CompUSA Deals From 2/2 To 2/8

[BuddhaTB]

Imation 700MB 48x CD-R Spindle 50-Pack
$19.99 - $5 Instant Savings - $10 Mail-In Rebate = $4.99
*Made By CMC*

TDK 4.7GB 2.4x DVD+R Media Single Pack With Jewel Case
$3.99 - 1.60 Instant Savings = $2.39

TDK 4.7GB DVD+RW Media Single Pack With Jewel Case
$6.99 - $2.80 Instant Savings = $4.19

TDK 4.7GB DVD-R Media 4-Pack With Jewel Cases
$14.99 - $6 Instant Savings = $8.99

TDK 4.7GB DVD-RW Media Single Pack With Jewel Case
$6.99 - $2.80 Instant Savings = $4.19

Hi-Val 48x16x48 Internal IDE CD-RW Drive
$59.99 - $20 Instant Savings - $10 Mail-In Rebate = $29.99
*Made By Benq, Optorite, CyberDrive, or BTC*

Hi-Val 52x24x52 External USB 2.0 CD-RW Drive
$149.99 - $20 Instant Savings - $30 Mail-In Rebate = $99.99

Sony 52x24x52 Internal EIDE CD-RW Drive
$99.99 - $20 Mail-In Rebate = $79.99
*Made By Lite-On, But Uses Sony Firmware*

Ikebana 2.4x2.4x8x12x10x32 Internal DVD+RW/+R Drive
$279.99 - $50 Instant Savings - $50 Mail-In Rebate = $179.99

PNY 256MB PC2100 (266 MHz) DDR RAM Module
$59.99 - $20 Mail-In Rebate = $39.99 VERY HOT!

Western Digital Caviar SE 80GB 7200RPM ATA100 Hard Drive With 8MB Buffer
$139.99 - $10 Instant Savings - $40 Mail-In Rebate = $89.99
*WD Caviar SE HDD With 8MB Buffer*

[glock20rocks]

Thanks BuddaTB!! Anyone know who actually makes that DVD drive? $180 is pretty good.

[UALOneKPlus]

Thanks for the info! I've been thinking about a DVD writer for my PC as well.

Are DVD Writers generally more demanding on the CPU and resources than CD-RW's?

I noticed most DVD-Roms and DVD-RW's require more Video RAM, in terms of AGP compatible cards, etc...

One of my PC's, a Compaq 5300, has an Intel Celeron 700mhz, but alas no AGP slot for an AGP video card. Do you think there's anyway to make a DVD-ROM or DVD Writer work on it?

Thanks!

[cfitz]

The burner itself doesn't care a whit about what sort of video card you have installed, so yes you should be able to make a DVD-ROM or DVD-writer work on your system.

The greater concern is whether you will be able to do the activities normally associated with a DVD drive. People who own DVD drives often use them for watching DVDs, and people who own DVD writers often use them for burning DVD movies that they edit and encode on their systems. These activities may present more of a problem for your system, since they require powerful video subsystems and CPUs.

cfitz

[UALOneKPlus]

Thanks cftiz!

When I was browsing DVD-ROms and DVD writers last week, the boxes stated min requirements as "AGP Video card, blah blah". I was worried since my Compaq PC doesn't have an AGP video card, just an onboard video card, as well as PCI slots for PCI video cards.

I think I'm going to try a DVD-ROm or DVD writer and see how it performs on the PC. If it doesn't work, I can always return it (not to CompUSA though, where they charge a 15% restocking fee).

[F1Pilot]

BuddhaTB, once again...kickass post. I'm there for the Imations...nice cheaps presents.

[BuddhaTB]

Or you can pick up a decent PCI video card from ATI or Nvidia to upgrade the graphics on your system. I think the GeForce4 MX series and Radeon 7000 series come in PCI versions. I would check into if you want to watch videos/DVD's on your system.

[UALOneKPlus]

I went to my local CompUSA, and they had a 48x16x48x Hi-Val CDRW (H48164A-15R) for $30 after MIR. I bought this as a possible gift for a friend.

I haven't opened the Hi-Val yet as it's a gift. But reading thru some of the comments on Hi-Val here, I'm a bit concerned.

Do you think this Hi-Val is a piece of junk and should be returned?

Also, I bought a Hi-Val 16x DVD-Rom, also $30 after MIR. Is a recommended drive or do you think it's a piece of junk too?

Thanks!!!

[BuddhaTB]

I went to my local CompUSA, and they had a 48x16x48x Hi-Val CDRW (H48164A-15R) for $30 after MIR. I bought this as a possible gift for a friend.

I haven't opened the Hi-Val yet as it's a gift. But reading thru some of the comments on Hi-Val here, I'm a bit concerned.

Do you think this Hi-Val is a piece of junk and should be returned?

