http://www.viewpoints.com/Components Wed, 16 Jul 2008 00:09:05 GMT Reviews about Components http://www.viewpoints.com/ATI-HP-FIRE-GL-V7200-review-5a6e1 The ATI Fire GL V7200 video card from TigerDirect is a great buy, $189.  It run s BF2 much better than the Radeon 1650 I was running.  The real reason to use the card is for hign end CAD.  I need to run Solidworks and this card allows me to run at home without spending over $450! — The card was for an HP work station so you may need to remove the extra mounting arm.  I also recommend a power suply that can power the PCIe card directly. —... Wed, 16 Jul 2008 00:09:05 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/ATI-HP-FIRE-GL-V7200-review-5a6e1 Chris-66 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/Targus-Chill-Mat-PA248U-Laptop-Cooler-review-408b5 My laptop used to shut off due to overheating, plus my palms and fingers would get too hot...  However, I happenstanced on this product about a year ago and it's been one of the best investments!  It's paid for itself ten-fold. — I've recommended this product to many people and know they are happy to have a cooled off laptop while they work on projects, etc. — It's convenient, simple to use, lightweight, and totally affordable.  Get it at Target, it's less costly there - at Best Buy it was $40 more. — You will be happy with comfortable palms and fingers while doing your computer stuff. — I haven't had any issues with the power cord failing (yet).  My laptop is a widescreen for design work, however, even though it overlaps a little, the Cooler still works great. —... Tue, 08 Jul 2008 11:33:43 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Targus-Chill-Mat-PA248U-Laptop-Cooler-review-408b5 yinyang 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Best-Connectivity-1394a-USB2-Combo-PCI-Express-Card-review-94702 I have a fairly new Gateway computer that's really fast, perfect for a task like editing some videos that I've had laying around the house. However, the problem was that the camcorder I borrowed used a FireWire port (also known as iLink and IEEE1394) to feed video into the computer and my computer did not have a matching FireWire port. Therefore, I went to the neighborhood computer store and bought a Best Connectivity 1394a/USB2 Combo card for $45. — What it is — The Best Connectivity 1394a/USB2 Combo card fits into a PCI-Express slot in a standard PC-style computer. Your computer must have a PCI-Express slot to work with this card. The card has two FireWire and two USB ports on its back panel and one of each connector on the edge of the card, where they face the inside of the computer. (Take a look at the picture to the right to see what the card looks like.) The card consumes a single slot in the computer. — Installing it — I had two open... Fri, 30 May 2008 01:13:30 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Best-Connectivity-1394a-USB2-Combo-PCI-Express-Card-review-94702 bkovacs 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/Nvidia-320MB-Graphics-Card-review-b37d0 I got this card and fell in love with it the moment I started playing games with it. It runs Half-Life 2: Episode 2 on all high with a constant 60+ fps, although I only play it in 1024x768. If you are having performance troubles, upgrade your RAM and CPU, because this card can handle almost anything. The only game that makes this card work really hard and to the point that it slows down is really Crysis in DX10. It can get down to 20fps sometimes, which is kind of depressing but if you have an amazing computer, it should run Crysis no problem. In a nutshell, this is absolutely a card worth getting since it has the DX10 compatibility, so you can see all the latest effects in games. I would highly recommend this card to any gaming enthusiast or someone who wants to watch DVDs in HD on their... Wed, 21 May 2008 02:11:28 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Nvidia-320MB-Graphics-Card-review-b37d0 ganonscrub 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Powerline-140-watt-DC-to-AC-Power-Inverter-0900-78-140-Watt-Power-Supply-review-deb92 I need to occasionally run my laptop computer in the car and thought it would also be a good idea to be able to charge gizmos such as cell phones, MP3 players and a GPS unit. The obvious answer was to get a power inverter, which is a device that converts the car's 12-Volt DC power into standard household 120-Volt AC power. I tried