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David S.

David S.

Joined on 06/07/05

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Product Reviews
product reviews
  • 9
Most Favorable Review
GIGABYTE GA-P35-DS3P Rev 2.0 LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Ultra Durable 2, Ultra Cooling Intel Motherboard
GIGABYTE GA-P35-DS3P Rev 2.0 LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Ultra Durable 2, Ultra Cooling Intel Motherboard

Pros: Great motherboard. Easy install. Tons of SATA and USB ports which is why I went with this over Asus.

Cons: None.

Overall Review: Two things to keep in mind. Old bootable cds which use the old driver (oakcdrom.sys) will not work going forward with most of the newer boards. They need to be rewritten to use the new driver gcdrom.sys. Not a big deal but it can be a hassle if you use that sort of thing (Ghost, PM etc). The other thing, if you plan on enabling AHCI for your SATA drives (enables ncq and a few other performace features) do some research on it first. Vista you will need to enable the AHCI service first, and XP is a little more involved than that. Try querying AHCI on wikipedia, you'll find what you need. If you do a fresh install, enable it beforehand and save yourself some trouble.

Great Case

Antec P182 Gun Metal Black 0.8mm cold rolled steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
Antec P182 Gun Metal Black 0.8mm cold rolled steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

Pros: Great air flow. Great layout for cables. I was able to run all of my power cables behind the main board.

Cons: None. Please note, this case is a bit taller than any other standard sized case I've owned. If your case sets under a desk or needs to fit somewhere, I'd check the height specifications first.

Overall Review: Used this with a Neo 550 psu. Worked great. No extensions required. Upgraded to this from a Sonata II. Took core temps down from 40 to 32 idle and 58 to 48 load (q6600 @ 3ghz). This is with the p182 fans at low which is barely audible. I highly recommend this case. I also highly recommend running your cables behind the motherboard so they are out of sight. This takes a bit more time but is well worth the effort.

ZALMAN CNPS 9700 NT 110mm 2 Ball Ultra Quiet CPU Cooler
ZALMAN CNPS 9700 NT 110mm 2 Ball Ultra Quiet CPU Cooler

Pros: Installation is fairly simple, just take your time. This thing is massive, you just don't comprehend it until you see it. Big, but looks good and it works.

Cons: None.

Overall Review: Cooling a q6600 (3x333) @ 3.0ghz. 35C idle. 58C load. Non-lapped with ARS5. Some boards will manage the fan speed incorrectly. I believe speedfan will correct this if it's a concern for you.

Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 - Core 2 Quad Kentsfield Quad-Core 2.4 GHz LGA 775 105W None Integrated Graphics Processor - BX80562Q6600
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 - Core 2 Quad Kentsfield Quad-Core 2.4 GHz LGA 775 105W None Integrated Graphics Processor - BX80562Q6600

Pros: Fast, four cores, need you say more? OC's pretty easily even for a first timer like me.

Cons: None.

Overall Review: G0 received - ordered 12/13/07. This little puppy is warm. I've never purchased a 3rd party cooler before but did for this. My setup runs around 58C load @ 3x333 (3.0ghz).

Great

Crucial Ballistix Tracer 2GB (2 x 1GB) DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model BL2KIT12864AL1065
Crucial Ballistix Tracer 2GB (2 x 1GB) DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model BL2KIT12864AL1065

Pros: Works as advertised. Runs at 1066 5-5-5-15 with my P35-DS3P no problem.

Cons: None.

Overall Review: Ordered, shipped same day, and arrived next day even with UPS 3-day. Fantastic.

Nice Drive

SAMSUNG SpinPoint T Series HD501LJ 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Hard Drive Bare Drive
SAMSUNG SpinPoint T Series HD501LJ 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Hard Drive Bare Drive

Pros: Cheap. Quiet. Quick. BIG. Full format with 0 bad sectors.

Cons: I only own one.

Overall Review: Do yourself a favor and keep your drives cool. They don't need to be subthermal ... a simple fan will do. Heat kills. And of course, newegg rules.

10/10/2007