Saturday, October 30, 2010

Cheap M-Audio Audiophile 2496 MIDI Digital Recording Interface


Installing and configuring this sound card is not for the faint of heart. But audio professionals would probably find the experience par for the course. Once you get that card up and running however, everything is fine in this world. Excellent sound, simple to use, at a great price. All the pain was worth it.Get more detail about M-Audio Audiophile 2496 MIDI Digital Recording Interface.

Buying Toshiba MK6008GAH - Hard drive - 60 GB - internal - 1.8" - ATA-100 - 4200 rpm - buffer: 2 MB


I bought this as a preventative maintenance item for my laptop. Everyone else at work had the same vintage laptop and many drives were failing.
I swapped the drives, ghosted the old one, and am up and running.Get more detail about Toshiba MK6008GAH - Hard drive - 60 GB - internal - 1.8" - ATA-100 - 4200 rpm - buffer: 2 MB.

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Order SYBA SD-LP-SIL2IR Low Profile PCI SATA 2-Port Raid Card with SIL3512


all I wanted was an extra SATA port (non-RAID) internal to my Dell SFF Optiplex 745 for a data HD. I was prepared for the worst. I was shocked when the driver loaded right up, and "My Computer" showed the SYBA in the device manager right away. Even more shocking, the Raptor I plugged in to the new SATA port showed up in "My Computer" pronto, and worked immediately. No fiddling required. Only thing, the 2 new SATA ports don't show up in BIOS. Nor can I configure RAID in BIOS, not that I want to.... I am guessing that I am supposed to be able to do this? Anyway, it works for what I want.. So, that is cool.Get more detail about SYBA SD-LP-SIL2IR Low Profile PCI SATA 2-Port Raid Card with SIL3512.

Where To Buy Intel Desktop Board D510MO with integrated Intel Atom processor D510 - Motherboard - mini ITX - iNM10 - SATA-300 - Gigabit Ethernet - video - High Definition Audio (6-channel)


Great little motherboard. I put it in a Apex case with 1tb hd, 4gb ram, and dvd/cdrom drive. I'm running Centos 5.4 64-bit and plan to use it as my server in my home office. It's very low power and totally silent. The only negative I have is that it would not boot from a cd-rom attached to a usb port. I had to buy a SATA cd-rom and boot Centos from that.
Get more detail about Intel Desktop Board D510MO with integrated Intel Atom processor D510 - Motherboard - mini ITX - iNM10 - SATA-300 - Gigabit Ethernet - video - High Definition Audio (6-channel).

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Thermaltake iCage A2309 HDD Module with 12cm Blue LED Fan Review


It a good idea but very hard to get a screw in a hard drive cause you have put a screw driver with a screw in holes along the sides just to get to the screw hole. If you have big fingers then you have a problem.

The Cool Master 4 in 3 is better because you can take the sides off to get to the hard drive screws holes.

Get more detail about Thermaltake iCage A2309 HDD Module with 12cm Blue LED Fan.

Thermaltake TMG HD1 HDD Cooler Top Quality


Computers make me a tad uncomfortable to be honest. However the installation of this was a breeze. My hard drive had been getting to hot enough to fry eggs on. Since installing this I have not had any more problems with my hard drive getting to hot. I just ordered another one and going to teach my senior citizen mother how to install it this weekend.

Totally <3 this product. So easy to install. So worth it. Get it.Get more detail about Thermaltake TMG HD1 HDD Cooler.

