Sales stub

Weekend Hardware Sales - SSDs, Laptops, and a $20 PSU

Posted on September 29, 2013

If you haven't noticed, we just revamped the website to be a slick, mobile-responsive, fast resource for gaming system builders; it's been our goal for a few years now to guide enthusiasts in PC building endeavors, and with our new revamp, we can do that better than ever. More on that in a separate post.

Before the weekend closes out, we decided to compile some of the best computer hardware sales available right now for those of you looking to get in a bit of pre-holiday shopping. This weekend sees the highlight of an $80 120GB SSD, $90 H100i CLC, $60 Corsair enclosure, and a $480 ASUSIvyBridge non-gaming notebook.

kingston-ssdnow-v300

I will note that if you're looking to build a new rig, we recently revamped our PC build guides to include a new content filtration system -- so go play around with that! The forums are, of course, always open to support your efforts.

 

ASUS A55A-TS51 Laptop ($480): After a $20 coupon (SUL100705 at checkout), ASUS' A55A-TS51 mainstream notebook comes down to a clean $480. You won't be playing any intensive games on this, but for everyday office, browsing, and school/work use, it's more than capable of getting the job done quickly and efficiently. The notebook ships with an Ivy Bridge CPU -- an i5-3230M -- which, being "old" (an entire year), helps drive the cost down below its Haswell-equipped competition. From a specifications standpoint, no mainstream end user will really notice a speed difference. There are power saving advantages to Haswell, though those are most visible on tablets.

Corsair Carbide 400R Mid-Tower ($60): With a $10 MIR and $10 coupon (FJP99700), Corsair's Carbide 400R can be picked up well within any Cheap Bastard's budget. Anyone assembling an entry-level or mid-range system would do well to consider the 400R, which ships with ample space for a basic ATX rig and 3x120mm cooling fans.

Corsair H100i Liquid Cooler ($90): We didn't get a chance to officially test the H100i back when we benchmarked Corsair's newer, larger CLC solutions, but we've had enough hands-on to feel comfortable making this recommendation at the $90 price-point. The 'i' suffix in Corsair products indicates that the device is software-enabled, so you can configure custom fan-speed curves that are more in-tune with your noise and cooling requirements.

Cooler Master eXtreme 550W PSU ($20): Given the capital 'X' in its name, Cooler Master's xXeXtremeXx 550W PSU (OK, we embellished the name a bit) isn't exactly the best power supply you could stick in a system, but at $20, it's a damn reasonable buy for anyone building a rig in the $300-$520 price range.

Pick of the Weekend 

Kingston V300 120GB SSD ($80): We turn to Kingston's V300 120GB SSD for our Pick of the Weekend. Kingston's consumer-class V300 SSD isn't quite the powerhouse that its HyperX is, but does offer a more price-to-capacity-conscious setup for those who don't need to brush right up against the SATA bus. Kingston stuck with MLC NAND for its consumer-class drive, offering more endurance than TLC alternatives, but managed to keep costs relatively competitive with TLC-enabled SSDs (like the Samsung 840 non-pro drive).

Be sure to play around on the new site! Let us know what you think -- and, of course, if you find any bugs.

- Steve "Lelldorianx" Burke.