Samsung 990 Pro With Heatsink NVMe M.2 SSD
With my PS5 Digital Edition limited to its 1TB SSD, expanding storage was essential. I went with the Samsung 990 Pro with Heatsink, one of the top M.2 NVMe picks alongside WD's SN850X.
Hardware
Computer components and hardware, from SSDs and RAM to the parts inside my builds.
Choo Chiang Is The Cheapest Place To Get Legrand Products In Singapore
During my renovation I wanted Legrand Galion switches over the default MK Electric, since they look nicer despite costing more. My interior designer pointed me to Choo Chiang, the cheapest place in Singapore for Legrand products.
Synology DDR4 RAM (ECC)
Following up on last June's Synology DDR4 RAM post, the 21-series launch added two ECC SO-DIMMs, the D4ES01-4G and D4ES01-8G. Notably, Synology dropped the '2666' from the naming of these newer D4ES01 modules.
Crucial RAM For QNAP NAS
The QNAP TS-453D ships with only 4GB of RAM, too little for containers or virtual machines. I upgraded with a Crucial 8GB DDR4 2666 SODIMM, bought from Amazon.sg during a Black Friday sale for S$31.08.
Synology DDR4 RAM
Synology's DDR4 RAM has long targeted businesses, but the consumer DS20 Plus series finally makes it relevant. Having bought Synology DDR3 for my DS918+, I picked up DDR4 to expand my new DS920+ beyond its 4GB.
DEMCiflex Dust Filter ST30 Double 120mm
The Lian Li TU150 lacks a bottom dust filter, leaving the intake fans exposed to dust. On Benjamin's recommendation, I got the DEMCiflex Dust Filter ST30 Double 120mm for US$11.32. It fits the case's two 120mm fans perfectly.
Arctic P12 PWM PST Fan
For my Lian Li TU150 mini-ITX build needing four 120mm fans, Noctua is the gold standard but pricey at around US$30 each. Benjamin pointed me to a value alternative, the Arctic P12 PWM PST Value Pack, at US$27.99.
G.Skill Trident Z Neo Series 32GB RAM
On Benjamin's advice I went AMD with the Ryzen 7 3700X, pairing it with G.Skill Trident Z Neo 32GB. Since Ryzen favours fast, low-latency memory, I chose this 3,600MHz CL16 kit over a 3,200MHz CL14, at US$184.99.
Razer Core X Chroma
Razer announced the Core X Chroma on 16th April 2019, a minor upgrade to the frequently sold-out Core X. At S$599, it's S$150 dearer than the Core X, yet both remain the best-value eGPUs on the market.
Asus ROG Strix RX VEGA56 OC Edition 8GB
Thanks to a tip from Melvin, I scored the Asus ROG Strix RX VEGA56 OC Edition 8GB for S$499, down from the usual S$1,179. The discount seemed absurd enough to suspect a fake, but it turned out genuine.
Samsung 960 Evo NVMe M.2 SSD
As I planned to upgrade my Synology DS216+ to the DS918+, which supports two M.2 NVMe SSDs for fast cache, Synology connected me with Samsung, which sponsored two Samsung 960 Evo NVMe M.2 1TB SSDs for the build.
Synology DDR3 RAM
Not many realise Synology makes its own brand of RAM, which it recommends for full compatibility and reliability. Made in Taiwan with a three-year warranty, it comes in SO-DIMM for prosumers and ECC modules for enterprise users.
MSI N460GTX Cylone 768D5
After much hesitation I finally replaced my old Leadtek PX9800GX2, which gave a BSOD every single time I ran a 3D game. The fault appeared after just a year, returned post-RMA once warranty expired, yet normal work never triggered it.
Intel Bloggers Event
I was invited to Intel's exclusive blogger event on Monday, 7th June 2010 at their StarHub Centre office. They introduced their latest tech: SSDs, Wireless Display, Light Peak, super-thin laptops and the Intel AppUp store.
Intel’s 2010 Core Processor Family
Had a great time at Intel's event at Ben & Jerry's in Dempsey Village: free-flow ice cream, five scoops in, plus my first-ever Segway ride. I was nervous about falling at first, but soon settled in.
Leadtek PX9800GX2 RMA
My mom helped me RMA my Leadtek PX9800GX2 at Ban Leong after it died last Sunday. Li Xiang was using my desktop when the screen showed grey horizontal lines, then purple squares, before lagging so badly the computer became unusable.
Intel Core i7 Launch
Just back from the Intel Core i7 launch at Equinox, Swissotel The Stamford, my second visit after an OCBC Chinese New Year dinner with my mom. Equinox sits on the 70th floor, so as you'd expect the view is stunning.
Intel Core i7
Intel has announced the successor to the Core 2 Quad, codenamed Yorkfield: the Core i7, codenamed Nehalem. The new desktop processors are built on Intel's upcoming microarchitecture, promising a significant leap in performance over the previous generation.
Technological News Summarized
What's up with the internet today? So much major news at once: Microsoft has released the long-awaited Windows Vista Service Pack 1 to Windows Update, Apple has released Safari 3.1, and Intel has announced its six-core Dunnington processor.
4 Upcoming Intel Yorkfield Processors
I'm not interested in the Extreme version, since I don't overclock, so there's no point paying more for an unlocked multiplier I won't use. I'm hoping Intel offers 3,000MHz or higher in the normal edition.