Monday, October 25, 2010

512MB PC3200 DDR 400MHZ 184PIN DIMM CL3 UNBUFF NON-ECC This instant


Bought this specifically for a low cost alternative for the ASA 8.3 minimum upgrade requirements of 512MB RAM on a Cisco 5505. Worked on the first try. Yes, ASA 8.3 will load and run with 256MB, but it displays a warning on the CLI and ASDM that not all advanced features will work. Well, for under $30 you can sidestep the issue. I did try with a 512MB DDR Unbuffered ECC stick with no joy. The 5505 just displays a red light and seems to absolutely require non-ECC (the cheap stuff ;)) RAM. This unit installs flawlessly with no modification to the shell/cage even though it is a little taller than the original 5505 256MB RAM chip. Also, I believe (have read, but did not try) that you can put a 1GB UB non-ECC DDR stick in the 5505, but it will only recognize the first 512MB.Get more detail about 512MB PC3200 DDR 400MHZ 184PIN DIMM CL3 UNBUFF NON-ECC.

Corsair DOMINATOR 2 GB (2 X 1 GB) 240-pin DDR2 1066 MHz Dual-Channel Memory Kit Immediately


I already had 4GB of the Corsair Dominator in my desktop. I wanted 2 GB more of the same memory. Good memory.Get more detail about Corsair DOMINATOR 2 GB (2 X 1 GB) 240-pin DDR2 1066 MHz Dual-Channel Memory Kit.

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Gigabyte AMD GA-MA74GM-S2 740G,UATX,Socket AM2 Athlon64/FX/X2 Sempron Motherboard Best Quality


This motherboard turned out to be the perfect replacement for a 3-year-old e-machines motherboard that failed (buldging capacitors-- from that bungled batch out of China a few years ago probably), with one major exception. It is not the board pictured. The board pictured has a parallel port, this one does not. For some this may be fine, but we have two older laserjet printers in the house, and both only have parallel port connections. For us, this was huge. If it wasn't for that I would have given it 5 stars. I was even able to re-use my old AMD 64 processor in it.Get more detail about Gigabyte AMD GA-MA74GM-S2 740G,UATX,Socket AM2 Athlon64/FX/X2 Sempron Motherboard.

Kingston memory - 1 GB - DIMM 240-pin - DDR II ( KTD-DM8400A/1G ) Get it now!


I bought 4 and my computer is only reading that I have 2.99 GB of ramGet more detail about Kingston memory - 1 GB - DIMM 240-pin - DDR II ( KTD-DM8400A/1G ).

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Syba Low Profile PCI-Express 1394b/1394a (2B1A) Card, TI Chipset, Extra Regular Bracket SD-PEX30009 Buy Now


Let's face it, Firewire is a moving target and an iffy communications channel at best. I sometimes think there is a little gnome down inside Firewire cards and drivers that just looks for opportunities to cause problems.

I chose this card because it uses the TI chipset, which has the reputation of being more versatile than NEC, VIA or others. I inserted it in an older homebuilt PC and it ran perfectly on Win XP without any burps or hiccups. I have used it with both a camera and a software-defined radio without any difficulties whatsoever. It comes with both standard-length and a low profile brackets, easily changeable with two small screws.

Note that this is a PCI-Express card and will only run in an Express lot. Syba sells regular PCI cards if that is what you need.

Recommended.Get more detail about Syba Low Profile PCI-Express 1394b/1394a (2B1A) Card, TI Chipset, Extra Regular Bracket SD-PEX30009.

Kingston ValueRAM 512 MB 333MHz DDR DIMM Desktop Memory (KVR333X64C25/512) Order Now


Faced with a Windows XP re-install due to unresolvable virus issues, I took the opportunity to finally upgrade the memory in my Dell Dimension 2400 from 256MB to 1GB. One of the modules that I received was defective. I notified Amazon and I had a hassle-free replacement the next day! My computer now performs better than it has ever performed. I am quite pleased with Amazon's exceptional customer service as well.Get more detail about Kingston ValueRAM 512 MB 333MHz DDR DIMM Desktop Memory (KVR333X64C25/512).

Friday, October 22, 2010

Kingston ValueRAM 512MB 333MHz DDR1 Desktop Memory (KVR333/512R) Decide Now


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 512MB 333MHz DDR1 Desktop Memory (KVR333/512R).

