Friday, December 31, 2010

Lowest Price Thermaltake Double Ball Bearing Case Fan 90MM


First of all it is a fan, it blows air....period. It is a bit noisy, but it moves a lot of air, that said I am very satisfied. Hint, as stated in an earlier review use the molex connector, it will spin at the full 2850 rpm +or-.
My purchase was referred to The Price Pros, as Amazon was out of stock. With the fan cost and shipping factored in it was still less expensive than the one Amazon had for sale. It included ground shipping....I received it OVERNIGHT. Kudos to FedEx as well and The Price Pros for using them instead of ups. In summary, your purchase would not be a mistake.
Get more detail about Thermaltake Double Ball Bearing Case Fan 90MM.

Low Price Gigabyte GA-MA785GMT-UD2H Micro ATX Motherboard


This motherboard is pretty well built quality wise, all components looks solid and long lasting. Plenty of features also.

One big drawback!!!! Becareful if you use a long video card for example i'm using a geforce 250 and 3 of the sata ports gets blocked by the GFX card... leaving tight space for connecting only 2 sata devices... :( :(Get more detail about Gigabyte GA-MA785GMT-UD2H Micro ATX Motherboard.

Thursday, December 30, 2010

Save M-Audio Firewire Solo US35030 Firewire Audio Interface


This thing has given me endless headaches. It's not clear whether it's just glitchy or if it's poorly supported by my Mac laptop. Sometiems the output ports are available, sometimes they aren't. Sometiems the inputs work, sometimes they don't. The nature of the problems is hard to discover/troubleshoot. Sometimes a restart fixes the problem, sometimes it doesn't.

When it works, it works well.Get more detail about M-Audio Firewire Solo US35030 Firewire Audio Interface.

Discount Lasko 14" Air Director Window Fan


I really don't understand what is so bad about this fan. I would call this a high velocity fan. we use this in our living room and it really is an "air director". It is a little too loud but I don't mind it. It is more powerful than a box fan. This is a very nice fan.Get more detail about Lasko 14" Air Director Window Fan.

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Cheap Scythe S-FLEX SFF21D / 120mm 800rpm Fan.


I replaced an aging 120mm fan with the Scythe S-Flex and am loving it. Where my case used to hum like a lawnmower, it's almost inaudible now, yet I have not measured any significant changes in operating temps.

I am a believer in the importance of managed airflow in a case - move the air in through the front, out the back and make sure that your wires, ribbon cables, etc, are not blocking airflow and that your case is not filled with dust or pushed right against a wall.Get more detail about Scythe S-FLEX SFF21D / 120mm 800rpm Fan..

Buying XFX ATI Radeon HD5450 512 MB DDR2 VGA/DVI/HDMI Low-Profile PCI-Express Video Card HD545XYNH2


If you want to play newer games dont look here.

With that said if you are looking for card to use for general purpose and HTPC this card works great !!! In my case I wanted more system ram and it was cheaper to buy this card and turn off the on board graphics to free up the RAM I have been using..

Anyway a few things about this card....

1. It consumes less than 20 Watts and is fanless

2. Low power as in you do not need 400 or 500+ watt power supply to run this card, in fact this card would work good with many stock power supplies in consumer PC's

3. Windows experience with my setup running Windows 7 Home Premium x64 is 3.9 for Desktop and 5.8 for gaming graphicsGet more detail about XFX ATI Radeon HD5450 512 MB DDR2 VGA/DVI/HDMI Low-Profile PCI-Express Video Card HD545XYNH2.

Monday, December 27, 2010

Buy Vantec UGT-ST350CB 2-Port eSATA II-150 PCMCIA CardBus (Black)


Purchased eSATA and firewire PCICardbus devices for my dual core labtop to interface with my LaCie D2 1 TB hardrive. The eSATA cardbus is the fastest interface I've ever owned (blows USB away and is about 10% faster than my firewire card. Simply plug and you're ready to go. Instant recognition by windows XP with assigned drive letter and transfer rates around 34-40 MB/second. This is one fast puppy and I have not had a single glitch using it. A great investment and an absolute necessity for fast transfers to the new external SATA hard drives (my advice...get the LaCie D2 Quadra).Get more detail about Vantec UGT-ST350CB 2-Port eSATA II-150 PCMCIA CardBus (Black).

