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Michael J.

Michael J.

Joined on 05/16/08

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Product Reviews
product reviews
  • 20
Most Favorable Review

Excellent budget motherboard

ASUS A88X-PLUS FM2+ / FM2 AMD A88X (Bolton D4) USB 3.0 HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard
ASUS A88X-PLUS FM2+ / FM2 AMD A88X (Bolton D4) USB 3.0 HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard

Pros: - Price (on sale + rebate = happy me!) - Asus quality. Not my first Asus MB, and won't be my last

Cons: - Not a one

Overall Review: My computer "upgrade" ended up being a complete rebuild! I went the budget route, and I don't OC, so this MB was perfect for my AMD Athlon 860K. If I want to OC in the futer, I know I can. UEFI Bios is nice. I feel I got a really nice MB for the price, exactly what I need.

Nice case, could be better.

Thermaltake Commander G42 Black ATX Mid Tower Gaming Computer Case (CA-1B5-00M1WN-00)
Thermaltake Commander G42 Black ATX Mid Tower Gaming Computer Case (CA-1B5-00M1WN-00)

Pros: - Really sharp looking - Huge amount of room behind MB panel. My cables ALL fit behind using a Corsair CX500 PSU. Result is a clean, sharp looking computer internal you can see through the window. - Tool-less trays for the SSD, HDD, etc...

Cons: - The front panel doesn't always want to seat back into place after removing. - One of the bays were tight; I couldn't mount anything in there. Good thing there were enough other ones for my needs.

Overall Review: Paid $40 after rebate and sale. Nice case for the money. Lots of ventilation, fans that come with it are real quiet.

Nice CPU

AMD Athlon X4 860K - Athlon X4 Kaveri Quad-Core 3.7 GHz Socket FM2+ 95W Desktop Processor (BLACK EDITION) - AD860KXBJABOX
AMD Athlon X4 860K - Athlon X4 Kaveri Quad-Core 3.7 GHz Socket FM2+ 95W Desktop Processor (BLACK EDITION) - AD860KXBJABOX

Pros: It works, does what it's supposed to.

Cons: None

Overall Review: I like AMD, and this was an upgrade for me from an Athlon X3 445 Rana. Big difference!

Quiet, keeps the CPU cool....but installation: yikes!

ZALMAN CNPS9900MAX-B 135mm Long life bearing CPU Cooler Blue LED
ZALMAN CNPS9900MAX-B 135mm Long life bearing CPU Cooler Blue LED

Pros: - VERY quiet, I really like the resistor that limits the RPM (I don't OC, don't really need the extra oomph) - Looks really sharp - Keeps everything nice and cool.

Cons: - Installation. This was used on an Asus A88X-Plus MB and AMD Athlon 860K. I think it would be easier if they supplied mounting screws that were a few mm longer.

Overall Review: Installing it was a bugger, like many reviews noted, so I docked a star. However, for the price ($20 after sale and rebate) I'll deal with some installation headaches.

Excellent budget PSU

CORSAIR CX Series CX500 500W 80 PLUS BRONZE Active PFC ATX12V & EPS12V Power Supply
CORSAIR CX Series CX500 500W 80 PLUS BRONZE Active PFC ATX12V & EPS12V Power Supply

Pros: Used on my new budget build (Asus A88X-Plus MB, AMD Athlon 860K). Works nicely. Is very, very quiet. I don't OC or anything like that, so this is perfect for me. Got it on sale with a rebate, which makes it extra nice!

Cons: None.

Overall Review: For the price, this can't be beat.

Great SSD

Mushkin Enhanced ECO2 2.5" 240GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) MKNSSDEC240GB
Mushkin Enhanced ECO2 2.5" 240GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) MKNSSDEC240GB

Pros: - Price: Got this on sale for $75. Pretty decent for a 240 gb SSD - Works great as my main drive for OS, antivirus, games, etc... - Fast, fast, fast!

Cons: - Absolutely none