Crucial CT2KIT25664AA667 4GB (2GBx2) 240-pin DIMM DDR2 PC2-5300 Memory Module Right now


So far, I never had any problem with crucial ram. I install this memory inside a Dell Precision 380 and it has been running great. I had some installation problem installing both modules at first because my system was using a old bios. Once I update my bios the ram installed without any problems. My computer now run faster since the ram upgrade.

Just a Reminder: If you are planning to install this ram on a 32bit Windows OS then you need to remember that Windows will not recognize the entire 4 gigs. My Windows 7 32bit system only recognize 3.25 gigs of the ram. If you are installing this ram on a 64bit Window OS, then you are fine. This a Windows limitation not a Crucial problem.Get more detail about Crucial CT2KIT25664AA667 4GB (2GBx2) 240-pin DIMM DDR2 PC2-5300 Memory Module.

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Lowest Price Intel DG41TY Classic Series G41 micro-ATX Intel Graphics DVI+VGA 1333MHz LGA775 Desktop Motherboard


I work for a technology company and we've ordered dozens of PCs with these boards and they've been problematic with the LAN. Additionally, the PC boot-up beeps make it sound like it has post system errors, takes some getting used too.

Of the ones that do work, they are OK for a desktop PC. Nothing really amazing to write home about.

So far, the failure rate of these boards, when it comes to the LAN, is 20%.Get more detail about Intel DG41TY Classic Series G41 micro-ATX Intel Graphics DVI+VGA 1333MHz LGA775 Desktop Motherboard.

Low Price ADS Technologies USB Turbo 2.0 for PC/Mac Upgraderade PCI Card USBX-2000


Not much to say. Great price! Got it, unboxed it, installed it. Done. Nothing to do. Just insert in the slot and presto! On my Mac powerPC G5 anyway.Get more detail about ADS Technologies USB Turbo 2.0 for PC/Mac Upgraderade PCI Card USBX-2000.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Save Intel Celeron E3300


I purchased this to upgrade my HP Mediasmart Server ex485, which came with a Celeron 440 35 watt single core CPU. This CPU is rated at 65 watt but still able to operate at the same temperature as the 440, most likely due to the fact that the core has being reduced from 65nm to 45nm so it's much more efficient. This is very important to me because the HP server only has passive cpu heatsink and the stability of the machine will be depending on it.

My goal is to be able to transcode 1080p video from my server to PS3 without stuttering. The 440 was only able to manage up to 720p and E3300 handled this task effortlessly. Don't be fooled by the Celeron branding, this is a very fast chip. According to Wikipedia it uses the same Wolfdale-3M microprocessor design as the Core 2 E7xxx series, the difference mainly being the smaller L2 cache. It also supports many Intel technologies that's not offered with 440, such as virtualization, speedstep, Enhanced Halt State. Best of all it's a core 2 duo for under $100!Get more detail about Intel Celeron E3300.

Discount Zotac IONITX-A-U Atom N330 Dual Core 90-Watt PSU WiFi ITX Intel Motherboard


This board was bought for the express purpose of being small enough to fit in a custom case for our livingroom. I'm still working on the case, but the board and CPU combo is exactly what I wanted. I added 4GB of RAM and I'm running Windows 7 Home Premium without a problem.Get more detail about Zotac IONITX-A-U Atom N330 Dual Core 90-Watt PSU WiFi ITX Intel Motherboard.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Cheapest Kingston ValueRAM 512 MB 400MHz DDR CL3 DIMM Desktop Memory KVR400X64C3A/512


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 512 MB 400MHz DDR CL3 DIMM Desktop Memory KVR400X64C3A/512.

Cheap SilverStone Aluminum ATX Mid Tower Uni-Body Frame Computer Case FT02B (Black)


I got tired of going through loud cheap cases. I've departed from the days of flashing lights, decked out in led fans, and fan controllers. This time around I was set on having a nice quiet build with a case that'll last me through several builds.