Purchase Cooler Master Elite 360 RC-360-KKN1-GP ATX Mid Tower/Desktop Case (Black)


Cooler Master did a great job with this case! It is one of the few small cases that actually fits a full ATX motherboard. Also, to those who are thinking of getting the case, get a modular PSU!

There are some flaws with the case though. The front panel on my case is very loose that when I unplug a usb flash drive the front panel pulls apart from the case. Also, the drive brackets that came with my case had some plastic shavings that. I was able to live chat online and submitted a RMA request a week ago. I'm waiting to hear back. Other than that, the case is great! I wish I could give it five stars if it were not for the flaws.

From the RMA request USRMA0009151:
The case is set up and working great. There are some problems though. The front panel is very loose. When I plug in a usb flash drive and pull out, the front panel almost comes off. Also some of the drive brackets have plastic shavings and I had trouble fitting my dvd drive. I want to add a second dvd drive or a hard drive later but I am concerned about some of the brackets. Otherwise, the case is great. I love it. I had a live chat with Marvin on Cooler Master web site and he told me that I should fill out and submit a request.Get more detail about Cooler Master Elite 360 RC-360-KKN1-GP ATX Mid Tower/Desktop Case (Black).

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Order Syba SD-SATA2-2E2I PCI SATA II 2x External Ports and 2x Internal Ports RAID Controller with SIL3124 Chipset


I bought this card to go with my new Dell desktop computer running Vista 32 bit, got it installed OK. So far have not been able to get the computer to see the 2 1GB hard drives attached to the card. Syba web site is of no help, I have followed the few directions they offer with no luck!
Beware if you buy this card...great idea, but plain and simple it doesn't wrok.Get more detail about Syba SD-SATA2-2E2I PCI SATA II 2x External Ports and 2x Internal Ports RAID Controller with SIL3124 Chipset.

Where To Buy Toshiba MK3008GAL - Hard drive - 30 GB - internal - 1.8" - ATA-100 - 4200 rpm - buffer: 2 MB


Very good item, easy to install and works great. What more can be said?Get more detail about Toshiba MK3008GAL - Hard drive - 30 GB - internal - 1.8" - ATA-100 - 4200 rpm - buffer: 2 MB.

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Shop For Sapphire Radeon HD 5670 PCI-Express Graphics Card 100289L


Great card so far as to my HTPC(no gaming here), downloaded lastest drivers from Sapphire and encountered no problems at all.

Amazon is a great alternative for buying Electronic products besides the bricks and motar stores. Amazon with its timely free shipping option on certain items is very competitive if not better than our local b&m price wise here.Get more detail about Sapphire Radeon HD 5670 PCI-Express Graphics Card 100289L.

NZXT 140mm Performance Case Fan FN 140RB (Black/White)


I bought two of these, they were just super, compear the other fan I have use.
move much more air and still silent.
I am thinking to get two of NZXT120mm too.Get more detail about NZXT 140mm Performance Case Fan FN 140RB (Black/White).

Friday, December 24, 2010

Corsair CMPSU-950TX 950-Watt TX Series 80 Plus Certified Power Supply Compatible with Intel Core i7 and Core i5 Review


I recommend doing your googling before your buying. It's a time saver...

Excellent PSU!Get more detail about Corsair CMPSU-950TX 950-Watt TX Series 80 Plus Certified Power Supply Compatible with Intel Core i7 and Core i5.

SilverStone Sugo SG02B-F ABS/SECC Steel MicroATX Desktop Computer Case - Retail (Black) Top Quality


Great Case. The only reason I gave it a four was because of the annoying HD light.

Pros:
- Two 5 inch slots in the front were huge for me. Difficult to find two on top of each other on a HTPC case.
- Plenty of room to work and fits everything I needed and then some.

Cons:
- HD access light is blue and very obtrusive for a HTPC. Disconnected light and all is good.

Get more detail about SilverStone Sugo SG02B-F ABS/SECC Steel MicroATX Desktop Computer Case - Retail (Black).

