Surprise Computer Engineering Classroom Upgrade at Micro Center

Sponsor: Thermaltake SWAFAN EX 120 3-Pack on Amazon geni.us/ardZR
We shot this as a casual video back in March and now, with the school year in full swing, we're releasing it as a special previously unaired episode! Patrick Stone teaches at a local high school for computer engineering, network engineering, programming, and operating system classes while also occasionally contributing testing and documentation to GN on the side. He recently asked the school to upgrade the classroom and submitted a very reasonable proposal -- which they rejected, so we worked with Micro Center to do this instead.
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00:00 - Sponsorship Switcheroo
01:28 - Ad Spot
02:06 - CPUs for School
05:20 - The School Rejected Upgrades
06:05 - Road Trip & Parts Studying
07:00 - We've Arrived
08:35 - Steve Thinks He Works Here
09:28 - Motherboard & PSU Shopping
15:23 - Shopping for SSDs & GPUs
19:25 - Stone & Steve Wander Aimlessly
20:50 - Finalizing the Parts
25:40 - Checking Out
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Hosts: Steve Burke, Patrick Stone
Video: Andrew Coleman, Vitalii Makhnovets

[@GamersNexus]

Stone's class started back in August or so and he just recently caught up with me and said the students completed their first round of builds! These computers will be assembled and disassembled by every class as a teaching tool. Currently, there are enough computers for groups to work on together across multiple class periods! If you live near local schools that have computer education classes, you should consider asking them if they have any use for your retired hardware! Something that's 4 years old and worthless to you might be brand new to them. We're looking forward to upgrading them again in the future!

[@cmdrclassified]

From Cats to kids, you guys are fucking awesome! We need more people like you in this world! Merry Christmas to you and the whole GN team! Much love from Salt Spring Island, BC, Canada. o7

[@Leo9ine]

This is a great idea! Have stacks of old servers and PC parts. Hasn't been worth the time to sell. But there are lots of underfunded schools near me so here we go

[@jackrabbitping]

Jesus is also Santa Claus who would've thunk! Merr Crimb GN team and community

[@3k3k3]

" Something that's 4 years old and worthless to you" HEY, talk nice about my 8600K :-/

[@erich3784]

20 builds on a $5000 budget that's $250 per build!! How do you make that work?? 🤔

[@yommy345]

Mr.Stone was THE best teacher I have ever had. Helped me build first PC waaaay back in the day. Had him for Comp Engineering 1, 2 SaS programming, AP Comp Sci, and Independent study. He is the GOAT. These types of things matter because I remember seeing those cool ass PCs in class and being inspired to build one. Gamers Nexus yall are real ones for this.

[@GamersNexus]

That's awesome to hear that you took all those classes!

[@bothellkenmore]

I definitely get the "cool teacher" vibe from Mr Stone.

[@EhEhEhEINSTEIN]

Our dumbass high-school admins got rid of the computer lab when I was in 9th grade I think(2002ish). Around the same time as the shop class. Home economics was long gone. But there was something poetry related in every English class all 4 years.. It's almost like they didn't want us to know how to do anything useful after graduation. All that to say, I envy your education under P Stone.

[@TennSeven]

He seems like a great teacher. I had an awesome computer teacher back when I was in high school too (he didn't even teach at my high school, but he held evening and summer courses through other programs) and he changed my life and shaped my future career. This guy reminds me a lot of him. It's great you and others have someone like that in the community to learn from!

[@bothellkenmore]

@@EhEhEhEINSTEIN That sucks. I found that all my "industrial arts" classes were beneficial to me in my professional life. Even someone who graduates from Stanford might find themselves working for a 20 person startup and building cubicles, cleaning the bathroom, doing shipping/receiving.

[@coryv5679]

I love how Steve can't even drive 6 hours to a Micro Center without being noticed now.

[@alexedwards6509]

To be fair, if there is one place where you could guarantee Steve would be recognised, it would be Wonka world for computer nerds

[@TheLeftistOwl]

I'm honestly surprised he went all the way to Baltimore. There are a few Microcenters around here that are closer than that lol

[@GamersNexus]

@@TheLeftistOwl The closer ones did not have the amount of low-end parts we needed.

[@TheLeftistOwl]

@@GamersNexus ah. That makes more sense. Great to see you were in the area!

[@BeardedFrog]

​@@alexedwards6509Despite Micro Center being a location that would increase the probability (as well as a few other variables that would increase probability), it's still pretty crazy and surprising just how many people did recognize him. Perhaps even more did, and didn't want to interrupt filming, or were not added to the video itself as well.

