Joined on 04/20/09
Don't let its size fool you
Pros: -Small in size -4 RAM slots -An actually decent integrated soundcard -Durable, Forgiving on mistakes -Drivers come with easy to use over-clocking programs
Cons: -PCI slots get covered up by having a big graphics cards in your PCI-Express. -Power light is red, I wanted blue, lol
Overall Review: Despite some of the other reviews I find the Biostar TA790GXE very reliable. First off it's very forgiving. Like your not going to break the pins by just pushing a little to hard, or if you accidently force a cable into the wrong spot, you probably won't damage anything. This makes it ideal for a first-time custom build. You can't go wrong with this board. -In use with a AMD Phenom II X2 3.1 Ghz Black Edition, Raedon HD 4850, 4 Gig of Patriot Viper RAM, and OCZ 400w psu.
Having top-tier performance at mid-tier price
Pros: -The price of this card is comparable to that of a mid-range Nvidia, but with the performance level of some of the most expensive cards out there. -Supports crossfire -Easy to install and update drivers -Stays cool
Cons: -N/A -Oh wait, it lowers drastically in performance compared to other higher end cards when you juice your games up to x8 anti aliasing on while still on higher settings.
Overall Review: As long as you keep your anti aliasing lower you can get away with high settings on the latest games and probably even games to come for the next year. -Used with AMD Phenom II X2 3.1 Black Editon, Biostar TA790GX, 4 Gigs of Patriot Viper 800Mhz RAM, and OCZ stealth 400w psu.
Think before you install
Pros: -Great Temperature control, and good air flow -Very affordable -Roomy interior -Slick design
Cons: -A little flimsy, put you get what you pay for. -If you install expansion cards and have to pop out one of the expansion slots, you better plan on using it, because you can't screw the slot covers back in!
Overall Review: I would actually give it four and a half eggs if I could, I mean your not going to find a better case for the price. Let alone a better case in any of the >$50 category. Just those cheap expansion slots bug me.
Watts are not everything
Pros: -Has two 12V Rails -High quality -Lots of connectors -Stays really cool thanks to a generously large fan
Cons: -Still only 400 Watts
Overall Review: Don't let the Watts fool you! This psu provides more than enough power for even high end gaming computers. The two 12V rails make up for the lower amount of watts and I could wear it makes it perform as though it were 600. Great job OCZ.