shipping Holiday Shipping Details & Extended Holiday Returns
cover
William G.

William G.

Joined on 05/26/05

0
0

Product Reviews
product reviews
  • 11
Most Favorable Review

Great case, excellent value

Rosewill CHALLENGER ATX Mid-Tower Gaming PC Computer Case, Expansion Ready: Internal 3.5" Bays & External 5.25" Bays, 3 Pre-installed Fans with Side Fan Mount Option
Rosewill CHALLENGER ATX Mid-Tower Gaming PC Computer Case, Expansion Ready: Internal 3.5" Bays & External 5.25" Bays, 3 Pre-installed Fans with Side Fan Mount Option

Pros: I've owned this case for about 4 years now, and it is hands-down the best case I've ever owned. Very sturdy, solidly built, and I love the idea that the blue fan in the front serves as the power light.

Cons: The only complaint I have about this case is, when I go to clean the bezel in front of the blue lighted fan, the only way to do that effectively was to remove the foam, and that requires bending back the tabs which are part of the mesh. If you do that enough times, the tabs will break off. I suppose the most effective workaround is to provide positive air pressure inside the case (more intake fans than exhaust) which prevents dust build-up to begin with.

Overall Review: I plan on buying another one of these cases for my next build.

Most Critical Review

Eh, could be better

MASSCOOL 8WA743 92mm Long Life CPU Cooler
MASSCOOL 8WA743 92mm Long Life CPU Cooler

Pros: Pair this with Arctic Silver Thermal Compound, and it's decent. It keeps the CPU cool. Once installed (see below), I haven't had to mess with it, other than blowing out the dust bunnies periodically.

Cons: It's pretty loud (in an airflow kind of way) if you have nothing else making noise in the room. Fortunately for me, the TV is nearly always on and other noises are present. It's also pretty big, and I had a little trouble getting it mounted on the CPU and mobo correctly.

Overall Review: I probably won't be buying another one of these on my next build. It's okay for the time being, though.

The best

Arctic Silver 5 High-Density Polysynthetic Silver Thermal Compound AS5-3.5G
Arctic Silver 5 High-Density Polysynthetic Silver Thermal Compound AS5-3.5G

Pros: This is the best thermal compound ever made. I wouldn't use anything else, especially not the stuff that comes with HSF's.

Cons: None

Overall Review: I've been using this stuff for years with no issues.

Best OS for today

Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit

Pros: Everything just works. Microsoft hit the nail on the head for desktop OS's.

Cons: None

Overall Review: A lot of people like to bash Microsoft, but I think they come out with some nifty stuff. I wouldn't go near Windows 8 or 8.1 due to that awful Metro interface, so this is what I use.

Great memory

G.SKILL Trident 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL8D-4GBTD
G.SKILL Trident 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL8D-4GBTD

Pros: This RAM just works, and it works well. No issues.

Cons: The memory timings on the SPD (auto settings) are pretty conservative; recommend going into your BIOS and manually entering the timings and voltage for full speed.

Overall Review: Great performance and value at the right price.

Great PSU

Antec EarthWatts EA-650 GREEN 650W ATX12V v2.4 SLI Ready CrossFire Certified 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply - Intel Haswell Fully Compatible
Antec EarthWatts EA-650 GREEN 650W ATX12V v2.4 SLI Ready CrossFire Certified 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply - Intel Haswell Fully Compatible

Pros: This thing is great! Absolutely no issues. It just works, and it works well. I will definitely buy another for my next build.

Cons: None

Overall Review: Always buy a new power supply with every computer build! PSU's do not last forever, especially if you have a powerful graphics card. Life expectancy of a power supply is 3-5 years.