Tech Bargain Thread: Post Your Deals Here!
- Thread starter SeoulSoxFan
- Start date
Newegg Shell Shocker JUST TODAY Will probably sell out early:
Crucial MX100 128 Gb SSD $65 (no rebates or other crap)
http://www.newegg.com/special/shellshocker.aspx?nm_mc=EMC-IGNEFL091214&cm_mmc=EMC-IGNEFL091214-_-EMC-091214-Index-_-MECH-_-ShellShocker-LB2B
Quality first tier brand, Marvell controler, 7 mm size (will fit all slim laptops) at a price you generally see for sales on the 2nd tier brands (PNY, etc).
Amazon wants $78 today for this.
Crucial MX100 128 Gb SSD $65 (no rebates or other crap)
http://www.newegg.com/special/shellshocker.aspx?nm_mc=EMC-IGNEFL091214&cm_mmc=EMC-IGNEFL091214-_-EMC-091214-Index-_-MECH-_-ShellShocker-LB2B
Quality first tier brand, Marvell controler, 7 mm size (will fit all slim laptops) at a price you generally see for sales on the 2nd tier brands (PNY, etc).
Amazon wants $78 today for this.
Newegg 24 and 48 hr deals:
http://promotions.newegg.com/neemail/guerrilla/LP/14-SEP/index-Exvp63u_15.html?nm_mc=EMC-GD091514&cm_mmc=EMC-GD091514-_-index-_-Header-_-SeeAll&et_cid=11181&et_rid=213639
The 2 outstanding are both SSD deals:
Samsung 840 EVO 1 Tb SSD with promo code $390
is atm the cheapest full Tb drive in case you want this much fast storage. 7mm, will fit any laptop, the cheapest I've ever seen any 1 Tb SSD, let alone a quality one. ONLY TODAY
til 9/16:
OCZ VTX460 240 Gb SSD with promo code $105
This is the new OCZ, a Toshiba Company: uses top of the line Toshiba memory, Barefoot controller is a custom development of Toshiba & Marvell, also excellent. Also 7mm can fit anywhere.
http://promotions.newegg.com/neemail/guerrilla/LP/14-SEP/index-Exvp63u_15.html?nm_mc=EMC-GD091514&cm_mmc=EMC-GD091514-_-index-_-Header-_-SeeAll&et_cid=11181&et_rid=213639
The 2 outstanding are both SSD deals:
Samsung 840 EVO 1 Tb SSD with promo code $390
is atm the cheapest full Tb drive in case you want this much fast storage. 7mm, will fit any laptop, the cheapest I've ever seen any 1 Tb SSD, let alone a quality one. ONLY TODAY
til 9/16:
OCZ VTX460 240 Gb SSD with promo code $105
This is the new OCZ, a Toshiba Company: uses top of the line Toshiba memory, Barefoot controller is a custom development of Toshiba & Marvell, also excellent. Also 7mm can fit anywhere.
RAID sucks ass anyways. 9 times out of 10 if a controller goes you're stuck holding the proverbial schlong. I'd rather deal with duplicating data hundreds of times than dealing with a single raid failure.
We have a monitoring solution that we put on client servers and PCs. Atleast half of the messages from the servers are stupid RAID telling us stuff. RAID batteries seemingly go faster than dollar store AAA batteries
We have a monitoring solution that we put on client servers and PCs. Atleast half of the messages from the servers are stupid RAID telling us stuff. RAID batteries seemingly go faster than dollar store AAA batteries
Acer Veriton VX2631-UR12 small formfactor desktop $400 + shipping (no rebates or other games)
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-Details.asp?EdpNo=9085256&
A perfectly credible small desktop:
i5-4440 quad core cpu (3.1 Ghz)
4 GB ram (2 slots, one free you can add 4 or 8 gb more)
500 Gb 7200 rpm HD
CD/DVD burner
Smartcard reader
DVI & VGA video out
Gig ethernet
2 Front panel USB 3 and 4 USB 2 ports
keyboard & mouse
Win 7 x64 Home Premium
It actually has a single pci-e 16x expansion slot but with only a 200w proprietary size power supply, only low end video cards that don't require an added power connect can really be used.
