Event Coverage

PC Show 2013 - Notebooks/Systems, Networking, PC Accessories/Software & Gaming Gear Buying Guide

By Team HardwareZone - 7 Jun 2013

Gaming Gear

Gaming Gear Deals at Comex 2013

Here are some top gaming gear deals at this year's Comex:

Razer Kraken 7.1

The Kraken 7.1 USB-based gaming headphones offers a surround sound experience with its advanced virtual surround sound engine. With its digital omnidirectional microphone that can be stowed away, the device is able to maintain its sleek profile.

Comex 2013 Offer

  • Comex Price: $169.90
  • Comex Promotion: Spend S$120 or more to get a limited edition Razer T-shirt (worth S$69.90)
  • Brochure

Location

Hall 6, Booth 6709

Razer Black Widow Tournament Edition

The Black Widow Tournament Edition gaming keyboard features Cherry MX blue switches that provide more tactile feedback and a softer feel. The keyboard is compact, due to the absence of a number pad, freeing up desktop space.

Comex 2013 Offer

  • Comex Price: $139.90
  • Comex Promotion: Spend S$120 or more to get a limited edition Razer T-shirt (worth S$69.90)

Location

Hall 6, Booth 6709

CM Storm Pulse-R  Gaming Headset

This gaming headset boasts of aluminum ear plates that are laser etched. It features a pair of 42mm drivers that are responsible for pumping out high-quality sound. It also comes with a detachable noise-cancellation microphone.

Comex 2013 Offer

  • Comex Price: S$118
  • Comex Promotion: Free Battle Pad
  • Brochure

Location

Hall 6, Booth 6709

Roccat Kone Pure Hellfire Red Version

This limited edition gaming mouse from Roccat strikes an impression with its blazing red color that is not commonly seen in gaming mouse. It features the same 8200 DPI Pro-Aim laser sensor as well as Omron switches, found in the Kone Pure series.


Comex 2013 Offer

  • Comex Price: S$119
  • Comex Promotion: Free gaming mouse pad
  • Brochure

Location

Hall 6, Booth 6709

 

Comex 2013 Gaming Gear Portal

Gaming Gear Buying Guide

Gamers are a completely different type of user when compared with regular consumers. Consequently, gamers demand a completely different level of performance from their gadgets and technology. Taking note of this, manufacturers have been branding their products with the “gamer” tag to appeal to this particular market demographic. But it takes much more that creative wordplay to turn a peripheral into one that will pass a gamer’s stringent standards.

GAMING GEAR TODAY

For the purpose of this segment, we will be focusing mainly on the devices and peripherals available to PC gamers. These gadgets can be broadly divided along the following lines.

 

Gaming Mice

 

It can be argued, that the mouse is the most important gaming peripheral for the PC. Be it FPS, RTS, RPG or any other genre of game important functions like selecting objects, shooting, panning the camera and looking around all accomplished with a click. As a general rule, good gaming mice use a laser sensor as opposed to the LED lights used by optical mice. This gives gaming mice higher response times and greater accuracy. In addition, gaming mice may also boast programmable or macro keys for the benefit of MMORPG players.

 

Gaming Keyboards

 

As can be expected, input peripherals have the most impact on the user’s gaming experience. Gaming keyboards generally differ from regular versions as they come with backlight keys for use in dark environments. In addition, they have a host of additional features such as LCD panels for displaying pertinent system info and customizable keys. But the most important feature to look out for in a gaming keyboard is the switches used. For the most part, gaming keyboards use mechanical switches for faster actuation.

 

Gaming Headsets

While gamers do appreciate audiophile grade sound quality, their demands from a headset are different from music lovers. Soundstage and directionality of audio is given prime importance. As you can imagine, correctly identifying the direction of sounds can give you an edge especially when playing first person shooter titles. Gaming headsets also come equipped with microphones for use when chatting with teammates in-game.

 

PC Show 2013 PC Accessories Portal

 

What To Look Out For

With such a variety of gaming gear, there are a lot of considerations to keep in mind.

  • Mechanical Switches (Gaming Keyboard). Any gaming keyboard worth its salt should utilize mechanical switches as opposed to membrane technology. As suggested by the name, pressing the keys on a mechanical keyboard results in actual “mechanical” movement of parts. Mechanical keyboards are known to provide varying travel distances and response times. There are different types of mechanical switches, Cherry MX Black, Cherry MX Red, Cherry MX Blue, Cherry MX Brown and Cherry MX Clear being some of the more popular options at present. Each has its own individual, unique mechanism for pressing keys and actuation. Our recommendation would be to try out each switch-type to determine your preferred version. Mechanical Switches are also able to withstand good amounts of “key-bashing” and are quite resilient. Do be warned however, mechanical keyboards make a distinctly loud “clacking” noise when used.


  • Key Rollover (Gaming Keyboard). Simply put, Key Rollover or KRO is a measure of the number of keys that can be simultaneously pressed and registered. Our own personal preference is for keyboards to have a 6KRO i.e. six keys can be pressed at the same time and accurately registered. However, N-KRO keyboard are also available i.e. an infinite number of keys can be pressed and registered. Key Rollover features are also what make macro-keys possible.
  • Polling Rates and (Gaming Mouse). The polling rate is the one of the most critical specifications for a gaming mouse. It refers to the time interval taken by the mouse sensor to collect pertinent information. Good gaming mice should offer a polling rate of 1000Hz which means that the mouse will query the processor for information once every millisecond.

  • Wired .vs. Wireless. Gamers will always prefer wired peripherals to wireless peripherals. With the former there is no danger of the batteries running out at the exact wrong moment. Wired peripherals also offer stable transmission of data and do not suffer from latency or lag issues. Wireless devices have come a long way and casual gamers can look into testing them out for the convenience they offer. Modern gaming products also come with the option to be used in wired or wireless versions as well and would be an option who want the best of both worlds.

  • Angle Snapping (Gaming Mouse). Angle snapping is an algorithm for mice that allows users to draw straight lines by hand. While it is excellent for many applications, such as editing images in Photoshop, it is not the best feature for gamers. Gaming mice come with the option to turn this feature off so that they can get better control and more precision with their cursor movements. Do check with the sellers to confirm whether or not the gaming mouse you choose enables you to toggle angle snapping on and off.

  • Virtual .vs. Actual Surround. As mentioned earlier, surround sound and directionality of audio is the name of the game when it comes to gaming headsets. Manufacturers provide 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound with their gaming headset products. But it is important to check how this effect is achieved. The cheaper headsets provide “virtual” surround sound with the help of software manipulation. Better performing products however tend to employ multiple drivers to deliver “actual” surround sound. It is important to decide on budget and performance expectations before setting out to procure a gaming headset.
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