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Michael A.

Michael A.

Joined on 12/09/05

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Product Reviews
product reviews
  • 3
Most Favorable Review

Perfect size and features

IN WIN CE685.FH300TB3 Black Steel Micro ATX Mini Tower Computer Case comes with a 300W TFX 12V PSU 300W TFX 12V PSU Power Supply
IN WIN CE685.FH300TB3 Black Steel Micro ATX Mini Tower Computer Case comes with a 300W TFX 12V PSU 300W TFX 12V PSU Power Supply

Pros: Great size for an HTPC build and will look nice next to AV devices. This case has plenty of room and will comfortably fit a full size mATX motherboard. Fan and PSU are whisper quiet and provide a nice cross ventilation. There are 3 SATA power connectors, 1 MOLEX, and 1 mini. The 300w PSU also has support for 8-pin CPU power and should be enough power for most applications. Cable management is well thought out. Case features an Intuitive tool-less design for installing lone HDD, add on cards, and removal of 5.25"/3.5" devices.

Cons: Note: 3.5" bay will only fit enclosures no more than 3.5" deep so keep that in mind (I knew that), so it is not designed for HDD/SSD drives. It will fit smaller card readers and USB panels with ease. Power LED is nuclear bright at night

Overall Review: Do your homework and research before purchasing and look at ALL the pictures. It is quite obvious that angled SATA ports and/or USB3 connectors will not have enough clearance with a full size mATX board. My MSI A78M-E45 fits great. I plan on using the 5.25" bay with an iStarUSA T-5K225T-SA (or similar) to add a slim ODD and 2 removable 2.5" drives Removing the lone fan will give you more room in the 3.5" bay but at the expense of needed cooling. Why buy a mATX case for use with a mini-ITX MB then complain about size of the case?

Awesome bag

Timbuk2 Alchemist Fatigue M Laptop Messenger Model 164-4-5708
Timbuk2 Alchemist Fatigue M Laptop Messenger Model 164-4-5708

Pros: Love the TSA friendly laptop access and quick access pocket in front. Very spacious with intuitive storage areas. This bag is extremely well built and rugged with the waterproof exterior pretty awesome. I think the should strap is padded quite nicely.

Cons: I will have to get used to the front straps. I have to buy another now for my son!

Overall Review: I chose this over a backpack for an upcoming trip and I believe I made the right choice.

Great Card

XFX Radeon R9 380 4GB GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 CrossFireX Support Graphics Card R9-380P-4255
XFX Radeon R9 380 4GB GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 CrossFireX Support Graphics Card R9-380P-4255

Pros: This is my third XFX Card and and each of them has been great performer, but this R9 380 4GB card stands out! It's quiet as a mouse and runs cool thanks to the Ghost Thermal 3.0 technology. Even at full load the card runs cool and quiet, unlike my previous 660ti I usually don't mess with any of the overclocking features of video cards since the gains are rather minor, so buying factory overclock is preferred for me. So far gaming has shown smooth frame rates on every game @ 1080p. Purchased exclusively for the 4GB frame buffer since getting 2GB would be a step back. This should provide a perfect gaming experience for 1080p. I'm looking forward to games and programs that have support for the Vulkan (Mantle) API as well as DX12 and Freesync (need new monitor).

Cons: The lack of HDMI 2.0 ports across the 300 series platform is my only con, but for me it's not an issue since I don't plan on any 4k gaming anyways. The DP would suffice for that job.

Overall Review: This replaced a 660ti 3GB card and the its much better in every category. It require less power in addition to being shorter which helps keep the case cooler. This is paired with a XFX 850W gold modular power supply and I have seen zero issues with driver crashes unlike the 660ti.