No room to add hard drives. basically as a 'use it as it is' generic desktop...it's got everything you really want in a small box. Everywhere else this is running c. $475.
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-Details.asp?EdpNo=9085256&
A perfectly credible small desktop:
i5-4440 quad core cpu (3.1 Ghz)
4 GB ram (2 slots, one free you can add 4 or 8 gb more)
500 Gb 7200 rpm HD
CD/DVD burner
Smartcard reader
DVI & VGA video out
Gig ethernet
2 Front panel USB 3 and 4 USB 2 ports
keyboard & mouse
Win 7 x64 Home Premium
It actually has a single pci-e 16x expansion slot but with only a 200w proprietary size power supply, only low end video cards that don't require an added power connect can really be used.
No room to add hard drives. basically as a 'use it as it is' generic desktop...it's got everything you really want in a small box. Everywhere else this is running c. $475.
Thanks, I think I might grab this. What's the best thing going out there for a 24" or 27" monitor?Couperin47 said:
Will just be using for casual home use - browsing, Microsoft Office products, etc. No gaming, watching video, etc.
DukeSox said:
Tiger Direct was offering a $15 off $100 purchase coupon this month. See if you can use it on that PC.
Related to another thread - Best Buy has the SB6141 modem on sale for $68.99 (instead of leasing from Time Warner / etc)
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/motorola-surfboard-docsis-3-0-high-speed-cable-modem/7534146.p?ref=195&loc=be50db3caedf482e9802049deb79a9d7&id=1218849840013&skuId=7534146&st=sb6141&cp=1&lp=1
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/motorola-surfboard-docsis-3-0-high-speed-cable-modem/7534146.p?ref=195&loc=be50db3caedf482e9802049deb79a9d7&id=1218849840013&skuId=7534146&st=sb6141&cp=1&lp=1
DukeSox said:
Wow talk about a loaded question...'best'
General guidelines: There are a gazillion 23" 16:9 format TN monitors, Something is always on sale for $130 or less, I never bother even trying to keep track of what's currently on sale.
With this desktop your output is limited to DVI single link, that means monitors with Displayport don't matter, except for future use, also no thoughts of 27 " 2560x1044 or other super high resolutions as these require Displayport or DVI Dual Link output. I happen to prefer the usually better color rendition, wider viewing angles and other advantages of IPS screens...yes there is a downside of some "IPS glow" present on all of them. 24" brings you the option of 16:10 vs. 16:9 ratios (1920x1200 vs 1920x1080). At 27" you have the same choices and 16:9 looks impossibly wide and narrow to me, but ymmv.
Give us a price range ? You can do a 23" 16:9 IPS monitor as cheap as $140-150. 24" 16:10 IPS can be done right now for as little as $225. Special needs ? Will running in portrait mode ever matter ? Will you spend a large proportion of time looking at mostly text ?? Do you need a good stand (very stable, height adjustments and tilt versatility or is a basic stand OK...want VESA mount option) ?
Couperin47 said:
Thanks - this is cool. You're right - price ranges on the 23" or so screens seems pretty rational. Didn't go into it with a price range because I have no idea what these things cost...no special needs, no running in portrait mode - YES to the large proportion of time looking mostly at text. Basic stand works.
I measured my work computer screen - it's 27". I'd like to replicate that, it seems 27" screens have a wider price delta. The main thing is I want something that will display text clearly and sharply. I doubt any monitors these days suck and are fuzzy, given I read some reviews what should I be able to snipe a decent 27" for on a deal?
edit 1: Looks like low $200s on newegg right now http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100007617%20600030628%20600030620%20600030652%20600030631&IsNodeId=1
edit 2: can that computer linked above run either of these monitors?:
$179 Gateway KX2703 27" LCD Monitor - 1920 x 1080, 16:9, LED Backlit, DVI/VGA - UM.HW3AA.003
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=8870106&CatId=3774
$199 AOC 27" Class LED Backlit Monitor - 1920 x 1080, 16:9, 20000000:1 Dynamic, 2ms, HDMI, VGA, Energy Star - E2752SHE
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=8183608&CatId=5469
$229 Acer H276HL bmid 27" Class IPS Monitor - 1920 x 1080 Full HD, Speakers, HDMI / DVI / VGA, Built-In - UM.HH6AA.001
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=8870111&CatId=3774
DukeSox said:
You can run anything up to 1920x1200 with single link . Gateway is generally bottom end stuff these days, I'd be wary.