This case fit the bill. It was delivered to the office and was immediately surrounded by the geeks and programmers around me. It's a thing of beauty. The thought in design and attention to detail is evidence by the nice finish, huge huge 180mm fans on the bottom (3 of them), the space around the inside cabin for the install, the rubber grommets in the hard drive trays (vertical for better cooling), and I could go on. Even my girlfriend admired it's beauty and took the opportunity to explain that quality purses and shoes are the same way. I now understand how they can even contemplate spending hundreds of dollars on those things.

To address a few of the complaints other reviewers mention. My power buttons were flush. Panels fit square and true. My 7 year old dvd drive was a bit too long so I had to move it down a few brackets but that's an issue of the older drives. The opening for installing a cpu fan, I don't even know what this is about. The case is plenty roomy and has way more room than the typical mid tower. I always install the cpu and cpu cooler on the motherboard first and then move the whole motherboard into the case anyways. On that note, gigabyte x58a-ud3r, i7-920, Zalman cnsp10x quiet, and Corsair TR3X6G1600C7 XMS3 6 GB PC3-12800 fit just right.

As for cooling, I was getting about 31C without the top 120mm fan on. Had plenty of air flow through the case with just the bottom 3 fans. No overclock. There's a nice pleasant low frequency hum. My hp core2 quad at work is much louder.

Note that what other reviewers say about this case being big. It's significantly taller and deeper then the standard midtower. So get the measurements for the case and see if it works out for you. I'm extremely happy with this case.Get more detail about SilverStone Aluminum ATX Mid Tower Uni-Body Frame Computer Case FT02B (Black).

Monday, October 18, 2010

Buying SilverStone Aluminum ATX Mid Tower Uni-Body Frame Computer Case with Window CS-FT02B-W (Black)


This case is totally awesome. Very solid construction and well worth every dollar I paid for it. The three fans on the bottom keep everything cool inside. The case rotates the motherboard 90 degrees, which give easier access and does a better job at allowing the air from the bottom fans to pass over keeping things nice and cool.Get more detail about SilverStone Aluminum ATX Mid Tower Uni-Body Frame Computer Case with Window CS-FT02B-W (Black).

Buy ASUS M4A785-M - AM3 - AMD785G - DDR2 - HDMI - uATX Motherboard


I used this MB for my first build. I am really happy with it. It was cheap and the build quality feels great. I read somewhere that ASUS uses high quality Japanese electronic parts to build its boards. I use it on my home PC which is a mix of internet browsing, emailing and gaming platform.Get more detail about ASUS M4A785-M - AM3 - AMD785G - DDR2 - HDMI - uATX Motherboard.

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Purchase PCI to Parallel 1-port Controller Card


I installed this card on an HP Pavillion a6600f running Windows XP, and Windows was able to find the drivers for it automatically. However, my Officejet R40 printer/scanner didn't work very well with it. The printer and scanner were detected and installed by Windows but didn't work initially. I could make the printer work by changing its port to LPT3 (from DOT4), but the scanner still doesn't work. I can't even open the scanner properties.

The point is that my printer and scanner worked fine with the parallel port on my previous computer running XP, and so I believe the problem is in this pci card. If I find out otherwise, I will increase my rating.
Get more detail about PCI to Parallel 1-port Controller Card.

Order HIS CrossFire Bridge Interconnect Cable


I had to purchase two of these cables because, though they were listed as included in the XFX Radeon 1GB 4890 vid cards I bought recently, they did not show up in the box. The cables seem fairly well made, flexible but not brittle with handy little tabs at the end to aid removal if necessary. I purchased from Amazon because Amazon gave me credit for the missing cables, but if I had to do any price-shopping I would have I think found an alternative for less.Get more detail about HIS CrossFire Bridge Interconnect Cable.

