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Christopher M.

Christopher M.

Joined on 04/21/09

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Product Reviews
product reviews
  • 7
Most Favorable Review

Fantastic bang for your buck!!

EVGA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti SSC GAMING ACX 3.0, 04G-P4-6255-KR, 4GB GDDR5, DX12 OSD Support (PXOC)
EVGA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti SSC GAMING ACX 3.0, 04G-P4-6255-KR, 4GB GDDR5, DX12 OSD Support (PXOC)

Pros: - No PCIe Power required - Fantastic performance for the money - Low Power Consumption - Mine boosted to 1800 MHz core clock

Cons: - EVGA Precision XOC requires signing up with email in order to download/use.

Overall Review: Overall, this is a great card especially if you're upgrading an OEM system such as a Dell, HP, etc... While I did find it to be a pain to fork over an email address in order to customize the fan curve, overclock, etc... I can look past it for the price and performance of this card. Well worth the extra money to get the SSC version!

Solid Cooler When it's on Sale

PCCOOLER CORONA GI-X3B CPU Cooler with 120mm PWM Fan  SilentPro Blades design with Corona  LED Frame
PCCOOLER CORONA GI-X3B CPU Cooler with 120mm PWM Fan SilentPro Blades design with Corona LED Frame

Pros: - Easy to install the motherboard mount. - Cheap. I bought it on sale for $16.99. - Acceptable cooling for it's price, size, and noise level. - Well implemented neutral white LED lighting if you're in to that sort of thing.

Cons: - Attaching the cooler to the mount felt a bit stiff, like I was going to break something. - The thermal paste it comes with is trash. I gave it a shot but dropped 10c when I put on some Cryorig CP7. - When it's not on sale, it makes more sense to get PCCooler's next model up, the GI-X5R for $4 more.

Overall Review: I bought this for a little project and it suits my needs quite well. Here's some testing stats, numbers, and all that if you're interested. These numbers were all measured on an open air test bench. Thermal paste used was Cryorig CP7. CPU: Xeon X3470 (2.9GHz stock, 3.8GHz overclock @ 1.25v) Idle Temperature: 32c (18c ambient) AIDA Stress Test 8hrs: 72c max (18c ambient)

Cheap all in one solution for dressing up a dated power supply.

BitFenix Alchemy 2.0 Extension Cable KIT (High Current Alloy Terminals, Pure Copper Strand Cables) Black Sleeve/Black Connector, 2 x 6+2 pin video card extension 45cm , 1 x 4+4 pin motherboard extensi
BitFenix Alchemy 2.0 Extension Cable KIT (High Current Alloy Terminals, Pure Copper Strand Cables) Black Sleeve/Black Connector, 2 x 6+2 pin video card extension 45cm , 1 x 4+4 pin motherboard extensi

Pros: - Everything you need minus 4 pin Molex and SATA - If not needed, the extra 4 pin (CPU) and 2 pin (GPU) connectors split off and can be easily hidden - Looks great - Comes with cable combs

Cons: - Folded up in the box (makes it a bit harder to train/work with) - Cable combs not pre-cut for 4/8 pin CPU or 6/8 pin GPU - Adds length and requires a larger case to hide away the extra cabling

Overall Review: If you spent the money and got a high quality power supply a few years ago and it doesn't quite fit the aesthetics of a modern build, these are great. If you're buying a new power supply and plan to use these to mask the ketchup and mustard, I'd recommend spending the extra on a power supply that comes pre-sleeved. You'll save yourself the trouble of finding places to stash the extra cable length.

Surprised at how nice this case is for the price!

Phanteks Eclipse P300 PH-EC300PTG_BK Black Steel Chassis, Tempered Glass Window ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
Phanteks Eclipse P300 PH-EC300PTG_BK Black Steel Chassis, Tempered Glass Window ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

Pros: - Decent airflow. - Solid construction. - Front panel is easily removable. - Fair amount of room for it's size. - The RGB cables leading up to the front panel are removable to cut down on cable clutter.

Cons: - Tempered glass panel could be held in place better with extra padding. - Expansion card slot bracket seems like an unnecessary extra.

Overall Review: Overall, this case is a great buy for the price. I wouldn't try an eATX build in it, but there's a good amount of room for the average user. For the price of $60, it's definitely a great deal.

11/15/2017

Great case for the money!

DIYPC J180-BL Black Dual USB 3.0 ATX Mid Tower Gaming Computer Case with Build-in 2 x Fans (1 x 120mm Fan x Front, 1 x 120mm Blue LED Fan x Rear)
DIYPC J180-BL Black Dual USB 3.0 ATX Mid Tower Gaming Computer Case with Build-in 2 x Fans (1 x 120mm Fan x Front, 1 x 120mm Blue LED Fan x Rear)

Pros: - You can build a decent looking rig with this case. - No sharp edges. - Cable management cutouts and tiedowns. - 2 fans included. - All black sleeving for front ports/buttons/LEDs. - PSU shroud/basement. - Tons of room for a GPU.

Cons: - Blue fan grilles on the front. I painted mine black. - The extra standoffs didn't fit, luckily I had spares that did. - SSD mounts didn't quite fit. The spacing is right but the front of the case causes the mounting holes to be just out of reach.

Overall Review: Given the price, you should absolutely consider this case (or other offerings from DIYPC). You may have to do a little spray painting and find some workarounds but if money is an object, a little time and effort goes a long way. It gets 5 eggs because the cons are really just nitpicks. The fact that it leaves extra cash in the budget for better performance while still managing to cover all the major bases for the modern PC case makes it a solid buy.

The Cheap Case That Could!

DIYPC DIY-F2-W White SPCC Micro ATX Mini Tower Computer Case
DIYPC DIY-F2-W White SPCC Micro ATX Mini Tower Computer Case

Pros: - Price - Looks nice - Routing for some cable management - Surprisingly well built/stable (given the price) - Lots of room for a graphics card - Didn't cut myself on it

Cons: Given the price I don't think there's anything that you could legitimately complain about. As with all cases around this price, the metal is quite thin and will bend easily. While there are cable routing options, the space to stash extra is limited.

Overall Review: I bought this to house a build of spare parts I had lying around and for that it was perfect. If you're building a $1,000+ gaming rig, go with a nicer case that has more room for better cable management, an AIO cooler, etc...