Joined on 11/23/12
Best 2015 gaming monitor
Pros: - 144Hz, 2560x1440, 27" GSync anti-tearing technology combined. - Good color rendition (I'm getting >sRGB settings, 1000:1 contrast ration and a delta-E <1.7 across the luminance range once calibrated). - Semi-matte screen to reduce glare - No dead pixels detected - No noticeable ghosting or blur with recommended settings.
Cons: - I'm assuming I'm seeing what's called "IPS Glow" with dark backgrounds. Looking at things a little off-axis (i.e. the corners when sitting close to such a large screen) it looks "shiny". I wish it had truer blacks. - My monitor does have backlight bleed, more so in the bottom right corner where the controls are. From looking online, this is typical. - Single Displayport connection only. It's a known limitation of GSync. Active Adapters are rare for this application, but I haven't tried to see if the GSync module will process HDMI signalling over DisplayPort (likely not). - Default brightness settings out of the box are WAY too high. Mine is currently at 27 (+ appropriate color scaling) to achieve 120cd/m2 - No upward scaling on color beyond setting ~52. Results in RGB color clipping - It's expensive, but you're paying for something that has no equivalent on the market.
Overall Review: Overall, I really like the monitor. For gaming, it is EXCELLENT. For photo editing, it's also EXCELLENT once calibrated. However, I do find the backlight bleed and the "IPS Glow" shininess to be distracting when watching movies. But for normal desktop things, it's great. People will say that for the money the quality should be better. I've resigned myself to really see this as a $450 panel, but with the extra engineering time + GSync scaler cost added to make it actually useful for gaming.
Pros: I ordered two of these for existing 5400rpm drives. Both of the enclosures are nice, use standard Micro-B connectors and the drives don't rattle inside.
Cons: However, one of the drives would just stop after 1-2 seconds of file transfer. I finally determined the problem was a bad USB cable as supplied with the drive. Used other cables with no problems.
Works well
Pros: - Very small - Uses standard reference CSR Harmony drivers with no aftermarket modifications - Has connected every device I've tried (Nexus 7 2012, Nexus 7 2013, Moto X, 2 keyboards) - Can set profiles and names for each device. - Good range (see Other below for details) - Blinking LED when powered.
Cons: - Will not restart Bluetooth driver interface when device it hot-plugged. If I move the adapter, the Bluetooth icon disappears until I reboot. - CSR drivers have little documentation as to what all the terms mean. - Must set a profile for a tablet first, before you can "connect" after pairing. Not documented. - Not a real user friendly install. It's not "guided" to show you how to keep the adapter powered when the PC is in standby, or how to go about pairing something. "Not for noobs".
Overall Review: Originally, the range on the adapter was awful. Even with my whole house WiFi turned off to eliminate interference, the range was pitiful at 6-8 feet. This was too short for HTPC use. On a friend's whim, I plugged in the adapter to a 6 foot USB extension cable and moved it away from the PC chassis. Now, the range is close to the advertised 30 feet! In short, for keyboards and mice <3 feet away, there should be no problems. For using this at extended range, the USB extension cable did the trick.
Excellent keyboard for HTPC
Pros: - Essentially a laptop keyboard and touchpad. - Almost full size. - Uses no drivers (Microsoft default) - Had Android keys. - Excellent range (see notes below). - Touchpad is mutlitouch to enable use of gestures
Cons: - The touchpad uses Microsoft default driver. These drivers have no customization, so you end up with all the Windows 8.1 gestures enabled whether you want them or not. I was accidentally swiping in the charms bar all the time. - No backlight (knew this going into it)
Overall Review: Originally I thought the range on the keyboard was very poor for HTPC use. Sitting on my sofa, 12 feet away, with the keyboard on my knees, it would not register any movement. It turned out to be excessive interference with my Bluetooth Dongle (AZIO). I added a 6 foot USB extension to the Dongle and placed it away from the PC. Voila! All range issues disappeared. The keyboard now works as far as 30 feet away. These range issues were also not present with my laptop or tablet/phone, only with the USB device. I do wish there was some customization software for Windows that could turn on/off various gestures. Overall I'm very happy with this nearly full size keyboard over my older, less functional and cramped Logitech diNovo mini that has various connection issues.
Cheap, but functional
Pros: I now have 3 of these drives performing backup duties. Fundamentally, they work at USB 3.0 speeds and are very cheap.
Cons: You do get what you pay for. The mechanical aspects of this case are poor. There are a lot of sharp edges. Not everything lines up. Dropping a hard drive into the chassis won't work as the internal SATA connector won't line up. All the screws need to be loosened to get things to line up. In a word "fiddly". One case was received with the front mesh grill bent slightly (resolved easily). One case had the screws holding the PC Board down VERY tight.
Needs dirver and firmware update
Pros: Once updated I get USB 3.0 speeds. Easy install.
Cons: Initial install produced only 30MB/s transfers (nearly USB 2.0 speeds). Required firmware and driver update to get to USB 3.0 speeds. Found updates on Silverstone's website here: http://www.silverstonetek.com/product.php?pid=364&area=en#tab5