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David T.

David T.

Joined on 01/05/02

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Product Reviews
product reviews
  • 14
Most Favorable Review

Hard to beat this cooler for higher-midrange applications

DEEPCOOL GAMMAXX 300-CPU Cooler 3 Direct Contact Heat Pipes 120mm PWM Silent Fan (AM4 Compatible)
DEEPCOOL GAMMAXX 300-CPU Cooler 3 Direct Contact Heat Pipes 120mm PWM Silent Fan (AM4 Compatible)

Pros: It fits like a glove - A lot of coolers block RAM slots, etc. This its right along side the RAM in two systems I installed them in Nice fan - Fan is bigger than you'd think for a 120 MM, it's thicker, and has a tapered duct which improves airflow over the cooler No need to pull MB - ok I'm lazy, but this was a nice one for me, the AMD mounts do not require removing the motherboard Nice machining on the base/tubes - Fit and finish do count when it comes to contact surfaces Helps keep case cooler too - This vents right at the rear case fan and works like a push/pull. Seems the whole case ventilates better Keeps RAM cool too - The fan sits right next to the first RAM slot, and pulls air across the RAM very nicely Price - got it on sale with a rebate (crossing fingers that goes smoothly

Cons: It is big - while it fit both systems I put it in. It did not leave a lot of excess space. I would not be surprised if some people have space issues. Does pull on the MB a bit - it's not too heavy for its size, and does not use a back plate. For me that was a plus (see above laziness), but if you transport the PC much you might have issues. Not quite enough for a big overclock - If you're looking for more much of an overclock you're probably looking at liquid cooling anyway right?

Overall Review: I put this in two FM2 based systems one with an a8 and one a10 @4.4GHz. Both ran hot on stock cooling. The a8 would lock up if the stock cooler got more than the tiniest amount of dust, and had been running case open to stay stable. The a10 was more stable despite the higher clock, but would have issues during video encoding if it was warmer, or clock raised a little. Both have been totally stable and much cooler since the upgrade. The a10 went through prime 95 and would not go above 48c the a8 was similar. Idle is around 30c for both (it's cool in the house, but this is still like 2c over case temp).

Most Critical Review

Don't count on rebates from COOLMAX

COOLMAX V-500 500 W ATX12V Non-Modular Power Supply
COOLMAX V-500 500 W ATX12V Non-Modular Power Supply

Pros: Decent PSU very stable for me, and does a good job of helping to cool my system. That said my rig doesn't have terribly high power demands so may be a different in one that does.

Cons: Like many other people in leaving feedback on this I thought I would be getting a good deal with the rebate. Unfortunately CoolMax seems to think they do not need to honor them. Actually had the nerve to state that I didn't include the serial number, which I did. Without the rebate the drive isn't worth the cost IMHO. NewEgg should step up and work with CoolMax about how they are treating NewEgg customers.

Overall Review: Just don't get it. You WON'T get the rebate and with out that it's not a good deal.

Ok, but definitely cheap

TP-Link 5 Port Gigabit Ethernet Network Switch | Plug and Play | Desktop or Wall-Mount | Plastic Case Ethernet Splitter | Fanless | Traffic Optimization | Unmanaged (TL-SG1005D)
TP-Link 5 Port Gigabit Ethernet Network Switch | Plug and Play | Desktop or Wall-Mount | Plastic Case Ethernet Splitter | Fanless | Traffic Optimization | Unmanaged (TL-SG1005D)

Pros: Worked reliably, decent performance

Cons: Not built to last. Worked reliably for about 3.5-4 yrs, now is flaking out. Seems to have started after a power outage. We used to see this on PC's in the call center at work. The caps leak and dry out in the PSU's. They continue to work while powered up but then fail the first time power is cut for more than a sec or so. Probably not worth tearing it apart to confirm.

Overall Review: Been using TP link for some cheaper hardware in limited scenarios. Guess I'll stop that.

11/22/2018

Great router so far

BUFFALO AirStation HighPower N600 Gigabit Simultaneous Dual Band DD-WRT Wireless Router - WZR-600DHP
BUFFALO AirStation HighPower N600 Gigabit Simultaneous Dual Band DD-WRT Wireless Router - WZR-600DHP

Pros: DD-WRT support, Gig-E, Dual band, signal is great, even has USB for storage/printer. There are some routers with similar features for less, but this was no hassle to flash, is well made comes with stand/wall mount, and the hardware transmitter and antenna amps make this an excellent option if you need range, or as in my case, have a lot of noise from nearby routers and just need the added power to improve the S/N ratio.

Cons: Not AC but I knew that

Overall Review: I have been running DD-WRT for a while on WRT54G family of routers, and knowing this had full support and even a manufacturer supplied version of DD-WRT was nice to know. The provided DD-WRT firmware had all the usual bells and whistles and didn't look to be stripped out, but from looking around I found that some owners had reported disabling WPS does not actually disable WPS in that firmware (a fairly common issue on routers). So I flashed to a recent community build and have been very happy with it so far. Flashing is as simple as flashing any other router which is already running open source firmware.

Not too fancy, but seems good

TP-LINK TL-WR340G Wireless G Router IEEE 802.3/3u, IEEE 802.11b/g Manufacturer Recertified
TP-LINK TL-WR340G Wireless G Router IEEE 802.3/3u, IEEE 802.11b/g Manufacturer Recertified

Pros: Price - Lets face it, it's a factor, more so if it is a secondary router/AP or as in my case a router for a family member with minimal needs. Size/design - Small, but has external antennas UI - Shows much more advanced features than I would normally expect in such an entry level device, would probably be good for some users needing more advanced features.

Cons: None so far

Ok case, but some issues

Rosewill ATX Mid Tower Computer Case, Blue LED Fan, Black Steel & Plastic - BLACKBONE
Rosewill ATX Mid Tower Computer Case, Blue LED Fan, Black Steel & Plastic - BLACKBONE

Pros: Roomy, black finish throughout down to screws and clips, front HD audio, and big quite fans. Power, Reset, USB, eSATA, and HD audio all up nice and high. The Rosewill brand has some nice quality. I got this after using a similar case for a build for my parents. It comes with everything you would expect and room for more fans if you have an overclocked beast to cool.

Cons: Odd design for the corners/edges. It is not a bad weight of steel, but somewhat more flimsy due to how the edges are around the screw holes. I mainly notice as mine had been dropped. Seems to have been at the factory as the outer box was fine. Unfortunately the damage was on the side the MOBO screws to and I didn't notice until I went to pull it off to secure the HDD and DVD drives. so I just bent it back as best as I could. Other con would be the USB hub is USB2, missed that in the description, or I might have looked for another.

Overall Review: Still not bad for the money.