Monday, August 30, 2010

Order Dell Dimension 8200 8100 PC800-45 RDRAM 512MB (2X256MB) Rambus RIMM


Works perfectly in my Dell Dimension 8200! Great price and I'm UBER happy. Highly recommended.Get more detail about Dell Dimension 8200 8100 PC800-45 RDRAM 512MB (2X256MB) Rambus RIMM.

Where To Buy Cooler Master SGC-6000-KXN1-GP Storm Sniper ATX Mid Tower Gaming Case (Black)


Let me keep this simple since my last attempt to write this review was ahem compromised by my stupidity :).

Pros:
* QUIET!!!!!!! Even on high Fan settings its barely audible. Even with an addition 140mm Noctua 140mm Fan NF-P14 FLX on the bottom its nice and quiet.
* Spacious design and nice cabling options behind the motherboard tray - fit a Noctua NH-D14 CPU Cooler in there but had to ditch the 120mm 2nd fan on the cooler... my memory required me to shift up the fan which is a nice feature on that cooler BTW but that made it hit the side.
* Tool-less drive bays
* QUIET!!!!!!!!!!
* Nice look and input panel on top.
* DID I SAY ITS QUIET?!?! Disclaimer: my last case while spacious only had 80mms and it was like a leaf blower in a wind tunnel... was hard to watch TV low with the old case running. Hence why I REALLY appreciate the quietness of the case.

Cons:
* Wiring could be a tiny bit neater but its really quite adequate. Besides you can always reroute it yourself.
* You can shut off the LED lighting on the fans which is slick but the power and HD LEDs are ridiculously bright.. I mean like Batman-busting-through-by-window-thinking-I'm-shining-the-BatSignal bright... but you can cover with black tape if need be.

Get more detail about Cooler Master SGC-6000-KXN1-GP Storm Sniper ATX Mid Tower Gaming Case (Black).

Sunday, August 29, 2010

Shop For SilverStone Aluminum/Steel Micro ATX HTPC Computer Case GD05B (Black)


A little cramped for its size but a nice case, it's sturdy and attractive makes an excellent htpcGet more detail about SilverStone Aluminum/Steel Micro ATX HTPC Computer Case GD05B (Black).

Canopus 77010138100 ADVC-55 A/d Converter External


I had previously purchased a KWORLD A/D convrerter from a local computer store to download our (13) 2Hr 8mm analog video tapes to the computer. The quality of the video was darker and the sound was distorted with this KWORLD device. After that bad experience I looked for rewiews on the internet and came across the Canopus ADVC-55 converter. The price was three times more than I paid for the KWORLD but the reviews were positive so I purchased one in February.
After downloading all (13) tapes I found the quality to be a true duplicate of the orignal tapes. This converter truly does the job with flying colors. It's so nice to find products perform so well.Get more detail about Canopus 77010138100 ADVC-55 A/d Converter External.

Friday, August 27, 2010

Sabrent SBT-SP6C 6-Channel 5.1 Surround Sound 3D PCI Sound Card This instant


Product installed on XP SP3 easily. Put the driver disk in and 5 minutes later everything was working. Great product to fix on board sound issues cheaply. On an old computer you don't want to spend much money fixing it and this fit the bill!Get more detail about Sabrent SBT-SP6C 6-Channel 5.1 Surround Sound 3D PCI Sound Card.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Best Connectivity ExpressCard to Firewire IEEE 1394a Controller Card SD-EXP30012 Order Now


This device works perfectly on my Dell laptop running Windows 7. I just plugged it in and Windows recognized it instantly, automatically downloaded the drivers and I was able to use it right away. I tested it out capturing video from my Sony mini-DV camera and it works great. This was the cheapest one I could find but I see no reason to spend more - this one does the job!Get more detail about Best Connectivity ExpressCard to Firewire IEEE 1394a Controller Card SD-EXP30012.

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

OCZ OCZ3P1333LV6GK DDR3 PC3-10666 1333 MHz 6GB Platinum XTC Triple Channel Kits Decide Now


Installed these DIMMs on my Intel DX58SO motherboard with i7-920 CPU and it works great. The memory by default loads at 1066MHz and requires some tweaks/changes in the BIOS setting to run at 1333MHz. Performance is great in default state with no real need to overclock. But a great value for the price, very stable, and very easy to use. Highly recommend it and would purchase it myself in the future.Get more detail about OCZ OCZ3P1333LV6GK DDR3 PC3-10666 1333 MHz 6GB Platinum XTC Triple Channel Kits.

