optimummind's stats
- Review count147
- Helpfulness votes4,811
- First reviewJune 28, 2014
- Last reviewApril 28, 2024
- Featured reviews0
- Average rating4.7
Reviews comments
- Review comment count0
- Helpfulness votes0
- First review commentNone
- Last review commentNone
- Featured review comments0
Questions
- Question count0
- Helpfulness votes0
- First questionNone
- Last questionNone
- Featured questions0
- Answer count23
- Helpfulness votes25
- First answerAugust 30, 2017
- Last answerMarch 4, 2021
- Featured answers0
- Best answers3
When it comes to gaming performance, the slightest disadvantage can be the difference between winning and losing a match. With a 165Hz refresh rate, lightning fast 1ms (GTG) response time and full adaptive G-Sync compatability and FreeSync Premium support, you can be sure that the Odyssey G50A won’t let you down on the battlefield.
Posted by: optimummind
from Orange, CA
_____
*Pros:
-Super simple and easy to assemble.
-Height, tilt, swivel, and pivot adjustable.
-165 Hz refresh rate & 1ms (GTG) response time make gaming buttery smooth and pleasant.
-Supports both G-Sync & FreeSync Premium.
-The 400-nit HDR400 is bright and color dynamics and saturation levels are satisfactory.
-The joystick button for monitor settings is fast and responsive, tactile, and easy to use.
_____
*Cons:
-The lower-left corner’s light bleed and bloom effect is distracting during dark scenes in movies and gaming.
*Pros:
-Super simple and easy to assemble.
-Height, tilt, swivel, and pivot adjustable.
-165 Hz refresh rate & 1ms (GTG) response time make gaming buttery smooth and pleasant.
-Supports both G-Sync & FreeSync Premium.
-The 400-nit HDR400 is bright and color dynamics and saturation levels are satisfactory.
-The joystick button for monitor settings is fast and responsive, tactile, and easy to use.
_____
*Cons:
-The lower-left corner’s light bleed and bloom effect is distracting during dark scenes in movies and gaming.
The Samsung Odyssey G5 27” IPS gaming monitor is my first experience with a G-Sync and FreeSync Premium-capable display and I’m very satisfied and happy with it for the most part.
I liked how easy and fast it was to assemble and put together. It’s almost 100% tool-free as you only need a Phillips screwdriver for one screw. Everything else can be snapped together with your bare hands. Once set up, the stand keeps the monitor nicely balanced and stable, even during tilting, swiveling, and turning the monitor into a vertical position.
When it comes to build quality and materials, the fit and finish were great but its mostly plastic construction was nothing to write home about. It doesn’t look and feel cheap but it doesn’t feel premium either.
Underneath the bottom center of the bezel, there is a joystick-like control button, and it was intuitive to use and responsive to my finger movements. Switching among the different menu options was fast and non-laggy.
When I connected the display to my MSI gaming PC with an AMD 6700XT GPU via the DisplayPort, Windows 11 automatically set it up for 165 Hz refresh rate and correctly identified it as a 408-nit HDR-capable display.
I’m still playing through God of War and the game looked gorgeous on the Samsung Odyssey G50A. The game looked great in HDR with pleasing color saturation levels and a good separation between dark and bright spots in the game world. FreeSync augmented my experience with buttery-smooth and tear-free framerates.
The G50A is good for productivity and web browsing as well but my display wasn’t calibrated very well out of the box. To improve it, I followed an online guide to calibrate the display and I was happier afterward.
Now for some slight negatives. For one, the blacks aren’t very black and actually dark gray. This is normal, however, for IPS displays and I’m already used to it, so it doesn’t bother me at all. The second issue, however, does bother me a bit and it has to do with the light bleed on the lower-left corner of the display. Watching dark scenes in movies and games can be a bit distracting and kind of throws you out of the immersion.
Now for some slight negatives. For one, the blacks aren’t very black and actually dark gray. This is normal, however, for IPS displays and I’m already used to it, so it doesn’t bother me at all. The second issue, however, does bother me a bit and it has to do with the light bleed on the lower-left corner of the display. Watching dark scenes in movies and games can be a bit distracting and kind of throws you out of the immersion.
With all the said, I’m quite content and happy with the Odyssey G50A as it improves my gaming experience, and its wide display makes multi-tasking very easy and convenient. I give it a solid 4.5 stars rating and I feel comfortable recommending it to friends and family.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Ease of Use
5
Quality
4
Value
5
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Desk life getting you down? Lift yourself up with Lift Vertical Ergonomic Mouse – a comfy and intuitive wireless mouse with quiet clicks crafted specially for small-to-medium hands. Available in right and left. Lift’s unique 57-degree angle elevates your wrist to give a feeling of relief — and sends a wave of comfort through the forearm and upper body. Scrolling feels second nature with SmartWheel, which easily shifts from precision to speed-scroll. Customize Lift ergo mouse using intuitive Logi Options+ Software.
Posted by: optimummind
from Orange, CA
_____
Pros:
-Very ergonomic and comfortable in-hand feel.
-Very quiet left and right mouse buttons.
-Guides smoothly over my mousepad and doesn’t snag.
-Can connect up to three different PC’s.
-Easy to connect and start using right away.
_____
*Cons:
Pros:
-Very ergonomic and comfortable in-hand feel.
-Very quiet left and right mouse buttons.
-Guides smoothly over my mousepad and doesn’t snag.
-Can connect up to three different PC’s.
-Easy to connect and start using right away.
_____
*Cons:
-None
I ordered the Logitech Lift Vertical mouse because my mouse hand and arm were killing me at work. My company recently rolled out a new software update for an app that I use every day and it’s very buggy right now, causing focusing issues that requires me to either Alt-Tab or left-click to regain control of the app. All the extra clicks have taken a severe toll on my wrist and upper arm, and I’ve been suffering for the past three weeks. I bike almost daily and even such a fun recreation has become a mildly painful experience.
Immediately upon connecting the Lift to my work laptop, I felt instant relief on my wrist and arm to my very pleasant surprise. I still want my company to fix the software but, in the meanwhile, thanks to the Lift, my wrist and upper arm won’t become sore and painful.
Apparently, Logitech had released vertical mice before, but they were deemed kind of large for most people’s hands, hence the release of the smaller Lift that better accommodates people with small and medium-sized hands (me). I’m so grateful the company did so because it’s been a day and night difference for me at work.
The Lift is so comfortable, I even began to use it with my personal laptop. There is a PC pairing button underneath the mouse that you can press on to toggle among three different PCs. To activate pairing mode, all you have to do is press and hold the button until the LED light begins to flash rapidly. Then you go into Settings and search for the Lift and click on Connect. To switch between different PCs later, you just single-press the button. Easy peasy.
I like to set the middle mouse button to launch a custom keyboard shortcut (e.g., CTRL+W), and the Logi Options+ beta app allowed me to do that. If you have used the Logitech Options app before, then the Options+ software will feel very familiar to you and easy to use.
At $69.99 (as of 2022-05-04), the mouse isn’t in the cheap spectrum. But if you use a mouse heavily every day as part of your work, you NEED to get it for the comfort and health benefits it offers. It’s a complete 5-Star Win! I love it.
At $69.99 (as of 2022-05-04), the mouse isn’t in the cheap spectrum. But if you use a mouse heavily every day as part of your work, you NEED to get it for the comfort and health benefits it offers. It’s a complete 5-Star Win! I love it.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Design
5
Ease of Use
5
Quality
5
Value
5
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9of 9voted this as helpful.
