Review: CoolerMaster CM Storm Quickfire Rapid Tenkeyless keyboard (CHERRY MX BROWN SWITCH)

Coolermaster has been releasing their CM Storm Series of gaming accessories like their Keyboards and Mice. This case, this review is typed on one I just got this Morning at the SITEX 2012 - Intel Extreme Masters. Already successful with their range of mechanical stuff, they came up with the CM Storm Quickfire PRO.

Do refer to the video on YouTube on the Unboxing of the Keyboard in the future which I'm still doing. Meanwhile, I'm typing this review from the Keyboard itself. So for now here is all the basics of what goes into / with the CM Storm Quickfire Rapid.

In the box, the package contains the following items:

- The Tenkeyless QWERTY Keyboard
- Customed RED WSAD Arrow Keys to be fixed to replace the WSAD keys.
- Key Removal Tool
- Gold braided USB Port.
- User's Guide
- Customed CoolerMaster Logo WINDOWS keys.
- PS2 to USB Adapter.






But how about the features?

1. TENKEYLESS DESIGN

The Tenkeyless design of the keyboard eliminates the number keypad to reduce the length of the keyboard to increase portability so you can carry it around in a bag that can handle a laptop which is ideal in a LAN party. Also saves a bit of cost while retaining the rigid build quality. The reduce length also allows the user to position the mouse closer to him if he should see fit.

2. CHERRY MX BROWN KEY SWITCHES

The Brown Key Switches that are installed on this particular model pack the balance of almost everything. It is noisier than that of Black and Red Key switches but not as noisy and clicky as that of the Blue Switches. They also have a balance of the tactile feel as well. And compared to membrane keyboards, the mechanical keys do boost your typing rate by quite a bit. However, the switches are also great for gaming as well.

3. LOWERED COST AND BALANCE QUALITY

With its simple tenkeyless design and without the backlighting places the CM Storm Quickfire Tenkeyless keyboards among some of the cheapest gaming mechanical keyboard that's available. However the cost does not compromise build quality. Even though that it is still a tenkeyless design, the keyboard itself STILL has some heft and heavy weight to it, still weighing at almost one kilo. So you know that this keyboard is built like a tank.

4. PLUG AND PLAY READY

No frills and no fuss, all you need to do to get it running is just plug it to a USB Port via its supplied Gold-Ended cable. It does take a while to install its own integrated driver once you plug it in, but other than that there's really no more additional software or drivers that you need.

5. WINDOWS LOCK KEY / GAMING MODE

The Keyboard comes with the feature of the Windows Lock Key. What you require is to hold down the Function Key (Located between the Right Windows and Control Keys) and then press F9. What it does is Locks the Windows Key so you won't accidentally pop back to the Windows Desktop while you're gaming. Nice to have but not really required. However some pros will just remove the windows key entirely for gaming.

6.OTHER NEAT FEATURES

Other neat features include the inclusion of the USB to PS2 adapter which you can plug at the PS2 port of the motherboard. Most gamers ban this because of how much increase response they can get out of this if you compare that with being plugged in via just a standard USB. However I never seen much of a difference there so....yea. The Quickfire Rapid's Key caps are laser engraved rather than painted so after prolonged usage, the letter prints will not faint.

PERSONAL OPINION

Being the cheapest mechanical keyboard that rivals its price which is a tiny bit above my old keyboard Razer Lycosa, it still brings a lot more performance tweaks to the table within its small frame. I did manage to get it for about 109 SGD which is about 90 US dollars from SITEX at the Intel Extreme Masters, whereas the Lycosa is still around the 80 Dollar mark. However the Mechanical Keyboards make typing fairly easier and slightly faster by about 10 percent compare to a high end membrane keyboard. The switches may be a little noisy if you exert a bit more pressure on your taps, but I like em' clicky and abit noisy.

You do have to sacrifice your number pad if you're doing calculations but many times I don't see people using the number keypad that often.

I actually typed this review on the Quickfire Rapid Keyboard itself in the freaking dark so I really can't see the keys. And even so, provided you know your keyboard around, you should be fine. I reckon it is extremely safe to say that when it comes to gaming and typing vs a Membrane Keyboard, no doubt that even the cheapest Mechanical Keyboard made by CoolerMaster still takes its competition in stride.

IN SUMMARY: It gets an EXCELLENT and Value for Money  rating from me. Big Big thumbs up.

Preview: Unboxing of CoolerMaster CM Storm Quickfire Rapid.

Just got a mechanical keyboard from the makers of Cooler Master. I'll do a little unboxing later today.

Also in tonight's or tomorrow's video, I'll also be testing of a new audio recorder to see how big a difference it makes.

Overview: ASUS Zenbook UX51VZ and AFTERSHOCK TITAN: Gaming Notebooks Get More Complicated for the good.

Recently This morning I took a look at a couple of notebooks that are worth taking a peek at.

1.) A Lightweight Gamer that should be the rival to the newest Apple's MacBook Pro Notebook.

