Networking
The lower price of entry into the Wireless N market these days will hopefully push the new standard into many more homes. However, be aware that many of the N routers on sale below $30 are not dual-band, meaning G devices on the network will choke the overall speed. The more efficient (and more expensive) N routers that offer simultaneous dual band separate the G and N devices onto different frequencies which allow them to run at their optimal speed. If you know only N devices will be connecting to your network or you’re creating a two router setup, here are a few deals:
- Amazon is offering a D-Link Wireless N router at a price point of $20 (MSRP: $76). It offers the basics of a typical network router.
- Also from Amazon is the TRENDnet TEW-652BRP Version V1.0R Wireless N router for $25, half off of its $50 list price.
- If you want a dual-band model, Newegg has the D-Link DGL-4500 for $130, $40 off its $170 original price.
- In addition to dual band, Apple’s Airport Extreme offers USB printer sharing on the network. It comes at a higher price, but Apple will have a one-day online sale tomorrow.
Storage
When it’s time for me to buy a new hard drive, I always ask myself, what can I buy for $100? These days, a 1.5 TB drive is in reach at that price point:
- The 1.5TB Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 ST31500341AS internal 3.5-inch hard drive is available from Newegg for only $97 as a Black Friday special.
-
Amazon has a 1.5TB Western Digital Caviar Green internal drive for $90 plus free shipping. WD claims the Caviar Green reduces power consumption by up to 40%.
- Need to burn Blu-ray? Burners are much more affordable than a year ago. Newegg has an 8x LG BD-R internal Blu-ray burner for $130. Purchase by the 30th and Newegg will toss in free Vermatim Blu-ray media.
Video
Plan to watch blu-ray on your PC? You’ll need a monitor (and video card) that supports HDCP. Here are some options :
- As part of its Thanksgiving Weekend Sale, Best Buy has the 20-inch Acer X203H monitor for $80. This widescreen display has a 1600-by-900 pixel resolution (a 16:9 aspect ratio) and DVI-out with HDCP.
- If you want a 1080p-resolution monitor, consider the AOC F22, which TigerDirect has for $130 (list price: $170). This display supports 1920-by-1080 pixel resolution, so you can watch your Blu-ray movies in all their glory.
And the video card to complement it:
- Newegg offers an Nvidia GeForce GTS 250 PCIe 2.0 card from PNY for $120 ($30 of its regular price). This HDCP-ready card features 1GB of DDR3 video memory. Newegg is offering free 3D vision glasses with this card while supplies last.
Story updated to fix an incorrect link.