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Andrew Y.

Andrew Y.

Joined on 04/05/05

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Product Reviews
product reviews
  • 5
Most Favorable Review

Maybe not the fastest, but dependable on all platforms

ADATA 32GB UV128 USB 3.2 Gen 1 Flash Drive (AUV128-32G-RBY)
ADATA 32GB UV128 USB 3.2 Gen 1 Flash Drive (AUV128-32G-RBY)

Pros: Have bought these at work and at home -- never had one fail, give terrible performance, or fail to be bootable. ADATA is a solid brand through their RAM and Flash product lines. Per OS: Apple: Made Install keys for Yosemite and El Capitan. Both have always worked dependable on USB3 and USB2 macs installing the OS in under 20 minutes in most cases. Windows: File transfers aren't exactly terribly fast, but usually get at least 40MB per second. Linux: On all the linux machines I've used this on, I've never had any performance problems or flash failures.

Cons: No lanyarn/key ring included.

Overall Review: At the price I paid (~7.00), I'd absolutely buy these again.

Most Critical Review

OK Motherboard...bare minimum

GIGABYTE GA-78LMT-S2 AM3+ AMD 760G + SB710 Micro ATX AMD Motherboard
GIGABYTE GA-78LMT-S2 AM3+ AMD 760G + SB710 Micro ATX AMD Motherboard

Pros: -- It's a small form factor Mobo. -- It's an AM3+ Mobo with decent silk-screening. -- Minimal packaging -- Cheap

Cons: Here we go....trying to make constructive criticism here: 1. Two words FAN HEADERS -- WHY don't motherboards have more than one fan header for an entire system? Most cases support up to 3, at minimum. 2. One thing I noticed is a 1-2mm gap in the ATX plate at the PS2 and IO ports...really? There's little excuse for that. Shoddy design there. Moreover, in a standard Rosewill branded case the ATX plate at the back didn't even stay in by itself and falls out when trying to place the board into position. Of all the systems I've ever built for clients and myself, I've NEVER seen this before buying this. 3. The Audio header placement....why would you want to run a cable across a mobo into your card slots? This should be on the perimeter of the board....just like most other designs do -- to keep them out of the way. 4. No screws/standoffs? 1 SATA cable? These things are pennies each...but really guys, you can do better.

Overall Review: Bottom Line: I know I'm a little nit-picky above. However, I feel that these are legit concerns that novice system builders wouldn't be able to deal with in all cases. I happen to have a box full of crown screws and standoffs, so not a big deal at all....but what about folks who DON'T have all that stuff laying around. Further, the fan header thing, even on a budget board, really gets me fired up. Companies expect us to buy these boards but yet we have to buy 3/5 pin adapters to use our fans to keep the system from frying? You can do better Gigabyte! I've seen you do it. I have additional parts on order as I ran short of DDR3 memory to complete this build. However, if I have any additional notes on CMOS, I'll put them here. If anyone cares, I'm using this build to support BOINC and crunch data for cancer research. It doesnt' have to be fancy, just workable. (Hopefully, this might give some context to what I build these for and my comments in hopes that if someone from the Manufacturer actually reads these, it might be thought of in future revisions/launches.)

Worst power supply I've ever had

RAIDMAX RX-850AE 850 W ATX12V v2.3 / EPS12V SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply
RAIDMAX RX-850AE 850 W ATX12V v2.3 / EPS12V SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply

Pros: Packaging is cool. Was cheap. (keep reading)

Cons: Lasted 7 months at full load. NOT HAPPY. Was watching youtube and my rig just died. Could've taken an SSD, a $200.00 video card and $150.00 Mobo with it. WILL NEVER BUY THIS BRAND AGAIN!

Overall Review: Seriously, listen/read the reviews. This product is prone to quick failure. If I get a response to this, yes, I know I can RMA (and will); there is no excuse for a power supply to fail after 7 months on a UPS. Wish I could get a refund instead.

Cable to deal with the obvious

Kaybles 6ft HDMIDVI-6BK 6 ft. HDMI to DVI Cable with Gold Plated Connector M-M 6 feet - OEM
Kaybles 6ft HDMIDVI-6BK 6 ft. HDMI to DVI Cable with Gold Plated Connector M-M 6 feet - OEM

Pros: It's a cable. Order this if you got a new video card without another DVI port and only have DP or HDMI ports.

Cons: none

R9 270x from HIS

HIS IceQ X² Boost Radeon R9 270X 2GB GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 CrossFireX Support Graphics Card H270XQM2G2M
HIS IceQ X² Boost Radeon R9 270X 2GB GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 CrossFireX Support Graphics Card H270XQM2G2M

Pros: 1. Price was reasonable. 2. HIS has a good track record for me. 3. Card specs were above reference design.

Cons: 1. Really cheap -- no HDMI adapters for legacy connectors since this only has ONE DVI ports. 2. No game bundle.

Overall Review: Make sure you pick up an adapter for a second display if still using legacy ports.