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Where To Buy Kingston Cooling Fan for HyperX PC Memory KHX-FAN


I was looking for a memory cooler for some time and was hesitant on getting one, mainly due to the fact that I wasn't expecting it to have a significant cooling effect and the fact that I wasn't sure how well they would fit.

Happy to find out that this purchase was well worth the money. I heard that coolers that actually stretch and "snap" on the memory sockets would be to some extent better,,,, well, yes! to some extent. I wasn't sure if I was tightening the thing too much or if was snug enough. Took some experimenting but then all fit in place perfectly.

I was amazed at the level of cooling, especially that my memory modules did not have the fancy heat sinks or fins. Installed on OCZ i7 extreme rams that have the modules sandwiched between thin metal heat dispensers.

Heat went down from 64c to around 38c when gaming (measured with temperature probes of the asus rampage extreme II MB).

Just note that on some motherboards, especially if you have triple channel setup, if the memory modules are spread to far cooling will not be that efficient. And, make sure your CPU fan does allow for the cooler to be installed. I have the cooler master V8 and it fit well, just had to move it a bit off the center.

a definite recommend, and the blue LED glow is very cool.Get more detail about Kingston Cooling Fan for HyperX PC Memory KHX-FAN.

Shop For IOGear Enhanced Data Rate Bluetooth USB Adapter with Range up to 66 ft. GBU221 (Grey)


This device is an excellent solution to adding Bluetooth to you computer. It installs quickly and easily and does the job. I would recommend it highly for this purpose.Get more detail about IOGear Enhanced Data Rate Bluetooth USB Adapter with Range up to 66 ft. GBU221 (Grey).

Friday, October 15, 2010

Intel DP55KG Extreme Series Desktop Motherboard (P55 ATX Core i7 Core i5 LGA1156)


This motherboard was a big letdown for me out of the box. I bought it to supplement a new LAN rig I built, and right from the get-go, there were problems. Admittedly, the first few weren't entirely the board's fault (heatsink wouldn't sit properly, though it was aftermarket which didn't help. Also, the memory bus that it supports is a paltry 1333MHz, so when I bought a higher-speed DDR3 RAM, the board couldn't take it).

Hardware problems aside, this board's MASSIVE, GLARING flaw is in the fact that its network adapter doesn't actually come with installed drivers, nor do they come on the driver disk. That's right, you have to use a separate computer to download the drivers, then switch over to your motherboard (you need the OS installed to do this, by the way) and install them. So that's a pain in the tuckus if there ever was one. I'm not sure if other people have had this issue, but on my particular board, after every restart, the drivers get erased and must then be reinstalled. That means each time I turn the dang thing off, I need to reinstall the drivers.

Now, for the good parts though. This thing is a MONSTER when it is working. I've got a 2.8Ghz i7 being overclocked to 3.47Ghz, and this thing still runs like a beauty. It has onboard RAID support (though you need to configure that in the BIOS before you install the OS: just switch the drive settings around). The RAID program that comes included with the board drivers is simple and works wonders. Also, the Intel DCC, which lets you view information about your processor and memory chips, as well as overclock and tweak all of your chips right from the desktop, looks really snazzy and works like a charm. If you're a gamer who wants a really good looking board, and can find a fix or overlook the problems this board has (I sincerely hope they release new and better drivers: as of the time of this review, I was on version 14.8), then by all means, buy it. Its onboard skull, which has an integral HDD light (the board itself has its own backlighting that can be turned on in the BIOS) looks great through a windowed case and draws a lot of looks at LAN events.

In closure, this board has a lot of issues, but will also treat you really well when it works. If you buy it though, you gotta get the best gear to work with it, so an i7 is a necessary buy too, as well as good memory chips. Maybe they'll release support for higher memory processing power later, which would be a great bonus, since right now that's all that's holding this board back from being a speed demon.Get more detail about Intel DP55KG Extreme Series Desktop Motherboard (P55 ATX Core i7 Core i5 LGA1156).

