vrs99's stats
- Review count209
- Helpfulness votes1,293
- First reviewOctober 30, 2013
- Last reviewJuly 4, 2025
- Featured reviews0
- Average rating4.6
- Review comment count6
- Helpfulness votes6
- First review commentSeptember 3, 2014
- Last review commentJuly 18, 2017
- Featured review comments0
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- Answer count45
- Helpfulness votes47
- First answerDecember 31, 2013
- Last answerJanuary 17, 2022
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Grab your xboom and hit the town with portable and bold sound tuned to perfection by LG's Experiential Architect, will.i.am.
Customer Rating
5
XBOOM Grab Hits All the Right Notes
on July 4, 2025
Posted by: vrs99
As a cyclist, what struck me first was how perfectly the LG xboom Grab fits into a standard water bottle cage. For such a compact speaker, it packs an impressive punch - easily powering a full day of cruising with up to 20 hours of playtime.
My second impression? The two built-in elastic straps. Thoughtfully designed and seamlessly integrated, they're ideal for attaching the xboom to just about anything - bike frames, backpacks, hammock lines… you name it.
With IP67 dust and water resistance and MIL-STD-810H certification for shock, temperature, and immersion, this little beast is made to handle the rigors of mountain biking, hiking, boating, and bonfire nights alike.
Setup out of the box was effortless: power it on, pair it, and go. LG also offers companion apps that let you fine-tune everything to your liking.
Audio-wise, it’s an overachiever. The Peerless racetrack-style woofer, 16mm tweeter, and dual side radiators create surprising space efficiency and a wider soundstage than you'd expect from a speaker this size - vibrant, immersive, and downright fun.
Even though it's made to move, I find myself using the LG xboom at my desk more than I expected. It just sounds that good.
Likes:
- “xboom by will.i.am” tuning - sharply dialed in
- Elastic strap loops - great for creative mounting
- Tactile control buttons
- Easy-to-use track selector for play/pause/skip
- Rock-solid Bluetooth connectivity, even at 200+ feet
- Bluetooth 5.2 support
- Tasteful LED lighting - just enough flair
- EQ options via LG app:
1. Standard
2. Bass Boost
3. Voice Enhance
4. AI Sound
5. Custom (fully adjustable)
- “xboom by will.i.am” tuning - sharply dialed in
- Elastic strap loops - great for creative mounting
- Tactile control buttons
- Easy-to-use track selector for play/pause/skip
- Rock-solid Bluetooth connectivity, even at 200+ feet
- Bluetooth 5.2 support
- Tasteful LED lighting - just enough flair
- EQ options via LG app:
1. Standard
2. Bass Boost
3. Voice Enhance
4. AI Sound
5. Custom (fully adjustable)
As an audiophile with everything from towers to outdoor systems at home, I’ve got high standards. That said, LG's latest portable offering genuinely impressed me. It delivers good music and has earned a permanent spot on my desk.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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SimpliSafe delivers advanced security solutions that put you, your home, and your safety first. With optional professional monitoring powered by Fast Protect™ Technology, SimpliSafe combines innovative hardware with advanced AI and real people — for 24/7 professional monitoring that delivers fast emergency response when you need it most. The award-winning SimpliSafe system is effective, intuitive, and affordable – so that home can be safe and secure for everyone. You can protect every inch of your home. SimpliSafe has sensors for every room, window and door. HD security cameras for inside and out. Smarter ways to detect motion that alert you only when a threat is real. Hazard sensors that detect floods, and other threats to your home. Powerful sirens that can help stop intruders in their tracks. That’s the unmatched combination that separates SimpliSafe Home Security from the others. At SimpliSafe, we believe everyone deserves to feel safe at home. That's why our bundles are designed to be effective yet affordable. And with no long-term contracts or hidden fees. This 9-piece wireless security bundle provides 24/7 protection from the outside in. Starting outside, the Outdoor Security Camera Series 2 (2 total)keeps watch with a 140 degree field of view, 1080p HD resolution and color night vision, and includes 2-way audio. With the included power cables, the Outdoor Camera can help prevent crime before it happens with SimpliSafe Active Guard Outdoor Protection (available with select monitoring plans). The Base Station is the brains of the system. It sends alarm signals to the monitoring center with a built-in cellular connection with a professional monitoring plan, plus a back up battery that lasts up to 24 hours and a loud, 100 dB siren. The smash-safe Keypad is soft to the touch, easy to use during the day and night, and requires no plug so it can be placed anywhere. Entry Sensors (4 total) protect your doors, windows, and cabinets and are designed to blend into the background. And the Motion Sensor is designed for human detection, not pet detection.Advanced security, whole home protection. There's no safe like SimpliSafe.
Posted by: vrs99
The SimpliSafe system has proven to be a trusted choice for safeguarding both my home and businesses since 2018. Its reliability and the assurance it provides my family have been impeccable over the years. Beyond its dependability, what truly sets it apart is its user-friendly design. The SimpliSafe system stands out for its ease of installation and maintenance, from the Base Station and Cameras to all accessories. It could not be simpler.
Installation and setup: The system is designed to transition smoothly from unboxing to having your home or business online and secured. Install the app on your phone, connect the base, and add devices. Mounting cameras and sensors is straightforward.
The updated device of interest is the new SimpliSafe Outdoor Security Camera Series 2 with AI Technology, which comes with the SimpliSafe KT076-01RU.
“SimpliSafe AI Active Guard Outdoor Protection”
The Series 2 camera AI can identify animals, vehicles, and threats. When in monitor mode, SimpliSafe staff can access the cameras, communicate via two-way audio, activate the spotlight, or sound the siren.
Given that most criminal activities are completed within minutes before law enforcement can respond, this stands out as an effective option. Based on experience, I can confirm that SimpliSafe personnel respond promptly when a monitoring event is triggered.
Given that most criminal activities are completed within minutes before law enforcement can respond, this stands out as an effective option. Based on experience, I can confirm that SimpliSafe personnel respond promptly when a monitoring event is triggered.
- The Series 2 cameras arrive with new 16 inch “Waterproof” USB cables connecters attached to the ends of cable, along with a charger that is apparently water resistant/proof. The camera USB connection is designed with a recessed waterproof plug. - nice
- Perfect for my two back deck cameras, attaching USB cables from house under the deck roof and down to 4x4” posts to camera mounts
- Camera batteries with only a charge/ last up to two months in my backyard area
- Perfect for my two back deck cameras, attaching USB cables from house under the deck roof and down to 4x4” posts to camera mounts
- Camera batteries with only a charge/ last up to two months in my backyard area
The Parts:
- Base Station is reliable with both 24hr battery backup and Cell backup to Wi-Fi and blends in easily with home décor
- Motion and Entry Sensors are reliable and can be attached with adhesive backing (which I use) or screw mount
- Keypad(s) easy management and installation plus smash proof
- APP and PC system setup and management “Arm, disarm and protect anytime, anywhere”
- Optional FOB and Panic buttons
- Motion and Entry Sensors are reliable and can be attached with adhesive backing (which I use) or screw mount
- Keypad(s) easy management and installation plus smash proof
- APP and PC system setup and management “Arm, disarm and protect anytime, anywhere”
- Optional FOB and Panic buttons
Returning to my priorities, I have utilized three distinct security systems over the past twenty years. In conclusion, I entrust the safety and security of my family to SimpliSafe.
