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Benoit L.

Benoit L.

Joined on 11/28/03

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Product Reviews
product reviews
  • 8
Most Favorable Review

Works great!

Linksys WRT54GS-RM Wireless-G Broadband Router with SpeedBooster IEEE 802.3/3u, IEEE 802.11b/g
Linksys WRT54GS-RM Wireless-G Broadband Router with SpeedBooster IEEE 802.3/3u, IEEE 802.11b/g

Pros: I have been streaming music with it via wifi constantly for more than 5 hours. Here at work we have several WRT54GLs so I am used to configuring them. This unit (the GS model) is a little different in the config menus, but not much (you input the mac address with a ":" as opposed to "-" for example).

Cons: Refurbished? I don't see that as a con when it comes to Linksys. It came in a sealed box clearly marked as refurbished, with cables and everything. I would buy Linksys refurb any day, it's worth the rebate.

Overall Review: It is not uncommon to have to unplug (reset them) every 2-3 weeks or so (to get full speed back, they tend to get cluttered inside, if you will).

Most Critical Review

Fan did not last

CORSAIR CX Series CX430 430W 80 PLUS BRONZE Active PFC ATX12V & EPS12V Power Supply
CORSAIR CX Series CX430 430W 80 PLUS BRONZE Active PFC ATX12V & EPS12V Power Supply

Pros: Bought this item on 10/13/2016.

Cons: Worked flawlessly until recently. The main power supply cooling fan is now noisy, as if the fan bearings are shot / out of alignment.

Overall Review: The loud noise will stop if I give the computer a good whack. (yes, I know for sure it's the power supply fan)

Blue LEDs!

Asus Certified RT-N16 Multi-Functional Gigabit Wireless N Router w/ Storage, Printer and Media Server IEEE 802.11b/g, IEEE 802.11n Draft
Asus Certified RT-N16 Multi-Functional Gigabit Wireless N Router w/ Storage, Printer and Media Server IEEE 802.11b/g, IEEE 802.11n Draft

Pros: Powered right up. Surf to 192.168.1.1 and set up the basic wizard and you're good to go! Firmware update using the browser is also a breeze and got me running with the latest ASUS firmware version. The web interface to manage the router is slick looking, but it's kind of hard to see where you can click to get more info on things.

Cons: -Had to reset the router using the 10 second-reset-button procedure because the default admin password was not "admin". -The size of it, it's pretty big and not sleek by any means. I am not talking about the 3 antenas, just the main unit size.

Superb board

ASUS P5G43T-M Pro LGA 775 Intel G43 HDMI Micro ATX Intel Motherboard
ASUS P5G43T-M Pro LGA 775 Intel G43 HDMI Micro ATX Intel Motherboard

Pros: Blue heatsink and board looks cool, goes well with black SATA cables and black case. BIOS conservatively set out of the box (IDE sata mode, not AHCI, memory remap setting set to disable which makes sense if you're using the built in video from the get go, but doesn't automatically switch if you're using a dedicated video card) but "just works". Bios update feature is slick (just plug in a USB device with the ROM at startup). Layout is ok, SATA ports all in a row. You'll need a long case fan cable if your fan is located in the back of the case because the connector on the mobo is located in the back of the board. PEG/PCI priority is set out of the box, you do NOT need a video card to enable the onboard video (another reviewer wrote that, just reset your settings using the jumper). Superb audio quality (using quadraphonic analog mode).

Cons: When using a dedicated video card, SATA ports could be annoying since they are in the way. I am using a MSI Geforce 9800GT OC and I did manage to install the card and route my SATA cables around it, but it took some consideration. ATX case pins (power led, power switch, reset etc.) end up being located between the power supply and the dedicated video card, so make sure you connect those 1st, you won't have any room after installing your video card. I/O shield didn't work very well for me, the little springy pins for the ethernet port ended up being outside the case at the end, instead of in. I had to bend them to connect my ethernet cable (didn't feel like disassembling everything and restarting), so watch for that also. If your case fan is in the front of your case, you might need an extension for the 3-wire cable. The pins on the motherboard are kind of far.

Overall Review: I did not really test the onboard HDMI output, I went with a dedicated video card right away. Also, I did not experiment with the overclocking bios options, I am running at default speed. I am sorry to hear about the people that got bad boards. Mine fired right up!

Great cable

Rosewill - HDMI to DVI (24 + 1) Cable - 6 Feet
Rosewill - HDMI to DVI (24 + 1) Cable - 6 Feet

Pros: Great cable for the price. I have this hooked up to a 32" Vizio 1080p LCD TV at 1920*1080 (resolution) and it looks amazing. Very crisp! The video card I am using is an old Leadtek nVidia GeForce 6800 LE (AGP 8X).

Cons: If I have to write something here, it would be that the cable might not be super-sturdy. Where the main cable meets the DVI connector, it's possible to rotate the cable without the DVI part moving. I say buy this cable if you don't intend on moving your screen very often and putting strain on the cable. Like I said, I had to write something in the CON section.

Overall Review: Before hooking up this cable, I was using a VGA cable. There is a difference. You can see it in how sharp the font on my black desktop is now. Very nice.

Great drive so far.

Seagate BarraCuda 7200.10 ST3320620AS 320GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Hard Drive (Perpendicular Recording Technology) Bare Drive
Seagate BarraCuda 7200.10 ST3320620AS 320GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Hard Drive (Perpendicular Recording Technology) Bare Drive

Pros: Great value for the price. Lots of storage space. Jumper to make it SATA150(default) or SATA3. Mine was made in Singapore(not China like other buyers posted). The drive was sealed in a plastic "tray", no static proof bag though. Newegg did a great job of packing this in a box (with bubble-wrap surrounded with packing peanuts). Also, don't forget the great warranty on this product.

Cons: A little vibration was detected from the drive when it was running outside my case. No problem when it is installed in the case though.

Overall Review: The drive runs at 42 degree Celsius at full write-load, and it is stacked on top of 2 other WD hard drives which also runs at around that temp. This drive doesn't seem to run hotter than my other drives. Also, it is "quiet". This drive is not louder than my other older drives, even if S.M.A.R.T. reports that this drive does not have "Automatic Acoustic Management". Please note that I could not verify how fast this drive is. Also I am not using it as a bootable OS drive (yet).