Saturday, July 31, 2010

LaCie 706018 USB Ext Floppy Disk Drive


I bought this to finally go through the ton of old floppy disks I had so I could check them for any information and then finally throw them away. Since the iMac has no floppy disk drive this has stepped in to help out. So far it has worked quite well, although you do need to read the directions first as if you fail to properly eject the disk it will hang up your system for awhile. Otherwise, it has worked quite well and I'm slowly getting through the pile of disks I have. With no drivers to install it has literally been a plug and use capability. So far on my iMac it has worked well and has saved me the aggravation of having to go find a Windows machine and check each one. This has been my first experience with LaCie and so far it has been a good one.Get more detail about LaCie 706018 USB Ext Floppy Disk Drive.

Zalman CNPS9700LED Ultra Quiet Cpu Cooler Review


Pros: Very efficient and quiet cooler for your CPU. I have 3 of these in various machines I built and they haven't disappointed. It looks pretty nice, too, especially with the cool blue LED fan light.

Cons: While this fan will last you a long time, the only issue I have is the ability to replace the fan if it goes bad. In reality, you will probably own this until you computer simply becomes too old and it becomes obsolete. Price can also be a con because there are other coolers out there that do the same or better job while being cheaper.

Overall not a bad investment for your money. Zalman coolers have proven to be robust devices and will satisfy your PC needs.Get more detail about Zalman CNPS9700LED Ultra Quiet Cpu Cooler.

ASUS M4A89GTD PRO/USB3 - AM3 - AMD 890GX - DDR3 - USB 3.0 SATA 6 Gb/s - ATX Motherboard Top Quality


This is actually my first ASUS board. I have been using MSI products for the last few years with no issues, so why the change? Upon reading the specifications of the new MSI, I liked the fact that ASUS has more features including the core unlocker that allows all cores to achieve full performance capabilities, also I've heard from friends that ASUS makes some really good bios chipsets. This board has some really noticeable features like USB 3 and SATA 6 which don't have so much of an impact on users now, but will soon in the future. Another feature which I have not seen before is the easy bios upgrade feature that allows a user to upgrade bios in bios and checks the file to be sure its compatible with the chipset. There are many other feature which I haven't had the chance to mess around with yet, like the Hybrid CrossfireX technology and ASUS TurboV EVO, not to mention even more overclocking features, however, I must admit I'm not one to overclock even with liquid cooling installed, mostly since I'm not a millionaire and can't afford to overheat a cpu, but if you have the money and experience this board will definitely take advantage of what your processor can do, also this will support the new 6 cores; also this new chipset features the Radeon HD 4290 onboard GPU that supports 512mb and has direct X 10.1 features and comes with multiple VGA outputs, HDMI, DVI, RGB. I only used the onboard when first firing her up, so I didn't get a chance to see what it could do in games like Bioshock or Battlefield Bad Company, but I can imagine being able to play at 1920 X 1080p with just about every setting maxed. If there is one negative thing about this board it would have to be that it has no floppy drive support, and while you don't really need one anyways, I did buy a brand new one, along with floppy disks, but that's just being to used to older tech since it was required to have a floppy disk to create partitions and for RAID drivers in the past.Overall, the price and technology in this board is more than exceptional and had it up and running with the first power on without any problems, ASUS also gives you some pretty good software on their driver CD like ASUS Probe 2 which has a great interface and shows motherboard and cpu temperatures. Now I just need to save some money for another Radeon card then I can give crossfire X a test run. -Great board.Get more detail about ASUS M4A89GTD PRO/USB3 - AM3 - AMD 890GX - DDR3 - USB 3.0 SATA 6 Gb/s - ATX Motherboard.

PCI Express Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty Champion Series This instant


I purchased this item in Dec 2009 and in Apr 2010 it quit working. It simpley died.
Until you experience the death of your soundblaster, you won't know that you can't contact them via telephone and you won't know the warranty unless you look it up on the web.

The company doesn'tcare about customer service, just your money. This thing was giving my computer system a hard time anyway (Windows 7 [64]) and I'm kind of glad it died; still a replacement would have been good so I could sell it and recoup as much as possible; so what happened with the 1 year warranty that is normal for most expensive products? When a warranty is only 90 days, it means don't buy it. That's why they don't advertise this in the manual that comes with the soundcard.

I had no choice but to submit a form on their website butI never received a work order number or RMA number or any tracking information letting me know they were working on my situation. Nothing, nada, zilch! To find a phone number, I had to do a search on the web and when I dialed it, it referred me back to their unfriendly website. Hence, I could not get an update on whether or not they received my email request. They basically don't want to have anything to do with the customer after the sale.