The Level is our flagship commuter ebike, stylish silently with both levels of endurance and a ride-ability you can trust day in day out. The front suspension fork provides ultimate comfort whilst riding across any surface and the incorporated fenders protect you and your outfit no matter what the conditions are like outside. A preinstalled rack ensures that no matter how much gear you have, you can take it all with you on your Level Commuter ebike. The beauty of this great combination of accessories is that this ebike is as well suited to transporting all the items for an offsite meeting as it is to transporting all the goodies for a family picnic in the park!
Customer Rating
5
Quality e-bike that's fun and fast.
on January 28, 2022
Posted by: optimummind
from Orange, CA
Age:35-44
Gender:Male
=== Summary ===
The Aventon Level ebike knocks it out of the park and delivers a triple-homerun with its high-quality build materials and good looks, comfortable and performant ride quality, and great range from its 672 Wh lithium-ion battery. Despite its 62-lb weight, the Level is easy to ride and live with. It makes for an excellent cruiser and commuter.
_____
*Pros:
*Pros:
-Attractive frame design with beautiful welds, meticulous paint job, & neat cable management.
-Built-in frame battery with no unsightly and awkward-looking hump.
-Large, clear, backlit LCD display that is plug-and-play & upgradeable.
-Comes standard with a metal bike rack and fenders.
-Hydraulic disc brakes with 180mm rotors.
-The 75mm-travel suspension fork has both a lock-out and preload settings & smoothly handles bumps and uneven roads.
-The Shimano Acera rear derailleur and Rapid Fire 8-spd shifter jive well together and results in crisp and predictable shifting.
-The tires are low-rolling resistance, making it easy to pick up and maintain speed.
-It rides and turns like a normal bike.
-Climbs hills very well.
-The hydraulic brakes are quiet, powerful, and stop the bike fast.
-High-speed stability is excellent with no nervous wobble or lean.
-Top pedal-assist speed can be unlocked to 32MPH.
-Throttle-on-demand is a convenient and welcome feature.
-Snap-on plugs on the wiring make repairs & replacements easy (brake lever, LCD screen).
-Thanks to smart cable management, the rear wheel is easy to take off for tube changes & flat repairs.
-There are seven Aventon dealers close to my home for support.
_____
*Neutral:
-Built-in frame battery with no unsightly and awkward-looking hump.
-Large, clear, backlit LCD display that is plug-and-play & upgradeable.
-Comes standard with a metal bike rack and fenders.
-Hydraulic disc brakes with 180mm rotors.
-The 75mm-travel suspension fork has both a lock-out and preload settings & smoothly handles bumps and uneven roads.
-The Shimano Acera rear derailleur and Rapid Fire 8-spd shifter jive well together and results in crisp and predictable shifting.
-The tires are low-rolling resistance, making it easy to pick up and maintain speed.
-It rides and turns like a normal bike.
-Climbs hills very well.
-The hydraulic brakes are quiet, powerful, and stop the bike fast.
-High-speed stability is excellent with no nervous wobble or lean.
-Top pedal-assist speed can be unlocked to 32MPH.
-Throttle-on-demand is a convenient and welcome feature.
-Snap-on plugs on the wiring make repairs & replacements easy (brake lever, LCD screen).
-Thanks to smart cable management, the rear wheel is easy to take off for tube changes & flat repairs.
-There are seven Aventon dealers close to my home for support.
_____
*Neutral:
-Doesn't come with integrated front & rear LED lights.
-I wish the LCD display had a clock.
-No bells or horns.
-No chain protector on the chainstay.
-It's way heavier than a regular bicycle.
-The front and rear disc brakes, as well as the rear derailleur, required tuning.
-The seat could use more padding or a suspension seatpost underneath.
-Mine didn't come with Kenda tires or the Suntour fork.
_____
*Cons:
-I wish the LCD display had a clock.
-No bells or horns.
-No chain protector on the chainstay.
-It's way heavier than a regular bicycle.
-The front and rear disc brakes, as well as the rear derailleur, required tuning.
-The seat could use more padding or a suspension seatpost underneath.
-Mine didn't come with Kenda tires or the Suntour fork.
_____
*Cons:
-During sharp turns, my shoe touches the tire.
=== My bike background ===
My family of four ride about 300 miles every month and we love riding for exercise and checking out new trails and pathways on the weekends. Biking was the perfect solution to the COVID lockdowns and it has allowed us freedom to explore.
My other bike before the Aventon is a 27.5" MTB that I modified with higher-level components. I also converted its original 3x7 drivetrain to a 3x9 for better climbing and more speed.
=== Design and Build Quality Impressions ===
My first impression of the Aventon Level was fantastic, due to its beautiful welds, rich and glossy paintjob, neat cable management, and the tasteful way the big battery was integrated into the downtube. Thanks to its impeccable packaging, the bike arrived in perfect condition with no dings and scratches.
Looking over the components on the bike, I felt a bit let down. Instead of the Suntour fork, Shimano crankset, and Kenda tires, my Level came with a Mega Wheel crankset, the Zoom Aria 188DSSHL/O suspension fork, and some CST tires. I'm guessing that was due to the global bike component shortage. On the positive side, my bike did come with the Shimano Acera RD-M360 SGS rear derailleur, Shimano Acera SL-M315-8R shifter, and the Bengal Ares 3 hydraulic brake system, which all work very well and reliably.
The Velo handlebar grips are comfortable and fine, as is the saddle, adjustable seatpost, and pedals. I appreciated that the cost of the bike included front and rear metal fenders, a metal rack, and a sturdy, albeit clunky and loud, kickstand. The lights are missing but it's not a big deal to me as I have many extras.
The bike is quite a looker and carries a presence which I like. It's a great conversation starter with people you meet on the trails and it blends in well with regular, analog bicycles.
=== Assembly and Tuning ===
About 70% of the bike is already preassembled and you or a bike shop is responsible for putting on the handlebar, pedals, and the front wheel. Like many bikes that arrive at your doorstep inside a box, some tuning was required. I had to adjust the front & rear brakes to stop the rotors from rubbing against the pads, and I reset the limit screws & indexed the derailleur to fix the initially clunky, loud, and slow shifting.
Once all the parts got a do-over, the bike shifted, rode, and braked just fine.
=== Ride quality and handling ===
If you're coming from an analog bike like me, then you'll notice the 62-lb weight straight away. It takes more strength to push the bike along when you're walking it, and it's much harder to lift it onto a bike rack. Despite its heft, once you get the bike going, the Level rides and feels just like a regular bike when you ride it even without the motor assist. Thanks to the smooth-rolling tires, I can easily maintain 13-15mph using just my legs and the shifter at the 4 or 5 setting.
The only thing I didn't like was when making sharp turns as my shoes would keep hitting the tire, throwing off my balance.
Using the throttle reminded me of riding an electric scooter, with its smooth acceleration and predictable burst of power. The Level comes with throttle-on-demand, meaning that as long as the bike is in one of the five PAS settings (one through five but not zero), you can move the bike from a complete stop without having to pedal first. This feature is very useful and nice for steep hills and stop-and-go traffic conditions.
The PAS system was new to me and it took me a while to get used to it. A quarter rotation of the pedal brings the motor to life and it sort of jolts the bike to life by quickly accelerating to the PAS-level dependent maximum speed (level 1 is 13 MPH, level 2 is 17 MPH, 3 is 20 MPH, 4 is 25 MPH, and 5 is 28 MPH). The surge of acceleration isn't violent or jerky but it may catch you off-guard so be aware when riding near people and obstacles. Fortunately, pulling on the brake level will promptly cut the power to the motor and the hydraulic disc brakes deliver good stopping power.
