SiliconDust HDHomeRun HDHR-US Dual Networked High Definition Digital Television (White) Buy Now

Yes, with 2 tuners, which means 2 PC's can watch TV, and the software automates that feature. Especially nice on Windows 7 Media Center. A HDTV antenna is required without cable. I won't say recommended, it really needs this if you don't have a cable. I also made systems with USB HDTV, Hauppaugge and Dvico, and this beats those two in picture alone, once again, not to mention this attaches to the router or switch advantage. The prices were all equal just about.Get more detail about SiliconDust HDHomeRun HDHR-US Dual Networked High Definition Digital Television (White).

SilverStone 120mm Fan Filter with Grill FF121B (Black) Order Now

Very nice for the price, got two of these and in a week i saw how the filters caught more dust and animal hair than an air purifier filter, it was grosse but its doing its job, you can clean it with water and its made out of plastic, so be careful no to tight to much the crews because it can easily break and let dusty air inside your case.

gave it 4 stars because the plastic looks like with 10 or more screwing and unscrewing might break, so be very careful. :)Get more detail about SilverStone 120mm Fan Filter with Grill FF121B (Black).

Intel Core i7 860 Processor 2.80 GHz 8 MB LGA1156 CPU I7-860BOX Decide Now

I put together a new computer from scratch for the first time, instead of rebuilding existing units. I definitely needed to rebuild a few before trying this, BUT Intel and the other companies ARE making it much easier to do this. The major pieces are an Intel DP55SB Extreme mobo, i7 860 processor, 650wd-HD(64mb cache-6gbt/sec.), Creative X-Fi Titanium sound, Sony 7241 DVD-RW w/lightscribe, Win7pro64, 2x2gb Patriot Viper 1600 RAM(still have two empty slots), and Sapphire HD5750 card. I got a deal on a couple of pieces, and was able to put this together for $1,100, and saved $200 with some special deals I received, so really $1,400.

Amazon is an awesome place to put a computer together. My first DP55sb they shipped me had a big gash in the box, but not the brown outer box(?), and they took it right back. They sent me a new one OVERNIGHT!! I bought the w7x64ult, but got a w7pro64 for almost nothing from a friend, and shipped back the Ultimate to Amazon. They charged me a couple of dollars for the return shipping, cool. By the way, the only software items I've had any trouble loading were Microsoft products, 2006 Gears of War(runs super too), and 1998 Greetings Workshop. Still workin' on Greetings Workshop. Almost forgot, bluetooth took a little while to connect to printer. Was ridiculouly easy, but had never done it, and there isn't a lot of info on connection process. Embarassingly easy when you find it(taskbar).

Processor and fan combo went together and on the motherboard quite simply and easily, bam. Hard to imagine all that power in such a tiny little guy. The w7 experience rating for this system came in at 5.9, which is the basic limitations of the 650wd drive only. All other facets of the Windows Experience rating were 7.3 out of 7.9 possible points. Averaged together it was 7.0 out of 7.9. Who gets a 7.9, IBM's Blue Monster? This processor is fast with 4 cores and each one is hyperthreaded to a virtual 8 cores. The 2.8ghz can be clocked up to 3.46ghz. I haven't found anything yet that is challenging this unit past a yawn at 2.8ghz. The motherboard also comes with a very nice dashboard for tweaking and monitoring many items.

I went straight to one of my favorite quickie mini games, Half life2: Lost Coast, which has a video stress test to measure frames per second. My 3.2ghzHT XP Gateway with the ATIx1950 always came in at 28-35fps, and ran all the HL's just fine. I dialed it up on the new system and got a whopping 220fps! I had to put my glasses on to see if there really was a decimal point in there anywhere, WOW! I didn't realize I was this far behind in the computing world. The next game I loaded up was STALKER: SoC, and it did not disappoint me. I have never been able to get this game to run without plenty of chop suey. In fact, it looked so good on the HD5750/Intel combo that it did not even look like the same game. Windows 7 has so far run every game I through at it, except Call of Duty 2. Haven't found a fix yet.

I had one question, and Intel answered very expertly.

If you are thinking about building a computer, this setup worked nearly flawlessly for me, and I'm not a genius, but have some some basic working knowledge. The only two hitches came at start up. This DP55sb mobo will give you an error(digitally too) of 21. Which means that there is a problem with the RAM. I loaded the RAM on the 0/a+b slots, and who knew that it needed to be on the 0 and 1-a slots?! Right next to each other, and next to the processor. If I had loaded 4 pieces of RAM I never would have known. The next hiccup came when loading w7x64pro. The product key entry system is faulty! You'd think they would be paying a group junior high kids 8 bucks an hour to sit and load and reload the operating system all day to make sure that worked properly. This is a known issue, not just me. I will post the answer in the w7x64pro product page review. w7 is pretty cool, stable, and fast.Get more detail about Intel Core i7 860 Processor 2.80 GHz 8 MB LGA1156 CPU I7-860BOX.

Creative Labs SB1090 USB Sound Blaster X-Fi Surround 5.1 Audio System Right now

I purchased this product to improve the sound quality of my laptop primarily for streaming movies online and routing the sound through my home theater system. I chose this particular product because it has a digital optical output and that is the best input option for my home theater system that could allow 5.1 sound.