[@zurazz2958]

Here's what I learned from this video: Steve donated $2500, 3 trays of CPUs, Rented biggest SUV he could find, spent 6 hours driving just one way, spent another 4 hours in the store. Conclusion, Steve = awesome person ❤

[@somerandomnerd2]

As a current student of Mr Stone, this was great to watch! He is one of the best teachers that I have ever had, and extremely enthusiastic. Earlier in the year, we got to do a full laptop tear down, and the GN mod mats worked great. This year he has been extremely excited about building the new PCs, and I am as well. If you ever get a chance to have him as a teacher, take it, it is worth it.

[@SpaceDrake]

I'm actually curious, what's been the experience with working with the 4000 series Ryzens Steve provided? Is there an emphasis on learning the difference between an APU and a traditional CPU? Learning about manufacturer differences in BIOS is a really neat angle, too. I also do disagree with Mr. Stone about one thing at around 6:33 or so - with just *how many* AM4 systems are in the wild at this point, and with AMD apparently still planning to release AM4 parts in The Year Of Our Lord The Baby Jeebus 2024, knowledge of and experience with pin-grid arrays is going to be relevant through to, like, 2030 or so at the earliest. It sounds like you all do get to learn about LGA and PGA, though, if you have a few old Intel Coffee Lakes in the lab!

[@sammiller6631]

@@SpaceDrake But if AMD plans to release AM4 parts in The Year Of Our Lord The Baby Jeebus 2024, will those AM4 parts be a Micro Center exclusive?

[@SpaceDrake]

@@sammiller6631 Nope! The 5700X3D (and, by rumor, the 5500X3D) will be general-release parts, which is part of what's surprising.

[@kjrehberg]

@@SpaceDrake I just built a VMware cluster out of AM4 parts. It's the best platform for the buck and still going strong!!

[@JamieStuff]

MicroCenter really got their money's worth on this one. Way to go, Steve!

[@timetraveler0002]

this is gonna look real good on their years end report

[@gintozlato1880]

To me it seeems the video underperformed by quite a bit, so probably not.

[@emckenna1190]

​@@gintozlato1880 holiday, there's a reason I watched it at 1am

[@sirmonkey1985]

@@gintozlato1880 you're only looking at one piece of the pie, getting rid of new old stock is worth far more than any advertising.. not having profit loss items taking up space that could instead be filled with profitable items is gold to a retail store. some of those 730's and 710's had probably been there for years.

[@dampintellect]

Especially with the temporary employment part.

[@DoobooDomo]

Stone exudes so much competence. I hope his students realize how lucky they are.

[@cbgbees_]

Mr. Stone is such an amazing teacher!! I took his Computer Engineering 1, 2 and independent study class in high school. He is the primary influence for me discovering my passion, turning my education around, building my first computer, and eventually perusing and completing B.S. degrees in both Electrical and Computer Engineering from NC State (Go Pack!). I’ve now been working in the industry for 4 years, and love it! I’m very grateful for his influence on my life, and I’m confident that other students will get the same experience that I got. Thanks Mr. Stone!!!

[@firebug1460]

Public education is so underfunded and the tech classes are among the most important for our younger generation to have and understand. Thank you Steve, Stone, and everyone who contributed to this. Absolutely awesome.

[@libaf5471]

Right? Dude specs out a computer class for 2 grand and gets REFUSED?! 5k got him the next few years worth of teaching materiel and if you divide that with the hours of teaching you get out of them it comes out next to NOTHING.

[@WilReid]

Makes you really wonder where all that money goes considering the US spends more per student per year than every country in the world except Luxemburg. We spend twice the OECD average.

[@xynonners]

​@@WilReidtextbook/"educational material" companies and kickbacks for the politicians who sponsor them

[@R3TR0J4N]

It's also the most corrupt branch in the government, we had that in the Philippines unfortunately.

[@juanshaftpatel7488]

it goes to waste on blks kids@@WilReid

[@StickTuber999]

Steve is literally Santa Claus. Who would've thought.

[@GamersNexus]

Give it a couple years and the GPU launches will at least give me enough white hairs!

[@sergentboucherie]

Steve will most likely have a video tour series about Santa's Workshop soon

[@theULTIMATElife50]

Steve "Santa Tech Jesus Claus" rolls right off the tongue.