The AOC, you should be aware is a glossy screen, this will accentuate reflections from lighting...generally only gamers prefer a really gloss screen and they mostly operate in dark or totally unlit rooms.
Tiger's reviews are generally more censored and by folks who are not sophisticated enough to even explain what they dislike... see the Newegg reviews on this monitor for it's real issues here
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824160168
The Acer is also a gloss screen, see the Newegg reviews here: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824009590
For extended text viewing most people prefer a matte screen.
This Acer is IPS, matte screen, has VESA mount option and is $195 til 9/18 with decent reviews (well except for it's speakers and all monitor speakers are a joke...)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824009654
DukeSox said:
Whatever you get, for all your monitors Use the Windows Help files, run the Cleartype Text Tuner on all your machines to get really clear focused text, it makes a big difference, it's included with Win 7 and 8.
The aforementioned Motorola Surfboard SB6141 is on sale at Best Buy for $68.99 with free shipping.
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/motorola-surfboard-docsis-3-0-high-speed-cable-modem/7534146.p?ref=195&loc=d1953872dc6c45a89f2402745b2c534f&id=1218849840013&skuId=7534146&st=sb6141&cp=1&lp=1
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/motorola-surfboard-docsis-3-0-high-speed-cable-modem/7534146.p?ref=195&loc=d1953872dc6c45a89f2402745b2c534f&id=1218849840013&skuId=7534146&st=sb6141&cp=1&lp=1
DukeSox said:
You realize throughout history how many men wound up with the clap after they said this ?
Newegg promo code sale thru 9/22:
http://promotions.newegg.com/NEemail/Sep-0-2014/AllStar-16/index-landing.html?nm_mc=EMC-IGNEFL091614&cm_mmc=EMC-IGNEFL091614-_-EMC-091614-Index-_-E0-_-PromoWord&et_cid=11226&et_rid=213639
Notable stuff:
Asus RT-N66U N900 router after $30 rebate= $100
This is about the best N900 router out there, usually at least $130 , can be reconfigured to use open source software.
WD Blue 1 Tb 7200 rpm HD $50
Webroot SecureAnywhere Complete 5 devices $10
One of my 2 favorites, plays well with any other major security software for layered protection, for Windows, Mac, Android and iOS phones.
Canon MF4890dw Multifunction laser printer $150
One of the best, wireless connect version
Xigmatek 120mm fans 2 packs of 2 fans (4 total) $10
High quality fluid bearing 1400 rpm fans, for when you want to quiet your whole system, at $2.50/fan this deal can't be beat. Note, mounting makes use as exhaust easy, as intake...not so much.
http://promotions.newegg.com/NEemail/Sep-0-2014/AllStar-16/index-landing.html?nm_mc=EMC-IGNEFL091614&cm_mmc=EMC-IGNEFL091614-_-EMC-091614-Index-_-E0-_-PromoWord&et_cid=11226&et_rid=213639
Notable stuff:
Asus RT-N66U N900 router after $30 rebate= $100
This is about the best N900 router out there, usually at least $130 , can be reconfigured to use open source software.
WD Blue 1 Tb 7200 rpm HD $50
Webroot SecureAnywhere Complete 5 devices $10
One of my 2 favorites, plays well with any other major security software for layered protection, for Windows, Mac, Android and iOS phones.
Canon MF4890dw Multifunction laser printer $150
One of the best, wireless connect version
Xigmatek 120mm fans 2 packs of 2 fans (4 total) $10
High quality fluid bearing 1400 rpm fans, for when you want to quiet your whole system, at $2.50/fan this deal can't be beat. Note, mounting makes use as exhaust easy, as intake...not so much.
Monbo Jumbo said:
If you order it before 9/22 you can get a free extra battery and charging cradle from LG.
http://www.lg.com/us/mobile-phones/g3/promotions
Newegg Shell Shocker TODAY ONLY
Acer G7 G237HLbi 23" IPS monitor $115 free ship
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824009627
Lowest price 23" IPS monitor I've ever seen.
HDMI and VGA.. that's all (use a DVI to HDMI cable if you need), external ps, no VESA mount, minimal stand and glossy screen, so this is as bare bones as it gets.