I was able to set it up and get sound easily, but the sound quality was garbled at times and was only coming out over 2 speakers. The supplied instructions gave no information on how to configure the system with digital optical output.

After a couple of hours spent fiddling with the control settings, downloading and installing beta drivers, and reading posts, I learned in a post that the sound output within the OS control panel needs to be changed to use the digital output as opposed to the analog output if it is configured the way I have it.

Just with that simple change, everything worked. The sound quality is great and coming out in full surround. My only complaint is that this is not written anywhere in the start up manual and I wasted a good amount of time figuring this out. This point could be made very easily in the quick start guide and it would save a lot of time and agony.

I have a engineering masters degree, and I can imagine that some people who have given this product poor reviews might have given up sooner. I have a good deal of patience for this type of thing and I know many do not. It seems like a silly problem to have, when the product is actually good - all it needs is a better manual. The way I am using it seems like a pretty typical application of the product, so I would imagine that it would merit writing about it in the startup manual.Get more detail about Creative Labs SB1090 USB Sound Blaster X-Fi Surround 5.1 Audio System.

Lowest Price PC To TV Video Converter

This is the best product for connecting ur laptop to tv. Really easy to install. Has all the cables needed to connect the laptop.
I was really struggling to connect my laptop to tv and once i got this device, it was really quick just connect the cables and ur done :)Get more detail about PC To TV Video Converter.

Low Price PNY nVidia GeForce 8400 GS 512 MB PCI Video Graphics Card VCG84512SPEB - Retail

I'm a 17 year old home builder and i have a slightly older PC that i use in my room. I run a 2.8 P4 and had 512 RAM, but just upgraded with the buy together on this product ;) The card installed with extreme ease, almost no experience would be needed to install it. the software works great too. This is a great buy!Get more detail about PNY nVidia GeForce 8400 GS 512 MB PCI Video Graphics Card VCG84512SPEB - Retail.

Save EVGA 512-P2-N738-LR GeForce 8400 GS 512MB DDR2 PCI-Express Graphics Card

This is a less expensive graphics card, but it operates fine for the action games that I have. Games such as "Call of Duty - World at War."Get more detail about EVGA 512-P2-N738-LR GeForce 8400 GS 512MB DDR2 PCI-Express Graphics Card.

Discount Hauppauge 1196 WinTV HVR-1250 PCI Express Hybrid High Definition TV Tuner Card

This tuner works well for HDTV channels, but fails to tune in analog channels.
Unscrambled cable Analog TV channels audio is received but not the video.
TV sets in my house with built in tuners pick up many more channels than this tuner.
Still looking for a reason why.

The WinTV software crashes fairly often when channel surfing. When you take this into account it works well for HDTV channels. The hardware and software both installed with no issues on my PC.
Get more detail about Hauppauge 1196 WinTV HVR-1250 PCI Express Hybrid High Definition TV Tuner Card.

Cheapest EVGA 01G-P3-N959TR GeForce 9500 GT 1GB DDR2 PCI-Express 2.0 Graphics Card

If you're looking for a video card that will run dual monitors on your system then I can highly recommend this card. The two DVI ports are great and they drive my two Dell monitors without a hitch. However, if you're looking at this card for high performance graphics then you should keep on looking. This is not a card meant for high-power gaming.

The heatsink built into it is pretty heavy duty - much more so than the last card I had and It also comes with software allowing you to overclock it if you are so inclined. I've overclocked it slightly just to get a little more performance out of it for the Photoshop work that I do and the temperature has stayed down pretty well.Get more detail about EVGA 01G-P3-N959TR GeForce 9500 GT 1GB DDR2 PCI-Express 2.0 Graphics Card.

Cheap Cooler Master 80mm Dual Ball Bearing Case Fan Black - (SAF-B82-E1)

Very quiet, had to look to see if it was running! The side with the sticker is the direction of airflow. At first it didn't work but i found out my power supply was burning out, so i replaced it [Eagle Voltas ET-PSVT550E-BK] and it runs like a charm.Cooler Master 80mm Dual Ball Bearing Case Fan Black - (SAF-B82-E1)Get more detail about Cooler Master 80mm Dual Ball Bearing Case Fan Black - (SAF-B82-E1).

Buying ION Audio VCR 2 PC USB VHS Video to Computer Converter

First of all, the unit I received had non-functional audio. I called the company and they were more than willing to exchange it.

I decided however to return it to amazon for a refund. The quality of the VCR was very poor. The old VCR that I have with all it's problems is better at tracking and video quality. The ION VCR even showed tracking noise on a relatively clean VHS tape. On one of my old overused tapes it wasn't even close to acceptable.

The software that came with it was pretty basic. Easy to use, but it's still an exercise in babysitting the process unless you determine exactly how long you want to record to your PC for. Then there is a timer you can set to stop it automatically. The software has ZERO control over the unit itself, so it's still press play here, press record there. The only thing the timer stops is the recording process on the PC.

Overall you would be better served by getting a decent stereo video capture device and a good quality VCR. I think most people that have old VHS tapes should still have a VCR that will run circles around the ION unit.Get more detail about ION Audio VCR 2 PC USB VHS Video to Computer Converter.

