Microcenter v Fry's

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Meghan54

Lifer
Oct 18, 2009
11,684
5,225
136
Fry's is so much better and bigger than Microcenter. I hate the fact that we only have Microcenters in NY.


Sure, as long as you don't mind being sold used cpus as new or used memory as new, having to endure pure BS when trying to return/exchange anything, if you're shopping for a washer, dryer, low rent audio equipment, etc.

True, Microcenter's laptop display could be laid out better, but both offer damned near the same lines and models. MC's computer parts prices at worst equal Fry's-at best shame Fry's prices (MC will pricematch Newegg, Fry's if local, and a host of other stores with NO problems getting it done---something that escapes Fry's completely.)

Just my observations from shopping 2 Fry's and at least 5 Microcenters.
 

iamwiz82

Lifer
Jan 10, 2001
30,772
13
81
Microcenter is a veritable leper colony. I yearn to leave that place 10 seconds after arriving. The smell is like walking into a cloud of Axe and acne medication.
 

Charlie98

Diamond Member
Nov 6, 2011
6,298
64
91
Don't really like Fry's, even though I live 5 minutes from one.

I've been to our Fry's 3 times... and I'll never go back. My biggest complaint is when you are trying to buy something (in my case, just a simple PC card reader...! ) you have to dig through all the 'open box' and 'parts missing' boxes to try to find one that's complete. Add in the slow sales staff (idiot in car stereo wrote up the wrong speakers, costs twice as much and were the wrong size... ) and OOS items (didn't have the first 3 speakers I picked in stock.... ) and the long lines at the cashier... I've left mad every time I've gone in.

I'm lucky, though... I also have a MC 20 minutes from the house, along with other computer stores. Our MC is first class... we went in to buy my friend a Dell system and the department manager himself had us squared away in about 8 minutes. I've never gone into MC to find something specific and walked out empty handed.
 

JM Aggie08

Diamond Member
Jan 3, 2006
8,336
942
136
Microcenter is a veritable leper colony. I yearn to leave that place 10 seconds after arriving. The smell is like walking into a cloud of Axe and acne medication.

This. The level of incompetence is astounding as well.
 

spacejamz

Lifer
Mar 31, 2003
10,934
1,591
126
I love both equally and the fact that I can go to either or even a Tiger Direct brick and mortar store plus Best Buy and I can grab anything decent sale item posted on Slick Deals or Fatwallet within 30 minutes...
 

Drako

Lifer
Jun 9, 2007
10,697
161
106
I miss the original Fry's off of Lawrence Expressway in Sunnyvale. :(

That was back in the day when they were an electronic hobbiest's wet dream, before they turned into a consumer electronics store. You could go in there, buy a bread board, chips(ICs),resistors/caps/inductors/etc, then go over to food isle, and get some chips and a soda, and then go over to the magazine isle and browse Playboy and Hustler. :)
 

spacejamz

Lifer
Mar 31, 2003
10,934
1,591
126
CPUBox.jpg


Some of the CPU Boxes I have got from Frys and MC deals :) I do miss the sweet Motherboard/CPU combos from Fry's though...I still remember my first build...a K7S5APro and 1700+ chip...

Frys:
AMD 2800+
AMD 3800+
AMD 5200+
AMD 6000+
Intel E5200

MC:
i5-2500k
i7-2600k

some of the boards:
Motherboard1.JPG