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Nicholas L.

Nicholas L.

Joined on 02/19/05

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Most Favorable Review

Excellent mATX Case with great thermal management

JONSBO D30 BLACK Mini Micro ATX Computer Case, Aluminum/Steel/Tempered Glass-1 Side, Simple High Compatibility MATX Case, Support 240 Water & 168mm Air Cooling, 355mm GPU Support,Interchangeable Side
JONSBO D30 BLACK Mini Micro ATX Computer Case, Aluminum/Steel/Tempered Glass-1 Side, Simple High Compatibility MATX Case, Support 240 Water & 168mm Air Cooling, 355mm GPU Support,Interchangeable Side

Pros: -Design looks great -Exceptionally transparent documentation for dimensions and compatibility on the product listing -Fits "regular" sized PC components with room to spare -Interchangeable side panels (which are quite beefy in construction), USB-C port up front, etc -Preinstalled Motherboard standoffs (with a few extras included for motherboards that need it) -Huge pass-through on the backside to access CPU cooler brackets on your motherboard -Replaceable PCI card slot covers (not cheap punch-outs that you discard when they're removed)

Cons: -Cable pass-throughs lack any sort of rubber grommet to further hide them. -No shroud /surround for the PSU or any cables hanging out near it, though the included SSD/HDD mounting bracket hides them well. I tucked the cables up out of the way and I'm running without the mounting bracket (not needed with M.2 drives).

Overall Review: I didn't want a massive full-sized ATX case that wasted space on the inside and outside, when I only needed to install a single GPU anyway. This case looks great, everything fit like a glove, and it still has room for a bit of expansion. I'm running it with 2x 140mm NZXT fans on the bottom, 1x 120mm NZXT fan on the rear, and an Arctic Liquid Freezer II 240mm AiO cooler on top. The lower fans are large enough to bring in air for the whole case, with most of it going to the GPU, and I have the rear fan also drawing in fresh air directly below my radiator, which expels heat through the top. Temp management is fantastic (barely getting over 50C CPU temp even while gaming with 12600K).

10/12/2022

Good & Cheap

LITE-ON DVD Burner - Bulk 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 12X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM Black SATA Model iHAS124-04
LITE-ON DVD Burner - Bulk 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 12X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM Black SATA Model iHAS124-04

Pros: -It's mad cheap -It burns data onto an ancient format which is still sometimes required for devices that otherwise only decipher hieroglyphics -You can use it to install Windows.

Cons: -Still has to exist -First one I received was DOA. It wouldn't eject and therefore wouldn't do much of anything. I RMAd it with Newegg and had a new one in just a couple of days. It was quick and painless and the new one works great.

Fractal Design Core 1000 Micro ATX Computer Case w/  1 x 120mm fan
Fractal Design Core 1000 Micro ATX Computer Case w/ 1 x 120mm fan

Pros: Came shipped in the Fractal box itself, case was in a plastic baggy with two large styrofoam supports on either side. In any case, it was not damaged. Includes all the parts you need, and looks great. I like the HDD mounting solution too (vertical so it doesn't block airflow from the front fan). Oh, and it's $40.

Cons: -Bright blue LED is annoying. I hate blue LEDs. -Has terrible individual connectors for the power switch, HDD LED, etc like every other case ever made. -If you're planning on using a CM Hyper 212 CPU cooler DO NOT BUY. This case is too shallow/that CPU cooler is too tall. I like both too much to compromise so I'm just going to modify the side panel somehow. None of these are real cons, just negatives to me personally.

G.SKILL Sniper Low Voltage Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3L 1600 (PC3L 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBSR2
G.SKILL Sniper Low Voltage Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3L 1600 (PC3L 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBSR2

Pros: Works great. Thought I had a bad stick but it just needed to be re-seated. My ASRock Z77 Pro4-M automatically set it to 1600mhz, too.

Cons: None

ARCTIC F9 PWM PST - Standard Low Noise PWM Controlled Case Fan with PST Feature, AFACO-090P0-GBA01
ARCTIC F9 PWM PST - Standard Low Noise PWM Controlled Case Fan with PST Feature, AFACO-090P0-GBA01

Pros: Does what it says on the tin, quiet and moves air.

Cons: Requires electricity and not dreams and starlight.

ASUS VH242H Black 23.6" 5ms HDMI Full 1080P Widescreen LCD Monitor 300 cd/m2 ASCR 20000:1 (1000:1) W/Speakers
ASUS VH242H Black 23.6" 5ms HDMI Full 1080P Widescreen LCD Monitor 300 cd/m2 ASCR 20000:1 (1000:1) W/Speakers

Pros: Bright, vivid colors. Easy to set up (the monitor just snaps into the base). Stand has a hole right in the center to route cables out of sight.

Cons: 1 stuck red pixel right in the center, about 3" from the top that I haven't been able to get rid of. It's a little wobbly, too, but it's not too bad.

Overall Review: I was a little hesitant to buy a CFL-backlit monitor in 2013, but the reviews were too positive to turn it down, and the picture quality is stellar. Also, skip the $10 rebate. Reading the privacy policy, they sell your information to everybody and their mother. I'll keep my $10, thanks.