Buy Corsair CMPSU-650TX 650-Watt TX Series 80 Plus Certified Power Supply compatible with Intel Core i7 and Core i5

I bought the 650 watt power supply after a long search, it got good reviews. It's working fine for now but the problem I am having every now and then I hear a weird noise, sounds like something is touching the fan but nothing is touching I have to shutdown my computer for the noise to go away it's really annoying, I do a lot of things which need a good power supply even with the high end video cards and it work fine my computer never restart because of any power issue it's just this annoying noise you here sometimes. So I figure is a defective one I got.Get more detail about Corsair CMPSU-650TX 650-Watt TX Series 80 Plus Certified Power Supply compatible with Intel Core i7 and Core i5.

Order ASUS P6X58D Premium - LGA 1366 - X58 - DDR3 - USB 3.0 SATA 6 Gb/s - ATX Motherboard

Like the last reviewer, I like building my own system. That way, I get what I believe is important and exactly the way I want it. I bought this P6X58D because it features USB 3.0 and SATA 6 GB/s. Do I really need that right now? No, but those will be the new standard and I want a board that doesn't go obsolete in six months.

My build consist of the following:
Motherboard - P6X68D Premium
Memory - Corsair Dominator 6 GB 3 x 2 GB PC3-12800 1600MHz DDR3
Process Cooler - Cooling Master V8 (from my last computer)
Processor - Intel Core i7 960 3.2GHz
Case - Cooler Master Cosmos ATX Full Tower Case Silver
Power Supply - Corsair CMPSU-750TX 750-Watt TX Series 80 Plus Certified
DVD/CD drive - Sony Nec Optiarc 24X Dual Layer DVD+/-RW SATA (3G) Drive
Main Hard Drive - Intel 160 GB X25M Mainstream SATA II (3G) Solid State Drive (SSD)
Graphic card - ATI Radeon 4870 1GB (from my last computer)
Additional Data Hard Drives - 2 X Western Digital 1.5 TB Caviar Green SATA (3G) Intellipower. one Maxtor 300GB ATA drive (removed from my last computer).


Graphics is reused as I will wait a bit longer to replace it. I picked this board because it is fast and I wanted to take full advantage of the solid state drive. I did not buy any SATA-6G hard drives but can do that in the future. I opted for slower data drives since my programs will run off the solid state drive. I also installed my old SATA drive from my last computer so I can pull the information off. The motherboard comes with six SATA-3G ports so I used four for the hard drives, one for the front port eSATA, and one for the DVD writer. However, there are two SATA-6G ports I have not used, so I can still add two more drives or SATA-6G attachments.

This system is superfast with windows start-up amazingly quick. I cannot break down each component and say what contributes the most to the speed, but the motherboard seems to handle everything without conflict. Installation was no problem as all the components has easy to find locations and I did not have to set any pins. I have not optimized anything yet, just defaults at this point, so there is more to do, but I am glad you can trust a board to work well and that is what I got with this ASUS. So for the combination of features and reliability, I don't think you can do much better.

The only disappointment for me in the board is that it only has eight 2.0 USB ports. Eight may sound like a lot but with cameras, iphone, usb memory sticks, external hard drives, printer, and a few other objects wanting USB ports, I quickly run out (yes I can use an external hub but rather not). The motherboard does have two 3.0 ports but my case has 4 USB slots in the front port and I also wanted to install a Sony 18-1 card reader. With the four permanently attached USB ports on the back panel, I could not plug in the four front and the card reader. So for now I am doing without the card reader until I resolve the problem. But that does not take away from how well this board is performing.Get more detail about ASUS P6X58D Premium - LGA 1366 - X58 - DDR3 - USB 3.0 SATA 6 Gb/s - ATX Motherboard.

Where To Buy Crucial 2 GB Kit (2 x 1GB) DDR PC3200 UNBUFFERED NON-ECC 184-PIN DIMM

If your computer is slow moving from window to window or slow opening programs. This is a quick and easy fix. Even easy for a NON-computer geek. I'd buy it again in a heartbeat!Get more detail about Crucial 2 GB Kit (2 x 1GB) DDR PC3200 UNBUFFERED NON-ECC 184-PIN DIMM.

Shop For EVGA 01G-P3-N945-LR GeForce 9400 GT 1GB DDR2 PCI-E 2.0 Graphics Card

As usual, I went nuts worrying about disabling the motherboard video (in the BIOS) and sticking in a new card--what to do if the screen was black? Without a monitor, how could you get back and reverse the process?

Fortunately, my BIOS.... well, Let's talk. You boot the PC, and while the initial screen says "DEL to enter setup" you tap the Delete key patiently.

Up comes the BIOS (Basic Input-Output System) from one little chip (the BIOS chip) which is connecting the keyboard to the monitor. There is no DOS. There is no Windows. There is no Java, Unix, or I-phoney. We are programming the BIOS chip. Be not afraid. Be of good cheer.

Drill down thru the many options. Don't change anything yet. If you do, remember that you can always hit the ESCape key to "exit without saving? (Y)". Piece of cake.

Fortunately, you probably won't need to change ANYTHING in the BIOS. WOW--CHANGE NOTHING! Why?

Most BIOS programmers want to play it safe. So their DISPLAY option is usually something on the order of: 1)Boot to any video card on the PCI-Express slot(the latest thing); nothing found? 2) Boot to any video card on the PCI slot (an older thing); nothing found? 3) Boot to the video chipset on the motherboard.

