Roccat Renga Boost Headset - Hardware Review

The Roccat Renga Boost Headset fills a void that largely gets ignored. There are numerous $100+ headsets out there that promise a flashy design and tons of features, and there are entirely too many $25 headsets that provide tinny sound and cheap materials that help to keep the price down for those gaming on an extreme budget. The Renga Boost lands solidly in the middle, delivering relatively solid performance at a fair price for those who want a bit more from their hardware without breaking the bank.

Read More

ROCCAT Kone Pure SE Gaming Mouse - Hardware Review

ROCCAT has been in the gaming business for quite some time, from hardware like the Kone Pure gaming mouse to Team ROCCAT, an eSports team that plays League of Legends, StarCraft II, and Counter-Strike professionally. The Kone Pure SE mouse is an extremely lightweight that easily glides along any surface you place it one while capturing the surface at an adjustable rate, up to 5,000 DPI. Being slightly smaller than a "standard" full sized mouse, the Kone Pure SE is quite well suited to be a professional-grade traveling companion, though the non-nylon wrapped cord does pose a bit of a problem when traveling. As a sub-$70 USD gaming mouse, the Kone Pure SE makes a spectacular addition to any gamer's library of hardware; with its incredibly low weight and small size I myself use it to travel with my gaming laptops, though it can just as easily fit in with any standard desktop compliment. The ROCCAT Kone Pure SE is a wonderful bit of hardware that for some, may even replace their old, decaying hardware.

I had to laugh a bit when I pulled the Kone Pure SE's box out of the shipping box; it was wacked to the gills with actual bubble wrap, and to be frank, I love me some bubble wrap. Then as I began to cut the tape on the actual packaging I had to laugh again; ROCCAT used 9 pieces of tape on this tiny little box. They apparently wanted to make sure, between the robust packaging and insane amount of tape, that the mouse was shipped with the best of care. Might seem strange or inconsequential, but it is far from either; the care taken by ROCCAT to protect your new gear is quite apparent and by packaging the unit so well, they are clear in their message … your confidence can be placed in ROCCAT as they protect your investment as it is important to them.


Beyond the packaging, the Kone Pure SE is most surprising in its weight. At only 88g, the damned thing feels like a bubble of air and after using it for 30 or so hours then switching over to my Mionix Naos, I was absolutely dumbfounded and how moving the loveable Naos felt like I was trying to roll a small boulder around. One can really get used to the relative absence of discernable weight; honestly I was a bit shocked as I am tend to be more "heavier is better" in my hardware habits. Speakers, keyboards, mice, desks, etc. all tend to be on the hefty side as the solidarity feels good to me. The Kone Pure SE's light weight and smooth coating makes it feel like a small puff of air gliding across the slick, smooth icy surface of a newly frozen mountain lake. Not only is it refreshing in its weight, but it is an attractive mouse to simply look at.

Though the awesome ROCCAT logo is backlit (and with ROCCAT Swarm, the software to run the ROCCAT library of devices, can be changed to suit your desired mood) and the silky-smooth matte coating of the mouse catches the light just right and looks excellent, I did find that it tends to show hand oils (or oils from your Cheetos, whatever floats your boat) quite well. I am far from a dirty person, nor do I regularly secrete oils in copious amounts (puberty was decades ago), yet it is easy to see the natural oils left on the mouse and it drives me absolutely bonkers. Even after having the mouse only a few days I have cleaned the thing well over a dozen times. It is beyond irritating… On the flipside, the mouse looks so nice and fits my small hands so well, that it is not necessarily a bad thing to you know … clean your hardware. I am confident that many of us have not thought about regularly cleaning their gear, so the ease with which oils are seen is a good reminder to give the mouse a good wipedown after a long gaming session.

A few things to note; the ROCCAT Kone Pure SE is a gorgeous looking mouse, even if those good looks come at the price of having to regularly clean it. The lightweight aspect of the mouse is nigh-lifechanging even if the smaller size might be a bit of a stickler for folks with larger hands; for me the size was perfect. Overall the mouse, with its adjustable high capture DPI, small form factor, low weight, and wonderful click-action, is a solid traveling gamer companion or secondary unit for those with multiple PCs. The ROCCAT Kone Pure SE is a unit of choice for those FPS and MOBA gamers out there.

Hardware Information

Platform:
PC
Publisher(s):
ROCCAT
Type:
Mouse

Source:
Provided by Publisher

Article by Robert

Read More

Tesoro GRAM SE Spectrum Optical Switch Keyboard - Hardware Review

Tesoro is a longstanding favorite here at Chalgyr's Game Room and with good reason; over the last few years they have consistently put out excellent hardware at incredibly competitive price points. With the latest Tesoro GRAM SE Spectrum, the optical switch technology that they are using that is similar in feel and responsiveness to more traditional mechanical keyboards is light, tactile, and has a few quality of life changes that really make the GRAM SE Spectrum look and feel a cut above the competition.

