Bren's stats
- Review count186
- Helpfulness votes1,641
- First reviewDecember 27, 2016
- Last reviewApril 10, 2024
- Featured reviews0
- Average rating4.8
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- Answer count11
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- First answerDecember 27, 2016
- Last answerNovember 4, 2021
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With TurboWrite technology, this Samsung 850 EVO MZ-75E500B 500GB internal SATA hard drive allows you to quickly update files. The 32-layer 3D VNAND flash memory ensures reliable performance, and AES 256-bit encryption keeps your data private.
Customer Rating
5
Perfect Addition to My MSI GS63VR
on January 28, 2017
Posted by: Bren
Verified Purchase:Yes
Installing a 5400RPM spindle speed hard drive in a 1500 dollar machine feels like a pretty shameful thing on MSI's part. I installed this and now I have an additional 500GB of high quality SSD on deck for videos, games, and pictures. One of the best things about this is that for my already sub 4 pound laptop, this lightweight SSD shaves a few more ounces off of the laptop's weight! As always, Samsung blows me away with the quality of their products!
My Best Buy number: 2839406718
My Best Buy number: 2839406718
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Razer Blade Laptop: Developed in partnership with Intel and NVIDIA, the Razer Blade delivers performance to run the most demanding games of today. Powered by an Intel Core i7 quad-core CPU, NVIDIA GeForce graphics processor and a 14" LED display, you'll be blown away by the immersive visuals of your games in crisp high definition 1080p.The Razer Blade features 6th Gen. Intel Core i7 quad-core processor. This ensures your games and media playback run with powerful processing performance anywhere, anytime.The Razer Blade features a high-performance NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 GPU. This means you play games the way they were meant to be played, with fluid frame rates and rich DirectX 12 graphics, and in VR.With NVIDIA Optimus technology, the Razer Blade combines great performance and great battery life by intelligently delivering power only when you need it, and conserving it when you don't.
Customer Rating
4
Super sexy and sleek laptop, wasn't for me.
on January 17, 2017
Posted by: Bren
Verified Purchase:Yes
This truly is an amazing computer. Gaming laptops in general have the penchant for being gaudy, over sized things with adolescent color schemes. Sadly very little of the market is currently being dedicated to professionals like myself who want a computer they can take to work meetings one point of the day and then play their games on later with high fidelity graphics. The Razer Blade 14, MSI GS63VR Stealth Pro, and some of the lower-end but clunky Dell and Asus laptops with 9 series Nvidia graphics card operate within this role the best.
In my opinion, the Razer Blade 14 is probably the sleekest and best looking gaming laptop on the market with the MSI GS63VR closely behind. It's appointments are tasteful and even the tri-snake logo of Razer doesn't look too flashy to detract from this. It is a beautiful laptop that is a perfect contender in the PC corner to compete with the form factor and build quality of the Macbook Pro. It strikes a nice balance between the 15" screen size and 13" screen sizes that are available on the more portable gaming laptops with its 14" screen. The audio on this laptop is absolutely incredible as well. When I first booted it up and the Windows theme music played, I actually twitched in surprise for a moment and glanced to see if my external speakers were plugged in. This thing boasts incredible audio that the MSI GS63VR, my current laptop, cannot hope to contest.
With these things in mind, you now know why I would recommend this laptop to a friend, but I will go into some of the subjective reasons I decided to return it in lieu of the MSI GS63VR Stealth Pro that I have now had for three weeks and completely adore.
1. The keyboard back lighting.
The chroma lighting is indeed beautiful. Having so many colors and patterns and being able to choose which keys are which color is awesome, but the major flaw is that the secondary key symbols and functions don't light up. Backlighting has a greater purpose than just looking cool, it is supposed to LIGHT the keys AND their secondary symbols that you likely will need to see in the dark when you are using the backlight, not a very novel concept. If I did a surveyed poll even among the most dedicated gamers and office typists, I guarantee only a very small fraction would have the key positions for !@#$%^&*()_+{}:"<>?| memorized. Having these visible to me when typing is crucial and is the number one reason why I returned the laptop. Maybe it isn't that big of a deal to some, but it is to me.