[@supra107]

@@GamersNexus Well I can see you're already getting there. ;)

[@erikhendrickson59]

The Jesus gig wasn't workin' out in today's overly-commercialized society~

[@reng.5934]

Microcenter dude's boss like... You sold the unsellable GPUs??? Yup, GN Steve bought them. 😅

[@thelegendaryklobb2879]

"A long-haired heavy metal angel came and saved me from despair"

[@thomasneedham1512]

Should have chopped another 20 percent off the 730's price, just for getting rid of them! Store manager could have done =it.

[@aerosw1ft]

​@@thomasneedham1512fr tho, something as trash as the GT 710 and the 730 should cost $30 MAX.

[@supra107]

So Patrick also teaches at a local high school. Now I respect the GN team even more.

[@silverarm6130]

Nice challenge for that Micro Center crew. I'd say say, they did a good job. Well done MC.

[@bebosquare]

Damian is my go to MC employee when I go to Microcenter at the Parkville location. I even email him ahead of time so he has the parts I need ready to go or check stock for me before i do the drive. Great guy!

[@hayleywelzant7307]

The most charismatic and wonderful employee there!

[@FixedFunction]

Accidentally becoming a store employee is such a mood. I don't push my way past actual employees to give input or anything, but if I see somebody struggling to figure out what they need I'll usually ask what they're looking for and then end up helping them outfit a whole computer, or figure out what minimum spec they need to do their job.

[@smarouchoc7300]

This is truly a thing. I've done this for random folks too - hell, once I ran into my realtor at Best Buy when I was popping in for a cable, and helped her pick a new work laptop. I think it's awesome that Steve and GN are so recognized by the community of PC enthusiasts when our a.oung is, that Steve took the time to answer questions, and that Stone was totally cool with it, rolled with the whole thing. Can I just say, I remember him from the explody power supply testing, and he needs to be on camera more 😁🤣

[@mnemonik61]

Yup, it's a thing. I assistant managed an independent HiFi store all thru the 90s before transitioning to IT in the early 2000s, and I _still_ automatically drop into "customer service mode" whenever I'm in our local BB and I see someone looking lost in the hardware aisles (or the TV section)! 😆

[@FluffyPuppyKasey]

I've done this many many times!

[@atmoverse]

I've been at Best Buy with a Blue Shirt on was asked questions about a Blu Ray player and answered. Took me a few seconds after the person walked away and realized they probably thought I worked there at least initially. Also fun to occasionally strike up conversations with people when you're both looking at similar things.

[@smarouchoc7300]

@@atmoverse yes! Same! And yellow, and black shirts now. Red seems safe still... 😂😂😂😂

[@GLHerzberg]

14:20 Steve offering component advice to MC customer looking to upgrade his PC. Steve: "What's your budget?" Customer: "I was looking to stay under 5". Steve: Hundred!?! 😅LOL

[@Zaque-TV]

Lol yeah maybe 10 years ago 😂

[@opfipip3711]

You can get a great PC upgrade for that. (Asuuming no case, no pheriphials, no monitor) You just need to get an used GPU, as the prices for new ones are insane.

[@walkir2662]

"Thanks, Steve" really sums this up best.

[@Geardos1]

lol steve walking into a micro center is like tom cruise walking down a city street celebrity tier

[@justahologram2230]

At this point why doesn't microcenter just offer to have you do a meet and greet combined with an in person charity drive for Stone's classroom or Cat Angels

[@GamersNexus]

That's a cool idea. Might try and work something out

[@lip-filler-looks-rank]

would be a good tax break for them i suspect...

[@mattrogers6646]

Brilliant idea. I would donate to the cause.

[@Jay_the_Caffeinator]

@@GamersNexus Especially when the new Charlotte location opens up in Spring 2024.

[@deadmanschest4322]

@@Jay_the_Caffeinator i don't know how big that store will be... but in the event of such a meet and greet with Steve in this newly opened store... they will probably need a bigger boat... uhm... store ;)

[@Meditations2024]

My mother was a Teacher (now retired) who ran her small rural school's Computer Lab, and she had to do all this extra work just to get grants to build out minimum spec computers for the labs. I didn't know Patrick did this, it's cool to know he's inspiring kids to learn more, it's a really good job field to get in these days. Computers, not teaching. 😬 Sadly, most of our schools are underfunded and teachers put in all this charity work essentially just to make sure everything is smoothed over for the kids. You can walk into a manufacturing job with a high school diploma in my area making about 50% more than someone who teaches, who obviously needs a college degree. 🙄

