Micro Center Review: A Computer Retail Store Worth the Drive?

Company Overview

Micro Center was founded in 1979 in Columbus, Ohio, by John Baker and Bill Bayne, two former RadioShack employees who started the company with a $35,000 investment. The first store opened in a 900-square-foot storefront in Upper Arlington, Ohio. Today, Micro Center is headquartered in Hilliard, Ohio, and operates as a division of Micro Electronics, Inc., a privately held company.

As of 2026, Micro Center operates 30 stores across 20 states, with New York having the most locations (4), followed by Ohio and California with 3 each. Stores run up to 60,000 square feet and stock roughly 36,000 products across around 700 categories. Micro Center has been an authorized Apple reseller since 1982 and has operated in-store “Knowledge Bar” service and support counters since 2007. A new Santa Clara, California location opened in 2025, filling part of the gap left in Silicon Valley by the 2021 closure of Fry’s Electronics, and additional store openings, including a planned Phoenix, Arizona location, are underway.

Visit the official Micro Center website for current store hours, inventory, and the store locator to find a location near you.

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Product Selection

Micro Center’s core strength is genuine depth in computer components and PC-building supplies, categories that most general electronics retailers, including Best Buy, have significantly scaled back. In-store inventory includes processors, motherboards, memory, storage, graphics cards, and full pre-built and custom-build desktop and laptop computers, alongside networking equipment, peripherals, and Apple products.

The company also sells open-box, refurbished, and floor-display items at a discount. These are typically former display units or customer returns rather than defective merchandise, though as with any open-box purchase, the manufacturer’s original warranty may not carry over, and buyers should specifically ask staff about the applicable return and warranty terms for that item before purchasing.

A Note on CPU Pricing

Micro Center has a long-standing reputation, widely discussed among PC-building communities, for pricing CPUs unusually aggressively, in some cases reportedly near or below the retailer’s own cost, particularly on bundled CPU-plus-motherboard deals. This is best understood as a customer-observed pattern and industry speculation about Micro Center’s pricing strategy rather than a confirmed, publicly disclosed corporate policy; Micro Center has not published an official statement describing CPU sales as loss-leader pricing. What is verifiable is that Micro Center’s in-store CPU and CPU-bundle pricing is consistently and competitively lower than most other physical retailers, a major reason PC builders frequently cite the chain as worth a special trip.

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Customer Service: A Genuinely Mixed Picture

Micro Center’s customer service reputation is not uniform, and a fair review should reflect that rather than asserting either extreme. On the positive side, in-store staff are consistently described across independent customer reviews as knowledgeable and willing to spend real time helping customers select compatible components or troubleshoot a build, a level of hands-on expertise most competing retailers simply do not offer. The in-store Knowledge Bar service counters are a genuine differentiator for customers who want expert, in-person help rather than a call centre.

On the more critical side, a recurring theme in customer complaints, both on independent review platforms and in online PC-building communities, centres on extended warranty and protection plan claims, with some customers reporting difficulty getting timely resolution or full honoring of protection plan terms on repairs. As with any large retailer, individual experiences vary significantly by store location and by the specific staff member involved, and prospective buyers of an extended warranty or protection plan should read the specific plan’s terms carefully and consider asking in-store staff directly about typical claim turnaround times before purchasing.

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Pricing and Financing

Micro Center offers special financing on select purchases, including 0% APR options on qualifying purchases for a limited promotional period, and open-box or floor-display items can sometimes be found for significantly less than new pricing, occasionally under $50 for older or heavily discounted units. The chain’s best pricing windows are typically its Black Friday and other major seasonal sales events, when component and system discounts are at their deepest.

Micro Center does not offer international shipping, but does provide fast domestic shipping within the contiguous United States for online orders, alongside its in-store pickup option.

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Compared to Alternatives

vs. Newegg: For customers who cannot reach a physical Micro Center location, Newegg remains a strong online-only alternative with a broad component selection and frequently competitive pricing, though without Micro Center’s in-person expert consultation or same-day pickup.

vs. Best Buy: Best Buy’s computer component and PC-building selection has narrowed significantly in recent years, making it a weaker choice than Micro Center specifically for enthusiast-level builds, though Best Buy remains more broadly accessible given its larger store footprint.

vs. Amazon: Amazon offers the broadest overall selection and fastest shipping for most components, but lacks Micro Center’s in-person technical consultation, hands-on Knowledge Bar support, and the ability to physically inspect open-box deals before buying.

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Who Should Shop at Micro Center

Worth the trip if:

• You are building or upgrading a PC and want competitive component pricing alongside knowledgeable in-person staff
• You live within reasonable driving distance of one of the 30 current locations
• You want to physically inspect an open-box or refurbished item before purchasing rather than relying on online photos alone

Consider alternatives if:

• You are not within driving distance of a location, since Micro Center does not ship internationally and online-only competitors may offer more convenient logistics
• You are purchasing an extended warranty or protection plan and want the most predictable claims process, in which case reading the specific plan terms carefully and comparing against other retailers’ plans is worthwhile before committing

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does Micro Center actually sell CPUs at a loss?

This is widely discussed among PC-building communities as a customer-observed pricing pattern rather than a confirmed, publicly stated corporate policy. Micro Center has not officially described its CPU pricing as loss-leader pricing. What is independently verifiable is that Micro Center’s in-store CPU and CPU-plus-motherboard bundle pricing is consistently among the most competitive available from any physical retailer, which is why many PC builders consider the trip worthwhile even when a store is not their closest option.

How many Micro Center locations are there and where?

As of 2026, Micro Center operates 30 stores across 20 US states. New York has the most locations with 4, followed by Ohio and California with 3 each, with the remaining states typically having 1 to 2 locations. The chain has been gradually expanding, including a 2025 opening in Santa Clara, California, and a planned new location in Phoenix, Arizona, partly filling gaps left in some regional markets by the 2021 closure of competitor Fry’s Electronics.

Is Micro Center’s customer service good or bad?

The honest answer is that it is genuinely mixed and varies by location and by the specific type of interaction. In-store sales and technical staff are consistently praised across independent reviews for product knowledge and hands-on help with PC builds, a real differentiator from most competing retailers. However, a recurring pattern in customer complaints centres specifically on extended warranty and protection plan claims, where some customers report difficulty getting timely or full resolution. Buyers considering an extended warranty should read the specific plan terms closely and ask in-store staff about typical claim turnaround before purchasing.

Are Micro Center’s open-box and refurbished items reliable?

Open-box items are typically former display units or customer returns rather than defective merchandise, and can offer significant savings, sometimes under $50 for heavily discounted units. However, these items may not carry the original manufacturer’s warranty, and the specific condition can vary. Ask staff for a visual inspection before purchasing, and confirm in writing what return or warranty coverage, if any, applies to that specific open-box item before completing the sale.

Does Micro Center ship internationally?

No. Micro Center offers fast domestic shipping within the contiguous United States and in-store pickup, but does not currently offer international shipping. Customers outside the US looking for comparable component selection will need to look at retailers that specifically support international shipping to their region.