Simply – it works
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Half round profile of D-Line Raceway blends with décor for a neat solution to hide surface cables. One-piece design, flexible hinged lid, and self-adhesive backing result in a quick easy solution to conceal cables. Great for covering 1-3 wall mounted TV cords or to hide wires above baseboards, with the profile appearing as the natural top section.
Customer Rating
5
Clean Functional Design – Easy Installation
on June 22, 2025
Posted by: vrs99
With a home lab consisting of one gateway, five routers, and three switches, I rely heavily on wiring cover systems to avoid a tangled mess. Without them, my walls would be Spaghetti City, which my wife wouldn't appreciate.
The D-Line Half Round Cord Cover (1.18in W x 0.59in H x 39in L) is ideal for short runs of smaller cables in the office. It can fit three ethernet cables with room for a few thin power cables for laptops or switches.
I first used the Wire Cover to manage the power cables for a Unifi Gateway and TP-Link 10GB switch. It perfectly clears loose wires and keeps cables from falling off the shelf when disconnected.
While installing, I used a powered scroll saw to trim the pieces to size and then smoothed them with a file. The fit and finish was smooth and easily completed
Like:
- Self-adhesive trunking
- Light PVC construction
- Snap-together sections
- Paintable, does not require priming and should be virtually invisible
- Accessories available for corners
- Self-adhesive trunking
- Light PVC construction
- Snap-together sections
- Paintable, does not require priming and should be virtually invisible
- Accessories available for corners
This is my third application of Wiring Covers, and the D-Line is an First-rate product and highly recommended.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Sleek 14-inch 2-in-1 with on-device Copilot+ powered by Intel Core Ultra processors, with stunning performance that powers the newest AI experiences and incredible battery life for seamless on-the-go multitasking with versatile working modes.
Customer Rating
5
"Future of Integrated Smart Technology"
on May 6, 2025
Posted by: vrs99
I have been looking for a versatile 2-1 convertible 14-inch laptop to replace the tablet on my desktop as a sidekick to my PC, to monitor and manage office tasks, emails, messages, notifications and serve as a research AI device. My requirements were more than met in the Dell 14 Plus DB04250, which is now my second Dell Co-Pilot+ equipped with integrated-dedicated Processing Unit (NPU).
Highlights:
- Build quality is brilliant engineering design and “undergoing rigorous military-grade testing” spells durability in an attractive portable aluminum case. Nice clean layout enhances the feel and looks of a premium laptop.
- Build quality is brilliant engineering design and “undergoing rigorous military-grade testing” spells durability in an attractive portable aluminum case. Nice clean layout enhances the feel and looks of a premium laptop.
- Speed delivered by the Intel Core Ultra 7 series 2 (8 CPU cores) with a solid CPU Mark score of 18016, pushes all apps my and routines smoothly and quickly. CPU is a Robust performer. Graphics are driven by Intel Arc which is snappy GPU and suitable for basic gaming.
I use Co-Pilot+ regularly and appreciate Dell 14 Plus’s efficiency and performance while running Co-Pilot+. My number of Co-Pilot+ searches have passed that of my Edge browser searches due to the accuracy, clarity/contextual responses, and reduces the need for endless scrolling through sponsored ads and irrelevant unfiltered answers. Dell’s Plus 14 Co-Pilot+ implementation “Effortlessly” tackles every AI query. AI is reshaping how people interact with information.
Notes:
- Keyboard has good key positioning and tactile feedback
- Integrated AI Copilot keyboard button – nice touch
- Clear 14” Full HD+ Touchscreen – very responsive
- LPDDR5 memory - 8533 MT/s memory speed
- One M.2 2230 slot for solid-state drive - PCIe Gen4 NVMe
- One Thunderbolt 4 (40 Gbps) with Power Delivery and DisplayPort 2.1 port
- One USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps)
- One USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) with Power Delivery and DisplayPort 1.4 port
- Full on manual - download
- Hello Fingerprint reader – one of the best I’ve used
- Camera Shutter – can close access to the camera – nice
- Full charge after use all day remained charged – full charge less than 1.5 hours
- Wi-Fi 7 (Wi-Fi 802.11be) 2.8 Gbps
- Integrated AI Copilot keyboard button – nice touch
- Clear 14” Full HD+ Touchscreen – very responsive
- LPDDR5 memory - 8533 MT/s memory speed
- One M.2 2230 slot for solid-state drive - PCIe Gen4 NVMe
- One Thunderbolt 4 (40 Gbps) with Power Delivery and DisplayPort 2.1 port
- One USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps)
- One USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) with Power Delivery and DisplayPort 1.4 port
- Full on manual - download
- Hello Fingerprint reader – one of the best I’ve used
- Camera Shutter – can close access to the camera – nice
- Full charge after use all day remained charged – full charge less than 1.5 hours
- Wi-Fi 7 (Wi-Fi 802.11be) 2.8 Gbps
The Dell 14 Plus DB04250 has proven to be a great fit on my desktop and beyond. It has nudged its big brother, a Dell XPS 16 over in some daily tasks due to portability, smooth multitasking and excellent overall performance.
One of the best tech upgrades I have recently made and will certainly be a good fit for professionals, students and those on the go.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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The Crucial P510 offers powerfully fast Gen5 read/write speeds of 11,000/9,500MB/s, reducing load times while enhancing overall system responsiveness. Built for both laptops and desktops with an easy-to-install single-sided design and power-efficient architecture, the P510 offers lower energy consumption and is designed to support battery life. Backed by Micron’s 45-year reputation for quality and reliability, the Crucial P510 delivers top-tier performance that can boost everything from your workflow to your next game.
Posted by: vrs99
Nine months ago, when I installed a Crucial T700 SSD into my computer I stated, “Next Gen has Arrived.”
Today, I installed the Crucial P510 SSD PCIe Gen5 x4 NVMe M.2, the “New Next Gen5 has arrived.” What had arrived from Crucial – Smoking Hot New Gen5 Speed levels!
Nine months ago, the T700 Gen5 was scoring Read speed 10000 MB/s, the fastest I had ever loaded into my computer. Then Crucial stepped up the game with the latest SSD entry, the Crucial P510 SSD PCIe Gen 5 x4 NVMe M.2 is pushing 11000MB/s Read speed.
The jump in speed from high end Gen4 SSDs speeds topping out at 7000MB/s to the 11000MB/s of the Crucial P510 Pcie Gen5 NVMe are substantial – you’ll feel the difference.
Additionally, with the new level of mind-blowing speed they engineered the Crucial P510 to “Consume nearly 25% less power than previous Gen5 SSDs.” Power efficiency that will play well with laptop and PC users on the gaming grid, also well suited for students, professionals and any power users seeking game-changing performance.
Pros:
- Micron G9 Nand – Solid engineering and fabrication.
- Gen5 High Performance
- Reliability you can count on - “Intelligent thermal design”
- Does not require Heat Sink – plus for laptop users
- Micron G9 Nand – Solid engineering and fabrication.
- Gen5 High Performance
- Reliability you can count on - “Intelligent thermal design”
- Does not require Heat Sink – plus for laptop users
Micron Crucial engineered the Crucial P510 Pcie Gen5 NVMe to drive the speed to new heights while delivering performance under sustained workloads.
When you put it all together, performance, reliability and great price point you have a winner.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Professional-grade wireless gaming headset featuring 50mm graphene-coated drivers, 2-Mic AI Noise Cancellation and Active Noise Cancellation. Engineered with input from professional esports athletes.