Even when you're slowly turning the pedals, the bike wants to reach its top speed for the PAS level you've selected. So if you're on PAS Level 1 and you're super slowly turning the pedals, it'll still try to get you to 13mph regardless. Needless to say, you have to be mindful and careful about this "feature" lest you run into objects or people. To be safe when I'm around people, I either use the throttle to gently get me going, or I turn off the PAS (level 0) and just pedal without the motor assist.
The CST tires are pretty good and their low-rolling resistance design makes it easy to build up speed and maintain it. The tires are also quiet and wide enough to offer comfort and stability. They can handle hardpack dirt roads just fine as well as some light gravel. The wheels spin true and I don't think I need to take them to a shop.
The Shimano Acera rear derailleur and Acera 8-spd shifter were a joy to use after calibration. The shifts are crisp, fast, and predictable, and it is way better than the Tourney and Altus-level component families. The Rapidfire Plus shifter enables quick downshifting, up to three levels. I have a Deore system on my analog MTB and the Acera isn't as responsive and smooth but it gets the job done and I have no complaints.
The Bengal Ares 3 hydraulic disc brakes with 180mm rotors offer good lever modulation, strong stopping power, and predictable behavior. I would say they're almost as good as the Tektro hydraulic system on my wife's 2020 Marlin 6 MTB.
The Zoom Aria 188DS suspension fork is not an air fork but it did a great job absorbing bumps and uneven surfaces and keeping the tire planted to the road. It comes with two customizable settings: preload and lockout. I weigh about 150 lbs. so I increased the preload a bit and kept the lockout in the middle, which offered the most comfort for me. Although the front end of the bike does a great job absorbing bumps, the rear is not so comfy. Due to the weight of the motor and a lack of rear suspension, you'll feel medium and big bumps on your butt all the time. A suspension seatpost as well as a padded gel seat cover are in my future.
I unlocked the PAS speed limiter from 28mph to 32mph and the bike was a blast to ride at that speed! Even at such high speeds, the bike remained stable and safe-feeling. At high PAS levels, the motor whine becomes quite noticeable and can be easily heard over the wind noise. It's not obnoxiously loud by any means but it is a bit distracting.
Aventon did a fabulous job crafting the Level to be such a comfortable, stylish, and performant commuter bike, and I think most people will love the experience.
=== Battery life and Range ===
Aventon is well-known and appreciated for being honest about their bikes' real-life ranges, and my experience with the Level reinforced that belief. After conditioning the battery three times (as instructed in the manual), the type of battery life and range I've been getting has been spot-on and fantastic. My commute to work is 12 miles one-way and my battery level only dropped by one bar. I was riding 70% on PAS Level 3, 20% on Level 4, and 10% on Level 1. The route is mostly flat but there are about fifteen up and downs on the bike trail.
I'm very content and happy with the range I'm getting and it made me change my mind about purchasing an extra battery pack.
=== Repairability and service centers ===
Lucky for me, nothing is wrong with my Level. But if something does go wrong, I'm comforted by the fact that there are SEVEN Aventon dealers near my home where I can go for service. This is a BIG plus for me.
=== Is the Level a good buy? ===
Absolutely. It has a highly attractive design, assembly and maintenance is easy, the ride is comfortable and very fun, and the performance is simply fantastic. It's a complete 5-Star Win!
I would recommend this to a friend!
Design
5
Durability
5
Quality
5
Value
4
Ease of Use
5
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The Ranger Pro is always the best choice. Featuring a powerful 600W motor, this hoverboard can reach speeds of up to 7mph and support a weight of 265 pounds, making it the perfect board. Choose from a variety of colors and allow the integrated LED lighting system to light the way. It comes with two big-sized 10” wheels, which will allow you to ride on all surfaces comfortably.
Customer Rating
5
Lightweight and fun hoverboard
on January 20, 2022
Posted by: optimummind
from Orange
_____
*Pros:
*Pros:
-It's relatively lightweight at around 21 lbs. Easy to lift and carry around.
-The 7mph max speed reduces the chance of serious injury - good for both adults and kids.
-7 miles of range is decent and it should be enough for most people.
-The app connects to the hoverboard quickly and reliably.
-The 10" tubeless tires are supple, can easily ride over most road imperfections, and are pretty quiet.
-The Bluetooth speakers surprisingly sound good and are pretty loud.
-The custom LED lighting options are nice.
-The hoverboard can be ridden without the app.
-Battery life is pretty good and the board charges up quickly.
-Simple and easy to operate.
_____
*Neutral:
-The 7mph max speed reduces the chance of serious injury - good for both adults and kids.
-7 miles of range is decent and it should be enough for most people.
-The app connects to the hoverboard quickly and reliably.
-The 10" tubeless tires are supple, can easily ride over most road imperfections, and are pretty quiet.
-The Bluetooth speakers surprisingly sound good and are pretty loud.
-The custom LED lighting options are nice.
-The hoverboard can be ridden without the app.
-Battery life is pretty good and the board charges up quickly.
-Simple and easy to operate.
_____
*Neutral:
-Compared to Hover-1's older models, I found the foot sensors to be a bit too sensitive and twitchy.
_____
*Cons:
_____
*Cons:
-None.
The Hover-1 Ranger Pro electric hoverboard is the third product I own from the company (I also own their Switch 2-in-1 electric scooter/skateboard and the H1 hoverboard), and I find myself with mixed feelings about this late-2021/early-2022 offering. My previous hoverboard from the company - the 400W H1 hoverboard with 6.5" solid rubber tires from 2019 - offers more speed (9mph) and more range (9 miles) for the money. Yet, the older H1 hoverboard wasn't very ideal and user-friendly because the tires were made of solid rubber and smaller in size, which led to more noise and rougher ride quality in general. The H1 couldn't be ridden over grassy fields and I had to get off and pick it up when transitioning from a smooth surface to a curb. Ditto for gravel and dirt tracks.
The largish 10" pneumatic and tubeless tires on the Ranger Pro is definitely a HUGE improvement as it has translated to more stability, suspension comfort, increased safety, and less noise when out riding on the streets and inside parks. The larger tires also enable the Ranger Pro to traverse more rugged terrain such as rocky dirt pathways and grassy fields. These 10" pneumatic and tubeless tires are nice, but it also means that you are more likely to suffer from flats and have to know how to replace them when that inevitable time comes. Still, it's a worthy trade-off and I would choose pneumatic tubeless tires over solid rubber tires any day.
Setting up the Ranger Pro was super simple. After charging it fully, I turned it on, connected my smartphone to it from the phone's Bluetooth settings, opened the Hover-1-Hoverboards app, and configured the board with my own settings. Since I have experience riding hoverboards before, I changed the Mode to Expert for the fastest speed and quickest response times. There is a tracking option within the app that records your route and reports the total distance traveled and average speed. I don't use that feature, however, because I just use the Ride with GPS app, the same app I use for my bike and e-scooter rides.
The app was sort of buggy as the Diagnostics screen showed no values and all the readings came back as Unknown. I'm not experiencing any issues right now but if a problem crops up later, it would be difficult to pinpoint the issue when I call customer service. Hover-1 will hopefully update the app more frequently and fix these bugs.
I get my real exercise from riding my mountain bike but I like to use this hoverboard when I'm walking my dog around the neighborhood or exploring new places such as parks. The ride is comfortable and quiet, it's easy to accelerate and brake safely, and its relatively low weight makes it easy to carry around.