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Scythe ULTRA KAZE series DFS123812H-3000 120x120 x 38 mm Case Fan SKU: DFS123812H-3000 This instant


Unless you can turn this thing down, or have some serious means of dampening the noise, you will not be able to hear anything even through headphones unless you max out all your volume settings. Unfortunately, it only comes with a three pin (and 3-pin to molex) connector. For my board this means I can't plug it in to my main CPU-fan connector. Thus, my auto-fan modulator doesn't pick up on the fact that it needs to be turned down, and at 45 dba/3k rpm, you WILL need to turn it down... so I returned it figuring, what the heck, why don't I just get a fan that's turned down to begin with.

It does push an amazing amount of air, however.Get more detail about Scythe ULTRA KAZE series DFS123812H-3000 120x120 x 38 mm Case Fan SKU: DFS123812H-3000.

Kingston Technology KVR266X64C25/1G ValueRAM 1GB 266MHz DDR PC2100-DIMM CL2.5 Memory Immediately


Soy de Venezuela, compre las memorias, para una computadora que solo soportaba 2.5V.
Recomiendo 100%Get more detail about Kingston Technology KVR266X64C25/1G ValueRAM 1GB 266MHz DDR PC2100-DIMM CL2.5 Memory.

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Noctua Ultra Silent 140mm Fan NF-P14 FLX (Brown) Best Quality


This fan is mediocre - it is not particularly quiet and doesn't push much air. It also won't start at very low voltages. The Scythe Kazemaru 2 140mm x 25mm Case Fan- 1200RPM Medium Speed(SM1425SL12M) is half the price and performs much better.Get more detail about Noctua Ultra Silent 140mm Fan NF-P14 FLX (Brown).

TRENDnet 2-Port USB 2.0 PC Card TU2-H2PC Get it now!


Amazon was great in returning both, yes I both, slot cards.

Neither worked in either of my laptops, the card was not recognized. The manufacturer's 800 number customer support (India) recommended that I goto a computer store to see if the 2nd unit worked. I did not choose this course, I want it to work in my laptop, not someone else's.

So, I returned the 2nd one and will look for another.Get more detail about TRENDnet 2-Port USB 2.0 PC Card TU2-H2PC.

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Cooler Master Cosmos ATX Full Tower Case Silver - (RC-1000-KSN1-GP) Buy Now


I have purchased 2 of these cases so far and I love them
Pros:
Roomy, it can accomidate almost anything
Easy to install hard drives, up to 6
Easy to install DVD drives, up to 5
Easy to manage the wiring
Easy to move around
Easy to modify, I had to remove the door and it was easy
Easy to open
Cool tool kit, well designed

Con:
I had the plastic case on top where the ON/Off power and reset are mounted into break. I blame myself for being a little too rough.

If I had to do another build, I would recommend this case. It may be a little expensive but you get what you pay for.Get more detail about Cooler Master Cosmos ATX Full Tower Case Silver - (RC-1000-KSN1-GP).

CoolMax V-500 500 Watt 120MM Serial ATA Power Supply With Silent Fan Order Now


I bought a V-500 power supply about 2 months ago to replace another cool max supply that had died.

Within that 2 months, the fan malfunctioned, seized up and the power supply overheated and fried itself. TOAST

Ah well, after another trip to the store this time to get a Thermaltake supply, the computer is back up, but I WONT be making the mistake of buying any more products from coolmax. EVER.

Do yourselves a favor and steer clear of coolmax, just go with a quality unit to start with, says the voice of experience.

Get more detail about CoolMax V-500 500 Watt 120MM Serial ATA Power Supply With Silent Fan.

Monday, December 20, 2010

OCZ OCZ3P13334GK PC3-1066 DDR3 1333MHz Platinum Series 4 GB Kit Decide Now


I bought this from another co. This memory is JUNK> tried to return it, but didnt keep package. Didn't think i would need it. OCZ tech support is a JOKE. Tried to get RMA...What a JOKE. LIVE AND LEARN>>>Get more detail about OCZ OCZ3P13334GK PC3-1066 DDR3 1333MHz Platinum Series 4 GB Kit.

