Gaming Hardware Needs to Grow Up

There is hardware for all tastes nowadays. I think some people only sees what is literally spewing "gaming" all over the boxes. For me that is like outboard effects and boxes for Audio Studios, if it says "pro" on the box, that is probably not Pro at all.
It's a good thing though. The 13 year old in me can have all the bells and whistles on one machine, and the serious stuff on another. So complaining about it is just stupid. Buy what YOU need or want. There is everything from the bog standard old style optical Mouses available as well as the ridiculously over-designed stuff, but more importantly everything in between. Same with keyboards. Everything from Plastic flimsy rubber domes through M-style and all other sorts of clicky and non-clicky keyboards with or without extra keys or lighted keys. It's a good thing.
 
I really dislike "gamer" styling. I just wish that they'd put G-Sync in a monitor with "professional" styling. Those look so much better.
But if I want G-Sync (because after all, I *do* use it for games) you have to pay the styling tax.

At least it's just the base that looks stupid.


Keyboard is nice and normal (Topre Realforce), and the case is a good ITX one that's barely even visible behind the monitor.

Still looking for a mouse, though. Big hands = virtually all mice are camped and uncomfortable.
 
Cmdrmonkey said:
Modern keyboards also suck balls. Even expensive mechanical keyboards. I haven't found anything that has both good build quality and good ergonomics. Which is why I'm still rocking an MS Natural Keyboard Pro from 1999 (and I have two spares in my closet). Best keyboard ever made.

MS should really go back to the design of the old pro and elite keyboards from the 90s. Maybe go with black or silver for a more modern look and use topre keyswitches (closest modern thing to the slider in dome switches in the old naturals) and a 2 port USB3 hub. They would have the perfect keyboard.

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God, why did you post that. I miss that keyboard!
 
I wish they would concentrate more on reliability. Buying a expensive mouse or keyboard and having it fail because of a cheap component on the inside sucks.
 
It wouldn't really bother me except for the fact that every time they add some "bling" or "flash" to a keyboard/mouse they also jack the price up by $50. Why does it cost $50 extra for some 10 cent LED lights and why would I want to pay more money for that? I don't sit there and stare at my keys when I'm gaming, and the LEDs don't give me any extra response time.

It's a waste of money. They need to get back to the basics and forgo all this excess.
 
The main point missing is economic. A company has to design, redesign, add colour, change colour, add lights, remove lights, make it "new and improved" or go out of business. Gaming is no different than any other product you buy. If you don't buy, the factories shut down, people are out of work, the economy collapses, etc etc. None of us would get to play with new toys. So we all have to be like "Try it Mikey, you might like it". As an older fart and going through my second childhood, I want to play with new toys.
 
thesmokingman said:


They're also releasing a cheaper version of it under the Gxxx naming. It's a classic shape.
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I didn't realize you were talking about a Logitech mouse. I like that very much. I'll have to read up on it. If the internals are up to snuff, that might just be my next mouse...
 
jardows said:
A big problem with the "gaming" hardware fad, is that if you want the performance offered, you can't buy it without the fancy doodads. Several people have said "if you don't like it, don't buy it." Just try finding an inexpensive mechanical keyboard for typing that doesn't light up like a Christmas tree. I want a mechanical keyboard to type on for office productivity, not to impress the co-worker with the pretty lights! Yes, I know I can turn it off, but why should I have to pay for LED lights on my keyboard, when I will never use them. Yes, I know there are "office" mechanical keyboards, but they cost more than the "gaming" keyboards, when with less features, they should cost less! :mad:

It's this way across the board for me. I don't want all that look, but every time I look for something with actual performance, the looks are garish, or they have so many unnecessary add-ons that I wonder how cheap I could get the product (MB, RAM, Case Fan, Case, Keyboard, Mouse, ETC) that "just worked" and didn't look like it was trying to attract a magpie!
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It's considered a gaming keyboard, cause it has fancy doodads. Otherwise, it'd just be a normal keyboard. Not what they're catering too. I also find plenty of mechanical keyboards for $70 or less that have zero lighting. Ducky, Corsair, Thermaltake, Coolermaster, Rosewill, etc have non-lit keyboards for $80 or less. Some companies probably found out there simply wasn't a big enough market for a gaming keyboard with no lights. Razer use to have an unlit Black Widow, but they stopped making them. It was an $80 keyboard, but I guess they were selling more $170 Lit versions.