Asus M4A785TD-V Motherboard Review


I got this mb for my rig with an AMD Phenom II X2 550. Was able to unlock 2 cores on the AMD :) and overclocked it by 5% (3.255 Ghz) with stock heatsink and fan. Graphics are great for movies and casual gaming with the onboard HD 4200 GPU.
A surprise, Asus mentions the Southbridge as SB710 for the mb, but mine came with SB750.Get more detail about Asus M4A785TD-V Motherboard.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

BIOSTAR AM3/AM2+/AM2 DDR2 AMD 785G Micro ATX AMD Motherboard TA785GE 128M Top Quality


Installation was a breeze. Only thing needed was manually raising the RAM voltage in the BIOS from standard 1.8V to 2.05V because the OCZ RAM I used is made for 2.2V
Because it already worked on 1.8V I concluded that there was no need to go to the full 2.2V maybe this way saving the RAM from some heat stress.
For the rest everything worked right out of the box and Windows 7 installed flawlessly with all the hardware supported.
I'm not a gamer and chose this board because of the price and HD playback capability with onboard video output.Get more detail about BIOSTAR AM3/AM2+/AM2 DDR2 AMD 785G Micro ATX AMD Motherboard TA785GE 128M.

Centon 512MBPC133 512MB PC133 133MHz SDRAM DIMM Memory This instant


Just wanted to let anyone looking to upgrade their old Dell know that Centon is a compatible and reasonably priced product. I maxed out my Dimension 4300 (1GB max over two slots) with 2 512MB boards with no problem.Get more detail about Centon 512MBPC133 512MB PC133 133MHz SDRAM DIMM Memory.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Thermaltake V3 Black Edition SECC / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case VL80001W2Z (Black ) Immediately


This is a great case. The case is light, which is one of the things I was looking for. Good design, and manufacturing attention to detail. No sharp corners to cut yourself on during the build. Good cable routing options, as well make for a clean installation. The existing 120mm fan is quiet, but does move a decent amount of air.

Rubber feet on the bottom of the case, means no vibration when set on a hard surface, such as wood floors.

The size of your CPU heatsink will determine whether or not you will be able to mount fans on the inside top. Example: A Zalman 9500A (92mm fan) does fit nicely in the case, but would prevent mounting a 120mm inside top of the case. The smaller Zalman cooler (80mm fan) will allow mounting a 120mm fan inside/top of the case.

Very happy with my purchase.Get more detail about Thermaltake V3 Black Edition SECC / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case VL80001W2Z (Black ).

Sabrent TV-LCDHR Stand Alone TV Tuner Box (NTSC) with Picture in Picture for TV/CRT/TFT and Plasma Monitor/Projectors Best Quality


Easy setup ...Continuously FROZE Up..Menu would not respond or come up with remote or by using buttons on device....No channel number display...Line along the top of the picture (when there was a picture...)Surprised that amazon sells this thing....Get more detail about Sabrent TV-LCDHR Stand Alone TV Tuner Box (NTSC) with Picture in Picture for TV/CRT/TFT and Plasma Monitor/Projectors.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Intel DP45SG Extreme Series P45 ATX DDR3 1333 2xPCIe 2.0x16 3xPCI 1333MHz FSB LGA775 Desktop Board - Retail Get it now!


I replaced my Asus P5Q with Intel's DP45SG I swapped everything even the HD containing the old board set up and...... It worked! the board picked up everything, after installing the new drivers and the sound drivers, it was fully functional.
I have added a pair or Corsairs XMS3 4GB 2x2gb sticks ddr3 9-9-9 24 Nvidia Geforce GTX 260, I have no problems , all works fine, just my hard drives are crammed by the video card being so bulky.
Overall it was easy to set up, i just hope Intel can come up with a better way of clamping those heat sinks to the CPU, i tell you i thought i broke it at one point.Get more detail about Intel DP45SG Extreme Series P45 ATX DDR3 1333 2xPCIe 2.0x16 3xPCI 1333MHz FSB LGA775 Desktop Board - Retail.