So just leave the BIOS options alone.

Shut down, Plug in the video card to the motherboard. M O V E yes M O V E the monitor cable to the new video card, THEN reboot. No problem. Problem? Pull out the new video card, move the cable back to the motherboard, and re-boot. You are back to the original setup. Whew! Why? No PCI-x card, no PCI card, so the BIOS would enable the video on the motherboard; back to the orignal configuration.

The odds are strictly against such problems.

Everything OK? Play around with your single monitor. Browser OK? E-mail OK? Turbo$$$ OK? Spreadsheet OK?. Try EVERYTHING, and get it stable if anything is goofy.

Shut down. Plug in the second monitor. Boot up. [In VISTA].... Go to CONTROL PANEL. Choose PERSONALIZATION. Choose DISPLAY SETTINGS. Click the IDENTIFY MONITORS. Then tweak the settings. It is actually user-friendly.

Re-boot. Re-boot. Re-boot. Try to break it.

Ah yes. Big Dummy here. If you plug one of the CRTs/LCDs into a wall socket, make sure it is not controlled by a wall switch. Or you will be poking about all evening in a wine-induced stupor wondering what is wrong with this new VIDEO CARD! while the Video display has no power.

This was so much more painless than I ever expected it to be. This review is from someone who used to build PCs, boot into DOS, and upgrade to Windoze. When I saw that there were over 100 positive reviews, I bought the product right away.

I apologize for writing yet another review. But I am delighted with this product.

I was not disappointed. By way of disclosure, I am not affilated with any corporation. This recommendation is freely given. An additional idea is that the rebate dropped the cost of this solution to $45. Thank you for listening...

...and please click the HELPFUL button if you are so inclined.

Best of luck to everyone.

Get more detail about EVGA 01G-P3-N945-LR GeForce 9400 GT 1GB DDR2 PCI-E 2.0 Graphics Card.

PNY OPTIMA 1GB DDR 333 MHz PC2700 Desktop DIMM Memory Module MD1024SD1-333

Preforms as I expected. I installed it in my Soyo motherboard. It fits; it works. I got what I wanted.Get more detail about PNY OPTIMA 1GB DDR 333 MHz PC2700 Desktop DIMM Memory Module MD1024SD1-333.

Western Digital Caviar Blue 500 GB Bulk/OEM Hard Drive 3.5 Inch, 16 MB Cache, 7200 RPM SATA II WD5000AAKS Review

I needed a cheap drive for my new gaming rig, and this worked out quite well. This is a nice drive, is reasonably fast, and has enough storage space for normal use.Get more detail about Western Digital Caviar Blue 500 GB Bulk/OEM Hard Drive 3.5 Inch, 16 MB Cache, 7200 RPM SATA II WD5000AAKS.

Thermaltake W0070RUC TR2 Series 430W Power Supply with 2 Fans Top Quality

I needed a power supply to replace an extremely noisy PSU I purchased elsewhere in 2008. Not many new PSUs will work on a Presario manufactured in 2000 (because of something related to the ATX version and perhaps other things which I can't accurately explain. I found this out the hard way in November 2009 - by purchasing and having to return a PSU that would not power up my system). I contacted Thermaltake directly and was told the W0070RUC would work in my PC. So I bought this, and it works! And I have purchased a second one to have on hand, "just in case". And incidentally, I now hear hard drive activity again. Also, I can hear some low-level noise from my CPU fan again, which is a joy (believe it or not) because the other PSU was so loud that it was driving me crazy! I'm not sure if I am hearing fan noise from the W0070RUC but even if I am, it is not annoying to me.Get more detail about Thermaltake W0070RUC TR2 Series 430W Power Supply with 2 Fans.

Intel Core i5 750 Processor 2.66 GHz 8 MB LGA1156 CPU I5-750BOX This instant

The specs, reviews & cost for the Intel i5-750 CPU make it an excellent choice. It is not as fast as the i7 series but according to published tests exhibits good speed especially when comparing power consumption characteristics. Cost-wise the i5-750 comes up in the middle between the Quad core or i3 CPU's and the i7 series. This choice should serve my needs for quite awhile.Get more detail about Intel Core i5 750 Processor 2.66 GHz 8 MB LGA1156 CPU I5-750BOX.

Thermaltake Mobile Fan II External USB Cooling Fan - Us Immediately

I've gone through two of these. Despite infrequent and careful use, the super-brittle cable eventually tore on both, rendering the fan inoperable. For the premium mark-up, Thermaltake needs to provide a more reliable cable - an on/off switch wouldn't be remiss, either.

I won't be buying another.Get more detail about Thermaltake Mobile Fan II External USB Cooling Fan - Us.

Intel 40 GB X25V Value SATA II Solid State Drive (SSD) Retail Package SSDSA2MP040G2R5 Best Quality

ssd drives don't need Formatting but you won't be able to use 3GB so this is a 37GB drive

with 37GB at $100 i thought it would be perfect for a fast boot drive and store my files on my 1tb spindle drive

after installing vista (15GB) with Service pack one (5GB) and service pack 2 with updated patches (10GB) i am left with 7.44GB of free space leaving very little maneuvering room or even installing apps like office or photo shop and you can forget about games

2 days after using this drive i watched more and more space get eaten up by vista I had to set the update to not download anymore updates.