OTOH, the reviews of the screen itself are OK.
Acer G7 G237HLbi 23" IPS monitor $115 free ship
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824009627
Lowest price 23" IPS monitor I've ever seen.
HDMI and VGA.. that's all (use a DVI to HDMI cable if you need), external ps, no VESA mount, minimal stand and glossy screen, so this is as bare bones as it gets.
OTOH, the reviews of the screen itself are OK.
Canon MF4880dw multifunction B&W laser with CANON30 promo code = $120 free ship til 9/20
http://www.rakuten.com/prod/canon-imageclass-mf4880dw-black-white-laser-multifunction/238756652.html?scid=em_Promotional_20140916DAILY&adid=17653
Minor differences from 4890 at Newegg up above, even better sale.
http://www.rakuten.com/prod/canon-imageclass-mf4880dw-black-white-laser-multifunction/238756652.html?scid=em_Promotional_20140916DAILY&adid=17653
Minor differences from 4890 at Newegg up above, even better sale.
Newegg sales & promo codes til 9/24
Featuring some decent laptop deals:
http://promotions.newegg.com/NEemail/Sep-0-2014/NotebookSpotlightSummersEnd_18/index-landing.html?nm_mc=EMC-IGNEFL091814&cm_mmc=EMC-IGNEFL091814-_-EMC-091814-Index-_-E0-_-PromoWord&et_cid=11282&et_rid=213639
Notable deals:
Lenovo G50 i7 15.6" laptop $600
This i7 is underclocked at 2.0 Ghz, but with 8 Gig ram and a 1 Tb HD, one of the cheapest i7 laptops you'll find.
Lenovo Thinkpad E540 laptop $580
15.6 ", i5-4200M (2.5 Ghz), 4 Gig ram, 500 Gig HD, DVD burner, HDMI video out, Win 7 x64 Pro (upgradable to 8), the sweetspot Thinkpad E with room for an M.2 2242 SSD to really speed it up.
HP Probook 15.6" laptop 6570b $490
i5-3320 (2.6 Ghz), 4 Gig ram, 320 Gb HD, DVD burner, Win 7 x64 Pro but a few things you'd expect are missing: no webcam and only video out is vga.
TODAY ONLY 9/18 !!
Samsung 840 EVO 500 Gb SSD with promo code $210
Lowest price ever for a quality half Tb SSD
WD Black 3 Tb 7200 rpm HD with promo code $150 Only til 9/19
Fast, 5 yr warranty, the best short of legit enterprise drives.
ASUS RT-N10P N150 wifi router with promo code and $10 rebate = $15
About the cheapest router that can actually be reprogrammed to use open source firmware (DD-WRT or Tomato)
ESET NOD32 AV with promo code $15
One of my favorite antivirus, small footprint, fast, plays well with others for layered support, the single sub can actually be used on 5 separate machines.
Featuring some decent laptop deals:
http://promotions.newegg.com/NEemail/Sep-0-2014/NotebookSpotlightSummersEnd_18/index-landing.html?nm_mc=EMC-IGNEFL091814&cm_mmc=EMC-IGNEFL091814-_-EMC-091814-Index-_-E0-_-PromoWord&et_cid=11282&et_rid=213639
Notable deals:
Lenovo G50 i7 15.6" laptop $600
This i7 is underclocked at 2.0 Ghz, but with 8 Gig ram and a 1 Tb HD, one of the cheapest i7 laptops you'll find.
Lenovo Thinkpad E540 laptop $580
15.6 ", i5-4200M (2.5 Ghz), 4 Gig ram, 500 Gig HD, DVD burner, HDMI video out, Win 7 x64 Pro (upgradable to 8), the sweetspot Thinkpad E with room for an M.2 2242 SSD to really speed it up.
HP Probook 15.6" laptop 6570b $490
i5-3320 (2.6 Ghz), 4 Gig ram, 320 Gb HD, DVD burner, Win 7 x64 Pro but a few things you'd expect are missing: no webcam and only video out is vga.
TODAY ONLY 9/18 !!
