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Category: Test

  • Logitech Ergo M575 wireless mouse with trackball

    Logitech Ergo M575

    Logitech Ergo M575 : a wireless mouse with trackball and up to two years of battery life

    The Logitech Ergo M575 mouse doesn’t need to be moved to move the cursor, it all happens under your thumb. It has an optical sensor and therefore a very long battery life of up to two years. It is sold for 50 euros.

    Logitech has offered trackball mice for years. It is a large ball allowing you to move the cursor, without having to maneuver the mouse. Convenient for offices with limited space.

    “ Your hand and arm stay relaxed because you don’t have to move your arm to move the slider, ” says the manufacturer . Its angled design helps keep “ the fingers in a more natural position ,” he adds. Nothing new here, several mice are already available in the Ergo range.

    Logitech Ergo M575

    Optical sensor, five buttons, Bluetooth and Unifying

    The M575 has five buttons, three of which are programmable, and a thumbwheel. It uses an optical sensor with a “nominal” resolution of 400 dpi and “maximum” resolution of 2000 dpi. This is an important difference with the M570 trackball which used a laser sensor which allows it to be more energy efficient.

    See Also : Logitech G402 Hyperion Fury Better Than G502?

    Of course, the trackball ball can be removed for cleaning. The set connects to the computer via Bluetooth or using the Unifying USB receiver included in the bundle. The manufacturer announces ” up to two years of autonomy with a single AA battery ” if you use Unifying technology, against twenty months in Bluetooth.

    In practice, this will obviously depend on your use.

    Recycled plastic, available for 50 euros
    The manufacturer highlights the fact that ” the plastic components of ERGO M575 are made from post-consumer recycled plastic (50% in Graphite shade and 21% in Off-white) “.

    The packaging paper is “ made from wood from FSC certified forests ”. Logitech offers its new Ergo M575 mouse for 50 euros , which places it well below other models equipped with a trackball … at least officially. Because if the M570 is 90 euros on the Logitech site, it is found at 44 euros.

    See Also : Roccat Kone AIMO Remastered – Review, Test and support Software

  • Cyber Acoustics Stereo PC Headset perfect choice for VoIP

    Cyber Acoustics

    Cyber Acoustics Stereo perfect choice for VoIP and gaming

    Stylish, comfortable and high quality, The AC-204 Analog Stereo Headset is the perfect choice for VoIP and gaming. Improve the quality of your listening experience with the 30mm dynamic transducers of the AC-204 headphones.

    Its adjustable headband design is perfect for all head sizes, and the flexible, noise-reducing mic arm with 80 ° swivel does the trick, whatever your preference. The AC-204 headset uses 3.5mm dual jacks, compatible with most computers.

    See Also : Logitech G733 Wireless Headset Review

    Device Compatible

    (Not compatible with Chromebook, Tablets or Mac) The AC-204 headset uses a single 3.5mm plug, compatible with Android, Apple, Chromebook, tablets and most desktop computers. With the included adapter, the AC-204 is backwards compatible with all other hardware.

    This review may help some prospective buyers understand some of the upsides and downsides of this unit.

    Upsides

    • This headset is very inexpensive compared to others on the market, so it doesn’t beat up your wallet badly.
    • When used with my laptop computer, it works great: the sound from the headphones is quite good compared to a landline and sometimes better/worse than a cell phone connection, which often depends on the cell system and setup.
    • If you have a single connector coming out of your computer, cell phone, tablet or whatever device you’re going to be using the headset with, it’s just fine.
    • The connectors all have reasonable-looking stress reliefs on the cables, so they shouldn’t be too fragile.

    Releated Post : Roccat Syn Pro Air Headset Review 

    Downsides:

    • When used with my cell phone — an LG Tracfone, admittedly not particularly high end, but perfectly functional for day-to-day use — the sound from the headphones was good, but people who I talked to said that my voice sounded very tinny, similar to what you’d expect in a military aircraft or vehicle intercom – probably an impedance or preamp issue between the phone circuit and the microphone in the headset.
    • If you were playing video games and/or demand super sound performance, these are definitely not for you — they’re inexpensive, functional headphones, not a set of Bose or Sennheiser wonderphones.
    • If you have a double connector coming out of your computer, cell phone, tablet or whatever device you’re going to be using the headset with, you’ll have to use the included cable splitter — not a big deal, since it comes with the headset and it’s free, but it’s another thing to clutter up your workspace.

    Testing For Cyber Acoustics

    I’ve only been using the headset for a few days, and essentially all my usage has been for Skype phone calls with my Lenovo laptop. I purchased a right angle cable extender (with 8″ cable) to allow me to plug in/out the headset without overworking the 3.5 mm single connector on my laptop.

    I figured it would be a lot less hassle in the event of a future busted jack to replace the extender than it would be to deal with a broken connector on the motherboard, which can happen if you plug in/out more than a few thousand times.

    Overall, it seems like a very good buy — now we’ll have to see how long the headset lasts under the few-times daily use that I’ll put it to.

  • Xbox Series X Test: Comfort and Power to spare

    Xbox Series X offers everything

    Determined to offer the most powerful home gaming console, Microsoft is doing nothing wrong with its Xbox Series X. Clearly designed for performance, right down to its design. What to offer total satisfaction to the players?

    Presentation for Xbox Series X

    To better compete with Sony’s PlayStation 4, Microsoft has shifted its focus over the last generation of consoles. Leaving aside the multimedia aspect and Kinect of the early days of the Xbox One to focus on gaming and nothing but the game.

    From this vision was born the Xbox One X, a console designed to deliver the best possible performance to players. In order to take back the crown of the most powerful game console, until then successively owned. by PS4 then PS4 Pro.

    See Also : Razer Naga X Dedicated for MMO Players

    Game Consoles

    For its fourth generation of game consoles (the ninth, in absolute terms. If we are talking about home consoles, all brands combined). Microsoft has not changed its objective by designing a home console based on the same principles. Which immediately promises raw specifications superior to those of its announced rival, the PlayStation 5.

    A console which also retains the X suffix of its predecessor – at the risk of causing confusion – and even its deliberately sober aesthetic. Xbox Series X up again on pure power, without having to compromise to pull prices down, leaving these constraints to more affordable Xbox S Series .

    Xbox Series X image

    Specification

    The result is a console delivering 12 teraFLOPS gross graphics power (compared to 10.28 for the PS5), based on AMD’s latest RDNA 2 GPU architecture. The processor part is not left out. With an 8 core AMD Zen 2 CPU clocked at 3.8 GHz, associated with 16 GB of GDDR6 RAM. Announced goal: games playable in 4K Ultra HD at 60 frames per second, and even up to 120 fps for some.

    The icing on the cake also on the storage side, a 1 TB SSD offering raw speeds of 2.4 GB / s and placed at the heart of a “Velocity” architecture. for the promise of drastically reduced loading times.

    See Also : Review MSI B450 Gaming Plus Software

    Manufacturing

    Offering such high performance while keeping in mind the requirements of discretion specific to a home console was undoubtedly not an easy task for the designers and designers of the Xbox Series X. If they are used to working hand in hand. One could guess until now a certain domination of the design, it is true essential for the identity of a game console.

    For the Xbox Series X however, the designers have obviously obtained more freedom to overcome the constraints in a traditional format. More or less close to a living room turntable. The result is a console unlike any other, in the shape of a small tower which is more reminiscent of a mini PC than a game console in the collective imagination.

    An originality that we could rather observe at Nintendo from the GameCube, but that cannot be explained here by a simple ardor of the designers. Indeed, if the Xbox Series X adopts this form, it is for a more pragmatic reason: to maximize the efficiency of its cooling system.