This is truly a worthless organization. I will never purchase anything from creativelabs--absolutely nothing.Get more detail about PCI Express Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty Champion Series.

Gigabyte GA-MA785GM-US2H Micro ATX Motherboard Immediately


this is a good board is now able to take new 6 core cpus but not ddr3 memGet more detail about Gigabyte GA-MA785GM-US2H Micro ATX Motherboard.

Friday, July 30, 2010

SYBA PCI USB 2.0 Controller Card 4+1 Ports - VT6202 Best Quality


Good product and seller. Card works as advertised, great price. Shipped and delivered quickly.Get more detail about SYBA PCI USB 2.0 Controller Card 4+1 Ports - VT6202.

iMicro IM400W 400W ATX12V Power Supply Get it now!


I got this to replace the dead power supply in a spare PC that was given to me which I was going to use as a HTPC. I was trying to set up the HTPC on a strict budget (I.E. free) and was heartbroken to find out it wouldn't boot up after sitting on my desk for about a month. Checked the PSU and sure enough it was the culprit. I was shopping around town for PSUs and found some good prices and decided to check what the cheapest PSU was I could find oneline. I imagine this is just about as cheap as it gets.

It does feel a little light and cheap (because... well, it is cheap) and, as someone else stated, it does only have 1 SATA connector (also not a problem for me since the PC I needed for doesn't have any SATA drives). I'm not expecting any great life span or performance out of it and I certainly wouldn't choose it if I were building a top of the line gaming rig but for the price I've got no complaints.

I'd recommend it to someone if they needed a PSU on the super cheap.Get more detail about iMicro IM400W 400W ATX12V Power Supply.

EVGA nVidia GeForce GTS 250 1 GB DDR3 2DVI/HDTV PCI-Express Video Card 01G-P3-1158-TR Buy Now


I know the chipset is a bit long in the tooth, but I like the stability.
The price is pretty good with the rebate otherwise I doubt I would have bought it.
It installed easy, runs great.
I won't take away a star, but I wish EVGA would offer lifetime guarantees like SOME card makers I've bought.Get more detail about EVGA nVidia GeForce GTS 250 1 GB DDR3 2DVI/HDTV PCI-Express Video Card 01G-P3-1158-TR.

D-Link DWL-P200 Power Over Ethernet Adapter Order Now



This item will provide power + ethernet over a single Cat5 cable, from a standard
non-POE switch to a non-POE device.

If you have a POE switch and you want to run a single cable to a non-POE device,
then you would use D-Link DWL-P50 instead.

I bought 2 of these so I can use a UPS battery backup in a back closet to provide
power to a cable modem and Axis internet camera in my living room, so in the event
of a power failure, the cable modem and internet camera will still operate.

There is a switch on the remote unit so you can select either 5V or 12V to power
your device. D-Link supplies a short (2-foot) power cable, but the plug on this
cable would not fit either my Motorola cable modem or Axis internet camera.

So I had to cut the cable and solder on a different plug and use some heat
shrink tubing to finish the job.

D-Link should have provided several different sized plug tips, such
as this item:

Power Line 0900-77A 1300-mA AC Adapter with USB Charging Port

After installation, my cable modem and internet camera are both working fine,
but the D-Link remote unit box gets hot to the touch, which is disturbing.

My cable modem uses only 9-watts of power, which is less than what the D-Link
DWL-P200 is capable of supplying (12-watts).

So overall I'm satisfied, though it was a hassle having to make two custom
power cables, and I'm concerned about the lifespan of this unit due to the
high heat.

Get more detail about D-Link DWL-P200 Power Over Ethernet Adapter.

ASUS LGA 1366 - Intel X58 - Republic of Gamers - ATX Motherboard Rampage III Extreme Decide Now


From the beginning, when you receive the box from the UPS man, (woman in my case :)) to unpacking it and firing her up, the fervid anticipation never lets up. I was still shaking when it posted upon the push of the power button. I have an Intel i7 965EE and 6GB of Corsair TR3X8G1600C8D memory, along with several video cards. I go by the handle of AKHandyman on the Internets and have done many a hardware review, most notably for PCStats Forums. I also run The Computer Cabin in Tok, AK. This motherboard is arguably the best when it comes to overclocking ... and you DON'T have to be a super guru to do it. The BIOS is easy to use and comes with a few pre-sets to get that i7 proc overclocked without having to adjust a multitude of settings. Ever get that badly translated manual and thought it wasn't worth the paper it was printed on? Well, this is definitely not the case. This user manual is very good and easy to read. Did I mention how awesome this board looks as well? No? Well, if I could, I would post some pics, so you could see it in all its glory!