At its current price of $279.99 (as of 2022-01-20), I think the Ranger Pro is worth the coin for those who enjoy electric mobility. The 10" tubeless pneumatic tires are a BIG plus, as is the machine's agile and quick responsiveness and decent speed. 4.5 stars.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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5of 5voted this as helpful.
The CORSAIR M65 RGB ULTRA Tunable Gaming Mouse boasts a durable aluminum frame and pinpoint accuracy powered by a 26,000 DPI MARKSMAN optical sensor and optical OMRON switches. Sensor fusion technology enables convenient tilt gestures for in-game actions, while CORSAIR AXON Hyper-Processing Technology transmits those actions up to 8x faster than other gaming mice. With customizable weight between 97g and 115g, a lightweight paracord cable, and CORSAIR QUICKSTRIKE buttons, all your movements and actions register with the utmost speed. Take control with iCUE software to program the M65 RGB ULTRA’s eight buttons, customize its dynamic RGB backlighting, and save your profiles to onboard storage to take on the go. Pick up the M65 RGB ULTRA to make all your clicks count.
Customer Rating
4
It's a good-looking and performant gaming mouse.
on January 15, 2022
Posted by: optimummind
from Orange
_____
*Pros:
*Pros:
-Cool-looking design.
-Very light with 3 adjustable weights included.
-Clickity, responsive, & reliable buttons.
-The left, right, and middle buttons are quiet when pressed.
-Scroll wheel has right-on resistance and it's easy to modulate.
-Ergonomic and comfortable.
-Fantastic dpi range, up to 26,000 and 8,000 Hz polling rate.
-Affordable and reasonably priced.
-Many adjustable settings via the iCUE app.
_____
*Neutral:
-Very light with 3 adjustable weights included.
-Clickity, responsive, & reliable buttons.
-The left, right, and middle buttons are quiet when pressed.
-Scroll wheel has right-on resistance and it's easy to modulate.
-Ergonomic and comfortable.
-Fantastic dpi range, up to 26,000 and 8,000 Hz polling rate.
-Affordable and reasonably priced.
-Many adjustable settings via the iCUE app.
_____
*Neutral:
-The Corsair iCUE app is a big download and clunky to use.
-The iCUE app's menus and fonts are too small and waste a lot of screen real estate.
_____
*Cons:
-The iCUE app's menus and fonts are too small and waste a lot of screen real estate.
_____
*Cons:
-The iCUE app's tutorial prompts suck and aren't very helpful.
Like many people who love PC tech, I love and enjoy Corsair products in general and the M65 RGB Ultra wired mouse did not disappoint. Hardware-wise, the M65 Ultra checks off everything I want and need from a gaming mouse: cool and slick-looking design with an ergonomic and comfortable in-hand fit, excellent build materials and quality, responsive and accurate switches and sensors, and a companion app that lets me customize LED lighting and set up custom button macros. Just as Corsair impressed me with their high-quality and reliable AIO watercooler systems and power supply units, the M65 Ultra gaming mouse has created another positive impression of the company and their PC offerings.
I own several other gaming mice, such as the Logitech G Pro X Superlight, Logitech G903 Hero, Logitech G703, and the Razer Orochi V2. Compared to them, this $69.99 M65 Ultra from Corsair offers higher performance for the money spent and represents very good value. If I knew how good the M65 Ultra was beforehand, then I would've skipped out on several prior gaming mice purchases.
Most of my other gaming mice are of the wireless kind and I specifically chose a wired version this time because ever since I started gaming on my 55" TV, I noticed severe and undesirable input lag from the wireless mice that negatively affected my enjoyment of fast-paced FPS games. Simply put, the wireless mice introduced too much input lag and made me strongly dislike playing games on the TV. This M65 Ultra, being a wired mouse, eliminated that annoying lag, and my gaming experience on the TV is just as enjoyable as playing on my 27" PC monitor.
Although I'm super satisfied with the hardware, I'm not so keen on the Corsair iCUE software. It's a big, bloated, and unintuitive app weighing in at over 800MB. Also, the app is clunky and the tutorials are not very helpful. For instance, after I made all of my LED and macro customizations, I got a prompt notifying me to save my profile inside Device Settings but when I clicked on Device Settings, there was no simple menu option there to save my profile! To keep my customizations, I had to navigate to the Dashboard tab, click on the icon that represents "Customize Dashboard", left-click to toggle on or turn on the "assigned actions", then click the Apply button. Saving a user profile shouldn't feel like rocket science and Corsair needs to make the app more user-friendly. When it comes to software, Logitech does a MUCH better job, IMHO, and Corsair really should revamp the iCUE app to make it more user-friendly.
Another aspect I disliked about the iCUE app is the amount of wasted screen real estate. The fonts are so small and the menus are unnecessarily complicated.
Despite all the negativity I'm directing toward the iCUE app, my overall impression of the M65 Ultra is still positive because the hardware is good and one can choose to skip using the iCUE app if you so desire. Yes, you'll miss out on some features such as custom macros and dpi switch settings as well as LED lighting effects, but it's still possible to use and enjoy the mouse as-is out of the box. Since the M65 Ultra should be judged for both its hardware and software facets, I rate it 4 solid stars out of 5. If Corsair improves on the iCUE app, then my rating will be higher.
=== Is it a good buy? ===
Yes. For $69.99 (as of 2022-01-14), you're getting a high-quality and premium build quality mouse with excellent sensors, response rate, and a good deal of customization via the iCUE app. Just be aware that the iCUE app isn't that intuitive and simple to use.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+6points
6of 6voted this as helpful.
DJI Action 2 isn't just ultra-versatile, it's also our most powerful action camera yet. The innovative magnetic design lets you effortlessly swap out accessories as you capture life on the go. From parkour to park walks, break the mold with DJI Action 2. DJI Action 2 Dual-Screen Combo includes a Camera Unit, Front Touchscreen Module, Magnetic Lanyard, Magnetic Ball-Joint Adapter Mount, Magnetic Adapter Mount, and a power cable. This combo offers dual touchscreens and magnetic versatility for diverse shotting scenarios.
Customer Rating
4
It's pretty good but not as polished as the GoPro.
on November 14, 2021
Posted by: optimummind
from Orange
=== Summary ===
The DJI Action 2 is a pretty compelling alternative to the GoPro Hero series of action cams with some unique features that make it stand out, such as the easy-to-use magnetic attachment system, 4K recording at 120FPS, and its compact and lightweight form-factor. The magnet system saves me a lot of time because I don't have to deal with screws and clamps every time I mount or move the camera from my chest strap to my bike helmet. The 120FPS 4K footage looks velvety smooth and is an eye candy. Not all is perfect, however, such as the frequent overheating I've experienced as well as the annoying number of disconnections between the Action 2 and my smartphone.
At $519.99 (as of 2021-11-13), I wouldn't say the value is that good, despite the number of accessories it comes with. I think it'll be a better deal once DJI fixes the frequent overheating issues and the device goes on sale or comes down to the $350 to $400 mark. I'll continue to use the Action 2 but it won't completely replace my still-competent GoPro Hero 8 Black.
_____
*Pros:
_____
*Pros:
-Lightweight and compact form-factor.
-The magnetic attachment system is rock-solid and super convenient for quick mounting.
-Love not having to use clamps and screw-on bolts.
-High-quality built materials and solid build quality.
-Bright, crisp, & responsive OLED screen.
-Good video stabilization during both daytime and nighttime rides.
-4K@120FPS is buttery smooth plus 1080P at 240FPS and 2.7K at 120FPS.
-155-degree super-wide-angle is awesome.
-Great audio recording quality.
-Has nice features such as Livestream, Slowmotion, Timelapse, and Hyperlapse.