[@sandwich2473]

Two things that keep teacher wages low are the idea that it's "pink collar" work so the people doing it have the drive already so don't need paid much, and also the idea that "those who can't, teach" Those two things are so stupid, I wish funding would increase but other departments don't want cuts and the people don't want higher taxes so that's where things fall short Private places excel in the salary department but even then it really isn't high enough in my eyes, and the cost to entry is prohibitive to most people sadly

[@heinzerbrew]

That second part is true though.@@sandwich2473 Even if they could do the job at first their skill will fade quickly teaching entry level stuff year after year. I can only base my perspective based on public education and college. College level educators are a slightly different situation, depends on the field and if they are adjunct or not.

[@ahnilatedahnilated7703]

I went back to college for a Network Administrator degree after working on computers for over 2 decades and building hundreds of computers. I still had to build a $500 pc in class to show that we could do it. The teachers got all the parts, but we had to pay for them, and had us build them. They told us we had all class period, 4 hrs, to build them. I said ok what am I going to do with the other 3 hrs and 45mn. The teacher looked at me with a deer in the headlights look and said "are you serious?". I then told him how many PC's I had already built and he said, "I guess if yours boots, go home". To which I said "deal!". 15mn later I walked out of class with a new cheap PC that I donated to a friend and did home work for my CCNA classes. Was a great experience and I got to help some other students with their setups. I have tried many times to get companies that I work for either doing IT or Support to buy computers that we in the IT/Support can build so I can show co-workers how to build them, and they are all denied. Apparently they think Dell PC's are better... :( Another great video Steve and crew!

[@Niarbeht]

Watching his eyes get big when he realized he had five grand to spend for the class was great.

[@wytfish4855]

to quote a stranger on the internet for his metaphor, the 5 grand "slapped Stone's gear back into neutral." that heartbeat pause of him trying to process is just priceless

[@RayneAngelus]

I know! I replayed that a good half dozen times. Like, he's fingering the stacks of (fake) bills, hearing Steve say, "2500, match," but it's not until Steve specifically says that he has 5 grand to load up on tech for the classroom that it truly hits him.

[@jonronnquist]

Confession: The first time I ever came across a GN video, Steve struck me as overly cynical, unduly pessimistic, and unnecessarily sarcastic. That was a couple of years ago. Since then I've learned enough about this field to appreciate that the industry has earned every ounce of his ire, and enough about Steve himself to see that my judgement was premature, to say the least. This video has brought my understanding of the man, his motives, and his mission full circle. He's a rare treasure and we're lucky to have him.

[@JeremyWertheimerScience]

So much better than a typical sponsorship. Thanks Steve! Thanks Microcenter!

[@Zxanonblade]

25:27 The face of that little kid in the back before the scene cut was hilarious

[@SmokinGoodd420]

People such as Patrick stone are part of the reason many of us were interested in the field of computers. I wasn't the best student. but i had one teacher Mr M! He was truly a good man. He gave me a chance and had me soldiering simple circuit boards, more complex engineering projects , as well as the good ole computer class. I'm in my 40s now but looking back that teacher really made it interesting for a lot of us!

[@DaRaginCajun81]

Steve comes up with some many angles for new content. Most other tech-tubers are getting a little stale with check out this new product that you can't afford. Steve brings us to the everyday computer teacher or to the company that actually makes the products. Thanks, man, for enlightening the masses.

[@mikesapp3241]

While whinus is up north buddy, he could open his box of faith (as is tradition) and send some of those internet monies down to NC

[@mrw3951]

Only at the portion where they're picking out motherboards, but I see the look in his eye where he's really making every dollar matter because this is statistically such a miracle for an educator.

[@chucko4415]

A video where steve is a microcenter employee for the day and answers customer questions would be amazing. Im sure new builders could learn alot from watching his interactions.

[@smarouchoc7300]

Wow. Just...wow. I've been building my own PC's since the 80's. That someone is teaching this as part of a computer curriculum is bonkers to me - bonkers amazing, that is. Clearly it's time for me to go to the GN store and see what you have that I haven't already purchased (I already have two giant mouse mats and two tool kits, among other stuff) because clearly supporting you help you do good things for others. Very happy to watch this on Christmas. Also, I don't leave for home until tomorrow, and there is a microcenter 14 minutes away from here - I might have to stop and buy a few feet of different colour shrink tubing 😂

[@mattrogers6646]

Yes, GamersNexus not only has wonderful journalism ethics, but the charities they support are fantastic too. They are the only KZbinr that I would buy merchandise from, and become a Patreon supporter. proud, Hail Snowflake!