Gaming anything is going to cost more. It's not where you should be looking for an inexpensive mechanical keyboard anyways. If I wanted a no-nonsense mechanical keyboard, I would just buy a Ducky Zero.
 
ZLoth said:
First off, if you want a great handphone stand, go to Amazon and search for "Culinary Elements Banana Stand". They are about $9 each, and I have two on my desk holding my headsets.
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thesmokingman said:
You should try one of these on, no need for bananas. The shape doesn't mess with my headbands.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01C37TOXQ/
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I prefer solutions that don't take up desk space. The desk real estate is at a premium for me.

I picked up one of these and I think it does a great job:



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Also, while we're talking about gaming components, why is it that at every computer show all the computer hardware is set up with a custom water loop? Anyone notice that trend?
 
We are older than the mainstream targeted demographic (although the highest end hardware is hard to afford without a 'real job')
 
There are several ways to look at this. Which you have to. Is this helping the industry grow? Is it giving them new budgets to grow their companies and to fund and research new products? Yes, yes and yes. Obviously they are servicing a need. RGB is a new market category and it's not going anywhere anytime soon. A lot of companies are making a lot of money and for us PC users that's a super awesome thing with super awesome far reaching implications. Don't laugh when I tell you companies absolutely look at the numbers and decide what area to go into. The barrier to entry with the PC is the best in the business. All those RGB products will absolutely be instrumental is helping us get more games on the PC. While trends do change and fade over time and this will eventually happen with RGB you have to consider it's impact. It's HUGE. I just built a new RGB based Kaby Lake system with Razer 'everything' RGB. I have to tell you, it's not over-powering at all. it's subtle and has a nice effect on my experience. If this guy wants to complain, he can complain about plastic chrome and blue LEDs. I think the author is reaching here and ultimately failing on making his points among more well read readers that know better. I've been to CES 6 or 7 times over the last 20 years. I've been to Namm a good 4 times in recent years. Look, those vendors crank up the sound and the lights and especially the pretty girls. It's all meant to give you sensory overload and cause excitment so buyers place orders. Nothing more. I am not sure what RGB overload happened with this guy but something did which has nothing, absolutely nothing to do with anything. He is basically 'personally' complaining and that's fine but don't cry to the world.
 
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Probably get some hate for this but I just ordered a Corsair K70 LUX RGB keyboard and a Logitech G502 Proteus Spectrum. :) I was more interested in the quality/features over the lighting and they were both on sale.
 
I would say it's cool to have but there needs to be an off setting which these have. It isn't like glowing fans or neon sticks. Now these things can be digitally controlled so people can turn them off as needed or when they get tired. I personally haven't had any lights in my systems for a long time but I do enjoy my backlit keyboards. Having lights in a windowed case can be fun. I still have my old MSI NF680i SLI box with 4 sticks of Crucial Ballistix Tracer and it is fun to watch from the window (still use it as a media pc). Overall it's best to have it than not as long as it can be turned off. Gaming oriented gear design is a different story though, many are well over the fugly border. lol
 
zkostik said:
I would say it's cool to have but there needs to be an off setting which these have. It isn't like glowing fans or neon sticks. Now these things can be digitally controlled so people can turn them off as needed or when they get tired. I personally haven't had any lights in my systems for a long time but I do enjoy my backlit keyboards. Having lights in a windowed case can be fun. I still have my old MSI NF680i SLI box with 4 sticks of Crucial Ballistix Tracer and it is fun to watch from the window (still use it as a media pc). Overall it's best to have it than not as long as it can be turned off. Gaming oriented gear design is a different story though, many are well over the fugly border. lol
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How about other stuff, like modems or routers that have leds you would put in a flashlight? I am so thankful my asus router has very dim leds and has a switch to turn them off completely. My modem, will light up the entire living room at night. I wish all consumer devices of this nature would have that option. No reason for them to be that bright, or in my case, covered with electrical tape.
 