Antec CP-850 850 Watt CPX Power Supply Unit for Antec Twelve Hundred, P183 and P193 Right now


Replacing a smaller power-supply I had in the case, I immediately noticed a quieter system and all-around better air-flow in my computer. The power-supply is partially modularized ( I say this because I was hoping more of the cables could be modularized out, such as the PCI-E power cables for the video cards). The built-in cables on the power-supply are extra long, perfect for use with the p183 which you can wrap the power cables behind the back of the motherboard (my old power-supply cables were too short to be fully routed around the back).

Because Antec is using a larger Power-Supply standard, it allows for more features and better specifications compared to the smaller power-supplies you may be used to. With that, comes a much cheaper power-supply but it does not skimp on the features and abilities. I recently built an computer using an Antec p183 case which is one case that supports the use of the CP-850 power supply. If you're going to be utilizing an Antec p183, p193 or 1200 case then I highly recommend using a CP-850 class power supply. It would be ignorant to use any other power-supply because the case is practically designed with the intentions of using this larger power-supply.

Bottom Line: Get this power-supply is you have a p183, p193 or 1200, otherwise you're going to have difficulty fitting this power-supply in your case in addition to its extra-long cables.Get more detail about Antec CP-850 850 Watt CPX Power Supply Unit for Antec Twelve Hundred, P183 and P193.

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Save Syba SY-PEX40013 PCI Express SATA II 4x Ports RAID Controller Card, JMB Chipset


I bought this to add more drives to my unRaid server and everything was going well till I tried to clear 1.5TB drives on the 3rd and 4th channels. I was averaging bandwidth of about 65MB/s on the other SATA drives. However, when I got to the drives on the 3rd and 4th channel, the speed dropped to about 6MB/s. This is an unacceptable speed for an array with large drives. Also the 3rd and 4th channels show up as IDE ports even though they have SATA connectors, which leads me to believe this card was originally designed with 2 SATA and an IDE port, and some where along the lines it got modified to have 4 SATA ports.

So if you are thinking about this card for an unRaid box, take a pass or only use the first 2 channels. It is a good price though!Get more detail about Syba SY-PEX40013 PCI Express SATA II 4x Ports RAID Controller Card, JMB Chipset.

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Buying Startech 10/100BT PCI Fast Enet Network Card


The ethernet port built into my motherboard on my HP desktop was fried by an electrical surge, so I popped this into an available PCI slot and Vista installed the device without needing to insert the CD. I was back up and running on the internet in minutes. A very easy and affordable solution to my problem. Very satisfied.Get more detail about Startech 10/100BT PCI Fast Enet Network Card.

Buy Western Digital 300 GB VelociRaptor SATA 10,000 RPM 16 MB Cache Desktop Hard Drive WD3000GLFSRTL - Retail


EXPENSIVE AND PRONE TO FAILURE. Known firmware problems result in drive failure in 49.7 days of usage. WD recommends a cold power down of the computers containing the drive every 30 to 45 days. The issue results from problems in the TLER and FIS firmware programing. The error occurs when someone is reading or writing to on the 49.7th day of operation. The result is all drives fail simultaneously during a data read or write resulting in total RAID failure and data corruption.


Know bad VelociRaptor drives:

WD3000BLFS-01YBU0
WD1500BLFS-01YBU0
WD740BLFS-01YBU0
WD3000HLFS-01G6U0
WD1500HLFS-01G6U0
WD740HLFS-01G6U0


WD has been very slow to replace these drives probably due to the overwhelming number of failures. We were back ordered on RMAs for weeks with downed servers. WD has been poor to recall known defective WD3000 drives and replace them. Also WD has not alerted Systems Integrators and VARs to the problem.Get more detail about Western Digital 300 GB VelociRaptor SATA 10,000 RPM 16 MB Cache Desktop Hard Drive WD3000GLFSRTL - Retail.

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Purchase ASUS Rampage II Extreme LGA1366 Intel X58 DDR3-1600 ATX Motherboard


It's hard for me to do an actual review yet as I haven't been able to gather all the pieces of my next build. However, with Asus' reputation and my previous experience with their products I'm sure it won't disappoint. I'll amend this once my next system's up and running.Get more detail about ASUS Rampage II Extreme LGA1366 Intel X58 DDR3-1600 ATX Motherboard.