[@rangerst_870]

That employee is SMART!! He understood what they were wanting to do and maximizing the return on money spent. And he was NOT scared to give advice on the lower end drives. I would liked to have seen them be able to spend even more. Microcenter could send prebuilt budget systems to classrooms to encourage both kids and parents to make the trip to one.

[@MattMills91]

It wasn't 30 seconds before Damion said he was glad that you were buying all the 710s and 730s that I was thinking about how those cards would have likely never gone to anything if it wasn't for you guys! This was really cool to see!

[@rbrookstx]

Steve and the rest of the GN family, thank you all so much for what you do. You’re a beacon in the “techtuber” space and more importantly you’re an example of decency and integrity for your community. Merry Christmas to you all, good luck in the new year and i can’t wait to see what you accomplish next year!

[@ForsakenSanityGaming]

We badly need Micro Center in the rest of the world.

[@GeekFurious]

I am so lucky there is one near me. They built my computer because I was lazy and it cost me less than what I was pricing out to build myself. And they even emailed me a couple of times to make recommendations to my build that saved me money.

[@TheVault1999]

no thx

[@greggmacdonald9644]

lol we badly need Microcenter in the rest of the US. Lots of people in this country don't have one anywhere close to nearby.

[@ForsakenSanityGaming]

@@greggmacdonald9644 Yeah now imagine not having access at all

[@LiLBitsDK]

yes please add one to Denmark (NOT in Copenhagen) we need it BADLY

[@Mrbits01]

I've been a subscriber for a while, been around since the

[@johnknouse6984]

This is another reason I like buying from your store. Supoorting stuff like this. I never would have gotten any kind of training or education in school on stuff like this. I was lucky enough to have a math/physics teacher in high school who also was a computer buff who taught us programming too, and that's how I ended up going into IT. I was also glad to hear that MicroCenter announced they are opening a Charlotte location so you guys don't have to drive 6 hours anymore.

[@mattrogers6646]

I totally agree, is the only KZbinr I support with Patreon and purchasing merchandise from the GN Store. Their ethics and integrity are impeccable, and worthy of support.

[@dmoney2163]

Same man, I am part of the "when youtube used to be 5 stars" era and lots of people that I was subscribed too was shilling out products, but Steve and his crew is the only ones where I bought their coasters because they are authentic! Cheers Steve

[@mattrogers6646]

​@@dmoney2163Awesome. Just treated myself to a coaster + cobalt pint glasses set x4 for Christmas.

[@jamescampbell8482]

That's a genuinely good guy right there, stopping and helping a whole bunch of customers for no other particular reason then he can. A joyous Festivus Steve, hope it's a good one for you.

[@ltfreeborn]

"And i accidentally became a store employee" Funny thing is, people would likely think it's his off day.

[@Kaladin_S_]

Steve taking a moment to talk to fans, even during a video recording, is a prime example of why Im always gonna come back to this channel. Genuinely one of the few KZbinrs that I feel is here for the fans and the people

[@cruizera2194]

Charlotte Micro Center can't open soon enough! Great contributions, keep up the work, Stone, go Pack!

[@OnTheRocks71]

Awesome work Steve and GN team. And good on Micro Center for their contribution. That's some good PR for the price, probably better than a little ad spot in a video. This is how we keep interest in PC's alive for future generations. I didn't know Patrick was a teacher as well, a real hero. He was like a kid in a candy shop in that store.

[@libaf5471]

This is the 5000 usd extreme upgrade I really enjoyed watching! And the packing sequence at the end? Sublime.

[@MyUsernamesThis]

still remember taking a computer class where we learned on old sff dell optiplexes (proprietary parts everywhere), im sure this experience is gonna be a lot better than what i dealt with 😂

[@jenrosejenrose7417]

tbf my kid is still gaming on a refurb sff dell optiplex, lol!

[@NonsensicalSpudz]

yeh dell is a mess, infact they recently stopped selling in the UK which is interesting

[@codyeakinsbradley]

How many lacerations were reported? Well, it was a school so I'm guessing gloves were involved

[@djtribo8925]

This one hit close to home for me! As an educator, especially in IT, this is what's all about! Projecting your passion and sharing your knowledge with your students is one heck of a feeling! Big Ups to Stone, Steve, and the GN Crew!