Still a fast drive but save up for the 80GBGet more detail about Intel 40 GB X25V Value SATA II Solid State Drive (SSD) Retail Package SSDSA2MP040G2R5.

XFX Radeon HD 5750 1GB DDR5 PCIE Graphics Card HD575XZNFC Get it now!

Bought this and one of their motherboards from them. Their shipped-with BIOS is very poor, and it's a known issue. Updating the BIOS is job one, but in order to get access to it, you have to fill out a form and open an "account" with them. After doing so, they force a "validation" process on you, the end of which results in the website confirming validation, and then summarily refusing to allow you to download the file, asking you, again, for "validation". Forcing an account sign-up to get access to a BIOS that actually works? Still refusing to deliver the BIOS after the customer jump through their ridiculous hoops? FAIL. FAIL. FAIL.

I'll never buy from this horrible company again.Get more detail about XFX Radeon HD 5750 1GB DDR5 PCIE Graphics Card HD575XZNFC.

Crucial CT2KIT25664BC1067 4GB 204-PIN PC3-8500 SODIMM DDR3 Memory KIT (2GBx2) Buy Now

It's the cheapest alternative if you want to improve your mac's speed. I installed it fairly easily and felt the speed boost as soon as I turned my macbook on. Really good for multitasking.

BTW, I have a white late-2009 macbook (unibody).Get more detail about Crucial CT2KIT25664BC1067 4GB 204-PIN PC3-8500 SODIMM DDR3 Memory KIT (2GBx2).

Creative Labs Xmod Wireless Music System with X-Fi Technology Order Now

I bought my first one of these four years ago. I paid $125 for it. And now I have three !

First off, the Wireless Trasmitter/Receiver feature works great, but don't overlook the fact that the Transmitter is also a very high quality, 24-bit upconverting, USB External Sound Card. So, even when you're just sitting there in front of your PC, the Sound Card's Crystallizer really expands the compressed files (MP3's, AAC's, WMA's, Streaming Audio from Pandora, etc.) that we all play these days. That's the first thing I noticed: much better sound thru my Computer's Speakers in my home office.

So, the next thing was the Wireless. I hooked up the Wireless Receiver to my Home Theater Receiver, and got even better sound thru my Home Theater, wirelessly from my PC. I'm really rockin' now. And, I've got the same thing playing in two rooms of the home. Then, 6 months ago, I saw the price reduction, and it hit me - I could now buy these for about a third of the original price. So I bought two more (just for the Wireless Receivers): one for the Bedroom (plays thru my little shelf system there), and another for the Garage (plays thru an old boombox w/ Aux Inputs). Now, on weekends, I can listen to Pandora, or Podcasts, or WMP/iTunes, in every room in the house, plus the Garage ! Parties have never been better - I don't have to blast the Home Theater to get the tunes to be heard everywhere !

This left me with two extra Transmiter/Sound Cards. Gave one to a friend with a crappy sound card in his laptop - he loves it ! The other went with me to my real Office, to use with my laptop there.

I also have given a new set to a friend as a birthday present. He's got a music-laden laptop in the kitchen area, and now he (and his wife and two iTune-crazed kids) can now transmit the tunes to the Home Theater in the adjacent room during mealtimes.

At this price, this is a great thing !

Get more detail about Creative Labs Xmod Wireless Music System with X-Fi Technology.

Corsair TR3X6G1600C8D Dominator 6 GB 3 x 2 GB PC3-12800 1600MHz 240-Pin DDR3 Core i7 Memory Kit Decide Now

I bought 12 gigs (six sticks) of this memory for my classified mainboard and it works as advertised. Fast, cool, and seemingly indestructible.Get more detail about Corsair TR3X6G1600C8D Dominator 6 GB 3 x 2 GB PC3-12800 1600MHz 240-Pin DDR3 Core i7 Memory Kit.

Intel 160 GB X25M Mainstream SATA II Solid State Drive (SSD) Retail Package SSDSA2MH160G2R5 Right now

Historically, I have purchased the best hardware available in an effort to improve my productivity. So, I when I transitioned from a desktop with a 15k rpm nine years ago to a notebook with a 5,400 rpm drive, the performance hit was a real disappointment. Hence, I was more than happy to spring for a an Intel X25-M to make my HP Elitebook Mobile workstation even faster. Generally, I have been happy with the performance of X25-M but not astounded like other users.

The principle reason I have spent so much on hardware is to improve the performance of one particularly disk- and processor-intensive application -- X1, which is a real-time, fast-as-you-type indexing application. Over the years, it has felt like an arms race: I get better and better hardware but the volume of indexable documents keeps increasing, slowing down X1 and overall operation of the computer. Meanwhile, Microsoft chooses to make increasingly bloated software necessitating ever faster hardware. My latest notebook is an HP Elitebook mobile workstation with x9100 3.06 GHZ dual core processor, 4 GB of RAM, and a 7200 rpm drive running on Windows Utimate 64 bit. Out of the box, it seemed oddly sluggish on occasions due to either X1 or some application that HP installed. Given the specs and the cost of the notebook, I was a bit surprised it wasn't faster. Wanting to avoid the hassle of purchasing another extremely expensive notebook, I decided the simplest approach to improving overall performance would to purchase the X25-M.