The chroma lighting is indeed beautiful. Having so many colors and patterns and being able to choose which keys are which color is awesome, but the major flaw is that the secondary key symbols and functions don't light up. Backlighting has a greater purpose than just looking cool, it is supposed to LIGHT the keys AND their secondary symbols that you likely will need to see in the dark when you are using the backlight, not a very novel concept. If I did a surveyed poll even among the most dedicated gamers and office typists, I guarantee only a very small fraction would have the key positions for !@#$%^&*()_+{}:"<>?| memorized. Having these visible to me when typing is crucial and is the number one reason why I returned the laptop. Maybe it isn't that big of a deal to some, but it is to me.
2. The price/memory options.
As a reminder, this is subjective, but I think the price Razer wants is just a tad overstretched for the product at hand. I think that the use of high quality PCle memory on an M2 hard drive is a great idea, but there are many people like me who would perhaps be willing to pay the same price while gaining double that space for an M2 memory option that is less costly. As often touted and praised as PCIe memory is, it isn't needed by everyone and many people would settle for slower---and by slower I mean still pants-sizzling fast SSD--- read and write speeds in exchange for a gain in space without paying the premium for top-of-the-line memory that just isn't necessary for everyone.
Note: For less than 30 dollars, you can get a 128GB Samsung or Sandisk USB 3.0 micro-flashdrive from Amazon that you can help to keep more memory at hand, at the sacrifice of an open and available USB slot on a laptop already slim on those. This would not be a viable solution for those frequently and simultaneously plugging in a USB mouse, USB microphones, External DVD drives, etc.
3. Non-user upgradable RAM.
This is more of a minor pet-peeve that applies to a smaller audience of individuals as 16GB of 2400Mhz RAM is going to knock the socks off of any typical user. However, most gaming laptops in this price range offer user upgradable RAM up to at least 32GB. With this laptop, the RAM is soddered on (likely as an act to save space) so what you get is what you get.
This is more of a minor pet-peeve that applies to a smaller audience of individuals as 16GB of 2400Mhz RAM is going to knock the socks off of any typical user. However, most gaming laptops in this price range offer user upgradable RAM up to at least 32GB. With this laptop, the RAM is soddered on (likely as an act to save space) so what you get is what you get.
4. The touchpad left and right click buttons.
This is a very minor complaint on my part, but I would like to see the future Razer Blade's phase these out. It makes the laptop look slightly less streamlined and it feels outdated. When I am paying this much money for a top-of-the-line gaming laptop, I want it to look the part of the latest and greatest in gaming laptop technology.
Overall, those are my main three complaints. These things may not be an issue for others, but I wanted to throw them out there just to give you some perspective. I still give this laptop 4 starts and a recommendation based on its form factor and build quality, audio, gaming ability, and overall sexiness, a word I will happily use in association with this laptop.
Mythbusting time:
Not really mythbusting per say, but just a couple of observations of other reviewers negative comments on other websites and this one that I would like to contest.
The first is the complaint about this laptops tenancy to retain and quite visibly reveal fingerprints and oil marks. This is a valid, but fairly insubstantial and inconsequential issue in the grand scheme of things. Dbrand makes incredible laptop skins custom made for this laptop that will solve that issue right away. On a 1800 dollar laptop, it seems petty to give it 1-3 stars based only on fingerprints.
The second is the fan noise. A small object traveling at high velocity will emit higher pitched sound then a large object traveling at the same velocity. This is a small laptop with small fans cooling an insanely powerful set of hardware, thus it will be louder and whiner than some. But think of this as a blessing that the engineers at Razer managed to squeezed this much gaming power into this small of a laptop, all with the convenience of not melting your crotch and motherboard through daily use. Pretty neat right? Use headphones if the fans bother you, but I didn't personally notice because the audio really is just that good on this laptops built in speakers.
I hope this review helps your purchasing decision, please feel free to comment on my post and ask questions. I will set the review to notify me so I can answer you promptly. Please like my review if you found it useful, good luck with your decision! My review as to why I chose the MSI GS63VR-001 Stealth Pro available at Best Buy will be up on that page soon too.
