3,443 posts
since 2002
Turning on my new computer tripped my main circuit breaker, and the PC wouldn't power on afterwards, likely a fried PSU. To guard against future surges, I picked up the Belkin Economy Series 4-Socket Surge Protector.
Thanks to the Peak Design Facebook group, I caught a 24-hour B&H Deal Zone sale on the Everyday Sling (5L) in February 2020. Only Black and Ash were available, open-box, but mine arrived like new with full warranty.
The j5create UltraDrive Kit (JCD389) retails for S$199 on Hachi Tech and is the first modular dock I've come across. Five tiny swappable kits are included, covering VGA, HDMI, Mini DisplayPort, gigabit Ethernet, and SD/microSD card reading.
The j5create USB-C Triple Display Docking Station (JCD543) retails for S$199. As the name suggests, it drives up to three monitors and packs 13 ports in an elongated 300g body.
I finally built a new Windows desktop around an AMD Ryzen 7 3700X, replacing my Intel Core 2 Quad Q9450 that died two years ago. Over recent weeks I'd been blogging the PC parts I bought from Amazon.
The 0.5m Thunderbolt 3 cable bundled with my Razer Core X Chroma had poor build quality, causing frequent eGPU disconnections, a common known issue. Fed up, I replaced it with Apple's 0.8m Thunderbolt 3 cable.
The Sudio Fem is Sudio's third wireless earbuds, after the Niva and Tolv, and its most expensive yet at S$219, in four colours. The code LESTERCHANFEM takes 15% off, down to S$186.15.
After seeing a friend's Facebook recommendation, I bought the same InstamediQ Digital Forehead and Ear Thermometer from Amazon Singapore for S$48.91. Prices soon climbed near S$60 before selling out amid the COVID-19 outbreak.
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.
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.
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.
For secondary storage in my new build, I chose the SanDisk Ultra 3D 2TB SSD, bought on Amazon for US$209.99. Being SATA III rather than NVMe, it's slower than my addlink S70, reading 560MB/s and writing 530MB/s.
Building a new gaming PC, I had Benjamin draw up a parts list, sourcing RAM, SSDs, and fans from Amazon. First up is the primary storage, the addlink S70 2TB NVMe M.2 SSD, at US$264.99 on Amazon.
Singtel's price plans for the Samsung Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra 5G, launching in Singapore on 6th March 2020. All come in 128GB, retailing at S$1,298, S$1,498, and S$1,898 respectively.
The HyperJuice 100W GaN USB-C Charger is a four-port charger that began on Kickstarter, raising over US$2.2 million by December 2019. As an early-bird backer I paid US$49, and impressively for Kickstarter, it shipped on time.
I bought the Logitech G502 Lightspeed Wireless Gaming Mouse from Lazada's Logitech Store during a Lunar New Year sale for S$188, the lowest I've seen against its S$249 RRP. The G502 line confusingly spans three variants.
GPCA is a San Francisco Bay Area product firm designing outdoor and adventure gear, the name standing for General Purpose California. I backed their multipurpose GPCA Carabiner on Kickstarter in August 2019.
LEGO Wall-E 21303 grew from a 2014 LEGO IDEAS project by Pixar animator Angus MacLane. I bought it in May 2016 for US$59.99, where it sat for nearly four years. It's a 676-piece set with no minifigure.
This Waterproof Monopod for GoPro is a plastic imitation of the aluminium Vicdozia. I grabbed it on Lazada for S$7.80 during the 12/12 sales. The rubber grip is non-slip, with a wrist strap, though it feels cheap.
With my GoPro HERO7 Black replacing my five-year-old HERO4 Black, whose battery had failed, I debated whether a S$18 Smatree replacement battery was worth it. I eventually bought it during Lazada's 12/12 sales.
An impulse buy during Lazada's 12/12 flash sale, the LEGO Hulkbuster: Ultron Edition 76105 went for S$147.70, well below its S$199 launch price from March 2018. It's a hefty 1,363-piece set with a new Iron Man.
Looking back at 2019, I expanded my smart home with an Amazon Echo Wall Clock, and bought a PS4 Pro bundle on 11/11 for Final Fantasy VII Remake, plus a GoPro HERO7 and my first eGPU.