    Design

    It is for this reason besides that the Xbox Series X is designed to be arranged vertically. The heat dissipation being done by only one side and an irremovable base being fixed on the opposite side. It is well planned to be able to lay it down horizontally, but then we lose very clearly in style, the console then appearing more massive.

    This lying position may nevertheless be the only possible one for many users who do not conceive for a second to leave it in an upright position on their TV cabinet, or even next to it.

    Whether you like the design of the Series X or not, in one way or the other. It is clear that the console is more discreet than what you might think at first glance. Its matte black color fits quite well among the equipment that is usually found alongside a TV and despite an all plastic design, the finishes are of a good level.

    We simply regret the propensity of the shell to cover itself with fingerprints. Which is not, however, too disturbing in the context of classic domestic use. The curious with fingers potentially stained with hydroalcoholic gel are not supposed to s ‘rub it as much as a tester having to handle his console as part of a test.

     

    See Also : Razer Blade 15 Gaming Laptop High End

    XBox Controller

    Behind an appearance suggesting that Microsoft was content to take back its Xbox One controller to simply endow it with a share button. The Xbox Series X controller is in fact improved. A few millimeters less here, a little more roundness there, without revolutionizing an already highly appreciated design,

    Microsoft has achieved a more universal grip. We realize this in particular when switching back to an Xbox One controller after using the Xbox Series controller for a few hours. The old controller seems more clumsy and offers a less natural grip.

    Xbox Series X image 2

    Compatibility Xbox Series X

    This does not prevent Microsoft from ensuring full backward and forward compatibility of its Xbox controllers. Both of which can be used interchangeably on Xbox One, Xbox Series X / S and even PCs (in Bluetooth or via a proprietary USB dongle).

    Be careful, however, the Dynamic Input Latency technology introduced by the Xbox Series X and S only works with the new Xbox Series controllers. Only the latter therefore make it possible to subtract a few milliseconds from the latency of the commands with the optimized games.

    Picture

    A good next-gen console, the Xbox Series X is up for the new display standards and offers absolutely full compatibility with HDMI 2.1. A news that will please owners of compatible televisions who will now be happy to enjoy video streams up to 2160p / 12 bits at 120 Hz without any colorimetric sub-sampling, as well as Variable Refresh Rate and Auto Low Latency Mode technologies.

    Which respectively guarantee an automatic adaptation of the refresh rate of the screen to the frame rate delivered by the console and the switch to the display mode which offers the lowest latency (typically TV game mode). The console is therefore supplied with a certified HDMI 2.1 cable, the very high speed necessary to comply with this standard.

    No jealousy for HDR formats, the Series X manages both HDR10 and Dolby Vision. This second format is initially only available for video streaming services, but we are promised that it will also be usable in games later. Ultra HD Blu-rays, on the other hand, are less spoiled: very frustratingly, the X Series does not handle Dolby Vision data when playing movies on disc, and therefore falls back to the “simple” HDR10 stream.

    His the Xbox Series X

    Despite communication that could not be more discreet in terms of its sound capabilities, the Xbox Series X can, like the Xbox One S and X before it, produce 3D audio streams, for video content as well as for compatible games – still rare, alas. For this, Microsoft has certainly gone less far than Sony for its PlayStation 5: its system is on paper noticeably less advanced than that of Japanese (it only manages about twenty dynamic sound objects, against several hundred for the Tempest Engine. of the PlayStation 5), and relies in part on bricks provided by audio specialists Dolby and DTS.

    Sound Xbox Series X

    The approach has its advantage: the lucky owners of a sound bar or a home cinema compatible with Dolby Atmos or DTS: X can thus take advantage of the height channels of their installation to immerse themselves in the sound of their games. It also has its drawback: it is certainly also possible to take advantage of this spatialization with a simple stereo headset thanks to the support for Dolby Atmos for Headphones or DTS Headphone: X processing, but these require the purchase of a license. , at € 17.99 and € 19.99 respectively. We carefully set aside the Windows Sonic processing: although it’s free, its very imprecise and unnatural rendering doesn’t make it a recommendable option.

    Headset Bluetooth Support?

    Speaking of headphones, the Xbox Series X, like all modern consoles, does not support Bluetooth headsets. A constraint which is justified by the fact that the latency induced by the Bluetooth protocol would be unacceptable in a gaming situation.

    For those who wish to use a wireless headset with their console, the only solution is therefore to obtain a headset with a Bluetooth transmitter / receiver with the official Xbox license – Microsoft has, unfortunately, a thousand times the choice to reuse on its new generation consoles a proprietary USB audio protocol that is not interoperable with any other platform not even Windows!

    User experience

    The interface of the Xbox Series X will not disorient the regulars of the Xbox ecosystem, since it simply resumes without any modification the one we already know today on Xbox One. You don’t change a winning formula, you might say; this supposes however to consider this interface as a winner, which is by no means indisputable.

    With its hierarchy not always very orderly and its sets of panels and tabs with a very perfectible legibility, it requires a substantial adaptation time before we manage to navigate it without difficulty.

    Satisfaction

    Once this time has passed, however, the Microsoft machine offers a very satisfactory “quality of life”, thanks in particular to the Quick Resume function, which we have already largely discussed during our console preview phase ; As a reminder, the new generation machines from Microsoft are able to keep in memory the state of some games (four to six in general), between which the user can walk without ever having to go through a main menu.

    Pause your game of Gears 5 for a match or two on Fifa , then return to Gears 5: you will find your game exactly as you left it. In general, the transition from a game placed in Quick Resume mode – which is done automatically – to another takes about fifteen on average, the time to transfer the game data from the RAM to the SSD and to copy it into the computer. ‘other meaning those of the game to launch, whose state state until then saved in a space reserved on the SSD.

    Memory

    SSD

    Let’s talk about the capacity of the SSD. After converting from terabyte to tebibyte to obtain the capacity actually available (909 GB) and despite this space probably dedicated to the Quick Resume function (whose capacity is unknown) as well as that reserved for the operating system,

    We finally benefit from a useful capacity of 802 GB. Enough to store a dozen games, or even more if they are not big AAA titles. A relief from the 364 GB of the S Series.

    Gamers accustomed to juggling even more games will still be able to archive the ones they use the least to a USB storage device. An external solution that allows the launch of old backward compatible games, but not games optimized for Xbox Series X, which must be installed on SSD to take advantage of its higher speeds, which cannot be achieved when data must pass through a USB connection.

    Expansion Memory

    There is also the option of the official 1TB expansion cartridge manufactured by Seagate, but unfortunately sold a small fortune (€ 269.99 at launch). Designed to offer strictly the same performance as the internal SSD of the Xbox Series X and S while being interfaced to also take advantage of the Velocity architecture, it remains an interesting backup solution in the event that future games become even larger.

    To be reserved for the moment for those who absolutely want to install many games on their console.

    Games

    When it launches on November 10, 2020, the Xbox Series X will be able to count on around forty games optimized for it (as well as for its S Series sister). A very honorable figure, which must however be tempered by the fact that all of these games will also be available on previous generation consoles. And that the majority of them have even in truth already been released for month.

    In fact, these titles obviously do not demonstrate the omnipotence of the Series X. No next-gen slap in sight on the first day: we rather have the impression of seeing all these titles that we already know well turn on a high-end PC. All graphics options pushed to the limit, which is certainly already appreciable.

    Let’s not deny our pleasure in playing Sea of ​​Thieves in native 4K at 60 fps. This new version of Gears 5.which does not have much to envy to its PC counterpart in full adjustment (and even exceeds it on certain points. In particular its global illumination using a whole new implementation, richer and more precise).

    For the lucky owners of compatible screens, some games even offer 120 fps modes that work wonderfully, at the cost of surprisingly minimal graphics concessions. The two titles we were able to try in this configuration sacrifice only a small portion of their rendering definition: 1440 p dynamic instead of 2160 p dynamic in the multiplayer of this same Gears 5, and 1800p instead of 2160p for The Falconeer, with in both cases an image remaining very pleasant on a 4K screen.