Customer Rating
5
"Zero Compromise on Quality and Creature Comfort"
on March 14, 2025
Posted by: vrs99
The Alienware Pro Wireless Gaming Headset is a top-tier choice for the professional gamer and music enjoyer who wants zero compromise on quality and creature comforts
Am a huge fan of the minimalistic styling of these headphones. Matte black, soft touch finish with simple Alienware logos is a far cry from the flashy Alienware designs of the past. The subdued design of these headphones makes clear that they are aimed at both gaming and general usage. They are stylish and can be worn just about anywhere.
Memory foam, leatherette earcups are comfortable even for long gaming sessions. Have always been a fan of the comfort of headbands on Alienware headsets. The headband on this is no different. At 315 grams, these headphones are relatively lightweight. Have worn these headphones continuously for over 4 hours comfortably during my testing. To note, earcups are not on a swivel which somewhat limits portability and comfort, especially if wearing the headphones around your neck.
Graphene coated 50mm drivers have a frequency response range from 20Hz-40KHz. Headphones sound great out of the box for both gaming and music listening. Active Noise Cancellation is superb and is leaps and bounds above earlier iterations of headphone ANC. There is no feeling of discomfort or pressure on the ears with ANC on. This is the first gaming headset I have reviewed which has ANC, a striking feature which reinforces that these headphones are aimed at both gamers and a general audience seeking high quality sound. Headphones have a decent level of passive noise isolations as well even with ANC off as well.
Built-in controls on the headphones include buttons for power, volume, mic, connectivity and noise cancellation modes. These buttons/switches are located on the bottom of the device and have positive tactile response. A large bonus in my book, as I enjoy the convenience of controlling these key functions via physical buttons.
Headset connects via Bluetooth 5.3x, or with the included 2.4GHz USB dongle. The dongle connects via both USB-C and USB-A with an included adapter. Backwards compatibility is a huge plus!
Battery life is advertised to be 75 hours on Bluetooth and 70 hours on 2.4GHz with ANC off. Dell also claims that the headphones can gain up to 8 hours of playback time with only 15 minutes of fast charging. Of course, these are in perfect conditions with ANC off but is impressive, nonetheless.
I am a big fan of the detachable boom mic included with the headset. Microphone quality is strikingly good, and the ability to detach is perfect for storage and using the headphones on the go. Headset also features AI Noise Cancellation to cut down on background noise.
Alienware Command Center Software allows for customization of headphones. Great app.
If you are looking for top tier headphones which are versatile in and out of the gaming sphere, look no further than the Alienware Pros.
Headset connects via Bluetooth 5.3x, or with the included 2.4GHz USB dongle. The dongle connects via both USB-C and USB-A with an included adapter. Backwards compatibility is a huge plus!
Battery life is advertised to be 75 hours on Bluetooth and 70 hours on 2.4GHz with ANC off. Dell also claims that the headphones can gain up to 8 hours of playback time with only 15 minutes of fast charging. Of course, these are in perfect conditions with ANC off but is impressive, nonetheless.
I am a big fan of the detachable boom mic included with the headset. Microphone quality is strikingly good, and the ability to detach is perfect for storage and using the headphones on the go. Headset also features AI Noise Cancellation to cut down on background noise.
Alienware Command Center Software allows for customization of headphones. Great app.
If you are looking for top tier headphones which are versatile in and out of the gaming sphere, look no further than the Alienware Pros.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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The Insignia 4' Lightning to USB Braided Charge-and-Sync Cable (2 Pack) will not only charge your Lightning-enabled iPhone, iPad or iPod, but also let you transfer files and sync your device. Its 4 ft. length gives you flexible placement options, and its ultra-durable braided jacket keeps the cable protected.
Customer Rating
5
Great looking - Speed - Excellent Quality
on February 2, 2025
Posted by: vrs99
The first impressions were of the durable braided jacket, which speaks of the quality as well as classically stylish, and provides enhanced protection. Have several cables with a braided jacket, they are my favorites.
Looks super and competent on the desktop. The Insignia iPhone USB to Lighting Charge and Sync cable is obviously exceptionally well designed, constructed, offers efficient sync/data transfer, and durably built to last.
The 4’length fits in well with many cabling requirements, convenient for numerous desktop uses. Additionally, the cables are also available conveniently in 4’ and 10’ lengths.
Notes:
- Transfer between devices speeds up to 480 Mbps/3.84 Gbps - fast
- Connector types: USB-A male to Lighting male.
- Apple MFI Certified
- Color: Moon Grey.
- Fast Charging
- Transfer between devices speeds up to 480 Mbps/3.84 Gbps - fast
- Connector types: USB-A male to Lighting male.
- Apple MFI Certified
- Color: Moon Grey.
- Fast Charging
Excellent choice for compatible Lighting enabled iDevices, iPhone, iPad, and iPod from Apple. Two Thumbs up for cabling that looks good while providing speed along with a very excellent price point for the quality.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Future-proofs your smart home with blazing-fast tri-band connectivity up to 14000 Mbps with Multi-Link Operation and 4096-QAM.
Customer Rating
5
ASUS - Key to Speed, Cyper Security & reliability
on January 21, 2025
Posted by: vrs99
The new ASUS ZenWifi BE14000 is a welcome addition to my network to play a critical role in our system, that being the capacity to manage security throughout our complex network. Comes with Tri-Band Wi-Fi 7 Mesh system, a seriously compelling system pushing Wi-Fi speed up to 14,000 Mbps, 8850 sq ft coverage, and latest Multi-Link Operation (MLO).
The next welcoming feature is the style of the devices, which fit nicely with the décor throughout our home. Compared to my Asus ROG Rapture GT-AX11000 PRO Gaming router the ASUS ZenWifi style is elegant and arrives with network and Wi-Fi punch.
The fact is I am replacing another advanced model Router Mesh system with the ASUS ZenWifi BE14000. Discovered when I received the other router that you must pay $99.99 a year to use the Firewall, which is built in. Subscriptions have become a de facto business model.
An exception being ASUS, which has for many years included a Commercial Level Firewall “AiProtection Pro powered by Trend Micro” and “Triple-Level Protection Network Security” that are included in their router. In today’s world you need the defenses of effective firewalls to protect you and your family from cyber threats. ASUS has long history of Reliable and Robust Network security.
One seamless capability of the ASUS ZenWifi BE14000 is the support of IoT device(s) isolation to a separate Wi-Fi network (SSID), this is a key feature for increasing security. On the Asus ZenWiFi BE14000 It is as easy as setting up a Guest Network on your system, it takes just a few minutes. This helps prevent potential security threats by placing IoT devices on an IoT Wi-Fi network isolated from your main network. This is one of the main reasons I am all in on the ASUS ZenWifi BE14000. Other approaches to isolating IoTs are quite technical and costly, such as Subnets and VLANS.
Adding the ASUS ZenWifi BE14000 to my existing system was as simple as connecting ethernet cable to my system and setting up through the Web Interface. Set up and managing ZenWifi BE14000 can be handled both through the ASUS Router APP or with their Web Interface, both are at the top of their game and offer the best of both worlds
The ASUS Router app offers the convenience of quick and easy setup, as well as remote management. It is an amazingly simple setup, one that anyone can clearly use to set up the MESH system quickly and effectively. The APP and the Web Interface provide a thorough set of management options and tools readily available to fine-tune your system to your requirements.