Corsair Memory VS1GBKIT400 1 GB PC3200 400Mhz 184-Pin DDR Desktop Memory Kit Right now


Arrived promptly. Easy install for a dummy (me). My only regret was not getting the larger memory. I did not realize my Dell had only two slots so I had to remove what
I already hadGet more detail about Corsair Memory VS1GBKIT400 1 GB PC3200 400Mhz 184-Pin DDR Desktop Memory Kit.

Monday, August 23, 2010

Lowest Price Sony DUO MSH-M128A 128 MB Memory Stick (Retail Package)


I bought this for an older Sony camera that I use for business travel. The camera will accept DUO but not PRO DUO Memory Sticks. Since this item was advertised as being for a Sony game system (PSP, I think), I wasn't 100% sure it would work. As an FYI, there is a great cross reference guide for cameras on the support section of Sony's website. As it turns out, this item works perfectly and I'm very happy with it.Get more detail about Sony DUO MSH-M128A 128 MB Memory Stick (Retail Package).

Low Price Cisco-Linksys Wireless-N PCI Adapter WMP300N


Got this wireless card to use a computer in my garage. It's not made it to the garage, yet. But, it works great in my basement, even with the WAP on the 2nd floor of the house. There won't be any issues when it makes it to the garage.
Got this card because it was capable of WPA as well as WEP security. It is a refurb, and cost much less than new. I'm totally happy!Get more detail about Cisco-Linksys Wireless-N PCI Adapter WMP300N.

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Cheapest HP - Memory - 2 GB - DIMM 240-pin - DDR2 - 800 MHz / PC2-6400 - unbuffered - ECC - Smart Buy


It worked. It does what it says it'll do. It remembers. It allows the computer to do things more efficiently, more quickly, and my activities are faster with less lock ups. I now have 3 gig, and it really helps with some of the newer applications. Wish i had another stick to bring my total up to 4 gig. I would get this product again.Get more detail about HP - Memory - 2 GB - DIMM 240-pin - DDR2 - 800 MHz / PC2-6400 - unbuffered - ECC - Smart Buy.

Cheap Zalman ZM-F3 120mm Quiet Case Fan with Silicone Pins


The good: It's a fan. It moves air. It seems to be reliable. It has a long enough power lead that it will reach most parts of a midtower case.

The bad: It's not a particularly quiet fan. There is a certain amount of nouse created by moving air around. You WILL hear this fan in action. When I added this as a front case fan (to an Antec Sonata III case) it was noticeably louder. I'd say it's quieter than the average fan but certainly not silent.

The ugly: the silicone plugs (to be used in place of screws to fasten the fan to the case and keep the noise damped) are difficult to install, can only be used once, and are basically useless. After an hour of yanking on these things with needlenose pliers I had one installed out of four. So I gave up and used screws.

So, that's about it. For some reason my motherboard won't report on the speed of the fan, but that may be a motherboard issue so I can't ding the fan (yet).Get more detail about Zalman ZM-F3 120mm Quiet Case Fan with Silicone Pins.

Friday, August 20, 2010

Buying Seagate Barracuda 500 GB 7200RPM SATA NCQ 16 MB Cache 3.5-Inch Internal Desktop Hard Drive ST3500641AS-RK-Retail Kit


I bought one from Frys in Feb 2009 and thought it was such a good deal that I went back the next day and bought another. The first drive started acting up after a couple months use and then died shortly thereafter. So I installed the second drive (about a year ago). Recently it started crashing and finally died. I will probably send them in on warranty, but I'm kind of wondering if it's worth the trouble.Get more detail about Seagate Barracuda 500 GB 7200RPM SATA NCQ 16 MB Cache 3.5-Inch Internal Desktop Hard Drive ST3500641AS-RK-Retail Kit.

Buy Elgato EyeTV One Computer TV Tuner 10020311


I really, really wanted this to work, but I have to be honest, my experience with El Gato and eyetv has been anything but pleasant.

The short story is this:

I bought this a couple of weeks ago to use as a DVR on my Mac Mini. I don't really care about watching tv on eyetv, i care about RECORDING it...which is what i think MOST people are looking for.