    Backward compatibility

    A pillar of Microsoft’s argument for its new consoles, the backward compatibility of the Xbox Series X commands respect. So think, with the entire Xbox One catalog, but also a good part of that of the Xbox 360 and even some titles of the classic Xbox (provided that these have already been made Xbox One compatible). The Xbox Series X Kicks off its career with the largest catalog of games we’ve ever seen on a home console – even though, as we’ve seen, Series X optimized launch games aren’t very numerous.

    Unlike the Xbox Series S which is essentially based on the Xbox One S versions of backward compatible games. The Xbox Series X does use the Xbox One X versions of these same games when available, improving them in the process. The smoothness, of course, benefits in the first place when the framerate is unlocked. The games that struggled to hold the 60 fps in a stable manner are this time much more enjoyable:

    Monster Hunter World , Final Fantasy XV , Rise and Shadow of the Tomb Raider or Hitman are all titles that clearly benefit from the switch to Xbox Series X. As for games that use a dynamic rendering definition, such Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, they make a real leap in image quality.

    The promise of eradicating load times cannot be applied to backward compatible games, but we can still see clear gains thanks to the SSD of the Xbox Series X. We thus noted during our tests a time division of loading saves by 4 which can be quite life changing in games where failures are frequent and result in long loads to get back to the last save point.

    Consumption, heating and noise

    As the good power monster it claims to be, the Xbox Series X has not really made energy sobriety one of its precepts. On Gears 5 in optimized version – the most greedy of all the games that we had at our disposal for this test. The beast generally swallows between 180 W and 195 W of electric power. with even peaks raised slightly above 200 W in the most complex scenes.

    This is significantly more than the Xbox One X, which was generally content with 130 W to 150 W in play, with peaks raised to the maximum at 175 W. Strangely, the Series X is even quite greedy when it is. simply kept on standby, which always requires 11 W of power (29 W when a download is in progress in the background).

    Consumption

    How to evacuate the heat produced by such consumption? This is a difficult question … to which the engineers at Microsoft have provided an absolutely masterful answer. The combination of the radiator with steam chamber, an unusual air flow. But perfectly optimized, and the gigantic fan (130 mm) enthroned in the height of the tower. Evacuates this energy with flawless efficiency, and especially without the little or almost no noise.

    Even by sticking to the hot air exhaust grille, that is to say less than 5 cm from the fan. We could only measure a maximum noise at 33 dB (A) – a value to take tweezers, since it is almost at the limit of sensitivity of our sound level meter! In practice, as soon as you move away more than a meter from the console,

    Heating and Noise

    Let us also take the trouble to specify that this cooling should largely retain its effectiveness even when the console is placed horizontally in a piece of furniture. The decidedly very clever design of the machine means that the air flow then moves from left to right. Without any “loop” being likely to form as when the evacuation is done at the back of the console.

    Of course, the usual precautions must be taken: it is not impossible that future games exploiting more fully the capacities of the console. To put its cooling system to the more severe test, or that the progressive fouling of the console. The machine makes it lose its long-term efficiency – we are especially wary of this last point. Since the large air intake holes of the Series X are not equipped with any dust filter.

    It is still unlikely that such a cathedral could at any time in its life turn into a wind tunnel. If silence is golden, the Xbox Series X is a real gem.

    Conclusion

    Very well built, the Xbox Series X offers everything one would expect from a home console in terms of hardware: speed, good performance, ease of use, silence.

    If the launch games specifically designed for exploiting the capabilities of the Series X are lacking. And the promise of disappearing loading times is not yet fully kept despite the optimization of certain games. The Microsoft console makes up for it with a remarkable backward compatibility that brings speed and fluidity to all the titles that were already running on Xbox One.

    Despite fairly slight changes, the comfort of the new Xbox Series controller and the lower latency it brings confirm a particularly convincing overall gaming experience.

     

  • Razer Raptor 27 Monitor Review: A feast for the eyes of gamers

    Razer Raptor 27

    Perfect PIXEL?

    For some time now, Razer has been diversifying its range, originally a peripheral specialist, and now screens come into play. With some of the graphics qualities of recent games, whether competitive or not, they require a screen with good quality.

    Graphics but also a high frequency for the most demanding gamers on the fluidity of the game. This is where Razer comes in by offering this screen: the Razer Raptor 27 inches .

    A screen of excellent build quality on a 27-inch IPS panel with QHD resolution with a refresh rate of 144Hz . An excellent compromise between pixel density and game fluidity.

    Design

    On the design side, once unpacked, the monitor is mounted directly on its stand. There is a fairly large 27-inch panel, a size of a perfect compromise for FPS and big triple A.

    With an excellent finish and an elegant design that does not leave indifferent on its aluminum base under -Lead by a very nice and fairly discreet RGB outline, which Razer knows how to get us used to.

    The screen is not curved which is quite a shame for a screen of this size, but it is forgivable given the quality of this screen.

     

    See Also : Full Review AOCC24G1 Gaming Monitor

    Screen

    The advantage of tilting this screen is the passage of cables because we have direct access to the screen ports that we will present later. For the cable glands, the idea was good, however the cables are difficult to pass and the clips go too easily and the flat cables twist too easily, which risks damaging them.

    Another negative point, the installation and connection of the cables is clearly not the most practical. The ports are quite difficult to access.

    As far as the cables are concerned, they are in the brand’s iconic green color. They are flat which allows them to be stored easily, however they are difficult to mold when you want to work on your cable management. We note, however, that Razer has been generous in providing cables, with USB-C, DisplayPort and HDMI, depending on your preferences.

    The Razer Raptor 27 is still a small slap in terms of aesthetics. Few of the screens are so well finished and with such an excellent build quality and a design as refined as this one.

     

    Razer Raptor 27 image

    Image quality

    Now for the most important part, the quality of the image and the comfort that Razer offers us on this Raptor 27. Naturally when we put nearly 800 € in a screen, the main expectation is an excellent quality of the image.

    The frequency as well as the colorimetry, are also two criteria to which this screen responds. At first glance, the resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels in 16: 9 allows a good density of pixels for a picture of great sharpness.

    This resolution is an excellent compromise between Full HD and 4K UHD, which allows an excellent ratio in terms of image quality which, given the power of current graphics cards, is fully in line with high frequencies. However, you still need a graphics card up to the task in order to take full advantage of it.

     

    See Also :  Review ASUS TUF Gaming VG279QM

     

    Screen Tested

    The screen has been tested on a Razer Blade 15 with the following configuration:

    • Intel Core i7-10875H
    • 16 GB DDR4 RAM
    • Nvidia RTX 2080 Super MAX-Q
    • As for the games, we tested both the triple A games to test the image quality itself as well as the FPS to test the fluidity (all the games have obviously been tested in maximum quality).

    Shadow of the Tomb Rider which thanks to this screen is very pleasant to play.

    • Dark Souls 3: 60 fps, very good play of light and contrast
    • Fortnite: 144 fps
    • StarWars BattleFont II 1080 ultra: 144 fps constant
    • Jedi Fallen Order 1440p ultra: 90 fps constant

    Brightness

    Naturally, with a setup like this such a screen shows its full potential in games. The fluidity is very good, relatively classic is a 144Hz in FPS type games is t r Bachelor nice, and most importantly, very useful. All this coupled with the resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels and you have an excellent gaming monitor.

    You have to take into account that a resolution like this requires a good configuration in order to take full advantage of it.

    But what about the image quality? Well it’s pretty good, indeed the brightness is good (420 cd / m²) and the contrast too (1000: 1). The color range is managed by Razer Chroma RGB Underglow with its 16.8 million colors which offers a wide range.

