cover
Robert K.

Robert K.

Joined on 07/04/03

0
0

Product Reviews
product reviews
  • 7
Most Favorable Review

Sweet little CPU

AMD Athlon 64 LE-1620 - Athlon 64 Single-Core 2.4 GHz Socket AM2 45W Processor - ADH1620DHBOX
AMD Athlon 64 LE-1620 - Athlon 64 Single-Core 2.4 GHz Socket AM2 45W Processor - ADH1620DHBOX

Pros: I've used these and the 1600 (2.2GHz) in several builds. They're cheap (in a good way), fast, and only use 45W.

Cons: None. Not dual core? Doesn't make me coffee in the morning?

Most Critical Review

Snag free caps double as anti theft devices

GENERIC 10X5-82307 (Green) 7 FT Green Green Cat 5e Patch Cable, 350Mhz, With Snag-Free Caps
GENERIC 10X5-82307 (Green) 7 FT Green Green Cat 5e Patch Cable, 350Mhz, With Snag-Free Caps

Pros: Cheap and it's a cable, so what else can you say here.

Cons: When you want to unplug the cable from a device, you're in for a bit of a struggle. Something about the length of the clip or the cap makes it difficult to close down on the clip easily to remove it from the jack. Not impossible, but sufficiently annoying. I've never had this with other kinds of snag free ethernet cables.

Overall Review: If you're going to plug in a bunch of machines and let them sit there for years, then these are probably fine.

The little CPU that could

AMD Athlon 64 LE-1600 - Athlon 64 Single-Core 2.2 GHz Socket AM2 45W Processor - ADH1600DHBOX
AMD Athlon 64 LE-1600 - Athlon 64 Single-Core 2.2 GHz Socket AM2 45W Processor - ADH1600DHBOX

Pros: Cheap, fast, and only 45W.

Cons: None. I could say that it's not dual core, doesn't make me coffee in the morning, or something silly like that.

Solid RAM

Crucial 2GB (2 x 1GB) DDR2 667 (PC2 5300) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model CT2KIT12864AA667
Crucial 2GB (2 x 1GB) DDR2 667 (PC2 5300) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model CT2KIT12864AA667

Pros: Works like a champ. Made in USA, or at least that's what the sticker says.

Cons: A little expensive compared to other brands, but sometimes you find a really good deal.

Nice little board

BIOSTAR K8M800 Micro AM2 AM2 VIA K8M800 Micro ATX AMD Motherboard
BIOSTAR K8M800 Micro AM2 AM2 VIA K8M800 Micro ATX AMD Motherboard

Pros: Good board if you're transitioning from PATA to SATA and you have an AGP board that you want to get some more use out of. Good compatibility with Linux 2.4 kernels, at least with 2.4.33.3 or later. I haven't tried earlier ones.

Cons: The SATA ports are 1.5G, instead of 3G and you're limited to 2GB of RAM.

Overall Review: If you want an AM2 board that can handle 4x PATA drives and AGP, your choices are limited.

Decent inexpensive case

Foxconn TLA+787K-CN300-HS Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case 300W Power Supply
Foxconn TLA+787K-CN300-HS Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case 300W Power Supply

Pros: Good value for what you get. The front panel is a very glossy black plastic, which looks great when it's clean. Matches many of the flat panel screens out there. There's also a sliding portion to the front panel where the power and reset switches sit. You can slide up to improve air flow to a front mounted fan and hide the front mounted USB ports, floppy, etc.

Cons: The glossy front can pick up fingerprints easily. Not a big deal. The sliding panel could be a negative, depending. It's a very light case. No sharp edges, so it's not cheap, but I wouldn't drop this case very far. Not a fan of the "sliding screw" mechanism the case uses to hold in drives. It works, but I'd rather just have 4 easy screw holes to use.

Overall Review: Decent, cheap case. I could see using more of these.