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Michael R.

Michael R.

Joined on 12/09/08

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Product Reviews
product reviews
  • 6
Most Favorable Review

Great for the price

ASRock 960GM/U3S3 FX 95W Socket AM3+ AMD 760G + SB710 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Micro ATX AMD Motherboard
ASRock 960GM/U3S3 FX 95W Socket AM3+ AMD 760G + SB710 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Micro ATX AMD Motherboard

Pros: Excellent price for the features. Some of the included utilities are nifty and useful. Put in a SATA III SSD, a FX4170, and 8GB RAM: no problems and great performance without over-clocking.

Cons: The usual problems with out-dated drivers, driver conflicts, etc., during build, but was able to resolve all issues in one afternoon. Configuring SSD in BIOS was confusing. Also pay close attention to the graphics card you plan to use, as you may encounter problems with the heatsink and caps that are near the PCIE slot.

Overall Review: BIOS sets some unusual speeds and auto settings for the CPU and RAM (I don't over-clock). I had to set the speeds for my RAM and CPU manually, but that really wasn't a big issue. Just keep it in mind if you're not wanting to void any warranties. Overall, the build went more smoothly than most. I've had the board for 3 months now, and considering the price, it was well worth it.

Most Critical Review

Decent

Rosewill R218-P-BK Black SECC Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
Rosewill R218-P-BK Black SECC Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

Pros: Cheap. Free shipping. Looks decent, lots of room, front panel USB and audio, side vent, 1 case fan included. I didn't have a problem with the stand-offs. The 3 stand-offs seem to be included for micro ATX installs. For ATX you will most likely be using the stand-offs pre-stamped into the tray.

Cons: Cheap construction. Stamped, thin metal with rivets. I got several cuts and scrapes no matter how cautious I was. Case is easily warped, all 4 feet on the bottom of the case will not sit level. HDD and Power LEDs on front of case are so dim, they're nearly impossible to see. I think I might've given this case 3 eggs if it weren't for all the cuts I got.

Overall Review: I would not recommend this case for system builders, and I would definitely not purchase this case again. This was just for my kids, and I only had to fight with the case during install. Once everything was done, the case and components were fine, and hopefully I won't have to fool with it for a while. I put a Rosewill RFA-120-RL fan in front and my kids think it looks pretty cool. The included fan was more quiet than I thought it would be, more quiet than the CPU fan, anyways.

Good

Rosewill RD450S, 80 PLUS Certified 450 W Power Supply
Rosewill RD450S, 80 PLUS Certified 450 W Power Supply

Pros: Got it when it was $35. Good PSU for that price. I used it in a budget build and it has been running for 4 months under pretty constant use with no issues. Cables were actually long enough.

Cons: None.

Overall Review: Make sure you know what you're getting, before you buy. It is not modular, and it's not the most effecient PSU. Heat is average, maybe slightly better than other PSUs in it's price range.

Great

AMD FX-4170 - FX-Series Zambezi Quad-Core 4.2GHz (4.3GHz Turbo) Socket AM3+ 125W Desktop Processor - FD4170FRGUBOX
AMD FX-4170 - FX-Series Zambezi Quad-Core 4.2GHz (4.3GHz Turbo) Socket AM3+ 125W Desktop Processor - FD4170FRGUBOX

Pros: Fast and affordable. I hadn't purchased an AMD chip in a long time, but decided to give an FX a try. So glad I did. I don't overclock, and it still runs everything great. Photoshop, Painter, video editing, even MC server. Runs any game I've thrown at it. Got it during the sale, so it was well worth the price.

Cons: Runs hot, even without OC. Aftermarket fan is a must. I even installed an extra fan in my case. I'm worried about how long it will last.

Overall Review: Many people trying to compare AMD FX series to Intel cores. This chip is NOT an i5, but for what you get, it's way more cost-effective than a comparable Intel CPU. I've been running it for 3 months now on a budget build (ASRock 960GM/U3S3 w/ GTX550Ti and 8GB RAM). Still runs a little hot, but I haven't seen any negative effects.

Antec 92mm

Antec TriCool92mm 92mm 3-Speed Case Fan
Antec TriCool92mm 92mm 3-Speed Case Fan

Pros: Cheap. Free shipping. Feels like it moves more air than advertised.

Cons: It's not silent, but it's more quiet than I thought it would be.

Overall Review: I've been running it at 2000-2200 for about a week now. No problems and it's more quiet than my CPU fan. Considering the price, it was worth it.

Great

Rosewill Computer Case Fan, 120mm, LP4 Adapter, 3 /4 Pin Connector, Red Frame, 4 Red LED Lights, Sleeve Bearing, Silent - RFA-120-RL
Rosewill Computer Case Fan, 120mm, LP4 Adapter, 3 /4 Pin Connector, Red Frame, 4 Red LED Lights, Sleeve Bearing, Silent - RFA-120-RL

Pros: Cheap. Free shipping. Moves higher than average amount of air for its size and price range. My kids love the red lights and think I'm Cool Dad, so that makes me happy.

Cons: None.

Overall Review: Yes, its a little loud, but I've found it to be no more or less than my more expensive sleeve fans. Given the fact that they're less expensive, I'll probably buy more of these.