    Resolution

    The advantage of this screen, in addition to its resolution and frequency, is the type of panel that was used. Here, we have an IPS panel, this allows precisely this excellent brightness and this contrast. IPS technology allows better color reproduction as well as a viewing angle, close to 180 °.

    However, the response time is slower, in fact this screen has a latency of 4 ms, which is relatively high for a gaming type screen, especially for competitive players who will certainly experience this latency.

    Note, however, that to take full advantage of this screen, no specific adjustment is necessary, which is an excellent point.

    The connection

    In terms of connectivity, the Razer Raptor 27 is relatively well supplied. There is an HDMI 2.0, a DisplayPort 1.2 which naturally allows you to take advantage of the maximum frequency, USB-C 3.1 which allows the charging of a laptop as well as the passage of the DisplayPort protocol. There are also two USB 3.1 ports in Gen 1.0 that allow you to connect other peripherals.

    It is also necessary to speak about the green cables with the image of the mark which recall the logo. They are solid but we regret their flattened shape which does not allow total malleability during cable management.

    Cable Management Raptor 27 inch

    However, when it comes to pure connectivity, the Razer Raptor 27 is good, it has it all without having too much and allows any type of connection of multiple devices.

    This Razer screen is certainly relatively expensive but we can not deny that the quality is present. The finish is beautiful and the design is sober and beautiful. But the main argument of this screen is its panel, a high frequency of 144 Hz, as well as a beautiful resolution.

    IPS Panel Raptor manitor

    But Razer, unlike some brands, does not stop there and offers us an IPS panel of an excellent quality. Which allows a better immersion in games, better colors and all with the characteristics of a classic gamer screen of this range.

    This slab is appreciable as much for gamers of adventure games, RPGs and others as for more competitive players. However, we regret the lack of VESA support, here the foot (certainly beautiful) is imposed on us and the configuration on the desktop is more limited, as the format of the cables.

    Razer Support Software

     

     

  • Logitech G Pro X Superlight Super Sensor

    Logitech G Pro

    Logitech G Pro X Superlight with super sensor?

    Logitech delivers the most precise sensor in the industry today with over 25,000 DPI. Nevertheless: Even in the test of current e-sports titles such as CS, GO, Fortnite or Dota 2. I am could not find any difference to the 16,000 DPI competing models.

    In the latency test, on the other hand, the Logitech G Pro X Superlight measured a delay of 4.2 ms between click and action. For a wireless mouse, this is a good, but not perfect, value.

    The mouse is also fun with common games such as Age of Empires III Definitie Edition, Doom Eternal or the puzzle game Disco Eysium – but only after it has been made non-slip (more on this below). It is also well suited for everyday office life, as it does not require any noticeable lighting and there is no oversupply of buttons to get in the way of work.

     

    Related Post : Review Logitech G915 Mouse Gaming

     

    Design and Handling

    Material

    In the test, the eel-smooth surface of the mouse was initially annoying, which makes it look a little “cheap”. Appearances or even the feeling are deceptive.

    Logitech processes extremely resistant hard plastic here. If you like a little more “grip”, you can stick the supplied studded strips on the Logitech G Pro X Superlight.

    This works in the test, but requires a bit of tact until all “bubbles” have been eliminated.

    Logitech G Pro

    Comfortable

    Compared to the larger competing models, however, it also fits in small hands. Nevertheless, the ergonomics of larger hands suffers.

    At first, the very slippery surface was also annoying: the gaming mouse was too easy to move on the mouse pad or other surfaces and slid around.

    After replacing the magnetic compartment on the underside, which doubles as a shelter for the wireless receiver, the mouse held a little more firmly. Nevertheless, the liability was not on the level of the other Logitech models

    Buttons

    With this model, Logitech relies entirely on a simple look two buttons on the left side, three buttons on the top. Ambitious gamers who would like to assign special commands to a dozen additional buttons will not be happy with the Logitech G Pro X Superlight Wireless.

    However, if you don’t need a lot of buttons, you will have real pleasure with the mouse because of its weight.

    However, the following applies it is essential to test it beforehand. The low weight is not for everyone. In terms of ergonomics, it cannot be compared with the sister models G604 or the competition due to its simple shape and does not fit perfectly in the hand. With slight restrictions, it is also suitable for left-handers.

    See Also : Best Mouse Gaming from Roccat Kain 122 RGB 

     

    Good battery life

    The battery life of the Logitech G Pro X Superlight is also okay, but like the other models in the comparison test, it cannot come close to the 200 hours of the G604 After 77 hours of continuous gaming, the Superlight was over.

    The outdated USB standard is a bit strange. Because while manufacturers rely on the USB-C standard for almost all modern accessories or devices.

    Software For Logitech G Pro X Superlight

    OS Windows Support (windows 10 : 32-bit,64-bit)

    Installer (10mb)

    Conclusion

    Originally intended by and for esports professionals, the Logitech G Pro X Superlight also impresses as an all-rounder in various areas. Its inconspicuous appearance also allows it to pass easily as a companion in everyday office life and, thanks to the 25,000 DPI sensor, it delivers extreme precision even with normal games.

    The somewhat cheap-looking material impression was less appealing, even if the hard plastic is quite stable. Still, Logitech has built the lightest and most precise wireless mouse here. The only disadvantage: At 149 € it is much too expensive.

  • Roccat Kone AIMO Remastered, Review, Test and Software Support

    roccat aimo

    What the Different?  Roccat Kone AIMO REMASTERED

    To end my series of gaming mouse test, I invite you to discover the test of the Roccat Kone Aimo , in its Remastered version. This one relies on its multiple buttons, its RGB or its pretty design to convince you to get it.

    Available in black white, it is relatively bulky and is therefore intended mainly for large hands. Discover the test in detail now.

    Design And Built Quality

    Visually Roccat

    Visually, the Roccat Kone Aimo gaming mouse presents very well, with quality plastics . The flexible, braided USB cord offers a nice length of 1.8m, but I still find it quite thin compared to a Corsair Dark Core Pro RGB , for example. The beautiful white color of the body contrasts with the black notches.

    Once is not customary, the gamer style asserts itself through geometry. The straight lines associated with the few curves of the body form an original and nonetheless coherent whole.

    The depth of the notches also contrasts with the rest of the mouse, adding to the already very characterful design of the gaming mouse.

    However, I have some doubts about the maintenance, because I find that the dust lodges quite easily in these spaces.

     

    See Also : Roccat Kone EMP, Comfortable mouse and software support

     

    Roccat Logo

    The Roccat logo is nice , but I would have liked it to be RGB, like the SteelSeries Rival 3 . A complaint that is all the more understandable when we know how much the backlighting constitutes a heavy marketing argument for Roccat.

    Ergonomic this mouse

    During the first grip, I found the grip a little weird, halfway between the Logitech G502 Lightspeed and the Corsair Dark Core I told you about previously. It is surprising at first, but you get used to it more or less quickly.

    The body hugs the palm of the hand , but the right-leaning design is quite confusing. My hand is not positioned very naturally, I always have the feeling that it will “slide” on the right side. The Roccat Kone Aimo does not fit perfectly into the extension of the arm and wrist.

    Suddenly, in game, it is relatively noticeable, especially since its weight does not go unnoticed (130 g). However, it seems to me well distributed and therefore does not interfere with use.

    Comfortable

    A good idea to note: on the left, the body is curved to accommodate the thumb so that it can rest. An interesting idea, which Roccat could however have exploited more by installing a grip zone, for example. In doing so, the mouse would have gained in comfort.

    In terms of comfort, moreover, I find that the connection between the wrist and the body of the mouse is a bit broken.

    This is certainly the unfortunate lot of all conventional mice except ergonomic mice, but the break is a bit more pronounced here than for the other models I have tested.

