Joined on 04/26/04
Very stable and dependable PSU
Pros: Fully Modular - This really helps on air flow and work space. No reason to buy non-modular PSU anymore, when the price points have fallen so much. Stable - Even at max power output, the PSU had not issues with support or heat. Temps never went above 50C. 12V rail remained stable with only 6% in fluctuations in voltage regulation, along with all other minor rails coming in at 5%. Very Quiet - Even at full output, the unit was far quieter than the rest of the computer. Warranty - 10 years, which is what a good quality PSU should have no days. Zero RPM Mode - A must have on PSU. Fan only engaged when peak needs hits about 60%. Fan didn't need to kick on for most of the day. Capacitors - Japanese!!! No lower-end capacitors from Taiwan or China, only the best on this model. Compact Build Size - Size allows it to fit in min-ATX and up to full without an issue. 80 Plus Gold Certified - Should be for the price point. POWER - Running a Kaby Lake CPU at 4.7Ghz, two GPU's, six drives, liquid cooling and 8 fans without an issue!!! Plenty of Cable - Corsair was kind enough to include more cables than most anyone would ever need.
Cons: Single 12V rail - Most PSU above $100 now have two rails to use to spread the load demands. Price - Unit is higher than similar models that have more than one 12V rail. Cables - Very stiff and have trouble flexing. Can cause air flow issues.
Overall Review: The PSU is a decently priced unit that has an excellent design and build quality. Are there other units out there that do the same for cheaper? Yes, but not ones with a 10 year warranty. Unit had no issues in two weeks of use and benchmark testing. Buy this unit if you want a PSU that will last the next 10 years+, keeping power stable and reducing the risk of damage your computer.
Decent but costly
Pros: Easy setup: As close to plug and play as you can get. Fast and user friendly website. Not sure there is a better website for setup. Firmware Update: Update was very fast and easy, and the product ran much better after it. Extra plug: Plugs are like gold bars in a house now days with all our electronics, and having the extra plug was a real plus. Ethernet connection: Kind of mandatory for extenders, as a hardwire connection is always best. Audio jack: Something you don't find on other extenders. Worked very well, with clear sound and signal. 2.4 band: The unit had a far better 2.4 band than 5 band, which is usual, and is the band used the most. Had no issues with streaming of a movie and online gaming at the same time. Cross Band: You are able to extend one band farther, which I picked the 2.4 and it made a difference.
Cons: Dropped signal: Laptop and iPad constantly dealt with the WIFI signal going from 5 bars, down to zero. Resetting the system several times and moving the extender, had little effect. Location: Unit had to placed within 15 feet of my wireless router according to the software. This reduced some of the sudden drops in the signal to no bars, but not a lot. Unit gets very hot: Surprised how hot the unit was after having it in for day. Not enough to be concerned about other plugs, but am concerned about the lifespan of the product at that higher temp level. Price: The price is VERY high, with comparable products going for $25. 5Ghz band: Very poor performance, worse than current system of extenders.
Overall Review: Current system: NetGear 4200 TP Link TP-WA850 - 2 Units Desktop - Icore computer Lenovo T440 Laptop iPad Air 2 3700 sqft house for testing. I wanted so badly to like or love this extender, since most have left me wanting more from them. Unfortunately, this extender also left me wanting, as the signal strength was greatly affected by walls and floors. When the extender was place outside the home, the signal could be picked up at an amazing over 100 feet way, with four bars!!! The dropping of the signal became too much for inside the house use. I switched back to my former TP system of extenders. But, I did place this unit against an outside wall, giving the entire yard an excellent signal. With some manual changes to the bands, the 2.4 and 5 performed better.
Another Great budget focused RAM product from Crucial
Pros: Ultra-thin design Thin profile with no heat dispersion metal on top, like all my other DDR4 RAM. This allows better heat flow and easier fit on the tight area on the board. Air flow is always important on a build. Budget They are a lot of DDR5 RAM options out there, but the $150 price point for 32GB is very hard to hit. Performance: For a budget, non-overclocked RAM set, the performance was still far batter than DDR4 RAM on my second computer. There was no program lag on Power Point and MOI design software, which is a very high user of the RAM. My DDR4 RAM struggles with MOI due to the nature of the program and demands of the object files. Testing showed 1.3x increase over my DDR4 over-clocked RAM. Not amazing, but for the money it is passable and no more lag running MOI4. Heat: The RAM was almost cool to the touch after running for 3 hours straight working on a new design. Have a fan blowing on the area of the RAM at all times.
