cover
Jason M.

Jason M.

Joined on 03/13/01

0
0

Product Reviews
product reviews
  • 3
Most Favorable Review

Cools like a champ. Best option next to liquid loop

ZALMAN CNPS9900MAX-R 135mm Long life bearing CPU Cooler Red LED
ZALMAN CNPS9900MAX-R 135mm Long life bearing CPU Cooler Red LED

Pros: Keeps a ~4GHz clocked i7-4770K (with Céramique™ 2 TIM) idling @ ~30C and ~54C after full load for hours. I expect this will improve too as the TIM bakes in. Currently on day two of my typical seven day bake in. Since it is not a liquid loop system, no risk of leaks. Infinite stars for this... Given the dimensions and mass of this unit, installation was quite easy. I've installed many aftermarket coolers that were 100x harder and felt less secure. This unit mounts very securely and after seven days of thermal cycling (in a CPU relative horizontal position to ensure good TIM distribution), I will have no worries setting my chassis upright. The mounting system is secure and distributes load very well. The fan is fantastic (gosh that is a bad pun) ... at idle and normal workload it is effectively silent. At full load it becomes audible but not annoyingly so. Once the load is removed, CPU temp and fans speed drops RAPIDLY back to idle condition. Very impressed by the thermal soak and dissipation capability of this cooler. Oh, and the looks. I have an MSI mobo with a black & red theme and this cooler is such a perfect match. Visually I could not be happier.

Cons: Zero, none and nada.

Overall Review: Measure HxWxD first and be aware this thing is heavy. Trust the mounting system. Enjoy the amazing feels.

Most Critical Review

Nice idea in theory, poor execution

Ceton Echo – Windows Media Center Extender Watch Live & Recorded TV/HDTV Access Personal Media Libraries on Any TV on Home Network, HDMI Interface, Remote Included
Ceton Echo – Windows Media Center Extender Watch Live & Recorded TV/HDTV Access Personal Media Libraries on Any TV on Home Network, HDMI Interface, Remote Included

Pros: Small, low power consumption, Ceton tech support. Works within the bounds of my expectations.

Cons: First device was DOA (solved by Ceton tech support). Second device is kind of slow. Remote is AWFUL! Buttons are confusing, in poor locations and difficult to press on first try.

Overall Review: Bought item from NewEgg Flash, arrived effectively DOA. Would get stuck in boot-loop / auto-recovery hang. Contacted Ceton support who quickly determined the device was indeed having some hardware issue. They promptly provided a no-cost RMA. I could not be happier with their tech support, but I do not envy their job as it seems they are often dealing with this sort of issue. The device itself is OK. Kind of slow to respond to commands but I think that depends greatly on link quality between the device and PC hosting Windows Media Center. Ideally the Echo and WMC PC will have a good quality gigabit link between them. The remote is AWFUL, AWFUL, AWFUL ... buttons suck, range and response suck ... the remote really detracts from what could be a very nice package. Given all of the issues, I think the Echo is very overpriced. My satisfaction per dollar spent is not high. I would have trouble recommending to a friend the current Echo package mainly due to the remote. Yes, decent WMC remotes can be had aftermarket but that really shouldn't have to be the case with a device at this price point. Two stars for the device and added one star for outstanding Ceton tech support. I had really hoped this would beat my expectations so that I could give 4 or 5 stars, but that is just not possible given my experience.

Can't wait to get these fired up!

Klipsch Synergy F-20 Premium Dual 6.5" Floor-standing Speaker Single
Klipsch Synergy F-20 Premium Dual 6.5" Floor-standing Speaker Single

Pros: Got a pair on Black Friday for less than four hundred bucks!!! Even if they are not the best Klipsch model I still got a heck of a deal. They will fit perfectly (visually and acoustically) with my already hodgepodge system. They've not even shipped and I'm giving them five stars, no possible con could knock off a star.

Cons: They weren't free!

11/24/2012