Joined on 02/08/07
Bye Bye HDD
Pros: The performance is exactly as advertised (250MB/70MB average). Opening programs and transferring data is beyond quick. The low access time is nearly unbelievable compared to traditional hard disk drives. In addition to the performance, the low power consumption and noise reduction are outstanding as well.
Cons: No TRIM support for RAID, but Intel is working hard on a fix. Giving us a $1 metal bracket to mount in regular drive bays would be nice. My Raptor HDD is now collecting dust.
Overall Review: I'm using an EVGA 750i motherboard, which does not have Advanced Host Controller Interface (AHCI) support causing TRIM to not work automatically. However, there is an easy fix (which will work on other similar boards): On Win7, go to Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Device Manager > expand Storage Controllers > right click NVIDIA nForce Serial ATA Controller > select Properties > click Driver tab > select Update Driver... > select Browse my computer for driver software > select Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer > select Standard Dual Channel PCI IDE Controller > select Next. Once the install is complete restart your PC and TRIM/Intel Toolbox will now work.
Overrated - Returning to Air Cooling
Pros: * The kit is all-inclusive for water cooling your CPU * Setup is easy to install * The mounting kit supports a good variety of chipsets * Temperatures were 3C better than regular air cooling on a 2500K processor in my rig (3C more after adding another fan for push/pull config) * The system looks good and you can boast about water cooling your computer to aspiring nerds
Cons: * My H60 totally failed after 2 years and 2 months * The fan is mediocre at best and system requires another to perform at it's best (which increases the cost further) * The mounting bracket is not the best quality, and can be easily stripped * The performance is limited to your ambient room temperature, meaning regular fans can compete very closely *The cost is over double that of outstanding performing fans * It contains liquid... in a PC that potentially costs thousands of dollars = recipe for disaster and a hassle if you have to move a lot
Overall Review: I bought this cooler in July of 2011 and waited until now to review it. The long-term value of this is poor compared to other air cooling options. My unit failed after 2 years, but the points in this review remain valid regardless of that failure. For overclockers who *must* reduce CPUs an extra few Celsius in temperature: this might be an "okay" option if you're lazy... but you should just create your own watercooling rig if you fall in this category For everyone else: do not spend 2-3x more on this than air cooling. The Cooler Master Hyper 212 can be had for $24 at the time of this posting and is nearly the same in performance without the hassle/worry of watercooling.
Lightweight Champ
Pros: It's the lightest 16" laptop in the world, which is great for me since I like to travel light. The white color looks great for my minimalist style computer desk. I have another laptop with 4k resolution, but the difference compared to this IPS WQXGA one is negligible which was quite surprising. The laptop is completely silent and hasn't had any overheating issues. It has a magnesium-alloy body which makes it flex a little, but I don't think it's a problem and the benefits far outweigh that minor observation. The fingerprint ID is super fast and allows quick logins.
Cons: I took one egg off, because the keyboard layout is ridiculous. LG should not put the numpad keys on a 16" laptop, and if they do then it should be done better. I type ~100WPM and use tons of different keyboards daily with my job, and unfortunately this laptop has one of the only keyboards that I have trouble typing on. All of the keys are offset too far to the left in relation to the trackpad. Separately, I do not think they should include an HDMI port on a $1k+ laptop in 2021. I feel similarly about the older USB ports as well.
Overall Review: LG should make more of these gram laptops in white. I could have bought another gram with an i7 for $50 cheaper, and picked this one with i5 at a higher cost for the color. :(
Good idea, but contains some issues
Pros: - Numerous function keys - All keys are backlighted - Volume controls are placed perfectly - Black/gunmetal color look great
Cons: - The WSAD keys require you to hold them down much harder than other keyboards I've used, which is causing discomfort during gaming sessions. - The keys don't always type after the "click" when pressing down; which causes me to type harder than usual and results in double typing quite often - Grooves on the F and J keys are not big enough - The keyboard layout takes a lot of mind/finger training to become accustomed to, and it is frustrating to switch between this and a regular keyboard (ie, from work to home) - The profile for the game I play only includes one hotbar worth of abilities
Overall Review: I have a fully functional Saitek Eclipse II keyboard, and decided to spend $120 on this keyboard for MMO gaming. I'm disappointed in the purchase and highly prefer the feel/function of the Eclipse II over this keyboard. The rubberized type feel of the Eclipse II keyboard feels much better, and I've yet to double type or miss a key when typing a single time on that keyboard. I've made those errors more than 3 times during this 1 paragraph.
Great gaming mouse
Pros: - Fits the hand great, long duration gaming is no problem - Textured finish holds the hand/thumb in place - Sensitivity and thumb buttons are placed perfectly - DPI and response rate is good - Logitech software is streamlined and easy to use/download - Scroll wheel has a nice click to it when scrolling - Glides smoothly
Cons: - Does not glide as quickly as other mice I've used, likely due to the weight difference.
Overall Review: My Razer Diamondback mouse broke after ~4 years of gaming with it (right mouse button stopped functioning correctly). This G400 came out a week after that so I made the switch. So far, I like the comfort of the G400 much better. However, the performance difference is unnoticeable. If nothing better comes out, then I'd buy this again if needed.
Arguably the best QWERTY phone
Pros: The crystal clear screen and speed switching between applications make this phone much better than it's predecessor (the Curve 83xx). For the amount of technology incorporated into this phone the size and weight are both outstanding. Software support for this, like other BB Curves is great. Pandora internet radio, myspace, facebook, google mobile, and other apps run flawlessy and much quicker than other phones I've used 'em on. The new camera has autofocus that works great and takes wonderful pictures; I leave my digital camera at home 90% of the time now.
Cons: The new placement of the phone charger input on the right side is a bit irritating if you want to type with your right hand while charging the phone. I'm ambidextrous so this minor annoyance does not affect me, but I imagine it's frustrating for some.
Overall Review: There are no additional features I want in a phone; and the speed of this 8900 is fast enough to suit me fine. I am finally NOT looking for an upgrade. Hopefully RIM continues this great line of phones.