I am also using a Noctua NH-D14 air cooler with very good results. I will update this review when I have more time. This board definitely rocks and I know there is more to it,... I just need the time to play around and report back. ASUS FTW all the way!!

Get more detail about ASUS LGA 1366 - Intel X58 - Republic of Gamers - ATX Motherboard Rampage III Extreme.

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Intel Pentium Dual-Core 2.93GHz 1066MHz 2MB LGA775 Processor BX80571E6500-Retail Right now


This is one of those hidden gems you don't hear much about... a Core 2 Duo processor with less cache and a few multimedia extensions disabled (ones that most software doesn't support and few users will miss.) What remains is a fast, dual-core 64-bit processor that scores a solid 6.4 on the Windows 7 CPU test and is plenty fast for most users... all for about $85.

Combine one of these with an Intel G41/G43/G45 based motherboard, add 4GB of RAM, a DVD-RW and a nice fast hard drive like a 500GB WD Caviar Black, and you'll have a great 64-bit Intel-based Windows 7 budget build with lots of room for upgrades.

If you're building a home theatre PC, swap out the DVD-RW for a Blu-ray reader and add a Raedon HD 5570 card, and you're good to go. If you're a gamer, invest the extra cash in a Raedon 5700 series card and you should be set for most current-generation games out there.

Point is, this processor is a great building block for a versatile system. Only heavy-duty gamers and people who do heavy-duty photo editing or media transcoding would realize the value of a higher end processor.Get more detail about Intel Pentium Dual-Core 2.93GHz 1066MHz 2MB LGA775 Processor BX80571E6500-Retail.

Lowest Price CORSAIR Value Select 2GB ( 2 X 1GB ) PC2-4200 533MHz 240-pin DDR2 CL4 Dual Channel Desktop Memory Kit


Delivery was quick and installation was a snap. I increased my work computer's memory from 1 GB to 3 GB and saw a great increase in speed and multitasking ability. But a week later I started to get random crashes - most often when using Firefox, and next most often when using an accounting program. A week later the crashes, errors and random reboots became intolerable. A system diagnostic identified the problem as the RAM. One of the modules is defective (can't tell which one because they have to be installed in pairs).

Hopefully I can return them - I no longer have the original blister pack they came in. ...Get more detail about CORSAIR Value Select 2GB ( 2 X 1GB ) PC2-4200 533MHz 240-pin DDR2 CL4 Dual Channel Desktop Memory Kit.

Low Price Turtle Beach Riviera 5.1 Channel


Inexpensive card; however, it worked well for my purposes. Piano recordings of my granddaughter were very poor with the onboard audio chipset. This card restored the the music

Windows7 found the card and loaded the software flawlessly.
Item was purchased from Amazon and was shipped immediately; unlike the last items ordered from a Amazon supplier which is being shipped by "pony express".Get more detail about Turtle Beach Riviera 5.1 Channel.

Save Kingston ValueRAM 1GB 333MHz DDR1 Desktop Memory (KVR333/1GR)


This product installed quickly and works great. Should have a link of what CPU use what type of RAM...Get more detail about Kingston ValueRAM 1GB 333MHz DDR1 Desktop Memory (KVR333/1GR).

Discount NZXT SENTRY 2 Accessories 5.25-Inch Touch Screen Fan Controller (Black)


its very nice in appearance. so far it holds up and does the Job.

the bad: the plugs are wrong for the older fans. it has plugs like you would use coming from the power supply. most case fans are made to plug into your power supply sooo if they both have the same connector as the fan. I had to solder my case fans directly to it. plus now of days having better chips you would think they could put more features in it like more control over the fans and alarm.Get more detail about NZXT SENTRY 2 Accessories 5.25-Inch Touch Screen Fan Controller (Black).

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Cheapest Western Digital WD3200JBRTL Caviar 320 GB PATA Hard Drive


haven't receive the item in a month, already asked to return the item online since I can't wait any more. Terrible service on product shipping. Never have this kind of problem with Amazon before.Get more detail about Western Digital WD3200JBRTL Caviar 320 GB PATA Hard Drive.