My Best Buy number: 2839406718
My Best Buy number: 2839406718
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Store music, photos, files and more with this WD My Passport Ultra 1TB portable hard drive, which features password protection and 256-bit AES encryption to safeguard your data. WD Backup software makes it easy to back up your data to the Cloud.
Customer Rating
5
Excellent USB 3.0 Portable HD.
on January 17, 2017
Posted by: Bren
Verified Purchase:Yes
This is a great portable hard drive. The USB 3.0 allows you to take advantage of such ports on your computer for quicker transfers and backups. The Seagate portable hard drives are known for giving Windows 10 error issues when trying to backup your computer onto it, so this was a better reputed option for that task.
My Best Buy number: 2839406718
My Best Buy number: 2839406718
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Create archives of your favorite media with ease using this LG Ultra Slim SP80NB60 external DVD±RW/CD-RW Drive, which offers up to 8x DVD±R write speeds. Jamless play skips damaged parts of the disc to ensure smooth, uninterrupted playback.
Customer Rating
5
Perfect for today's era of lightweight laptops!
on January 17, 2017
Posted by: Bren
Verified Purchase:Yes
This is exactly what I hoped it would be. It has allowed me install games and software onto my MSI GS63VR Stealth Pro no problem. When it can be bought on sale it is an excellent deal that I would otherwise forgo in lieu of something less expensive on Amazon.
My Best Buy number: 2839406718
My Best Buy number: 2839406718
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Step up to high-speed USB 3.0 and transfer your videos, photos and files up to ten times faster than standard USB 2.0 drives. SanDisk Ultra® USB 3.0 Flash Drive takes the wait out of moving, sharing or backing up big files—now you can transfer a full-length movie from your laptop to your flash drive in less than a minute. Password protection lets you keep your private files private, while still being able to share generously with family and friends. And, with a sleek, sturdy SanDisk Ultra USB 3.0 Flash Drive in your pocket, you won’t need an internet connection to access those photos and videos any place or any time you want. For more than 25 years, SanDisk has been known for quality and reliability all around the world.
Customer Rating
5
Excellent Flashdrive.
on January 15, 2017
Posted by: Bren
Verified Purchase:Yes
This is a great USB 3.0 flash drive. It is as fast as advertised and even has a bit of a rugged feel to it. The encryption software is nice for those transporting sensitive documents or the like on it. I've been buying memory devices from Sandisk for the past decade and I still have yet to be disappointed!
My Best Buy number: 2839406718
My Best Buy number: 2839406718
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Only at Best BuyPlay your way to the top with this HP OMEN notebook. The Intel Core i7 processor provides lightning-fast response times, and the 1TB hard drive is enough for all your favorite games and apps with room to spare for music and video files. This HP OMEN notebook has a full-size backlit keyboard for fast, easy typing.
Customer Rating
2
Loved it at first, but it became a bad Omen.
on December 27, 2016
Posted by: Bren
Verified Purchase:Yes
I am not going to spend this review complaining about the 2016 HP Omen's build quality or form like some others have. A gaming laptop at such a great price point had to be designed to be affordable in some areas and thus the plastic feel of the thing and a couple of its other quirks don't bother me. Alas, I am very sad about this laptop as there is one major quirk that is more than bothering me.
To cut to the chase before I go on about some of the more subjective issues I had with the laptop, the fan system does not appear to be reliable. The Best Buy geeks are bewildered by what could be the matter, but I have owned it less than a month in a clean environment and the fans are now whirling up with sever crunching and rubbing sounds during cold starts and gaming in my 70 degree-average temperature room. Websites I have visited have suggested that the tolerances could be off or there could be issues with dust, but none of that adds up when considering I have only had the laptop for one month. I am an average gamer (1-2 hours a day 3 to 5 days out of the week) and only use it for internet browsing and Microsoft Office applications otherwise.
It could just be that mine is a lemon, but if it weren't for the holiday return promise at Best Buy, I would be stuck with a thousand dollar laptop with fans failing after a month of use relying on sketchy warranties to cover it. Fans should be a lot more reliable than this considering this laptop line from HP is aimed at gamers. I had it suggested to me that I should exchange it for another one, but I am not going to.
