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Eric M.

Eric M.

Joined on 08/06/04

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Product Reviews
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product reviews
  • 24
Most Favorable Review

Great Chip

AMD FX-6350 - FX-6000 Series Vishera 6-Core 3.9 GHz Socket AM3+ 125W Desktop Processor - FD6350FRHKBOX
AMD FX-6350 - FX-6000 Series Vishera 6-Core 3.9 GHz Socket AM3+ 125W Desktop Processor - FD6350FRHKBOX

Pros: Great inexpensive (relatively) 6-core chip. Excellent on heavily threaded apps Does well for mid range gaming. There really is no reason to ignore this chip. It works very well for nearly every application.

Cons: The only con I can think of is this chip uses 41W more power than the i5-4470. Over the computers life, the difference in electrical cost (at least where I live) will not come close to the cost this build so I really can't call it a con.

Overall Review: This chip is doing very well with my heavily threaded apps. Ran the same task on an Intel i5-4470 (quad-core) with same ram size and SSD (this system I built for a colleague) and my FX-6350 was only 6.3 min behind the i5 on a 4.5 hr task. Considering the Intel build would have cost me $370 more, I am glad I choose the AMD option as it is not worth that cost to gain a little over six minutes for a task that both chips took more than 4 hrs to complete. Additionally, it is a task I do frequently in my work and considering the tasks are not time sensitive, I am very happy. Would suggest this chip to anyone who uses heavily threaded applications. If you primarily use single threaded apps, then go Intel as the AMD chips will falter there.

Most Critical Review

Strange Airflow

iStarUSA 3U Stylish Zinc-Coated Steel Rackmount Server Chassis Front-Mounted ATX Power Supply (D-300-PFS)
iStarUSA 3U Stylish Zinc-Coated Steel Rackmount Server Chassis Front-Mounted ATX Power Supply (D-300-PFS)

Pros: Strong steel construction Will fit any ATX or Micro ATX Will fit any standard ATX PSU Has a 3.5" external bay Relatively low profile without having to use low profile parts Good case overall. Only 3U but will take most full size parts. Case is good for servers but is also good for other uses as well such as mid-level gaming case, or workstation. In my case, I am running a firewall.

Cons: Front mounted PSU configuration is tricky. The power cord is configured in such a way that it is nearly pinched. Almost pulled out my Dremel tool to cut a hole in the middle support to give it some more room. If your PSU has it's power receptacle on the right side, you may have some issues plugging it in. Air flow is also an issue. The PSU will blow hot air out the front while nearly all the cool air coming into the case come in from the top. This prevents tunneling airflow from the front and makes the air filters on the front completely useless as no air comes in from that direction. While not really an issue for my firewall as the system really does not get very hot, this could be a significant issue for work stations which may have components that need that "tunneling airflow" to keep cool enough to function properly.

Overall Review: This is a good case overall but it does have some issues that iStar should correct. Airflow being a significant one. This could be fixed isolating the PSU bay as far as air flow. This could be done by making the case deeper, say adding 2 inches to its depth, then adding a couple of adjustable walls. Also, fix the power cord issue to prevent the could from being pinched. Strongly recommend a modular PSU for this case. If you don't have one, then it will take some doing to make all the cables fit without pinching them off. A modular PSU will allow you to leave out cables you don't really need. This will save you a lot of space and time. This case is best suited for the following: basic computing needs (Micro ATX board will work well) Mid-level workstation or mid level gaming DNS server applications Domain server applications Hardware firewall applications (like SmoothWall) Case is not suitable for the following: High end computing with large/over sized GPUs Boards with tower style coolers (bigger than 115mm tall) Exchange server applications File server applications (strongly recommend 4U or bigger)

12/21/2013

Shipping method review only--Not shipped securely

E-Z Ink Compatible Toner Cartridge Replacement for Brother TN336 Toner Cartridges TN331 TN-336 TN-331 TN315 to Use with MFC-L8850CDW HL-L8350CDW MFC-L8600CDW HL-4150CDN MFC-9970CDW (BCMY, 4 Pack)
E-Z Ink Compatible Toner Cartridge Replacement for Brother TN336 Toner Cartridges TN331 TN-336 TN-331 TN315 to Use with MFC-L8850CDW HL-L8350CDW MFC-L8600CDW HL-4150CDN MFC-9970CDW (BCMY, 4 Pack)

Pros: Arrived quickly Have not used the cartridges yet. Will update review when I do

Cons: Shipped in "warehouse" or "closet storage box" only. No outside box or at least tape to reinforce. Box fell apart when picked up at my home spilling the contents out on the table. It was shipped in a simple, unsecured shelf box. No tape or any other type of re-enforcement. Note to seller, if you want ship this way, that is fine but you must ensure you apply tape to the box to ensure it will hold integrity. What happened to me at home could easily happen during shipping and spilling the contents on a warehouse floor or the truck floor. This would likely damage the contents an result in a costly RMA.

