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Richard M.

Richard M.

Joined on 03/23/13

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Product Reviews
product reviews
  • 9
Most Favorable Review

Devil with a Halo!

PowerColor DEVIL Radeon HD 7870 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card, AX7870 2GBD5-A2DH
PowerColor DEVIL Radeon HD 7870 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card, AX7870 2GBD5-A2DH

Pros: Very cool and quiet under gaming load. Aesthetics, which are big to me, are very pleasing, from the packaging to the card itself. Even a novice could install this card. Quality craftsmanship. Back plate does not disappoint, very sturdy and will prolong the lifespan of the unit.

Cons: None yet. Only time will tell.

Overall Review: After a month of use I have to say, my choice in this card was well worth the wait. I shopped for 2 months to find a decent gaming card. Almost bought the Matrix 7970 and dealt with the buyers remorse for not using that card's potential for the red and black color scheme to go with my rig. I am very...VERY impressed with the performance this card has shown. The Tom's Hardware hierarchy chart show's this card 1 tier above my old GTX 560ti, and even though they recommend going up at least 3 tiers to upgrade, It's like night and day I'm here to tell you! I went from 20 -25 fps at low to medium settings ( using geforce experience settings ) to running 35 -40 fps on ultra. Bear in mind the 560ti sounded like a food processor and ran @ 75 deg C while the Devil stays around 35 -40 deg C and twice i had to check if the fans still worked. I plan to grab a second and try my hand at crossfire. If your thinking of this card, I will say my month of use has impressed me, I plan to post any issues if there ever are any.

Most Critical Review

Not a home run bargain

Sentey Black Box Series BX1-4237 v2.2 Black SECC 0.7mm / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
Sentey Black Box Series BX1-4237 v2.2 Black SECC 0.7mm / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

Pros: Plenty of blue l.e.d.'s for the eye. Front lcd display is handy for 1 temp to monitor, time, hdd activity. Above average fans for a cheap case.

Cons: I dropped an egg because, like others posted, wires were cut. I was only missing one though. Dropped another egg because straight out of the box the FAN 2 header from the stock controller does not work at all. Dropped the third egg for 3 reasons: a) the 230mm fan on the left side panel severely restricts the use of air cooling to the cpu, well the evo 212 anyway which was my first choice. with the fan there the side panel would not go back on. It also creates a problem with a rear mounted radiator and fan combination ( mine is H-60 120mm... ). b) the finish on the outside of the case is VERY easily scratched. this being my first build I went into it quite a bit making changes and rearranging. Even though i put the case on a blanket to prevent scratching you can see the finish is badly worn on the right side. Cant remove a whole egg for these alone because the picture shows the fan clearly on the side, and the normal user wouldnt have entered the case as much as i did. However: c) the fans are not quiet at all. being a new builder i dont have any reference to a quiet operating performance machine but on most Dba reference scales 25 dba is compared to leaves rustling...this aint no leaf. Its closer to the fan in your microwave or your range hood than any pile of leaves ive ever heard..'rustling'.

Overall Review: For the price, if you dont care about sound, appearance or using aftermarket cooling its not bad at all, gut your hp and shove it in this shiny box and you can unplug your bug zapper in favor of looking at blue l.e.d.'s, but if you want to have something to build from this is the wrong direction friend.

Magnificent

HP Laptop ENVY 15 Intel Core i7-4700MQ 8GB Memory 750GB HDD Intel HD Graphics 4600 15.6" Touch Screen Windows 8 64-Bit 15-J067CL
HP Laptop ENVY 15 Intel Core i7-4700MQ 8GB Memory 750GB HDD Intel HD Graphics 4600 15.6" Touch Screen Windows 8 64-Bit 15-J067CL

Pros: Keyboard is most definitely backlit. f5 is your switch. 4x USB 3.0 slots, Fingerprint scanner avoids keylogging (if thats suitable for your use), Great build with solid frame, looks beautiful.

Cons: Only 1 issue for me is the placement of the trackpad is left of center which with 8.1 OS I find myself hitting menus on the right side quite a bit. I use a mouse now and the trackpad less frequently so not worth egg loss.

Overall Review: I shopped for 6 weeks looking for the right laptop for entertainment and some work programs and I am absolutely thrilled with this purchase. I've owned it for nearly 6 months now and it hasn't ever given me a reason to not enjoy it. Very nice product!

