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Carl H.

Carl H.

Joined on 03/11/05

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Product Reviews
product reviews
  • 6
Most Favorable Review

E7300 is GREAT VALUE

Intel Core 2 Duo E7300 - Core 2 Duo Wolfdale Dual-Core 2.66 GHz LGA 775 Processor - BX80571E7300
Intel Core 2 Duo E7300 - Core 2 Duo Wolfdale Dual-Core 2.66 GHz LGA 775 Processor - BX80571E7300

Pros: crazy cool, crazy stable, crazy overclocks. much cooler running than my old Pentium D 935, and likely uses much less power, even when overclocked. currently i'm running 333x10 at stock voltage, and I can hardly believe the difference between 266 and 333 FSB, i couldn't go much further than 266FSB with my Pentium D, so my system was quite bottlenecked, however, since other wolfdale processors are 1333 FSB, i figured i'd give that a whirl and it's panned out perfectly. My best overclock so far has been 400x9 but i'm working on extending that figure.

Cons: I have a hard time thinking of a con for this processor. I never used the stock intel heatsink with this cpu, but I've noticed how tiny it is (smaller than the heatsink on my 8800GT), but, it might perform quite well with this low-power cpu at stock frequencies. so is this a con? you decide.

Overall Review: E7300 @ 3.33GHz and ThermalRight Ultra-120eXtreme with Arctic Silver 3 in between, and Arctic Cooling 12025PWM fan moving air. 28C idle, 35C load.

Most Critical Review

suspiciously low priced, for a reason

hec HP585DB 585 W ATX12V Power Supply - Power Cord Included
hec HP585DB 585 W ATX12V Power Supply - Power Cord Included

Pros: - worked the first time. - cheap (maybe not a good thing). - didn't kill my components when it popped.

Cons: - cheap - wiring badly tangled, unequal lengths, nobody took the time to separate the wires from each other when attaching the connectors. - on the first day of operation, the fifth time it was switched on via main switch, out came a chinese fireworks display. - smelled bad when it popped.

Overall Review: Not sure what I can say, suspiciously low price, lulls you into a false sense of security on the first four bootups, but on the fith, surprises you with sparks flying everywhere, smoke, and burnt electronics smells. This was meant for an HTPC build, low power AMD and MicroATX motherboard, and it couldn't even hold up in the first day. I don't even think I will bother with RMA, or ever buy a PSU from this company, ever again. (@Manufacturer: Want to make it up to me? Refund my invoice price.) This wholly re-affirms my belief that PSU's that aren't 80PLUS rated are just worthless. <79% efficiency? take a hike.

Solid product

SAMSUNG 22X DVD Burner 22X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 16X DVD+R DL 22X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM Black SATA Model SH-S223F
SAMSUNG 22X DVD Burner 22X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 16X DVD+R DL 22X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM Black SATA Model SH-S223F

Pros: Excellent and affordable burner, whisper quiet compared to other brands I've tried, super-fast and flawless recording, couldn't ask for more in a burner.

Cons: Really, none spring to mind other than the price of 22x media, but since I can burn some brands of 16x at 18-20x with no issues, I could probably negate the only con.

Overall Review: I've outfitted many clients with many brands until I noticed the quality of these samsung burners have increase considerably in the past few years.. I was previously a Lite-On user and since experiencing Samsung burners I've had to make the switch personally.

Great Dependable Router

Linksys WRT54G Wireless-G Broadband Router IEEE 802.3/3u, IEEE 802.11b/g
Linksys WRT54G Wireless-G Broadband Router IEEE 802.3/3u, IEEE 802.11b/g

Pros: Hardware-wise, this Broadcom based product performs well even in environments with many wireless and wired clients.

Cons: stock linksys firmware doesn't do the hardware justice. this model is not opensource. the internal memory capacity is very limited on later models, compared to the most earliest, and the current WRT54GL (linux). product could be less bulky.

Overall Review: Firmware is easily upgraded to DD-WRT Micro, which provides great configuration ability and statistics logs, among other things. mostly use these for adsl/cable/satellite internet routing to multiple clients. occasionally use them as wireless range extenders or wireless bridges.

ZM-F1 Case Fans Satisfy

ZALMAN ZM-F1 80mm Case Cooling Fan
ZALMAN ZM-F1 80mm Case Cooling Fan

Pros: extremely quiet even when installed in multiples. i replaced 4 case fans that didn't match with a set of four Zalman ZM-F1 fans. prior to install, my fans were loud and caused a lot of vibration, even the smart fans that i'd manually turn down to low. after install, i can barely feel any vibration from the computer case, and with ASUS Q-Fan enabled, these fans stay very quiet all day, and even quieter at night.

Cons: i guess the only con i can think of is that the voltage splitter uses a huge resistor, when really, a few small diodes could've had the same effect, might make for a messy looking install if you plan on using the voltage splitter. however, if you have a fan header, or a motherboard with smart fan controls, you can leave these resistors in the box, or use them on some other fan you have, so that could eliminate the only con i can think of.

Overall Review: Used to run a Pentium D 935 overclocked, now I'm running an E7300 overclocked with these fans, and I can hardly believe the temps in my case. dropped CPU temps a dramatic 20C at idle, and 30C at load.. not to mention the fans are -much- easier on the ears. selected these fans due to low noise and decent airflow, matched four to reduce noise even more, compared to a mixed set of 80mm fans.

surprising quality

Rosewill R604TSB-N 3 x120mm Cooling Fan Pre-Installed on the TOP,Front and Rear ,ATX Mid Tower Computer Case with 450W Power Supply
Rosewill R604TSB-N 3 x120mm Cooling Fan Pre-Installed on the TOP,Front and Rear ,ATX Mid Tower Computer Case with 450W Power Supply

Pros: overall sleek looking case with decent fit and finish. rolled edges and tool-less design make it easy to install your components. better quality than most computer cases for the same price. as for the power supply, two 20A +12V DC rails were a surprise, and makes the case+psu combo a bargain. nice velcro tidy straps are included, as are push-in feet (better than stickon).

Cons: fit could be a little better, i noticed the lower edges of the side panels do not flush with the front bezel. the vent is difficult to actuate, but that may not be so bad. the cables for the powersupply are short! this may or may not be an issue in this case, as it seems to fit well, but if the case were any larger i can definately see issues. not many places to tuck away unused wires either.

Overall Review: another reviewer mentioned plastic latches in the side panel, the case i received did not have these latches, instead, the side panel hooks on to the side of the case and you can retain it with the included thumbscrews. i do prefer the hooks as i thought two latches so far apart would be cumbersome. i have yet to install an optical drive to try the flappy bezels out, but i'm sure they'll work fine.

12/13/2007