ASUS’s Router APP and Web Interface management tools are a Win Win for everyone.
My MESH setup has backhauled ethernet cabling from main office node (router) to the next node in middle of my home at the living room entertainment center. The third node connects to Wi-Fi and is located on the far side of the house in the master bedroom.
Throughput speed:
- Office 2.9Gbps wired
- Living room 1.9Gbps - 2.5Gbps wired
- Bedroom 1.4Gbps Wi-Fi
- Office 2.9Gbps wired
- Living room 1.9Gbps - 2.5Gbps wired
- Bedroom 1.4Gbps Wi-Fi
The ASUS - ZenWifi BE14000 is a “Key” addition to my network, a real game-changer, it has simply solved project of isolating IoT devices on my network. Isolating IoT devices is a challenge, and I spent a fair amount of time looking for a solution. Protecting your family's online activity is crucial today and the risks have never been greater, I sleep easier now.
The ASUS ZenWifi BE14000 is a winner and checks all the boxes for our online activity, and I love the stable and fast wireless bandwidth in my bedroom for evening gaming sessions!
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Push performance to the next level with the blazing speed and massive bandwidth of Crucial® DDR5 Pro OC Gaming Memory. With support for next-gen multi-core CPUs and the “sweet spot” speed of 6,400MT/s, our gaming memory harnesses the power of low latency so you can beat the clock and focus on outplaying your opponent instead of worrying about performance bottlenecks. This powerful, flexible memory supports next-gen multi-core CPUs and stable overclocking with Intel® XMP 3.0 and AMD EXPO™. Available in black or white in a 16GB density with a unique, origami-inspired aluminum heat spreader for a winning aesthetic. Unlock a new world of gaming performance with Crucial DDR5 Pro Gaming Memory.
Customer Rating
5
Milliseconds - Serious Business - Wins the Day
on January 3, 2025
Posted by: vrs99
The Crucial - Pro OC Gaming 32GB (2x16GB) DDR5 6400MHz C38 UDIMM Intel XMP 3.0 & AMD EXPO Desktop Memory (long name) is the step up DDR5 memory you want if you are stepping up your game up!
Requires either:
- Intel Core 12th to 14th Gen
- AMD Ryzen 7000 Series
- Intel Core 12th to 14th Gen
- AMD Ryzen 7000 Series
I have recently been running a very quick DDR5 6000 MT/s dual channel 32GB set of memory, which is stupid fast, and then the Crucial - Pro OC Gaming 32GB showed up on my desk. I’ll cut to the chase, the Crucial is faster and rock solid.
Pro’s:
- Crucial Pro OC Gaming DDR5 is ‘both’ Intel XMP 3.0 and AMD EXPO Ready
- 6400 MT/s 38-40-40-85 - Low Latency
- Good Price Point
- From Micron who has a long history of cutting-edge memory development and solid components.
- Crucial Pro OC Gaming DDR5 is ‘both’ Intel XMP 3.0 and AMD EXPO Ready
- 6400 MT/s 38-40-40-85 - Low Latency
- Good Price Point
- From Micron who has a long history of cutting-edge memory development and solid components.
Ran XMP OC up to XMP Tweak testing on latest Asus TUF Gaming Z890-Plus WIFI Motherboard with excellent results, nudging out the 6000 MT/s memory. Keeping in mind that millisecond response times is serious business on gaming grid.
What did I find? The is Crucial Pro OC Gaming DDR5 6400 MT/s is fast, fastest memory I have ran on my machine.
Fast Wins the Day
I would recommend this to a friend!
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TUF GAMING Z890-PRO WIFI ATX motherboard, Advanced AI PC-ready, 16+1+2+1 80A DrMOS power stages, DDR5 slots, PCIe 5.0, DisplayPort, HDMI, two Thunderbolt 4 USB Type-C ports, front panel USB 20Gbps Type-C port, 4 x M.2 slots, Wi-Fi 7 with Q-Antenna, Intel 2.5 Gb Ethernet, M.2 Q-Release, PCIe Q-Release Slim, Pre-mounted I/O shield, BIOS FlashBack botton, Aura Sync
Customer Rating
5
"In Search of Incredible" It's Here Now
on December 6, 2024
Posted by: vrs99
With many years of experience working with motherboards dating back to Atari 800 forward, I today have on my bench the Asus TUF GAMING Z890-PLUS WIFI, first response was – Wow! The stats and specs are just amazing and topflight all around and trust me I do not amaze easily.
ASUS’s Tuf Gaming Z890-Plus WIFI is their latest entry in the marketplace of high tech/bleeding edge machines that are “In Search of Incredible!” I dare say, they have hit their target right on the mark. This motherboard is by far the most incredible display of power, advanced connectivity, and sheer fun of working on that I have ever had in my office lab.
Lovely black on gray board with all the goodies you have dreamt of for your Gaming Rig, or an incredibly fast daily driver. Video Content Developers will discover the power to run the most demanding video editing and rendering jobs quickly, imagine rendering with 192GB of DDR5 memory at 6000MHz+.
The ASUS TUF Gaming MB provides support for all the top end specs, including PCIe 5.0. Besides installing Corsair DDR5 6000MHz memory I elected to install the MP700 Elite Gen5 NVMe m.2 SSD, which is stupid fast. These drives are ranked up to 10000MB’s Sequential Read and up to 8400MB/s Sequential Write. On the ASUS TUF Gaming board the drive performed above those numbers, please see CrystalDiskMark results in pictures.
The ASUS TUF Gaming ATX motherboard is built around Intel’s just released Z890 chipset supporting the LGA 1851 socket and the latest Intel Core Ultra Processors (series 2.) I opted for the Intel Core Ultra 7 (series 2) which is a solid performer, which pushed my testing to new levels.
When stress testing and benchmarking I pushed the board hard, for lengthy periods. During stress testing and benchmarking CPU never rose over 33 degrees, much of this must be attested to the extreme cooling system I installed. Oversized heatsinks on the VRMs show that this board is built for overclocking.
The BIOS in ASUS’s gaming board have always been top notch. This BIOS does not fail to disappoint as this board’s Bios is more refined and builds upon previous versions. EZ Bios allows for easy access to many key settings: AI Overclocker, XMP modes, Intel RST, and Q Fan control. A CPU temp graph is also displayed in the EZ Bios: a nice touch for quickly verifying the effectiveness of a new CPU cooler on a new build. Advanced Bios is familiar for ASUS gaming board owners and offers granular control for overclocking and more.
