nice place to pass time during the holidays and when you're bored. Just beware that there are long lines if you do buy things though they do move quickly. Also, sales employees that work there are aching for a commission so they'll probably hound you as soon as they see you looking around cluelessly. That's always been there for as long as I can remember. But if you're looking for a super electronics store that's not Best Buy or a similar chain, Micro Center is the place to be! read more

Micro Center - Outside - Computers Near Me - Madison Heights, Michigan

I love this place, but sent my wife to pick up a handful of USBs, and she came back empty handed! Couldn't find 'em, couldn't find help. Not always the most welcoming environment. read more

An hour and a half for an Internet order is ridiculous. Only one person helping a line of people that wrapped half way around the store. They could not find many orders. I felt bad for the guy working the online pickup line. The whole point of Internet orders is to get in and out fast. The regular non-Internet order line would have been faster. I would not recommend this place ever again! read more

I cannot believe I hadn't heard of this place until now...their customer service is insanely awesome. Very patient and straightforward dealings; I even messed up on a tax exempt transaction with them, and they happily refunded the wrong credit card and charged the correct card over the phone. Besides this, their pricing is super competitive, and I like that the salespeople actually still look look like salespeople (shirt and tie) instead of the cruddy-looking polos or other 'uniforms' that other stores have. It's obvious that this company cares about its employees and it shows...I think it's just really weird that there's still a company like this in 2020! read more

Terrible customer service. This place used to be our go-to for anything computer related, so when we were looking for something, Micro Center was our first stop. It won't be on our list at all after this experience. My husband took me to look at a Chromebook, which he was going to buy as my Christmas gift. The store was crowded- it was just before Christmas, so that was no surprise. We found our way to the computers in the back of the store. Walked around for 10-15 minutes, unable to locate any Chromebooks. The problem was not that the employees were busy- we saw 4-5 of them in the computer area. Not one of them was helping a customer. There were several people looking at the merchandise, but the employees were talking to each other in a group. Finally an older man barked at us, asking if we "Wanted anything." My husband asked where the Chromebooks were, so we could look at them. The man told us that they, "Have some in the back, but we don't have any out here to look at." So they sell the product, but have none on display. Not to mention that there are many different brands and types of Chromebooks, so how are we supposed to compare them when we have no clue what they are carrying? He did not offer to bring any out, or even tell us which brands they might have. He just turned away, and went back to talking with coworkers. I've been in customer service for all my adult life. This place doesn't have any. We ended up across the street at Best Buy and there was an entire display of just Chromebooks, plus a Google rep there to talk about those products. Avoid this place unless you know exactly what you need, and where they have it in the store. We will not go back. read more

I love this place. I have purchased all my electronics from them. Store is extremely well stocked, great selection and variety, staff has always been helpful an attentive. Service contracts are a little shady, sent out a tech, found issue said would order parts, called me back and said no longer make, gave me refund minus service call cost. 100 buck, guy never open up tv, just said he knew what was wrong and left. Not really his fault or microcenter, their in home service contracts are third party. So their rules apply. I avoid service contracts but under this deal I didn't get totally screwed on a less than 2 yr old tv that went bust. Lost about 200 on deal, could have been out the full 700 if not for contract so it eased the pain slightly. Overall very happy with store and products. The have the latest and greatest, sales are great too. I figured out that they will deep discount last available item in store, I have saved hundreds, by waiting for these deals, gotta be quick though. I even got a 500 discount on a gaming computer this way. The were stocking the replace models with similar specs and it was 200 more that the one I was buying. At full retail. A year later I have not found anything with similar specs and at the cost I paid for. Staff can be a little over bearing at times, not really an issue they just have a lot on hand so they are usually tripping over themselves trying to stay busy. Lines can be long at times, but all cashier are on deck during busy times. Longest wait was about 20 but that was during Christmas holiday, perfectly understandable. I don't have any real complaints, some stock is not out to view in store so you may have to ask for it. Space is limited, but only because they store is so packed with items. They do update and rearrange the floor from time to time, so they are getting better at floor layouts. I see constant improvements. Parking is plentiful, store aisles can be tight at times, but usually due to a lot of shoppers. Like I said I love this store and staff and managers have always dealt with my issues in a fair and friendly manner. read more

