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Hardware Sales – 128GB M.2 SSD for $45, 700W PSU for $40, $310 R9 390

Posted on March 6, 2016

Leading into GDC weekend – not that the show has any impact on hardware – we've spotted sales for a Sandisk M.2 SSD, 700W EVGA PSU, and R9 390 (with AMD's new bundle). We've also recently had a few reader email questions about “when will prices drop in the face of Pascal & Polaris?” Just to quickly address that, historically, prices of current-gen GPUs do not generally update until the official, final announcement of the new cards.

That stated, here are the sales:

Sandisk Z400s 128GB M.2 SSD ($45): Running ye olde 2280, the Sandisk Z400s M.2 SSD makes for a suitable addition to compatible laptops (or slot-limited HTPCs). This is part of Newegg's “flash” sales (not the kind that you find in an SSD) and will end in a few days from this posting. The M.2 SSD runs 128GB of capacity on the SATA III interface, using an M.2 connector.

EVGA 700B 80+ Bronze PSU ($40): After a $35 price drop, EVGA's 700B PSU (rated as 80 Plus Bronze) becomes one of the most affordable PSUs of its wattage supply. This unit is not modular, an important note, but that could be overlooked for price in some instances. Check our PSU wattage test to see how many watts your configuration needs.

Sapphire R9 390 w/ Hitman ($325): These game bundles only start actually adding value if you're planning on playing the game; don't fall into the “free games!” trap and use it to mentally offset cost unless it's a desirable title. That stated, the R9 390 – a relatively capable card, these days – is available at a slight $15 discount but with the new Hitman game. If that's up your alley, it's a worthy consideration.

This week's features – a laptop review, lots of monitor content, and prep for GDC. Stay tuned.

- Steve “Lelldorianx” Burke.