REVIEW: Mionix Naos 3200 by David

The Mionix Naos 3200 mouse at £38 represents pretty good value for money, although there were some things I felt could have been improved. The mouse has a solid design and build and I really like its sleek black looks. It feels very soft and is comfortable to hold for long periods of gaming due to its rubber moulding. The mouse is quite light and although it doesn’t feature any weight management system, I had no…

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REVIEW: Tt eSPORTS Shock One by James

The Tt eSPORTS Shock One headset is a well made and well designed headset, it’s packaging is more than adequate and it comes nicely presented. It also has a host of features that include Virtual surround sound, a noise cancelling mic, interchangeable ear-pads and a smart, well thought out control box. Add to this its ability to be folded for transport and its own velvet carry bag, you can see…

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REVIEW: Cyborg V.7 by David

So finally, you have made it to the final thoughts or you have just skipped to the conclusion and missed out on a whole wealth of information!? The Cyborg V.7 really does come with a whole raft of features, so I really did feel I should try to cover them all!

The keyboard came well packaged in a nice box and I really liked the overall design and build of the keyboard…

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REVIEW: MSI GTX 680 TWIN FROZR (OC Edition) by James

The MSI GTX 680 TWIN FROZR (OC Edition) is the first new Nvidia Kepler based card that we have seen here at pcGameware, and its put in a rather impressive showing. This card is not based on the reference design and comes with the now common MSI Twin Frozr heatsink, this is a smart affair as it doesn’t rely on massive fans or heatsinks to do its job, a job it does well.

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REVIEW: Plantronics Gamecom 780 by David

Overall, I think the Plantronics Gamecom 780 headset represents really good value for money considering it also features 7.1 virtual surround sound. The packaging was sufficiently well designed with its black and orange look and the ability to see the headset from the outset via its clear window was nice. The headset was easy to install and there were no issues with the required software…

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REVIEW: Corsair H100 by James

The Corsair H100 has performed flawlessly throughout testing and I have witnessed the lowest temp recorded in the 4.8GHz test! Just take a look at those temperatures and let them speak for themselves.

It would appear that Corsair has a real winner on their hands here; we have a well designed and constructed closed loop liquid cooler, that’s…

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REVIEW: Corsair Carbide 400R by Mark

The Corsair Carbide 400R Mid Tower Case is a solid well made case with good overall cooling and expansion capacity.

The position of the front fan light switch, above the cases reset switch; and the flimsy separator bar between the motherboards backing plate aperture and its top expansion slot are the only minor flaws I could find in the cases construction.

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REVIEW: Thermaltake Level 10 GT by James

Impressed, very impressed I am (hold on I sound like Yoda!); the Thermaltake Level 10 GT impresses on all fronts, of course the styling may not be to everyone’s taste, but there is real function behind its bold design and I for one really like it. I like it as it’s not afraid of being different it’s not like all of the other cases out there, it’s something, well, special.

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REVIEW: Logitech Wireless Gaming Headset G930 by Mark

This headset is extremely comfortable to wear and for long gaming sessions that is a big plus. The 10+ hour battery life means that you can have a seriously long wireless gaming session without the worry of the battery failing.

The Logitech Gaming Software can be configured to ensure you get the best out of the headset for the game / music that you are currently listening to; unfortunately the lack of profiles on the sound adjustment page to me is one of the headset / software’s faults.

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REVIEW: Asus Maximus IV Extreme-Z by James

There’s no doubt that the Asus Maximus IV Extreme-Z is one serious motherboard, maybe too serious for even the extreme gamer! I only say this as this board offers so much that most Gamers may not get to appreciate all of its rich feature set. Of course we can’t blame Asus for offering us so much!

This board is the most focused overclocking motherboard I have ever seen and, unsurprisingly, overclocking with the Maximus IV Extreme-Z was a very easy and rewarding experience…

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REVIEW: SteelSeries Sensei by James

I feel that I have written rather a lot about the software and not so much about the mouse, this is down to the fact that the SteelSeries MOUSE is so close to perfection, and with a few more tweaks to the software/firmware then that could be close too. This really is a great mouse and…

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REVIEW: Noctua NF-F12 PWM by Mark

I must admit to being slightly disappointed by the Noctua NF-F12 PWM Fan. From opening the box and reading about the fan, the engineering that had gone into its production; it promised so much.

It then went on to prove how quiet you can make a fan run…

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REVIEW: Cyborg R.A.T. 9 by James

If I had to use one word to the describe the Cyborg R.A.T 9 mouse it wouldn’t be awesome, excellent or amazing; it would be Special. It’s a little like owning a supercar, you know it’s expensive, drinks fuel and capable of far more than you, but it’s all about the experience that it offers, and what an experience the R.A.T. 9 offers.