I'm with the G500 crowd on this one. Still using mine and have another in the bullpen in case it dies. And my Gigabyte Osmium single-color keyboard gives me everything I need or want, with one exception: I really wish it had silent switches.

My 16-yr-old just used his Christmas money to get a K70 RGB. It feels nice, but I would have gone with blue LEDs and saved 40 bucks.

I have no use for a keyboard that looks like a bowl of Skittles.
 
krotch said:
. If I wanted a no-nonsense mechanical keyboard, I would just buy a Ducky Zero.
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And where can I find this wonderful, no-nonsense keyboard? Every place I've looked at shows out of stock. Seems to be a bit of a chimera. Having the same problem with most of the Rosewill models. A quick search on the 'egg doesn't come up with much for the other brands you listed. In fact, the prices start going north so fast, that I might as well get a Unicomp.

It isn't just the keyboards, that's just a good example for the discussion. For high-end motherboards, you pretty much have to go to server boards to get a high-end board that wasn't designed to be displayed at a cyberpunk convention. Some of those are actually cheaper than the consumer boards, but you lose certain consumer features that are helpful.
 
I just find it hilarious that some people drop an extra $50 on the keyboard to upgrade from red, white, or blue lighting to the "RGB" package. I mean seriously, who even looks at their keyboard anymore?
 
krotch said:
Will never understand why ppl like to use car analogies to everything. Might as well just have only 2 USB ports, 1 PCIe slot, 2 memory slots, 1 sata port, etc. You only need a keyboard, mouse, 1 video card, and 2 sticks of memory for dual channel. Forget everything else. Bare essentials. Just like how a race car only has the 1 seat (or 2 for rallying), no heat, no a/c, no sound deadening, no power windows, no abs, no extras.

Of course, damn near zero PC enthusaists are going to want a mobo with such few things. They want tons of USB ports, tons of SATA, tons of memory slots, tons of whatever else. It's all about options, not taking away options.
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lets put it this way, if some one uses a car anology you know they're from the southern half of the US.
 
HockeyJon said:
I just find it hilarious that some people drop an extra $50 on the keyboard to upgrade from red, white, or blue lighting to the "RGB" package. I mean seriously, who even looks at their keyboard anymore?
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Not a bad idea if you build a new gaming rig and decide to change the color scheme. RGB saves you from buying a new keyboard that matches.
 
gsilver said:
Still looking for a mouse, though. Big hands = virtually all mice are camped and uncomfortable.
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RAT 7 (and others) is great for adjustment, I also have large hands (with an affinity for resting my thumb/pinky).
The problem is they're pricey, but cheap (and they look half retarded).
If anyone knows another mouse with the two rests?

Seventyfive said:
Happens to every hobby....

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Fuck me, it's the Mona Lisa :)
 
Krab said:
It's not like the technology is moving that fast anymore. Gotta sell shit somehow.
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The increased competition between so many vendors and OEMs has made this happen. Companies want to make profit (margin) and add "extra" features to inflate the price to keep that margin. LEDs are a cheap way of doing so.

For example, when Yate Loon fans were $4 a piece, we started to see 120mm fans with vibration dampening, new names for bearings, LEDs, blade designs, etc. The Yate Loons were fine, but an LED fan with rubber dampening and special blades commanded $12 each retail...for a fan that costs likely $4-5 to make.
 
