Real Computers & Free Diagnostics

Hours

10am-6pm Flexible hours. Call Anytime.

Phone

(925) 915-1522

Website

RealComputers.vpweb.com

Owner

Brian Tangney

Established

2006 in Pleasanton, 2009 in Davis

Payment Methods

Cash, check, or PayPal

Real Computers is a Windows computer repair service and design company that makes a big point of offering free diagnostics to all customers. They know that most people have little idea what is wrong with their computers and that it royally sucks to pay a diagnostic fee without knowing if your computer can even be fixed. Real Computers does not charge by the hour: all fees are flat rate and up front. You pay when repairs are complete, with a maximum of $100 for a single repair. If more than one repair is required, the total will be discounted. They will match any local competitor's prices if you can find lower ones.

Repairs that do not require replacement parts can usually be completed within 4-6 hours if you bring your computer in before noon. All repairs that do not require replacement parts can be completed within 24 hours.

The following services are free: Diagnostics, troubleshooting (over the phone, e-mail or in person), as well as any computer repairs that do not require your computer to be taken apart or your operating system to be reinstalled.

If you bring them your computer, they will:

1. Perform a free diagnostic.
   

2. Inform you about the problem and provide you with the exact price you will pay if you decide to have them repair your computer.
   

3. Not ask you to pay until repairs are complete. If your issue is not solved, you will not be charged for anything.

• $30 — System tune up - removal of any unwanted start up programs/viruses/adware/spyware - typically this drastically improves performance for older Windows computers.
  

• $20 — Physical cleaning of desktops - clearing dust, cleaning fans, replace thermal paste - for computers that overheat and are too loud or dusty.
  

• $80 — Physical cleaning/fan repair of laptops - clearing dust, cleaning fans, replace thermal paste - for laptops with clogged fan vents or broken fans.
  

• $100 — Complete system restoration - repairs all non-physical problems such as boot failure, serious errors, corrupt OS - after this process the computer will be in its cleanest and fastest possible state. Users data (documents, pictures, music, videos) will be saved. The system restoration fee will be waived if a software & labor warranty is purchased.

Real Computers can perform just about any type of repair on laptops and desktops. If your issue is not listed, please call for a diagnostic or estimate.

Students will receive a 20% discount on services that exceed $50 in total (not counting warranties).

Real Computers will build a Windows computer to match any price. The customer can decide how much they want to spend on a computer and have the best possible machine built for the amount they want to spend. Every design is 100% customizable. All systems assembled by Real Computers come with a 1-year software and labor warranty. Please visit RealComputers.vpweb.com for more information.

If you want to get a good computer for less money, Real Computers will take your old computer and re-use any of the usable parts from that machine to build a new one. Only parts that do not affect performance would be reused, such as the case, power supply, CD drives and sometimes hard drives. This typically shaves at least $100 from the cost.

They were founded and operated by (now) Davis local Brian Tangney. Real Computers started in Pleasanton in 2006 and moved to Davis in 2009. Real Computers is not currently and never has been affiliated with any other stores or businesses in any form (such as the same-named businesses in Chino and Irvine). Stores with similar names are separate entities. Brian had a somewhat rocky introduction to Davis, having originally run the business as a part time repair service out of his house. On 2009-10-27, he proudly got his business license because, due to popularity, the company had grown far past his original vision of it as a "side job".

Computer Questions

How to build a computer and why it saves money.ppt

Example of a laptop that had been overheating.

A computer built by Real Computers.

• See the Computers and Electronics entry for businesses that sell computers, or the Computer Repair entry for help when they break.

Comments:

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2009-05-05 06:30:50   Just about everyone has a computer expert in their life - the first person you call when you have a problem or when you want advice on buying a new computer.

To just about everyone in my social network, I am that guy. Through my job, I am hired to make recommendations on computer hardware, and for my friends, I usually build half a dozen systems a year. Though I am very familiar with technology and follow tech news daily, I had a problem with a system that I just couldn't fix. New to the area, I went to this wiki to see who in the area could help.

What I found was depressing, but not surprising, because it's easy to take advantage of people that aren't familiar with the industry. (I am sure I am an easy target for any auto or appliance repair, for example.) The people at the first four places I called showed a severe lack of knowledge. (Take a look at this film about a Canadian news team filming a small army of people offering computer repair services and how little they know - http://www.cbc.ca/marketplace/getting_gouged_by_geeks/ - a few criticisms can be made of the reporting team, but overall pretty good.)

However, when I called Brian, I was pleasantly surprised. This guy knows his stuff - he instantly reminded me of a friend of mine who tests and reviews computer hardware for a tech magazine. He listened to the problem, came up with a few theories, and was over at my house with the exact hardware needed to test them out within about twenty minutes.

He isolated the problem quickly, and instead of making up some BS answer or presenting an overconfident guess as fact, he told me he needed to do some research to make the best recommendation. About an hour after he left, he e-mailed me with three options for fixing the problem, along with links to his research and the specific products mentioned. All of this happened before I paid him a dime.

One of the best parts about it is that despite the fact that he's extremely knowledgeable, he doesn't have that annoying know-it-all attitude that so many people in the industry give off (myself included). He's simply friendly and professional, and was a pleasure with whom to do business.

Needless to say, I am very satisfied with his service and will be calling him first the next time I have a problem. —noblesavage

2009-05-05 06:35:36   One more thing I thought I would mention: I just looked over his basic services and prices on this page again. I usually do these sorts of things myself, but I am probably going to have Brian do them anyway, because to have them done by someone who really knows what they are doing at that price is a steal. Call around to compare for yourself, these prices are very low, especially compared against any big box store. —noblesavage

2009-05-05 11:57:32   Recommended place!

One of the fans in my laptop broke and I went to have it fixed at Help Computer Services. They claimed I needed a new fan from HP and that they could fix it within, at most, two weeks. After two months of them (at Help) not replying to emails or phone calls I decided just to get the laptop back (still with a malfunctioning fan!). Instead I went to Real Computers. The guy there said that the fan was fine, but a bit bent, and that it just needed to get bent back. The computer was up and running in a matter of hours!! Unfortunately Brian at Real Computers broke the power button and had to replace it. This took four days and as compensation he knocked $20 off the price!! This is how a business should be run!

This is simply a decent priced and competent computer repair place. I would recommend it to everyone! —pontus

Owner's Response: Its true that I broke the tiny wires that connect the power button to the computer. I immediately ordered a new one. It arrived in two business days, installed the part and returned the computer to the customer with a $20 discount for the short delay. This is the only time something like this has ever happened, but it was very easy to resolve. The worst part was the delay. - Brian

2009-08-17 23:15:43   Great service! I had an HP labtop that had a broken monitor and my warranty had just ran out. HP said it would cost $500 to fix my computer with parts and labor. Brian got a monitor for me for a $100 and charged only a half hour of labor. No mark up on the parts, very honest pricing. He also fixed the fan which was making a lot of noise. Saved about $300. Very pleased with the service and would recommend to anybody who has computer problems. —GT

2009-10-13 13:31:39   Excellent and timely service through and through. When you find yourself in over your head with computer problems this is the place to go. Brian knows just about everything about computers, and if he doesn't, he knows where to go to find it out. I highly recommend Real Computers. —MattCrooks