Intel DX58SO Extreme Series X58 ATX Triple-channel DDR3 16GB SLI or CrossFireX LGA1366 Overclocking Utility Desktop Board - Retail Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)First off their is no IDE or PS/2 connections so be ready for that. After I got everything in my computer put together and ready to go I went to plug in my keyboard and it was usb only. So just find yourself an a adapter or get yourself a new keyboard. The price of DDR3 is cheap so its not so much a big deal to invest in. There is one PCI slot and now with the newer BIOS update its SLI compatible which is great since when I read the description it says that its only Crossfire ready. If you want to go with something beyond two way SLI than you may want to go with the EVGA model which has more DIMM slots as well. I was going to go with EVGA but my new case would not allow it and I don't have the budget for three cards. I like the way the board is situated with DIMM slots running vertical and looks like everything is closer to the processor than on other boards I have seen. I guess when everything is moving at light speed a smallest measurement closer makes a difference on a motherboard. Install is a cinch just make sure you take your time and don't rush and make a stupid mistake. I have found that in my experience I mess up on stupid things instead of something big. Overclocking has been a little more simplified on this board which is what you should probably do if you invest in these boards. Overall this board has everything that I need with lots of SATA and USB ports and its super fast with my i7 920 along with my 6 Gigs of Corsair Dominator DDR3. All I can say is I can't wait to get my hands into some overclocking when I get the free time. Keep in mind only 64 bit Vista will see anything above about 3 and a half gigs so if you don't want 64 than just be ready not to see what you put in. One minor issue is the setup of the PCI Express slots since I have an 8800 GTS (one of the fatties) and a Creative X-Fi sound card it doesn't leave room for another 8800 GTS without me having to remove my sound card. Its not that big of an issue though since I plan on getting a smaller newer card anyways. Though if you have a fat card like me and something in the PCI slot and want to run SLI you might run into trouble so that is worth noting in my mind. Is this board worth it though I would have to say absolutely yes.
According to Intel sticking in a fourth stick will cause a degrade in performance so since most ram that's DDR3 come in three packs its not so much a big deal. Also when it first came on and I entered BIOS everything was recognized but I could not get the thing to boot my ROM drive and it would just sit there with a black screen and then it would ask me to select cd drive type 1 or 2. After about three hours or so it all of a sudden worked after I selected 1 it booted finally and everything was installed (operating system). The next problem was it would not restart and as soon as my computer would go off and come on again it would be a black screen going nowhere. Then I remembered update your BIOS dummy and I read all the notes and a lot of issues I had was fixed in the BIOS update including my restart problem. There was an issue also with my type of ROM drive not booting when put first in priority and that is the issue I had with trying to get it to boot to install my operating system. Now everything runs perfect and I could not be happier. The reason I put all this in my review was it did not go as smooth as I thought it would and someone else might have problems. If you do have issues just drop me a comment and maybe I can help you out just from what I had to do.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Intel DX58SO Extreme Series X58 ATX Triple-channel DDR3 16GB SLI or CrossFireX LGA1366 Overclocking Utility Desktop Board - Retail

Intel DX58SO LGA1366/Intel X58/DDR3-1333/CrossFire/A&GbE/ATX Motherboard, Retail

Get 20% OFF

Click here for more information about Intel DX58SO Extreme Series X58 ATX Triple-channel DDR3 16GB SLI or CrossFireX LGA1366 Overclocking Utility Desktop Board - Retail

Read More...

Asus Rampage II GENE Core i7 / Intel X58/ DDR3/ CrossFireX & SLI/ A&2GbE/ MATX Motherboard Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I've had the Asus Maximus & Asus P5Q Deluxe and I have to say that Rampage Gene ii is the miles ahead of these two when it comes to overclocking and rock solid performance. I've been using now for a 1 month with OCZ Tri-Channel 1840MHz ram-- not once has my system crashed and I leave it on all day and night. It's great. I've been OC'ing my I7 chip at 3GHz and ram at 1600MHz 7-7-7-20 non stop. Not one hic-up. Plus you get more room in your case. I love it!!!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Asus Rampage II GENE Core i7 / Intel X58/ DDR3/ CrossFireX & SLI/ A&2GbE/ MATX Motherboard

Click here for more information about Asus Rampage II GENE Core i7 / Intel X58/ DDR3/ CrossFireX & SLI/ A&2GbE/ MATX Motherboard

Read More...