[@robertpearson8546]

When Stone told you it was a great way to spend a Saturday, I understood how he felt. Damian also appreciated helping equip a classroom of high school students. It's not often that he gets to help make schools better.

[@sauravchhabra840]

This is a better utilisation of $5000 than the entire “extreme tech upgrade” series. Props to entire GN team!

[@tanmaypanadi1414]

I have been scrolling the comment section specifically looking for this comment.😂

[@LilianMoraru]

Buying expensive TV speakers for a guy with 3 houses is almost the same as buying hardware for children to understand PCs and learn how to assemble one :)

[@sauravchhabra840]

@@LilianMoraru personally, I was more amazed by the HR person's "upgrade"

[@ErrkSyph]

Carolina boy right here. Bought a signed tool kit earlier this year. We need more computer technology classes in our schools. Steve, I love you bro. Thank you.

[@lucasgraham4556]

my comp-sci teacher was a legend for sourcing parts, i remember using a basic test of chromixium back in 2016-2017 and dual booting ubuntu and window's with creating a 20 system sever all ourselves, seeing super advanced med tech for vain finding: he encouraged us all to explore computer science and what it could do, all with systems from 2005-9 that couldn't even run windows 7 we need more teachers like them in this world. Thank you for supporting them! and happy holidays to all

[@Mack_Dingo]

Is that a Recurve bow on the wall? Merry Christmas Steve & team. Hope you have a great day. Your one of my favourite channels!

[@GamersNexus]

Fun fact: We bought a curtain rod from Amazon and they sent that by accident. I asked if they wanted it back and the rep said "eh, just keep it."

[@dead-claudia]

@@GamersNexusamazing 😂

[@Zipa7]

Those kids are so lucky to have such an awesome teacher, and Steve, you keep making it so easy to support GN when you keep doing awesome stuff like this that is making a real difference, both to the kids in Stone's class and the random strangers you helped out.

[@roibeard94]

I always appreciate your advocacy for public education, workers in the tech industries, and otherwise donating your time and resources to causes for good. Your commitment to consumer-first reviews is what attracted me to your channel at the beginning of COVID and has kept me coming back. Spending Christmas alone at work, you guys gave me the warm fuzzy feelings today. Happy holidays to your whole team, and one last good on you Stone for being a teacher in a rough public education world. Much love to you all ❤

[@Martini_Mcfly]

Still blows my mind that Microcenter finally decides to come to NC, but picks Charlotte over Raleigh/Research Triangle (NC's tech hub). I mean, come on! Tech Jesus is here! 😂

[@brycestallcup293]

I’m pretty new to PCs in general, and really loved seeing the diversity of people that can be found in a microcenter. Old, young, professional, gamer, and everything in between. Loved this video. Keep up the fantastic work GN!

[@alpacafursona3128]

Y'all, this one really hits home. The computer lab at the high school I attended was integral to me getting anywhere in life, let alone what it could do for students in the intervening 24 years since I've been. this is a real wakeup call.

[@Trylen]

to be honest, showing the shopping experience at a Micro Center is better then a sponsorship. I love the one here in Brentwood, MO (Yet you meet Geerling.) Since I'm from a small town in Nova Scotia, going computer store that dwarfs Walmart in size.. oh yes.. Heaven is on Earth (in 20+ locations across the US.) I remember being offended at a bestbuy when sales people couldn't take the time to learn their section, but at Micro Center accepting help when I was lost and they actually know what they sell.

[@charlesjag3407]

Such a great cause! We need more people like Patrick in education

[@volmie]

As someone who grew up in NC, I'm glad to see people like Patrick teaching highschoolers tech. The only tech class my high school had was still teaching people how to use Palm Pilots when they were very much already irrelevant. High five to Patrick and Steve (and Microcenter) for doin this, hope those kids appreciate the education they're gettin

[@GiGaSzS]

While other influencers grab money from any opportunity, it is really wholesome to hear, there are people who actually care about the future, and giving money to the ones who really need it. Thank you Steve!

[@kajerlou]

Several years ago in a low-income district I taught a computer hardware and python coding class at an elementary school. 100% of my equipment was salvage from a local ewaste center which, I kind of loved but, it would have been pretty amazing to get something like this in addition to that. What we were working on had an awful lot of problems so, often classes became lessons in troubleshooting.

[@kajerlou]

Really the most fun I had was with the 2nd graders which were the youngest I taught this content to. They really grasped it better than their teachers ever did and they were always super enthusiastic, most remarkably, the quiet kids tended to really throw themselves into it.