Probably by far the worst customer service and repair center, after waiting in line for 20+ mins for a repair I made an appointment for basically yep we need to ship it out and get it back in4+ weeks. We need your password also to replace the battery and you need to backup all of your data Incase it gets wiped. Please explain why you need a password to replace a battery and how does data get wiped on a battery replacement. read more

I know it's Covid and all that but today's experience with MicroCenter has made me abandon this outfit for all future needs. No wonder Amazon is crushing all of these stores. I place an order on line, I receive an email that is ready, I drive all the way to the store and have to drive around on 14 mile twice because of construction without the possibility to turn in their parking and when I finally get there a guy tells me the store is closed for deep cleaning. I tell him I placed the order on line and I received an email to go pick it up and all he can say is "Sorry, we had to close. We'll open later today." That might be good enough for you mate but not for a customer. I understand you had to close, no issue there, but when you know people are coming up to get the stuff they already ordered and you have already confirmed pick-up use your genius brain and set up an outside pick-up spot really quick, it's not that difficult. I'm canceling my order and getting it from Amazon. So long! read more

Always a good time coming here. My fiancé loves to build and create stuff so this is the perfect place. You can find literally everything here! Computers, keyboards, TVs, 3D printers, memory cards, hard drives, dude just everything. Never really needed help finding anything here but all of the associates are always usually with a customer seemingly giving good advice. Prices are reasonable and some of the cheapest you'll find depending exactly where else your looking. read more

I love this place!! They always have the best technology at the BEST PRICES! The manager Kaleabe is very professional and was there to help me with my return! Thanks so much! Loyal customer. read more

Drove 1.5 hours to buy a bunch of new computer parts. Sold out of one item that was part of bundle deal and wouldn't substitute. "We just don't have a deal if we are sold out". This is not true as other stores are substituting per forums. Depends on the store and the Madison Heights store doesn't care about customer service. Microcenter can have good deals, other places are starting to match their pricing. read more

Dropped off my computer on 1/23/21 at the Microcenter in Madison Heights, MI for repair. Service tech contacts me on 2/3/21 to tell me the issue and he can have it fixed by Sunday (Feb 7th). I contact the store that day and they tell me it won't be done until Monday due to them being busy (understandable with the Ryzen5000 and GPU launches). I text Monday and they said they "will text me when its done." It's now Friday and I haven't heard anything back. I will not be shopping at Micocenter again and will be taking my future purchases to other retailers and repairs to local businesses that actually care. Can't wait to hear "we'll pass this on to management" instead of them reaching out to actually solve my problem. Update: Microcenter reached out and had my computer fixed after a couple of hours. Really happy with their customer service as they put their best staff onto the problem to fix it. read more

I don't know what has happened to this store. It used to be the premiere go to for almost everything computer related. However, the last few times I have been in, the quality of service has slipped tremendously. There are no sales people around to help, in fact Micro Center is now approaching Home Depot status in that regard. Maybe it is just this store so I won't be back here. but the regional manager really needs to step up.. Really sorry it's gone down so much. read more

I have never been to the store before today it is December of 2020, and I will never shop anywhere else. Not only were they the only place in town that had what I needed in stock but even though they are so busy there's a line around the building the sales and staff are very friendly informative intelligent and it's just a pleasure to shop there. If the owners read this review my suggestion is to not change a single thing about your store or your business you obviously have a great model and for those of us who still appreciate really good customer service you're doing a great job. read more

No one would help me figure out if my credit card was still active. Had to apply for another one. Told me repeatedly it was closed automatically after one year of no use. Strict policy that I fill out a paper credit application and then run my drivers license through a scanner. It would not read a magnetic strip on my license. Manager and staff repeatedly told me there is nothing they can do. I've had credit with this place since it opened here. I like the financing options. You have created a point of failure in your customer experience. I cannot get credit with you until I go to the Secretary of State and get a new license first because of a policy. And no other alternative. Make me feel like bullshit in front of my kids. Waited in line. The cashier Nathan let me run my card to see. It had been almost 2 years but he said try it anyway. It worked and I got the finance option. read more

i love how there is the biggest verity of electronics and how easy it is to find exactly what your looking for and the workers are very nice and csn help out alot read more