Cheap Scythe GentleTyphoon 120mm Case Fan 1850RPM D1225C12B5AP-15


I think it moves a lot of air and is pretty quiet. I use it to pull air around a very hot running AV receiver while venting my entertainment center. So far; so good. - Bought it to replace another brand fan which moved almost as much air and was almost as silenx but which died after only about a year of use.Get more detail about Scythe GentleTyphoon 120mm Case Fan 1850RPM D1225C12B5AP-15.

Buying Corsair TR3X6G1600C9 XMS3 6 GB 3 X 2 GB PC3-12800 1600MHz 240-Pin DDR3 Tri-Channel Intel Core i7 Memory Kit


Full disclosure: I don't actually run this at 1600MHz -- I overclocked all my computers throughout college but just didn't feel like it when I put this one together. So, because the RAM defaults to the normal high-speed JEDEC standard at 1.5V, and you need to manually set it to 1.65V and 1600MHz, I didn't. Just be aware of this if you want to buy this (or, last I checked, any other) memory for its higher-than-normal clock.

Anyway, my computer's been running well for about 8 months now and the RAM tested out fine in memtest86.Get more detail about Corsair TR3X6G1600C9 XMS3 6 GB 3 X 2 GB PC3-12800 1600MHz 240-Pin DDR3 Tri-Channel Intel Core i7 Memory Kit.

Buy Kingston ValueRAM 1 GB DDR2 667 MHz 240-PIN Memory Module (KVR667D2/1GR)


My husband and son worked together recently to build a gaming computer. My son just had his 12th birthday and this additional memory was one of his gifts. He was thrilled with it, and we were thrilled with the price. My husband compared prices locally and on mail-order and this was by far the best deal. It arrived quickly in secure packaging and has been installed and is working well.Get more detail about Kingston ValueRAM 1 GB DDR2 667 MHz 240-PIN Memory Module (KVR667D2/1GR).

Purchase Kingston ValueRAM 1 GB 667MHz DDR2 DIMM Desktop Memory KVR667D2N5/1G


I would write a review but I was shipped the wrong product. Please read everything you can about policies of the seller and Amazon's before purchasing.Get more detail about Kingston ValueRAM 1 GB 667MHz DDR2 DIMM Desktop Memory KVR667D2N5/1G.

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Order Hitachi Travelstar 5K500.B - 500GB 2.5" SATA 5400 RPM 8MB - Internal Hard Drive - 0A57915


Upgrading my wife's Sony laptop was a breeze. Not only did the capacity increase, the speed of the lap top is faster. Laptop runs like it is new. I would recomend this hard drive to any one who needs more capacity especial for digital Photograhy use.Get more detail about Hitachi Travelstar 5K500.B - 500GB 2.5" SATA 5400 RPM 8MB - Internal Hard Drive - 0A57915.

Where To Buy ASUS P7P55D-E Pro - LGA 1156 - Intel P55 - DDR3 - USB 3.0 SATA 6Gb/s - ATX Motherboard


This socket 1156 motherboard is the best value full featured board you can buy if you got a Core i7 860. I installed Core i7 860 along with 8GB of Corsair XMS3 RAM and had no problem booting up and installing windows7 64bit. I installed the latest bios 806 by downloading the latest Asus updater utility from Asus website very simple to use from windows no DOS B.S. I set the "CPU level up" in the Bios to the highest setting and kept my ram running very close to its rated 1600mhz and everything else to auto also enabled the "Intel Speed Step" and Turbo mode and CPU/RAM voltage was still kept stock automatically by the BIOS. Booted to Windows7 then went to ASUS website and downloaded ASUS EPU utility and ran the calibration. Now when I am just browsing web and doing normal stuff my CPU runs at 1.4Ghz when I encode videos all four cores run at 3.63Ghz!. It has all the connections one could ask for USB 2.0, USB 3.0, SATA 3Gb/s, SATA 6Gb/s I think it has more than 8 SATA ports an IDE port and if you happen to own one of those unsupported RAM then just hit and hold the MEM OK button on the board and it'll boot to the BIOS for you to manually set the RAM a very useful feature which I didn't need since my Corsair RAM was compatible even with older BIOS. I am powering this board with a OCZ Mod-X 700Watts power supply, Corsair H50 Hydro CPU Liquid Cooler and Zotac 240GT 512MB DDR5 video card.Get more detail about ASUS P7P55D-E Pro - LGA 1156 - Intel P55 - DDR3 - USB 3.0 SATA 6Gb/s - ATX Motherboard.

Shop For PNY GeForce GT 220 1024 MB PCI-Express 2.0 DVI with HDMI and VGA Graphics Card VCGGT2201XEB


I bought this card for myself after helping my brother upgrade his pc with the same model of card. My brother mostly plays WoW and after the installation process, which is very simple, the improvements were very impressive for the low cost of the card. He was very pleased with his purchase.