Cons: Budget Focus There are better performing RAM sets out there in DDR5 that can be over-clocked and your budget only needs to expand by about $40. If you are building a new system, DDR5 is a must and being able to ramp up the performance is desirable. No other weaknesses, as the RAM performed very well on all programs that I threw at it, including CAD programs.
Overall Review: Great RAM for the money if you are trying to build a budget system and need DDR5 RAM. Have always bought Crucial RAM and have never had a failure or issue. Install, forget and enjoy a great product. While Passmark performance benchmarks would be nice to see higher, it is real world program performance that matters. This product just works.
Great Wireless Mouse and affordable. Gaming is solid
Pros: Overall Comfort - For palm grip use, it is a perfect size mouse. 26,000 DPI - That is an unreal DPI and it shows with the solid performance. RGB Zone - Two zones, instead of the normal one. Hard to see the second zone would be the downside. Connection Options - Three different options, which really helps when you want to use it on two computers. RF has little to no lag, while Bluetooth had minor issues. Button Performance - The Quickstrike buttons work in an instant. Great feel to the buttons, with good feedback. Battery Charge Performance - Was able to get 51 hours with the RBG lights on, but I am sure I would have gotten a lot more with them off. Software - Nice clean layout and easy to use. Very professional. 2,000 Hz sensor polling - Amazing performance. Very hard to get better with a wireless mouse. Cable - 6ft is prefect. Some mouses try to get away with 3ft.
Cons: Gaming Grip - Would rather have more rubber grip areas for gaming, as your fingers can slip while you sweat. Far too slippery plastic sides. iCue software - Windows 10 had an issue discovering it and allowing it to function the first time, but that may have been Windows as it can be picky.
Overall Review: Excellent mouse for light gaming and internet surfing. You will be hard pressed to find a better wireless mouse for the price.
Great for phone calls, okay for music but connection issues
Pros: Range - Paired instantly, with no issues. Connection was perfect up to 25 feet away from the phone, and dropped off completely at 27 feet. Sound had no breaks and was strong up to the 25 feet. Design and Feel - Metal weighted feel and look, making for a solid product. Design is simple, modern and understated. Buttons are tiny. Great effort put to making a 'cool' looking device and charging case. Sound - Very good sound clarity for phone calls and listening to messages. Mic worked flawlessly, with over 100 phone calls. For music, you should look to a better device, as the sound is tinny and bland. Fit - Size and shape fit my ear perfectly. Felt comfortable wearing them all day, and most of the time I forgot they were in. Case Charging - Worked flawlessly and very fast, but the buds wouldn't charge while the case was plugged in. Battery Life - Was able to get 4 to almost 5 hrs of talk time, or listening to music. Volume had a large impact on the amount of life.
Cons: Charge Time - The time to recharge the earbuds varied a lot, and not for the better. At 8% power, it took 6.25 hrs to get to 100% charge on both buds. The next time it took 4hrs to do the same. Connection - On week two of testing, the left earbud started having connection issues. While the right bud would connect fast, the left would not connect at all. It would then have no issues later in the day. Buttons - They are very touchy! If your finger is even close to the button, they will activate. Do not try to take them out of the case and answer a call, as you will hit one of the buttons and hang up on the person.
Overall Review: Excellent value Airbuds alternative if you are just using them for phone calls. There are better options, that will cost you more, that play music far better.
Smaller # of blocks shipped. Stay way from this product and maker.
Pros: No pros
Cons: Garbage. Item was to be an 8x8x8 cube of blocks, for a total of 512 blocks. They shipped two 6x6x6 cubes, for a total of 432 blocks. Bait and switch. Quality is terrible.
Overall Review: Stay away from this manufacturer.
Dishonest at best
Product not as described.