     

    See Also : Roccat Kain 122 RGB Review Mouse Gaming

     

    Nice Mouse

    Finally, the buttons are intelligently placed: the change of DPI in the center allows you to quickly switch to sniper fire, for example. Very practical for FPS, and very much in the spirit of Roccat. There are also side buttons, including the famous Easy Shift. I come back to that below.

    What performance for this gaming mouse?

    Now let’s see what the mouse is worth in-game. I’ve tested several titles, Star Wars Battlefront 2 and Farcry 5, for example, and I have to say I’m pretty happy. The precision of the optical sensor is honorable.

    The mouse follows and reproduces the movements of the wrist without jerks, and even limits any hand tremors in the game. The glide is pretty good, although I advise you to use it with a mouse pad for more fluidity.

    The different buttons, meanwhile, are perfectly responsive, but they are not the most notable. The side buttons, for example, do not stand out very well to the touch, you fumble around, which creates a few missclicks. For the rest of the buttons, however, the use is great.

    Easy Shift Button

    The Easy Shift button is an innovation of the Roccat Kone Aimo in order to multiply the configuration possibilities. By pressing the Easy Shift then another button, a special command can be executed.

    It’s interesting and, once you get the hang of it, quite interesting in practice, by creating specific controls for a particular game for example. All of this can be set up from the Roccat Swarm software, which I am getting to now.

    Roccat Swarm software

    The software suite is available on the manufacturer’s website; good thing to note: this is a single program for all Roccat peripherals, also including headsets and keyboards. This therefore allows you to manage them centrally.

    Software Explore Setting

    Once the software is installed, the French interface has 4 tabs:
    • Settings : You can adjust vertical and horizontal scrolling speeds, Windows pointer speed, and DPI. By default, we have 5 ranges, ranging from 400 to 3200 DPI, but you can choose to go beyond that and limit the number of ranges to 2 or 3 to facilitate changes.

    • Assignment of the keys : this is where you choose the commands associated with the keys, with on one side the assignment key by key, on the other, the assignment with Easy Shift. It is both comprehensive and easy to use; rather well thought out for once. Roccat even chews you up, with multiple presets (“balanced”, “medium”, “precision”, “original Kone” and “basic”).

    • Advanced parameters : here you manage the frequency (up to 1000 Hz, or 1 ms), the audio feedback and other specific options. It is also from this section that you can reset the settings.

    • Lighting : for the RGB adjustment, I see it again in a dedicated section below.

    Aware of the many possibilities offered by the software, Roccat offers you to create up to 5 profiles. It should be noted, finally, that you can create macros via the manager, at the bottom right.

    Software Roccat Kone EMP

    Windows Software > Installer

    Other Software

    Others Software > Installer

    Does the Roccat Kone Aimo’s RGB live up to its promises?

    I said it previously: RGB takes a prominent place in Roccat’s communication on the Kone Aimo. Logically, I therefore carefully scrutinize the backlighting. You have the choice between 6 effects  already, it is quite small compared to a Razer Deathadder V2 for example.

    The basic effect is the famous “Aimo” , its so-called intelligent RGB system. In the small explanatory note, the manufacturer explains that this effect allows to obtain an “organic lighting”, reacting for example to the actions that you make.

    Yeah, Honestly, I’m not very convinced. Sounds pretty random to me and I don’t see the difference with random effects from other builders.

    Concretely, there is something to please you. However, given the marketing argument that RGB represents for the Roccat Kone Aimo, I expected more.

    Conclusion

    The experiment started badly with a defective first model, but the replacement one managed to catch up.
    The design is interesting, with work on shapes and reliefs. It reveals a worked body, designed to be ergonomic, but which still suffers from a few flaws.

    The grip could clearly be improved to be more natural. Fortunately, the Roccat Kone Aimo Remastered gaming mouse delivers convincing performance, combining precision and responsiveness.

    It is therefore a good reference, even if it easily suffers from the comparison with the Corsair Dark Core Pro, more accomplished and comfortable, for “just” twenty euros more.

  • Alienware X17 Display Test For Gaming

    Alienware X17 Display Test For Gaming

    Screen: a bright and convincing IPS panel

    The Alienware X17 is offered in Full HD or Ultra HD version. As mentioned at the start of the article, our loan unit is equipped with the 4K screen. It is a 17-inch IPS panel manufactured by the Taiwanese AU Optronics, with a frequency of 120 Hz. To the naked eye, this LCD panel seems particularly successful, with good maximum brightness, good blacks homogeneous and vibrant colors. This is what emerges at first glance, but to find out more we of course drew our X-Rite i1 Display Pro colorimetric probe coupled with the Calman Ultimate measurement software. The perfect combination to objectively estimate the capabilities of this large IPS panel.

    We first note a classic luminance of 340.1 cd/m2. Which you will obtain most of the time by manually pushing the screen brightness to 100%. However, we were able to measure a peak in brightness of 411.1 cd/m2, the highest luminance achievable with this screen. This is a good result, superior to most screens offered by the competition. In other words, the Alienware X17 panel remains bright and very readable in all circumstances. A nice asset.

    Testing Colours

    On the colorimetric side, this AU Optronics screen does a good job overall, even if we would like a tad more precise calibration. Our probe has indeed measured a DeltaE of 3.9. Ideally, this value should be equal to or less than 3 to make the difference between the intended colors and those ultimately displayed by the monitor imperceptible. We are a little above. The color temperature, on the other hand, is almost perfect, with a value of 6465 kelvins. As a reminder, the video standard is set at 6500 K, so the temperature of our screen is slightly too hot. Our tools also detected a very slight color drift on the greens, but nothing serious.

    On the color coverage front this time we get 100% support for colors in the sRGB spectrum. The Adobe RGB and DCI-P3 gamuts are covered at 100% and 90.9%, respectively. Really satisfying results for a screen that will be used primarily in games.

    In reality, only the contrast is ultimately disappointing if we are to believe our probe, which measured a ratio of only 1103:1. It’s weak. That said, to the naked eye, the 4K screen of the Alienware X17 does not give us the impression of a poorly contrasted panel at all. We can also predict that the vast majority of users will be delighted by the display experience offered to us here. Even if we remain a step behind what OLED technology would allow, gradually being adopted on the market. laptop, including by Alienware and Dell… But unfortunately not here. Finally, note that the fine display offered here by the Ultra HD definition (3840 by 2160 pixels) is very significant on this large diagonal of 17.3 inches. The pixel density is excellent, and we like that.

    Performance: power that overflows everywhere

    Using a four-fan dissipation system clearly seems to have uninhibited Alienware. In a chassis barely exceeding 2 cm thick, the American manufacturer does not restrict itself. If our loan unit is “limited” to a Core i7-11800H (Tiger Lake-H, engraved in 10 nm SuperFin), the chassis of the Alienware X17 is capable of accommodating an optional Core i9-10980HK: a beast . But it is especially on the GPU level that Alienware sees things big.

    We are indeed benefiting here from an RTX 3080 in 165 W. Of all the RTX 3080 for laptops to have passed through our hands, that of the X17 has the highest TGP budget. To compare, a few months ago we were testing the ROG XG Mobile station (external GPU designed specifically for the ASUS ROG Flow X13) which took advantage of an RTX 3080 at 150 W – and already the level of performance was breathtaking. Let’s see what’s at stake with our Alienware X17 and its supercharged 3080. Is it up to play in native definition on the device’s 4K screen?

    Grapich Card RTX 3080

    Let’s start with the indestructible Cyberpunk 2077, whose greediness helps us to estimate the level of performance of a laptop. And in this case, the title of CD Projekt Red is powered without flinching by our X17. The i7-11800H / RTX 3080 duo works wonders. In Ultra HD, with all the settings in ultra, the FOV at the maximum, the ray tracing in ultra also and the DLSS in Auto, we manage to camp 35 to 45 frames per second without the shadow of a slowdown.