On the subject of fans, this laptop's fans are loud and they are on way more than what would be necessary in a better designed laptop. When I say this I understand thermodynamics and the need for forced convection to enable the internal components to cool down and stay at safe temperatures, but these fans are seemingly always on, and it is aggravating. I am not a picky guy, I have owned laptops ranging in price from $300.00 to $1799.99 and I have almost always been content with the device for the duration of my ownership until my next upgrade. But this Omen intermittently runs the fans like it is trying to repel a swarm of homicidal wasps away from a group of frightened children when I am doing little more than some Word processing or internet browsing. I have owned other gaming laptops that are even smaller and they manage to keep the fans from interrupting your everyday tasks while still keeping your system cool. Some brands like Razer and MSI even have software that allows you to select fan settings to keep it quieter when the situation calls for it. I found no such settings for this laptop, but if there are settings available please comment as to how this is done for the sake of other potential and current HP Omen owners. I am no computer sleuth, but the excessive amount of time the fans have spent at max speed under normal use seems like it would be a contributing factor in their recent failure in my unit.
Aside from the fans, I found this to be a nice device for the price. I do my research before I buy new electronics and everything I read about this laptop made it seem like it would be just right for my purposes. There are a lot more people who have had great success with this laptop than there are who have not, so the decision to buy it is all your own. My concluding recommendation for this decision though is when you get this laptop pay VERY close attention to its quirks, sounds, personal feel to you, etc. Best Buy has a great return policy if you are within the time period allotted by your membership level and I urge you to follow your instincts and listen to your gut if you are feeling like this isn't the one. Also, know what the warranty covers and be prepared with your device's information, purchase info, etc. in the event that you should have to submit a claim. I hope this review helps, I don't like the useless complaining that a lot of reviews are composed of and I am genuinely trying to be helpful. Leave a comment if you have any questions or concerns and I will be happy to reply when I have time. Good luck finding the laptop for you!
My Best Buy number: 2839406718
My Best Buy number: 2839406718
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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The HP Smart Tank 7001 supertank printer makes printing seamless from start to finish for the whole family with a high-capacity refillable ink tank and wireless connectivity. Create outstanding-quality color documents at a low cost with up to two years of Original HP Ink included in the box.
Is it supported by Big Sur Op System? Does it work with airprint?
It does work with airprint! I am having no problems on my Apple MBP currently :)
2 years, 5 months ago
by
Bren
The Canon imageFORMULA R10 portable document scanner is simple to set up and easy to use, anywhere. Easily convert paper documents to searchable digital files, using the built-in software, to get and stay organized.
Does this product scan both sides of a document? Is this user friendly? Thank you
Yes, it does scan both sides of a document and a card! I found it to be extremely user friendly, I just had to be patient with the updates to the software and firmware upon first setting it up :)
2 years, 5 months ago
by
Bren
The Apex 5 gaming keyboard has hybrid mechanical switches that combine the smoothness of a membrane switch with the added durability, performance, and satisfying tactile click of a blue mechanical switch. It also has per-key RGB customization, OLED Smart Display, aluminum alloy frame, premium magnetic wrist rest, and more.
Can the key caps be switched out with other key caps
Yes! They are compatible with most Cherry MX keycaps! From Steelseries' Blog post on the hybrid mechanical switches, "Like a blue switch, it registers a keypress with a click at 2mm, bottoms out at 4mm, and requires 50cn of force to press. Because it is a mechanical switch, you can even put aftermarket keycaps on them"
4 years, 1 month ago
by
Bren
The PRO headset from Logitech G is designed with and for esports pros. Aluminum forks, steel headband, and memory foam and premium leatherette head and ear pads keep you comfortable through marathon training and competition sessions. Pro-G 50mm drivers deliver incredibly accurate audio with improved bass response. The advanced USB DAC has a five-band onboard EQ that can be programmed via G HUB software with settings from your favorite esports pros. Pro-tuned, detachable boom mic with wind screen and pop filter ensures your comms are crystal clear. Designed for PC.
do these work for ps4?
