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Syphon Filter
2[H]4U
- Joined
- Dec 19, 2003
- Messages
- 2,597
So, I put together the HTPC in my sig yesterday.
I went down the AMD APU route as I fancied something a little different (to my Intel gaming machine). It's also why I went for a Gigabyte board, I've never had one before.
1. The Xigmatek Aquilla case looks ok but the build quality and materials are poor.
The plastic arches are flimsy and one of mine was broken. I can't be 100% sure if it arrived like that or if I did it. Either way, not a big deal, a bit of superglue and that was sorted. However, the general construction is a little on the flimsy side (thin metal and general fit/finish could be better). For £75 I would expect better. In hindsight I should have gone for the tried and tested BitFenix Prodigy M but my desire to try something different got the better of me.
2. The Logitech K830 is a great little keyboard BUT it's plastic.
This is an £75 item from Amazon (SRP is £90!!!). £75 and it's plastic, feels a little light and flexes. Also the left click button on the top left of the device is a little hit and miss. Seriously, for £75 I'd expect better.
3. Gigabyte F2A88XM-D3H...
Nice little board but the IO shield is a little wanky. How much would it cost to have it padded with a little bit of printed plastic across it with the connection icons on it? Not a huge disappointment but it feels and looks cheap in my opinion. Obviously I am comparing to other more expensive boards but I would have though the cost to up-rate this would be pennies.
4. Finally...the AMD APU (A8-6600k).
This is a nice little chip with plenty of power of an HTPC. However, fuck me sideways, CCC is a steaming pile of shit. Seriously, I used to take all the "AMD drivers suck balls" comments with a pinch of salt and I honestly don't remember them being that bad back when I had a 9800XT. But fuck me, they're shit. Everything from the UI (which is frankly archaic) to the "online update" is just fucking terrible. I installed the CCC driver pack from the Gigabyte website. Ran the update check and it found one so I downloaded it. Great.
Try to run the update and it appears to work but the version numbers in the UI don't change. I have to uninstall the old and reinstall the new.
Seriously? What fucking age are we living in?
And breathe...
There is some good stuff though, the FLIRC dongle is an awesome bit of kit and works really well. The Noctua NH-C14 is brilliant but mounting was a little tricky, it's also fucking massive! With the speed reducers in place it is really quiet.
Seriously, the worst thing about the whole experience is definitely CCC. Just. Fucking. Terrible. Sticking to Intel next time, price premium be damned.
I went down the AMD APU route as I fancied something a little different (to my Intel gaming machine). It's also why I went for a Gigabyte board, I've never had one before.
1. The Xigmatek Aquilla case looks ok but the build quality and materials are poor.
The plastic arches are flimsy and one of mine was broken. I can't be 100% sure if it arrived like that or if I did it. Either way, not a big deal, a bit of superglue and that was sorted. However, the general construction is a little on the flimsy side (thin metal and general fit/finish could be better). For £75 I would expect better. In hindsight I should have gone for the tried and tested BitFenix Prodigy M but my desire to try something different got the better of me.
2. The Logitech K830 is a great little keyboard BUT it's plastic.
This is an £75 item from Amazon (SRP is £90!!!). £75 and it's plastic, feels a little light and flexes. Also the left click button on the top left of the device is a little hit and miss. Seriously, for £75 I'd expect better.
3. Gigabyte F2A88XM-D3H...
Nice little board but the IO shield is a little wanky. How much would it cost to have it padded with a little bit of printed plastic across it with the connection icons on it? Not a huge disappointment but it feels and looks cheap in my opinion. Obviously I am comparing to other more expensive boards but I would have though the cost to up-rate this would be pennies.
4. Finally...the AMD APU (A8-6600k).
This is a nice little chip with plenty of power of an HTPC. However, fuck me sideways, CCC is a steaming pile of shit. Seriously, I used to take all the "AMD drivers suck balls" comments with a pinch of salt and I honestly don't remember them being that bad back when I had a 9800XT. But fuck me, they're shit. Everything from the UI (which is frankly archaic) to the "online update" is just fucking terrible. I installed the CCC driver pack from the Gigabyte website. Ran the update check and it found one so I downloaded it. Great.
Try to run the update and it appears to work but the version numbers in the UI don't change. I have to uninstall the old and reinstall the new.
Seriously? What fucking age are we living in?
And breathe...
There is some good stuff though, the FLIRC dongle is an awesome bit of kit and works really well. The Noctua NH-C14 is brilliant but mounting was a little tricky, it's also fucking massive! With the speed reducers in place it is really quiet.
Seriously, the worst thing about the whole experience is definitely CCC. Just. Fucking. Terrible. Sticking to Intel next time, price premium be damned.