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Brian J.

Brian J.

Joined on 08/21/03

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Product Reviews
product reviews
  • 15
Most Favorable Review

Realize the Dream of a Silent PC

Antec Sonata Series SOLO II Black Aluminum / Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
Antec Sonata Series SOLO II Black Aluminum / Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

Pros: For years I've been dreaming of a silent PC, and this case helped make that dream a reality. The system is 100% inaudible, and only has 3 fans (front intake, CPU cooler, and rear exhaust). It looks beautiful, and feels very well built. I was able to install my power supply without removing the retention bar.

Cons: For the price, there are a few niceties missing, like a front intake fan, being able to store extra screws inside the case, and only having thumbscrews on one of the side panels. Also, I have the case sitting sideways on my desk, and you can see the power LED through the side air intake vents, which is annoying. I really considered subtracting an egg, but I'm so pleased with the lack of noise, that I'll let it slide.

Overall Review: 2012 Silent PC. Completely inaudible. Intel Core i5-3570K CPU Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UD5H Motherboard Sapphire Ultimate Radeon HD 6670 Fanless GPU G.Skill Ripjaws X 2x8GB DDR3 1600 Crucial M4 CT128M4SSD2CCA 128GB SSD Scythe SCMG-3000 CPU Cooler Seasonic SS-460FL 460W Fanless PSU Antec Sonata Series SOLO II Case Scythe SY1225SL12L Case Fan Windows 7 Professional x64

Most Critical Review

FAN IS TOO LOUD!

SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 3870 512MB GDDR4 PCI Express 2.0 x16 CrossFireX Support Graphics Card 100225L
SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 3870 512MB GDDR4 PCI Express 2.0 x16 CrossFireX Support Graphics Card 100225L

Pros: Plays Blu-ray without a hitch. Good price.

Cons: The fan is way too loud. Reminds me of someone using a hair dryer in the room next door. I tried using Riva Tuner to adjust the fan speed, but even at 25% speed it was too loud for my taste.

Overall Review: I'm returning this card and getting item number N82E16814161266 instead.

12/28/2008

Died After 10 Months

SAPPHIRE Ultimate  Radeon HD 6670 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready  Video Card (100326UL)
SAPPHIRE Ultimate Radeon HD 6670 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready Video Card (100326UL)

Pros: Great while it lasted.

Cons: Died after 10 months of use.

Overall Review: In retrospect, the heat in my case may have been a factor. I checked the temps when I installed the card, and I don't remember them being high. But the spare card that's now in my system is running hot (100°C under load), so perhaps this one was too? However, there were never any warnings (reboots, blue screens, etc.) until the day it died. Also, I have subjected other cards to similar temperatures in the past without any issues.

Good Media Center Case, But Expensive

LIAN LI Black Aluminum PC-C33B ATX Media Center / HTPC Case
LIAN LI Black Aluminum PC-C33B ATX Media Center / HTPC Case

Pros: I rebuilt an old PC in this case so it would fit in my media center. I picked this case because it was one of the few cases that would fit in my media center and accommodate a full ATX motherboard. Overall, I'm very satisfied.

Cons: My only complaint is the cost. This is definitely a $100+ case, but $150+ is pushing it. They could have removed the rack mounting hardware or the external 3.5" bracket to reduce the price, since I suspect most people will not use those. The included case fans were not very quiet, which is fine, but for the price paid I feel they should be quieter.

Silent!

Scythe SY1225SL12L Black LED "Slipstream" Case Fan
Scythe SY1225SL12L Black LED "Slipstream" Case Fan

Pros: I bought this for the silence, and it certainly fits the bill. I don't know how much air it's moving, but my temps are adequate (not overclocking though), so it must be moving enough air for my setup.

Cons: A tad expensive, especially since they didn't include an extender for the 3-pin power cable. (They did include a molex adapter though.)

Overall Review: 2012 Silent PC. Completely inaudible. Intel Core i5-3570K CPU Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UD5H Motherboard Sapphire Ultimate Radeon HD 6670 Fanless GPU G.Skill Ripjaws X 2x8GB DDR3 1600 Crucial M4 CT128M4SSD2CCA 128GB SSD Scythe SCMG-3000 CPU Cooler Seasonic SS-460FL 460W Fanless PSU Antec Sonata Series SOLO II Case Scythe SY1225SL12L Case Fan Windows 7 Professional x64

Realize the Dream of a Silent PC

Seasonic SS-460FL2 Active PFC F3, 460W Fanless ATX12V Fanless 80Plus PLATINUM Certified, Modular Power Supply New 4th Gen CPU Certified Haswell Ready
Seasonic SS-460FL2 Active PFC F3, 460W Fanless ATX12V Fanless 80Plus PLATINUM Certified, Modular Power Supply New 4th Gen CPU Certified Haswell Ready

Pros: For years I've dreamed of having a silent PC, and this fanless power supply helped make that dream a reality. I was worried about heat dissipation without a fan, but it's not hot to the touch. I was also worried about quality, but I've been running 24x7 for a month without any problems. This is a top notch product, and I would definitely buy again.

Cons: Expensive. I'm willing to pay extra for quality, but not silly packaging.

Overall Review: 2012 Silent PC. Completely inaudible. Intel Core i5-3570K CPU Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UD5H Motherboard Sapphire Ultimate Radeon HD 6670 Fanless GPU G.Skill Ripjaws X 2x8GB DDR3 1600 Crucial M4 CT128M4SSD2CCA 128GB SSD Scythe SCMG-3000 CPU Cooler Seasonic SS-460FL 460W Fanless PSU Antec Sonata Series SOLO II Case Scythe SY1225SL12L Case Fan Windows 7 Professional x64