NCIX

NCIX Computer Inc.
Company type	Private
Industry	E-commerce, Computer hardware and software retail
Predecessor	Netlink Computer Inc.
Founded	1996
Founder	Steve Wu (伍啟儀)
Defunct	2017
Fate	Bankruptcy and liquidation
Headquarters	Richmond, Canada
Area served	Canada, United States
Key people	Steve Wu (Founder), Linus Sebastian (former product manager)
Products	Computer hardware and software
Website	ncix.ca

NCIX Computer Inc.—originally known as Netlink Computer Inc.—was a Canadian e-commerce company specializing in computer hardware and software. Established in 1996 by Steve Wu (伍啟儀), the firm was headquartered in Richmond, British Columbia. The company gained additional prominence through Linus Sebastian, who served as a product manager and initiated NCIX’s YouTube channel, NCIX Tech Tips, to market its offerings prior to launching his own channel, Linus Tech Tips.

Retail Locations

NCIX maintained storefronts across several cities including Vancouver, Burnaby, Coquitlam, Richmond, Langley, Markham, Mississauga, Scarborough, Toronto, and Ottawa. Its logistics network included three distribution centers situated in Richmond, Markham, and City of Industry, California.

By mid-2017, the company had shut down its retail outlets in Mississauga, Toronto, and Ottawa. On December 1, 2017, NCIX filed for bankruptcy protection with the Supreme Court of British Columbia and proceeded to liquidate all remaining stores while fulfilling outstanding customer orders.

Closure and Decline

Despite being among the last remaining PC retail chains in Canada, NCIX prioritized investment in costly large-scale physical stores rather than expanding its online sales platform to effectively compete against major e-tailers such as Amazon and Newegg. The business model emphasized selling individual components over complete prebuilt systems. This strategy contrasted with market trends where millennial gamers—who generally have greater discretionary income—favored branded pre-assembled computers, coinciding with a decline in the number of enthusiasts assembling custom rigs.

In July 2017, NCIX ceased operations at its Ontario retail locations in Ottawa, Mississauga, and Toronto, followed by the closure of its Markham headquarters. By November 2017, stores in Vancouver, Burnaby, and Coquitlam were also closed; their leases were subsequently acquired by Canada Computers.

The final retail store at Lansdowne Mall in Richmond closed on November 30, 2017, leaving only the corporate office remaining. The bankruptcy filing was submitted on December 1, 2017 (File Number 170816) to the Supreme Court of British Columbia.

Data Breach Incident

On August 1, 2018, an advertisement posted on Craigslist titled “NCIX Database Servers - $8500 (Richmond BC)” disclosed that servers containing fifteen years’ worth of NCIX customer data were being sold. This security breach exposed employee records including social insurance numbers. Cybersecurity analyst Travis Doering revealed that one compromised database contained information on approximately 3.8 million Canadians. These servers had been abandoned in a warehouse due to unpaid rent totaling $150,000 and were liquidated following NCIX’s bankruptcy proceedings. The incident prompted investigations by the RCMP and British Columbia’s Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner; authorities seized the servers but not before data had been copied and traded multiple times. Subsequently, software engineer Kipling Warner initiated a class-action lawsuit against NCIX and its auctioneer for insufficient data security measures.

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