[@matthias6933]

super interesting. Thanks for posting this :)

[@missghost_12]

I will never complain about having to drive an hour and a half to the closest Microcenter to me ever again lol. 6 hours is crazy

[@FandangoJon]

So happy to see you guys in my neighborhood! Glad the locals gave you a warm welcome! Welcome to Balmer, hun! Love when you guys just go talk to people at Microcenter. Happy holidays, GN.

[@harshalbhoir1262]

great initiative steve good to see such good work that helps in educating others

[@michaelheidenreich8272]

Your content is why I started buying exclusively from microcenter and making a sometimes 6 hour drive each time to do it. My last build I actually had them put it together and it's what I'm typing on right now 4 years later. I can't recommend them enough and the fact you guys are making a new generation of PC builders possible is beyond awesome. Shout out to Microcenter Chicago for always giving me awesome help thru 3 pcs.

[@GothicDragonX]

I am so glad there are about 5 to 6 microcenter near me in NY. Sure, each is approximately a 30-minute to an-hour drive, but I can't complain; it sure beats the 3+ hours some people have to do, and yes, Microcenter is what RadioShack used to be before it abandoned the DIY section. Out of all the stores, this one is a must-have for PC builders, Electronics, and DIY enthusiasts. This video was so wholesome. Love it. Thank you, Steve and Gamer Nexus, for bringing out an excellent video to close the year on a good note.

[@antoinereese4295]

I cry a lil bit when I realize a lot of people don't have easy access to a Microcenter. The place is truly magical, really nice people and cheap parts.

[@DukeNukem8075]

It's awesome to see that some people in business don't want to waste money, product, time, energy, etc... and make the world a better place in they're own way; And I'm not even talking about GN in this sentence; They do this everyday. Thank you GN for helping make people more knowledgeable.

[@TimmyXaero]

5 grand is alot of money, but to get more kids into computers, it's priceless. You're legends Steve, Patrick and MicroCenter. Merry Christmas!

[@evana4622]

The whole GN team is so humble and sweet. You don't need to show all of the interactions that you have with people or how much you donate to the various charities that we know you do... This video is so wholesome and would not be complete without it. The sheer fact that you're (Steve) is so widely known throughout a state 6 hours away from your HQ is awesome. I hope to see you in my local Micro Center sometime to fanboy it up like the first dude.

[@DangaRanga]

I always wear my GN hoodie to microcenter on the 0.00000001% chance he happens to be there lmao Always love the charitable content and is one of the many reasons why GN is so awesome

[@bw4593]

lol “accidentally became a store employee” like every time you set foot in a microcenter

[@sc00bieskylin34]

Amazing! Brilliant! I love stuff like this, I love that you give back soo much to a decent cause, and that Stone was very focused on what he wanted for his teaching, almost a tight budget for what he wanted, but it worked out. Brilliant to watch thankyou for letting us see this.

[@micared1]

New found respect for Patrick, what a proper guy.

[@WaterZer0]

Amazingly wholesome video, Steve. Thank you for helping the local high school, and it was heartwarming to see everyone being excited to see you.

[@christopherjames9843]

All around uplifting video. Kudos to GN, Patrick, AMD and Microcenter!

[@the1truefluffy]

You all continue to be one of the best groups of people. Full stop, no qualifiers. A force of good in the world I always look forward to watching. Merry Christmas to everyone and a genuine thank you for everything you do.

[@CptPatch]

I definitely owe my career as a network engineer to enthusiastic teachers like Patrick. A teacher at my high school (20+ years ago) taught a hands-on computer repair class (loosely following a CompTIA A+ curriculum) and an advanced class where some of his students would take tickets from the school district's ticketing system for hands-on IT experience under his supervision. I know multiple people who took the spark from that teacher and turned it into a great IT career. I happily supported your last fundraising drive and I'll definitely do it again when they need it in the future.

[@depression_daily]

Dang dude, its your birthday, and youre still putting out vids.

[@kyhldk]

Thanks!

[@isteiger11]

this is AWESOME!!! being a student of stones, i'll be happy that we don't have to deal with systems that randomly decide to not work anymore! also, we started the school's computer club this year, so hopefully we can use some of the older equipment. thank you!!!!!

[@khromium2203]

What an amazing teacher, working with What he has and still making a lesson out of the parts he's given. Great approach getting different vendors' products as well to show everyone a horizontal comparison.

