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Scott W.

Scott W.

Joined on 12/23/08

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Product Reviews
product reviews
  • 20
Most Favorable Review

Excellent motherboard, great features!

GIGABYTE GA-EX58-UD3R LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard
GIGABYTE GA-EX58-UD3R LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard

Pros: - Lots of features available both in the BIOS and via software - Lots of USB ports - Great price - Overclocking is very easy (I've bumped my 920 mildly up to 3 GHz, but it can easily go further) - I've had no issues with it after 2 months of solid use so far (*knock on wood*)

Cons: No eSATA The sideways configuration of the SATA ports makes it difficult to add/remove cables once the computer is all built. If you have a large GPU (like mine), it will cover up the ports, making it even more difficult. I had to end up taking my GTX 260 out just in order to add another HDD in my computer.

Overall Review: I'm very glad I purchased this board. It is an excellent buy for the money and has features that generally are available on more expensive motherboards. If you're looking for a great X58 board that doesn't cost a fortune, this is it. Comp Specs: Core i7 920, GTX 260 Core 216 Superclocked, Gigabyte X58-UD3R Mobo, 3 GB DDR3 RAM, 640GB + 750GB WD HDDs, Corsair 650TX PSU, Antec 300, S-Flex Scythe fans

Most Critical Review

Avoid this card

ENCORE ENLWI-G(2) Wireless Adapter IEEE 802.11b/g TPCI Standard Universal Add-in card Compliant with PCI 2.0 Up to 54Mbps Wireless Data Rates
ENCORE ENLWI-G(2) Wireless Adapter IEEE 802.11b/g TPCI Standard Universal Add-in card Compliant with PCI 2.0 Up to 54Mbps Wireless Data Rates

Pros: - Inexpensive - Easy to install (although all PCI cards generally are) - It works (mostly)

Cons: Using the drivers provided, the card would connect to networks, but wouldn't send data packets (I still have been unable to figure out why), rendering the card useless. ONLY with the latest driver from their website could I connect and send/receive data. The driver found by Windows 7 has the same problem as mentioned above - use the driver from their website. Range is pretty bad - I generally get 2 bars while my laptop gets 4-5. Connection speed is very sporadic. It will constantly jump around anywhere from 1 Mb/s to 54 Mb/s, but rarely stay on anything high; it usually stays in the lower numbers. Card sometimes "hiccups" and doesn't do anything for a few seconds.

Overall Review: It's worth it to spend 10 bucks to get a different card. If you want to game, or even browse the web without having to pause every few seconds while the card thinks about whether or not it should complete your request, get a different wireless card. I picked up a wireless-N USB drive that was a shell shocker deal last week or so and it works much better than this card. Comp Specs: Core i7 920, GTX 260 Core 216 Superclocked, Gigabyte X58-UD3R Mobo, 3 GB DDR3 RAM, 640GB + 750GB WD HDDs, Corsair 650TX PSU, Antec 300, S-Flex Scythe fans

Patriot Xporter XT Boost 16GB Flash Drive (USB 2.0 Portable) PEF16GUSB
Patriot Xporter XT Boost 16GB Flash Drive (USB 2.0 Portable) PEF16GUSB

Pros: - Resistant to shocks and water (although I wouldn't want to test the latter). - 16 GB is a lot - Good price

Cons: Didn't come with a lanyard. That was strange because the 8 GB Xporter drive I purchased did.

Overall Review: Excellent high-capacity, robust USB drive.

Good for cameras

Kingston 4GB Secure Digital High-Capacity (SDHC) Flash Card Model SD4/4GB
Kingston 4GB Secure Digital High-Capacity (SDHC) Flash Card Model SD4/4GB

Pros: Purchased two of these - one for my camera and one for my mom's. Both have performed well so far and have had no issues.

Cons: Doesn't do my dishes?

Overall Review: This is a great SD card for the price. Recommend this for camera use.

Excellent USB drive for carrying around every day!

Patriot Xporter XT Boost 8GB Flash Drive (USB 2.0 Portable) PEF8GUSB
Patriot Xporter XT Boost 8GB Flash Drive (USB 2.0 Portable) PEF8GUSB

Pros: Robust, large capacity, great price. I carry my USB drive with me in my backpack every day to and from classes and even though I'm not always gentle with my backpack, it still works.

Cons: A little large, but that is to be expected with a product that claims to be robust.

Overall Review: If you are looking for a reliable USB drive to take with you everywhere, consider this drive. Its rubber casing protects against impact and the elements, keeping your data safe. I highly recommend this product for people on the go.

Comfortable keyboard + mouse combo!

Logitech Wave Pro Desktop Black USB 2.4 GHz Wireless  Keyboard & Mouse Combo
Logitech Wave Pro Desktop Black USB 2.4 GHz Wireless Keyboard & Mouse Combo

Pros: - Keyboard is comfortable to type on. My wrists used to hurt when typing on cheap "flat" keyboards, but this one is much better - I have relatively large hands and the mouse is comfortable for me to use - Forward and backwards buttons on mouse are nice - When the USB receiver is close (see Cons), I have no issues gaming with this combo set - Ability to charge the mouse through USB is very nice

Cons: - Unless the USB receiver is on the desk, I get lag. Having the receiver tucked away under my desk does not work - After 10 months of use, the scroll wheel on the mouse no longer "clicks", so I can only "hyper scroll". This is pretty much useless and I'm going to have to replace the mouse

Overall Review: For the price, I have been very happy with this keyboard and mouse. Comfort was a big issue for me, and this fit the bill well. Unfortunately the mouse did not last as long as I had hoped, but for the year that I had it I was very satisfied. The keyboard has had no issues so far and I expect it to last even longer.