cover
Ryan M.

Ryan M.

Joined on 03/01/01

0
0

Product Reviews
product reviews
  • 23
Most Favorable Review

Works good after a bit of tinkering

HighPoint Rocket 620 PCI-Express 2.0 x1 SATA III (6.0Gb/s) Controller Card
HighPoint Rocket 620 PCI-Express 2.0 x1 SATA III (6.0Gb/s) Controller Card

Pros: You get SATA 6.0gb/s without having to upgrade your entire motherboard. Includes 2 sata cables. Comes with low profile bracket if you need it. It works for me (after finding out how to find drivers for the thing and get everything working in my setup like it needed to be.)

Cons: Took a bit of work to get it installed. Wasn't completely plug-n-play like it said it would be. Had to search for and download more drivers after finding the manufacturer didn't provide them on their site because the card is supposed to be "plug-n-play" (see other throughts).

Overall Review: Running Windows Home Server 2011. Downloaded Marvell drivers from this link to get it working properly (thanks to another newegg customer here): http://drivers.windows7download.com/win7-ecs-p55h-ak-v1-0-marvell-91xx-sata-6g-controller-driver-1-0-0-1039/download-ykhje.html

Most Critical Review

Looks amazing and feels comfortable

Microsoft Sculpt Ergonomic Keyboard for Business (5KV-00001 )
Microsoft Sculpt Ergonomic Keyboard for Business (5KV-00001 )

Pros: Looks freakin amazing and futuristic, yet modernly sleek design. Good size and ergonomic is nice. Built in wrist pad is surprisingly high quality and comfortable as well. Not loud when typing. Lightweight but feels nice and sturdy.

Cons: Takes effort to make sure your hands are in the correct typing position. If you're like me and always having to move your hands on and off the keyboard, it can get annoying. Not sure if this is because of ergonomic layout, or because not all keys are the same size. Might be able to get used to this after awhile though. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it becomes more effortless as I get used to it. Arrow keys are in a terrible position and difficult to locate without effort. Should've spaced them out a bit more away from the rest of the keys. Didn't realize I used these keys so much until using this keyboard with them in such an odd situation. Wireless is not bluetooth. RF interference can quickly become an issue, depending on where you plug in the usb dongle. A keyboard that is this nice and looks this good should have a more reliable connection.

Overall Review: Good keyboard, but could have been amazing.

Decent card if you're not a complete audiophile

ASUS Xonar DG 5.1 Channels 24-bit 96KHz PCI Interface Sound Card
ASUS Xonar DG 5.1 Channels 24-bit 96KHz PCI Interface Sound Card

Pros: Better than the built-in audio on the older intel motherboard (2008 model) I installed it on. Price is good for what you get. Would say its the best sound card in its price range. Never had any issues with drivers either.

Cons: Probably don't need this card unless you are hearing noise on your onboard sound, otherwise it doesn't seem like a huge upgrade. Missing options and sound quality that more expensive cards have.

Overall Review: Only used for 5.1 audio system output.

Huge case

NZXT H630 RB-CA-H630F-M1 Matte Black Steel / Plastic Ultra Tower Silent Computer Case
NZXT H630 RB-CA-H630F-M1 Matte Black Steel / Plastic Ultra Tower Silent Computer Case

Pros: Lots of space in this case to build with. No need to cram. Great modern look. Fit my large Radeon 6990 card (approx 12" length) and didn't have to remove hard drive chassis to do so. No stupid LED lights or windows. Plenty of room and options for cooling fans.

Cons: It's rather large for a computer case, but I had a good idea that it was going to be a big case. Silent case, but not quite as silent as I hoped it would be.

Overall Review: Bought this refurbished and it arrived in original retail packaging. Came with all original documentation and accessories. Case looked brand new. If it weren't for the new tape across the box lid, I wouldn't have been able to tell this was a refurb. If you're debating on getting the refurb, don't hesitate. You'll be glad you saved a few extra bucks.

Solid budget board

MSI FM2-A75MA-E35 FM2 AMD A75 (Hudson D3) USB 3.0 HDMI Micro ATX AMD Motherboard
MSI FM2-A75MA-E35 FM2 AMD A75 (Hudson D3) USB 3.0 HDMI Micro ATX AMD Motherboard

Pros: Used for a budget build and paired with an A4 cpu with discrete graphics. Has held up just fine since building it almost a year ago. Good price for a board that has both sata 6gb and usb 3.0

Cons: None

Overall Review: Budget friendly, especially when paired with an AMD APU.

Good Professional USB Drive

Mushkin Enhanced Ventura Plus 64GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive MKNUFDVS64GB
Mushkin Enhanced Ventura Plus 64GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive MKNUFDVS64GB

Pros: Faster transfers than your typical usb flash drive. Nice solid metal finish. Doesn't feel cheap. Plenty of space for a compact size. I've had good luck with Mushkin products, and this drive is no exception.

Cons: None

Overall Review: Only tested with USB 2.0. Can't wait to get a computer with 3.0 to see how fast this thing can really go.