cover
Ann F.

Ann F.

Joined on 03/10/10

0
0

Product Reviews
product reviews
  • 6
Most Favorable Review

Sweet

AMD Sempron 145 - Sempron Sargas Single-Core 2.8 GHz Socket AM3 45W Desktop Processor - SDX145HBGMBOX
AMD Sempron 145 - Sempron Sargas Single-Core 2.8 GHz Socket AM3 45W Desktop Processor - SDX145HBGMBOX

Pros: It's AMD, Great price. Second core unlocked easily giving me a dual core Athlon.

Cons: never have had an issue with the AMD/ASUS combination. Do not expect any with this one.

Overall Review: Built this one for my son. With the AMD Sempron I am running the ASUS M4A88T-M Motherboard with 4 Gigs Kingston HyperX Blue DDR3 1333 RAM. No graphics card but he doesn't need it at the moment.

Most Critical Review

Intially great

Konica Minolta magicolor 1690MF MFC / All-In-One Up to 20 ppm 1200 x 600 dpi Color Print Quality Color Ethernet (RJ-45) / USB Laser Printer
Konica Minolta magicolor 1690MF MFC / All-In-One Up to 20 ppm 1200 x 600 dpi Color Print Quality Color Ethernet (RJ-45) / USB Laser Printer

Pros: Lots of features for the price

Cons: Hard to read LED screen, Replacement toner a pain.

Overall Review: This worked fantastically until the initial toner cartridges ran out about 8 months after purchase. Since then this printer has been nothing but a pain. Finding working toner cartridges that are decently priced has been near impossible, software needs a major overhaul as it is not very user friendly. If you need a color laser, spend a little more to get a better product.

Beastly Card

XFX Core Edition Radeon R9 295x2 8GB GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 CrossFireX Support Graphics Card R9-295X-8QFA
XFX Core Edition Radeon R9 295x2 8GB GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 CrossFireX Support Graphics Card R9-295X-8QFA

Pros: High Performance. Built in Liquid Cooling. $500-$2000 less than High Performance Nvidia cards that do not perform as well.

Cons: Length and weight.

Overall Review: I had to take one egg from this card because of the length and weight factor. If you purchase this card, you MUST do two things; 1) Ensure that you have a case that can accommodate its 12 inches of awesome (I have mine currently installed in a Corsair Obsidian Series 750D) and 2) Support the back end of the card or it will not function correctly and may eventually cause damage to your PCIe slot. Since I could not find an aftermarket support bracket, I found the cleanest and simplest solution was 10lbs. monofillament fishing line from the top of the case to the back end of the card. It provides stability and keeps the build clean. Even if you get close enough to the side panel window to see the line, it has a red glow which matches the build perfectly.

11/19/2014

Worth the Money

RAIDMAX Altas ATX-295WBP Black Steel / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case 500W Power Supply
RAIDMAX Altas ATX-295WBP Black Steel / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case 500W Power Supply

Pros: Sleek, sturdy and inexpensive

Cons: Needs more room, power supply noise level a little high.

Overall Review: I used this case to put together a system for my friend and since he won't being too much upgrading anytime soon it's actually a perfect fit for him. I took one egg for the lack of overall roomyness inside (adding optional fans kills this room even more) and the the fact that the power supply, though not overly loud, can still be heard rather easily. Bottom line, perfect for an inexpensive build that isn't going to see an extensive amount of upgrading or has little to no room requirements for higher end graphics cards and the like.

Good board for the price

BIOSTAR 945GC-M4 Socket 478 Intel 945GC Micro ATX Intel Motherboard
BIOSTAR 945GC-M4 Socket 478 Intel 945GC Micro ATX Intel Motherboard

Pros: Board works great so far! I recycled an older HP PC for the kids and couldn't have asked for a better board to do it with. Perfect fit for kids or grandparents looking for a computer to play around on.

Cons: Limited expansion possibilities, though if used as indicated, expansion is not that big a deal.

Overall Review: The only part I could not recycle from the old HP was the case, though that's on HP and not the board. Luckily I had a few extra cases in storage and easily found one that was a good match.

As expected

Kingston ValueRAM 512MB DDR 333 (PC 2700) Desktop Memory Model KVR333X64C25/512
Kingston ValueRAM 512MB DDR 333 (PC 2700) Desktop Memory Model KVR333X64C25/512

Pros: Never had an issue with Kingston RAM, this one is no different. Works as it should, installed with ease, and improved performance was immediate.

Cons: None. Do not expect any.

Overall Review: Installed into an older model HP for the kiddies. Upgraded to 768MB. Will be buying another one of these RAM sticks to max out the PC.