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Derek L.

Derek L.

Joined on 01/08/04

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Product Reviews
product reviews
  • 13
Most Favorable Review

Excellent Case

Fractal Design Define 7 Compact Black Brushed Aluminum/Steel ATX Compact Silent Mid Tower Computer Case
Fractal Design Define 7 Compact Black Brushed Aluminum/Steel ATX Compact Silent Mid Tower Computer Case

Pros: - Well built - Well organized, lots of options - Fit 2 full size SLI graphics cards, no problem - Lots of fan slots - Great cable routing - great price - this is probably the best quality case I have bought in 15 years, and probably the least expensive case. - Small size

Cons: Very difficult to find a place to grip it when moving the case around, especially hard if putting into a desk, the feet are rubber and gripped. All these things are mostly benefits, but I thought I would put one Con, and make sure you were aware. Note, if you grab the bottom from the back and pick it up, the screen will slide out and you will drop the case. I did this, and just about damaged my hardwood floors or my internals in the case.

Overall Review: This is my first Fractal Design case, and going forward, I don't think I will look anywhere else. Clean looks, especially if you don't like the overly RGB lights on of most stuff these days.

Most Critical Review

Not for overclocking

ASUS TUF GAMING X670E-PLUS WIFI AMD X670 AM5 Ryzen Desktop 9000 8000 & 7000 ATX motherboard 14+2 Power Stages, PCIe 5.0, DDR5, 4x M.2 slots, USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 Type-C, USB4 support, WiFi 6E, 2.5Gb
ASUS TUF GAMING X670E-PLUS WIFI AMD X670 AM5 Ryzen Desktop 9000 8000 & 7000 ATX motherboard 14+2 Power Stages, PCIe 5.0, DDR5, 4x M.2 slots, USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 Type-C, USB4 support, WiFi 6E, 2.5Gb

Pros: - really nice looking clean layout - great features for just about any setup - stable so far with a mild over-clock

Cons: - The specs advertise support for ram at 6400, but after getting that speed ram, it does not work. Researching it, there are no ram options they certify that run at anything higher than 6000. So this is completely false advertising, but this is true for many Mobos, as it seems with this chipset and AMD processors nothing run stable above 6000. - VERY Slow to boot. - If you are overclocking and trying different setups, the system may take 2-3 minutes to boot, only to show an error and not boot. This can make the overclocking experience ake hours for very little gains.

Overall Review: Asus has been my choice of Motherboard for many builds, so I am biased toward them as I have had a good experience. I thought I was spending a little extra $$$ for peace of mind, but the other brands are putting out some great stuff too. If you are serious about overclocking, this isn't the board. I suspect I will be fine with it, but really feel mislead by the specs.

Unstable with the rated speed

Mushkin Enhanced Redline 64GB (2 x 32GB) 288-Pin PC RAM DDR5 6400 (PC5 51200) Desktop Memory
Mushkin Enhanced Redline 64GB (2 x 32GB) 288-Pin PC RAM DDR5 6400 (PC5 51200) Desktop Memory

Cons: - Setting it for the rated speed and my computer wouldn't boot, I was forced to set it to a lower speed.

Overall Review: I paid a premium to get ram that was faster with better latency, but for the speed I can use it, I could have paid less. I opened a ticket with Mushking to see what they will do. I have thought Mushkin was a good brand, so willing to give this another shot, especially if their support does the right thing.

Impressive Case

LIAN LI O11 Dynamic EVO RGB  Black Aluminum / Steel / Tempered Glass ATX Mid Tower Computer Case----O11DERGBX
LIAN LI O11 Dynamic EVO RGB Black Aluminum / Steel / Tempered Glass ATX Mid Tower Computer Case----O11DERGBX

Pros: - great layout - plenty of room to work in

Cons: - Very heavy, this is to be expected with this much case and glass, but still it was heavier than expected.

Overall Review: This is a great case for the money, there are several designs similar to this from other brands, and it is a very close comparison. I bought this and have no regrets. However, I since watched a review of the XL version of this case, and if you are considering this case, you should consider the XL.

Good, but not great keyboard

Microsoft Wireless All-In-One Media Keyboard (N9Z-00001), Black
Microsoft Wireless All-In-One Media Keyboard (N9Z-00001), Black

Pros: - it works, and it is reliable. - works great as a media PC, or as I use it with my Sim Racing Rig

Cons: - it is a thin lightweight keyboard, that is wireless, all the things you would expect to be shortcomings are there, the keys are soft, not tactile.

Overall Review: - Good, not great. I would recommend this as a good wireless option with a track pad.

12/11/2022

Didn't work but for a few minutes after installing

Razer Kiyo Pro Streaming Webcam: Uncompressed 1080p 60FPS - High-Performance Adaptive Light Sensor - HDR-Enabled - Wide-Angle Lens with Adjustable FOV - Lightning-Fast USB 3.0
Razer Kiyo Pro Streaming Webcam: Uncompressed 1080p 60FPS - High-Performance Adaptive Light Sensor - HDR-Enabled - Wide-Angle Lens with Adjustable FOV - Lightning-Fast USB 3.0

Pros: - Looks great, and initial quality and software looked great. - Razer support appears to be fixing the issue with me, and so I expect the support to be good.

Cons: - It seemed i was forced get a login with Razer and then they needed personal information to install the software, I may have missed something but I usually avoid doing this. - It only worked or a few minutes before turning to a black screen and then never worked again.

Overall Review: - I will have to update this review after we resolve the issue.

12/11/2022