ASUS Zenbook UX51VZ
Source: www.notebookcheck.net

Core i7 3612QM (2.1GHz-3.1GHz)
8GB DDR3 RAM (4GB Intergrated, 1x4GB PC 1600 MHz RAM)
512 GB (2 x 256GB) ADATA XM11 SSD (RAID 0)
2GB GDDR5 nVidia GeForce GT 650M
15.6' Ultra Glossy 1920 x 1080p Display
Weight 2.2 Kilograms / 5 pounds

Now the Asus Zenbook is something abit unique compared to other notebooks. It functions as a pretty decent gaming machine but fills in the niche of an Ultrabook because of similar weight, size and how slim it is. The one from Notebookcheck.net is configured such that running applications remain smooth as always. However, that one comes at a cost of a costly machine, knowing how expensive would 2x RAID 0 Solid State Drives cost in such a slim factor. You do get swift no-frills performance with those drives, especially if those are running on RAID Zero.

The GT 650M GPU employed is the GDDR5 variant, which gives a bit of a tweak compared to the DDR3 version found in smaller laptops.

Do be mindful of the heat it emits because of the CPU and the RAID 0 Config, however this is one machine that could potentially be the competitor to the Retina MacBook Pro.

2.) And a Heavyweight Champion that should trump most high End Desktops aside with the Option of Dual SLI / Crossfire GPUs:

AFTERSHOCK TITAN / Clevo P370EM
Source: aftershockpc.com



Aftershock's Ultimate Version of the X17 after the release of the Aftershock X17 notebook. The Titan is perhaps THE ultimate laptop with Similar specs to the X17 but with an added twist. The Titan (which I would like to dub as the X17 Ultimate)  has space to cramp in Dual Graphics Core setup in SLI or CrossfireX Mode rather than the X17. I thought the original X17 could cramp in the Dual setups but I guess if you want a great gaming notebook without burning too big of a hole to swallow, which is probably I reckon why X17 is reverted to a single card configuration.

When you play on the Titan, you know it. You have a sense of power in your notebook. Dual GPUs with the choice of GTX 675M, GTX680M and the Radeon 7970M in SLI/CrossfireX mode can literally take on all today's game titles without breaking a sweat.

And knowing Clevo's range of custom Notebooks, the extent of customization options knows no bounds either. You could ramp up your CPU Processor all the way to the i7 3820QM or more. You start off already decent on a Core i5 Processor as your base CPU. It's still based on the 22 nm Ivy Bridge architecture. You can upgrade the RAM to an excess of 32GB, fit in RAID 0 drives, improve Heatsink thermal compound, deck it with Windows 8...etc. You can pretty much get this decked out to its maximum but of course, don't expect it to come cheap.

Don't expect the base model to be at the ideal cost and weight either. But if you want the maximum performance of a full fledged gaming computer, the Ultimate TITAN / Clevo P370EM even at its base configuration is gotta be that instrument to pwn your enemies to kingdom come.

My Next Laptop: What would it be....

Well, if I have a dream laptop that would be an ideal replacement for my Asus X42J which has lasted me for a while and is already struggling when it comes to games.... I would have 2 Choices.

For what my ideal type of laptop would be the following points it should have:

1.) Needs to have a decent enough graphics card.

Of course, when it comes to the gaming department, it does need to have a dedicated GPU that is designed for gaming of most games from the medium-high settings onward.

2.) The extent that it can be upgraded and customized.

Most small custom laptop shops do sell laptops with high levels of modification and upgrades. You're not so restricted to choose your own components that fit your preference. For me as a gamer, I would like something like CPU, Memory, Hard Drive, Displays (to less extent), Cooling, Graphics Chip (Ideally) upgrades available.

3.) Size and Weight.

Since it is extremely probable that I will be enrolling for school next year, it would of course be wise that it should be light enough and not overly big. 14.1 Inches and 15.4 Inches IMO are still acceptable for me. Since I do a lot of training, those gaming laptops of that size and weight are not much of a worry. The X17 would be too big so it's out of the running. I need something that will fit into a standard laptop size sling bag.

4.) Doesn't emit much heat.

Of course, less heat the better, so it won't be so hot when I'm using outdoors or even in my Air-Conditioned Room.

The following points that are of less importance but still good to have.

5.) Backlit Keyboard

Not really so important but good to have it so I can game with my bedroom lights off and I can still see my keyboard.

6.) Low Noise Emissions.

Generally, I would disregard the noise levels when my Laptop is running. The Asus X42J emits a noticeable fan whirring all the time and I've grown used to that. In fact all my laptops I used have that sort of noise prob that it is sorta I'm too used to it already. Of course, less noise when throttling the better.


The 2 Choices I'd picked are based from the Aftershock's Custom Laptops; All originally designed by Clevo.