I, on the other hand, am not pleased at all. After I installed the card I tested it with Left 4 Dead and it worked pretty well, just a few stutters here and there, but no big deal. I noticed too, that those stutters would happen with Peggle too, so I though that had to be a bug in the drivers. I searched for the latest drivers and installed the 196.75 version from the nvidia website. During the installation my screen went black with a tiny green square in the middle and I had to turn off my PC. Turns out that nvidia released faulty drivers as the newest official release.

Nvidia posted a warning a few days later telling people about the faulty drivers and that they should install the previous version (196.21). I installed that version and problem solved... or so I thought...(even the small stutters I had noticed were gone).

The card worked nicely for a couple of weeks after that, but all of a sudden I started getting some very serious errors. At first the screen would lose video signal, forcing me to turn it off manually. Then I started getting freezes and blue screens. I couldn't even start windows (vista 32 bit). I decided to install the oldest drivers I could find and that seemed to work, at least it let me start windows. After that I started getting nvdllmkm errors, which after some research turns out are common, but no one knows exactly how to fix them. After some more freezes, lost video signal, blue screens and having to reset my PC several times just to start windows I decided it was not worth it and installed my old graphics card back. I haven't had any trouble since then.

After several lost afternoons, I wouldn't recommend this card at all. Maybe they'll get it together and release better drivers, but at the moment, even windows update takes the faulty drivers as a default.Get more detail about PNY GeForce GT 220 1024 MB PCI-Express 2.0 DVI with HDMI and VGA Graphics Card VCGGT2201XEB.

BFG BFGE981024GTGE NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GT 1 GB GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 Graphics Card with EcoIntelligence Low Power Design


Yes ... nice to get a good video card that did not require a 1000w PSU.Get more detail about BFG BFGE981024GTGE NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GT 1 GB GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 Graphics Card with EcoIntelligence Low Power Design.

Kingston Technologies 1GB DDR SDRAM Desktop Memory (KVR400/1GR) Review


it is what it says, i bought and sent this product off to someone who seems very happy with it.
so no complaints so-far.Get more detail about Kingston Technologies 1GB DDR SDRAM Desktop Memory (KVR400/1GR).

Monday, July 26, 2010

Sapphire Radeon HD5770 Vapor-X 1 GB DDR5 2DVI/HDMI/DisplayPort PCI-Express Video Card 100283VX-2L Top Quality


If you are looking for a card that is small in size, quiet, but still powerful this is the one you want to get!
Most graphic cards nowadays are so bulky and long that they don't even fit in a regular case but this one does perfectly and isn't heavy or long.
It's pretty quiet and runs very cool. It's about the same performance has a HD4870.
The only con is that you have to do an easy BIOS update on the card to unlock the true 800 shaders.Get more detail about Sapphire Radeon HD5770 Vapor-X 1 GB DDR5 2DVI/HDMI/DisplayPort PCI-Express Video Card 100283VX-2L.

D-Link DGE-530T 10/100/1000 Gigabit Desktop Adapter Immediately


Installed the card in the computer, connected the cable and it came up running Gigabit Ethernet. It doesn't get easier than that.Get more detail about D-Link DGE-530T 10/100/1000 Gigabit Desktop Adapter.

Cooler Master Elite 341 m-ATX Mini Tower Case Black - (RC-341C-KKN1-GP) Get it now!


Two small mods. You have to cut out the side fan holes because fans don't clear them. 4 bucks for some fan covers/filters...situation resolved. Now, on to the myth of both uATX and air cooling. I'm getting 4.2g out of i7 930 with air...in this case. Hasn't gone over 67 deg. Case fit elongated modular PSU. The trick is to plug the CD drives in while half installed, then slide them the rest of the way in. Plenty of clearance for an ATI 5850 vid card. No problems with 6 sticks of 'tall' ram either. Oh, yeah, the second mod...had to piggyback brackets for 2cnd HDD, but it still clears front intake fan. If I decide to cross fire, the lower HDD location would be in the way of the lower vid card (not a normal card though). Even with all of that stuff in the case I still have great airflow over the vid card, to the ram and CPU. A recommendation for air cooling: figure your intake cfm (3 fans in this case), you'll have to dig, but you can find the exhaust cfm of your PSU. The difference is what your rear exhaust fan's cfm should be, getting as close to equal as possible...(= perfect air flow). No one can seem to agree if +/- pressure in case is better. But the consensus is that a slightly positive amount of pressure will keep the case from sucking in dust. This is a perk for those who like to showcase their boxes.