Corsair CA-HS1NA Gaming Audio Series HS1 USB Gaming Headset Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I've worked in studios and have demo'd TONS of audio gear over the years. I know what a good DAC (Digita-Analogue Converter) sounds like, and I know what a crappy one sounds like. Music is probably the hardest source material to be objective about when it comes to the listening experience -- everyone has their opinion, but almost nobody but studio rats really "get it" in terms of true flat response. Do these have perfect response? No. It's just not hyped sound -- there's no built in "smiley face" EQ or any nonsense coloring the sound. Well, actually, there is, but it's made to flatten the output as well as it can -- and it does. People complain about "harsh highs" listening to music with this headset...THEIR SOURCE MATERIAL IS LOW QUALITY! Of COURSE an over-compressed MP3 file is going to sound TERRIBLE on any halfway decent DAC. Throw in a good recording of something recently done on a CD or something of equal quality (nice M4A at 256kbps or equivalent) and you're golden.
That's just music. I mention this first because that was my ONLY CONCERN buying this unit. I read review after review of "harsh highs" and "not enough bass" which makes me sick. The bass is there, it's just instead of anything past 500hz was normally smeared all down the spectrum making it indiscernible from the rest of the noise your noggin was bogged down with all these years.
The problem I have with this headset is all that dolby headphone simulation stuff sounds HORRID. Any time you turn it on its like it takes the beautiful bits sound and turns them into bigger, less precise blocks of noise. Yes, it DOES sound like its in a bigger room, or directionally correct based on how you set it, it just sounds horrible. Leave it on 5.1 or 7.1 surround with none of those buttons turned on and it sounds GREAT! Even for stereo source material -- it just processes it better. Another thing you definitely want to do is go into your sound settings and set it to 24 bit audio 96khz output -- the converter is actually decent at these rates.
The mic does a decent job of filtering out noises without putting a hard and fast reducer algorithm so it still sounds natural, and you can hear noise in the room, its just lower. You can set that to 16bit 48khz, as well.
Theres TONS of volume on this thing -- just keep it at a reasonable level and it'll treat you right. Use the mixer on windows 7 to your advantage. Set the output on the programs (itunes, skype, video games) to max (or close to it) and mix the sound in using the control panel -- definitely the way to go.
I could go on (as you can tell), but suffice it to say, this is worth at least double the price in terms of usefulness, it doesn't seem like it will ever break, the audio is WONDERFUL (but you won't be used to its precision if you've never taken audio seriously before).
To the reviewer who said this was not for audio purists, I submit it ONLY suitable to audio purists, and to those not afraid to venture deeper into the audio world for extracurricular activities.
This is a great one-stop-shop for a laptop audio solution.
Windows 7 64bit, btw.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Corsair CA-HS1NA Gaming Audio Series HS1 USB Gaming Headset

The Gaming Audio Series HS1 USB Gaming Headset is designed for gamers who are serious about audio. Massive 50mm drivers deliver serious gaming punch, without sacrificing the sparkling sound quality you need to enjoy music and movies.Dolby Headphone surround sound gives you a competitive edge, and the noise-cancelling microphone ensures that your teammates and opponents hear you loud and clear. Extra-large earcups and fabric covered memory foam earpads provide a firm fit and excellent noise isolation without binding or pinching, so you'll keep your cool and keep your head in the game for hours of playtime.The extra-large inline volume and microphone controller is easy to grab when things get fast, and the HS1 is designed and crafted with high-quality materials for years of use.

Get 30% OFF

Click here for more information about Corsair CA-HS1NA Gaming Audio Series HS1 USB Gaming Headset

Read More...