Joined on 04/23/02
My Experience With Crucial 128GB SSD
Pros: I purchased this drive to use in a new mini-ITX build. I installed it in a system running Windows 7, 64 bit, with a DFI motherboard (MI P55-T36), and using 8GB of DDR3 SDRAM, along with other hardware. The drive came with firmware 1819 pre-installed. Windows and the the rest of the system recognized the drive with no issues. The drive has been very fast from the start. For example, installing Windows 7 took about 10-12 minutes. My boot times are about 20 seconds, and my programs launch almost immediately. Because I followd the comments on the Crucial users's forum, I updated the firmware 1819 that came with the drive. I installed the latest firmware 1918. This firmware is necessary to address a decrease in performance over time that some, but not all, users have reported experiencing. I expeienced no such issues, but I installed it anyway, just to make sure I'm up-to-date with this problem. This Crucial SSD drive continues to perform properly.
Cons: Pricey
Overall Review: To install the latest firmware (1918), you need an IDE option in your computer's BIOS. Even if you do (have and enable IDE), some people have had trouble getting the firmware installed. If you get it installed, then user's opinions tend to vary between no noticable difference in performance, to much better, depending on how you were affected by the previous firmware. If you had the previous 1819 firmware running with Trim, and had no performance problems, then installing 1918 won't make much difference. If you had the older 1571 firmware installed, then you likely didn't have the performance problems, but neither did you have anything to stop the write speed degrading over time, so installing the 1918 firmware will give you Trim and GC (Garbage Collection) for the purpose of preventing degrading performance over time. If you had the previous 1819 firmware installed, and were suffering from the performance bug, then installing 1918 will eliminate the problem. (Per Crucial)
Hard Drive Adapter Cable Means No Case Needed
Pros: You no longer need a case to hold an external SSD hard drive. You just connect this adapter cable directly to your SSD and then plug it into the USB port. I use an external SSD to hold system backups Easy Peasy.
Cons: No cons
Overall Review: Yes, I recommend this cable to others.
A Nice Small Case
Pros: If you need or prefer a small case, take a look at this. Perfect for those that are looking for something small to meet their needs.
Cons: Nothing wrong with this. It's small, just what I was looking for.
Overall Review: Sure, if it's small that you want, I recommend this as a good option.
A Wiser Consumer
Pros: This is a very good wireless module. I've always had good luck with the Intel brand.
Cons: My motherboard specifies to use a M.2 type Wi-Fi module. I purchased this card, but it's not made to fit a M.2 type socket. I made a mistake. I didn't know what to look for in a Wi-Fi module to ensure it's made for M.2 slot. You have to understand (I didn't) the specs to know what you're buying and looking at, and that's where I went wrong. Confusing! The bigger problem is that none of the sites I looked at specify whether the Wi-Fi cards displayed fit a M.2 type socket. This fact is a bit mind-boggling. If all those numbers shown in the descriptions for the cards displayed mean that they fit a M.2 socket or not, is a mystery to me. Why not just specify whether it fits a M.2 slot (or not)? Even so, I'm using this Wi-Fi card in another computer with a non-M.2 slot. I'm happy anyway. You gotta know what you're doing. A wiser consumer,
Overall Review: Of course I recommend this module to others. It's a fine product. Make sure it fits your card slot.
A Wiser Consumer
Pros: This is a nice and well made antenna kit.
Cons: My motherboard specifies to use a M.2 type Wli-Fi module. The module I purchased included neither the 2 antennas needed nor the wires to connect them to the module. Therefore, I bought this antenna kit, which included 2 antennas and the wires to connect them to a Wi-Fi module. At the time, I didn't know there are two nearly-identical standards for Wi-Fi antennas. The wires that came with this antenna kit didn't fit the connections on the M.2 Wi-Fi card. They fit only non-M.2 cards. The antennas themselves in the kit work with either type wire standard, however. Thus, all I lacked were two wires that fit the M.2 Wi-Fi module I bought. Confusing! You have to understand (I didn't) the specs to know what you're buying, because the two types of connecters are not interchangeable. The connections on a M.2 Wi-Fi card are much smaller than those on non-M.2 cards. Who knew? The wires with the smaler connectors that fit the newer M.2 cards are called MHF-4 connectors, and that's where I went wrong. The bigger problem is that none of the sites I looked at specify what standard they're using with their antenna kits. This fact is a bit mind-boggling. I found and purchased the correct MHF-4 wires elsewhere. The wires work with the two antennas that came with this kit.hat you're doing. A wiser consumer, Fred
Overall Review: This is a very fine antenna kit, but it's not compatible with M.2 modules, because of the wires (not MHF-4 type).
Cooler Fits mini-ITX System
Pros: I installed this CPU cooler on an ASRock H77M-ITX (mini-ITX) motherboard, within a Foxconn RM-224 mini-ITX case. The cooler and fan allowed room to install a Power Color HD-7750 low profile video card in the PCIe slot. Despite the tight quarters, there is sufficient clearance for all hardware items to function properly. This CPU cooler doesn't interfere with the RAM modules or with anything else. Very nice and perfect! Did I mention that it cools very well?
Cons: There are no cons in my situation.
Overall Review: Nothing comes to mind.
Purchase of an SSD
The purchase went without incident. It's just an ordinary SSD, and like all SSD hard drives, it works just fine. Nothing more needs to be said. Fred
Not Enough Power
I installed the Yeston RX-560 graphics card in the PCI-Express slot on an ASRock B550M-ITX/ac motherboard. The card wouldn't start. The monitor displayed a message: "No Signal." I determined that the card was not receiving enough power from the PCIe slot to work. It's supposed to work without additional power connection, as the card has no connection for additional power. I have a Yeston RX-550 card installed on a different computer with the same ASRock motherboard. That RX-550 card works properly using only the power from the PCIe slot. I will not buy a RX-550 card to use, in place of the RX-560 card. Wish me luck. Fred
Good Experience
I received all items timely. They were all as described and in good working order.