All in all, this has to be one of the cleanest looking builds I've done in some time. Great Job by Cooler Master.Get more detail about Cooler Master Elite 341 m-ATX Mini Tower Case Black - (RC-341C-KKN1-GP).

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Western Digital 250 GB Caviar Blue PATA 7200 RPM 8 MB Cache Bulk/OEM Desktop Hard Drive WD2500AAJB Buy Now


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 250 GB Caviar Blue PATA 7200 RPM 8 MB Cache Bulk/OEM Desktop Hard Drive WD2500AAJB.

Intel DX58SO Extreme Series X58 ATX Tri-Channel DDR3 16GB SLI or CrossFireX LGA1366 Overclocking Utility Desktop Board - Retail Order Now


This motherboard will allow only two SLI graphics cards. This is fine if that is all you need. Others can take 3 cards. Be careful if you select a card that takes two slots... you lose a PCIe-x slot (the short one). Also, note that it is better to add the CPU cooler while the board is not mounted, if you use a Cooler Master case. You can't reach one of the four attachment bolts. Taking it all apart again is a pain. The utility from Intel will allow overclocking, and it has a automatic increment capability. Nice board. No other issues. The included fan works well on the IO Hub.Get more detail about Intel DX58SO Extreme Series X58 ATX Tri-Channel DDR3 16GB SLI or CrossFireX LGA1366 Overclocking Utility Desktop Board - Retail.

Intel PWLA8391GT PRO/1000 GT PCI Network Adapter Decide Now


It worked great. Installed easy and Windows 7 had the driver. 3-5 minutes and we were back online.Get more detail about Intel PWLA8391GT PRO/1000 GT PCI Network Adapter.

Asus ATI Radeon CuCore HD5770 1 GB DDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card EAH5770 CUCORE/2DI/1GD5 Right now


I may not be too much help to many of you but I have done a fair bit of research on this item due to unrelated issues so I will save you the trouble.

This card worked well while it lasted but because I had a bad power supply it got fried. Not the card's fault but what can be said of it is that it gave me acceptable framerates, 20-30 fps, on Crysis with high settings and 2x anti aliasing.

However, because I was having overheating issues with this card because of the power supply, I researched general overheating problems with this Asus CuCore Radeon HD 5770. This card is built on a 40nm process, which means that it should run cooler than other cards that have a larger build process. Yet people who didn't have my power supply problems were reporting higher than normal temperatures.

The tech savvy ones took off the cooler to find that there were dimples and even waves in the copper surface that is used to transfer heat from the graphics chip to the heatsink and fan. When I took off my cooler I found circular grooves on the copper surface so this isn't just an isolated issue. Apparently the build quality of the CuCore cooler is less than stellar.

Now these temperatures are not going to fry the card. GPUs can handle nearly 100 degrees Celsius before they begin to see problems and the reports I've read said temps were no higher than 86 degrees. However, better cooled cards will rarely go over 75 degrees so you see the issue. If that still seems too high for you I suggest getting the Sapphire Vapor-X for thirty dollars more. You would have to spend that same amount to get an aftermarket cooler for the Card anyway.

If 10 degrees Celsius and the trouble of installing an aftermarket card are too much for you, I suggest passing on this card due to poor build quality.Get more detail about Asus ATI Radeon CuCore HD5770 1 GB DDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card EAH5770 CUCORE/2DI/1GD5.

Lowest Price Plantronics AC Power Supply for M12


This thing paid for itself in about 2 weeks. No more batteries (or battery theft). Must have for any m12. Also will work with other headset amplifiers as well.
Get more detail about Plantronics AC Power Supply for M12.

Saturday, July 24, 2010

Low Price Creative Labs SB0790 PCI Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Audio Sound Card


After contacting the Creative Store via e-mail an being assured the SB X-Fi Xtreme Audio Sound Card worked with Windows 7 I ordered it, received it, and installed it. As a prior PC tech I have experience installing products. My primary need was for my microphone and speakers to work in Windows 7 as I had just upgraded from Windows XP. I got everything to work in Windows XP, but the microphone portion would not work in Windows 7.

After three weeks of trying everything and reading many forums I came to the conclusion that the microphone portion of card will not work in Windows 7.

I returned the card via a RMA and expect a full refund. I was also, disappointed that after three weeks I have not received a response from Creative's tech support. Also, Creative has no chat or voice tech support. I'm also disappointed that they farm out their purchasing to Amazon.

