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Robert B.

Robert B.

Joined on 06/19/05

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product reviews
  • 68
Most Favorable Review

Challening but Satisfying

BitFenix Prodigy Midnight Black Steel / Plastic Mini-ITX Tower Computer Case
BitFenix Prodigy Midnight Black Steel / Plastic Mini-ITX Tower Computer Case

Pros: I was looking for a case that was small enough to not feel like it was in the way but big enough to handle some mid-range gaming hardware. This case fit the bill perfectly. There are plenty of Mini ITX motherboards out there that can run good processors. If you remove one of the drive cages, you can fit a fairly large two-slot video card in there. Despite the small space, there is enough room above the motherboard to accommodate a large CPU cooler.

Cons: The included case fans are noisy. With a Mini ITX motherboard, you won't be using SLI, Crossfire or a PCI soundcard. Space is still somewhat limited, which means cable routing can be a challenge. You might have to try a few different methods to achieve a clean cabling setup. The Mac Pro style handles do not make good carrying handles because they have sharp edges. My non-modular 160mm long Corsair PSU did not fit in the case, requiring me to buy a smaller modular PSU. The USB ports, power button and reset button are on one of the side doors, so you have to be careful removing that door once they are hooked into your motherboard.

Overall Review: AMD users should note that there are no Mini ITX motherboards for AM3 processors. These are my parts: AMD A10-5700 95 watt APU ASRock FM2A85X-ITX FM2 A85X Mini ITX Motherboard 8 Gigs (2x4) Patriot DDR3 RAM Corsair Force Series GT CSSD-F480GBGT-BK 2.5" 480GB SATA III Internal Solid State Drive MSI Cyclone PE Radeon HD 6850 video card RAIDMAX HYBRID 2 RX-630SS 630W Modular Power Supply

Most Critical Review

Great in Theory, Lousy in Execution

Acer W510-1666 2GB Memory 10.1" 1366 x 768 Tablet Windows 8
Acer W510-1666 2GB Memory 10.1" 1366 x 768 Tablet Windows 8

Pros: The tablet body is light and attractive. The screen is gorgeous, despite the relatively low resolution. People have seen the tablet and commented on how attractive it is. The CPU handles all Modern UI duties perfectly, despite being an older processor. Battery life is about the same as typical Android tablet. Most desktop software runs fine, including older games like Icewind Dale II. I like that almost all of the buttons and connectors are in one location (upper right corner). Windows 8 feels very good on a touchscreen. I think Microsoft has finally built an excellent mobile OS.

Cons: The desktop can get sluggish. Sometimes when I run a program, like an installation file, it will take about ten to fifteen seconds to open. There were some minor bugs at first: wifi slow to connect when first booting up, occasional freeze, audio cutting. That would have fine as I could work around those, but then things got worse. The tablet would go into sleep mode, as it should, but I was unable to get it to wake. I had to reset it to get back to the OS. I am not sure if the hardware was overheating (I was not running any actual software besides the OS) or there is a driver issue. When I tried updating the graphics driver provided on the Acer website, it would install fine, but the computer would blue screen during restart and tell me it needed to restart. This is the first time a computer has tried to restart in the middle of a restart. The lack of any sort of recovery media hinders my ability to reset to defaults, as it seems the backup on the tablet's drive is not working. Acer's lack of accessories, aside from an overpriced keyboard dock, is troubling. Do they not have enough faith in this product to at least provided a form-fitting gel skin?

Overall Review: In theory, this is a suburb tablet. The tiled interface is fast, the app store has all the apps I need, and the desktop is a nice feature to have for the occasional bit of desktop software. I wanted so much to love this tablet, and for a short time I did. In practice, this tablet is not ready for prime time. With the problems I mentioned above, I cannot recommend this unit. It's hard to tell if this is a hardware problem, software problem, or a mix of both. Maybe this unit is a lemon? Whatever it is, the user experience is frustrating. Mind you, I am pretty well-versed in computers (I've been building them for 15 years), so I can only imagine a non-tech user wondering why they did not just buy an iPad. I am going to try a different brand of Windows 8 tablet and see if I get better results.

Gets Those Fans Moving

Razer PWM Gaming PC Fan Controller
Razer PWM Gaming PC Fan Controller

Pros: allows easy control of case fans via Razer Synapse software

Cons: installation is tricky in terms of managing the wires and deciding how to mount to the controller

Overall Review: After installing four fans in my new PC case, I realized that I didn't have enough fan connectors, so I picked up this controller. I already have Razer accessories, so it fits nicely into my setup. The actual installation inside the case is a bit of a hassle. With four fan cables, the wiring got messy, and getting things cleaned up was tricky. I considered mounting it somewhere in the case with double-sided tape, but I was worried that I would need to move it later to accommodate new fans. I ended up letting it sit free in the case, which made the interior look a little sloppy. The Razer software has options for automatic and manual fan speeds, which is nice. Overall, I am happy with this controller, but I think mounting it to the inside of the case would allow for a cleaner installation.

11/26/2025

Handy Accessory for Optical Drives

VANTEC NexStar DX2 USB 3.0 External Enclosure for SATA Blu-Ray/CD/DVD Drive
VANTEC NexStar DX2 USB 3.0 External Enclosure for SATA Blu-Ray/CD/DVD Drive

Pros: -easy installation -sturdy enclosure means it will stay put -option to upgrade optical drive later

Cons: -bulky compared to other external optical drives -requires power cable -not too portable

Overall Review: With this enclosure, I was able to make my PC's internal optical drive into an external drive. Now I can use it with my laptop. Also, my next desktop case won't have to accommodate an optical drive, which gives me more case options.

Works Perfectly with PlayStation 5

Nippon Labs MHDMI-6 6 ft. Premium HDMI Male to Mini HDMI Male Adapter Cable, Black
Nippon Labs MHDMI-6 6 ft. Premium HDMI Male to Mini HDMI Male Adapter Cable, Black

Overall Review: This cable allows me to use a 1440p 120Hz display with my PlayStation 5. Excellent!

Excellent Console Companion

UPERFECT 2K 144Hz Portable Monitor Upgraded 16.1" HDR QHD Eye Care Screen Gaming Monitor
UPERFECT 2K 144Hz Portable Monitor Upgraded 16.1" HDR QHD Eye Care Screen Gaming Monitor

Pros: -good image and color quality -includes attachable stand case -1440p resolution -144Hz refresh rate -HDR -FreeSync variable refresh rate -lightweight and thin -includes USB C cables, power adapter, HDMI cable -relatively inexpensive -PlayStation 5 games looks beautiful on this display

Cons: -stand case is a little flimsy (a built-in kickstand would have been better) -included HDMI cable is short -on screen settings menu is a little tough to navigate -minor light bleed at bottom of screen (only noticeable when screen is totally dark)

Overall Review: I was looking for a small display for my PlayStation 5 that would fit on my coffee table. I wanted one with a refresh rate higher than 60Hz and a resolution higher than 1080p. This monitor fit the bill and the refurbished version was less than $100. I can run my PS5 at 1440p with smoother refresh rates than my previous 60Hz display. It's an excellent little display for my console!

seller reviews
  • 2

Excellent seller

I purchased a Displayport cable from this seller that turned out to be defective. After emailing the seller, they responded quickly with a refund.

On-time
Delivery
Product
Accuracy
Customer Service
Satisfactory

Just What I Needed

This seller is the only one that sells the style of tablet skin I was looking for.

On-time
Delivery
Product
Accuracy
Customer Service
Satisfactory