My two major reasons for hesitating to purchase the X25-M were the meager 160 GB capacity and unpleasant memories of upgrading drives in the past. Remarkably, the installation was painless using Acronis true image using only my HP notebook. Moreover, Acronis offers a fully functional free demo that worked without a hitch. I did need to purchase an external USB/eSata enclosure (Acomdata Tango) to connect to my existing notebook to complete the process, however. This too worked without a problem. In total, I was pleasantly surprised at how easy the process given that no second computer was used.

While I haven't precisely timed various operations, the X25-M is clearly faster than the previous 7200 rpm drive. However, I haven't been overwhelmed by the performance like other users. There is still some hesitation when opening large files. Also, Windows 7 Ultimate takes a significant amount of time to load even though it is faster than with the 7200 rpm drive. Note this is even with disabling many services and startup applications. Truthfully, I have to wonder if it has something to do with software HP installed or just the bloated operating system.

There are some noticeable improvements. Most Office documents open much faster (2-3x). Critical for my particular situation is that X1 ties up the computer much less frequently. The initial indexing and optimizing (275k documents and 126k email messages) is significantly faster, perhaps as much as 3x. Opening 100 MB Filemaker databases is easily 3x faster. Creation of new records in Filemaker is similarly as fast.

My overall opinion is that the X25-M is an excellent SSD albeit at significant expense and with less than ideal capacity. If cost isn't a problem but space is, I would suggest relocating files to an external drive to free up some space. The cost/space/performance tradeoffs make the investment worthwhile.

Pros
Very fast, uniquely fast for certain applications
Easy installation
Shock resistant
No defragmentation necessary

Cons
160 GB too small enough
Expensive
Could be even faster


System
HP Elitebook Mobile Workstation 8530w
X9100 Dual Core Processor @ 3.06 GHz
4 GB RAM
7200 RPM drive upgraded to 160 GB X25-M
Windows Ultimate 64 Bit
Get more detail about Intel 160 GB X25M Mainstream SATA II Solid State Drive (SSD) Retail Package SSDSA2MH160G2R5.

Lowest Price Seagate Barracuda 250 GB 7200 RPM SATA 3Gb/s 8MB Cache 3.5 Inch Internal Hard Drive ST3250318AS-Bare Drive

I ordered Seagate 250GB SATA drives and received them, as described. Not much to review here. In my overall experience, over the past 10 years, Western Digital and Seagate drives have the lowest failure rate, so that is what I always order.Get more detail about Seagate Barracuda 250 GB 7200 RPM SATA 3Gb/s 8MB Cache 3.5 Inch Internal Hard Drive ST3250318AS-Bare Drive.

Low Price CORSAIR XMS3 DHX 4GB ( 2 X 2GB ) PC3-10666 1333MHz 240-pin DDR3 CL9 Dual Channel Desktop Memory Kit - TW3X4G1333C9DHX

Built a new system and could not get Win 7 Ultimate to complete installation. After 12 hours of CTD's and freeze ups I tested my new memory using Memtest. Within 1 minute it found the RAM to be faulty. I returned this memory and bought similar memory from Crucial and my OS was installed in under 30 minutes. I would not buy this memory again even if it says it will work with your system (as it said it would with mine).Get more detail about CORSAIR XMS3 DHX 4GB ( 2 X 2GB ) PC3-10666 1333MHz 240-pin DDR3 CL9 Dual Channel Desktop Memory Kit - TW3X4G1333C9DHX.

Save Cooler Master 120mm Blue LED Case Fan - (R4-L2R-20AC-GP)

I was kind of skeptical at first but after the first week of installing this fan in my case I love it. It keeps my system temp at no higher than 84 degrees. Would recommend for anybody that needs better system cooling fan.Get more detail about Cooler Master 120mm Blue LED Case Fan - (R4-L2R-20AC-GP).

Discount Corsair CMPSU-750TX 750-Watt TX Series 80 Plus Certified Power Supply compatible with Intel Core i7 and Core i5

I bought the 650 watt power supply after a long search, it got good reviews. It's working fine for now but the problem I am having every now and then I hear a weird noise, sounds like something is touching the fan but nothing is touching I have to shutdown my computer for the noise to go away it's really annoying, I do a lot of things which need a good power supply even with the high end video cards and it work fine my computer never restart because of any power issue it's just this annoying noise you here sometimes. So I figure is a defective one I got.Get more detail about Corsair CMPSU-750TX 750-Watt TX Series 80 Plus Certified Power Supply compatible with Intel Core i7 and Core i5.

Cheapest SanDisk SDSDB-1024-A10/11 1 GB Secure Digital Card (Retail Package)

A great SD Card. I needed it for several devices which use a 1GB SD card.They do not have the capacity of the larger GB cards but some of the older style careras will not properly work with anything larger than 1 GB.Get more detail about SanDisk SDSDB-1024-A10/11 1 GB Secure Digital Card (Retail Package).