Here's some big red flags if you are looking to use eyetv to record OTA tv via eyetv and OSX:

1. You will have to pay a subscription fee every year to [...] to get it to actually schedule your recordings. You used to be able to do this free with titan tv, but El Gato is now forcing only tvguide in the future...so this IS a hidden subscription fee with using this product (not too bad, about $20 a year)
2. The reliability of having eyetv wake up your mac to record a show borders on 50%. This has been a widespread problem that has not been fixed for years. Any DVR program that fails to record 50% of your programs verges on worthless. This can be (somewhat) rectified by leaving your mac on 24/7, but that completely negates the purpose of buying an energy sipping mac mini for a media center.
3. When eyetv does manage to wake the mac to record a show, many times, the recording is not watchable, with skipping, jumping, large gaps...etc. This is another problem people on the El Gato forums have been complaining about for YEARS with no solution.

I will probably be sending this back as it is not at all reliable for recording shows. Too bad, its a great idea, but the software is FAR FROM ROBUST.

Be warned....Get more detail about Elgato EyeTV One Computer TV Tuner 10020311.

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Purchase Corsair CMXAF2 Dominator Triple Channel Airflow Memory Fan


This memory cooling device is built like a tank. It is made from heavy duty aluminum, rather than plastics. It may outlast the majority of parts inside the computer. Highly recommended if you intend to overclock memory. I have SIX (6) DIMMS installed, and this device provides enough air circulation to maintain stable operation.

Get more detail about Corsair CMXAF2 Dominator Triple Channel Airflow Memory Fan.

Order BFG BFGE84512GSP NVIDIA GeForce 8400 GS 512MB DDR2 PCI Graphics Card


Ever since I had 2 other PCI Video Cards on this Dell Dimension 3000. I did some research on some PNY/E-VGA/BFG Tech/ATI/etc PCI Video Cards. I found out that BFG Tech has a life time warranty. Which the other companies don't have. So that means you get a life time warranty on a product that will last for years!!!

Pros:

1. Offers 4.0 Shader Model
2. 512MB of DDR2!!
3. Has the performances of x2 more than the BFG Tech 6200 OC
4. Has DVI/VGA/S-Video
5. Has HDCP Capable
6. Life Time Warranty!!!

Cons:

1. Did not come with a DVI to VGA Adapter
2. Poorly made Heatsink & Fan - I would recommend a PCI Fan Card to cool down the GPU
3. The Video Card temps are reading 47c - I would recommend a PCI Fan Card to cool down the GPU
4. PCI Interface is not recommended for gaming or HD Movies
5. The Nvidia Settings are showing my second display which is a LCD Monitor as a CRT Monitor???
6. On the VGA connector it's showing CRT on the Bracket Plate - It's VGA not CRTGet more detail about BFG BFGE84512GSP NVIDIA GeForce 8400 GS 512MB DDR2 PCI Graphics Card.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Where To Buy Antec Sonata III 500 Quiet Super Mini Tower ATX Case (Black)


This case is very nice. Great price, comes with 500watt power supply, sleek design, quiet fan. Only potential problem is the door. It is pretty flimsy but you just have to be carefull and it works just fine.Get more detail about Antec Sonata III 500 Quiet Super Mini Tower ATX Case (Black).

Shop For Antec EarthWatts EA650 650W Power Supply


When purchasing my latest PC from Dell a year ago I opted to upgrade many of the features including the RAM, CPU and Graphics card. What I failed to take into account and wasn't alerted to by Dell, was that the PSU could barely take these upgrades. So when researching new additions to my PC I realized I would need a significant upgrade over the 300 Watts I had.

After reading multiple reviews I chose the Antec EarthWatts 650w as it clearly met my needs and budget. The item was easy generally easy to install, although the amount of cables left little spare room inside my case (which isn't particularly small). It is clearly a quality product as it felt significantly heavier and sturdier than the PSU I replaced.

So far the PSU has done everything I have asked of it without any hesitation, including graphics, video editing and gaming (Empire: Total War & Fallout 3: Game of The Year Edition). It is quiet, powerful and eco friendly. Short of having a huge gaming rig this will be more than enough for the average user, just don't buy it if you have a minuscule case.Get more detail about Antec EarthWatts EA650 650W Power Supply.

