Roccat Savu
A mid-range recommendation
Price: $55
Some PC gamers simply can’t afford to blow
$125 on a mouse, and the Savu is intended for those on more modest budgets. At
around fifty bucks, this is still a little more expensive than the cheapest
gaming mice around, but for the price you do get something that feels better
than it should.
Roccat
Savu
The 4000 DPI sensor isn’t the best around,
and yet it’s fine for most PC gamers, especially those who don’t need the
precision required in first-person shooters. It’s only got four buttons, with
twin thumb buttons, but some folks prefer to keep their mice simple. We love
the glowing Led light on the rear panel, which makes it look like it’s hovering
over your mouse pad. Best of all, it just feels nice and comfortable in the
palm, with a solidness and heft to it that is reassuring. It might not be an
all-star, but the Savu is a smart way to spend $50 on a gaming mouse, offering
a very comfortable, pleasing moussing experience.
Roccat Savu specs
·
Feels good in the hand
·
Great price
·
Cool LCD light
·
4000 DPI sensor
·
Only four buttons
Verdict: 7/10
If you don’t have money to burn, the Savu
will serve you well. A highly affordable mid-range offering
SteelSeries Sensei
Keep it simple, stupid
Price: $89
Apart from its sexy silver paint job, the
Sensei really doesn’t look like anything special. There’s no wireless option,
and the lighting can’t project HD displays onto your walls. So why is it our
favorite mouse for FPS fans?
SteelSeries
Sensei
It all comes down to how it feels to aim.
The sensor is only 5700 DPI, though SteelSeries can artificially double this to
11,400 using the built in ARM processor. Special software allows the sensor to
be personally tailored for acceleration, lift height and artificial
straightening of your inputs. Combined with its low eights and low-friction
glide pads, we haven’t seen another mouse that feels so good when pulling off
headshots.
If only it had the newer 8200 DPI sensor
this would be absolutely perfect. Hopefully by the time you’re reading this
we’ll have their latest version in the labs, and we’ve got a feeling an
improved sensor will be the number one addition. But even without it, this is
still our mouse of choice for shooter fans.
SteelSeries Sensei specs
·
Super accurate
·
Deep customization software
·
LCD screen for labeling
·
5700 DPI laser is getting a little old
Verdict: 9/10
We’ve tested them all but keep coming back
to the Sensei for our daily PC gaming needs.
Thermaltake Meka G1
Mechanical keys for membrane pricing
Price: $105
Now that mechanical keyboards are becoming
the standard for PC gamers, more and more companies are making them. Buying one
is a little more confusing, but prices are also dropping faster than
Microsoft’s shares after the Xbox One reveal. Take the Meka; at only thirty
bucks more expensive than the Roccat Isku, the extra cost of three Big Mac meal
deals buys you a full-fledged mechanical keyboard.
Thermaltake
Meka G1
The keys in particular are Cherry MX Blacks,
which require more force than most Cherry switches. They’re also undetectable,
which means they don’t make the clacky noise that will keep your partner up at
3am.
For the price, you can’t really expect much
else, and the Meka doesn’t break those expectations. It’s fully backlit, and
comes with a decent wrist-rest, but that’s about it. And that’s fine by us –
the fact that you can buy a fully mechanical keyboard for around $100 is reason
enough to recommend this product.
Thermaltake Meka G1 specs
·
Amazing value
·
Cherry MX black switches
·
Backlit keyboard
·
Not many other features of note
Verdict: 8/10
The Meka G1 might squeeze into your budget
for those who want a mechanical keyboard.
SteelSeries Apex Gaming Keyboard
Can it match the Sensei’s greatness?
Price: $70
We truly love the Sensei mouse by
SteelSeries, so expected big things from its gaming keyboard. Alas, it appears
the company has yet to get with the times, as the Apex’s keys are backed up by
primitive rubber domes instead of our beloved clacky mechanical keys. That
wouldn’t be so bad if it wasn’t for the relatively high price; at seventy bucks
it’s getting close to mechanical territory.
SteelSeries
Apex Gaming Keyboard
If you don’t mind membrane keys, there are
plenty of features that might appeal to you. It’s got the most macro keys we’ve
ever seen on a keyboard, with 22 of them, each of which can operate in four
different modes. The spacebar has also mutated into a short, stubby critter
that is much more comfortable to use in games, while the backlighting system
has been borrowed from your local rave, able to display a virtual rainbow of
colors. And yet, it’s still a membrane keyboard…
SteelSeries Apex Gaming Keyboard specs
·
Lots of macro keys
·
Unique space bar shape
·
Pretty colors
·
Membrane keys
·
High price for low tech
Verdict: 6/10
This doesn’t tweak our nipples, but we
can’t wait to see a SteelSeries mechanical board.
Gigabyte Aivia Osmium
Whoah Momma!
Price: $139
We left this year’s Computex with a huge
package in our suitcase. Inside was the brand new Aivia Osmium mechanical
keyboard form Gigabyte, and it’s a whopper. It’s not so large without the
wrist-rest, but attaches it and this thing will swallow up your desk-space.
Despite being made from plastic, the rest is actually super comfortable, to the
point where our Tech Editor is now using it as his work board.
Gigabyte
Aivia Osmium
Not that it’d suck for PC games, as the
Cherry MX Brown switches inside are perfect for fragging. It’s also got a
pass-through USB 3.0 port, and headphone users will love the 3.5mm headphone
and microphone jacks right next to it. No wonder the main connection cable is
so thick. Macro lovers might find the mere five macro keys lacking, but the
fact that the board can run in several different profile modes helps balance
this out. With excellent lighting and volume controls, the feature-set is
complete. A premium mechanical keyboard at a very respectable price
Gigabyte Aivia Osmium specs
·
Cherry MX Brown keys
·
USB 3.0 and audio pass-through ports
·
Great lighting control
·
Only five macro keys
Verdict: 8/10
The gigabyte Aivia Osmium delivers
basically everything a gamer could need, all at a nice price.
Cooler Master Storm trigger
Used to be a contender
Price: $119
With just five macro keys, this is not the
keyboard for shortcut junkies. It’s also no good for USB 3.0 users, as the twin
USB port are of the ancient 2.0 standard, though they can be powered by an
optional power pack for demanding iDevices. Even the software is relatively
average, but the inclusion of backlighting is a nice, albeit expected,
inclusion.
Cooler
Master Storm trigger
Nope, if you’re looking for frills, this
isn’t your keyboard. However, if you want a solid, affordable mechanical
keyboard fitted out with Cherry MX Red switches, this is a decent candidate. It
could do with another $20 price cut to make it a true contender for your buying
bucks, as it’s not far off the price of the Aivia Osmium yet lacks many of the
cooler features. Fingers crossed Cooler Master sees how quickly everybody else
is catching up, and drops the price in the near future. Until then, drop an
extra $20 and get something with more features.
Cooler Master Storm trigger specs
·
Cherry MX Red keys
·
Twin USB 2.0 ports
·
Optional power supply for USB ports
·
A little too expensive only five macro keys
·
No volume or lighting dedicated controls
Verdict: 7/10
Used to be one of the best band for buck
keyboards around, but the competition rapidly caught up