Yes, the cable will plug into your PS4 controller and be good to go for use for audio and microphone use, no problem!
4 years, 9 months ago
by
Bren
With its Bluetooth interface, this Logitech MX Anywhere 2 910-004373 wireless mouse enables you to pair with up to 3 Bluetooth Smart Ready devices simultaneously. Darkfield Laser Tracking technology allows operation on most surfaces, including glass.
Does this product work for gaming?
Extremely well, depending on your needs. I use it for battlefield 1 and Doom and I love it. The programable buttons work awesome. For RPGs you may want a mouse that has more programable buttons, depending on your style :) If that is the case, I recommend the one's below:
Products from my answer
Razer - Naga Epic Chroma Wireless MMO Gaming Mouse - Black
(315)
Razer - Naga Hex V2 Wired Laser Gaming Mouse with Chroma Lighting - Black
(188)
Razer - Naga Chroma USB MMO Gaming Mouse - Black
(903)7 years, 1 month ago
by
Bren
Razer Blade Laptop: Developed in partnership with Intel and NVIDIA, the Razer Blade delivers performance to run the most demanding games of today. Powered by an Intel Core i7 quad-core CPU, NVIDIA GeForce graphics processor and a 14" LED display, you'll be blown away by the immersive visuals of your games in crisp high definition 1080p.The Razer Blade features 6th Gen. Intel Core i7 quad-core processor. This ensures your games and media playback run with powerful processing performance anywhere, anytime.The Razer Blade features a high-performance NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 GPU. This means you play games the way they were meant to be played, with fluid frame rates and rich DirectX 12 graphics, and in VR.With NVIDIA Optimus technology, the Razer Blade combines great performance and great battery life by intelligently delivering power only when you need it, and conserving it when you don't.
Is this with QHD or Full HD?
Razer Blade Laptop: Developed in partnership with Intel and NVIDIA, the Razer Blade delivers performance to run the most demanding games of today. Powered by an Intel Core i7 quad-core CPU, NVIDIA GeForce graphics processor and a 14" LED display, you'll be blown away by the immersive visuals of your games in crisp high definition 1080p.The Razer Blade features 6th Gen. Intel Core i7 quad-core processor. This ensures your games and media playback run with powerful processing performance anywhere, anytime.The Razer Blade features a high-performance NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 GPU. This means you play games the way they were meant to be played, with fluid frame rates and rich DirectX 12 graphics, and in VR.With NVIDIA Optimus technology, the Razer Blade combines great performance and great battery life by intelligently delivering power only when you need it, and conserving it when you don't.
is this the newest one razer blade?
Only at Best BuyPlay your way to the top with this HP OMEN notebook. The Intel Core i7 processor provides lightning-fast response times, and the 1TB hard drive is enough for all your favorite games and apps with room to spare for music and video files. This HP OMEN notebook has a full-size backlit keyboard for fast, easy typing.
How long does the battery last and can the ram be upgrade
Battery has averaged 2.5 to 3 hours under normal use and 1 hour or so with gaming (as should be expected in any gaming laptop, really). The RAM can be upgraded given you are patient and careful when you unscrew and pry open the back. 8GB of 2133Mhz RAM is what it has stock in one of the two available slots.
7 years, 4 months ago
by
Bren
Only at Best BuyPlay your way to the top with this HP OMEN notebook. The Intel Core i7 processor provides lightning-fast response times, and the 1TB hard drive is enough for all your favorite games and apps with room to spare for music and video files. This HP OMEN notebook has a full-size backlit keyboard for fast, easy typing.
will programs be installed on the ssd before the hdd
Yes, they will be. By default to allow quick bootup and accessing times. You can select the 1TB "D" drive though when you are downloading. I keep all of my games on the 1TB drive and it has worked perfectly.
7 years, 4 months ago
by
Bren
Only at Best BuyPlay your way to the top with this HP OMEN notebook. The Intel Core i7 processor provides lightning-fast response times, and the 1TB hard drive is enough for all your favorite games and apps with room to spare for music and video files. This HP OMEN notebook has a full-size backlit keyboard for fast, easy typing.