Pros:
- 2.5Gb Ethernet – 2.5Gb the sweet spot - 2.5 switches are now affordable
- DDR5 memory – supports up to 9066+ MT/s (OC) – 4 Dimm slots
- PCIe 5.0
- PCI-E 5.0 x16 for GPU
- Storage 4 x M.2 slots with PCIe 5.0 and 4.0 support
- Wi-Fi 7 169 MHz - Speeds up to 2.9Gbps
- Bluetooth 5.4
- USB – 8 ports – including USB C 20Gbps and Thunderbolt 4
- Serious VRM Heatsinks (voltage regulator module)
- New and improved Advanced UEFI BIOS - new users to advanced gaming
- Complete Owner’s Manual & Quick Start Guide (download owner manual)
- Advanced AI solutions for networking and cooling
- “Military-grade components”
- Advanced AI solutions – NPU can be overclocked in BIOS Tweaker with one click
- 2.5Gb Ethernet – 2.5Gb the sweet spot - 2.5 switches are now affordable
- DDR5 memory – supports up to 9066+ MT/s (OC) – 4 Dimm slots
- PCIe 5.0
- PCI-E 5.0 x16 for GPU
- Storage 4 x M.2 slots with PCIe 5.0 and 4.0 support
- Wi-Fi 7 169 MHz - Speeds up to 2.9Gbps
- Bluetooth 5.4
- USB – 8 ports – including USB C 20Gbps and Thunderbolt 4
- Serious VRM Heatsinks (voltage regulator module)
- New and improved Advanced UEFI BIOS - new users to advanced gaming
- Complete Owner’s Manual & Quick Start Guide (download owner manual)
- Advanced AI solutions for networking and cooling
- “Military-grade components”
- Advanced AI solutions – NPU can be overclocked in BIOS Tweaker with one click
Little things I like that make a difference:
- Mouse works in UEFI Bios
- Large GPU release latch
- Wi-Fi antenna – great range
- ‘Quality enhancements for PCIe .m2 slots include the ability to secure your .m2 drives without using the tiny little screws to secure .m2 the motherboard. The new Q-Slide the Q-Latch are the ticket – one click and SSD is secured.
- Solid .m2 heatsink, serious cooling with machined “TUF” on diagonally facing edge, stunning.
- Mouse works in UEFI Bios
- Large GPU release latch
- Wi-Fi antenna – great range
- ‘Quality enhancements for PCIe .m2 slots include the ability to secure your .m2 drives without using the tiny little screws to secure .m2 the motherboard. The new Q-Slide the Q-Latch are the ticket – one click and SSD is secured.
- Solid .m2 heatsink, serious cooling with machined “TUF” on diagonally facing edge, stunning.
If you are looking for equipment that cuts no corners and developed with rock-solid stability to handle your most demanding gaming…
Looking for the computer that hits all the right notes with leading technology throughout the system…
There are few choices that can match the Asus TUF GAMING Z890-PLUS WIFI.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
+4points
4of 4voted this as helpful.
vrs99's Review Comments
Utilizing 4 high-performance antennas and power amplifiers, this Linksys Smart Wi-Fi WRT1900AC dual-band Wireless-AC router offers optimal wireless strength and signal coverage, so you can easily connect devices throughout your home or office.
Overall5 out of 5
5 out of 5Rock Solid
By vrs99
from TN
Replaced my Linksys EA 6700 router with the WRT1900ac on my home network. The EA 6700 is a good router but it is not in the same class as the WRT1900ac.
The signal is outstanding, solid and fast throughout the whole house and outside too boot.
Setup is smooth and easy, especially if you are familiar with latest versions of the Linksys software. The router has plenty of features and added a few more since the last router versions.
Has the best Network Map I have seen, informative and quickly shows where your bandwidth is being used.
If you need/want a powerful router that is flexible and expandable (according to Linksys) in the future take a hard look at the WRT1900ac.
vrs99
TN
Plan on using eSATA? MUST READ - be Forewarned
September 3, 2014
One of my main decisions in purchasing the WRT1900ac was to attach my NetGear NAS on the eSATA port for easier access across my network.
No such luck.
Spent time with Linksys tech and neither my eSATA NAS from NetGear nor my external eSATA drive will work with the WRT1900ac.
Linksys does have a compatibility chart - somewhere - but not in their spec listings of what works with their router.
If you want to use eSATA do your homework and see if your device is compatible.
Tough Luck if your device is not on the list.
0points
0of 0voted this comment as helpful.
Upgrade your laptop's storage with this Samsung 850 PRO MZ-7KE512BW internal SATA III solid state drive, which offers a generous 512GB capacity for digital data. SED (Self-Encrypting Drive) technology controls access to private information.
Overall
1 out of 5
1 out of 5Crashed and Burned after 44 Days - Good Luck
By vrs99
Fast SSD - and Extra Fast to Crash in just 44 days. Of course it was on a Friday evening and cannot speak to Samsung until Monday. Cannot Chat with them as they do not offer Chat for SSD's.
Luckily it crashed two weeks after the 30 day return period to Best Buy. Guess it is a good thing they offer 10 year warranty? But have heard they will return a refurbished unit, which will not be good on 44 day old product. Must be living on the bleeding edge, should have stuck with the Toshiba, which I can't see a real life difference in speed.
vrs99
TN
After a Day of Wrestling with the SSD
July 11, 2015
After pulling every rabbit out of my hat I finally got the SSD going again. Have to completely reload OS, etc. starting at Windows 8. Not fun.
But I am "somewhat" happy that I was able to get the drive working. Not sure what happen to the drive, but have some suspicion of a setting in Magician (software system for the 850 Pro) which boosts speed?
+2points
2of 2voted this comment as helpful.
Only at Best BuyUpdate your portable technology kit with this HP Omen 17-inch laptop. Ideal for gaming, this machine combines a 7th generation Intel Core i7 processor with 12GB of DDR4 RAM for ultra-fast performance on the go. An island-style backlit keyboard equipped with dedicated macro keys makes this HP Omen 17-inch laptop easy to use in the dark.
Overall5 out of 5
5 out of 5Hp omen gaming laptop
By Martinezjorge7
I recently bought the 16 omen laptop and I was able to return mine and be able to upgrade the the newest one it has a better graphic card and an new design with a better cooling vent with a 1 tb hard drive
vrs99
TN
NO DVD
July 12, 2017
There is no DVD built, you would have to use external.
0points
0of 0voted this comment as helpful.
HP OMEN by HP Laptop: Power through the virtual landscape with this versatile HP Omen 15-inch laptop. Ideal for gaming, this machine packs a 7th generation Intel Core i7 processor and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX video card for superior graphics performance. The 1TB hard drive inside this HP Omen 15-inch laptop provides plenty for space for gaming profiles and other multimedia files.
Overall
4 out of 5
4 out of 5Excellent laptop, but not the best value
By Xephyroth
from Colorado Springs, CO
This HP Omen is the 3rd gaming laptop I've ever owned, and it's undoubtedly the best one I've had the pleasure of using. However, this product isn't perfect out of the box.
FIRST IMPRESSION / UNBOXING:
Out of the box, the first thing that I noticed is that this laptop has impressive build quality. The sand-blasted brushing brings a pleasant aesthetic while also bringing solid weight and durability. It's not incredibly flashy, so it doesn't scream "gamer" like a lot of other laptops, but it definitely brings a touch of the "gamer" aesthetic without being overzealous. The notebook is also much thinner than I expected, as I've been used to much thicker gaming laptops, but I suppose the lack of an optical drive attributes to that. The power brick is fairly small and compact for a machine that's capable of entry/mid-level gaming.
Out of the box, the first thing that I noticed is that this laptop has impressive build quality. The sand-blasted brushing brings a pleasant aesthetic while also bringing solid weight and durability. It's not incredibly flashy, so it doesn't scream "gamer" like a lot of other laptops, but it definitely brings a touch of the "gamer" aesthetic without being overzealous. The notebook is also much thinner than I expected, as I've been used to much thicker gaming laptops, but I suppose the lack of an optical drive attributes to that. The power brick is fairly small and compact for a machine that's capable of entry/mid-level gaming.
