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Matthew S.

Matthew S.

Joined on 12/10/07

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Product Reviews
product reviews
  • 15
Most Favorable Review

So Far So Good

ASUS ROG Swift 27" 1440P Gaming Monitor (PG279Q) - QHD (2560 x 1440), IPS, 165Hz (Supports 144Hz), G-SYNC, Eye Care, DisplayPort, Adjustable Ergonomic
ASUS ROG Swift 27" 1440P Gaming Monitor (PG279Q) - QHD (2560 x 1440), IPS, 165Hz (Supports 144Hz), G-SYNC, Eye Care, DisplayPort, Adjustable Ergonomic

Pros: - Has all the fancy features (1440p, high-refresh rate, G-Sync, IPS). - Comes with matte bezels and a non-glossy screen, which is nice. - Little stick-nub for navigating the OSD is pretty okay. - Not nearly as much "GAMERZ" style to it as some other options with this feature-set.

Cons: - Still has some "Republic of Gamers" branding, meh. - The border around the bezel looks a tiny bit uneven. Nothing worth fretting, but could be cleaner.

Overall Review: Knock on wood, looks like I got a decent one. No major uneven spots or bad backlight, and no pixel issues (so far). Looks great, and has a truckload of features. Cream of the 2560x1440p crop, for now.

Most Critical Review

Love-Hate Relationship

Acer XB270HU bprz Black 27'' 144 Hz WQHD G-SYNC Widescreen LED Backlight LCD Monitor IPS 350 cd/m2 1,000:1
Acer XB270HU bprz Black 27'' 144 Hz WQHD G-SYNC Widescreen LED Backlight LCD Monitor IPS 350 cd/m2 1,000:1

Pros: 1440p/144Hz/IPC/G-Sync. It's a what's-what list of specs. And until the XR341CR (or whatever the 34" version of this is) comes out, this is arguably the best all-around gaming monitor available at that time. And it's gorgeous. Coming from a 1080p/60Hz box, it's visual butter for my eyes. I simply cannot overstate how beautiful this thing is. And, to boot, it comes with every style of adjustment you could want (which maybe isn't a big deal, but was another nice change from my old screen).

Cons: ... the quality control. It's echoed in nearly every review, and dead pixels are a worry when buying any monitor, but when you're paying ~$800, it's that much bigger of a deal. First monitor came with a couple dead pixels, plus dust under the screen AND a broken button. Ugh. So it's been RMA'd, and is now out of stock, and thus is the XB270HU lottery. So, while it's awesome, be prepared for a bit of work (unless you get lucky and nail it the first time).

Overall Review: Random internet polls have suggested nearly a 1/3 failure rate in terms of having to RMA this beast, and that's probably true. If any other brand offered the same spec sheet, I'd probably have skipped this guy. But, if you get a pixel perfect screen, it's an absolute treat. It's crazy expensive, but it's also virtually unmatched. So buy, but be prepared.

ASUS VE248H 24" Full HD 1920 x 1080 D-Sub, DVI, HDMI Built-in Speakers Asus Eye Care with Ultra Low-Blue Light & Flicker-Free LED Backlight Monitor
ASUS VE248H 24" Full HD 1920 x 1080 D-Sub, DVI, HDMI Built-in Speakers Asus Eye Care with Ultra Low-Blue Light & Flicker-Free LED Backlight Monitor

Pros: Decent size, very bright. Works well for what it is.

Cons: Significant ghosting, which wasn't an issue at first, but has seemed to have gotten worse. Bought two of these a few months apart, and they have different UIs, and I simply cannot get the colors to match up between them. Also, virtually not adjust-ability.

Overall Review: Not bad if you just need big, 1080p screens. But if you want any extras whatsoever, look elsewhere. Also, the builds are surprisingly inconsistent.

SAMSUNG 840 Pro Series 2.5" 128GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) MZ-7PD128BW
SAMSUNG 840 Pro Series 2.5" 128GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) MZ-7PD128BW

Pros: Super fast. Reliable. Great value compared to other SSDs.

Cons: None.

Overall Review: Own both an 830 and an 840 Pro. Samsung is my go-to for SSDs.

CORSAIR HX Series HX750 750 W ATX12V 2.3 / EPS12V 2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply New 4th Gen CPU Certified Haswell Ready
CORSAIR HX Series HX750 750 W ATX12V 2.3 / EPS12V 2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply New 4th Gen CPU Certified Haswell Ready

Pros: Like all Corsair PSUs, it works beautifully. Had no issues thus far, after two years.

Cons: None.

Overall Review: Why does it come with a bag? It's a nice bag, don't get me wrong... but who's taking a PSU to-go? :P

Corsair Obsidian Series 550D Black Aluminum / Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
Corsair Obsidian Series 550D Black Aluminum / Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

Pros: Looks great, if you're not into the whiz-bang of LEDs and windows. Keeps quiet, and still runs pretty cool. Has optional panels and tons of mounts for customizable airflow.

Cons: The door hinge broke within days of using it. There's a cut-out on the front for USB ports, which means you can't open the door if stuff is plugged in (seriously, how did they overlook that?). Seems to get exceptionally dusty, especially with the aforementioned panels.

Overall Review: It's surprisingly roomy for a smallish mid tower. Originally crammed a Noctua D14 into it, and more recently fit an H110i GT as well.