Joined on 03/21/05
Best 290 Made
Pros: 290 Performance the way it should be VERY quiet operation Best cooling solution out there Sapphire build quality Looks amazing
Cons: Card is a bit long
Overall Review: I have this card installed in my gaming rig and it is amazing. The looks are super, much nicer than the Tri-X/Toxic butterscotch coloring. The card is nearly silent, even under load I never hear it spin up and has the option to make it quieter at idle if you want. The cooling is amazing with the temps never cresting 75C in a case with room temps in the high 80F range. Sapphire did not skimp on the card with a redesigned PCB and they binned the chips for this card. The result is a 290 with 290X performance. After using this card for a while I can confidently say you can skip the 290X and save your money, this 290 has the performance, looks and cooling at a better price.
ITX Gaming Beast
Pros: For an ITX card it is super cool and quiet. The small form factor allows for use in pretty much any case that would be used for a gaming build. The cool operation works well even in cases with lower air flow. Even under gaming loads the card is quieter than other cards in this form factor. It does all of this while still delivering GREAT 1080P gaming performance.
Cons: Only one real con from my experience. I wish the power connections where on the top of card instead of the end. I have not had this be an issue but can see it being a problem in an ultra small case.
Overall Review: If you want to build a SFF system and want support for Freesync out of the box this is an awesome card to choose.
Awe LAN party Accessory
Pros: Small size makes it easy to carry to LAN events as well as gives you room at the event without feeling cramped. Fully backlit is perfect for gamer as we all know sunlight burns and LAN events tend to have lights out. Mechanical means the keyboard is durable and give consistent experience in use.
Cons: No real cons
Overall Review: The Blue switches, which is what I use, has a solid thunk at the bottom of the keypress which can be annoying. A quick fix is to get some cherry switch O Rings, they work perfect and all but kill the thunk at the bottom without taking away the click as the key press hits. I own two of the Poseidon Z and one of the ZX, they are great keyboards for the money.
GREAT gaming card
Pros: Delivers GTX 670 performance and gaming experience at 1080 resolutions. EVGA quality and solid 3 year warrenty. Quiet operation and the nVidia extras plus great driver support means your games look and run amazing.
Cons: none
Overall Review: For the money this card is amazing. At a single monitor resolution against a GTX 670 this card will deliver an identical gaming experience at $100 less cost. With vysnc enabled almost all of my games peg 60 FPS and just sit there, the slow downs only go to about 55 resulting in amzingly smooth game play.
When onsale, must buy
Pros: Shield cabling to front panel module. You get a choice of using a 5.25 or 3.5 inch bay for the front module. The card does not need a power source. Easy access to push button mode changing. RCA input jacks for various recording options. On the fly mic volume adjustments with out using software.
Cons: Normal Price
Overall Review: At it's $200 price it is hard to recommend this card to all but the most hardcore. However I grabbed it when it was on sale at Newegg for $109 with free shipping, that makes it a steal and a must buy. If this card is onsale at or near $100 then grab it and run. At closer to normal pricing I would look at other options.
Great Bang for the Buck
Pros: Elegence of Spimplicity in style, good cooling potential, good cable management, large CPU backplate opening, real world useful tray at top, slight angle on front ports make for easier access, 4 USB 2.0 ports, headphone/mic jac color coded.
Cons: Marketing misleading as the front intake areas have no filters. Top mounting screws hard to access for motherboard.
Overall Review: Great case for the money, essentially a redone Antec Three Hundred. Be sure to get the front fans to get the air flow this case has the poential to offer. This is a great basic case as is and has awesome potential as a modders blank slate.