cover
Zach H.

Zach H.

Joined on 07/04/04

0
0

Product Reviews
product reviews
  • 30
Most Favorable Review

Unsurpassable value

Logitech Harmony 880 Universal Infrared Advanced Remote Control
Logitech Harmony 880 Universal Infrared Advanced Remote Control

Pros: In less than 20 minutes this remote was controlling my Samsung LCD TV, Onkyo receiver, Cable/DVR box, and PopcornHour networked media tank. I have to say that the web configuration interface, hardware quality, ease of setup, and price, make this the second best purchase I have made all year, second only to my PopcornHour that this remote commands. As an added bonus, you can upload new configurations from the Logitech web site to the remote under Linux using an app called Congruity!

Cons: VERY small annoyances from configuration such as lack of ability to assign icons to custom activities and occasional unintelligent selection of devices. However these annoyances all together only detract less than 1% from enjoyment, so my total satisfaction is 99%.

Overall Review: Recertified unit came with remote, li-ion battery, cradle charger, AC adapter, USB cable, installation CD, and quick-start guide, all packed in generic Logitech-branded brown box. Everything was in perfect condition, and even had the plastic peel-off cover on all glossy plastic and screen.

10/27/2008
Most Critical Review
EVGA 256-P2-N564-AX GeForce 7900GT 256MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 SLI Supported Video Card
EVGA 256-P2-N564-AX GeForce 7900GT 256MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 SLI Supported Video Card

Pros: This card performs really well. Overclocked to 610/860 stably and plays Oblivion and Prey for hours absolutely beautifully at 1280x1024

Cons: After 1.5 months the card began artifacting, sometimes locking up the computer (overclocked or stock). eVGA says that this is a KNOWN PROBLEM with this model, due to faulty Samsung memory. It has since been replaced by the N584 model (Infineon memory), and eVGA recommends customers RMA their cards for the newer revision/model. When I went to do this, they told me that they under no circumstances will give an advanced-replacement, even with credit card. http://www.evga.com/community/messageboard/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=17364 ALSO: 'egg lists the card as 520/1520, this model is actually clocked at 500/1500. NewEgg gave me a partial credit when I brought this to their attention. NEWEGG ROCKS!

Overall Review: eVGA has made their way to the top of the graphics card manufacturers, mainly by their excellent customer service and well performing products. However, if they keep decreasing their customer service (no advance-replacement RMAs) I'm not sure what that means for the company. Something to think about when considering their "Lifetime Warranty"

Working in Super Micro X10SDV-TLN4F-O

SAMSUNG 16GB ECC Registered DDR4 2400 (PC4 19200) Memory (Server Memory) Model M393A2K40BB1-CRC
SAMSUNG 16GB ECC Registered DDR4 2400 (PC4 19200) Memory (Server Memory) Model M393A2K40BB1-CRC

Pros: Bought two sticks and working well in a Super Micro X10SDV-TLN4F-O motherboard at 2400MHz. Ran 4 passes of Memtest86, no errors. These modules are also on the compatibility list, which is a plus if you ever need support from Super Micro.

Cons: No heat spreaders, although temperatures stay below 40C even during MemTest so this should not be an issue.

Overall Review: Recommended for use with Super Micro X10 series boards. Be sure to check compatibility list to confirm compatibility with your exact board.

Good VIA C7 CPU heatsink

SilenX IXN-40C Copper Chipset Cooler
SilenX IXN-40C Copper Chipset Cooler

Pros: Good low-profile heatsink for a VIA C7 CPU. Paired with a GELID FN-SX04-42 40mm fan and it is able to cool a 2GHz CPU. Probably would be more than sufficient for your average Northbridge. It looks cool, too.

Cons: The spring mounting mechanism is not the best, luckily this heatsink has spring clip mounting as well.

Overall Review: I cannot comment on the included fan as I did not use it (too tall for Morex 3688B Mini-ITX case).

So far, so good

GELID Solutions Slient 4 FN-SX04-42 40mm Case Fan
GELID Solutions Slient 4 FN-SX04-42 40mm Case Fan

Pros: Used this fan to replace a failed SilenX IXP-11-14 40mm fan cooling a VIA C7 CPU on a SilenX IXN-40C heatsink. Very quiet, and seems to be cooling the 2GHz CPU adequately so far. 3 year manufacturer warranty is nice.

Cons: Does not push much air, but this is to be expected of such a small and quiet fan.

Overall Review: Time will tell how long the fluid dynamic bearings will last. Hopefully for a long time. Also, the cable length is very long (45 cm).

Short lifespan

SilenX IXP-11-14 40mm Case Fan
SilenX IXP-11-14 40mm Case Fan

Pros: Ran for a little over a year as a Via C7 CPU cooler on top of a SilenX IXN-40C heatsink. Very quiet, but does not push much air. Was barely able to cool the 2GHz CPU in a small Mini-ITX case.

Cons: Bearings started making noise and within a couple days it was stopping on its own due to failed bearings, causing the system to shutdown due to CPU overheating.

Overall Review: I changed to a GELID Silent 4 40mm fan with fluid dynamic bearings, time will tell how long it lasts.