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REVIEW: SteelSeries 7H (Fnatic Limited Edition) by James

Overall I have really enjoyed my time with the SteelSeries 7H (Fnatic Limited Edition). They sound really good, as good as any stereo headset that I have come across so far and the microphone works really well too….

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REVIEW: Corsair Vengeance K60 by James

By now you may have realized that I really am rather impressed with the Corsair Vengeance K60 keyboard, in fact I’m sure that it’s the best keyboard that I have used to date…

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REVIEW: Asus Vulcan ANC by James

I must admit to being a little disappointed with the Asus Vulcan ANC headset. From the outset the packaging, the quality of the materials, the ROG brand, and even the price, promised so much! But in the end it didn’t deliver on what I think it promised or on what I expected, and that’s a shame.

That’s no to say that it’s a bad headset (far from it), but…

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REVIEW: Mionix Naos 3200 by David

The Mionix Naos 3200 mouse at £38 represents pretty good value for money, although there were some things I felt could have been improved. The mouse has a solid design and build and I really like its sleek black looks. It feels very soft and is comfortable to hold for long periods of gaming due to its rubber moulding. The mouse is quite light and although it doesn’t feature any weight management system, I had no…

Read Full Review…

REVIEW: Tt eSPORTS Shock One by James

The Tt eSPORTS Shock One headset is a well made and well designed headset, it’s packaging is more than adequate and it comes nicely presented. It also has a host of features that include Virtual surround sound, a noise cancelling mic, interchangeable ear-pads and a smart, well thought out control box. Add to this its ability to be folded for transport and its own velvet carry bag, you can see…

Read Full Review…

REVIEW: Cyborg V.7 by David

So finally, you have made it to the final thoughts or you have just skipped to the conclusion and missed out on a whole wealth of information!? The Cyborg V.7 really does come with a whole raft of features, so I really did feel I should try to cover them all!

The keyboard came well packaged in a nice box and I really liked the overall design and build of the keyboard…

Read Full Review…

REVIEW: Plantronics Gamecom 780 by David

Overall, I think the Plantronics Gamecom 780 headset represents really good value for money considering it also features 7.1 virtual surround sound. The packaging was sufficiently well designed with its black and orange look and the ability to see the headset from the outset via its clear window was nice. The headset was easy to install and there were no issues with the required software…

Read Full Review…

REVIEW: Logitech Wireless Gaming Headset G930 by Mark

This headset is extremely comfortable to wear and for long gaming sessions that is a big plus. The 10+ hour battery life means that you can have a seriously long wireless gaming session without the worry of the battery failing.

The Logitech Gaming Software can be configured to ensure you get the best out of the headset for the game / music that you are currently listening to; unfortunately the lack of profiles on the sound adjustment page to me is one of the headset / software’s faults.

Read Full Review…

REVIEW: SteelSeries Sensei by James

I feel that I have written rather a lot about the software and not so much about the mouse, this is down to the fact that the SteelSeries MOUSE is so close to perfection, and with a few more tweaks to the software/firmware then that could be close too. This really is a great mouse and…

Read Full Review…

REVIEW: Cyborg R.A.T. 9 by James

If I had to use one word to the describe the Cyborg R.A.T 9 mouse it wouldn’t be awesome, excellent or amazing; it would be Special. It’s a little like owning a supercar, you know it’s expensive, drinks fuel and capable of far more than you, but it’s all about the experience that it offers, and what an experience the R.A.T. 9 offers.

Read Full Review…

REVIEW: SteelSeries 7H (Fnatic Limited Edition) by James

Overall I have really enjoyed my time with the SteelSeries 7H (Fnatic Limited Edition). They sound really good, as good as any stereo headset that I have come across so far and the microphone works really well too….

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REVIEW: Corsair Vengeance K60 by James

By now you may have realized that I really am rather impressed with the Corsair Vengeance K60 keyboard, in fact I’m sure that it’s the best keyboard that I have used to date…

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REVIEW: Asus Vulcan ANC by James

I must admit to being a little disappointed with the Asus Vulcan ANC headset. From the outset the packaging, the quality of the materials, the ROG brand, and even the price, promised so much! But in the end it didn’t deliver on what I think it promised or on what I expected, and that’s a shame.

That’s no to say that it’s a bad headset (far from it), but…

Read Full Review…

REVIEW: Corsair Vengeance M60 by James

Overall I’m really impressed with the Corsair M60 and would definitely recommend it, especially if you use a palm style grip as I feel the button placement is more suited to that style of grip. The construction and build quality is the M60′s trump card and…

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REVIEW: CM Storm Sirus 5.1 by Greg

A great Headset that sounds good both in games as well as music and movies; but maybe at this price they need to!