    Few laptops can do the same when walking the streets of Night City. To take advantage of a higher framerate, however, you have to lower the sails on the settings side… and this is where our eyes turn to ray tracing, which is still just as resource-hungry. By disabling it, you can easily reach 50 FPS on average, but be careful: you will have to maintain the DLSS anyway. Without it, playing in 4K remains possible, but at the cost of a very reduced fluidity, in any case if you want to continue playing Cyberpunk with the rest of the parameters in ultra.

    Ultra HD panel

    On The Medium, the observation is generally the same. That said, the game strains the components of our X17 even more during its split-screen sequences – rather poorly optimized. In 4K these passages are all the more difficult to manage. With all the settings in ultra, including ray tracing, and the DLSS positioned in balanced level, the device does not work miracles: it maintains the course of 20 to 25 FPS in these extreme conditions.

    When we return to the classic scenes, without split screen, the framerate goes back to a good thirty FPS, but with some slowdowns that we mainly attribute to the game (all the machines tested by us in recent months cough on the same passages).

    In any case, combining 4K and ultra settings remains within reach of the Alienware X17 on the vast majority of games. Rest assured that it will propel you to more than 100 FPS on competitive titles. Perfect for exploiting the refresh rate offered by its Ultra HD panel. And for lovers of flawless fluidity, going back to 1080 or 1440p (with scaling to Ultra HD) is of course still possible, but at the cost of reduced display finesse.

    Testing For frequencies

    Let’s now look at the performance of the machine’s dissipation system. To get a clear enough idea, we ran our usual system stability test on AIDA 64, to see how the system reacts to heavy CPU load (all cores loaded at 100%) over an extended period of time. For this test, the dissipation system is switched to high performance mode which allows the activation at full speed of the four fans. We then see a frequency of about 4.30 GHz on the desktop. Once the stress test is underway, all Core i7-11800H cores are this time launched at 4.10 – 4.15 GHz. A value that they will never leave.

    These frequencies, which remain high even during intensive and prolonged charging, are made possible by very good temperature management. During this test, the temperatures on the CPU hovered mostly between 75 and 85 degrees, with a few occasional peaks at 90 degrees. We didn’t have the displeasure of noticing the slightest thermal throttling problem on the Alienware X17, which knows how to keep its frequencies up and its chips cool.

    A finding that extends to gaming, where we noted a maximum of 83 degrees on the CPU (after an hour of play on Cyberpunk 2077), and an average rather located around 70 degrees on the GPU, with a peak of 77 degrees according to our observations.

    Cooling fan Noise

    Note however that this is not done without a surge of decibels. The four fans of the Alienware X17 give voice when they turn at full speed. We feel that priority has really been given to cooling performance and not to silence. It’s not a big deal, the results are convincing enough to make us digest the noise of the fans. Fortunately, the ventilation is almost always turned off on the desktop.

    In office and multimedia use, the new Alienware spearhead therefore remains very quiet. It must be said that in idle, the Core i7-11800H can go down to 0.85 GHz only. It clearly takes more to make the fans roar!

    CPU & GPU Test alienware x17

    It now remains for us to take stock of the performance of the Alienware X17 in benchmarks. Under CineBench R23, the Core i7-11800H of our loan unit was able to glean 1509 points in single-core against 13991 points in multi-core. For comparison, the Ryzen 7 5800H housed in the cabin of our Legion 5 Pro managed to obtain 1409 points in single-core and 12860 points in multi-core. While the Core i7-11800H of the ASUS TUF Gaming F17 (2021) rose to 1513 points in single-core but “only” 12584 in multi-core. We are therefore well placed, AMD’s ZEN 3 architecture is beaten by Tiger Lake-H on both counts.

    On 3D Mark Time Spy Extreme, this time we obtained a general performance index of 6039 points, against 6230 points for graphics performance. For comparison, at 150 W “only” and despite its external case, the RTX 3080 of the ASUS XG Mobile station did much less well by collecting 5991 points in GPU score.

    The SSD chosen by Alienware for its X17 has finally gone under CrystalDiskMark. It displays transfer speeds of 3433.33 MB / s in reading against 2578.52 MB / s in writing. It is very honourable. This allows us good performance for daily file transfers, but also for in-game loading, or rush transfers for video editing.

    Autonomy: a few hours of endurance, but do not ask for more

    As we often say, gaming laptops are rarely stars when it comes to battery life. However, in recent months, manufacturers have been making efforts, in particular through iGPU modes that simply allow the graphics card to be cut in favor of the graphics part integrated into the processor. A viable solution to allow more generous autonomy in daily use or light multimedia.

    Despite the presence of an 87 Wh battery and the use of the mode dedicated to battery saving on the Command Center utility. Our Alienware X17 does not make a strong impression in the field of autonomy.

    Video playing testing alienware x17

    Playing video on Amazon Prime, with screen brightness pushed to 100%, headphones plugged in, keyboard backlight off, RGB effects turned off, and power settings set to favor battery life. We don’t ‘ve not managed to exceed 3 hours 30 with the X17. We are far behind the competition. As an example, the ASUS TUF Gaming A17 reaches 7:50 hours under similar usage conditions. The Dell G15 2021 Ryzen Edition managed to reach 7:30 hours in video playback before dropping out.

    We wish Alienware had gone the extra mile. That said, the X17 is clearly a sedentary device that isn’t meant to be used on battery power very often. It also comes with a huge 330 W power supply whose dimensions reach almost 20 x 10 x 5 cm. Suffice to say that you will not very often want to take it on a spree. With it, the full recharge of the Alienware X17 is done for the rest in almost 2 hours 30 minutes.

    Audio: don’t waste time, plug in headphones

    No need to beat around the bush, the speakers of the X17 may be well placed  they are simply bad. Powerful enough to be heard (4 W each) even when the ventilation is blowing hard, they suffer from a really poor rendering. The highs are shrill, the mids are disembodied and the lows are completely absent. The whole gives us an audio mixture that we will try as much as possible to spare ourselves… especially since the saturation is violent. At full volume, these two speakers sizzle wickedly. It’s a shame for a top-of-the-range device sold at a high price, but it’s unfortunately usual on laptops.

    Nothing negative to report on the other hand in terms of headphone output. Positioned on the right edge of the chassis, near the hinge, the latter delivers a powerful and clean sound.

    Price: you will pay dearly alienware x17

    In terms of price, Alienware machine tests follow and resemble each other. We feel that the Dell subsidiary does not care a bit about offering a good equipment-price ratio with its various devices. With the possible exception of the recent m15 R5 Ryzen Edition . Overall we are therefore still overpriced, and the Alienware X17 is no exception to the rule.

    The machine is placed in front of other better equipped devices for a little less. It remains to be seen whether you really need the 17.3 inches of the Alienware machine…

    Most alienware x17

    • The dissipation system that works from god’s fire
    • Power, everywhere, all the time
    • Successful design, excellent level of finishes
    • Bright Ultra HD display

    The lessers alienware x17

    • Prohibitive rate placement
    • Mediocre 720p webcam
    • An OLED panel would not have been a luxury
    • Feverish autonomy

  • Razer BlackShark V2 : Powerful tones, for enthusiasts

    Powerful tones, for enthusiasts

    Recognized for the quality of its headsets intended for gamers, Razer has several ranges that it revisits regularly. Today, it’s BlackShark’s turn to switch to “V2”, as the American likes to call his latest updates. USB sound card and THX Spatial Audio are on the menu.

    Between the Kraken, Nari and therefore BlackShark, Razer sometimes has a hard time navigating it or, more precisely, clearly directing amateurs to a particular product.The three ranges are indeed designed for gamers and they all have at least on the most ambitious models THX Spatial Audio (7.1) sound. However, the BlackShark V2 is presented by Razer as the best of its headsets for eSports.