Cheap Seagate Momentus 7200 500GB 7200RPM SATA 3Gb/s 16MB Cache 2.5 Inch Internal NB Hard Drive ST9500420AS-Bare Drive

This Hard drive is awesome, I am using it on my laptop now since external case I bough came DOA. I see a much performace increase compared to the 5200rpm 160GB HDD that came with it. I would buy another one and probably will.Get more detail about Seagate Momentus 7200 500GB 7200RPM SATA 3Gb/s 16MB Cache 2.5 Inch Internal NB Hard Drive ST9500420AS-Bare Drive.

Buying PNY OPTIMA 2GB (2x1GB) Dual Channel Kit DDR2 667 MHz PC2-5300 Desktop DIMM Memory Modules MD2048KD2-667

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 (2x1GB) Dual Channel Kit DDR2 667 MHz PC2-5300 Desktop DIMM Memory Modules MD2048KD2-667.

Buy D-Link DWA-556 Xtreme N PCI Express Desktop Adapter

I bought this for a standalone Ubuntu box and, given the reputation Linux has for being driver-challenged (think it would be fairer to say that hardware manufacturers don't support Linux well enough), was concerned the DWA-556 wouldn't work at all or would require a lot of driver fiddling.

I was extremely pleased that I installed it, booted up and machine, and presto! the wireless connection came up immediately.

Am very pleased with the product and would definitely recommend it.Get more detail about D-Link DWA-556 Xtreme N PCI Express Desktop Adapter.

Purchase Crucial / 1GB / 240-pin DIMM / DDR2 PC2-5300 memory module

I have an older Dell computer a Dimmension 3100 that only had 1 gb of RAM. I was starting to really notice the difference now that I upgraded to Windows 7. I had to find some more RAM somewhere. Since I have a Prime membership I try to do all my shopping on Amazon. They had this RAM at a great price and I got overnight shipping for $3.99!Get more detail about Crucial / 1GB / 240-pin DIMM / DDR2 PC2-5300 memory module.

Order Western Digital 500GB 7200RPM 8MB Buffer Ultra ATA/100, 3.5INCH, 8.9MS Seek, Caviar Series Se Re

What I mean to say is, it wasn't a difficult drive to install. It's a workhorse that simply works like a dream in my home server.Get more detail about Western Digital 500GB 7200RPM 8MB Buffer Ultra ATA/100, 3.5INCH, 8.9MS Seek, Caviar Series Se Re.

Where To Buy Sapphire Radeon HD4550 512 MB DDR3 VGA/DVI/HDMI PCI-Express Video Card 100252HDMI

The original graphics card that came with my HP system was a Nvidia GeForce 9000 series which died after 2 years. The noisy fan gave up the cost, so I replaced the fan and after a month, the card chip died. So, after searching for days [using a different pc, of course], the reviews and the price for the Shapphire was just right. And it is SO QUIET that I am not sure if it is installed if not for the fact that I can see the screen now to write this review. I have had it for a few months now and no problems. I paid 45 dollars with free shipping. BE SURE your socket matches the card's. If you don't know, ask someone who does, including an electronics store person.Get more detail about Sapphire Radeon HD4550 512 MB DDR3 VGA/DVI/HDMI PCI-Express Video Card 100252HDMI.

Shop For SIIG CB-SA0111-S1 3.3-Feet Serial ATA External Cable

Good cable does what it says. It's fast and the delivery was fast. Good price too.Get more detail about SIIG CB-SA0111-S1 3.3-Feet Serial ATA External Cable.

Sabrent PC to TV Converter Box

Like several other reviewers, I purchased this converter to stream Netflix movies to my TV from a laptop computer. My other options were to find a Netflix-capable device like a Roku player, Wii, LG or Panasonic BluRay player, all of which would have been more expensive and most of which would have required either an ethernet connection to my DSL router, or a WiFi adapter to receive the in-home Wifi signal. Since I already have a WiFi capable laptop which is set up to stream Netlix videos, the simplest solution for me was to buy this inexpensive converter, and use my laptop connected to the Panasonic 42" Panasonic Plasma TV to watch streamed movies. I had previously made a direct connection to a second TV, a 26" Vizio LCD mounted in our kitchen, which has a direct RGB input. This TV did not need a converter, only a VGA video cable connected to the laptop video output. The picture quality when streaming Netflix on the Vizio set up this way was good, but the viewing location and screen size were not ideal.

I was able to easily set up the converter and connect to the Panasonic Plasma screen (all necessary cables were included)but I was initially disappointed with the video quality compared to the Vizio/laptop connection. When actually watching a video, however (from across the room) I realized that the quality was adequate, considering the amount of "blow up" of the image on a 42" screen, and the fact that I should not expect the same kind of HD viewing experience as from a DVD, cable or broadcast TV source. Our internet bandwidth (Qwest DSL) is not magnificent, so I consider myself fortunate to be able to enjoy a viewing experience with this converter that's 1) really better than old-fashioned analog TV, and 2) really cheap. Plus I am able to view it blown up to a size that meets "modern" viewing standards. So for my situation this proved to be a great device. However -- IF you have great internet bandwidth and want a more Hi-definition viewing experience, I would recommend researching some of the other options using Netflix or Amazon Video-on-demand ready devices available on the market.Get more detail about Sabrent PC to TV Converter Box.