I have sence purchased a Diamone XTreem Sound Audio Card, installed it and it works fine. They have a chat and voice support. I will never purchase a Creative product again or recommend it to anyone.Get more detail about Creative Labs SB0790 PCI Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Audio Sound Card.

Save Kingston ValueRAM 2 GB 800MHz DDR2 DIMM Memory (KVR800D2N5/2G)


The review I read helped me determine the purchase of this item. Easy to install and works great. Had recieved it far quicker than expected too. Thanks Kingston !Get more detail about Kingston ValueRAM 2 GB 800MHz DDR2 DIMM Memory (KVR800D2N5/2G).

Discount Hauppauge 1229 WinTV-HVR-2250 White Box for System Builders Dual Hybrid PCI-E TV Tuner Board


I have installed many boards in PC's. This was one of the worst! Too many glitches, too many download this and download that if things aren't working.and the board was blue screening besides. I purchased an Avermedia board. It loaded up quick and works.Get more detail about Hauppauge 1229 WinTV-HVR-2250 White Box for System Builders Dual Hybrid PCI-E TV Tuner Board.

Cheapest Cooler Master R4-LUS-07AR-GP MegaFlow 200mm LED Case Fan (Red)


Very good fan for $20. Ordered this for a Coolermaster 922 case that already had 2 of them. Put this one on the side panel and wow the airflow through my case is unbelieveable!! 1- Front mount 200mm drawing in, 1-Side mount 200mm drawing in, 1-top mount 200mm blowing out, and one rear panel 120mm blowing out. Great cooling with this combo. Easy to connect, light is neat.

Great purchase!! Buy 75 of them!! :)Get more detail about Cooler Master R4-LUS-07AR-GP MegaFlow 200mm LED Case Fan (Red).

Cheap Antec Low Profile AV Component Cooler for Media PC Home Theater Products


Well I've had this product for a month and finally decided to give it my thumbs up. I was in a unique situation, and turns out this product met my needs perfectly. My entertainment center left the perfect amount of space for my receiver and I had no place to put my rather large center channel speaker. The best place was positioned right on top of the receiver. This wasn't possible because my Onkyo receiver simply runs just too hot to stack anything on top. Not only does this Antec cooler keep the top from getting too hot to the touch like it used to be, but it also acts as a shelf for my center channel speaker. All I had to do was cut out a larger hole in the entertainment center cardboard in the back for the heat to exhaust out of. People complaining about the looks shouldn't do so. It looks quite at home sandwiched in between all my cool gear, in my opinion. And as far as the fan noise is, I can barely hear the hum. My PC is louder than this device and don't really notice those fans.

With all my gaming and movie watching, this is an invaluable addition to my home theater. My only complaint is the price point at the time of my purchase. It should be a bit less for what it is, 2 fans with a rear exhaust, but I don't see anyone else offering this kind of product. In the end, though, it saved me from buying a speaker stand and it keeps my receiver and inner cabinet cool.
Get more detail about Antec Low Profile AV Component Cooler for Media PC Home Theater Products.

Friday, July 23, 2010

Buying Cooler Master SGC-2000-KKN1-GP Storm Scout ATX/MATX/ITX Mid Tower Case (Black)


case is great. plenty of room inside. good air flow. i like everything about it, but the fan wiring. i rewired them, now its great.Get more detail about Cooler Master SGC-2000-KKN1-GP Storm Scout ATX/MATX/ITX Mid Tower Case (Black).

Buy Kingston ValueRAM 2 GB 1333MHz DDR3 DIMM Desktop Memory KVR1333D3N9/2G


I purchased this memory to use on a Intel DP55WB Media Series P55 micro-ATX Core i7 Core i5 LGA1156 Desktop Motherboard. The motherboard seems to be picky and would not work with the Corsair memory that I originally tried. This memory is in the Intel approved list for the motherboard. I have been using the memory with no problems.Get more detail about Kingston ValueRAM 2 GB 1333MHz DDR3 DIMM Desktop Memory KVR1333D3N9/2G.

Purchase Kingston ValueRAM 1 GB 400MHz DDR DIMM Desktop Memory (KVR400X64C3A/1G)


The item was great. it saved me alot of money. instead of buying a new computer. I was able to install memory stick and it made my computer run better. I will be buying moreGet more detail about Kingston ValueRAM 1 GB 400MHz DDR DIMM Desktop Memory (KVR400X64C3A/1G).

