Thursday, August 30, 2012

Keyboards & Mice II : Cooler Master

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Today I will be talking about Cooler Master(www.coolermaster.com) gaming peripherals. Cooler Master are more famous for their cases but they also have a few peripherals to offer.

Keyboards:

Mechanical Keyboards:

All of CM keyboards are mechanical so I thought it would be good to introduce people to mechanical keyboards. Mechanical keyboards use an actual physical switch underneath each key as opposed to common plastic membrane (with rubber domes) keyboards you find everywhere. The rubber domed ones are cheaper to manufacture and resist spills better but a mechanical keyboard will give you better tactile feedback when you press a key. Good mechanical keyboards also offer you N-Key Rollover which is basically a fancy way of saying that it can detect each keypress interdependently. Almost all switches used in mechanical keyboards come from a company called ZF Electronics (used to be known as Cherry Corporation.) They keys are color-coded with each having a slightly different feel and usage.

Cherry MX Blue: When you press this key, you will feel a bump and hear a click. The switch is actuated when you press the key halfway and with practice it can let you type faster using less effort since you do not have to press the key all the way down to register a keystroke. Great for typing but rather loud.

Cherry MX Brown: The tactile bump of the MX Blue minus the sound (unless you press the key all the way down, then it's loud.) Due to the switch design, you need slightly less force for actuation.

Cherry MX Black: No tactile or audio feedback, plus you need to press the key all the way down to actuate. Also require more force to actuate than the other keys. Great to prevent accidental keystrokes and marketed for high-end PC gaming. Less crisp and responsive than with the blue or brown switches for prolonged typing.

Cherry MX Red: A special variation on the MX Black. They have a low compression point and requires lower force to actuate. May increase typing errors.

CM Storm QuickFire Pro:



Interface: USB 2.0
You can buy this with either Cherry MX Black, Blue , Brown or a special Cherry MX Red Edition. Claims N key Rollover over USB Interface. Partial red colored back-lighting and the option to disable that pesky windows key. Also has multimedia shortcuts and a removable 1.8m braided USB cable with cable routing. Selling around the US$ 99.99 mark.





CM Storm QuickFire Rapid:


Interface: USB or PS/2
I prefer my keyboards on PS/2 so it is great that this board offers that. Plus it offers NKRO in PS/2 mode, Windows key disabling in game mode, multimedia shortcuts rubber coated surface with a minimalist design. Also has extra key-caps bundled with a key puller. Available in Cherry MX Black, Blue, Brown and a special Cherry MX Red Edition. Removable braided USB cable with cable routing. Hovering around US$ 79.99.





CM Storm Trigger:


Interface: USB
Comes in high durability gold-plated Cherry MX Black, Blue, Brown or Red switches. It also has five macro keys with profile management and 64kb on-board memory to store profiles. The ability to deactivate the windows keys, two USB 2.0 ports, detachable wrist rest, braided cable and non-slip rubber coating, the storm trigger is the ultimate offering from Cooler Master. Selling around the US$ 109.99 mark.





Mice:

CM Storm Xornet:


A budget friendly minimalist, lightweight mouse. Equipped with a precision anti-drift control 2000 DPI sensor. Features a rubberized anti-slip design. Has a very extended lifespan thanks to the Omron Micro Switches which are rated at 5 million + clicks. DPI on the fly! (500, 1000 and 2000)

Type: Wired
Interface: USB
Tracking Method: Optical
Buttons: 7
Maximum DPI: 2000
Price: US$ 29.99


CM Storm Spawn:


Xornet's bigger brother complete with 32kb on board memory to store button assignments, macros and other customization. Meant more for FPS gaming and those who prefer a claw grip. DPI settings can be changed via the buttons below the scroll wheel between 800, 1800 and 3500.

Type: Wired
Interface: USB
Tracking Method: Optical
Buttons: 7
Maximum DPI: 3500
Price: US$ 39.99


CM Storm Inferno:


A 4000 DPI twin laser sensor mouse meant for MMO gaming. Comes with 128kb on board memory that can store up to 3 different game profiles.

Type: Wired
Interface: USB
Tracking Method: Laser
Buttons: 11
Maximum DPI: 4000
Price: US$ 44.99




CM Storm Sentiner Advance II:


Capable of tracking from 200 - 8200 DPI (200 increments,) 128KB on board memory, 5 profiles with 4 DPI settings each. CM's ultimate mouse offering. Complete with lighting effects!

Type: Wired
Interface: USB
Tracking Method: Laser
Buttons: 9
Maximum DPI: 8200
Price: US$ 59.99




That is what Cooler Master is offering as of this moment. They are not a famous brand when it comes to peripherals but they have a good budget friendly collection that you can choose from. Seeing as how the most expensive mouse they have is around the 60 dollar mark, you could give them a chance if you so choose.
Personally I would pick the QuickFire Rapid keyboard with the Storm Inferno mouse. Both I feel are really good buys. Spawn is a very good mouse as well that you could choose if you prefer a claw grip.

As it is 3 in the morning, I shall now head off to sleep. See ya around guys!

Kiyoshi Out!
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