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Godwin O.

Godwin O.

Joined on 02/11/06

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Product Reviews
product reviews
  • 13
Most Favorable Review

Nice little chip

Intel 7260HMW IEEE 802.11AC, dual-band, 2x2 Wi-Fi plus Bluetooth 4.0 Mini PCI Express combo Adapter - 867 Mbps+300Mbps - Internal
Intel 7260HMW IEEE 802.11AC, dual-band, 2x2 Wi-Fi plus Bluetooth 4.0 Mini PCI Express combo Adapter - 867 Mbps+300Mbps - Internal

Pros: I got this chip for my ASUS Gene. It fits in the daughterboard. Most folks will probably get a device like this for their laptop, as desktops don't usually come equipped with the right interface. I haven't benched it for latency but my websites come up right snappy. Now I know my computer will also be able to talk to bluetooth devices when needed.

Cons: This is barely a con, but it does not come with antennae. This is really not worth an egg as most laptops have antennae built in and the terminals are right where they need to be. Also, it does not come with drivers so you will have to go to the Intel website and hunt for them. Comes pretty close to minus an egg.

Overall Review: Came in a great big box, bout the size of a loaf of bread. Got to the bottom, found the invoice, was like "so that's what is supposed to be in here. Hmm." Searched, and for about 3 seconds I was like "WHERE IS IT?!" Ha ha, very funny NewEgg. I found it tho. Since I have a desktop, I anticipated the need for antennae and ordered some. Worked like a charm.

12/29/2013
Most Critical Review

Pretty on the outside

BitFenix Phenom M BFC-PHM-300-WWXKK-RP Arctic White Steel / Plastic Micro ATX Mini Tower Computer Case
BitFenix Phenom M BFC-PHM-300-WWXKK-RP Arctic White Steel / Plastic Micro ATX Mini Tower Computer Case

Pros: -Sleek look -Solid construction -Thumbscrews in many places -Lots of extra screws -An abundance of air flow options -An abundance of space for drives.

Cons: Hard to work with, optical drive blocked are worth subtractions of eggs. This case is a re-imagination of case design, which would be cool if it remained practical. If you want to access an optical drive in this case system, you're going to have to remove the front bezel to do so. But wait, to remove the front bezel, you must first remove both side panels! One of the side panels has wires attached to various points inside your case, so you have to be careful! Upside-down construction was a bit goofy, Whereas normally I'd be building it in my sleep, I needed to use the manual. -The wire management options are few, as the case hugs the mobo, there aren't holes and grommets for the cords come around from the back like there are in, say, the 350D. The wire managed pic is a fiction. This isn't worth an egg, because no window, but don't expect a clean wire managed build. Not fun to have to open this puppy up.

Overall Review: I wanted to buy a cute little case with a little expandability. I got a fairly chunky case that was both complicated to build and had zero wire management. Also the Softouch material looks like it will absorb rather than repel abuse from the kids, I wonder if washable markers might leave indelible marks in it -- guess we'll see. I just really admire what BitFenix had done, but this case has turned out to be a bit of a compromise between beauty and praticality. It is a gorgeous case and we pretty much placed it where it can be displayed. You could still make this an HTPC, but just remember you will need an external optical drive OR leave the front Bezel off all the time. I guess the flexcage is sold separately.

Not perfect

Rosewill RHMS-11003 - Dual Tilt-Arm Desk Mount for 13" - 27" LCD / LED Monitors
Rosewill RHMS-11003 - Dual Tilt-Arm Desk Mount for 13" - 27" LCD / LED Monitors

Pros: Price Solid construction of arms, mounting plates.

Cons: The C clamp that holds the main column has a handy lever-torqued bolt. However, the lever spun freely and I needed to use a screwdriver to actually tighten the clamp. However, the threading for the bolt was quickly messed up in the process, and then I had to resort to an impact drill. Now, the bolt is threaded properly and tightened, and I dare not adjust it further.

Overall Review: For the price, it's excellent. I wonder if others might encounter the same issue with the C-Clamp. The mounting clamp that attaches to my desk was also fairly middling, but at least it works.