-Water-resistant main unit.
-Comes included with many useful accessories.
_____
*Neutral:
-The magnetic attachment system is rock-solid and super convenient for quick mounting.
-Love not having to use clamps and screw-on bolts.
-High-quality built materials and solid build quality.
-Bright, crisp, & responsive OLED screen.
-Good video stabilization during both daytime and nighttime rides.
-4K@120FPS is buttery smooth plus 1080P at 240FPS and 2.7K at 120FPS.
-155-degree super-wide-angle is awesome.
-Great audio recording quality.
-Has nice features such as Livestream, Slowmotion, Timelapse, and Hyperlapse.
-Water-resistant main unit.
-Comes included with many useful accessories.
_____
*Neutral:
-The main module comes with 32GB of internal storage & only ~21GB is usable.
-Doesn't come with a protective pouch or carrying case.
_____
*Cons:
-Doesn't come with a protective pouch or carrying case.
_____
*Cons:
-4K recording at 120FPS overheats the device frequently.
-Unstable connection between the camera and smartphone.
-Relatively high price.
-Unstable connection between the camera and smartphone.
-Relatively high price.
=== Design & Build Quality ===
This is my first DJI action camera and I was impressed by its impeccable build quality, lovely in-hand feel, and the precision snapping together of the magnetic attachments. I also own a Rylo 360 action cam and a GoPro Hero 8 Black, and the Action 2 takes the cake when it comes to industrial design, user-friendliness, and the sleek and perfectly executed implementation of the magnetic attachment system.
My two most frequently used attachments are the adapter mount that fits all of my GoPro accessories and the magnetic lanyard that allows you to wear the Action 2 on your clothes. The camera mates perfectly to my GoPro Chesty mount and bike helmet mount. And I love not having to unscrew and screw in the mounting bolt every time I'm moving the camera around - it's a BIG time-saver and just so convenient.
=== Out of the Box Setup Experience and the DJI Mimo app ===
Out of the box, I initially experienced some frustration as all the on-screen menu was in Chinese. And to my unpleasant surprise, the 4K 120FPS option wasn't available to select. I tried tapping on different characters but couldn't figure out how to change the language setting to English. I already had the DJI Mimo app installed on my Samsung Galaxy S20+ because I use the DJI OM gimbal with it but it didn't recognize the Action 2. So I uninstalled the Mimo app and installed the latest version directly from DJI which finally detected the Action 2.
After performing a firmware update, which went by quickly, my onscreen menu turned to English and the 4K 120FPS became selectable.
After performing a firmware update, which went by quickly, my onscreen menu turned to English and the 4K 120FPS became selectable.
To get the most out of the camera, you have to use the DJI Mimo app as many options are left out from the on-camera settings menu. Fortunately, the Mimo app is intuitive to use and snappy in performance. The only issue with the Mimo is the frequent disconnections to my smartphone when I'm recording something and my phone is displaying the live footage. Hopefully, DJI will iron out the kinks and steadily improve it.
=== Performance ===
I like to record my bike rides and occasional trips to amusement parks with the family. For that purpose, the Action 2 performed excellently. Its RockSteady stabilization looked just as good as my GoPro Hero 8, and the Action 2's 4K recording at 120FPS was velvety smooth and crisp. The audio recording was excellent as well, filtering out much wind noise and keeping audio artifacts at bay.
I was really impressed by its nighttime fidelity when compared against the GoPro Hero 8. There are way fewer artifacts and graininess and the Action 2 did a better job minimizing light glares.
The usual extras are all there as well, such as Hyperlapse, Timelapse, slow motion, and Livestream. For me, hyperlapse and slow motion are the options I use the most that save me video editing time and offer convenience.
The only issue I experienced with the Action 2 when recording was its overheating tendency which forcibly stops any recording until the unit is sufficiently cooled down. This is a major bummer because I live in southern California where the weather is mostly sunny all throughout the year. I know I can work around this issue by recording in 4K@60FPS or 1080P@120FPS but why should I have to in a $520 device? Hopefully, DJI will continue to release firmware updates and get it fixed sooner or later.
Whereas before I would only consider getting a GoPro Hero, the DJI Action 2 has opened up my mind to other possibilities. Once DJI fixes the overheating issue, it will be easier for me to recommend.
=== Is it a good buy? ===
Right now, I don't think so. For me to wholeheartedly recommend the Action 2 to friends and family, DJI would first have to fix the frequent overheating issue as well as improve the stability of the connection to my smartphone. As well, the Power Module is too expensive at $75.00 apiece for those who want to carry around extra battery modules. As it is, I rate it 4 stars.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+14points
15of 16voted this as helpful.
Next-level versatility comes in the perfect pair — Surface Slim Pen 2 stores securely and recharges in the premium keyboard, featuring a large glass touchpad and luxurious, Alcantara material covering. Ready to pair with Surface Pro 9, Surface Pro 8 and Surface Pro X.*
Customer Rating
5
Excellent add-on. But too expensive.
on October 19, 2021
Posted by: optimummind
from Orange
I got the Poppy Red keyboard cover for my 2021 Surface Pro X (SPX) and I love it. Naturally, it mates perfectly to the SPX and transforms it from a relatively heavy 1.7lb tablet to a 2.5lb lightweight laptop.
The Poppy Red isn't as red as in the pictures which was kind of disappointing.
The Alcantara material is dense and very soft, and it does a good job keeping dirt and grime away. When the time comes to clean it, Microsoft recommends mixing two parts of water to one part of mild soap and rubbing it gently.
The keyboard is well-spaced out, comfortable to type on fast, and the keys have good feedback. The travel distance is actually pretty decent considering how slim the keyboard cover is as is the uptake rate. I also liked how quiet it was.
The glass touchpad is super smooth and my fingers glide across it effortlessly. I set up my own custom 3- and 4-finger gestures and taps and everything worked flawlessly.
The Surface Slim Pen 2 fits neatly into its slot and doesn't fall out thanks to the strong magnet.
I've used several different types of digital pens before (Galaxy Note, HP Chromebook, HP Spectre, Apple iPad) and I have to say that this Surface Pen is the best so far. It's light, very responsive, and easy to use.
At $279.99 (as of 2021-10-19), this add-on is quite expensive and Microsoft should really either add it to the SPX package (my first choice) or lower the price way down. Despite the hefty price tag, I must recommend this to owners of the SPX because it extends the usefulness of the SPX and user experience so, so much.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+9points
9of 9voted this as helpful.
Meet the totally mobile Pro. Always with you, instantly ready, and designed to light up the best of Windows 11. Keep up anywhere, at any angle, with a detachable Keyboard² with built-in Slim Pen storage and charging³ — plus fast connectivity and all-day battery life, with optional Gigabit LTE.⁴
Customer Rating
4
Pretty cool device but not for everyone.
on October 19, 2021
Posted by: optimummind
from Orange
*** Summary ***
The 2021 Surface Pro X was my first rodeo on a Windows-on-ARM tablet/laptop and it was a mixed bag. On one hand, I loved its high-quality build quality and fit-and-finish, as well as its bright and ultra-crisp display, excellent keyboard and pen, decent audio fidelity, faster than expected app and system performance, speedy storage, and stable Windows 11 environment.
On the other hand, there were a few shortcomings that prevented the Surface Pro X from becoming my primary PC; mainly, app incompatibility. Other less severe shortcomings include the lack of an LTE SIM card option, as well as the underwhelming battery life that falls far short of its “up to 15 hours” of battery life claim.