OCZ OCZ2P10664GK DDR2 PC2-8500 1066 MHz Platinum Series 4 GB Dual Channel Memory Kit Buy Now


This has been a great deal for me. The product is working as expected and the price was affordable. For sure will continue buying this brand.Get more detail about OCZ OCZ2P10664GK DDR2 PC2-8500 1066 MHz Platinum Series 4 GB Dual Channel Memory Kit.

Monday, October 11, 2010

Gigabyte Micro ATX Motherboard GA-H55M-S2H Order Now


I recently upgraded from a Windows XP PC, by buying this in a bare bones kit. Performance is more than ample, with an Intel i3-530 processor. If you know about Windows 7 x64 Home Premium performance scores, the following is helpful: Without a video card, my base score is between 4.8 and 4.9. My Multimedia score is 5.2, and my processor score is 6.9. Disk scores will vary more, for each build, but mine is 5.9 with a Hitachi disk.

This is more than sufficient to run high-end software, and High Definition Video (which is why I upgraded), and I have noticed a huge performance boost, over my Windows XP Pentium 4 Dell machine, although that is like comparing a horse to an automobile.

If I chose to improve the video performance, I could get a much higher base score by investing in a high-end video card, but that's just the thing; I don't need to, unless I want to play high-performance video games. My system cost was in the middle three digits, by the way, and is practically future proof, except for not having USB 3.

Hardware Features include:

* 2 memory slots (fill with 2gb sticks for 4gb ram, and you'll be good to go)
* HD audio and sPDIF
* support for DDR3 1666 (I find that DDR3 1066 is sufficient)
* D-sub (VGA) - DVI - HDMI on motherboard
* 2 PCI-e (1 at 4x the other at 16x - supports crossfire); 2 PCI slots
* 6 SATA 3GB
* 128MB Shared ram for on-board video

Software:

Comes with an excellent overclocking and power saving suite (you might ask: is it wise to power save while overclocking? Answer: It works fine for me, with the stock BIOS.)

Comes with Norton Internet Security 2010 (OEM - 90 day subscription trial)

Get more detail about Gigabyte Micro ATX Motherboard GA-H55M-S2H.

Zalman CNPS9900LED Ultra Quiet CPU Cooler Decide Now


Although large and heavy, it runs several degrees C cooler than the heatsink/fan delivered with the Intel Quad Core CPU. Running Core Temp, all 4 cores run under 40 C where as the Intel factory provided system was running 44 and higher at idle temps and 65 C + under load, which is what prompted me to purchase a larger heatsink.

I rarely hear the fan spin up faster and never see temps over 45 C even while running gaming applications.


CON: It is large and may require a little caution when installing depending on how your power wiring in your PC is setup. I had to tie one power wire to the case to keep it from touching the heatsink. Also it's own power wire for the fan needs a little care when installing. It can be pulled to tight and interfere with the fan.

Install was simple but does require you remove the motherboard as there is a back plate you must install to support the weight. It does not use the horrible push pin locking system that the factory setup does.Get more detail about Zalman CNPS9900LED Ultra Quiet CPU Cooler.

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Gigabyte GA-P55M - UD2 Intel Core Micro ATX Motherboard Right now


Whether a high end board or middle of the road like this board, Gigabyte's quality always seems to outshine other brands. Board works great.Get more detail about Gigabyte GA-P55M - UD2 Intel Core Micro ATX Motherboard.

