I’ve been quietly waiting for this one. Micro Center finally opened a store in Santa Clara, California, and even though it’s just the soft launch, the place already feels solid. Stocked shelves, helpful staff, and a layout that makes sense — it’s exactly the kind of hardware store the Bay Area’s been missing.

I stopped by to check it out and walked away impressed. If you’re into building PCs, tinkering with 3D printers, or just want to see the latest gear in person, it’s worth the visit.

PC Cases, Wall to Wall

The PC case section is probably the most satisfying part of the store. Rows of mini-ITX, micro-ATX, and mid-tower cases, all out in the open — no guessing from product photos or fake renders. You can actually inspect them before buying.

A few that stood out:

Cooler Master NR200P Max – $399
Cooler Master NR200P V2 – $124
Several airflow-focused towers around $100–150

Also nice to see: a bunch of more creative options — white cases, wood-accented fronts, even some pink and themed designs. Definitely not just black boxes everywhere.

RTX 5090: Yep, It’s Real

There’s a special display case up front with all the RTX 5090 variants you’ve seen leaked online — including the ROG ASTRAL gold edition, which honestly looks more like a collector’s item than a GPU.

Prices ranged from:

RTX 5090 - ranging from $2,999.99 to $3,799.99
RTX 5080 - ranging from $1,389.99 to $1,799.99

It’s locked up behind glass, of course. You don’t just grab one of these off a shelf. But yeah, they’re here. And seeing them in person does kind of make you reconsider your budget.

3D Printers: Better Than Expected

I didn’t expect much from the 3D printer section, but it turned out to be one of the highlights. They’ve got a well-rounded selection that covers most price ranges and use cases.

Some of the models I saw:

Creality Ender 3 V3 SE – $179
Elegoo Neptune 4 – around $199–$329
Sovol SV06 Plus – $359
Bambu Lab A1 – $599
A few enclosed models in the $500–$600 range

It’s a good balance of hobbyist-friendly and prosumer-ready machines. There were also a few accessories and filament options starting to fill out nearby shelves, so this section will probably get better over time.

Keyboards, Macro Pads, and Creator Tools

One of the more fun surprises was the keyboard section — not just gaming keyboards, but a full range of mechanical, low-profile, ergonomic, and Mac-specific layouts. The aisle was busy, and for good reason. Tons of people were testing different switch types and layouts, and everything was out for hands-on trial.

They had:

Cherry DW 9100 Slim wireless keyboard/mouse combo – $99.99 (on sale for $87.99)
Logitech MX Keys / MX Mini for Mac
Pebble 2 Combo, Satechi low-profile boards, and even a few boutique-looking options
A broad mix of Corsair, SteelSeries, and Keychron-style mechanical boards

And if you’re into content creation or streaming, there was a full shelf with:

Elgato Stream Decks
Logitech MX Creative Console

Overall Impressions

The soft opening didn’t feel half-baked at all. Shelves are stocked, the store’s easy to navigate, and the staff seemed to know their stuff without hovering. Prices aren’t inflated — especially given current market trends — and you can actually build a full system in one visit if you want to.

If you're local and into PC building, hardware, or 3D printing, this place is worth dropping by. It’s refreshing to be able to see and touch the gear again, rather than comparing measurements and fan placements through screenshots.

Looking forward to seeing how it evolves once the grand opening rolls around — but even now, it's already off to a strong start.

First Look: Micro Center Santa Clara Soft Opening