At $1099.99 (as of 2021-10-18) for just the Surface Pro X tablet, I don’t think this machine is a good value and I wouldn’t personally recommend it to most of my friends and family unless the price comes way down. If Microsoft were to include the keyboard and the excellent pen while keeping the price the same, then it would be a different story but, alas, those additions remain a pretty expensive add-on at $279.99. And frankly speaking, without the keyboard and pen package, the Surface Pro X would otherwise be pretty useless and meaningless to me.
Overall, I rate this product 3.5 Stars. It’s an interesting device, but I feel like I'm participating in an unpolished (i.e., beta) and yet to be fully realized ecosystem. The potential is there for ARM PCs but they don’t feel ready for widespread mainstream adoption.
_____
*Pros:
*Pros:
-Elegant, even pretty, industrial design with great build materials and fit-and-finish.
-The 13” “PixelSense” display with its 2880x1920 (3:2 aspect ratio) is bright, super-crisp, and comfortable on the eyes; great for productivity apps and note-taking.
-The Signature keyboard is well spaced out, comfortable to type on fast, and the keys have good feedback, uptake rate, and are not noisy.
-I love how the Surface Slim Pen 2 neatly fits into the keyboard in a natural way.
-The Surface Slim Pen 2 is light, uber-responsive, and works very well.
-The speakers sound great and have good range.
-The microphones deliver crisp and natural-sounding audio during video meetings.
-The glass touchpad surface is super smooth and highly responsive, supporting custom 3- and 4-finger gestures.
-The 8-core SQ1 SOC delivers consistently decent performance without needing a noisy fan.
-Even with just 8GB of RAM, Windows 11 feels snappy and fast.
-The PCIe 3.0 NVME SSD hard drive (256GB) is fast, resulting in quick startups and shutdowns, and file transfers.
-With the keyboard cover attached, the entire unit measures around 2.5 lbs, making this a light and highly portable 13” laptop.
_____
*Neutral:
-The 13” “PixelSense” display with its 2880x1920 (3:2 aspect ratio) is bright, super-crisp, and comfortable on the eyes; great for productivity apps and note-taking.
-The Signature keyboard is well spaced out, comfortable to type on fast, and the keys have good feedback, uptake rate, and are not noisy.
-I love how the Surface Slim Pen 2 neatly fits into the keyboard in a natural way.
-The Surface Slim Pen 2 is light, uber-responsive, and works very well.
-The speakers sound great and have good range.
-The microphones deliver crisp and natural-sounding audio during video meetings.
-The glass touchpad surface is super smooth and highly responsive, supporting custom 3- and 4-finger gestures.
-The 8-core SQ1 SOC delivers consistently decent performance without needing a noisy fan.
-Even with just 8GB of RAM, Windows 11 feels snappy and fast.
-The PCIe 3.0 NVME SSD hard drive (256GB) is fast, resulting in quick startups and shutdowns, and file transfers.
-With the keyboard cover attached, the entire unit measures around 2.5 lbs, making this a light and highly portable 13” laptop.
_____
*Neutral:
-No headphone jack.
-The battery life is good but not 15-hours good.
-As a tablet, 1.7 lbs. is heavy.
-No Thunderbolt ports.
_____
*Cons:
-The battery life is good but not 15-hours good.
-As a tablet, 1.7 lbs. is heavy.
-No Thunderbolt ports.
_____
*Cons:
-App compatibility issues still remain and will be a deal-breaker for many.
-The Amazon Android app store is not available yet.
-No option to sideload Android apk files.
-The Amazon Android app store is not available yet.
-No option to sideload Android apk files.
*** Hardware & Build Quality ***
The Surface Pro X (SPX) is my first Microsoft-designed PC product and I’m very impressed. The tablet, as well as its keyboard and pen accessory add-on, look and feel premium and up-market. I’ve owned my share of “premium-level” products in the form of HP’s Spectre and Spectre x360 laptop lines, as well as Alienware’s ~$2,500-level gaming laptops. Even when compared to those, the SPX holds its own and exudes excellent craftsmanship, high-quality build materials, and a high degree of fit-and-finish.
The 13” “PixelSense” display is quite a treat. Manufactured by LG, the quality is readily apparent; it can get very bright, the lighting is uniform, and the high pixel density (260 pixels per inch) provides crisp text and beautiful-looking images all around. The 3:2 aspect ratio is perfect for reading and writing, and at Windows 11’s default 200% scale setting, everything looks just right. I absolutely have no complaints about the display.
The Surface Pro Signature Keyboard with Surface Slim Pen 2 add-on accessory is also well-made and mates perfectly with the Surface Pro X. The Alcantara fabric is dense and soft, and the glass touchpad feels silky smooth and is very responsive to taps and finger gestures.
The pair of 2W speakers provided a good and pleasant aural experience when I listened to music and watched some shows on Netflix. The speakers can get pretty loud and I have no complaints.
Seeing as how the SPX is also being marketed as a tablet, I’m okay with it having just two USB-C Gen 2 ports on one side. I still own lots of accessories that are USB-A only but I own several dongle adapters so it’s no big deal.
The team at Microsoft did a fantastic job creating an attractive machine in a slim and portable form factor.
*** Performance under Windows 11 & the SQ1 ARM SOC ***
I’ve read about the disastrous Windows RT rollout so I didn’t have high expectations when it came to system performance and snappiness from an ARM SOC. To my great & pleasant surprise, the 8-core SQ1 SOC proved to have plenty of muscles to run Windows 11 smoothly as well as my usual suite of apps, such as the resource-hungry Google Chrome browser, Office 365, and many more.
My usual daily startup is Google Chrome with 29 tabs, Microsoft Edge with two tabs, and a few background apps, such as Kakaotalk (WhatsApp-like mesenger), PIA VPN software, and Google Docs. Although the SPX doesn’t multitask and launch my apps as fast as my main machine, a 2021 Asus gaming laptop with an Intel Core i7 11370H (11th-gen Tigerlake with 4-cores/8-threads), 16GB DDR4, GeForce RTX 3060, and 1TB Samsung 960 Evo NVME SSD, things didn’t feel that much slower despite having half the RAM (8GB) and a much smaller drive (256GB). I have to give credit to Microsoft for optimizing the two-year-old SQ1 pretty well for Windows 11, as well as the emulation engine that enables the installation of x86 & x64 applications.
I don’t game on laptops so I don’t have any solid opinions on the performance of the Adreno 680 GPU. If I do game later, I’ll probably use a streaming service such as the Xbox Cloud Gaming or Google Stadia.
I do occasional video editing on my GoPro and drone footage, and so far, I haven’t found an app that works as well and as fast as Cyberlink Power Director 19 on my Asus with the RTX 3060.
The SPX is no performance beast but I’m satisfied with it and I find myself comfortably using it without getting annoyed by lagginess or erratic slowdowns.
*** Windows 11 ***
Windows 11 comes with a fresh coat of paint and many nifty design & UI updates everywhere. For the most part, I’m liking the new look because it’s a refreshing change from Windows 10. The locations of certain settings have changed but I was able to find everything I was looking for and easily add my Bluetooth mouse, connect my Samsung Galaxy S20+ via the Your Phone app, and add my printers.
I haven’t noticed any performance differences from Windows 10, for good or bad, and I’m cool with that.
I don’t like the new Start menu and I miss the one from Windows 10. Microsoft will hopefully give users an option to revert back to the old style. If they don’t, then I guess there are always third-party apps I can turn to.
My biggest issue with Windows 11 on the SPX is app incompatibility. The two apps I miss the most are Google Drive and Logitech Options. I’m sure app compatibility will improve over time but it’s still frustrating.