Samsung 840 EVO 500 Gb SSD with promo code $210
Lowest price ever for a quality half Tb SSD
WD Black 3 Tb 7200 rpm HD with promo code $150 Only til 9/19
Fast, 5 yr warranty, the best short of legit enterprise drives.
ASUS RT-N10P N150 wifi router with promo code and $10 rebate = $15
About the cheapest router that can actually be reprogrammed to use open source firmware (DD-WRT or Tomato)
ESET NOD32 AV with promo code $15
One of my favorite antivirus, small footprint, fast, plays well with others for layered support, the single sub can actually be used on 5 separate machines.
Newegg Oktoberfest promo code deals good until 9/25
http://promotions.newegg.com/NEemail/Sep-0-2014/Oktoberfest19/index-landing.html?nm_mc=EMC-IGNEFL091914&cm_mmc=EMC-IGNEFL091914-_-EMC-091914-Index-_-E0-_-PromoWord&et_cid=11304&et_rid=2267858
Notable deals:
Asus VX238H 23" monitor with promo code $140 - $20 rebate = $120
This one is for gamers, TN screen, supposedly 1 ms response, dual HDMI inputs only and includes a DVI to HDMI cable. BUT: way too much feedback of bad pixels and Asus is enforcing their 'no return unless there are more than 5 bad pixels and we don't care where they are' on this one...so they are definitely using Grade B panels in this model. Also no VESA mount so not great for multiple setups. Only consider this if you're feeling lucky...
LiteOn External USB 2.0 DVD ROM drive $10
This is a Read Only DVD/CD drive for your ultrabook or tablet. The good/bad news is it powers via the USB port, this means no separate wall wart to lug around, but some devices especially running via battery power will not be able to power the drive.
http://promotions.newegg.com/NEemail/Sep-0-2014/Oktoberfest19/index-landing.html?nm_mc=EMC-IGNEFL091914&cm_mmc=EMC-IGNEFL091914-_-EMC-091914-Index-_-E0-_-PromoWord&et_cid=11304&et_rid=2267858
Notable deals:
Asus VX238H 23" monitor with promo code $140 - $20 rebate = $120
This one is for gamers, TN screen, supposedly 1 ms response, dual HDMI inputs only and includes a DVI to HDMI cable. BUT: way too much feedback of bad pixels and Asus is enforcing their 'no return unless there are more than 5 bad pixels and we don't care where they are' on this one...so they are definitely using Grade B panels in this model. Also no VESA mount so not great for multiple setups. Only consider this if you're feeling lucky...
LiteOn External USB 2.0 DVD ROM drive $10
This is a Read Only DVD/CD drive for your ultrabook or tablet. The good/bad news is it powers via the USB port, this means no separate wall wart to lug around, but some devices especially running via battery power will not be able to power the drive.
No idea how long this sale will last:
Monoprice 8" Powered Studio Monitors (pair) $200 with free ship
http://www.monoprice.com/Product?c_id=115&cp_id=11504&cs_id=1150401&p_id=605800&seq=1
Normally $255, our own Sumner recently heard these and was blown away. Each speaker is bi-amped, takes XLR balanced and 1/4inch balanced & unbalanced inputs. Mated with a powered subwoofer, you can even run a complete system with just a preamp and tuner. Considering you're getting 4 quality amps (40w tweeter & 80w woofer), this is almost stupidly inexpensive for quality sound.
Monoprice 8" Powered Studio Monitors (pair) $200 with free ship
http://www.monoprice.com/Product?c_id=115&cp_id=11504&cs_id=1150401&p_id=605800&seq=1
Normally $255, our own Sumner recently heard these and was blown away. Each speaker is bi-amped, takes XLR balanced and 1/4inch balanced & unbalanced inputs. Mated with a powered subwoofer, you can even run a complete system with just a preamp and tuner. Considering you're getting 4 quality amps (40w tweeter & 80w woofer), this is almost stupidly inexpensive for quality sound.
Til 9/23
Newegg & Rakuten keep topping each other and we are the beneficiaries:
A few days ago, for one day Newegg had the Samsung 840 EVO 1 Tb SSD for $390, now Rakuten beats them, with promo code SAMSUNG55, they have it for $375 free ship.
http://www.rakuten.com/prod/samsung-840-evo-mz-7te1t0bw-1tb-2-5-sata-internal-solid-state-drive/252289754.html?scid=em_Promotional_20140919Dedicated&adid=17916
Rakuten also has similar promo codes on many other Samsung SSD drives thru 9/23.