PNY OPTIMA 1GB DDR 400 MHz PC3200 Desktop DIMM Memory Module MD1024SD1-400 Review

About the only thing that can go wrong with a memory purchase is that it's the wrong stuff or it's bad and none of this happened so I'm a happy camper. It was all pretty straight forward. The price was fair the delivery was as expected and it installed, ran and did what it was supposed to do. I generally only dish out five stars when an order exceeds expectations (like arrived early) and none of that happened here but I'm fully happy. Buying memory with good information, so you can order the right stuff, is a lot like buying a pair of socks. Easy. And this order and it's outcome was as easy as it gets.Get more detail about PNY OPTIMA 1GB DDR 400 MHz PC3200 Desktop DIMM Memory Module MD1024SD1-400.

Western Digital 160 GB Caviar Blue PATA 7200 RPM 8 MB Cache Bulk/OEM Desktop Hard Drive WD1600AAJB Top Quality

The drive came at a great price with free shipping. Installation was simple with no problems. The drive performs very well and there were no compatability issues. I would purchase another drive like this one from Amazon.Get more detail about Western Digital 160 GB Caviar Blue PATA 7200 RPM 8 MB Cache Bulk/OEM Desktop Hard Drive WD1600AAJB.

Western Digital 2 TB Caviar Black SATA 7200 RPM 64 MB Cache Bulk/OEM Desktop Hard Drive WD2001FASS This instant

The drive is working but for how long ? It came in a box. Thats it a box! No packaging or anything to buffer the drive from the shipping process. I should have sent it back right away. I figure this way I can inform everone as the drive ages and also see just how bad the lack of packaging is in the long run. Good luck to anyone buying a drive from Amazon. Please send it back if you experience the same as me.Get more detail about Western Digital 2 TB Caviar Black SATA 7200 RPM 64 MB Cache Bulk/OEM Desktop Hard Drive WD2001FASS.

PNY GeForce FX 5200 PCI 256 MB 2 Port VGA + S-Video Graphics Card VCGFX522PEB - Retail Immediately

I ordered the 8400 512 MB card and got the 5200 256 MB card...They pulled the item the day after mine shipped because a lot of people had been complaining that they were sending the wrong item out...Haven't been contacted by Amazon who sold it to me...Get more detail about PNY GeForce FX 5200 PCI 256 MB 2 Port VGA + S-Video Graphics Card VCGFX522PEB - Retail.

ArctiClean 60ml Kit (includes 30ml ArctiClean 1 and 30ml ArctiClean 2) and 3.5grams Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound Best Quality

This is the best thermal paste out there! This paste can lower your temps by 5 degrees Celsius.Get more detail about ArctiClean 60ml Kit (includes 30ml ArctiClean 1 and 30ml ArctiClean 2) and 3.5grams Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound.

Belkin F3N401-06-ICE IEEE 1394 4-Pin/6-Pin 400 Mbps FireWire Cable (6 Feet) Get it now!

Firewires are cool... if you buy them for products that are firewire compatible. Oops, my bad.Get more detail about Belkin F3N401-06-ICE IEEE 1394 4-Pin/6-Pin 400 Mbps FireWire Cable (6 Feet).

SATA to PATA/IDE Hard Drive Interface Adapter Buy Now

The device does what it says. Plugs into the back of a SATA drive so IDE connectors will work. I gave it only 3 stars because. 1) its very flimsy 2) comes loose easily. Price is good.Get more detail about SATA to PATA/IDE Hard Drive Interface Adapter.

Logitech 5.1 Game Console Adapter Convert Rca Plugs To A Single 1/8 Order Now

If you've connected your Logitech system to your TV with RCA plugs (white and red), then this adapter lets you use the full capacity of your sound system. In other words you can have sound coming from all 5 speakers without using the matrix button. Depending on how a TV station or DVD encodes its sound you may prefer not to use the matrix button.Get more detail about Logitech 5.1 Game Console Adapter Convert Rca Plugs To A Single 1/8.

SanDisk Ultra Compact Flash 2GB Card (SDCFH-002G-A11) (Retail Package) Decide Now

This card does not work properly using the Minolta DiMAGE 7 & Apple iMac.

Some photos cannot be 'imported' because the card 'improperly ejects' itself.

Returning card.

Get more detail about SanDisk Ultra Compact Flash 2GB Card (SDCFH-002G-A11) (Retail Package).

Hitachi 1 TB Deskstar SATA 7200 RPM 32 MB Cache Internal Hard Drive HD31000 IDK/7K - Retail Right now

Bought it when it was on sale at Amazon. 1TB 7200 rpm retail pack for less than 70 bucks was a great deal, but the price went up significantly since. Seems to perform well, although time will tell whether it will last, and I've only had it a couple months.Get more detail about Hitachi 1 TB Deskstar SATA 7200 RPM 32 MB Cache Internal Hard Drive HD31000 IDK/7K - Retail.

Lowest Price Western Digital 1 TB Caviar Black SATA 7200 RPM 64 MB Cache Bulk/OEM Desktop Hard Drive WD1002FAEX

Good drive, Western Digital changed drive file characteristics, which made me have to change jumper pin to work with XP.Get more detail about Western Digital 1 TB Caviar Black SATA 7200 RPM 64 MB Cache Bulk/OEM Desktop Hard Drive WD1002FAEX.