*** Battery Life ***
Microsoft claims a battery life up to 15 hours but that’s when you’re using mostly ARM-optimized apps plus other fine-print conditions. When apps are run that goes through the emulation layer, there is a big hit to battery stamina and that’s what happened to me. Due to Google dragging its feet and not releasing the ARM version of Chrome, my battery drains pretty fast; in three hours, my battery went from 100% to 32%. If I insist on using Chrome, I consistently get 5.5 to 6 hours of battery life before needing a charge. Although that’s good enough for my personal needs, others may be disappointed at my results.
To extend the runtime, I’ve been using Microsoft Edge and Firefox Beta because they support ARM. The improvement in battery life is very noticeable as is the increase in speed and snappiness. I still can’t hit 15 hours but I gained about 1.5 to 2 hours. Not bad.
*** Closing thoughts. And, is it a good buy? ***
I find the Surface Pro X to be a very interesting device that’s a herald of things to come for the ARM-based PC ecosystem. The potential for ARM PCs is definitely there & once the app ecosystem catches up, it'll be much easier to recommend.
So, who’s the SPX for exactly? I guess it’s for people like me who like to experiment and have fun with new stuff, as well as people like my wife, who can do all her work inside a browser and Microsoft Office while watching Netflix and Youtube videos in between. Plus, students and kids who can definitely benefit from long battery life and the excellent Surface pen.
Mobile Submission: False
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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+13points
15of 17voted this as helpful.
The Ninja Foodi Power Blender Ultimate System with XL Smoothie Bowl Maker and Nutrient Extractor* is Ninja’s most versatile and powerful kitchen system–slice, shred, and grate with no extra processor bowl required!
Customer Rating
5
Versatile, do-it-all blender
on October 1, 2021
Posted by: optimummind
from Orange
=== My take ===
The Ninja Foodi Power Blender Ultimate, if you haven't used such a blender "system" before, has a learning curve that will have you looking up the manual a few times before you become acquainted with all the parts and what they do. The effort is worth it, though, because as long as you invest some extra time and learn the ins and outs of all the functions and experiment with them, your time in the kitchen will become more efficient and your creations will look better and probably taste better, too.
My favorite component is the XL Smoothie Bowl Maker since I drink protein shakes every day. The 1200-watt power is sufficient to break down my frozen fruits and ice and turn them into a velvety silky smoothie that I didn't know was possible. Prior to using the Ninja Foodi blender, I was using the Blendtec Design Series 8-speed blender which cost $549.99 back in 2017. The Foodi does a noticeably better job at creating smoothies which was impressive.
My wifey, on the other hand, likes the slicing/shredding disc the most because it saves her a lot of time chopping vegetables. She initially said the blender was a bit intimidating and confusing to use because she's used to simpler blenders and she's not tech-savvy at all. Once I showed her how to use it a few times, she's since gotten used to it and appreciates having it around.
In terms of aesthetics and build quality, both are excellent. The machine looks attractive and the fit-and-finish is very satisfactory. The large central knob actuates smoothly and the LED-lit words are bright and easy to read.
At $229.99 (as of 2021-09-30), I'd say the value is quite good and I would heartily recommend this to friends and family.
_____
*Pros:
_____
*Pros:
-It's a do-it-all blender system that performs well.
-The build quality and fit-and-finish are excellent.
-The chopping disc does a great job.
-Makes silky smooth smoothies with a consistent and even texture.
-Good value price.
_____
*Neutral:
-The build quality and fit-and-finish are excellent.
-The chopping disc does a great job.
-Makes silky smooth smoothies with a consistent and even texture.
-Good value price.
_____
*Neutral:
-The four suction cups are too "sticky" and make it hard sometimes to lift off the blender from my kitchen countertop.
-The 1-year warranty is kind of short.
_____
Cons:
-The 1-year warranty is kind of short.
_____
Cons:
-None.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
+13points
14of 15voted this as helpful.
Are you ready for next-gen performance? The Crucial P5 Plus SSD delivers remarkable speed and data protection with sequential reads up to 6600MB/s1 for transformative computing. Engineered by Micron with the latest Gen4 NVMe technology, the Crucial P5 Plus includes advanced features like full hardware-based encryption, dynamic write acceleration, and adaptive thermal protection to keep your data safe while enhancing system reliability. Designed specifically for intensive workloads, high-quality creative content, and hardcore gaming, the P5 Plus is also backward compatible with most Gen3 systems for ultimate flexibility. The Crucial P5 Plus meets the performance and form factor requirements for Sony PS5 when used with a heat sink; heat sink sold separately.
Posted by: optimummind
from Orange
*Summary:
The Crucial P5 Plus NVME drive lived up to its marketing claims and delivered a great performance on my Windows 10 PC. Everything was sped up, like video editing, gaming, and transferring large files. The 5-year warranty is awesome and the price is competitive and reasonable. It's a win!
_____
*Pros:
_____
*Pros:
-Fast performance for all scenarios - gaming, video editing, and file transfers.
-Simple and quick install into my laptop.
-Good pricing and value for a PCIe 4.0 drive.
-Runs 10C cooler than my Samsung NVME drive.
-5-year warranty.
_____
Cons:
-Simple and quick install into my laptop.
-Good pricing and value for a PCIe 4.0 drive.
-Runs 10C cooler than my Samsung NVME drive.
-5-year warranty.
_____
Cons:
-None.
The Crucial P5 Plus Gen4 NVME drive is my second drive from Crucial (I'm usually a Samsung guy) and I'm delighted with it. The drive offers everything I want from an NVME drive - easy installation (thanks to the included screw), low temperatures (10C cooler than my Samsung 960 Evo 1TB NVME inside the same laptop), consistently speedy performance in everything I do with it (gaming, video editing, large file transfers), and a reassuring 5-year warranty period.
The installation of the P5 Plus was a cakewalk. After undoing about 15 screws & popping off the bottom cover of my Asus TUF 15.6" gaming laptop, I slid the drive in and used the included screw to hold it down. To activate the drive in Windows 10, I just went into Computer Management -> Disk Management, and initialized it. It was available as a 931.00 GB NTFS drive ready to go.
I tried Cyberpunk 2077 on it and the game installed very quickly and loading times were short and sweet. Same for Resident Evil Village. NVME drives truly are the best when it comes to gaming and I can't imagine ever going back to SATA-3 mechanical hard drives with their bulk, slowness, and noisiness.
Doing video editing with Cyberlink PowerDirector 19 also resulted in tangible improvements in speed and smoothness. With a 11th-gen Tiger Lake Intel Core i7 11370H CPU, 16GB of DDR4-3200, and the 1TB Crucial P5 Plus NVME, my workflow has received a pleasant bump in performance while getting ample storage space.
I benchmarked the P5 with CrystalDiskMark 7.0.0 and the results were excellent (see pic). If my Asus laptop had supported the newer PCIe 4.0 standard, my scores would've been higher. Thanks to the backward compatibility, I can still enjoy the drive and transfer it to a PCIe 4.0-supporting motherboard later down the road when I build a new PC within the upcoming year.
When it comes to thermals, I was very impressed with the relatively low temperatures. Compared to my older Samsung 960 Evo NVME drive inside the same laptop, the P5 Plus ran 10C lower. I do prop up my laptop using a riser stand to improve airflow and prevent thermal throttling.
To manage the P5 Plus from Win10, I downloaded the Crucial Storage Executive app and I liked it for its clean interface and ability to perform firmware updates.
=== Is it a good buy? ===
Absolutely. You're getting cutting-edge performance from a big brand-name company with a 5-year warranty.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+7points
9of 11voted this as helpful.