Solid Buy

Rosewill 5.1-Channel Vibrating Gaming Headset- USB Connector - RHTS-8206
Rosewill 5.1-Channel Vibrating Gaming Headset- USB Connector - RHTS-8206

Pros: Worry free protective packaging, product arrives in new condition no matter how it's treated during shipping (excluding intentional destruction of course). Very comfortable padding around ears and on the cranial bridge. Plenty of adjustment for any size head. Mic is very flexible. Sound is very crisp with no noticeable backfeed. Mic picks up voice at nearly any position, including rested (out of use).

Cons: Software downloaded from website is vague and could be trouble for novice users. Packaging is somewhat bland, but we don't buy it for the box, do we. Headset may be a bit heavy for some.

Overall Review: Compared to other headphones with these features you may get a few more bells and whistles, but for a HEFTY premium. I'm not an audiophile, but for clean looks, great audio and crisp voice at very affordable pricing, look no further. Completely plug and play, the optional software adds a bit of customization to the sound. The in-line module offers volume control, speaker and mic mute buttons, 3-position vibration switch ( off-1-2 ) and indicator lights for power, vibration on or off, and mic mute. The lights are blue and a bit bright. flipping it over solves the inconvenience so long as no pressure is applied to the back activating a button unintentionally. The true surround speaker system is noteworthy. I use the Rosewill software to activate the 7.1 feature and customize the equalizer to my liking, then i enter the audio manager and activate the same but remove the rear surround speakers. Afterwards i use razer surround software and apply the Razer Tiamat preset and follow the surround sound configurator instructions. The results are incredible for gaming. Theoretically combined with ROG Sonic Radar the immersive gameplay could produce a truly deadly adversary.

Fresh Naga

Razer Naga Molten MMO PC Gaming Mouse
Razer Naga Molten MMO PC Gaming Mouse

Pros: Standard Razer mouse packaging detailing every reason to purchase their product. Flip window shows more technicals and gives you a peek at the unit. Inside you will find a hefty packet of warranty info and other information (no disc needed). Mouse built ergonomically with sleek lines and a nice long braided cord. Mouse comes set at 1800 DPI and can be raised to 5600 for very responsive movement. Lighting is well done and not to bright. Palm lighting pulses at a nice slow rate.

Cons: Not enough to lose an egg, lighting cannot be controlled other than on or off for either the palm or the scroll wheel/ thumb buttons. Other mice offer dimming and pulsation rate options.

Overall Review: I've often joked about ridiculous 50 button mice and how clumsy and distracting multiple buttons would be under the largest digit of the hand. I found myself needing multiple macro buttons for MMO gaming and my current mouse provided only 1 that was comfortable to reach without repositioning my hand. With little other options and a $20.00 off promo code I took a shot. The thumb buttons are remarkably easy to manage out of the box and are larger than one would expect. The package comes with trainers (small plastic stick-on risers) if needed which is particularly useful for someone with large hands. The mouse itself is relatively average size and has a good feel to the hand. I cannot vouch for longevity of the unit or the previous mentioned 'hot palms'. I will say i've had it powered on for 2 or so hours and there is a bit of temp difference between the palm area and the rest of the device. I have yet to give it a rigorous gaming session and will repost if anything is noteworthy beyond initial assessment.

Touch control 5 sets of Fan/Temp. Up to 25W per fan channel, USB3.0, Audio/Mic, LCD Display
Touch control 5 sets of Fan/Temp. Up to 25W per fan channel, USB3.0, Audio/Mic, LCD Display

Pros: Plenty of colors to match your case's display. Ample header and sensors for any amount of monitoring. I had to find a place to put the 5th sensor, stuck it on my H-60's radiator lol. Digital readout gives you rpm's, temps and activity as well as an adjustable alarm setting per each individual fan. Each sensor/ fan header is well labeled and easily identified by the corresponding numbers on the display.

Cons: Cannot yet attest to the longevity of the unit, or the audibility of the alarm.

Overall Review: I began looking for a fan controller that was more than single digit in power and didn't have more knobs to break the somewhat clean looking case design. This unit had everything i needed and some extras at a fair price. If it lasts more than a year without failing I will buy one for my next build.