Budget solution, check

ASUS M5A78L-M/USB3 AM3+ AMD 760G + SB710 USB 3.0 HDMI uATX AMD Motherboard
ASUS M5A78L-M/USB3 AM3+ AMD 760G + SB710 USB 3.0 HDMI uATX AMD Motherboard

Pros: Price - Unfortunately I installed Windows 8.1 on the system, a fully custom build. But, perhaps as a consolation, all drivers automatically installed upon OS installation! I thought that was fairly nifty. The CD that came with it was only for Windows 7 and I didn't need to use it. Plenty of video output options Lots of RAM slots 3 USB2 headers on PCB

Cons: I assumed this board would have my minimums, but didn't realize or care when I selected it that it had -Only two fan headers (CPU and chassis) -No USB3 header on the PCB. -Not many USB ports on the back of the motherboard.

Overall Review: Got this board for my wife's build, because I have no plans on overclocking. To complete this build, I bought a 4 port USB 2 array that fits into an expansion slot of my case, and a splitter for the 3 pin chassis header so that I could power both chassis fans. Essentially, this added $12 to the cost of the system so that it would meet my minimum requirements. Even so, if you have a case that has USB 3 ports on the front, and you want them to function as such, this mobo would not be a good choice. It does have an adapter so that you can use them as blue USB 2 ports.

Almost Perfect

ASUS DirectCU II Radeon R9 270X 2GB GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 CrossFireX Support Graphics Card R9270X-DC2T-2GD5
ASUS DirectCU II Radeon R9 270X 2GB GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 CrossFireX Support Graphics Card R9270X-DC2T-2GD5

Pros: Excellent Cooling -- even maxed out, gaming never goes above 66 C. Heat pipes also look good, and the black PCB looks tight. Good Software -- Allows fine tuning of overclocks, includes basic drivers This is definitely the sweet spot for 1080p gaming, and at the current price point, I'd jump at it.

Cons: Bought this card at $299. No Iron Egg guarantee, the price fell out not a week later. Boo hoo, I knew I was risking that when I picked AMD amid the cryptocurrency wave/fad/whatever. Also, the software includes an automatic firmware update app, but when I ran it, it failed to flash the card and said "failed." I don't like failed, and it didn't even say why, so I am probably going to have to consult ASUS tech support...

Overall Review: Overclocked this puppy for a couple of games, hit average of 80 FPS on "High" in Bioshock Infinite, 61 avg in Saints Row IV. GPU clock stable at 1220 MHz. ASUS annoyingly prompted me to register the card after a week. I dismissed the notice a few times, but eventually I did it. Cool, it auto-populated the serial number and specs into the registration window. Also if you have a big window on your case and a water cooler or otherwise no obstructions, you should be able to read the serial off the PCB without opening the computer case, as was the case with me. So cool.

A big little case

Corsair Obsidian Series 350D CC-9011029-WW Black Aluminum / Steel MicroATX Case with Window
Corsair Obsidian Series 350D CC-9011029-WW Black Aluminum / Steel MicroATX Case with Window

Pros: Put it to you this way. People are dropping GTX 780's, 4770k's, and all sorts of top of the line gear into this humble looking case. The reason for this is because it is the best MicroATX case out there. The airflow is great, and will accomodate an SLI or crossfire installation of some LONG graphics cards. I verified I could stuff two GTX 770 HOFs into mine. What's more? Room for two 240mm radiators? Check. This case is very easy to work with, actually it is a pleasure to tinker with. The thumbscrews and snaps mean that you almost never need to resort to tools for most jobs (the back panel covers have thumbscrews too, but they were shipped too tight to unscrew without a screwdriver). Of course, you can buy your own thumbscrews, but you can't get a case that is this well developed at this price point.

Cons: So you decided to go small and make a MicroATX build? Fact is, Corsair cannot violate physical laws. If you want to put a long GPU into a case, the case will have to be longer than the GPU. Space for wire management or a crazy air cooled radiator also means the case has to be wide. Don't expect space savings from this case unless you have some kind of full tower or custom rig.

Overall Review: Unlike the video with Joanne, I find the front plate pops off quite easily. Sometimes it unsnaps while I am grasping the case it to turn it around, lay it on its side, etc. while working on it. Also call me dumb, it took me a good minute or two of hunting to find the power and reset button. The side of the case is glossy, when taking photos you tend to get yourself pictured in the glare unless you just go ahead and take off the side.