I bought an LED backlit keyboard ages ago because I was playing games in the dark so that the fam could sleep at night and I didn't need the light on. But that's the ONLY reason I'd ever buy another colored keyboard again and I am certainly NOT going to put LEDs into the rest of the PC build. The PC should be seen minimally and not heard at all.
 
The one place I'd like some "configurable lighting" is definitely a keyboard backlight, and that's for usability not ricing my pc. Well, at least wrt brightness.
 
Actually PC hardware is not a child. it's in it's midlife crisis thinking it's not relevant anymore therefore it attaches fancy decoration on itself. Everything was functional 15 years ago. A cooler was a cube with a plain black fan slapped on it, the only difference between models was the size. A PCB was just a plain pcb no design whatsoever only functionality.

And I'm still not interested in design in inernal components. I'd never choose based on that.

But on the outside I'm glad we got rid of the beige pc cases and perhipials. Just get rid of those bright ass blue leds.
 
Still using a ms ergo 4000 v1 keyboard and a 6000 wireless laser mouse from 2005ish at work. They are still comfortable. Two x-mas back I received a steelseries apex 350 and sensei wireless for home. I actually really like the lighty-crap on them, I have them set to change color schemes when I adjust dpi. Everything is programmable, dimmable and adjustable to your preferences(including off). If it keeps people interested and money flowing, more power to em..
 
Fuck the gaming hardware "all lit up and nowhere to go." invasion. Ram a 20-foot ole up it's ass.

But it gets worse. My local Giant location just discovered that LED lights are incredibly fucking bright, and must make every trip to the store retina-burning. They installed bright white LEDs on all the snack food and magazine holders. Because the (still overhead, and still on) massive lights weren't enough to see the products on the shelves already?

So, no matter which register you choose, be prepared to bake your retinas while you unload your cart (and therefore must stare at cart).
 
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Dan_D said:
Is comfortable and very adjustable.
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I've never tried it, but I would definitely place comfort and optical performance at the top, and aesthetics at the bottom.

If the only way to get the performance and comfort I want is to buy a rice rocket mouse, I'll suck it up and buy the rice rocket mouse...

...but I won't be happy about it.
 
thesmokingman said:


They're also releasing a cheaper version of it under the Gxxx naming. It's a classic shape.
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I like the looks of it. It seems a little small though, and it is reportedly pretty light. I like large heavy mice. Maybe I should just sour the internet for old new stock of the G500. That thing was my favorite mouse I've ever used.
 
CrimsonKnight13 said:
So far, I've had the best experience with using Logitech gaming products which last me a long time. I usually avoid most of the others due to the crazy aesthetics they implement.
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I agree but even then, Logitech has let themselves slide that way as well. I would go out on a limb here and say the Logitech MX-518 was the most successful gaming mouse Logitech ever produced and I'd say it could be the best ever for it's time.

So how did Logitech get from this;

s-l300.jpg


To this ?

g502-proteus-core.png
 
I don't mind the back light on my keyboard - I wish it was white instead of blue, but I'm cheap and $40 for a mechanical (yes chinese switches) meant as long as it wasn't rainbow coloured I didn't care. I do like that I can turn the back light off/dim it.

I have a razer orbweaver that I disabled the backlight on. My trusty logitech m705 isn't fancy but gets the job done. Overall not suffering too much from this trend.
 
lcpiper said:
I agree but even then, Logitech has let themselves slide that way as well. I would go out on a limb here and say the Logitech MX-518 was the most successful gaming mouse Logitech ever produced and I'd say it could be the best ever for it's time.

So how did Logitech get from this;

s-l300.jpg


To this ?

g502-proteus-core.png
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I never did gaming mice, but I loved my MX1000 (and used it for gaming, because the ergonomics were closer to perfect). Alas one of the scroll buttons stopped working, so I switched to the MX Revolution, which is good, but I liked the 1000's design better. It seems like everytime they put out a new mouse, it's worse than the one it replaced..
 
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