Newegg & Rakuten keep topping each other and we are the beneficiaries:
A few days ago, for one day Newegg had the Samsung 840 EVO 1 Tb SSD for $390, now Rakuten beats them, with promo code SAMSUNG55, they have it for $375 free ship.
http://www.rakuten.com/prod/samsung-840-evo-mz-7te1t0bw-1tb-2-5-sata-internal-solid-state-drive/252289754.html?scid=em_Promotional_20140919Dedicated&adid=17916
Rakuten also has similar promo codes on many other Samsung SSD drives thru 9/23.
Couperin47 said:
Any advice on an external CD/DVD burner that can overburn regular blanks as well as burn 90 minute CD-Rs? Ideally one that could also do LiteScribe? I've been using a Plextor for about 8 years with no problems but need a second one.
Related question, as far as I can tell, the internal Matsushita Superdrive in my Macbook Pro 2011 doesn't support burning 90 minute CDs (and doesn't really like overburning either, though I manage sometimes with Nero via Windows), is it possible to replace an internal Mac Superdrive with a different internal drive that supports these functions?
Couperin47 said:
That really is an incredible drive for the price. If people are signed up with shopping sites like Fatwallet, you can also get 1.75% cashback on Rakuten electronics purchases by linking to the retailer through their link.
P.S. it's worth noting that Rakuten has ocassionally had issues with credit card fraud....lots of reports of people who did a Rakuten transaction would later find other purchases on their credit card from god knows where, so they had to file claims with their credit card companies. I think the problem may no longer be an issue, but still might be prudent to do Rakuten transactions with paypal.
The_Powa_of_Seiji_Ozawa said:
1. I've never heard of any laptop internal optical drive that was generic enough to allow replacement with any other drive, even a different model by the same manufacturer. which leads us to your main issue:
2. Optical drive 'development' ended years ago, mostly what is still being made is fixated on reducing costs. As you're well aware, there are no 'high end' models like the real Plextors of yesteryear. The reason really older drives are not suitable these days is that most do not have appropriate writing strategies for the bulk of the currently available media. Internal laptop drives were never sophisticated when it came to this and I've never seen a laptop internal that did decent overburning. Virtually all external burners on the market now are based on these same minimal drive and electronics. The only strategy I see is a dedicated external USB 3.0 5.25 enclosure like this:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827993013
and then see if you can find any remaining current half height drives that support all these functions. Once upon a time there was a site CD Freaks which had active forums on all makes of drive, incredibly detailed reviews of all media and firmware upgrades and hacks to tune drives for extreme burning. The site has morphed into something smaller and far less active here:
http://club.myce.com/
Some of the rooms in there are still your best bet for info on what drives can perform the way you'd like.
Lenovo Outlet has been dead for 2 weeks with almost no product.. til this morning:
Thinkpad E540 BRAND NEW $476 free ship
i5-4200M (2.5 Ghz) & Intel 4600 graphics
15.6 1366x768 screen
4 Gb ram
500 Gb 7200 rpm HD
DVD burner
b/g/n wifi & BT
fingerprint reader
will take an M.2 2242 SSD (128 Gig is available for $80 everywhere) which can be made the boot drive.
http://outlet.lenovo.com/outlet_us/itemdetails/20C6008SUS/445
They have 44 @ 11 AM but going fast. There's zero difference between their refurbs and brand new, but in this case they ARE brand new.
EDIT: and, 15 mins later they are all gone... the great bargains disappear there...fast.
Thinkpad E540 BRAND NEW $476 free ship
i5-4200M (2.5 Ghz) & Intel 4600 graphics
15.6 1366x768 screen
4 Gb ram
500 Gb 7200 rpm HD
DVD burner
b/g/n wifi & BT
fingerprint reader
will take an M.2 2242 SSD (128 Gig is available for $80 everywhere) which can be made the boot drive.
http://outlet.lenovo.com/outlet_us/itemdetails/20C6008SUS/445
They have 44 @ 11 AM but going fast. There's zero difference between their refurbs and brand new, but in this case they ARE brand new.
