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Matthew C.

Matthew C.

Joined on 04/21/03

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Product Reviews
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product reviews
  • 5
Most Favorable Review

Probably Fake But It Works

Microsoft Xbox One Wireless Adapter for Windows (Bulk Packaging)
Microsoft Xbox One Wireless Adapter for Windows (Bulk Packaging)

Pros: - Recognized by Windows 10 without any shenanigans in Device Manager - Paired a standard XBOX One controller right out of the gate with no issues - No warnings in Device Manager

Cons: - This design is the older, chunkier version of the Wireless Adapter - Probably a cloned device

Overall Review: I purchased this adapter from 3rd party seller 'Supreme Outlet.' As indicated, it arrived in plain bulk packaging and came with protective film on the main faces of the dongle. I have a genuine Wireless Adapter that I bought at retail and compared it side by side visually to this new "OEM" dongle. They are indistinguishable in size and weight with some MINOR variations in the details of the injection molding. There's also some differences in the laser etching, and less-significantly, in the specific part used for the USB connector - but that could easily vary depending on suppliers. I haven't cracked these open to compare the circuit boards. I have, however, compared the device details as reported by the Windows utility "USBView" and my official dongle and "OEM" dongle vary on a few values. The official adapter reports the following values which differ from the "OEM" adapter: bcdUSB: 0x0210 ... iManufacturer: 0x01 0x0409: "Microsoft Inc." iSerialNumber: 0x03 0x0409: "054713" The OEM adapter reports these values: bcdUSB: 0x0210 iManufacturer: 0x01 0x0409: "MediaTek Inc." iSerialNumber: 0x03 0x0409: "000000000" If these adapters are based on stolen designs (they use an off the shelf chip with a custom firmware), then Microsoft _could_ potentially detect a fake and drop support for them in Windows. Will they or would they? Probably not. But I was curious and wanted to look into it anyway. Happy gaming.

10/17/2022
Most Critical Review

Acceptable but not ideal

Thermaltake Toughpower GF3 1200W, ATX 3.0 Standard, PCIe Gen.5 600W 12VHPWR Connector Included, 80+ Gold Full Modular SLI/Crossfire Ready Power Supply, 10 Year Warranty, PS-TPD-1200FNFAGU-4
Thermaltake Toughpower GF3 1200W, ATX 3.0 Standard, PCIe Gen.5 600W 12VHPWR Connector Included, 80+ Gold Full Modular SLI/Crossfire Ready Power Supply, 10 Year Warranty, PS-TPD-1200FNFAGU-4

Pros: - Cybenetics GOLD rating at 115V, PLATNIMUM at 230V ( https://www.cybenetics.com/d/cybenetics_TLu.pdf ) - Fully modular so it's really easy to swap if you need to RMA it because its coil whine won't shut up

Cons: - Very distracting coil whine. It's bad enough that I have not yet decided if I will keep it. It's an ~7.8kHz whine which cycles on and off with no discernible pattern. It sounds like an insect chirping away in my PSU (See attached spectrum analysis images) - Would have preferred a higher quality 24pin ATX cable, as the one included is not braided or sleeved, just standard plastic insulation. It's very stiff, but it works. - My Fractal case has a fan hub which the PSU refused to power unless there was another load on the cable.

Overall Review: Roll the dice on coil whine or wait for another ATX3.0 PSU to come in stock. This will get the job done but it might also drive you insane.

Worked alright for a few weeks, then downhill.

Rosewill USB 2.0 Sharing Switch Box, 4 Port USB 2.0 Peripheral Sharing Switch Hub Adapter for 2 PC Computers to Share USB Devices via PC Select Controller w/ 70-inch Cable - RCUS-17001
Rosewill USB 2.0 Sharing Switch Box, 4 Port USB 2.0 Peripheral Sharing Switch Hub Adapter for 2 PC Computers to Share USB Devices via PC Select Controller w/ 70-inch Cable - RCUS-17001

Pros: Inexpensive and has long cords.

Cons: Poor reliability.

Overall Review: This product was functional for a few weeks, but after some time I started getting some really weird behavior with my connected devices (a keyboard with backlit keys) and a mouse. Nothing extremely-high powered. It started with my mouse; the cursor would lock up for a second every now and then. This was really terrible when playing games online. Eventually, it got to the point where my keyboard itself would reset. When it started getting really bad, I tried to supply additional power through the auxilliary 5V-in port, and the unit gave up the ghost. My devices would receive power but would not be identified by either system.

Barebones, but functional.

MSI PERFORMANCE GAMING B360M GAMING PLUS LGA 1151 (300 Series) Intel B360 HDMI USB 3.1 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard
MSI PERFORMANCE GAMING B360M GAMING PLUS LGA 1151 (300 Series) Intel B360 HDMI USB 3.1 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard

Pros: - Quality PCB + connectors. The board doesn't feel cheap and thereinforced PCIe x16 slot is a nice touch. - M.2 Slot - great way to avoid excess cabling in your build, but also grants you enormous bandwidth for your OS drive compared to SATA - Many internal headers for expansion ports: having the ability for connecting audio and USB connectors is standard, but the option for onboard parallel port in 2019 is pretty cool. It's a bit niche, but could be valuable for certain users with specific needs. - PS/2 port: a nice option for keyboards with n-key rollover - Onboard debug LEDs - a common but integral feature to have when building a new system. No guessing or looking up beep codes.

Cons: - Packaging and bundled accessories are certainly on the minimal end of the spectrum, but too be expected at this price point. You get 2 SATA cables, the rear I/O plate, a retaining screw for an M.2 drive, a case badge, and a very basic printed manual. Don't expect the bells and whistles you'd receive with a premium / enthusiast board.

Overall Review: Other reviewers mentioned receiving boards with old BIOS versions which were incompatible with 9th gen Core CPUs. I purchased this board on 3/7/19 as part of a combo with an i5-9400F and am pleased to report that the board I received came with an updated BIOS version (E7B19IMS.100) which was compatible with the CPU. Of course, this doesn't guarantee all of their stock is updated, but you shouldn't write off this board unconditionally. It is a great budget pick if you don't mind rolling the dice on BIOS version and potentially having to exchange.

Poor design, but functional

EAGLE E-series ET-CSEU2-SG Solid aluminum 3.5" Silver Gray IDE USB 2.0 External Enclosure
EAGLE E-series ET-CSEU2-SG Solid aluminum 3.5" Silver Gray IDE USB 2.0 External Enclosure

Pros: The actual drive controller works fine, drive performance comparable to other external drives / enclosures. Recognized by the Wii for homebrew programs and loaders.

Cons: My drive did not properly fit inside this enclosure. The plastic tabs that held the front bezel in place prevented the drive from sliding all the way in. I had to break off the plastic tabs from the bezel and superglue it to the metal case instead. After doing this I was free to slide the drive all the way in and mount the drive with the provided screws. As a previous reviewer noted, the provided screws are an odd fit. With a little elbow grease I was able to get them in all the way and mount the drive securely.

Overall Review: This enclosure does what it is intended to do, that is, if you can manage to fit your drive in all the way. Considering the product's price point I am still satisfied with my purchase. If you just need a cheap enclosure and aren't afraid of performing minor modifications to get slightly larger drives to fit then this enclosure is for you. I would not recommend using this enclosure with drives that are accessed 24/7. If you want something with a little more polish and additional cooling, considering looking elsewhere.