[@ryanmalinowski7529]

When the donated CPUs are better than your current CPU...oof. But, awesome for the students and Patrick to receive newer inventory to help teach and build with! Keep up the amazing work guys! Happy holidays!!

[@breinhol]

This was awesome to see, great way to spend some time on Christmas! Steve, you and your team are top notch, just fun, real, down to earth people who just genuinely want to help. I just have one question, can we clone about a million more Patrick Stones? :P This world is so chaotic, seemingly bleak for the youth of today, but it's great to know there still are dedicated, passionate educators who just want to help students become the best they can be. Happy holidays, and looking forward to more great stuff like this in 2024! Thank you!!

[@Bobblybook]

It's always nice to throw money at people who know what they're doing and absolutely min-max the value from the donations. He clearly doesn't take the money for granted, and squeezes every last cent out of the total, which is great to see and it's clearly money well spent and will go a long way. Great video and would love to see some follow ups from this if possible!

[@ShermSpinner]

These are always fun to watch. Looking forward to more GN at Microcenter content when the one in Charlotte opens next year.

[@everyglitchnpixel2052]

What a great Christmas morning surprise! Great work as always, but most importantly it was for the kids!

[@chanm01]

We would have killed to have a lab at school where you could actually get your hands on this stuff. I think we learned from like... PowerPoint slides or something, and then the kids who were actually interested just naturally went home and tinkered with the PCs we had for doing homework. You _can_ learn that way, but it's far from ideal. Kind of a travesty that schools put teachers in the unenviable position of having to teach this stuff without being able to show the actual hardware. They're just like figure it out or spend your own money? *smh*

[@Cinetyk]

This is so cool to see. Growing up I was fascinated with PC stuff and strived to learn everything that I could, scrounging every bit of information I could from magazines and the ads in them, even. It took years and only after the internet could I truly get the full picture. It would have blown my mind in inspiration having like 25 computers in the classroom and being able to see and explore all the components and learn about them from a specialist. This surely is going to be inspirational to many students and will set them in their awesome future careers. Cheers!

[@slappopotamus1001]

This was an awesome episode to watch! You guys were a great team and it's always nice seeing folks do nice things for teachers and students!

[@woolfel]

this is why I support GN on patreon. The entire team works their butts off.

[@dwdx4042]

Big up Steve. Doing Gods work.

[@MScottBlalock]

That is nice of you Steve. Good man. I also appreciate that you are cool with the fans, and help people with the, "hey can I get your opinion" type of questions in both Micro Center videos. You make great content, and obviously that is why you have the following you do. Oh, and I really appreciate the integrity you show with people trying to buy your opinion, and calling out companies that are scamming people. Again, you are a good guy. Thanks

[@logangrmnr]

Thank you guys for all the help you do in your local community. Keep up the good work

[@Wrigglevision]

Big kudos to Steve for always remembering to give back to not only the tech community, but his own team. Truly a stand-up guy.

[@IngwiePhoenix]

This is such an amazing project and "sponsorship" :) Awesome idea! That dude before the entrence is a real, certified hype beast. Immediately made me smile, what a wholesome dude. ^.^ "And I accidentially became a store employee" should be a youtube series of techtubers "taking over" a tech shop for a day, just cuz. x) The sprint for the last $50 was funny - never thought of a x1 sound card...but hey, why not, its a neat accessoire I guess. But geniuely a nice piece of kit for dedicated sound work. And what else are you gonna plop in the remaining empty holes anyway. xD By the way, the music used here is such a bop. Where can I listen to the full versions respectively? So nice! Great video and great vibes, thanks Steve!

[@Treborbobuk]

I wanna like this 10 times! Such a wholesome video, props to all involved and best of luck to all the youngsters who will benefit from this, great work and I wish we had somewhere like MicroCenter here in the UK - I'd probably be there every weekend!!

[@user-en9st2sy3d]

Imagine being Steve walking into a micreocenter lol

[@agiraffe2999]

So kind!

[@wizewizard1840]

This is just further proof why this is my absolute favourite PC / tech youtube channel. Stay awesome Steve! Much love from Germany!

[@killer01ws6]

Awesome Video, always cool to see the peoples interactions seeing you in the stores and asking you Qs on their builds ha... I really was impressed with Mr Stone, I can see how the kids would love his teaching, he seems very grounded and methodological person. Good luck on the builds and the students.

[@ncohafmuta]

Just out of curiosity, were any parts DOA? Other than that, way to go GN and Microcenter. Stone, way to give back w/teaching. We need as much computer literacy as possible.