a small inverter sold by Wal-Mart, but it was rated at 60 Watts and that just wasn't enough power to run my laptop computer. — — I therefore went back to Wal-Mart and found the Powerline 140-Watt power inverter, and it works much better. The unit costs about $32.50, which I think is a fair price for this device. — — What it is — — The Powerline 140-Watt inverter is a compact unit with a standard car power plug at one end and a three-prong household-style power receptacle at the other. The unit can pivot at the point where the slim power plug meets the bulk of the unit's body -- the pictures above show how this device is... Sun, 06 Apr 2008 22:05:37 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Powerline-140-watt-DC-to-AC-Power-Inverter-0900-78-140-Watt-Power-Supply-review-deb92 bkovacs 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/Targus-Chill-Mat-PA248U-Laptop-Cooler-review-20d31 You can count on this cheaply made chill mat breaking down after the warranty period.  It did it for me during, and later after, the warranty period.  In theory a good idea; but, made too cheaply to hold up in gentle use - imagine if you're rough with... Fri, 21 Mar 2008 00:47:22 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Targus-Chill-Mat-PA248U-Laptop-Cooler-review-20d31 edwardw35242 1 http://www.viewpoints.com/Sapphire-Radeon-HD-3870-X2-review-171d3 I recently purchased a Sapphire Radeon HD 3870 X2, and I'm extremely impressed. — It's a dual GPU video card, with 512MB of ram per core, for a total of 1 GB. — I got it at newegg.com for $429 and it's been a very worthwhile investment. If you're a big PC gamer, consider this card, you'll be very satisfied. —... Tue, 11 Mar 2008 12:36:47 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Sapphire-Radeon-HD-3870-X2-review-171d3 whitedragon33 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Antec-NoteBook-Cooler-review-d4b35 I bought this one 3-4 months ago. I was very happy with this product after getting it. It performs its job well. It cools the laptop base and my habbit is to keep my laptop always on my lap. It has silent operation and best this is that you don't loose your USB port as it provides one. It has 3 yeras warranty too. It has some place to keep the USB cord. But it is not so sturdy so its broken. Although that doesn't at all affect the performance. My main concern is now a days I feel like its not working fine. The port to connect the cord and the cooler is loose so always I have to keep on eye that its not loose. Even if its kept in the same position still it swtiches off. I ahve to call to coustomer care of it to see what is the problem or they are going to change the product or not. I recommend the product as it performs well its job but I am not sure about the durability of it.... Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:24:47 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Antec-NoteBook-Cooler-review-d4b35 Sontumuni 3 http://www.viewpoints.com/Linksys-802-11GB-Wireless-Adapter-review-45343 I purchased one of these wireless adaptors in 2006 and had no problems with it.  I purchased andother two for a new computer this year, 2008 and even after calling all of the tech systems no one was able to get it to work for me.  The sales person at Circuit City informed me, after I had made several trips, that I would not be able to use this or any other model number unless everything was erased from my computor.  I found this unacceptable.  It seems that the model that I had previously was an old model that they no longer carried and the new models were not that easy to... Wed, 05 Mar 2008 20:10:40 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Linksys-802-11GB-Wireless-Adapter-review-45343 coconut226 1 http://www.viewpoints.com/Antec-Sonata-SONATA-III-ATX-Mini-Tower-Case-review-4cc92 its a good solid case the power supply thing sucks but other than that if ur trying to geta case that looks cool and fit a mid grade computer into it its a good shot to do it with its not like the 900 where its specificly to gaming but its close enough for the average home user it suppotrs atx and btx boards with some modifying but hey if its a smaller comp go ahead if its bigger get the antec... Wed, 05 Mar 2008 16:41:28 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Antec-Sonata-SONATA-III-ATX-Mini-Tower-Case-review-4cc92 dragonsblood 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/eMachines-Desktop-PC2700-333-nonECC-DIMM-512-MB-DDR-RAM-EM-512MB-PC2700-D-AETACAAXY-review-7227   I purchased the E Machines T 2862 three years ago and just recently went to turn it on and nothing..........no power at all.  