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Dan F.

Dan F.

Joined on 01/07/01

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Product Reviews
product reviews
  • 5
Most Favorable Review

Almost as good as the tech YouTubers say - some subtle downsides in real-life

LIAN LI LANCOOL 216RX Black Steel / Tempered Glass ATX Mid Tower Computer Case ,2x 16 cm ARGB Fans Included ----LANCOOL 216RX
LIAN LI LANCOOL 216RX Black Steel / Tempered Glass ATX Mid Tower Computer Case ,2x 16 cm ARGB Fans Included ----LANCOOL 216RX

Pros: Lots of space and convenience for building inside without being a physically gigantic case. Great cable management features. Generally, any tech YouTuber's positive review is accurate.

Cons: The models with fan hub don't include this information in the manual, but the fan speed signal (required for PWM or Voltage fan speed control) is only read from the FAN1 header on the hub. The case arrives pre-wired, but mine didn't have any of the three included (and very high quality, to be fair) fans connected to FAN1. This caused me to spend a LONG time troubleshooting (BIOS settings, motherboard fan control programs, third-party fan control programs, etc.), until I finally tested each of the controllers' FAN headers, and finally got a speed reading after moving a fan to the FAN1 spot. The manual shows the suggested wiring but doesn't mention the significance of the FAN1 position, and the case doesn't necessarily leave the factory in a state which matches the manual. Also, unlike other cases at this price point with addressable RGB (such as the Phanteks G360 or P360A), you don't get any RGB output unless you plug the FAN+RGB hub's ARGB connector into your motherboard or another dedicated ARGB controller. You don't even get a default rainbow or single-color output; you just get nothing. Most motherboards have this header in 2023, but with the longevity of AM4, there are still plenty of popular B450 boards out there without 3-pin/5-volt ARGB headers. You can get the Phanteks 216-1 accessory for a reasonable $15ish which provides pretty slick hardware control and successfully lights up the big front fans (with more control than you get from the ARGB header with motherboard software control, to be fair)... but the included fan+RGB hub should have some dumb simple LED output out of the box. Back panel removal is not just toolless but screw-less. To me, this is an odd choice. The back has some sturdy-feeling latches, but thumbscrews would make me feel more comfortable. Time will tell if this is just me worrying about something that's new and different to me, or if it's an actual pain point. The fan headers on the hub don't mate with the fan connectors very tightly, so be careful when moving and shifting the case, making sure that a fan plug that falls out of FAN1 gets put back there, due to the fan control issue requirements discussed above.

Overall Review: I typed more words in the negative section than in the positive section, but this is a GREAT case that is nicer to build in than anything in the pricepoint (comparison for me: Phanteks P360A, G360 which are both really good cases), and gives space for larger components, like the largest of CPU air coolers. Just be mindful of the ARGB limitations (you need something to plug the output of the hub into) and the info for how to successfully get motherboard or other controller fan speed control working (make sure FAN1 is populated on the hub).

Most Critical Review

You get what you pay for.

Sabrent 7 Slot USB 2.0 Internal Memory Card Reader & Writer (CRW-UINB)
Sabrent 7 Slot USB 2.0 Internal Memory Card Reader & Writer (CRW-UINB)

Pros: Usually priced very low. Adds another front USB port to the system. Accepts lots of different types of memory cards.

Cons: Its price reflects its build quality. Ridiculously sharp edges on the casing. Make sure you don't cut yourself. MicroSD slot only works when it feels like it (I bought this specifically for the MicroSD slot), so you need to fidget with the card until it's oriented just the right way.

Overall Review: It's more useful and valuable than a floppy drive these days, so the price makes it worthwhile, but be prepared for the issues that a no-name brand frequently means.

Does Exactly What it Says and for a Great Price

LIAN LI LAN216-1X ,  Black Additional IO Kit, Black Fan Control /USB module , Compatible with Lancool 216RX only -------------LAN216-1X
LIAN LI LAN216-1X , Black Additional IO Kit, Black Fan Control /USB module , Compatible with Lancool 216RX only -------------LAN216-1X

Pros: - Provides better RGB functionality for the front fans than motherboards or other controllers. - Nicely fits into the dedicated spots on the 216 case. - Very inexpensive.

Cons: - Shouldn't need to exist. RGB versions of 216 case oddly provide zero RGB functionality without a motherboard with 3-pin ARGB, a separate RGB controller, or this product. Other cases at the 216 price point offer a hardware RGB controller or default to a "dumb" single color or rainbow option. - Most motherboards don't have two USB 3.0 motherboard headers, and the 216 case front-panel already takes the 3.0 header on the motherboard. Extra USB 2.0 ports wouldn't be "sexy," but they'd likely be more useful than the extra, usually unplugged USB 3.0 ports. - Read the manual carefully: the buttons are NOT in 1-2-3-4 order on the unit. The buttons are 1-3-2-4. This is relevant for when you scratch your head pressing buttons 1+2 for some of the functions listed in the manual but it seems like nothing is happening.

Overall Review: - Get this if you don't have 3-pin ARGB control on your motherboard. If you're about to get a new motherboard, just hold off until you get your new motherboard with ARGB, even if this product is only ~$15. -- The added RGB functionality this offers compared to a motherboard or other controller (separate LED control for the fan blades and fan rings) is neat... but it's probably less neat than using your motherboard to control everything, at which point, you'll never use this again.

It is who you say it is

Transcend 4GB microSDHC Flash Card Model TS4GUSDHC6
Transcend 4GB microSDHC Flash Card Model TS4GUSDHC6

Pros: Painless, cheap memory. That's it.

Cons: Not as fast as its more expensive competitors.

Overall Review: Bought it for my LG Dare. No issues using it in that phone or my card reader. Make sure you use the phone to format the card, though.

No problems.

SAMSUNG Spinpoint F1 HD103UJ 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive Bare Drive
SAMSUNG Spinpoint F1 HD103UJ 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive Bare Drive

Pros: Cool, quiet, worked without any issues.

Cons: Not a significant performance improvement over either of the older drives in my computer: a 320GB from 2005 and a 320GB from 2006. Maybe I'm expecting too much...

Overall Review: No reasons not to buy this.