Many gamers and PC enthusiasts want one thing: the best possible specs to get maximum FPS (Frames Per Second). Having good specs is better, both in competitive multiplayer games and in single-player games. You would do better on a next-gen console, or a top-of-the-line gaming PC, than on a 12-year-old PC, or THE Xbox (from 2001).

Good peripherals (accessories like keyboards, mice, monitors, etc.) are important. Both resolution and refresh rate (how many times a new image can be displayed) are crucial. A curved 50” monitor with a 240hz refresh rate would be much better than a flat 24” 60hz refresh rate office monitor.

You could buy all this at a store like Best Buy, Walmart, or Target. And while you could buy from those retail stores, what if there was a store, that had many sections dedicated to tech and gaming? 

That’s where Micro Center comes in.

Micro Center is a PC retail store, that was founded in 1979, in Ohio. As of last year (2023), there were 26 stores across 16 states. In the area where I live, I go to the one up in Cambridge. And though it is a hell of a drive, it is surely worth it, especially for PC enthusiasts.

Another thing worth noting is that they are opening up new locations frequently. Though most of them are decently far away from Westminster, Ashburnham, and Gardener, they might just someday open up one in our area. 

If that already isn’t convincing enough, I’ll bestow upon you some of my own experiences with the store. 

When you walk in, you’ll be greeted with the sight of a vast array of electronic equipment, parts, and devices. You’ll hook right and see a mighty stack of PSU (Power Supply Units – critical to powering the computer). They will be there in a diverse array of different wattage ratings, colors, sizes, etc. 

If you go a bit more forward, you’ll see an impressive stock of computer cooling solutions. One shelf might have some trusty air coolers, and another will have AIO coolers. You might spot some direct die coolers/custom water cooling loop parts, for the bold modders who will do whatever it takes to max their performance and void their warranties. 

On the way to the PC section, you will see something that would catch the eye of many gaming and PC enthusiasts: an enormous wall of GPUs (otherwise known as graphics cards – the most prized possession in a PC). You’ll see many models of top-of-the-line GPUs, in massive boxes. I could just imagine the fun of unboxing one of those high-end graphics cards.

To clarify, this is just one small part of Micro Center. They have office supplies, peripherals, gaming, 3d printer necessities, and more. I’m just barely scratching the surface.

But after this is where the real gold mine is – the prebuilt system section. This is where you’ll see the most amazing prebuilt systems by reputable manufacturers and custom builds. You will see lots of pcs, both budget and high end. Either way, they are all decked out with RGB lighting. 

The choices and options might overwhelm you if you were in the store. However, to help you are kind employees. They are very knowledgeable on all things tech and have great answers to all your questions. To add, they are good at working with your budgets and preferences. If you want Nvidia, Intel, or AMD, they will help you find what you want.

When I went to buy my PC from there, the employees were super helpful to me. They were very good at communicating my options and what they had in stock while considering my wants and needs. I ended up buying their Powerspec 472 Gaming Computer (it has an RTX 4080, i9 13th gen CPU, 32 DDR5 GB RAM, and 2 TB SSD). It was priced very well, and they got me my absolute best value out of the purchase. Plus, it performs very well, in 1080p, 1440p, and 4k.

In addition, both my brother and a friend of mine bought their PCs at Micro Center. My brother got the Powerspec G445 ( RTX 4070, i9 12th gen CPU, 32 GB DDR4 RAM). And my friend got a CLX PC ( RTX 4080, i9 13th gen, 32GB DDR5 RAM). Both PCs do very well in high-res games.

Beyond PC enthusiasts, many professional sources have credited Micro Center for many good qualities, such as impressive stock and competitive prices and deals.

According to Anandtech, on one of many tech forums, Micro Center has been known to put CPUs for sale. Many other web sources also state that Micro Center will commonly put  up sales, on various PC parts and peripherals (during March, they have the “Monitor Madness” sale, in which many monitors get a good-sized price discount).

In addition, many online reviews have complimented Micro Center for their good open-box program. Essentially, open-box products are items that have been either for display or used lightly but returned without damage(s). However, they are given a good mark-down in price. 

Several forums across the web have quoted Micro Center as a “Gamer’s paradise”. 

To conclude, many people, both professionals and gaming enthusiasts, hold Micro Center in very high regard. Whether it’s a prebuilt or custom-made system, upgrades, peripherals, a 3d printer, or pretty much anything tech-related, Micro Center has it for you. Many tech YouTubers also go to Micro Center for PC builds,  and have said very good things about their pricing, customer service, and product availability. 

So if you’re ever looking to upgrade your gaming setup, and you have some free time on your hands, a drive to Micro Center could be a great start.

SOURCES:

Does Micro Center Have Good Prices? 25 Mar. 2024, https://forums.anandtech.com/threads/do-you-actually-save-money-in-a-microcenter-store.2374850/.

“Micro Center – Wikipedia.” Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., 23 Sept. 2015, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micro_Center…