Order 256MB PC133 Dimm


Had a couple of old computers that I wanted to upgrade and donate. Glad to be able to find the necessary RAM so cheap. Simple to install and works great.Get more detail about 256MB PC133 Dimm.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Where To Buy Gigabyte GA-EX58-UD5 Motherboard


It works, does what it is supposed to. Had my i7-920 at 3.8 ghz in no time. Booted up the first time no problem. I chose this card for my first build ever. Just make sure that you have a PS/2 keyboard because USB keyboards are disabled by default in the BIOS. Recognized all RAM, processor, etc... all no problems. Build quality seems good, TONS of USB 2.0 and SATA 2.0 ports. Only problem is NO USB 3.0. I didn't care so much because its going to be a while before those become standard and prices become acceptable...probably just get a PCi card for them anyway.Get more detail about Gigabyte GA-EX58-UD5 Motherboard.

Shop For Hauppauge 1101 WinTV HVR-1600 Internal PCI Dual TV Tuner/Video Recorder


Works great with Linux, Ubuntu 9.04 with MythTV.
I'm using S-video from the Dish feed and an antenna for the HDTV.
It's nice to be able to pause and rewind over-the-air broadcasts.
Now I can save both inputs as mpg to view later.
The S-video input is also being used to input from the VHS recorder. I'm copying VHS tapes to mpg computer files. In the times of HDTV the VHS seems a very small frame size.
I like the RCA plugs for sound in. This is an easier hookup than my other Hauppauge that uses 1/8 inch stereo.
I'm not using the FM or any software that came with the unit.Get more detail about Hauppauge 1101 WinTV HVR-1600 Internal PCI Dual TV Tuner/Video Recorder.

Monday, December 13, 2010

XFX ATI Radeon HD 4650 1 GB DDR2 Graphics Card HD465XZDF2


I purchased this with the expressed purpose of using two monitors. I have been using this video card with two monitors for more than a month now. I am extremely happy. Installation was easy, however, there was a problem with the software and drivers. I found the solution by Googling the model, and it only took a couple of hours. I have a Dell Studio with 4 GB memory, and Intel Quad chip, one year old, using one Samsung monitor and one Dell monitor. I am not a gamer, so I cannot address this for games. Video on the web looks amazing. I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 because of the software installation problem.Get more detail about XFX ATI Radeon HD 4650 1 GB DDR2 Graphics Card HD465XZDF2.

Cyclo Pci Slot Blue Led Fan Review


i can just say that i have almost a year with this fan and still blows like hell a lot of hot air from my case not a problem so far and still no noise from it great product
update ....by june 2010 this baby still blows air like no other and keeps my GPU cool im getting another for my gtx 480Get more detail about Cyclo Pci Slot Blue Led Fan.

Sunday, December 12, 2010

ASUS Maximus III Formula - LGA 1156 - Intel P55 - DDR3 - Republic of Gamers - ATX Motherboard Top Quality


I've built quite a few PCs and have seen motherboards evolve over time dramatically. The Asus Formula III is one of the most customizeable motherboards for overclockers I've ever seen. It also has the proper safeguards in place just in case an overzealous overclocker attempts to push the hardware too far. I'll say right off the bat that this board may be overkill for the user who does not intend to overclock their machine, but there are some factors about it that can still justify its purchase. First, it has 10 SATA ports. Two of them are slated for SATA optical drives and the others are slated for hard drives. I paired this board up with a Lian-Li full tower case -- it can hold more hard drives than I have SATA ports for, but 10 SATA devices allows for a lot of hard drive capacity! One of the things I found the most useful was the inclusion of LEDs that blink from system power on till POST. I had problems getting my machine to POST at first, and the LEDs indicated that it was stuck on the RAM stage of POSTing - Solved the problem in under a minute.

