Ok Ok, so we are a bit late on this review. But overdue or not, we're gonna let you peeps know if these things are really worth the purchase. What can you say about these? Well not a whole lot. Actually I think Justi said it best a few days ago. "Well, you plug them in, and they work, and look nice." That is pretty much on the mark as far as I can tell. I'm not gonna sit here and blow smoke up your ass and tell ya these things will breath new life into your slow 5400rpm Hard Drive. Cuz they won't. Wow, this is beginning to sound more like a conclusion than an introduction. Lets take a few pics of these cables and you peeps can see what we're looking at here today.
Price: $15.50 on sale at SideWinderComputers
Pretty shweet eh? Yeah, I thought so too. Lets see what these "factory" rounded cables look like next to some homebrew rounded, and normal IDE cables.
You'll notice the stock, normal IDE cable on the left. My personal homebrew Rounded Cable in the middle. And the SideWinder Factory Rounded ATA/100 Cable on the right. Currently SW has these cables available in both Blue and Red. Always a welcome addition to a box that has a plexi-glass window to checkout the goods. Such as this one!
The rounded cables give a very nice appearance, as well as helping the airflow situation. I am very anal about my cases internal airflow and I frown on anything blocking the flow of cool air coming in from the bottom, and hot air being expelled from the top. Basically a good vacuum effect is what you'll need to keep those components cool, and big floppy assed IDE cables running everywhere are not going to help that situation at all. I need to go ahead and do a quick tutorial on caseflow to help out some of the newer peeps that are coming into this hobby. We'll see what happens. Here is a decent pic of what I consider good airflow with as little hindrance as possible.
This is going to help with maximum airflow throughout the case. Like I said, I want to touch on this more in another review. For now, lets take a look at some close-up pics of these cables.
The rubbery material covering these cables is pretty slick and very workable. About the only thing I didn't like compared to the homebrew cables, is the homejobbies were very pliable and poseable. I could bend and shape them to my hearts content and they would stay in that position, whereas these factory cables won't do that. Not necessarily a ding, just that I'm used to one thing, and getting another. No biggie. As a bonus, lets wrap this up with a pic of the Floppy Rounded Cable. I was actually VERY impressed with this item. The floppy drive is probably the item in my case I could care less about, however, with a nice rounded cable running to it, we'll still be contributing to a case with good airflow, always a plus.
Conclusion: Wrapping this review up, I'm gonna touch on a few high's and lows of the item itself. Honestly, there are very few lows. A decent ATA/100 cable is gonna cost you from $5-$10 at your local compu store anyways. As I see it, why not purchase these for a few $$ more and have the professional look and feel of a nice factory rounded cable, while helping airflow in your system? Which end up being the high's as well. Would I recommend these to the peeps? Yes I would. Now if you are a do-it-yourselfer, and very tight on funds, the home-made rounded cables are always an option as long as you have a steady hand. ntly on sale cheaper then anywhere else on the net! So get 'em while they last.
| DISCLAIMER: The content provided in this article is not warranted or guaranteed by Developer Shed, Inc. The content provided is intended for entertainment and/or educational purposes in order to introduce to the reader key ideas, concepts, and/or product reviews. As such it is incumbent upon the reader to employ real-world tactics for security and implementation of best practices. We are not liable for any negative consequences that may result from implementing any information covered in our articles or tutorials. If this is a hardware review, it is not recommended to open and/or modify your hardware. |
More Computer Cases Articles
More By SPeeD
| Recommended by Dev Hardware |
|---|
|
 developerWorks - FREE Tools!
|
Hear how IBM Rational Project and Portfolio Management integrated solutions help teams put the right tools and processes in place to maximize the effectiveness and efficiency of project teams and ensure that the business vision is being executed correctly. Learn how to automate and integrate requirements prioritization, top-down project planning, communications and controls, and methodology deployment to keep your scope, costs, and schedules under control. Tackle with an end-to-end approach the management of scope and scope changes, usage of methodology to control and empower project teams, and optimization of resources to align activity costs with the overall project plan.
FREE! Go There Now!
|
|
|
|
Join this Rational Talks to You teleconference, featuring Paul Boustany and Mark Krasovich, to speak to the experts about becoming a Rational ClearCase power user. Get a chance to ask your questions and learn tips and tricks for using Rational ClearCase in Agile development
FREE! Go There Now!
|
|
|
|
David Barnes, Lead Evangelist for IBM Emerging Internet Technologies will discuss aspects of Web 2.0 that bring value to corporations, academia, and government. He'll also discuss IBM's vision around Web 2.0, including the importance of remixability and consumability. The discussion will culminate with examples of various IBM Software Group solutions you can use to get ahead of the Web 2.0 adoption curve.
FREE! Go There Now!
|
|
|
|
Learn field-tested SOA principles, methodology, technology and implementation from the global SOA market leader - in a new e-book by an IBM SOA expert. Written by IBM Certified SOA Solution Designer Bobby Woolf, "Exploring IBM SOA Technology & Practice" is the ultimate insider's guide to SOA - a PDF e-book packed cover to cover with IBM's specific advice on how to make your SOA implementation a success.
FREE! Go There Now!
|
|
|
|
Attend this launch webcast with Scott Hebner, Vice President of IBM Rational Marketing and Strategy, for an overview of Rational’s new software offerings and resources to help modernize and accelerate software innovation on i on Power Systems – while ensuring past application investments are protected and continue to grow. Learn how these solutions are helping customers extend their core i5/OS solutions toward modern architectures such as SOA and web technologies to deliver business improvements that stand the test of time.
FREE! Go There Now!
|
|
|
|
Visit IBM developerWorks to download a free trial of the latest release of IBM Lotus Sametime Standard V8.0. Lotus Sametime Standard V8.0 is a platform for unified communications and collaboration that combines security features with an extensible, open solution including integrated Voice over IP, geographic location awareness, mobile clients, and a robust Business Partner community offering telephony and video integration.
FREE! Go There Now!
|
|
|
|
This Fall, IBM Rational talks to you directly through a special teleconference series giving you access to the best minds in IBM Rational - product experts and market thought leaders who will answer your questions during these pre-scheduled telephone conference calls. Register today!
FREE! Go There Now!
|
|
|
|
Learn how to do more with your reusable assets with the free Rational Asset Manager eKit. The eKit includes demos on how Rational Asset Manager tracks and audits your assets in order to utilize them for reuse. Plus you’ll find white papers and a Webcast that discuss the challenges of a Service Oriented Architecture and how Rational Asset Manager can provide quick and effective solutions.
FREE! Go There Now!
|
|
|
|
Rational Build Forge Express Edition is an automation framework that packages the latest enterprise-grade technologies into a reliable, flexible and robust configuration designed and priced specifically for small to midsize businesses. The new Rational Build Forge Express eKit provides you with valuable resources – including a case study, podcast, demo, and articles – to help you increase staff productivity, compress development cycles and deliver better software, fast.
FREE! Go There Now!
|
|
|
|
Regression testing -- in which code is thoroughly tested to ensure that changes have not produced unexpected results -- is an important part of any development process. But many testing environments neglect the terminal-based applications that still form the backbone of many industries. In this tutorial, you'll learn how the Rational Functional Tester Extension for Terminal-Based Applications works with other Rational Functional Tester to help test terminal-based applications quickly and easily.
FREE! Go There Now!
|
|
|
|
All FREE IBM® developerWorks Tools!
|