Well organized and nice employees. Easy to navigate through. Online pick up was a breeze. I will certainly go here again for all my pc needs

Terrible! Claims to be Apple authorized dealer but they refused to work on my Macbook Pro that is covered under an Apple service program. My MacBook is now on its way to Apple to be serviced instead of being taken care of here. Edit - I have already sent my review to that email address, still waiting for a response. read more

They are very helpful and works with your budget. I bought my pre-built gaming pc from them, and I have not had any problems during the 2 years that I've had it. read more

Went there for a computer monitor for my laptop. Wasn't happy to be immediately pounced on by a sales rep that didn't care what platform I was using and wanted to show me only the things they were recommending. Its not knowledgeable to immediately jump on a customer as if they are some kind of target. You have to know what kind of signals they give you. If its go away, then walk away. If its I'm not sure, then patiently wait for their response. If you don't know enough to listen to the customer then don't even be a salesmen. I had a lot of time wasted by someone who wanted to display their great knowledge on the various monitors in the store, none of those would work with my platform. By the time I was shown various "better" products I was completely unready to get something that would fit with what I worked with. He even laughed at me when I was explaining what I work with. It wasn't at all a "clue in" that he didn't understand his customer. At that point, I wasn't ready to discuss any product because I felt ridiculed. Yes I've been to this store before, and yes I've found sales in the computer section to be simply disrespectful. Is that sales? There is a way to explain things without signalling that you think the person is a total idiot. Maybe the reason they use what they use is because of life concerns unrelated to the seemingly optimal setup that you imagine. I move around a lot, long ago I realized that only a laptop would work with some of the things that I do. I've only begun to make some life transitions from there. He could have probably sold me a desktop had he approached the whole situation more respectfully. By the end, I was completely done being in that store. Its a shame, because I've found it to at least be a place with more product options then otherwise. I seriously might just think of doing online sales for products in the future. My time is short. read more

My review is based solely on the Computer Repair Service, the store itself is big and seems to have quite a selection. However the service we received was terrible. Dropped off on a Sunday and told that the expected date was Wednesday, however by Friday the computer still had not even been looked at. The employees speak a big game, but we were left disappointed and upset. We were referred to this place and after driving over an hour to get here, will not be back. I would much rather go to a smaller business that offers better customer service and quality work, if you're too busy just be upfront about it! read more

"There are 10 types of people in this world - those who understand binary, and those who don't" - Some geek Something a lot of people don't know about me is that I'm kind of a computer nerd. Yes, I'm a sports fanatic and had a jock major in college, but growing up poor led to me having to fix my own computers. There's just something fascinating about taking a jumbled mess of parts and turning it into something useful. I'd be a mechanic, except I hate being outside and can't stand dirty hands. Some guys like to go to strip clubs, but I prefer to go to Microcenter when I want to drool over the freshest silicon. If you've never been, picture Best Buy, only without the CDs, appliances, car radios and cell phones. It's a giant computer store with internet prices. If you're a computer person and you're within driving distance of Microcenter, you've obviously been there. While I feel the same way about Microcenter that a frat douchebag feels about double-layer polo shirts and John Mayer CDs, the place isn't without its flaws. For one, the people there will aggravate the living hell out of you. The floor help is either up your ass like you're Andrew Ridgeley and they're George Michael, or they're as scarce as a Detroiter at a Toyota lot. When you can actually track someone down when you need them, they are as overzealous and aggravating as an MSNBC reporter. You can't buy a $5 USB cable without these schmucks trying to get you to buy a service plan for it. A bit of advice - say no to the service plan. As everyone knows, service plans are a scam. They're pure profit for the retailer, and no matter what happens, they'll ALWAYS say it was your fault and that it's not covered. My mom made the mistake of buying a service plan despite my pleas to the contrary, and sure enough her laptop screen died on her. The guy who sold her the plan told her specifically that the screen was covered, but when she went to get it fixed, they told her that the screen was only covered in the gold plan, and that she just had the silver plan. It's always best to steer clear of the service plan unless you're buying an Apple product. Getting back to the fun stuff, the best part about Microcenter (besides the toys) is the people-watching. Just make one short visit to Microcenter and you'll see more wrecks than a NASCAR parking lot on free beer night. Every geek stereotype you've ever heard will be proven true beyond your wildest dreams. I recently built four computers, and the constant juggling of these projects led me to Microcenter pretty much every day for two weeks straight. I was amazed at how often I saw the same person there three or four days in a row, and I recognized him because he was wearing the same shirt each time. I know it was the same shirt because the chili and mustard stains formed a blot that Rorshach would have found riveting. I finally realized that I needed to scale down the frequency of my visits when one of the checkout girls recognized me, asking if I had been in there the day prior. It was then that I knew how it felt to be a sorority pledge stumbling back to her dorm room on a Sunday morning, dressed just as she had been the night before (though inexplicably missing an undergarment or cell phone), trying to recollect the events that led to her waking up on the floor next to a random frat guy's bed. Yes, Tina at Microcenter, you introduced me to the walk of shame. But while I've kicked the Microcenter habit cold turkey - my name is TJ and I'm a technoholic...I've been Microcenter-free for six days - I still try to think of ways to justify to my wife just why I need another 2TB hard drive, or why I really need to install Linux on our electric can opener. Such is the life of a technophile. read more