Monday, August 16, 2010

Netgear WG511NA Wireless G Pc Card Top Quality


After several disappointing experiences with WiFi adapters (e.g., see my review for the Sabrent PCI-G802), I tried going with a PCMCIA-based version. This one worked perfectly and with very little effort. One of the most satisfying products I've ever bought from Amazon.Get more detail about Netgear WG511NA Wireless G Pc Card.

PNY GeForce 9500 GT 1024MB PCI-Express 2.0 VGA + DVI Graphics Card VCG951024GXEB This instant


I purchased this video card to replace one that went bad in a storm due to power surge. This card installed easily under Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit. Drivers were installed automatically. Total time to replace damaged video card was under ten minutes. Card was also very cost effective.Get more detail about PNY GeForce 9500 GT 1024MB PCI-Express 2.0 VGA + DVI Graphics Card VCG951024GXEB.

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Kingston ValueRAM 2GB 667MHz DDR2 Desktop Memory (KVR667D2/2GR) Immediately


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 2GB 667MHz DDR2 Desktop Memory (KVR667D2/2GR).

Sabrent Wireless LAN 802.11n PCI Network 300 Mps Wi-Fi Card Adapter Best Quality


It is not a famous brand, and I got it cheap. It works well for me more than 6 months with not hustle installation.Get more detail about Sabrent Wireless LAN 802.11n PCI Network 300 Mps Wi-Fi Card Adapter.

Saturday, August 14, 2010

HP KS523AA USB TV Tuner Get it now!


I bought this a couple of months ago. I use it to watch live TV and record. All off the antenna. This is fabulous. It was really easy to setup..had it working in minutes. the antenna works great too - better than the one I have for my HDTV (have not tried yet but i think i can plug this one in). I love having my laptop work as a DVR also.Get more detail about HP KS523AA USB TV Tuner.

Sapphire Radeon HD 5770 1 GB DDR5 2DVI/HDMI/DisplayPort PCI-Express Video Card 100283-3L Buy Now


I got the 5770 to replace a dying NVIDIA 8800GTX. This card cost me about 1/3 of what the 8800GTX cost me when it first came out. It is 2/3 the length of the 8800GTX, uses 20% less power and runs so much cooler, I am amazed.

I'm sure people will want me to tell them how it works with various games. I'm afraid I can't since I don't use them. I am, however, an avid user of Microsoft Flight Simulator X and can tell you that this card is superior in every way to the 8800GTX. Scenery textures are crisp with no blurries, FPS run 10% higher or more and light bloom looks a lot better.

This isn't the biggest and baddest card out there, but it amply fills my needs. I had seen a number of forum posts about people having problems with Windows 7 64 bit, but installing the latest drivers went flawlessly. My only complaint is that the Catalyst software can be a bit obscure about how to change certain settings, but I'll get used to it.Get more detail about Sapphire Radeon HD 5770 1 GB DDR5 2DVI/HDMI/DisplayPort PCI-Express Video Card 100283-3L.

Friday, August 13, 2010

Athlon II X3 435 2.9Ghz AM3 Triple Core Processor Order Now


For a few dollars more then the 250 you get an extra core. Lovely. Using this with ddr3-1600 I got 40-60 fps boost on bad company 2 from my aged 2.2ghz 4400+ and ddr-333. Dont hesitate, gets 6.8 in windows ratings. Everything starts up immediately. Going to try some encoding 720p later to see how that works. Dont wait, just buy it already.Get more detail about Athlon II X3 435 2.9Ghz AM3 Triple Core Processor.

Western Digital 750 GB Caviar Green SATA Intellipower 32 MB Cache Bulk/OEM Desktop Hard Drive WD7500AADS Decide Now


The drive is great and worked as expected. My issue was that I did not understand that OEM meant no screws other mounting equipment. With the money I've spent on connectors, screws, and shipping, I would have gone with a more expensive drive that came with all the materials I needed to install it.Get more detail about Western Digital 750 GB Caviar Green SATA Intellipower 32 MB Cache Bulk/OEM Desktop Hard Drive WD7500AADS.