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ASUS TUF Gaming Laptop. Enjoy everyday gaming with this ASUS notebook PC. The Intel i7 processor and 16GB of RAM let you run graphics-heavy games smoothly, while the potent NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 graphics produce high-quality visuals on the fast 15.6-inch 144hz FHD display. This ASUS notebook PC has 512GB SSD that shortens load times and offers ample storage.
HI everybode. Can u let me know some info? I think it is normally GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU or GeForce RTX 3060 Max-Q? THank you
ASUS TUF Gaming Laptop. Enjoy everyday gaming with this ASUS notebook PC. The Intel i7 processor and 16GB of RAM let you run graphics-heavy games smoothly, while the potent NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 graphics produce high-quality visuals on the fast 15.6-inch 144hz FHD display. This ASUS notebook PC has 512GB SSD that shortens load times and offers ample storage.
Are the Usb ports Usb 3.0 or higher?
ASUS TUF Gaming Laptop. Enjoy everyday gaming with this ASUS notebook PC. The Intel i7 processor and 16GB of RAM let you run graphics-heavy games smoothly, while the potent NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 graphics produce high-quality visuals on the fast 15.6-inch 144hz FHD display. This ASUS notebook PC has 512GB SSD that shortens load times and offers ample storage.
Can i add an internal hard disk? It makes an issue with warranty especially i am in middle east?
Yes, you can add another NVME drive. There are two slots total inside the laptop.
3 years, 2 months ago
by
optimummind
ASUS TUF Gaming Laptop. Enjoy everyday gaming with this ASUS notebook PC. The Intel i7 processor and 16GB of RAM let you run graphics-heavy games smoothly, while the potent NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 graphics produce high-quality visuals on the fast 15.6-inch 144hz FHD display. This ASUS notebook PC has 512GB SSD that shortens load times and offers ample storage.
does the key board back lite change colors like the tuff rizen 7
Bose Sleepbuds II deliver relaxing sounds that help you fall asleep, and use Bose noise-masking technology so you stay asleep. Tiny, wireless Sleepbuds II are designed for comfort with sleep technology clinically proven to help you fall asleep faster. Sleepbuds II play content only from the Bose Sleep app, which gives you full control of the Sound Library and helps you personalize features. Discover tranquil tones and soothing sounds from nature. Or, use Bose noise-masking sounds to cover unwanted nighttime noise. Download your favorite sounds directly to Sleepbuds II, control volume, and set a personal wake-up alarm. Sleepbuds II feature proprietary eartips made of soft silicone for a comfortable, secure fit. Sleep on your back or side, or rollover during the night, they’ll stay put. Get up to ten hours of battery life from a single charge, enough for a full night’s sleep — and three additional charges from the portable case.
I live in an apartment with the loudest bunch of people above me,Do you think it might mask a dog's bark?Or loud thuds? Thanks!
The reason I got the original Sleepbuds was to mask out the neighbor's barking dogs. The Sleepbuds II, like the first-gen ones, does a fantastic job blocking out dog noises (mine inside the house as well as the neighbor's).
If you increase the Sleepbud loudness level from inside the Bose app, you can also easily block out noisy people (conversations, shouting, their music, etc).
If you increase the Sleepbud loudness level from inside the Bose app, you can also easily block out noisy people (conversations, shouting, their music, etc).
3 years, 6 months ago
by
optimummind
Bose Sleepbuds II deliver relaxing sounds that help you fall asleep, and use Bose noise-masking technology so you stay asleep. Tiny, wireless Sleepbuds II are designed for comfort with sleep technology clinically proven to help you fall asleep faster. Sleepbuds II play content only from the Bose Sleep app, which gives you full control of the Sound Library and helps you personalize features. Discover tranquil tones and soothing sounds from nature. Or, use Bose noise-masking sounds to cover unwanted nighttime noise. Download your favorite sounds directly to Sleepbuds II, control volume, and set a personal wake-up alarm. Sleepbuds II feature proprietary eartips made of soft silicone for a comfortable, secure fit. Sleep on your back or side, or rollover during the night, they’ll stay put. Get up to ten hours of battery life from a single charge, enough for a full night’s sleep — and three additional charges from the portable case.
I have the original Bose - Sleepbuds....are these the same thing or improved in some way?
The Sleepbuds II is way better. The Sleepbuds II are flatter and more oval-shaped, making them even more comfortable inside your ears. Probably due to the better fitment, passive noise isolation has been significantly improved. Also, when you rub your head on the pillow while lying sideways, there is no more rubbing noise.
The charging mechanism has also been improved. The charging pins and the magnet are no longer on the same row but separated into two, making it easier and faster to position the Sleepbuds correctly when putting them into the charging case. Due to the redesign, I don't think the magnet is going to eventually fall out like they did with the original Sleepbuds.
The charging mechanism has also been improved. The charging pins and the magnet are no longer on the same row but separated into two, making it easier and faster to position the Sleepbuds correctly when putting them into the charging case. Due to the redesign, I don't think the magnet is going to eventually fall out like they did with the original Sleepbuds.
3 years, 6 months ago
by
optimummind
Bose Sleepbuds II deliver relaxing sounds that help you fall asleep, and use Bose noise-masking technology so you stay asleep. Tiny, wireless Sleepbuds II are designed for comfort with sleep technology clinically proven to help you fall asleep faster. Sleepbuds II play content only from the Bose Sleep app, which gives you full control of the Sound Library and helps you personalize features. Discover tranquil tones and soothing sounds from nature. Or, use Bose noise-masking sounds to cover unwanted nighttime noise. Download your favorite sounds directly to Sleepbuds II, control volume, and set a personal wake-up alarm. Sleepbuds II feature proprietary eartips made of soft silicone for a comfortable, secure fit. Sleep on your back or side, or rollover during the night, they’ll stay put. Get up to ten hours of battery life from a single charge, enough for a full night’s sleep — and three additional charges from the portable case.
Can they play the music on your phone
Step into virtual reality with this Oculus Rift S PC-powered headset. The advanced optics produce a sharp display with bright, vivid colors, and Oculus Insight tracking removes the need for external sensors to convert movements into virtual reality. This Oculus Rift S PC-powered headset has a fit wheel that secures the headset with a quick twist.
Ok so there is the oculas quest no cables nothing like that but limited space and this one has wires and more games and more which one should i get?
I personally prefer the Rift S because of better game visuals, game modding possibilities, and a larger library of games I have access to. I do not mind the cord except for its tangling up tendency.
4 years, 10 months ago
by
optimummind
Step into virtual reality with this Oculus Rift S PC-powered headset. The advanced optics produce a sharp display with bright, vivid colors, and Oculus Insight tracking removes the need for external sensors to convert movements into virtual reality. This Oculus Rift S PC-powered headset has a fit wheel that secures the headset with a quick twist.
Will this work for someone with an IPD greater than 70? What is your IPD and how is it working for you?
My IPD is 66mm and the focus and clarity are great.
4 years, 10 months ago
by
optimummind
Play your favorite PC games with this 15.6-inch Lenovo laptop. Its Intel Core i7 processor and 8GB of RAM let you run multiple programs without performance lag, and its 1TB hard drive provides plenty of file storage space. This Lenovo laptop has a powerful NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050Ti graphics card for fast rendering of images and videos.
Is this the 144hz model? How can we know the refresh rate of each variant?
This is NOT the 144 Hz variant. It is 60 Hz. Frankly, you don't need a 144 Hz display as the GeForce GTX 1050 Ti won't be able to hit frames that high in most games.
5 years, 9 months ago
by
optimummind