DISPLAY:
Turning the display on, the 1080p IPS matte display is nice and bright, and viewing angles are decent without too much color shifting. Bezels aren't too large, and it's not something I noticed until just now while writing this review. While I'm used to Quad-HD and 4K resolutions, I was not displeased with this display in any fashion. The webcam is above the display and can record at 720p/30fps. Not the best, but not the worst webcam I've seen.
Turning the display on, the 1080p IPS matte display is nice and bright, and viewing angles are decent without too much color shifting. Bezels aren't too large, and it's not something I noticed until just now while writing this review. While I'm used to Quad-HD and 4K resolutions, I was not displeased with this display in any fashion. The webcam is above the display and can record at 720p/30fps. Not the best, but not the worst webcam I've seen.
KEYBOARD:
Typing on the keyboard is pleasant with the chiclet-style keys. It didn't take me too long to get used to the keyboard, having come from mechanical keyboards and MacBook Pro keyboards. The addition of the num-pad is certainly nice, as well. The keyboard is backlit red (as you'd expect with the Omen), but settings are very simplistic compared to other gaming laptops. The backlighting has 3 states: fully on, WASD on, or fully off. No, there are no fancy effects, and I wouldn't expect any at this price. I do find it a little bit surprising that you can't dim the backlighting, but I rarely dim the backlight on my keyboards, anyway, so it'd be a useless feature for me.
Typing on the keyboard is pleasant with the chiclet-style keys. It didn't take me too long to get used to the keyboard, having come from mechanical keyboards and MacBook Pro keyboards. The addition of the num-pad is certainly nice, as well. The keyboard is backlit red (as you'd expect with the Omen), but settings are very simplistic compared to other gaming laptops. The backlighting has 3 states: fully on, WASD on, or fully off. No, there are no fancy effects, and I wouldn't expect any at this price. I do find it a little bit surprising that you can't dim the backlighting, but I rarely dim the backlight on my keyboards, anyway, so it'd be a useless feature for me.
TRACKPAD:
Out of the box, the trackpad sensitivity was incredibly low for my personal taste. After making some adjustments to the Touchpad Settings in Windows 10, I found a sensitivity that worked well for me. The touchpad does not physically click, but there are left/right trackpad buttons. Initially, I did find the buttons to be awkwardly placed, but I actually got used to them fairly quickly. While the touchpad isn't the best I've ever used, it is pretty good, in my opinion. 2 and 3 finger gestures work, as well.
Out of the box, the trackpad sensitivity was incredibly low for my personal taste. After making some adjustments to the Touchpad Settings in Windows 10, I found a sensitivity that worked well for me. The touchpad does not physically click, but there are left/right trackpad buttons. Initially, I did find the buttons to be awkwardly placed, but I actually got used to them fairly quickly. While the touchpad isn't the best I've ever used, it is pretty good, in my opinion. 2 and 3 finger gestures work, as well.
SOUND:
The Bang & Olufsen speakers surprised me. They have good volume and a pleasant sound signature. However, they're bottom-firing, so when you put the laptop on your lap, the frequencies dampen and you lose a bit of treble/mid-range impact. Keep in mind, this is with the "B & O Play Experience" toggled on from the "Omen Audio" application. You'll definitely want to leave that on if you're using the speakers, or else the bass will disappear and will sound really anemic. I did notice some clipping at max volume when bass-heavy music was involved. Headphone jack works well as you'd expect, but doesn't promise anything fancy, so don't bother trying to drive headphones with high impedance. The built-in microphone array is good for video/voice chat session, but don't expect it to compete with a USB desktop microphone in terms of sound quality. For all casual purposes, it does just fine.
The Bang & Olufsen speakers surprised me. They have good volume and a pleasant sound signature. However, they're bottom-firing, so when you put the laptop on your lap, the frequencies dampen and you lose a bit of treble/mid-range impact. Keep in mind, this is with the "B & O Play Experience" toggled on from the "Omen Audio" application. You'll definitely want to leave that on if you're using the speakers, or else the bass will disappear and will sound really anemic. I did notice some clipping at max volume when bass-heavy music was involved. Headphone jack works well as you'd expect, but doesn't promise anything fancy, so don't bother trying to drive headphones with high impedance. The built-in microphone array is good for video/voice chat session, but don't expect it to compete with a USB desktop microphone in terms of sound quality. For all casual purposes, it does just fine.
PERFORMANCE:
This laptop comes with a 4-core / 8-thread Intel Core i7 processor. For most basic tasks, this is actually overkill. But for gamers, this is great, as more games are utilizing more threads. The GTX 1050 can play any older game at very high settings, and can still play many modern titles at medium / high settings at 1080p. 8GB of RAM is enough for most people, but individuals who multi-task with a lot of resource-intensive chrome tabs and extensions may find themselves wanting more. While the 1TB hard drive is rated for 7200RPM, I still find it unacceptable to not have the operating system installed on a Solid State Drive (SSD) for a machine at this price point. You will not be unlocking the full potential of this machine while your OS runs on a slow drive like this. Thankfully, the upgrade process is fairly simple. After consulting the service manual found on HP's support website, I unscrewed the 10 screws from the bottom of the laptop and removed the bottom panel by starting with the side closest to the display hinge. From there, you'll have access to the SATA drive bay, the M.2 SSD slot (unoccupied, but does support NVMe drives), and 2 RAM slots (with only 1 occupied). I suspect that each RAM slot supports up to 8GB, but I could not find any confirmation in any of the documents available on HP's support website.
This laptop comes with a 4-core / 8-thread Intel Core i7 processor. For most basic tasks, this is actually overkill. But for gamers, this is great, as more games are utilizing more threads. The GTX 1050 can play any older game at very high settings, and can still play many modern titles at medium / high settings at 1080p. 8GB of RAM is enough for most people, but individuals who multi-task with a lot of resource-intensive chrome tabs and extensions may find themselves wanting more. While the 1TB hard drive is rated for 7200RPM, I still find it unacceptable to not have the operating system installed on a Solid State Drive (SSD) for a machine at this price point. You will not be unlocking the full potential of this machine while your OS runs on a slow drive like this. Thankfully, the upgrade process is fairly simple. After consulting the service manual found on HP's support website, I unscrewed the 10 screws from the bottom of the laptop and removed the bottom panel by starting with the side closest to the display hinge. From there, you'll have access to the SATA drive bay, the M.2 SSD slot (unoccupied, but does support NVMe drives), and 2 RAM slots (with only 1 occupied). I suspect that each RAM slot supports up to 8GB, but I could not find any confirmation in any of the documents available on HP's support website.
I happened to have an unused SATA-based SSD, so I swapped that with the 1TB HDD and used the software that came with my SSD to transfer the OS from the HDD to the SSD. After this process, my HP Omen was substantially faster with booting the OS and running applications—a night & day difference.
BATTERY:
I haven't tested the battery life to an enormous extent, but enabling a battery estimation feature in the BIOS allows Windows 10 to report the estimated time (not just %) on battery. Depending on your brightness, power profile and workload, HP estimates 9 hours of mixed usage, and almost 7 hours of video playback. So far, I think that claim is accurate.
I haven't tested the battery life to an enormous extent, but enabling a battery estimation feature in the BIOS allows Windows 10 to report the estimated time (not just %) on battery. Depending on your brightness, power profile and workload, HP estimates 9 hours of mixed usage, and almost 7 hours of video playback. So far, I think that claim is accurate.