I have had one computer that lasted up to 10 years, so I am very disappointed in this particular model of E- Machine. —   Price was very reasonable, but lasting power was not good. —   I would not recommend this machine to anyone. —... Wed, 05 Mar 2008 14:28:53 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/eMachines-Desktop-PC2700-333-nonECC-DIMM-512-MB-DDR-RAM-EM-512MB-PC2700-D-AETACAAXY-review-7227 dlmack 3 http://www.viewpoints.com/Creative-Technology-Sound-Blaster-Live-24-bit-External-review-01b32     The Soundblaster series from E-Mu/Creative is no stranger to the PC world.  They are often affordable, and the prices-to-features ratio is usually accordingly...... until now.  The Live! 24-bit External USB is Dolby 5.1 Surround compatible.  With coax and s/pdif (for digital recording), and 1/8" analog jacks for microphones, headphones, and line in, it is a tremendous little powerhouse for the price of $49.99 USD. —     Alongside of the input/outputs is the SoundFont sound engine designed by Creative's parent company E-Mu, a significant developer in synthesizers since 1971.  As a songwriter, I can simply say this:  I am not disappointed, in the least.  The piano sounds are believable and the synth sounds are very flexible. — — Bravo, Creative!  Bravo! —     — —... Wed, 27 Feb 2008 02:31:59 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Creative-Technology-Sound-Blaster-Live-24-bit-External-review-01b32 louis805 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/ASUS-M2N-SLI-Deluxe-4719543137581-Motherboard-review-f7c52 I bought this board to build me a new computer because my other computer was getting a little outdated. I needed something that would support future CPUs and video cards. This board was very nice and has everything that you could need (firewire, plenty of USB, SATA connections, etc...). My install went nice and smooth. I would definitely buy this board... Wed, 20 Feb 2008 01:51:59 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/ASUS-M2N-SLI-Deluxe-4719543137581-Motherboard-review-f7c52 dtanderson 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/Intel-Dual-Core-Processer-2140-review-c288 this is a great processor for most users.  i have run photoshop, premiere, and  flash at the same time and they all worked smoothly.  it is not necessarily the strongest processor out there but for the budget conscious who want a good product for a good price, this is it.... Tue, 19 Feb 2008 22:55:05 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Intel-Dual-Core-Processer-2140-review-c288 gman27 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/Asrock-ConRoe1333-1394-review-84283 as a computer technician in a computer store that caters mostly to businesses and schools we need to build many computers and get them out fast, and on the other hand we also need reliable parts that wont cause problems if they have to come back. working with this board is a true pleasure, pretty much everything but the video card and the sound card are recognized by windows xp sp2, and those install smoothly and quickly. i have seen very few of these boards come back for service out of the many we build for customers. over all a great board for the home and or power user, but gamers might want a board with more pci-e... Tue, 19 Feb 2008 22:19:47 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Asrock-ConRoe1333-1394-review-84283 gman27 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Gigabyte-GA-MA69GM-S2H-Motherboard-review-60c10 I have nothing negative to say about this motherboard. It fit the scenerio that i was going to use it in perfectly. Compact MATX size fits in most home theater cases or small mid-towers. Great over clocking bios but does not offer voltage adjustment unless you install a special bios available on the net. No voltage adjustment means some memory sticks will run a little loose at lower 1.8 voltages. No way to boost voltage unless you load the special bios. This is a fast board by AMD standards and can handle all AM2 processors and with a bios update the new quad Phenoms. The built in AMD 690G graphics (ATI 1250) is just perfect for home theater. HDCP compliant allows you to play any DVD's at 720 or 1080. The sound is Azalia high def with up