Is Microcenter a legitimate purchasing source?

[bnv016]

Recently I discovered Microcenter, where one can buy electronics and hardware at reduced prices.

I realized I could buy an Intel Core i5 4590 there for $30 less than I could buy a Core i5 4460 ($159.99 vs. $189.99) online from Newegg. . . so I have a few questions.

1) When I buy from them, am I buying new, not refurbished, products?

2) Are their warranties and customer service reliable, as well as their quality?

Thanks!

 

[ThatVietGuy]

It's a real brick and mortar store. If they weren't legit they wouldn't be in business.

Keep in mind, their deals are usually only applicable in-store.

 

[bnv016]

[T]heir deals are usually only applicable in-store.

I understand so, and thanks!

 

[dark_lord69]

1. yeah they are new
2. The warranties and customer service is on par with newegg.

HOWEVER!!!!
WARNING!!! ---> Most of microcenter's CPU prices are for in-store only
I live near one and it's a great place to buy computer stuff and the best place to buy CPU's.

I also bought my 42" TV from them.

 

[bnv016]

1. yeah they are new
2. The warranties and customer service is on par with newegg.

HOWEVER!!!!
WARNING!!! ---> Most of microcenter's CPU prices are for in-store only
I live near one and it's a great place to buy computer stuff and the best place to buy CPU's.

Thank you! And that's what I understand.
Thanks for the tip, I live an hour from one--should be a good deal then.

 

[esco_sid]

yes and when you buy cpu+ mobo combo i believe its an extra $30-40 off the price as combo bundle.

 

[bnv016]

yes and when you buy cpu+ mobo combo i believe its an extra $30-40 off the price as combo bundle.

That is fantastic. . . Thank you for the input!

 

[ssddx]

while your customer service experience can vary from store to store depending on who works there, i find microcenter to be an excellent store and enjoy going down whenever i need anything if only to pick up some small items and browse around. it is a walmart of pc hardware.

yes, those prices are for in store pickup only however i believe they are clearly labeled as such. their extra warranties are also nice in that you can drop it off in store if it breaks and get a replacement on the spot (instead of having to send the rma in).

yes, all new products although you might find a few items in their bargain bins for really great prices which have been returned but are like-new but open-box. i havent had to use their warranties but they cover quite alot. you still get the same product warranty that comes with parts even if you do not buy their extra warranty. customer service varies store to store but at least in the one i use it is good.

now, not all products at microcenter are the cheapest, sometimes you'll still get a better deal online from some retailers so you need to compare prices but for cpu+mobo combos they are hard to beat normally. also its a great place to look at cases as they have them on display as touch-and-feel.

what city's microcenter if you dont mind me asking?

 

[bnv016]

This is fantastic insight, thank you for the reply. I'm really considering getting a mobo from here now too, instead of the $90 one i was going to get from Newegg. . . thank you!

what city's microcenter if you dont mind me asking?

Westmont, IL

 

[ssddx]

ah, cant say i've heard much about the westmont store.

 

[bnv016]

I have a quick follow-up question... When in checkout it asks for a 2/3 year replacement plan of what I'll be buying. What do these plans have over Microcenter's standard warranties?

 

[ssddx]

^ keep in mind that you will not get the lower prices checking out online, only if you pick the items up in store.

what you get with the product is the normal warranty that comes with the product regardless of where you buy it (manufacturers warranty, not microcenter warranty!). the extra 2/3 year warranty is one by microcenter (or through them at least) and i believe covers more things that go wrong (might cover accidental damage too but check) and all exchanges are in store and do not require you to send the item back to manufacturer for rma. given how things like hard drives require you to PAY shipping to the company (they pay it back to you) having in store exchange if its a cheap price isnt a bad thing.

*fixed your duplicate post so that it makes sense in line with this post.

 

[bnv016]

^ keep in mind that you will not get the lower prices checking out online, only if you pick the items up in store.

Of course! Gotcha

what you get with the product is the normal warranty that comes with the product regardless of where you buy it (manufacturers warranty, not microcenter warranty!). the extra 2/3 year warranty is one by microcenter (or through them at least) and i believe covers more things that go wrong (might cover accidental damage too but check) and all exchanges are in store and do not require you to send the item back to manufacturer for rma. given how things like hard drives require you to PAY shipping to the company (they pay it back to you) having in store exchange if its a cheap price isnt a bad thing.