I/O:
The HP Omen doesn't support Thunderbolt 3, but all the USB ports support USB 3.1 (1 Type-C, 3 Type-A. There's also a gigabit ethernet jack, HDMI (HDCP 2.2, 4k@60Hz), and Mini DisplayPort. It also supports a full-size SD card which can be fully inserted into the laptop without sticking out. As mentioned before, it also sports a headphone and microphone jack.
The HP Omen doesn't support Thunderbolt 3, but all the USB ports support USB 3.1 (1 Type-C, 3 Type-A. There's also a gigabit ethernet jack, HDMI (HDCP 2.2, 4k@60Hz), and Mini DisplayPort. It also supports a full-size SD card which can be fully inserted into the laptop without sticking out. As mentioned before, it also sports a headphone and microphone jack.
CONCLUSION:
The HP Omen is a great laptop. It provides great features while also having room for a few upgrade. However, I do feel that an SSD should be included at this price—even a cheaper SATA-based M.2 or 2.5" drive would be fine. For a performance-oriented machine like this, skimping on the SSD is a poor decision on HP's part—especially at this price-point. I have seen competitor's laptops with the i7-7700HQ, GTX 1060, 16GB RAM, and 256GB SSD go on sale for cheaper. So in that regard, I do feel the HP Omen isn't providing as good a value, but it is objectively a good laptop—perhaps, just not as good a value when compared to other options around the same price.
The HP Omen is a great laptop. It provides great features while also having room for a few upgrade. However, I do feel that an SSD should be included at this price—even a cheaper SATA-based M.2 or 2.5" drive would be fine. For a performance-oriented machine like this, skimping on the SSD is a poor decision on HP's part—especially at this price-point. I have seen competitor's laptops with the i7-7700HQ, GTX 1060, 16GB RAM, and 256GB SSD go on sale for cheaper. So in that regard, I do feel the HP Omen isn't providing as good a value, but it is objectively a good laptop—perhaps, just not as good a value when compared to other options around the same price.
vrs99
TN
Support Manual web site?
July 14, 2017
Do you have the link to the HP Support Site that has the Support Manual?
Have been looking and must be in the wrong place - Thanks
0points
0of 0voted this comment as helpful.
HP OMEN by HP Laptop: Power through the virtual landscape with this versatile HP Omen 15-inch laptop. Ideal for gaming, this machine packs a 7th generation Intel Core i7 processor and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX video card for superior graphics performance. The 1TB hard drive inside this HP Omen 15-inch laptop provides plenty for space for gaming profiles and other multimedia files.
Overall5 out of 5
5 out of 5Zoom Zoom Zoom – Game On
By vrs99
from TN
This machine looks like it is going fast sitting on the desktop. The exhaust system vents on the back edges of the laptop brings to mind the tailpipes a supercar might be sporting. When it is cranking through benchmarking the cooling system and exhaust ports are doing a job, pushing volumes of hot air away from the machine.
The HP Omen is the most bang for the buck that I have ever seen in a laptop, this box is loaded with edgy technology. Not going through a list of specs, those are easy enough to find, what is impressive is that all techs are up to date, not last year’s stuff. Too many times have seen corners cut to save a dollar. Not here. Not one USB 2.0 in sight, which is surprising seeing that we just built beast of a desktop a month ago with the latest Z270 Kaby Lake i7 7700K, USB 2.0 ports still in use on an advanced motherboard. Kudos to HP.
Take a close look at the specs, you will find 802.11ac with a solid 866.7 Mbps connection. “Dual Force functionality splits traffic across two data streams, sending gaming traffic over the fastest connection available (typically wired), and all other traffic over WiFi.”
Other ports of interest (not a complete listing check the spec sheet):
1 USB 3.1 Type C
3 USB 3.1
Mini DisplayPort
3 USB 3.1
Mini DisplayPort
What I love is the fact you can purchase a HDD Omen model and then add your M.2 NVMe drive of choice, that is cool. If you are not yet familiar with M.2 NVMe you should take a look. In a word (or more) they are fast, about seven times that of a standard SSD.
What is interesting is that with the HDD the system boots up in 9 seconds, that is fully populated with my programs/anti-virus and all my files. Impressive. Being spoiled by SSD’s I must tip my hat to HP; this machine runs tremendously smooth with the 7200 RPM Hitachi HDD.
The Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 (4 GB GDDR5 dedicated memory) discrete GPU ran through the Unigine Heaven Benchmark smoothly turning good numbers while the cooling system kept the GPU at a respectable 68 degrees. Notable, that with all the heavy iron under the hood the system manages the temp easily.
Ran my favorite game, Civilization VI through its paces today set on the highest graphic settings and it ran like a champ.
Looks, it has the looks, brushed aluminum case with an excellent finish. Nice touches all-around.
Know it is a way cool machine as my kid, the gamer in the house is explaining all the great and subtle reasons why it would be better for him to hang onto the machine. Yeah right!
What I am getting use to is the keyboard offset, a bit to the left to make room for the full size numeric pad, which is a nice touch. Keyboard is fine and well suited for heavy accurate work, or gaming for that matter.
Want a blistering rig in your hands at an excellent price point, one that can kick it at games and can be easily expanded, check out The Omen.
vrs99
TN
Maintenance and Service - Upgrade Manual
July 15, 2017
If you purchase the Omen and wish to upgrade memory or add M.2 SSD you can find the manual here:
http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c05533785
+3points
3of 3voted this comment as helpful.
HP OMEN by HP Laptop: Power through the virtual landscape with this versatile HP Omen 15-inch laptop. Ideal for gaming, this machine packs a 7th generation Intel Core i7 processor and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX video card for superior graphics performance. The 1TB hard drive inside this HP Omen 15-inch laptop provides plenty for space for gaming profiles and other multimedia files.
Overall5 out of 5
5 out of 5Zoom Zoom Zoom – Game On
By vrs99
from TN
This machine looks like it is going fast sitting on the desktop. The exhaust system vents on the back edges of the laptop brings to mind the tailpipes a supercar might be sporting. When it is cranking through benchmarking the cooling system and exhaust ports are doing a job, pushing volumes of hot air away from the machine.
The HP Omen is the most bang for the buck that I have ever seen in a laptop, this box is loaded with edgy technology. Not going through a list of specs, those are easy enough to find, what is impressive is that all techs are up to date, not last year’s stuff. Too many times have seen corners cut to save a dollar. Not here. Not one USB 2.0 in sight, which is surprising seeing that we just built beast of a desktop a month ago with the latest Z270 Kaby Lake i7 7700K, USB 2.0 ports still in use on an advanced motherboard. Kudos to HP.
Take a close look at the specs, you will find 802.11ac with a solid 866.7 Mbps connection. “Dual Force functionality splits traffic across two data streams, sending gaming traffic over the fastest connection available (typically wired), and all other traffic over WiFi.”
Other ports of interest (not a complete listing check the spec sheet):
1 USB 3.1 Type C
3 USB 3.1
Mini DisplayPort
3 USB 3.1
Mini DisplayPort
What I love is the fact you can purchase a HDD Omen model and then add your M.2 NVMe drive of choice, that is cool. If you are not yet familiar with M.2 NVMe you should take a look. In a word (or more) they are fast, about seven times that of a standard SSD.
