🧃 Preview Day: Free Mugs and First Looks
The parking lot was packed. We know it well—it’s the same plaza as Illusive Comics, where we’ve suited up with the 501st Legion on Free Comic Book Days. A friendly security guard waved us in and handed us each a collectible mug. It wasn’t even noon and the nerd joy was already brewing.
Inside? Aisles of GPUs, CPUs, SSDs, and peripherals, all glistening under different shades of neon showroom lights.
“I never need to go to Best Buy again,” someone muttered behind us.
And then we saw it—a golden NVIDIA GPU signed by Jensen Huang, displayed behind glass like the tech world’s Crown Jewel. We both stopped and just studied it— like it was a museum piece.
Giveaways continued—with 128GB flash drives for the devoted fans who could show the right QR code. Even the staff radiated startup energy, helping customers navigate the maze of motherboards and cooling systems like it was their personal mission.
A Long-Awaited Return
Micro Center’s reopening in the Bay Area has been the stuff of legend among local techies. The original Santa Clara store closed in 2012 due to a landlord dispute, leaving a void in the heart of Silicon Valley—a paradox, really, for the world’s innovation hub to lack its own hands-on tech emporium.
Micro Center makes technology tactile again. In a world increasingly virtual, this matters.
“Hey, this is the same sensor I used on my senior capstone project,” my son said, checking out all the components and already imagining a future build. He explored further, picking through aisle after aisle. “I’ll need to learn to solder, but there’s all the parts I would need here to build a robot arm.”
The Legendary FilaMonster Wall
One of the standout features at the new Micro Center Santa Clara is the impressive “FilaMonster”—a massive, floor-to-ceiling wall dedicated entirely to 3D printing filament. Aptly nicknamed by the community, the FilaMonster showcases an incredible spectrum of filament types, colors, and brands, making it a visual centerpiece and a must-see for any maker or 3D printing enthusiast.
When I worked as a STEM Lab instructor for the local school district, my son would come in to help run the 3D printing labs. When the world shut down for COVID, we organized local makers to print face shields for front line responders. My son printed over 2,000 of them and we hand-delivered them to local hospitals and doctors. Suffice it to say, 3D printing is a common shared passion.
Walking up to the FilaMonster feels like stepping into a candy store for creators. Whether you’re searching for classic PLA, specialty PETG, flexible TPU, or exotic blends, the wall is stocked with spools in every hue imaginable. But, how you access the filaments is what makes the “Monster” so unique.
You flip through samples— see the photo and video above— in a manner just like checking out paint colors at your local Home Depot. Once you select a color and material, you bring the “chip” over to the FilaMonster wall. The wall does the rest— and remember to deposit your “chip” back in the Minecraft cube. It’s all very entertaining.
Find It Next to the Comic Book Store
Opening day is tomorrow.
Opening Day: Friday, May 30, 2025
Location: 5201 Stevens Creek Blvd, Santa Clara, CA
And yes, it’s right next to the comic book store, so you can grab a new GPU and the latest Batman/Deadpool crossover—because why not max out both your frame rate and your multiverse.
📚Additional Reading for Curious Humans
🔍 FAQs
What makes Micro Center unique for AI enthusiasts? Hands-on access to hardware like GPUs that power deep learning models.
What’s the emotional draw of Micro Center? It’s where digital dreams meet physical reality—for families, creators, and pros.
Will this affect the Bay Area tech scene? Absolutely—expect more local events, hardware meetups, and maker culture.
What’s the opening date? Friday, May 30, 2025.
Why write this piece? To capture the blend of nostalgia and innovation—and because we’re nerdest. The coolest kind of nerds. But, yeah, nerds.
And, if you make it in time to get the free merch, this was the mug giveaway… (We did not wait on line for the free thumb drive. Line was too long.)
Alexander Wolf Torres will be joining the DROIDS Newsletter Staff as an Editor and Writer this summer.
#deeplearning #aihardware #microcenter #microcentersantaclara #nerdculture #gpus #robotics #comicbooks #batmandeadpool #techhumor #siliconvalley #droids #thedroidsnewsletter
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