I'm sure someone may be wondering about the sound quality of the SuprmeFX X-Fi discrete sound card -- I own the Creative ExtremeMusic PCI-E sound card in another system, and being the audiophile, I like clean sound and being a gamer, I like being able to distinguish directional sound. I can say that I like the sound quality the included sound card puts out, though I did hear a buzzing noise when I hooked up my case's front case ports for sound to the rear of the sound card. I haven't fully tested it yet, but I believe that has more to do with the case cables used rather than the sound card itself. When I plug in headphones directly to the external-facing ports, sound is very clean, crisp, clear. The EAX effects are very good as well.

I paired the i7 860 with the Zalman CNPS1X and was able to turn the cooler sideways, so that the fan is facing the back f the case instead of down or up - this allowed me to not block any of the available RAM slots. The motehrboard feels very solid, especially considering it has a massive heatsink/fan attached to the processor.

One of the coolest features which I admittedly have not tried yet is the iROG connector. Made of basically a USB cable with both ends having USA B heads, owners of this board can hook up another computer (laptop/netbook, etc) to connect to the motherboard and set the timings and other core settings on the motherboard from a remote computer.

Get more detail about ASUS Maximus III Formula - LGA 1156 - Intel P55 - DDR3 - Republic of Gamers - ATX Motherboard.

NVIDIA GeForce GT 120 Graphics Upgrade Kit - Graphics adapter - GF GT 120 - PCI Express 2.0 x16 - 512 MB GDDR3 - DVI This instant


I bought this card about a year ago for my 2008 Mac Pro and it's been working fine, even though the official line is that a 2009 Mac Pro is required. No problems even after adding a second monitor, one on mini Display Port and one on DVI.Get more detail about NVIDIA GeForce GT 120 Graphics Upgrade Kit - Graphics adapter - GF GT 120 - PCI Express 2.0 x16 - 512 MB GDDR3 - DVI.

Saturday, December 11, 2010

PNY OPTIMA 2GB DDR2 667 MHz PC2-5300 Desktop DIMM Memory Module MD2048SD2-667 Immediately


I bought two pairs of the PNY Optima's, one for my Dell E510 and the other for my Dell E521.

When I opened the Dell E510 (Intel Processor), I realized the "Channel A" memory slots (DIMM_1 & DIMM_2) were not next to each other but were physically separated by a "Channel B" memory slot (DIMM_3). If it weren't for the white securing clips and previous matched pair of 512MB memory I might not have known what was the "Channel A" memory slots. So I moved the preexisting matched pair of 512MB (PC2-4300 533MHz) memory from the "Channel A" slots to the "Channel B" slots and installed the matched pair of 1GB (PC2-5300 667MHz) PNY's into the "Channel A" slots. Once I started the computer, I instantly wanted to make sure the computer recognized the memory and went into the BIOS. I did this since I moved the preexisting memory AND I installed new memory with a higher clock speed capability (667MHz versus 533MHz). I had to trust that the PNY would work, but I had to verify the motherboard would work with them also. Thankfully the motherboard recognized all the memory and did not show any conflicts. And I resumed the boot in to Windows and no issues there either; it went straight to the Windows login screen.

When I opened the Dell E521 (AMD Processor), I saw that the "Channel A" memory slots were actually next to each other as I expected with the previous matched pair of 512MB (PC2-5300 667MHz) memory. As before, I moved the preexisting matched pair of 512MB memory from "Channel A" to "Channel B" and installed the PNY's into "Channel A." Again, I instantly went into the BIOS to make sure the computer recognized the memory. The computer did recognize the memory and so I resumed the boot in to Windows. However, this time on the Dell E521 it didn't get to the Windows login screen. And after about 30-minutes of moving the memory around I figured I needed to see if I could even get Windows to recognize the memory. So I put the memory in how I wanted it, PNY 1GB's into "Channel A" and preexisting 512MB's into "Channel B" and booted into the Windows Safe Mode by pressing "F8" multiple times after the BIOS screen. Low and behold, Windows gave me a "New Hardware Found" dialog box and indicated it was memory. Therefore, I rebooted to get out of the "Safe Mode" and Windows went straight to the Windows login screen.

So now both PC's are working wonderfully with a total of 3GB of memory and both are using the memory at different speeds (533MHz versus 667MHz) without issues.