Overall Review: This is a shipping method review only. The "2 Egg" rating refers to the shipping method alone, not the quality of the product. Will submit an additional review when I actually use the cartridges They only reason it is not a "1 egg" is because it arrive quickly (no more than 4 days from order)

Will not buy again

GREENBOX TN310 Toner Crtridge High Yield Replacement for Brother TN336 TN310 TN315 TN331 Toner for HL-4150CDN 4570CDWT 4140CN MFC-9560CDW 9970CDW DCP-9010CN 9270CDN 9055CDN Printer, 4-Pack, BK/C/M/Y
GREENBOX TN310 Toner Crtridge High Yield Replacement for Brother TN336 TN310 TN315 TN331 Toner for HL-4150CDN 4570CDWT 4140CN MFC-9560CDW 9970CDW DCP-9010CN 9270CDN 9055CDN Printer, 4-Pack, BK/C/M/Y

Pros: Inexpensive and it does fit

Cons: After a week, the Magenta cartridge began to leak. This should not happen. Had to order another one. The leak was not small, it is rather large and it "smears" the page, even when Magenta is not being used. Other issue is packaging. The cartridges come in one box, not separate. This increases the possibility of damage to the cartridges when shipping. Thinking this is likely what happened to the magenta cartridge.

Overall Review: I will not buy these again. It is not worth it to have a cartridge leak after a week. Price does not matter. While I like a bargain, a cartridge that is substandard and can't be used a week out of the box is no bargain

Didn't last

Speedy Inks - Compatible Brother DR310CL Drum
Speedy Inks - Compatible Brother DR310CL Drum

Pros: inexpensive

Cons: Did not last more than 8000 pgs Ghosting became a problem after 5700 pgs

Overall Review: While the drum was inexpensive and worked with the printer, it did not last that long. It only lasted about 5700pgs before ghosting on the color drums started. Had to replace it to get the ghosting to stop. It was not the fuser as the toner was cured well to the paper. This was disappointing as this is a major component of the printer. I am willing pay more for quality and was hoping to get quality for a bargain but this was not the case. Will not use this brand again for anything.

Quiet, stable power Updated 3/25/2019

Antec HCG M Series HCG-620M 620W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply - Intel Haswell Fully Compatible
Antec HCG M Series HCG-620M 620W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply - Intel Haswell Fully Compatible

Pros: Solid quality build Modular Delivers stable power Provides a good amount of power for mid range systems. Will power two mid range GPUs or one high end GPU (don't expect it to power the top of the line though). Update: No changes to the pros. Still a good PSU

Cons: Would have preferred more HDD/SSD/Optical headers. This would have allowed me to use both serial power cables and a molex to power to some of the other peripherals in my system. Not to mention a non PWM fan or two. I also noticed this one did not come with enough PCI cables to populate all the PCI headers. I thought that was strange. Update: Fan bearing is going bad on this PSU. After five years of use, I would have liked to have seen more longevity out of the fan. While the PSU if still functioning, I can't trust it in my machine any more as the fan my drop out, causing over heating.

Overall Review: Very nice PSU for the money. I would recommend this for any mid range build. This PSU is a huge overkill for a budget built. It has too much power. Budget builds really don't need anything over 400W at most. 300W is usually plenty for a budget build. Also, if you are going to use two higher end cards (say R9 270X/79xx and up or Nvidia GTX 750 and up) then spend more money! Buy a a more powerful PSU. Update: This is likely my last Antec PSU. The reason for this is Antec no longer manufactures their own PSUs anymore. Most are made by Sesonic and a few others. I prefer to buy PSUs from companies that actually make their own. While Antec does have a strong hand in their design and demands higher quality, I don't like to go through "middle men" so to speak. Another thought on warranties. A long warranty is not useful if it does not cover everything that is not serviceable by the user. If the fan is not user serviceable, then it should be covered under the warranty. If it is not, then you need to change the design to allow the fan to be swapped out by the user easily. The fan is the most likely comment of the PSU to fail.

seller reviews
  • 1

Long delivery times

Took two weeks to get item. Did not know it was coming from a location in China. No airmail. By boat. Will not use again.

On-time
Delivery
Product
Accuracy
Customer Service
Satisfactory
11/11/2014