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Gefen DVI to Mini DisplayPort Converter - DVI adapter - single link - mini-DisplayPort - DVI-D Right now


Despite middling reviews for this product on the Apple Store site, I bought one here at half the price, and it's worked perfectly. I use this to connect my 2007 MacBook Pro to a new Apple 24" Cinema Display, using both MacOS 10.6 and Microsoft Windows XP. The display comes on immediately when plugged in, and the signal is perfect. The Blue LED is always on and annoying (everybody needs to flash an LED in your face), and the display reports itself as some random external device. Bought it on [...] via amazon for about $80, much less than the $150 other places. Recommended.Get more detail about Gefen DVI to Mini DisplayPort Converter - DVI adapter - single link - mini-DisplayPort - DVI-D.

Lowest Price ASUS P6T - LGA 1366 - X58 - DDR3 - ATX Motherboard


Easy setup. Large feature set, except parallel port.
Runs cool.
Overclocks quite well and quite stable.
A great buy.
Get more detail about ASUS P6T - LGA 1366 - X58 - DDR3 - ATX Motherboard.

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Low Price EVGA nVidia GeForce GTX260 Core 216-55nm Superclocked 896 MB DDR3 2DVI PCI-Express Video Card 896-P3-1257-AR


Was looking for a higher end graphics card for some special software I am running. Cost was a factor and this card is a great value does every thing that cards twice as costly do. Its fast and the graphics look great. Excellent value.Get more detail about EVGA nVidia GeForce GTX260 Core 216-55nm Superclocked 896 MB DDR3 2DVI PCI-Express Video Card 896-P3-1257-AR.

Save Patriot Xporter XT Boost 4 GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive PEF4GUSB


I bought this item for the sole purpose of transferring files from my 20 gb xbox 360 hard drive to this flash drive. Everything went smoothly. I found out that every file can be transferred except for the games that you install onto the drive that requires a disc. So any XBox live Arcade games can be moved, but any games that you bought the disc and have it installed cannot be transferred. But you can install it onto the flash drive initially! You just can't transfer it. Not a big concern though.
The flash drive looks decent with its black color and red writing. The package came with a USB cable and a lanyard for any of you that would like to wear the flash drive around your neck. I recommend this flash drive!Get more detail about Patriot Xporter XT Boost 4 GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive PEF4GUSB.

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Discount Sabrent SATA-C35U Serial ATA to USB 2.0 Cable Converter Adapter with Power Supply


Just be warned that an electronics item this cheap is always a gamble. On mine, the power supply never worked - never powered up - the light never came on. I could probably send it back, but for <$20 it's not worth bothering with. I'm going to try one of those bare drive docks next. For only $5 or so more, you may want to consider the same unless you are feeling lucky and absolutely need something very portable.Get more detail about Sabrent SATA-C35U Serial ATA to USB 2.0 Cable Converter Adapter with Power Supply.

Cheapest Xion AXP 100 Gaming Series Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail (Black/Blue)


this tower lights up my whole living room. it has a cool design and has pleanty of slots to put what evr you want inside. its not that big yet not that small. its a perfect size for a nice looking personal PC. i installed a i7 processor in and it fit fantastic and it was cheap. nothing ever heats up and it had goood vetalation. great tower.Get more detail about Xion AXP 100 Gaming Series Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail (Black/Blue).

Monday, August 9, 2010

Cheap Sapphire Radeon HD 5670 PCI-Express Graphics Card 100287VGAL


I hesitate to give the whole card a 1 star review, but I hope that it gets seen so potential purchasers don't get mislead. While the card itself is fine and a great budget addition, it does NOT support Eyefinity. For Eyefinity to work, the third monitor must be connected to a DisplayPort output, which this card doesn't feature. If you are looking for an HD 5670 that supports Eyefinity, then look for the 100287L, not the 100287VGAL (this card). It can be found here: [...]

Get more detail about Sapphire Radeon HD 5670 PCI-Express Graphics Card 100287VGAL.

Buying EVGA nVidia GeForce 9400GT 1 GB DDR2 PCI Graphics Card 01G-P1-N948-LR


I purchased this card to expand my setup from 2 to 3 monitors. I already own a 9800 GT which I use for rendering most games I play. From my experience, I would recommend this card if you do not have the money to spend on a higher end card. However, if you want the most bang for your buck, I would recommend going with a 9800 GT or a similar card.Get more detail about EVGA nVidia GeForce 9400GT 1 GB DDR2 PCI Graphics Card 01G-P1-N948-LR.