Joined on 06/17/12
One of the most robust DVD burners out there
Pros: Almost silent, fast, very reliable burner. I have been using this since an expert recommended this. I have installed more than a dozen, and to date NONE HAS TURNED BAD! The tray feels robust and more solid than the average burner out there. I never get coasters with this.
Cons: M-DISC support is non-existent. I could not find any reviewer mentioning this! M-DISC logo is also absent from the front of the drive (compare with LG). M-DISC support is only mentioned on two faces of the box (if you buy the retail version), and ONE brand of M-DISC is mentioned on company's website! If you put on a blank M-DISC (DVD), it will give no indication of any error, till the end when it aborts with a cryptic error message. Even the LED does not change color. On examination of the M-DISC blank DVD, appears like new, meaning nothing has been written, and one can try another failed session with the same blank.
Overall Review: If you do not need M-DISC DVD support, this is not for you. Otherwise, it is one of the best DVD burner on the market.
Good SATA cables at reasonable price
Pros: - Good price - lock spring a plus
Overall Review: - good SATA cables at a reasonable price - lock spring a plus - works as they should
compact CPU Cooler from Noctua
Pros: - Very robust - well-designed; 100% compatible with all RAM chips and PCIe graphics card - a 2nd fan can be bought and attached for even more cooling
Cons: - 92mm fan not as effective as their 120mm and larger fan (but in some cases would be too big) - mine came with missing Intel backplate (did not matter as mine was an AMD build)
Overall Review: - would definitely recommend to people who are sceptical whether larger fan would fit - you can get it to work with 99% builds without measurement: does not protrude onto RAM or PCIe space. If confident it will fit, get their larger fan version.
good large size USB 3.1 drive
Pros: solid metal, good read speed.
Cons: default format FAT32 has extremely slow write speed. Bump on one side prevents insertion of two drives in stacked USB slots.
Overall Review: As one reviewer has previously correctly stated, it comes as FAT32 format which has extremely slow write speed. It should be reformatted in exFAT or better yet in NTFS before use for decent speed.
Economy Ryzen motherboard, military grade capacitors, BIOS-flash button for update without CPU
Pros: - military grade capacitors and choke for long life (TUF range) - one PCIe gen 4.0 (except with G series Ryzen one gets upto gen 3.0 speed), one PCIe gen 3.0 for NVMe SSD - handy BIOS update button for BIOS update without CPU/RAM - 2 heatsinks for both NVMe SSDs - 2 USB 3.0 headers (one regular for 2 3.0 front ports, one slot for front USB-C port, required to buy adapter card separately) - 2 USB 2.0 headers for upto 4 USB 2.0 front ports needed for OS install, mouse and keyboard operation in BIOS (also 4 USB 2.0 ports at back)
Cons: - only ONE screw and nut for NVMe SSD (for 2nd NVMe SSD separate screw and nut to be purchased from newegg or elsewhere) - no magnetic screwdriver (required usually for NVMe screws) - module for front USB-C has to be purchased separately - TPM module, if you want it, is to be purchased separately (but not essential)
Overall Review: I always buy ASUS TUF Gaming motherboards for their maximum longevity.
Best external drive enclosure for mechanical HDD
Pros: Vantec is a reputed company - I have bought stuff of their make for a long time without any issue. Currently most external drive enclosures come without fans, and good for SSDs, not mechanical HDDs (they become extremely hot). This Vantec's enclosure remain cool with minimum fan speed (so that fan lasts longer). It comes with a magnetic screwdriver. That is ESSENTIAL for installation.
Cons: This is my fourth purchase. Last three times it was perfect. This time the screwdriver was NOT magnetized! The drive screws CANNOT be tightened without a magnetic screwdriver. Luckily I had the screwdriver from previous purchases, which did the job. If it was my first purchase I could not have assembled it. For that I reduced an egg.
Overall Review: It is not as straightforward to use as most other external drive enclosures (see cons), but there is currently not many competition. But will buy again out of necessity.
Pricey but best case exhaust fan
Noctua has positioned itself as one of the best computer fan producers in the market. 6 years warranty, made to last. Lowest sound producers of all case fans. Its signature color scheme is hated by some, loved by others. The finish and performance are the best in its class.
spare screws for computer builds
sometimes the screws shipped with PC case are inadequate in quantities, or extra screws are needed. This is a handy stash for PC builders.
good seller
prompt delivery, good packaging, item exactly as described