Note: I moved the memory because the computer tries to utilize the "Channel A" memory first and having a larger amount of memory there means my computers would run "better" even though all the manufacturer instructions explicitly told me not to do it. In addition, what happened on the Dell E521 could have been narrowed down to just the addition of memory as a single change versus multiple changes like I made...maybe they knew what they were talking about. ;-)Get more detail about PNY OPTIMA 2GB DDR2 667 MHz PC2-5300 Desktop DIMM Memory Module MD2048SD2-667.

HDmi Detective Plus Best Quality


Just like the previous reviewer, I was hesitant to spend another $100 on a HTPC that was already slightly over budget. But after the countless hours of problems, and updating drivers, I was sick of it. I decided to bite the bullet, suck it up, and spend another $100. Probably the best $100 I've spent!!! It's easy to setup, and does exactly what it's supposed to do! If you have a HTPC, and run HDMI, and have problems, buy this!

The unit comes with a power adapter, BUT IT'S ONLY REQUIRED DURING PROGRAMMING, no power needed after programmed!Get more detail about HDmi Detective Plus.

Friday, December 10, 2010

Zotac Atom N330 Dual Core WiFi ITX Intel Motherboard IONITX-F-E Get it now!


I researched for quite awhile before I picked this board. It is currently installed as a Car PC running XP with 2GB memory. Handles everything well. This board is top notch with all the back panel connections you need. If you are looking for a top end mini board as a car pc, HTPC, or desktop replacement (as long as your not doing high end graphics or gaming) this si the one!Get more detail about Zotac Atom N330 Dual Core WiFi ITX Intel Motherboard IONITX-F-E.

MSI nVidia GeForce 8400GS 256 MB DVI/HDTV PCI-Express Video Card N8400GS-TD256 Buy Now


I bought this for our church's box running Windows xp 64-bit. The only drawback was that the original driver files do not load up with the 64-bit edition of XP. I almost wiped the hard drive and installed a clean copy of a 32-bit version, but then I got the novel idea of checking with NVIDIA's website. Sure enough, they had the correct driver I needed for this card. Downloaded the file and was up and running in minutes. Got dual monitor support. Couldn't be happier. For the price of this card, you definitely can't go wrong!Get more detail about MSI nVidia GeForce 8400GS 256 MB DVI/HDTV PCI-Express Video Card N8400GS-TD256.

Thursday, December 9, 2010

XFX Geforce GTS250 PCIE 1GB DDR3 Dual-Dvi 738MHZ Order Now


Wanted a decent middle of the road card for an entry gaming system I was putting together.
user is not very savvy, decided on nvidia after prior problems with ATI drivers crashing their systems.
Card installed fine, runs everything the client is throwing at it at full resolution, so unless you're going for an extreme system, this card will do just fine for you.

make sure you have around a 450 watt psu at least, the build has an xfx 650 watt installed, everything runs great.



components
cpu: i5-750
mb: evga p55-sli (atx, 1156)
cpu cooler:
Ram: Corsair XMS3 4 GB PC3-12800 (x2)
HDD: samsung spinpoint f3 (1tb)
case: CM 690II advanced
sleeved wiring, UV cathode tube, custom window, OverclockedGet more detail about XFX Geforce GTS250 PCIE 1GB DDR3 Dual-Dvi 738MHZ.

Syba PCI Express SATA II 4 x Ports RAID Controller Card SY-PEX40008 Decide Now


First of all, this is not a real (HW) raid card, raid functions are implemented in the driver. For me that is OK, I did not need it for that. I am using this card under Linux (Ubuntu 9.10) for a software raid array with the Linux kernel software raid (mda), NOT using the drivers by Silicon Image. I actually flashed the non-raid bios available from Silicon Image's site and you should too unless you want to use their raid drivers.

Building the same array (same drives, same kernel, same everything) using the SATA ports on the motherboard (FoxConn 785G) resulted in constant failures of the array. Switching to a Gigabyte MB made things better, but still not perfect. With this card I have zero failures for weeks. So as a 4 ports PCIe SATA card, it works like a charm with recent Linux kernels.