EDIT: and, 15 mins later they are all gone... the great bargains disappear there...fast.
Samsung 4TB external USB drive for $119.99 at Neweggflash with free shipping.
Comes with a 3-year warranty. Amazon charges $149 for this same unit.
Comes with a 3-year warranty. Amazon charges $149 for this same unit.
Harry Hooper said:
Interesting, Samsung is now Seagate's lowest price brand, first time I recall their externals having a 3 yr warranty, which is as good as it gets for external drives. It's also amusing that even the formal data sheets completely omit the actual speed of the drive... of course WD has been doing the same thing with their 'Intellipower' bs, which implies variable speed (in fact they are all either 5400 or 5600 rpm drives)
WD not releasing the info is BS, but I find the "intellipower" WD Greens preferable over faster drives for some applications. For a lot of bulk storage or home media serving purposes, they're fast enough and are cooler and quieter than faster-spinning drives. And they do draw somewhat less power, though I think the real-life impact of that is a little overstated.Couperin47 said:
Now, I wouldn't want to run applications or databases on them, but that's what SSDs are for, right?
SumnerH said:
Harry Hooper said:
Well, looking further, the reviews of this drive at Newegg are...not encouraging http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152420. The drive inside is a...surprise... Seagate 5900 rpm. The included software seems very restricted and buggy. The case seems really flimsy and that seems to lead to serious mechanical/electrical flakiness of the mini USB 3.0 port. Finally, even when it does connect and stay connected... it's very slow. Other than those issues... it's a hell of a bargain....
My preference for WD/HGST/Toshiba family products remains intact (and I also find the WD Green Intellipower drives fine in practice, I just dislike the marketing BS and the fact that they started the trend to completely obfuscate the 2nd most important spec after the size of a drive).
I've been running 3TB and 4TB versions of this purchased in the last 9 months. I have had zero issues with them as external drives to date, though I don't use any of the included software.
Edit: I don't understand the "flimsy case" comment in the review at all.
Edit: I don't understand the "flimsy case" comment in the review at all.
I will say that as a Linux user I have zero interest in included software since I don't use it. Anecdotally I've had more Seagate failures than WD, but I still buy both to stay diverse and limit the chance of multiple failures at the same time. The usb WD externals are easier to crack open if you want to switch the drive to be an internal drive.
My son just got his license and he will be driving our 2004 Jeep Liberty. He wants to be able to listen to the music on his I phone 5 instead of the car radio. I got this from offer from newegg today. Patazon Black Hands-free Car Kit Charger MP3 Player Bluetooth FM Transmitter Support USB Disk/SD/TF with 3.5mm Jack for iPhone 5 5S 5C 4S iPad 4 3 2 iPod MP3 MP4 Smartphones
It seems like it would fit his needs but there are no reviews on the product yet. Will this be a good option for him? Is it any good?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA1PU1N64221&nm_mc=EMCPB-092014&cm_mmc=EMCPB-092014-_-PB-_-Item-_-9SIA1PU1N64221&et_cid=11376&et_rid=9674659
It seems like it would fit his needs but there are no reviews on the product yet. Will this be a good option for him? Is it any good?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA1PU1N64221&nm_mc=EMCPB-092014&cm_mmc=EMCPB-092014-_-PB-_-Item-_-9SIA1PU1N64221&et_cid=11376&et_rid=9674659
Thanks for that info. We are in Northern NJ so the FM transmitter is out.jayhoz said:
There is not a 3.5 aux jack and the icelink that Nip suggested appears to have been discontinued. The Jeep has a cassette player and a CD player, so would this Monster cassette adapter be a good option?
http://www.amazon.com/Monster-iCarPlay-Cassette-Adapter-iPhone/dp/B002DW92IE/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top
leftfieldlegacy said:
Cassette adapters are kind of a crapshoot, too. I tried one in my car and was unable to get it to work. I ended up just replacing the stereo - cost $60 to get one with an aux jack off amazon and was fairly easy to install.
http://www.amazon.com/Kenwood-KDC-152-In-Dash-MP3-Receiver/dp/B006KKS7XQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1411391202&sr=8-1&keywords=kenwood+car+stereo
The cassette will probably work. If you do get something with an aux jack you can plug the iPhone straight in or go with a bluetooth setup like this one.