    Beyond the “stupid” marketing discourse, we have sought to verify the strengths and the shortcomings, there is no reason of this product.Coming out of its box, the BlackShark V2 surprises.

     

    It does not look like any other Razer headset and the American manufacturer is here more sober than usual. The general design of the product leaves little room for accessories, frills.

    Related Post : Razer Kraken X Ultralight Review

    Structure Material Razer Blackshark

    The BlackShark V2 takes the metallic structure of its ancestor – the V1 – but leaves aside all the silver inserts to offer a uniform black dress. The general design of the product is somewhat reminiscent of helicopter pilots’ helmets with a design very different from what is usually found on products intended for video games.

    Original design and USB sound card

    The padding of the central arch is important, giving maximum comfort to the crown of the head without sacrificing the robustness of the product. Less successful, the height adjustment system of the atria can be imprecise. Nothing too embarrassing, but we would have liked Razer to be more attentive to this level, and we would also have appreciated that the hinges allow these same ear cups to be rotated for even more comfort.

    Note that the cables which connect each of them to the rest of the headphones and which are responsible for diffusing the sound constitute the only “extravagance” that the manufacturer has allowed itself: they wear the very bright green characteristic of the brand.

    Unsurprisingly, Razer remains faithful to the circum aural type that it favors on most of its ranges and, in particular, on the first version of the BlackShark. On the other hand, unlike the latter, there is no longer any question of imitation leather to dress the ear cups which feature a more classic fabric covering. Nothing to report at this level, perspiration is no problem and the comfort provided is more than honorable you can wear the helmet for several hours without feeling discomfort despite the ambient heat.

    The weight, barely over 260 grams, has an important part in the perceived comfort. The right headset is devoid of functionality while the left one has the plug for connecting the flexible microphone boom. On the left ear cup, there is also the microphone on / off button and a large volume control button. If the design can surprise, in full part, it is practical to access it very easily.

    Less on consoles

    Finally, let us underline the fact that Razer here is satisfied with a wired product. Optionally, you can connect it via the supplied 3.5 mm jack cable (2.1 meters) or add the small USB adapter that contains the THX certified sound card. Please note, USB will only be functional on a PC.

    While it is interesting to be able to connect the BlackShark V2 to a wide range of peripherals from a computer to a smartphone via various tablets and game consoles, there are limitations. Indeed, some functions and settings are linked to the use of the sound card integrated into the USB module. In 3.5 mm jack, you will therefore have a more basic headset. Pity.

    In the first place, it is the THX Spatial Audio which goes by the wayside. We also lose all the settings present in the Razer Synapse software this goes from a simple audio mixing intended to position the sound around the player to the equalization through the bass boost or normalization functions.

    Complete on PC

    On a PC, as long as you are using USB, you will therefore have access to these various features. Here we particularly appreciated the “enhancement” options related to the microphone. Thus, “volume normalization”, “vocal clarity” and “ambient noise reduction” are three settings that we recommend that you activate to enjoy a very good recording.

    However, we were only partially convinced by the virtues of THX Spatial Audio. On paper, this feature promises 7.1 sound capable of immersing the player in the heart of the action. A function more intended for FPS / TPS enthusiasts than for RTS enthusiasts.

    Practice for Razer

    In practice, you can rely on profiles already prepared by Razer or adjust things to your own preferences.

    The profiles in question are still few 18 when leaving the headset and are limited to a few “major” titles. Such as Apex Legends, Call of Duty, Modern Warfare, Counter Strike  Global Offensive or VALORANT.

    For our part, we tried the thing on Red Dead Redemption II and Horizon Zero Dawn mainly. Success across the board for everything relating to “environments” whether it is the footsteps of our horse or the noises emitted by the “grazers” that we are preparing to hunt, we benefit from spatialization successful.

    Who of audio reproduction?

    razer

    However, things are less convincing when the action is in full swing. The spatialization then seems more confusing and it is difficult to identify the sound sources more precisely than with a simple stereophony. Let’s say there is a little better, but nothing decisive. Finally, but this is probably more a matter of taste, impossible to compare the rendering of THX Spatial Audio with headphones on the head to a real set even only 5.1  living room in the movies.

    See Also : hyperx cloud gaming headset review

    We lose a lot of detail, precision, immersion. That said, the comparison is also due to the limits of the audio rendering offered by the BlackShark V2. Razer has based part of its marketing campaign on the integration of new drivers, the 50mm TriForce Titanium that it designed itself. On paper, they should make it possible to better distinguish bass, midrange and treble.

    This is partly true. In general, one can have the impression of a finer segmentation of the audio spectrum and in a lot of songs, the voices gain clearly in clarity for example. On the other hand, we find a flaw that. Razer has been dragging since the first version of the BlackShark: a preponderance of bass. In general, the builder seems to be a fan of powerful orchestrations and it shows once again.

    IN SUMMARY POWERFUL SOUNDS, FOR AMATEURS

    It seems that this powerful, spectacular side is having some success with esports players and this is probably the reason why Razer made this choice. Still, music lovers will be at their expense as soon as a composition, rich, plays on many tones, things are less flattering even by manipulating the equalizer. Finally, a quick comment to evoke the microphone capture. There is hardly any criticism to make Razer has done a very good job. The voices are clear, pleasant and no extraneous noise disturbs. Note also the presence of a rather effective windshield at the end of the pole.

    The BlackShark V2 is a well made product that we recommend, however, rather to action game enthusiasts, to those who prefer “big sound”. The mids and highs are certainly better processed, better represented than on the previous generation, but the bass remains dominant. Without being stunning, the THX spatialization is effective. But more during rather calm sequences than in the most speedy moments where we lack a little precision.

    On the other hand, and even if it is undoubtedly a question of taste, we find it difficult to recommend this THX Spatial Audio for a movie. Finally, special mention for the comfort that one feels with this helmet on the head. Lightweight, “breathable”, it is more pleasant than many of its competitors, even if the adjustment of the ear cups is a little less precise.

    Manual guide & Software Update: Razer Blackshark V2 Manual and Software Update 

    More About This Headset

    WE LIKED:

    • Rather successful (somewhat) original design.
    • Among the lightest in its class.
    • Flexible and detachable microphone.
    • Powerful audio rendering, favoring the spectacular.
    • Comfort at the rendezvous, effective insulation.
    • Microphone pickup quality.

    WE DIDN’T LIKE:

    • A little a lot of bass.
    • Non-detachable cable.
    • Fit of the ear cups not ideal.
    • Cannot rotate ear cups.
    • Less functionality on consoles (3.5mm jack).

    TECHNICAL SHEET :

    • Price : around 110 euros
    • Weight : 262 g
    • Connection : wired, 3.5mm jack or USB
    • Drivers : dynamic, Razer TriForce Titanium 50mm
    • Headphone shape : circum-aural
    • Sound spatialization: THX Spatial Audio (7.1)
    • Frequency response : 12 Hz – 28,000 Hz
    • Microphone : yes, flexible and detachable
    • Microphone frequency response : 100 Hz – 10,000 Hz Noise reduction: passive
    • Guarantee : 2 years

     

  • Logitech G600 Mouse Gaming Test

    logitech mouse

    Test Logitech G600 : many buttons does it help?

    Logitech presents its special MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing game) mouse, the G600. Here no touch or wireless, but an 8200 dpi laser sensor and a total of 20 buttons including 12 that fall under the thumb.

    Is this enough to make players of World of Warcraft and other blockbusters of the genre succumb ? Here are some answers

    With its matt coating white in the version received for testing  the G600 displays a sober design. Big advantage of this coating, it does not sweat the palm, a significant point, especially during the hot summer months.