Even though you effectively have 8 speakers attached to your head Cooler Master have managed to make them comfortable and lightweight which is a godsend for those long gaming sessions.

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REVIEW: ROCCAT Isku by Mark

At the start of the test I was horrified by the price tag of £79.99 for the Isku , but after having spent ten days using it I now appreciate its design and build quality, although I still think £79.99 is expensive for a keyboard.

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REVIEW: Logitech G400 by Greg

A great update to a tried and trusted classic, the DPI improvement soon becomes apparent the first time you jump in a tank in Battlefield Bad Company 2 and the versatility of the new Gaming Software has proven its worth over the last few weeks especially during the Battlefield 3 Beta, where the ability to map keys has been invaluable.

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REVIEW: Logitech G13 by Greg

After a few games I was at home with the new board which is a great achievement.

The LCD is a great addition, able to give information which would normally not be available unless you had two screens or were to alt-tab back to Windows.

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REVIEW: ROCCAT Kone[+]

Ok, well I hope it’s clear that I really like this mouse (NO REALLY!), to be fair it does everything I want it to do and offers more on top.

Apart from the dauntingly complicated control panel I really cannot fault the Kone[+]. I’m not sure I’m ready to retire the DeathAdder just yet, but the Lachesis is definitely about to find itself on eBay.

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REVIEW: Razer Carcharias

I wore these for several late-night sessions, lasting several hours each and felt no discomfort at all. Whilst this can be expected to some degree, since the lack of extra drivers needed for true 5.1 surround sound allows them to be made lighter…

Now if they sorted that control box and dropped the price a little we would be looking at a gold, but today it’s a silver for the Razer Carcharias, nice one Razer.

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REVIEW: Corsair HS1

As there are rather too many settings in the software to play with I’m not going to talk about them here. But I will say for me the best sound was achieved with all post-processing switched off and a little increase to the bass levels.

In my opinion the Corsair HS1 did not live up to its hype. For a stereo headset, the bulkiness and weight overshadows the comfort of the memory foam headband and earpieces.

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REVIEW: Corsair H100 by James

The Corsair H100 has performed flawlessly throughout testing and I have witnessed the lowest temp recorded in the 4.8GHz test! Just take a look at those temperatures and let them speak for themselves.

It would appear that Corsair has a real winner on their hands here; we have a well designed and constructed closed loop liquid cooler, that’s…

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REVIEW: Antec KÜHLER H₂O 620 by Mark

Having run with the cooler (and lower temperatures) for over a week; I can say that I am more than happy with the performance of the cooler.

If on the other hand you want to obtain more speed from your CPU and don’t mind the slight increase in noise then I would recommend that you add this cooler to you short list.

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REVIEW: Antec KÜHLER H₂O 920 by James

The test results of the Antec KÜHLER H₂O 920 tell you everything you need to know and as you can see the cooling capability is simply stunning. Cooling some 6 degrees cooler than the Corsair A50 (the first Cooler I used for this rig) is a good achievement and cooling 3.5 degrees better than the Zalman CNPS11X Extreme is even better.

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REVIEW: Zalman CNPS11X Extreme by James

There’s no doubt that when you’re building a gaming pc you’re going to want to have a decent CPU Cooler. Why? Because you’re going to overclock it of course! Now although the Intel stock cooler is better than it used to be, it’s still no match for even the most basic of after-market coolers…

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REVIEW: Prolimatech Megahalems

Well this cooler has performed well but it has not performed any better than the £30 Corsair A50 (my default cooler) and to be honest I find this a little strange.

From my point of view Megahalems should have at least provided one fan (so it is usable out of the box) and if that is not good enough for every setup then they should at least suggest some fan options.

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REVIEW: Corsair Carbide 400R by Mark

The Corsair Carbide 400R Mid Tower Case is a solid well made case with good overall cooling and expansion capacity.

The position of the front fan light switch, above the cases reset switch; and the flimsy separator bar between the motherboards backing plate aperture and its top expansion slot are the only minor flaws I could find in the cases construction.

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REVIEW: Thermaltake Level 10 GT by James

Impressed, very impressed I am (hold on I sound like Yoda!); the Thermaltake Level 10 GT impresses on all fronts, of course the styling may not be to everyone’s taste, but there is real function behind its bold design and I for one really like it. I like it as it’s not afraid of being different it’s not like all of the other cases out there, it’s something, well, special.

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REVIEW: Antec Twelve Hundred V3 by James

Well to be fair I think the results speak for themselves; to achieve better CPU cooling than the Silverstone FT02B case is an awesome achievement, as the Silverstone is known to be one of the best (if not the best) CPU Coolers out there! To be within less than 1 degree of the Silverstone…

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REVIEW: NZXT Phantom

So the case cools as good as it looks then? Well almost; remaining within 4 degrees of the £200+ Silverstone FT02 (during the 4.3GHz prime 95 run) is a great achievement and it managed to do this without any of the optional fans being fitted (maybe a short blog is required for that test!).