AFTERSHOCK X11

This one is based on the W110ER Barebones where it has cemented as the most powerful 11.6' Netbook on steroids today. Since it is the only notebook / barebone of that size and weight that can play games decently. I did a little write up on my last topic. So some reasons why it fits one of my 2 choices:

- Lightweight at barely 1.7-1.8 Kilos.
- Small to fit in a slightly below average size laptop sling bag.
- The nVidia GeForce GT 650M is the only graphics core to be placed in a laptop that small and still can play stuff like BattleField 3 on High at Native resolution.
- Upgradable for most parts
- It Surpasses the first Gen's and still very expensive Razer Blade in all respects and still in some ways is at a comparable level of performance to the 2nd Generation Razer Blade.

Some points that I take to consideration.

- You know that is not going to be as powerful as a GTX 680M.
- It runs abit hotter and slightly more noisy. Resulting in somehow PC Throttling.
- No backlit keyboard, although you could just plug in a backlit one via USB port.

AFTERSHOCK X15

If I'm not mistaken, this is based on the P150EM Barebones. This is a 15.4 Inch notebook with a lot more customization options and the option to upgrade to something like the GTX 680M or the Radeon 7970M.

PROS
- All parts easily upgradable and you have the option of choosing the range of GPUs from the GTX 675M onwards all the way to the Radeon 7970M and the more powerful GTX 680M.
- A Single GTX 680M which is a mini-cut down of the desktop GTX 670 is enough to handle games at maximum settings in HD 1920 by 1080 Resolution.
- Big enough screen.
- Definitely you would still be paying a little less for more compared to the Razer Blade.

CONS
- It's bigger and heavier than the X11, but it is at a level that I can still relatively manage.



WHICH ONE SHOULD I PICK!?!? I'm gonna need a new Laptop Quick! Santa, give me either one of those for Christmas!

CLEVO W110ER Notebook Released in Vendors worldwide!

Welcome to the Official Gamer'sHaven Techie Tips!


The purpose behind this page to share and discuss everything related to IT, Computers and PC Games and all that good stuff.


First for the Techies, we have this 11.6 Incher that is making its name for itself:

The Clevo W110ER

Not any longer and wider as an A4 Sheet of paper, you may think that 11.6 Inch is small and maybe meh, but looks can be deceiving. This Laptop Barebone Clevo W110ER is an upcoming superstar sub-notebook that sets itself apart from other competitors for its raw gaming power in a package that's just under 4 pounds or 1.75 Kilos. In such small size and weight, this can actually be classified as a Netbook.


I once heard about it from Motherboards.org where Elric Phares unboxed and reviewed a quick ship model of the W110ER from AVA Direct. And overtime, it got me captivated from its strong capability in its small package. Personally, what I feel is that the Clevo W110ER is closest and best you can resemble to a gaming Netbook / Ultrabook.


Because of its small size and light weight, this sub-notebook / netbook can fit into any average joe sling bag with room to spare. Heck, it can be even be put in some plastic folder cases. Therefore it is well suited for LAN Parties, presentations, school work, office, business on the fly and of course home gaming when plugged to a large screen via HDMI cable to the Clevo's port. 


For its size, this little toughie wants to display its gaming muscle, for it houses the nVidia GeForce GT 650M DDR3 GPU, an overclocked version of the Desktop OEM GT 640 DDR3. This Graphics Chip is designed to blaze most games in its native setting of 1366 x 768 at the Medium to High Settings, including the likes of Battlefield 3 and Diablo 3 with performance matching to the GTX 560M. Also, most manufactures can gear it to be completely customizable before shipping out for delivery.


Here are some of the specs that you can customize this baby out of:

CPU: Base Core i5 2567 Sandy Bridge, Core i5 3210 /i7 3610, 3720 all the way up to the 3920XM, the fastest Ivy Bridge CPU Available.
HDD: 750 GB HDD, 750 GB Momentus HDD with 8 GB SDD Cache, 120/180/240 SDD
RAM: 4/8/16 GB DDR3 with 1333/1600 MHz Corsair Vengeance RAM
Screen: 11.6 Inch Glossy / Matte Screen
Etc....


Other Features it has:
1 USB 2.0
2 USB 3.0
1 HDMI
1 Kensington Lock
Standard Headphone and Microphone Jacks
9-in-1 Card Reader
Integrated Stereo Speakers with Mini-Sub woofer.

The only thing it doesn't have is an Optical Drive which saves abit more weight. You can however use your own external drive should you wish.


Some laptop brands have begun shipping and manufacturing their own versions of Clevo W110ERs to the market. Look for these brands


- AVADirect - As the Clevo W110ER
- Schenker - As the A102
- Sager - As the Sager NP6110
- Eurocom - As the W110ER Monster 1.0
- Aftershock - As the X11


Look out for this bad boy. With such a well-balanced combination that you can personally set, it overthrows the Alienware M11X and even the M14x and Razer Blade very easily off the throne of Portable Gaming Laptops. I hope that this would be my ORD present from Mum and Dad. So in summary:


A Netbook / Subnotebook on Ultimate Steroids: A Gamer's Haven