    The grip is very pleasant although a longer length would have allowed to support the wrist instead of letting it rest on the desk. The skates deliver a very aerial glide, but they tend to “drop” a little black on the desk.

    See Also : Logitech G395 Wireless Headset Review

    Before going into the details of the various buttons, let us immediately point out that, due to its shape, the G600 only targets right handed people.

    In addition to the traditional right and left buttons, the G600 includes 2 buttons above the wheel, 12 at the thumb and 1 at the ring finger. The non-disengageable wheel allows scrolling horizontally and vertically; or a total of 20 buttons that can be configured at will in the pilot.

    The key placed under the ring finger offers a function that allows this already impressive number to be doubled, or almost.

    Make easy with Easyshift at Rocat

    Indeed, Logitech has implemented a function, very similar to that called Easyshift at Rocat , which allows several functions to be assigned simultaneously to a button. A bit like a key combination “Alt + a key” or “Shift + a key”.

    The wheel, for example, is basically configured for vertical scrolling. When you press the Selector button G and use the wheel, you can zoom in on the page.

    We thus have the equivalent of 39 fully configurable buttons (action, or macro). Side grip, the use of the many buttons is somewhat complicated, even scary at first. During the first parts of the video game, the different keys located under the thumb are frequently confused; unless we take a break to see where our thumb is.

    Our Opinion

    After a week of use, the automatisms begin to set up and it is easy to correctly use the numbered keys from G9 to G14. The use of keys G15 to G20 is in our opinion less practical because you have to move your thumb back a little too much for it to be comfortable. With the Selector G key, this still leaves 12 easily accessible commands on that finger.

    In addition to games, this mouse has proven to be very practical for activities such as image editing because it can configure a large number of shortcuts and macros.

    Here again, it takes a little time to adapt to navigate; a bit like learning to write without looking at the keyboard; it seems complicated at first, and you end up doing it without thinking about it.

    G600 of  Precision

    With a frequency of 1000 Hz, the G600 is able to satisfy both standard uses (office automation, internet browsing, etc.) as well as those requiring precision (gamers, graphic designers, etc.). A mouse for gamers requires a sensor that can hold up to a movement speed of 3 meters per second. No problem for the G600!

    logitech m600

    Indeed, this mouse gives its position to the computer every millisecond. However, it is necessary to have a machine capable of handling the additional load that this imposes on the processor (between 30% and 40% depending on the type of movement).

    When using a machine limited in terms of processor power (netbook , small low-power processor) it is better to lower the frequency to 500 Hz (in the driver) for more comfort.

    Settings stored in the mouse

    To avoid having to reconfigure everything each time the game is changed, the driver allows you to save three different profiles. The color of the keys below the thumb indicates the current profile. Another strong point, the mouse keeps all its settings internally.

    When using the G600 on another PC, all you have to do is reinstall the driver to recover all of its settings.

    STRONG POINTS

    • Handling, ergonomics.
    • Excellent glide.
    • Complete software.
    • Sensor accuracy.
    • On the fly sensor resolution adjustment buttons.
    • “Selector G” (assignment of two functions on the same button).
    • User profile saved directly on the mouse (no need to redo all settings each time you change PC).
    • 190 cm wire.

    WEAK POINTS

    • Keys G15 to G20 (under the thumb) not very practical to use.
    • High CPU occupation in 1000 Hz mode.
    • Glides that sometimes leave small black marks on the desk.

    CONCLUSION

    In addition to being a fast and precise mouse, the Logitech G600 offers a most pleasant handling (if you are right-handed), a smooth glide, a complete pilot and a first-rate ergonomics. If the 20 buttons are not all very practical to use, the Selector G function allows you to assign two commands to those that are commonly used.

    Logitech GHub Software

     

  • MK345 COMFORT WIRELESS KEYBOARD COMBO

    NICE CHOICE MK345 COMFORT WIRELESS KEYBOARD AND MOUSE COMBO

    Enjoy a full-size key layout with 12 function keys designed for multimedia control. Play a song, pause a video, or mute the sound instantly. Skip a song, pause a video or audio instantly silent Extra long battery life to enjoy an impressive 3 year keyboard and 18 month mouse battery life, provided by our efficient engineering energy.

    On / Off on mouse and keyboard Battery life indicator on mouse. Nano receiver storage on mouse. Automatic sleep mode when not in use.

    GREATER COMFORT

    The generous palm rest, the profiled right handed mouse and the height adjustable keyboard add to the comfort.  Wide wheel will enhance your scrolling experience, Plug and forget nano receiver, Splash resistant design so you don’t have to worry about accidental spills Hand rest and mouse texture.

    Comfortable palm rest, curved right handed mouse and adjustable keyboard height give you more comfort.

     

    • Maxi caster for a better scrolling experience
    • Ultra discreet USB nano receiver.
    • Spill resistant design so you don’t have to worry about accidents
    • Textured palm rest and mouse

    EXCEPTIONAL BATTERY LIFE

    Get exceptional battery life of 4 years for the keyboard and 18 months for the mouse with our energy efficient design.

    • On / Off button on the mouse and keyboard
    • Battery charge indicator on the mouse
    • Storage of the nano-receiver on the mouse
    • Automatic sleep mode when not in use

    TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS AND DETAILS

    DIMENSIONS

    Keyboard

    • Height : 186.7 mm (7.35 in
    • Width : 447.2 mm (17.61 in)
    • Thickness : 21.4 mm (0.84 in)
    • Weight : 603 g (1.33 lb)

    Mouse

    • Height : 105.4 mm (4.15 in)
    • Width : 67.9 mm (2.67 in)
    • Thickness : 38.4mm (1.51in)
    • Weight : 86.4 g (3.05 ounces)

    REQUIRED CONFIGURATION

    • Windows ® Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10
    • Chrome OS ™
    • USB port

    TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS

    • Battery life : 48 months 1
    • Battery : 2-AAA
    • On / Off button : Yes
    • Full-size key layout with 12 function keys designed for multimedia control : Yes
    • Unifying compatible keyboard : No
    • Unifying compatible receiver : No
    • Wireless connection range : 10 m maximum 2
    • Wireless System : Industry-leading 2.4 GHz wireless connectivity
    • Sensor Technology : Advanced Optical Tracking Technology from Logitech
    • Resolution : 1000 dpi
    • Battery life : 18 months 1
    • Battery : 1 AA type battery
    • On / Off button : Yes
    • Number of buttons : 3
    • Scroll wheel : Yes
    • Multi-directional scroll function : No
    • Unifying compatible mouse : No
    • Unifying compatible receiver : No
    • Wireless connection range : 10 m maximum 2
    • Wireless System : Industry-leading 2.4 GHz wireless connectivity
    • Connection interface : USB receiver

     CONTENT PACKAGE

    1. Keyboard mouse
    2. USB Receiver
    3. 2 AAA alkaline batteries for the keyboard (pre-installed)
    4. 1 x AA-size alkaline mouse battery (pre-installed)
    5. User Documentation

    Comfortable Keyboard

    The Logitech Wireless Combo MK345 bundle consists of a comfortable full-size keyboard and a right handed mouse. The keyboard features a comfortable, textured, splash-resistant palm rest. It features a glossy finish and includes an illuminated caps lock indicator.

    The mouse has a battery status indicator and a large wheel. It offers precise tracking. Enjoy wired reliability with my freedom and wireless convenience thanks to advanced 2.4Ghz wireless technology.

    The set offers high battery life (36 months for the keyboard, and 18 months for the mouse) thanks to an energy efficient design. The keyboard requires 2 AAA (LR03) batteries, the mouse requires 1 AA (LR06) battery.

    Mute the sound, skip to the next audio track or pause your video using the 12 advanced function keys. The keyboard is compatible with OS Windows Vista  7 – 8 or later, but also with Chrome OS.

    Ghub Logitech Software