What is interesting is that with the HDD the system boots up in 9 seconds, that is fully populated with my programs/anti-virus and all my files. Impressive. Being spoiled by SSD’s I must tip my hat to HP; this machine runs tremendously smooth with the 7200 RPM Hitachi HDD.
The Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 (4 GB GDDR5 dedicated memory) discrete GPU ran through the Unigine Heaven Benchmark smoothly turning good numbers while the cooling system kept the GPU at a respectable 68 degrees. Notable, that with all the heavy iron under the hood the system manages the temp easily.
Ran my favorite game, Civilization VI through its paces today set on the highest graphic settings and it ran like a champ.
Looks, it has the looks, brushed aluminum case with an excellent finish. Nice touches all-around.
Know it is a way cool machine as my kid, the gamer in the house is explaining all the great and subtle reasons why it would be better for him to hang onto the machine. Yeah right!
What I am getting use to is the keyboard offset, a bit to the left to make room for the full size numeric pad, which is a nice touch. Keyboard is fine and well suited for heavy accurate work, or gaming for that matter.
Want a blistering rig in your hands at an excellent price point, one that can kick it at games and can be easily expanded, check out The Omen.
vrs99
TN
Adding M.2 SSD
July 18, 2017
Added a M.2 SSD to the Omen and nuked all the partitions on the HDD and added it back to the system. Day and Night performance. That is one aspect I like about this model is that it does not come with an installed M.2 drive, you can pick your own SSD ads capacity.
Screams with the new M.2 and have an additionally terabyte of storage on the HDD, whcih I use to sync my files to frequently before syncing with the NAS.
Great machine.
+1point
1of 1voted this comment as helpful.
vrs99's Questions
vrs99 has not submitted any questions.
Unleash the power of the Samsung 980 PRO with Heatsink for next-level computing. With a PCIe 4.0 NVMe interface, get up to 2x the data transfer rate of PCIe 3.0¹ while remaining compatible with PCIe 3.0. ¹Results are based on a comparison with Samsung PCIe 3.0 NVMe SSDs and SATA SSDs.
When is the release date for these on bestbuy.com?
Unleash the power of the Samsung 980 PRO with Heatsink for next-level computing. With a PCIe 4.0 NVMe interface, get up to 2x the data transfer rate of PCIe 3.0¹ while remaining compatible with PCIe 3.0. ¹Results are based on a comparison with Samsung PCIe 3.0 NVMe SSDs and SATA SSDs.
Anyone know if the heatsink is easily removable in case I want to use it in a gaming laptop? I am not sure this will fit my laptop 2nd bay, Asus ROG m16 SSD slot. Thanks!
Look for product Samsung - 980 PRO 1TB PCIe Gen 4 x4 NVMe Gaming Internal Solid State Drive
Model:MZ-V8P1T0B/AM
SKU:6431939
Has no heatsink
Model:MZ-V8P1T0B/AM
SKU:6431939
Has no heatsink
3 years, 5 months ago
by
vrs99
Unleash the power of the Samsung 980 PRO with Heatsink for next-level computing. With a PCIe 4.0 NVMe interface, get up to 2x the data transfer rate of PCIe 3.0¹ while remaining compatible with PCIe 3.0. ¹Results are based on a comparison with Samsung PCIe 3.0 NVMe SSDs and SATA SSDs.
When is the release date for these on bestbuy.com?
It’s easy to transform your home into a safe haven with SimpliSafe’s award-winning security system. Everything is simple to set up, effortless to use, and designed to do one thing only: keep your home and family safe. Outdoor security cameras let you see everything happening in full HD. So you can spot trouble before it comes knocking and capture the evidence if it does. And if someone tries to break in, the burglary sensors will sound the alarm right away. But that’s not all. Whenever your alarm goes off, we’ll call you and send police, firefighters, or ambulances to your door in a snap — and stay on the line with you until they arrive. So no matter where you are or what you’re doing, your home is protected 24/7.
Are the outside cameras motion sensor and shine a light in dark areas?
It’s easy to transform your home into a safe haven with SimpliSafe’s award-winning security system. Everything is simple to set up, effortless to use, and designed to do one thing only: keep your home and family safe. Outdoor security cameras let you see everything happening in full HD. So you can spot trouble before it comes knocking and capture the evidence if it does. And if someone tries to break in, the burglary sensors will sound the alarm right away. But that’s not all. Whenever your alarm goes off, we’ll call you and send police, firefighters, or ambulances to your door in a snap — and stay on the line with you until they arrive. So no matter where you are or what you’re doing, your home is protected 24/7.
How do the cameras attach to the house?
It comes with mounting plate that uses two screws to mount and a magnet which the camera attaches to. Believe they may have another mount that will screw into back of camera housing, that would be more secure.
3 years, 7 months ago
by
vrs99
It’s easy to transform your home into a safe haven with SimpliSafe’s award-winning security system. Everything is simple to set up, effortless to use, and designed to do one thing only: keep your home and family safe. Outdoor security cameras let you see everything happening in full HD. So you can spot trouble before it comes knocking and capture the evidence if it does. And if someone tries to break in, the burglary sensors will sound the alarm right away. But that’s not all. Whenever your alarm goes off, we’ll call you and send police, firefighters, or ambulances to your door in a snap — and stay on the line with you until they arrive. So no matter where you are or what you’re doing, your home is protected 24/7.
Do you have tonoay for monthly monitoring
No, you can monitor your own system.
They have two monitoring plans which I believe are $15 or $25 depending on what works for you.
They have two monitoring plans which I believe are $15 or $25 depending on what works for you.
3 years, 7 months ago
by
vrs99
Connecting virtually with friends and co-workers gets a major upgrade with the monitor’s built-in camera, noise-cancelling microphones and dual 5W speakers. You’ll enjoy amazing video clarity and crystal-clear sound. Versatile USB-C connectivity delivers video, audio and data, and charges your laptop. Plus, with just one cord, you'll have a clutter-free desk space. A super clear 5MP IR pop-up camera features facial recognition through Windows Hello for convenient, instant sign-on to Windows. The best part? The camera stays hidden until you're ready for video chatting or selfies. A height-adjustable stand and a monitor that tilts, swivels and pivots so you look your best and feel your best for all-day conferencing.
Does this computer have a webcam and a USB - C port?
Smart security that is designed for every home. Set up in minutes, and receive notifications from the app whenever a visitor presses your Video Doorbell or motion is detected. You can also choose to wire it to sound your existing home chime. Blink Video Doorbell lets you answer your door no matter where you are. Receive customizable alerts right from the Blink Home Monitor app, and experience helpful features like HD day and night video and two-way audio. Best part – Blink’s long-battery life technology provides peace of mind for up to two years.
Does it come with mounting bracket
Smart security that is designed for every home. Set up in minutes, and receive notifications from the app whenever a visitor presses your Video Doorbell or motion is detected. You can also choose to wire it to sound your existing home chime. Blink Video Doorbell lets you answer your door no matter where you are. Receive customizable alerts right from the Blink Home Monitor app, and experience helpful features like HD day and night video and two-way audio. Best part – Blink’s long-battery life technology provides peace of mind for up to two years.
Can you record live videos with the module also ?
Harness your PC's potential with the 980. Whether you need a boost for gaming or a seamless workflow for heavy graphics, the 980 is a smart choice for outstanding SSD performance — and it's all backed by an NVMe* interface and PCIe 3.0 technology.