http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-Hands-Free-Bluetooth-BlackBerry-Smartphones/dp/B004CLYJ2I
http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-Hands-Free-Bluetooth-BlackBerry-Smartphones/dp/B004CLYJ2I
There is nothing special in today's Newegg sales but I'd like to mention one:
They have the Lenovo Thinkpad E545 new, for $395. This appears to be pretty much identical to the E540 that I find the sweetspot laptop for business use. The main difference is it sports an AMD A6-5350M at 2.90 Ghz instead of an i5-4200M at 2.5 Ghz. I ignore everything with AMD cpus and here's why:
http://cpuboss.com/cpus/Intel-Core-i5-4200M-vs-AMD-A6-5350M
The ratings at the top of this comparison show the i5 is superior, but they are in the ballpark... now scroll down to the 'real world' benchmarks...
GeekBench 32 bit 5,636 vs 2,273
GeekBench 64 bit 5,965 vs 2,273
3D Mark 3,882.5 vs 1,649
Passmark 4,135 vs 1,962
Passmark (1 core) 1,683 vs 1,232
That's anywhere from 50% to over 100% better. AMD based laptops tend to be cheaper, but not nearly cheap enough considering the performance, besides who in 2014
wants a laptop with basically the same perfomance of good laptops 3-4 years ago ?
These days, when it comes to AMD CPUs.. just say no.
They have the Lenovo Thinkpad E545 new, for $395. This appears to be pretty much identical to the E540 that I find the sweetspot laptop for business use. The main difference is it sports an AMD A6-5350M at 2.90 Ghz instead of an i5-4200M at 2.5 Ghz. I ignore everything with AMD cpus and here's why:
http://cpuboss.com/cpus/Intel-Core-i5-4200M-vs-AMD-A6-5350M
The ratings at the top of this comparison show the i5 is superior, but they are in the ballpark... now scroll down to the 'real world' benchmarks...
GeekBench 32 bit 5,636 vs 2,273
GeekBench 64 bit 5,965 vs 2,273
3D Mark 3,882.5 vs 1,649
Passmark 4,135 vs 1,962
Passmark (1 core) 1,683 vs 1,232
That's anywhere from 50% to over 100% better. AMD based laptops tend to be cheaper, but not nearly cheap enough considering the performance, besides who in 2014
wants a laptop with basically the same perfomance of good laptops 3-4 years ago ?
These days, when it comes to AMD CPUs.. just say no.
Bongorific said:
Really dating myself: once upon a time Intel released the Celeron 300 which any fool could overclock almost 60% and everyone bought them. Then there was almost a decade where AMD cpus were competitive and it's all I used. Jerry Saunders (the AMD CEO back then) dreamed of the day he could charge as much for a cpu as Intel could. But Intel was just toying with them, whenever it wanted it had a generation ahead of features they could introduce any time... and then they did. In desperation, AMD did 2 things: they sold off their fabs and sold control of the company to, literally, sheiks in Araby. It saved them, but also guaranteed that, without control of their own fabs, they would never have real long term control of new tech. These days Intel quite deliberately has slowed development and leaves them some niches where it doesn't compete... it's not even a secret: Intel needs AMD to stay alive or their antitrust issues explode, but they will never have the resources again to really be competitive.
Any thoughts on this 256 GB crucial SSD for $99.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148820&Tpk=N82E16820148820
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148820&Tpk=N82E16820148820
The mx100 is a fine product. It's my boot device on my new machine, reviews were solid and I'm happy with it. That seems like a pretty good deal on it to me, unless prices have shifted dramatically in the last 45 days.jayhoz said:
Maybe true a decade ago, but the landscape has changed a ton since AMD vs Intel. Intel doesn't even account for a simple majority of CPUs sold, let alone enough to have monopoly control over the market. ARM's been eating them for lunch for the most part, though the Atom is finally showing signs of getting an Intel toehold in the mobile market.Couperin47 said:
Couperin47 said:
Two more things AMD did (that proved helpful) - they bought ATi and now have one of the top two (if not the top) offering for the graphics space. Likely because of this, they were able to get their embedded/miniserver CPU into the eighth-gen consoles. AMD is in more systems now than ever, mainly because of Radeon, so I that's a small victory.