I'm familiar with the phrase familiarity breeds contempt. The more familiar you are with a place, person, or thing, the more we as people seem to take the good things for granted and start to get annoyed by little things that we only recently noticed and are now on on our radar. I'm also familiar with the law of averages. The more often you go somewhere, themore likely you are to have a range of experiences, including some bad ones, even though that may not be the norm. I wouldn't want anyone getting the impression this is the first time I've been disappointed in Microcenter and thus I marched over to yelp to leave a scatching review. No,they've screwed up before... but I gave them the benefit of the doubt overall. It just so happens that this experience is bad enough that others need to know about it. I bought 5 refurbished hard drives. ALL 5 were bad right out of the box, made clicking noises, wouldn't be recognized by the OS, and one would power on after a few seconds, then shut off. With a symptom like that, it obviously had not even been tested or turned on, let alone "refurbished". There was nothing refurbished about these. These were basically pulled out of old computers and thrown on a shelf for sale- pretty fucking shameless, MC. These were really only going to be used for test purposes, etc. I wasn't planning to store any critical data on them... and quite honeslty, if a few of them went bad even a few days later, I wouldn't have been that upset.... after all, they were used (though not really all that old). But for MC to act as if they had been checked or serviced was bullshit. 5 out of 5 bad was pathetic. Caveat Emptor is alive and well. read more

Micro Center deserves their review to be written in binary: 01001001 00100000 01110010 01100101 01100001 01101100 01101100 01111001 00100000 01101100 01101111 01110110 01100101 00100000 01001101 01101001 01100011 01110010 01101111 00100000 01000011 01100101 01101110 01110100 01100101 01110010 00101110 00100000 01000111 01110010 01100101 01100001 01110100 00100000 01110011 01100101 01101100 01100101 01100011 01110100 01101001 01101111 01101110 00101110 00100000 01000111 01110010 01100101 01100001 01110100 00100000 01110000 01110010 01101001 01100011 01100101 01110011 00101110 For you HEX freaks that would be: 49 20 72 65 61 6c 6c 79 20 6c 6f 76 65 20 4d 69 63 72 6f 20 43 65 6e 74 65 72 2e 20 47 72 65 61 74 20 73 65 6c 65 63 74 69 6f 6e 2e 20 47 72 65 61 74 20 70 72 69 63 65 73 2e And finally, for MAC users: VGhlIEFwcGxlIFN0b3JlIGlzIGEgYmV0dGVyIGJldC4gQnV0IE1DIGRvZXMgaGF2ZSBsb3RzIG9mIHRoaXJkIHBhcnR5IGdhZGdldHMgeW91IG1pZ2h0IGxpa2Uu Micro Center, keep rocking on! read more

