Weekend Hardware Sales - $70 120GB SSD, NZXT H440, Fractal Define R4 Discounts

Xmas over, we head into 2015 with Broadwell on the horizon and CES announcements just a week away. As always, we'll be posting full CES coverage of new products on-site; until that time, let's recap a few of the post-xmas sales. We found a 120GB Intel SSD, discounted Z97 & X99 motherboards, and Fractal Design cases on sale.

Fractal Define R4 Black Pearl ($80): Fractal Design could be considered a “boutique” case designer. They've got a smaller marketshare than some of their larger competitors, Corsair included, but the enclosures are carefully-designed and almost always receive positive review from users and critics. We've used the Define R4 in a few builds and have found it easy to work with, relatively silent with its foam padding on the walls, and discreet for home office use without shouting “gamer.”

NZXT H440 Black + Blue ($110): Marked down a few bucks from its usual $120 MSRP, NZXT's H440 case is now available in black with blue accents at $110. We gave the case high-praise and awards when we reviewed it and believe that, if you don't need an internal optical drive, it's one of the best mid-tower cases available.

Asrock H97M Pro4 Motherboard ($70): For users seeking a non-overclocking motherboard that'd be best used in a home-theater or budget gaming setup, the H97 chipset makes more sense than Z97. ASRock's Pro4 H97 micro-ATX board is available at $70 right now, making for a solid option when not overclocking.

ASRock X99 Extreme4 Board ($200): One of the most affordable X99 boards around, ASRock's sale extends to include a $70 off coupon (F4-2666C15Q) with the purchase of memory in combo. If you're looking for a budget X99 board for Haswell-E (LGA2011-v3), this is a good starting point.

Zalman CNPS9900MAX CPU Cooler ($30): After MIR and other discounts, Zalman's nickel-plated CNPS9900 Max CPU cooler comes in at $30. The cooler is equipped with a 135mm fan and circular heatsink, providing a classic look and high-performance thermal dissipation. The larger fan allows it to spin at lower RPMs than 120mm counterparts while still cooling efficiently, granting lowered noise levels.

Pick of the Week

Intel 530 Series 120GB SSD ($70): SSDs are cheaper than ever, now priced close to $0.50 per GB. The Intel 530 Series SSD makes for a high-performance MLC solution for gaming setups. It lacks some of the production offerings of the 850 Pro – like encryption and VNAND – but makes more sense for consumers and gamers.

- Steve “Lelldorianx” Burke.