The biggest negative is that it is way too expensive for what it is good for. It should sell around $30 like the PCI (non PCIe) cards from the same manufacturer with the same chipset do. Strangely I found Amazon to be cheapest, even if not by much.Get more detail about Syba PCI Express SATA II 4 x Ports RAID Controller Card SY-PEX40008.

Monday, December 6, 2010

Save Noctua NF-S12B FLX 120 mm 3 Speed Setting Beveled Blade Tips Design SSO Bearing Fan SCD 2 - Retail


It is not a four pin fan so you cannot use your motherboard and raise the speed via the board. I was using the stock intel fan and it showed 58c at idle the Noctua shows the exact same temperature. That is why I give it a 2 out of 5 stars.Get more detail about Noctua NF-S12B FLX 120 mm 3 Speed Setting Beveled Blade Tips Design SSO Bearing Fan SCD 2 - Retail.

Discount MSI 790FX-GD70 SocketAM3/140W CPU/AMD 790FX CrossFire/4DDR3-2133(OC)/ATI Quad/Triple CrossFireX/2GbE/R/A/1394/ATX Motherboard


I WAS ALL HYPED UP TO GET THIS NEW LATEST AMD MOBO FROM MSI!!!! I have personally had 2 MSI boards featuring old socket 478 [...] and they have been great performers!!! I had purchased 2 MSI NForce4 MoBo's for customers in past, so I was hoping for great results again with this new AMD board!!!! This MoBo is filled full of features that other MoBo's do not have for this particular chipset setup!!! BluRay Audio, LOTS USB ports, 4x CrossFireX, Coolest (as in temps) MoBo i think i've ever ran!!!! But unfortunately it is so unstable and this mobo is nuttin but bad news -
-First off I had Geil 2133 OC memory installed, couldn't get it to perform no where near that, fastest was 1333mhz!!!! switch to Kingston HyperX 1600 and tried CORSAIR XMS3 1600 and both worked as stated then!!! Tried every setting in memory setup with only 1600mhz working decent or the initial 1333 or 1066 on most startups or no post, resets!! used three different memory makers, of the 3 only the 2 1600mhz rated workd perfect!!!!
-Second of which is restarts are very common in WinXP and more in Win7 x64!!! The restarts come up with a screen on inital restart stating "HyperTransport Overload Error" and then repeats a restart every 20-30 minutes...MSI has no fix as of now with there "Tech Support"!!! Found if you hit the restart button right away after you see the BIOS screen, it seems to extend the restart period of time!!! (still very lame)
-Third situation -i believe- is AMD Overdrive is a hyped buying conspiracy i swear, manufactures dont even give support for it (for the ones that label there product Black Edition compatible) and AMD has no clue what it is when u call in about either!!!
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I have never had this much trouble building a PC, and nuntheless it was for a loyal customer of mine that i have built 3 Gaming rigs for in last 3 years!! I have put together 100's of PC's rangin from OLD socket 370 Intel 440BX chipsets bein overclocked huge with 1.4ghz Celerons almost a decade ago to 2days's hottest Intel 1366 or AMD AM3 boards with multiple graphics cards for extremists, and by far this has done more wrong to my image as a reputable computer builder then anything good that has come out of it!!!
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I already purchased an ASUS M4A79T Deluxe board and everything worx AWSUM now, reverted back to ASUS after having good results on my personal older A8N32-SLI Deluxe!!! I will probly not buy another MSI board for sumtime after this incident!!! I own 2 PC's that have Black Edition CPU's and they are fast, cheap, and effective on games!!!

Xclio Case
Quad 3.4ghz 965 Black Edition
4gb 1600mhz Kingston HyperX
2x ATi 5770 1gb CrossfireX
ASUS 8x BluRay
WD Black 1TB SATA Hard Drive
CORSAIR 850w Power SUpply

with these components i cannot find a happy place for no restarts/BSOD's!!!!Get more detail about MSI 790FX-GD70 SocketAM3/140W CPU/AMD 790FX CrossFire/4DDR3-2133(OC)/ATI Quad/Triple CrossFireX/2GbE/R/A/1394/ATX Motherboard.