Order SanDisk 2 GB Ultra II Memory Stick PRO Duo (Retail Package)


I have experience with many memory stick pro duos from both Sandisk and Sony. This Ultra II is the fastest one I've used and really makes a difference when transferring big files for my Laptop.This memory card is pretty much problem free.

Get more detail about SanDisk 2 GB Ultra II Memory Stick PRO Duo (Retail Package).

Where To Buy Samsung SH-S222L/BEBS Internal Half Height Supermulti PATA 22X Lightscribe DVD-Writable Drive


I was very happy with the delivery time, and even happier on the products ability to burn various types of formats. The rewrites come out nice and clear. I no doubt recommend this product.Get more detail about Samsung SH-S222L/BEBS Internal Half Height Supermulti PATA 22X Lightscribe DVD-Writable Drive.

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Shop For PNY NVIDIA Quadro FX 580 512 MB GDDR3 Graphics Card VCQFX580-PCIE-PB


Installed in the computer without the need for extra power connections, quiet and cool in operation. Nice speed improvement over the Quadro FX 570 that I was running and way cheaper than the 1800 series which is the next step up.

Linux drivers are working without incident and all the KDE 4 visual tools work nicely.Get more detail about PNY NVIDIA Quadro FX 580 512 MB GDDR3 Graphics Card VCQFX580-PCIE-PB.

Corsair Memory VS1GB400C3 1 GB PC-3200 400MHz 184-pin DDR Desktop Memory


No complaints about this memory. Installed easy and everything worked out of the box. This purchase performed as expected.Get more detail about Corsair Memory VS1GB400C3 1 GB PC-3200 400MHz 184-pin DDR Desktop Memory.

Intel Core i7/i5 LGA1156 4DDR3-2200 CrossFireX/GBE/Raid/SATA3/USB3.0/7.1-CH ATX Motherboard GA-P55A-UD3 Review


PROS:
USB3, Easy overclocking for novices, Reasonable legacy device support, Fan speed control, Good manual

CONS:
Adapters for parallel and serial ports and floppy drive cable are not included. Only one PS2 port for either keyboard or mouse. Some minor issues - see below.

COMMENTS:
I bought this board in April 2010 and installed the i5 750 CPU and two SATA disks in an Intel RAID mirror. The entire process went smoothly, including the installation of Windows XP, which required the RAID driver from the Gigabyte DVD on an F6 floppy. When the OS was running, I found that I could not write or format a floppy disk, but reading was OK. The problem was caused by the F4 BIOS that shipped with the board, which assigned a conflicting address to the floppy drive. Any BIOS more recent than F4 solves this problem. Another issue was a short beep from the PC speaker that occurred randomly at 10 to 15 minute intervals. This seems to be an Intel problem with the CPU, which emits a false high temperature alarm when switching power states. The solution is not to enable the over temperature alarm in the BIOS, or else to disable the C3/C6/C7 state support. These are minor issues, but they can be vexing for anyone who is unaware of them.

I would have given this board a five star rating, but I subtracted one star because of the extra effort needed to get this board working satisfactorily. Gigabyte should publish "release notes" that detail these issues.
Get more detail about Intel Core i7/i5 LGA1156 4DDR3-2200 CrossFireX/GBE/Raid/SATA3/USB3.0/7.1-CH ATX Motherboard GA-P55A-UD3.

2GB Kit (2 x 1GB) DDR PC2700 Unbuffered Non-ECC 184-PIN DIMM - CT2KIT12864Z335 Top Quality


There are so many RAM-hogging programs out there that you owe it to yourself to drop a couple of these in and see the difference they make. Before purchasing, I used the application tool at [...] to make sure I had the right chips. It told me which chips to use and even knew how many open slots I have. I could have also used some simple installation directions (I've put in alot of cards, but not RAM), but it wasn't hard to figure out. Though some things still take awhile to load (it's not always a "silver bullet"), I'm very happy with the speed I've gotten in others, particularly in running multiple simultaneous programs, and they were well worth the cash.Get more detail about 2GB Kit (2 x 1GB) DDR PC2700 Unbuffered Non-ECC 184-PIN DIMM - CT2KIT12864Z335.

Western Digital 800 GB Caviar Green SATA Intellipower 64 MB Cache Bulk/OEM Desktop Hard Drive WD8000AARS This instant


I do not like this product at all. Its slow with a very small cache. It took for every to setup in my computer. The only thing I like about it is the amount of space on the drive. I would not recommend this drive for any novice computer users.Get more detail about Western Digital 800 GB Caviar Green SATA Intellipower 64 MB Cache Bulk/OEM Desktop Hard Drive WD8000AARS.