Lowest Price AMD Sempron 140, Socket AM3, 2.7 GHz, 1 MB Cache, 45 Watts, SDX140HBGQBOX


Since this was an used item this review won't carry much weight for a similar new product. Never-the-less, the reason I bought this CPU is that in spite of the fact that AMD says it is a single core "Sargas" processor, it is in reality a dual core "Regor" processor with one core disabled. If this chip is installed on a motherboard with an AMD SB710 (or SB750) southbridge that second core can usually be unlocked. In this case the unlocking was accomplished without a hitch or any instability in the processor, so now I have a 2.7GHz dual core processor for about half the price of the actual Athlon II x2 CPU. My Windows Experience Index went from a 4.1 to 5.5. The 4.1 was with the disabled core and was the CPU's rating. The 5.5 is with the second core unlocked, however 5.5 is the rating of my video card (the Index uses the lowest rating to set the index). My CPU rating is now 6.3 and is now capable of both multi-thread operation and running multi-programs at the same time. I have been told this chip will overclock to around 3.4GHz with no ill effects because the chip runs very cool in the first place (mine at 2.7GHz runs at about 28 degrees C [82.4 degrees F] and only pulls 65W TDP which is, compared to equal or lessor CPU's that pull 95W TDP, very low power consumption). Of course the Sempron chip [one core disabled] only pulls 45W TDP. Therefore, for the budget minded home builder, the Sempron 140 is a golden opportunity to get a high end CPU for a low budget price.Get more detail about AMD Sempron 140, Socket AM3, 2.7 GHz, 1 MB Cache, 45 Watts, SDX140HBGQBOX.

Saturday, October 9, 2010

Low Price CORSAIR XMS2 1GB PC2-6400 800MHz 240-pin DDR2 CL5 Dual Channel Desktop Memory - CM2X1024-6400


I ordered 8 GB's of this DDR2 RAM for a 64bit multimedia PC I was building solely for home entertainment. I have always been either a Corsair Fanboy or an OCZ Fanboy so when I saw this economy ram of Corsair brand for the price Amazon was running it for it made it a no brainer. Timings are tight on the system I installed into and of course Corsair always has no hassle if problems pop up. I have used alot of different RAM manufacturers over the years and I have received a bad stick of RAM from most. Dead sticks do happen unfortunately from time to time, however Corsair has always been fast, polite and accurate any time I've had to send back a dead stick in the past. They are one of the only companies I would ever think about buying an economy stick of ram from.Get more detail about CORSAIR XMS2 1GB PC2-6400 800MHz 240-pin DDR2 CL5 Dual Channel Desktop Memory - CM2X1024-6400.

Save Startech.com 400 Watt ATX12V 2.01 Dell PC Replacement Power Supply


As described, this does indeed fit the Dell Dimension 4300! We were a little nervous about that because of Dell's tendency to make little proprietary changes to components. Seems to be a study, well-made unit, comes with simple but fairly complete instructions. Although if you've never done this before, Google for more detailed instructions and make a sketch before you disconnect everything so you know where to reattach it all back. This was the first time we'd swapped out a PSU, and it went well.Get more detail about Startech.com 400 Watt ATX12V 2.01 Dell PC Replacement Power Supply.

Friday, October 8, 2010

Discount 22X DVD-R Pata Black Bulk


No problem with installation in the iMac, works great. But, the packing from Amazon was very poor, they just threw it in the box with no packing. In fact the box was half opened when it arrived. I was crossing me fingers that it would still work, after seeing the condition of the box. Not a good job, Amazon!!!! I would of given it five stars if the packing was better.Get more detail about 22X DVD-R Pata Black Bulk.

Cheapest SanDisk SDCFB-256-A10 256 MB CompactFlash Card (Retail Package)


I had used this product with a Minolta 414s since mid 2004.
Never failed. The 256 MB were enough for the 4 MB camera.Get more detail about SanDisk SDCFB-256-A10 256 MB CompactFlash Card (Retail Package).

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Buy Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer Refurbished


I like it. Sound difference was very good. When i purchased this, it was two times cheaper than new and it was worth buying. but since a new XtremeGamer is 65$, i would prefer buying a new one.Get more detail about Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer Refurbished.