Joined on 08/10/11
Ultrawide Owner's Dream
Pros: Low cost alternative for a 1080 60FPS at 3440x1440 is nearly guaranteed
Cons: Stock cooler runs hot (82C under load) in small cases Stock fan slightly loud
Overall Review: I grabbed this card simply because it was in stock. Once it arrived, I threw it into my modded EVGA Hadron Air case (HDD rack removed). The cooler had about an inch of clearance between its fan and the psu. Even though this is a blower style card, the back grill of the GPU has sub par space for venting hot air it seems. I switched the system from the Hadron Air to a BitFenix Prodigy case and noted a small decrease in temps under load. This card is also compatible with the NZXT Kracken G10. I've attached it to the card with a Kuhler H20 620 and the performance has been fantastic. The card now hasn't gone above 50C for me under load. I haven't had a chance to test overclocking, but I worry that the single pin power connector would limit my capabilities.
Avoid it, go with Corsair
Pros: Blue Fan
Cons: Fried a hard drive
Overall Review: I've learned my lesson here, go with Corsair. You really do get what you paid for with computer parts, so never cheap out on your power supply!
Fantastic "Ultrabook" with a GPU
Pros: Fantastic Boot Times GPU kicks serious booty Ivy Bridge dual core performs on par with my desktop AMD Quad Core Screen is great for gaming 2 USB 3.0 DVD Writer is an awesome perk Light and Slim Backlit Keyboard 6 hour web browsing/ essay writing battery
Cons: I'm struggling at this part. It bluescreen crashed once, but hasn't happened again. Some people gripe about all the ports being in the back, but I actually like it. It's not really a hassle.
Overall Review: Great FPS in games. So I've played Arkham Asylum, APB:Reloaded, MW3, and DayZ. DayZ is playable depending on server. Planetside 2 has trouble on high. LoL runs great, which shouldn't surprise anyone haha I'll update my review once I've had a chance to run more games. From one gamer to another, this is a decent gaming laptop in a MacBook Pro sized body for the bet price on the market.
Great Budget Case
Pros: 3 fans Plenty of expansion slots and space for PCI / Graphics cards. Room for more fans
Cons: You may have some issues with the space between the hard drive bay and the power supply area depending on the size of your power supply. If your power supply is larger than standard, you may shoot for a larger case.
Overall Review: Got it on sale, but would pay full price for this beauty. Houses my 6770 fine and moves air like a champ.
Great Budget CPU
Pros: Powerful, fast, easily overclocked using AMD OverDrive. I bought this card for $125, at the time of this review it is priced at $109. I'm absolutely ecstatic to have this card and would gladly pay the higher price to have it again. Runs Skyrim and MW3 on Ultra along with my 6770 without OCing.
Cons: The only "con" I can think of is that unlocking the two extra cores doesn't seem to affect performance, but it's clearly listed as a quad core and can easily OC to 3.4 anyway.
Overall Review: Great power to price ratio! =D
Fantastic Budget Card
Pros: My first graphics card and it's a great one. Did my research and it really payed off! Skyrim and MW3 both run on Ultra settings with AA at x2. Phenomenal card!
Cons: Not really any, you get phenomenal power for what you pay.
Overall Review: Plan on buying another to crossfire once I get a new mobo.