Also, I bought a Hi-Val 16x DVD-Rom, also $30 after MIR. Is a recommended drive or do you think it's a piece of junk too?

Hi-Val drives have usually been of lesser quality, and some people have had problems with the drive. Based on whatever drive you get in the box, it's going to be either a hit or a miss. For the price, its a pretty good deal and since its a gift I wouldn't worry too much about it. But I would wait 14 days to see if Best Buy, CompUSA, or any other retailers have some better deals on CD-RW drives. I think CompUSA only has a 14 day return policy, so don't wait too long. Shopping around for a better deal would be my recommendation when dealing with a Hi-Val drive that's unopened.

As for the Hi-Val DVD, I personally have no idea who makes them so I can't comment on it. Unfortunately, I think the only way we'll find out who made the DVD-ROM would be to open up the box. I would personally find out more info about the Hi-Val DVD-ROM before opening it.

[UALOneKPlus]

Thanks BuddhaTB!! I really appreciate your insight on this.

BTW I used to be a Civil Engineering major 10 years ago, and I switched to Business after a year. I couldn't hack the Dynamics and Statics classes!!! My hats off to you for your hard work and drive.

Also, speaking of exotics, the friend that I'm giving the CD-RW drive to has an NSX. I love that machine, but since I already own 3 cars, the wife won't let me go out and buy another one

[BuddhaTB]

Thanks BuddhaTB!! I really appreciate your insight on this.

BTW I used to be a Civil Engineering major 10 years ago, and I switched to Business after a year. I couldn't hack the Dynamics and Statics classes!!! My hats off to you for your hard work and drive.

Also, speaking of exotics, the friend that I'm giving the CD-RW drive to has an NSX. I love that machine, but since I already own 3 cars, the wife won't let me go out and buy another one

Your welcome on the info.

I'm taking vector statics right now and I feel your pain.
Mechanical Engineering topics like statics and dynamics are very tough and I'm gonna have to think positive and work hard at it. Civil topics come easy to me, but this ME stuff is totally fustrating at times. I just hope its all worth it in the end.

Since your friend owns an NSX, I'm sure he could afford a genuine Lite-On drive. UALOneKPlus, what cars do you drive if you don't mind me asking. Just to let you know, my love for high performance and exotic cars is one of the things that keeps me motivated to work hard and to stick with the engineering field.

[UALOneKPlus]

...
Since your friend owns an NSX, I'm sure he could afford a genuine Lite-On drive. UALOneKPlus, what cars do you drive if you don't mind me asking. Just to let you know, my love for high performance and exotic cars is one of the things that keeps me motivated to work hard and to stick with the engineering field.

LOL, yes my friend cn afford a genuine Lite-On drive, but he's just too cheap to buy one He gave my wife and I really good xmas gifts, but he won't splurge on himself other than his cars. So I've been shopping for something cool for him that I know he likes.

As for my cars, I've got a 2002 Lexus IS 300 w/ manual transmission (didn't like the auto-shift at all), a 1995 Dodge Stealth R/t w/ manual transmission, and a 2000 Ford Expedition. The Dodge is my daily driver, and I've been thinking of selling it for an NSX or a new 350Z, but have to think hard since it's all paid for!

Anyway, I'm a little like Ian - do PC stuff, spend time with wife, and go snowboarding, repeat cycle

Best of luck with the difficult engineering classes, it's definitely worth it!

[BuddhaTB]

As for my cars, I've got a 2002 Lexus IS 300 w/ manual transmission (didn't like the auto-shift at all), a 1995 Dodge Stealth R/t w/ manual transmission, and a 2000 Ford Expedition. The Dodge is my daily driver, and I've been thinking of selling it for an NSX or a new 350Z, but have to think hard since it's all paid for!

The IS 300 is really nice, especially with the manual tranny. Did you know the IS 300 is called a Toyota Altezza in Japan? I'll try to find you an article about an Altezza that was tuned by HKS and has an all carbon fiber body and makes something like 1,000 HP. It's really nice.

As for the decision to buy an NSX or 350Z. I personally really like the 350Z and I hope its still around when I finally get my first pay check after graduating. I would go with the 350Z since you can buy it new for about $35-40K depending on what version you choose. For that price, the best you can do for an NSX, is a 90-97 model with probably high mileage on it. It also has to be taken into consideration that the owner might have abused the car on the streets, highways, or racetrack. I would stick with getting a new 350Z over an NSX, unless you personally know the people/dealer who's selling the NSX. But if you want a new NSX, that's a whole other story and will take more loan money to get one. The NSX is a true exotic though, everyone will just marvel at the NSX when your driving it around. 350Z or NSX is a push, both are good and worth your time and money. If you have any other car questions, hit me up and I'll give you my opinion.

[BuddhaTB]

Here's the Lexus IS 300 (Toyota Altezza) I was talking about in the above post. It's a speed demon.
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