to 7.1. Four SATA ports are enough for most, and raid option is included. Now the best part is that you can add one PCI e 16 video card for some mid level gaming. The better the card the better your games will perform. Quality components are all... Sat, 09 Feb 2008 17:36:40 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Gigabyte-GA-MA69GM-S2H-Motherboard-review-60c10 blackmagic 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Cooler-Master-690-with-P-S-DHCM690550W-Micro-ATX-Case-review-00a41 Received my coolermaster 690 w/ 550 W power supply. Packaged nicely but abused by Fedex. Still no damage so the packaging was sufficient. This is a large mid tower with lots of room for everything. Will easily handle extra large motherboards and dual SLI video cards. You have a multitude of cooling options as there are 7 fan locations available. It comes with three 120 mm fans running at 1200 RPM which are very quiet. You cannot even hear them. One fan has blue leds which are not overwhelming. Air flow from the fans seems a little on the low side probably because of the punched out metal grills in front of each fan. I removed the grills with a dremel tool and the air flow increased. Also there are several enbossed plastic filters in front of some of the fans. Removing these will also increase airflow. The power supply is 550 W and is the latest model from coolermaster. It is 80% energy efficient, runs real quiet with a 120 mm fan, and produces its rated output and voltages. At... Sat, 09 Feb 2008 02:34:27 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Cooler-Master-690-with-P-S-DHCM690550W-Micro-ATX-Case-review-00a41 blackmagic 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Belkin-BS-2-Mouse-P56828-A-review-0f4f4 This mouse is designed for both right and left hand, I use both my right and left hand. — — This mouse is easy to get in and clean.  Mice can get gunky inside really fast.  Just unscrew the screw and the track ball, and remove whatever crud is yucking it up!  — — This mouse looks sleek & black!  It matches my silver and black PC.  A sharp change from the boring tan or off white I had been used to in the past. — — I like the fact that this product is compatible with both of my operating systems.  I use both Linux Dapper Drake 6.6 and Windows XP on a single hard drive.  Finding dual compatible hardware can be a challenge.  —... Tue, 22 Jan 2008 11:29:59 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Belkin-BS-2-Mouse-P56828-A-review-0f4f4 craftyzan101 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/SanDisk-SDDR-89-A15-Card-Reader-review-0c9c0 When I bought my laptop it had a slot for a memory stick but would not accept an SD card, in fact none of the laptops had them when I bought mine. So to solve this little problem I bought the Sandisk 12 in 1 USB Card Reader for $24 at Walmart. I am not a computer expert but I will try to explain how it works without using big fancy words...lol (Redneck speak) — — How it Works — — The 12 in 1 Sandisk actually only has 4 slots in the front of it, but will accept different cards in those 4 slots. Here is a list of the cards it will accept in it. The 12 in 1 Card Reader also comes with a stand so you can set it on your desk and not just laying around. I included pictures so you can see it better than the one that is at the top of this review. — — 1. CompactFlash® — 2. CompactFlash® II — 3. SD™ — 4. SDHC™ — 5. miniSD™ — 6. miniSDHC™ — 7. MultiMediaCard™ ... Sun, 06 Jan 2008 21:54:17 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/SanDisk-SDDR-89-A15-Card-Reader-review-0c9c0 kid-kansas 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Kingston-1GB-200-Pin-DDR2-SO-DIMM-DDR2-667-PC2-5300-Notebook-Memory-Retail-review-00a60 Not much of a search really.  A quick query of  google turned up several different brands of the memory.  Even the expensive memory was cheap.  But when I came across Kingston 1GB 200-Pin DDR2 SO-DIMM DDR2 667 (PC2 5300) Notebook Memory for only $28.95  I was struck dumb.  Customer reviews of this Kingston memory were really good.   During my search i foung 2 gig for nearly the same price after the rebate — Wasting no time at all I ordered two of these and with shipping the order came to just under $60.00.  Incredible! —... Sat, 29 Dec 2007 15:55:40 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Kingston-1GB-200-Pin-DDR2-SO-DIMM-DDR2-667-PC2-5300-Notebook-Memory-Retail-review-00a60 bcfdems4 3