Understood! If I were to choose a replacement plan between either the CPU or the motherboard. . . Which would you recommend?

 

[ssddx]

well, you can make your own decisions on if you wanted such things... but generally i never buy warranties myself on parts other than the hard drives since hard drives (especially larger than 1tb ones) can fail.

the cpu is not likely to fail, between the two i'd say a motherboard warranty is more useful for quick exchanges. however, if you buy a quality board its not likely that you will need to ever exchange it (hopefully) so its really not required. your choice again.

 

[bnv016]

well, you can make your own decisions on if you wanted such things... but generally i never buy warranties myself on parts other than the hard drives since hard drives (especially larger than 1tb ones) can fail.

That is useful, thank you!

the cpu is not likely to fail, between the two i'd say a motherboard warranty is more useful for quick exchanges. however, if you buy a quality board its not likely that you will need to ever exchange it (hopefully) so its really not required. your choice again.

Sounds good. . . I am planning on buying this ASUS H97 Micro ATX (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813132120), opinions are welcome!

 

[ssddx]

is there a reason you want micro atx? unless you're trying to go for a small-case build you're giving up some options by going matx. you might want to list what other components you were thinking about as well in order for us to give a better judge on if the h97 suits your needs or not as well as what the pc is for.

 

[bnv016]

is there a reason you want micro atx? unless you're trying to go for a small-case build you're giving up some options by going matx. you might want to list what other components you were thinking about as well in order for us to give a better judge on if the h97 suits your needs or not as well as what the pc is for.

Ahhh.. well in some other threads I made, I had to find out what size my motherboard is. After taking my computer apart and measuring the mobo, it turns out to be a very standard micro atx, 24.4 x 24.4 cm. I want to stay around a budge of $80-100 (for the mobo), and want H97, because OC is not a big deal for me (despite me owning an XFX Radeon HD 7770 OC Black Edition). Which is why I am interested in the i5 4590, a non OC cpu.

The PC is for light/medium end gaming. As long as the game looks pretty good, and runs at reasonable FPS, I am happy. Keep in mind, I am upgrading from an Intel Pentium G620 @ 2.60 GHz.

 

[utgotye]

Micro Center's protection plans saved my bacon twice. The first time I had a bad PCIe x16 slot. Normally, they require that all returns be made in person. However, after their customer service put me in touch with the store manager (St Louis Park, MN) and I explained my situation with the board and being over 300 miles away, he had no problem with me simply mailing it in to be replaced under said protection plan. After someone, who should not be touching the breakers, tripped one and decided she could reset it herself, did so and fried my replaced mobo and CPU cooler pump (I wasn't home), I fired off another email to the same store manager who was very helpful a second time in replacing my motherboard through the same process. I finally got to meet said good soul in person this past March when I was in the Minneapolis area and picked up some more parts.

 

[ssddx]

sounds reasonable to me.

 

[bnv016]

Micro Center's protection plans saved my bacon twice. The first time I had a bad PCIe x16 slot. Normally, they require that all returns be made in person. However, after their customer service put me in touch with the store manager (St Louis Park, MN) and I explained my situation with the board and being over 300 miles away, he had no problem with me simply mailing it in to be replaced under said protection plan.

That is fantastic! So, because of your experience, do you recommend I buy a motherboard such as this Gigabyte mobo from Microcenter (http://www.microcenter.com/product/439483/GA-H97M-D3H_LGA1150_mATX_Intel_Motherboard) with the protection plan, as opposed to this ASUS mobo from Newegg (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813132120)?

 

[utgotye]

Truthfully, you likely won't notice a difference. At which point price and aesthetics come into play. Micro Center isn't necessarily that great if you are only buying one part but with the combo deals for CPU, motherboard, RAM and HDD/SSD, it can be a one stop shop where you could save easily $100 off the top of a system, depending on the parts. The case selection is decent as are the PSUs though the St Louis Park Store is a smaller one and the one you hit might be bigger and better.

It boils down to, what is some peace of mind worth?