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Paul M.

Paul M.

Joined on 09/08/12

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Product Reviews
product reviews
  • 6
Most Favorable Review

Solid RAM

Ballistix Sport 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model BLS2K4G3D169DS3
Ballistix Sport 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model BLS2K4G3D169DS3

Pros: Solid RAM. It worked right out of the box: fit perfectly into the slots, and the motherboard recognized it immediately and at the proper speed with no advanced configuration or tweaking needed. I've been running this RAM for around 4 months now with no issues.

Cons: None, really. I've had no problems with it.

Overall Review: Before buying this RAM I used the tools at Crucial's website to make sure the RAM was fully compatible with my motherboard selection. Crucial's tool seemed more complete and useful than those I've seen on other RAM manufacturer's websites. They listed it as compatible with my motherboard and it worked correctly right out of the box. My Setup: AMD FX 6350 CPU MSI 970a-G46 Motherboard nVidia GTX 760 GPU 8 GB (4x2)Crucial Ballistix Sport XT RAM EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 750B 750 watt PSU Lian Li PC-K7B Case

Solid Unit

LG Internal Super Multi Drive 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 8X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 24X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM SATA Model GH24NSB0B
LG Internal Super Multi Drive 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 8X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 24X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM SATA Model GH24NSB0B

Pros: Works well right out of the box. Good read/write speeds. Excellent unit for the price.

Cons: None really, it works precisely as advertised.

Overall Review: Not too much to say about it. It's a solid unit, seems well made and installed perfectly. The read and write speeds are right where they should be, and the device worked perfectly right from the first time I hooked it up.

Outstanding Performer

GIGABYTE GV-N760OC-2GD REV2.0 G-SYNC Support GeForce GTX 760 2GB 256-Bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 HDCP Ready WindForce 3X 450W Video Card
GIGABYTE GV-N760OC-2GD REV2.0 G-SYNC Support GeForce GTX 760 2GB 256-Bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 HDCP Ready WindForce 3X 450W Video Card

Pros: This is an outstanding card. Simple install, 3 big, quiet fans and an excellent heat sink design. The card stays cool even under heavy, prolonged use. It is quiet but I wouldn't call it extremely quiet. Certainly for the size and performance the noise level is very good, better than I expected. Installed easily quickly and worked perfectly right out of the box. I get great FPS at high graphical settings in all of my games (MMOs, Assassin's Creed, some others. I haven't put it to test in FPS so I can't speak to that, but many other reviewers here have reported excellent performance in FPS games.

Cons: The only con I can list is the size. Not fair to lower the rating over it as the card dimensions are clearly marked, but if you have a smaller case you could run into some space issues. Depending on your motherboard layout cabling around this card in a smaller case can be slightly challenging if you're really pushing for optimal airflow. Mine was a mid-tower and while it definitely fit it was slightly tight and it did make cabling a little more challenging.

Overall Review: For the price you will be hard-pressed to top this card in performance.

A Solid Power Supply

EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 750 B 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified 750W Active PFC ATX12V v2.31/EPS 12V v2.91 5 Year 
Warranty 120-PB-0750-KR SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Modular NEW 4th Gen CPU Certified Intel 4th Gen CPU Ready Power Supply
EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 750 B 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified 750W Active PFC ATX12V v2.31/EPS 12V v2.91 5 Year Warranty 120-PB-0750-KR SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Modular NEW 4th Gen CPU Certified Intel 4th Gen CPU Ready Power Supply

Pros: This is an excellent power supply. I've had no issues with it since since I installed it. It's a powerful 750 watts and quiet. While it is not FULLY modular this isn't much of an issue as the hard-wired connections are ones you're extremely likely to be using anyway (the motherboard power connectors, one SATA connector, and one video card connector are hard-wired). It worked well right out of the box. The documentation is excellent and easy to follow and the modular cables and their ports are color-coded and everything is CLEARLY labeled. I've had no issues whatsoever with this unit since installing it.

Cons: I would like to have seen a little more slack between SATA connectors on the SATA cables. Just an inch or two would have made my build slightly easier, but I suppose one builders want for a little more cable length is another's too much cable that needs to be tied off somewhere, so definitely not worth docking an egg over.

Overall Review: 750 watts, bronze certified, (mostly) modular, with excellent documentation and simple color-coding on the modular cables. All huge pluses in my book.

Solid AntiVirus

TREND MICRO Titanium Internet Security 2014 3 PCs - Download
TREND MICRO Titanium Internet Security 2014 3 PCs - Download

Pros: I'm quite pleased with this product. I originally did the Trend Micro 30 day trial, and was pretty pleased so I bought a copy from NewEgg. The program works well without having a large footprint.

Cons: None from me, really. It seems to do its job well and does so without being obnoxious or intrusive.

Overall Review: I'm quite likely to buy it again when my license expires.

Good Quality, Fair Price

LIAN LI PC-K7B USB3.0 Black Aluminum / Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
LIAN LI PC-K7B USB3.0 Black Aluminum / Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

Pros: There's quite a lot to like about this case. This is only the second build I've completed, but I'm very pleased with the case on the whole. I feel like it is much higher quality and better build than many other cases in the same price range. The HDD mounting system has these really nice little rubber gromets, you can put the screw through them then mount the HDD. Makes putting in and taking out hard drives very easy, a small but very nice touch. It's very easy to work in this case: there is a removable motherboard tray, which is nice. In addition to each side coming off, the top and front each come off very easily. This made working in the case fairly easy. The components are well-made. Everything is aluminum--no flimsy plastic front cover here. The front cover comes off smoothly and easily. Cable management isn't great, but it is decent. Having just a tiny bit more space between the cover panel and the motherboard tray would make running cables much easier, in particular the ATX power from the PSU. There are three big fans; they're quiet and run well. Airflow in this case is pretty good and my temp readings have been pretty good.

Cons: I really prefer a bottom mounted PSU case. Not really fair to call this a con, I suppose--the case is clearly marked and screenshots show a top-mount PSU. More my personal preference, so its more of a con for me. Not worth docking an egg over as this is more personal preference.

Overall Review: For the price this case is very good. It's not a flashy case with LEDs and the like, but it is simple, understated, well-built with quality components and is easy to work in. If you're looking for a good quality case in this price range my opinion is this case is a solid choice.