Summary is, a nice case, cooler than my HAF-912, but maybe lacking a bit of the quality that the HAF has.

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REVIEW: Asus Maximus IV Extreme-Z by James

There’s no doubt that the Asus Maximus IV Extreme-Z is one serious motherboard, maybe too serious for even the extreme gamer! I only say this as this board offers so much that most Gamers may not get to appreciate all of its rich feature set. Of course we can’t blame Asus for offering us so much!

This board is the most focused overclocking motherboard I have ever seen and, unsurprisingly, overclocking with the Maximus IV Extreme-Z was a very easy and rewarding experience…

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REVIEW: MSI Z68A-GD80 G3 by James

In summary we have a Z68 motherboard that looks cool, has good build quality, performs beautifully and comes with a great suite of software, and all of this comes at a reasonable price! Needless to say there is no way this motherboard is leaving my rig…

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REVIEW: ASRock Z68 Extreme4 Gen3 by James

At a current cost of approximately £145 the ASRock Extreme4 Gen3 offers a lot of features by way of its Z68 chip-set and is good value, it looks good and it’s well made. But if your planning on running above 4.5Ghz then maybe you should dig a little deeper and…

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REVIEW: ASRock Fatal1ty Z68 Professional Gen3 by James

First off the presentation and quality of the board is second to none and IMHO this is the best looking board I’ve seen. Everything from the gold capacitors to the heatsinks to the power and reset buttons just ooze quality. For that alone ASRock should be commended, ASRock seem to have poured a lot of TLC into this board, and it shows.…

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REVIEW: ASRock Z68 Extreme4

Overall I’m very impressed with the ASRock Z68 Extreme4 motherboard, it’s well made, it’s good value for money (especially if you fancy some of those other features! (see Overview/Greg’s Review)) and it performed well.

The board performed well in tests and was only let down by the inferior on-board sound which suffered from terrible interference.

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REVIEW: Crucial Ballistix Tactical Tracer 8GB by James

The Crucial Ballistix Tactical Tracer 8GB modules have performed well during the time I have had them in my rig. Running at 1600MHz with timings of 8-8-8-24 means they are never going to be the fastest modules around (they’re not the slowest either!), but as you can see they responded well to a small overclock and the modules ran perfectly stable at 1633MHz.

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REVIEW: Corsair XMS3 2000MHz 8GB by James

The Corsair XMS3 2000MHz kit has proved to be a great 8GB RAM kit for the Sandy Bridge platform being the highest performing 8GB kit that we have tested. Its combination of high speed and good timings has put it ahead of some of the tighter timed 4GB kits.

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REVIEW: Corsair Vengeance LP 8GB by James

The Corsair Vengeance LP 8GB kit has put in an impressive set of results while on test, while it could not keep up with the 4GB G.Skill kits it gave them a good run for their money. The thing that’s holding the memory back is the low speed and relaxed timings in comparison to the others, so it’s unfair…

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REVIEW: 4GB G.Skill RipjawsX 2133MHz

So great looking memory at a great price that performs very well, outperforming my existing G.Skill RipjawsX 1600MHz by some margin. I also had no issues during install or setup and the memory performed flawlessly during all of the benchmarks and during over a week of testing.

The fact that I have also been able to overclock my machine to even greater heights is just the icing on the cake for what is already a great product.

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REVIEW: ADATA S510 120GB by Mark

Initially at the start of the review I was having trouble in justifying the premium of an SSD over an HDD, especially when comparing the prices before the flood disaster in Thailand increased the prices of HDDs. But now having seen the increase in Games load speeds I suspect I an going to be leaving the ADATA S510 in my rig!

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REVIEW: Kingston HyperX 240GB by James

REVIEW: OCZ Vertex 3 120GB

Upgrading from a 2nd Gen drive like a Vertex 2e or Crucial C300 would be a tougher choice, which is only made harder by the need to have a solid Sata3 controller to gain maximum benefit.

But there’s still no denying its speed, it is fast and if it’s fast you want and you have the money, then maybe this is the drive for you…

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REVIEW: Iiyama Prolite E2407HDS by Mark

If I could split my thoughts into two and provide one set of results based upon the visual elements of the monitor alone, I would be giving it a perfect 10, as visually I can’t find a single fault.

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REVIEW: Hazro HZ27WC by James

So if you’re in the market for a 27″ display and can do without the multiple inputs, image adjustment and you’re prepared to stick the monitor on a stand (or a book or two) then the Hazro will deliver the rest; stunning picture quality with good response times and will save you £200+ in the process.

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