How many hours and hundreds of dollars I've lost to Micro Center... I can't even think about it. But I have endless love for this easy on / off location from the highway. Cannot be beat. I love this place for the refurbed stuff. I bought a refurbed Canon all in 1 printer combo for $30. The ink to fuel this thing alone costs more than $30. I should have just kept buying printers instead of ink! It's the American thing to do. I also walked out with a super fabulous Linksys N Ultra refurbed router for $10 less than for the same product on buy.com. I believe the expression is.... Woot! Or w00t, wtvr. I also have an extremely low threshold for crowds. I hate bumping into American blobs while trying to squeeze through an aisle. The best part of Microcenter is not only the deals, but I NEVER feel claustrophobic and on the verge of a panic attack from sensory overload / too many people. I can't say the same about the West Coast equivalent Fry's nor the Chicago suburban giant Tiger Direct (holy panic attack from the parking lot alone!). Unfortunately, this store is in a constant state of flux. This means when I finally find the stupid tag for microUSB to USB ... the cable is MIA. The cable aisle and smart parts aisle is a wreck. Everything is is more or less organized accordingly. I love the updated checkout line filled with a whole aisle of delicious tempting impulse buys! Rodger - I dare say, Microcenter trumps Fry's in the deals department. read more

I'm a level 8 Geek Girl, I freely confess. I know how to configure chips to motherboards, I've had a Steam account before most people knew the difference between scalding water vapor and online game delivery, falling mammoths crushed me to death in Skyrim, and I have certification in technical editing. Micro Center is several rungs up the technical ladder from the likes of Best Buy, but in not so exalted a position as NewEgg.com or Amazon. It's my go to store when I need replacement parts, the occasional OEM item, and various bits and bobs that keep my technologically-wired in life happy and smooth. Need a can of compressed air to clear out your case? They have it. Need a case? Well, you'll find more than a few. Keyboards aplenty, a rainbow of mice, and more gizmos and hardware components than you can shake a zip-strap at round out the interior of the mildly sanitized, warehouse interior of the store. I usually make a stop in here once every few months for need-to-have items that I can't wait two days for online shipping. I feel more confident buying components from Micro Center than I would an Office Max or Best Buy, as they're a cut above. It's the difference of buying a car part or cosmetics from Walmart or Target, and your dealer or an Ulta/Sephora. Sometimes it pays to be in a specialized place. But pay you will. Typical smaller items are maybe $1-2 more, but I see much more variation in bigger components. Take my Corsair 850TX power supply I recently purchased. The price on Amazon was $55+ cheaper, rebate included. NewEgg clocked in $35 cheaper, with an instant $10 discount. I don't know how Micro Center handles price shopping but for the bigger items, do shop around. Salespeople are rarely about when you need them, especially during high volume times or busy areas. Looking for a specific memory stick that's on sale that wasn't on the shelf, I spent 15 minutes stalking the aisles in search of someone to help me. Salespeople can be as rare as cabs in San Francisco; to quote the great Eddie Izzard, there's only four and they are continuously occupied. There are a few oddities that add to the quirky charm of the place. Giant stuffed Angry Birds that double as toddler paperweights or small chairs (mind the black one, he blows up!) hung out near the depleted software section, and who can resist a pig USB you behead to plug in? Fun abounds in USB red buttons that "detonate" to noises and appear to shut off the computer, if you're a 15 year old boy. Getting to the register quick requires a martyr's patience and a saint's intervention, so be prepared to offer prayers and burn incense for your offerings. Except for rare, unpredictable moments, there is always a line up. Not only is there always a line, the cashiers operate by an equation that demands at least two fewer cashiers than would minimally optimize the efficiency of the line. A cashier rolled her eyes and complained about being told not to cash out but instead check out customers, while a line of 10+ people waited 25 minutes watching a bad Red Baron made-for-TV movie as she chatted up another customer. You know, instead of helping us. Brian A. is right on the mark with the pickup in store option: you can be guaranteed to have everything arranged, put together, and good to go. I've used the pickup option on more than one occasion, including several fiddly items which probably would have taken until the next ice age to get through at the checkout. With everything prepared for me, an arduous situation was reduced to a painless whisking in and out. read more