Read More

Tesoro Excalibur SE Spectrum Mechanical Gaming Keyboard - Hardware Review

It is no secret that we here at Chalgyr's Game Room are fans of Tesoro products; they have been a mainstay in our homes as they develop keyboards, mice, headsets and more that are durable, affordable, and of the highest quality. By now we are all fairly familiar with the Excalibur line of mechanical gaming keyboards, after all, we have reviewed a number of them and today we are bringing a review of their latest offering, the Tesoro Excalibur SE Spectrum mechanical gaming keyboard. With the departure from traditional mechanical switches to  faster optical switch technology, the Excalibur SE Spectrum is the stellar evolution of an already excellent line of mechanical keyboards.

Read More

SCUF Impact PlayStation 4 Controller - Hardware Review

SCUF (www.scufgaming.com) has recently released two new PlayStation 4 controllers; the all new IMPACT and the follow up to last year's spectacular Infinity 4PS, now called the Infinity 4PS Pro (which we will have a review coming up in the near future on). I was lucky enough to get my hands on an IMPACT controller in bright, blazing orange with white accents. An over-simplification of the IMPACT would name it an enlarged 4PS with two additional paddles, but that would be a gross misstatement, as the IMPACT is its own unique professional-level PlayStation 4 controller, though more so than the other SCUF offerings, its success will truly depend on the person holding the controller.

Read More

SCUF Elite Collection Xbox One Controller - Hardware Review

Here at Chalgyr's Game Room "SCUF" has been synonymous with "quality" and in their most recent endeavor, that word remains at the forefront of thought whenever SCUF is brought up. When Microsoft launched its Elite Controller I was a bit concerned as the controller looked, felt, and behaved in a fashion very similar to how I have found SCUF controllers to behave. In retrospect I would go as far as saying that Microsoft took SCUF's approach to a professional controller to heart and really upped their game with the Elite controller. As far as I was concerned the Microsoft Elite controller was amongst the best ever made… Then SCUF went along and made it better.

Read More

Nintendo Switch - Hardware Review

In what was possibly the softest console launch in my more than three decades of gaming, the Nintendo Switch finally released last week. The compact console comes full of interesting ideas, but some questionable design choices make this a system that is going to appeal to a very distinct audience. Thankfully my family falls into that audience, and we have gotten a tone of mileage out of it in its first week since launch, but there is a lot of room for improvement here as well.

Read More

Epiphan Video Av.io HD Video Capture Device - Hardware Review

Video capture has been something we at Chalgyr's Game Room have been interested in for quite some time; we have covered most of the devices by AverMedia (and loved them), and are always looking for more ways to capture video. Enter Epiphan Video, another capture card manufacturer that is a little less known here in the States. Hopefully we can change that.

Read More

Lenovo IdeaCentre Y900 RE with Lenovo Y27g 4K monitor - Hardware Review

Lenovo has long been a favorite of mine, from hardware that is well powered and excellently priced for a struggling college student or business-class, rugged machines meant to be categorically pounded on by cubicle dwellers, to bonafide gaming machines. When the great folks at Lenovo reached out to see if I would like to take their newest IdeaCentre, in partnership with Razer, out for a spin, I jumped on the chance.

Read More

Oculus Touch - Hardware Review

So the much-discussed Oculus Touch has begun to ship, and it carries with it a ton of questions - but just as much potential to change how people game. The hardware is incredibly polished and it only took a few minutes with it to see that there is a world of possibilities out there for those who sign up for virtual reality.

Read More

HyperX Cloud Stinger Gaming Headset - Hardware Review

Near on two years ago Kingston took a risk and released the HyperX Cloud lineup and it paid off in a big way. Providing some of the best headsets money can buy, Kingston has firmly cemented itself as a premiere, yet affordable, peripherals manufacturer. Two years after the initial release we have the HyperX Stinger headset, an affordable entry-level headset for budget-minded gamers who are looking for excellence without having to shovel over piles of hard-earned money. The Stinger is without a doubt the best headset you can buy under $100 USD.

Read More

Vtin Rocker Bluetooth Speaker - Hardware Review

As I was incredibly impressed with the Vtin Punker Bluetooth speaker I approached the Vtin Rocker 10W waterproof speaker with gusto as the Punker really changed my opinion on wireless speaker technology. While I am not overly impressed with the Rocker when I compare it to the Punker, it is an excellent and affordable Bluetooth speaker.

Read More

TOMOKO 7200 DPI Gaming Mouse - Hardware Review

There is an incredible array of gaming mice available, from the uber-affordable TOMOKO 7200DPI gaming mouse I am reviewing today, to the costlier brand names like Logitech's G502 or Mionix's NAOS 8200. Really, selecting a mouse for your gaming or computing needs these days can be daunting and the wide range of options out there may lead to buyer paralysis. TOMOKO's T-60 "Mad spider Redemption" gaming mouse aims to give you the best of all worlds; ergonomics, performance, price. Where is excels at price, and thus leads to some of the best performance for the price, there are plenty of more comfortable mice for marginally more money.

Read More

Vtin 20W Waterproof Outdoor Speaker - Hardware Review

My personal experience with wireless speakers began, and ended, back in 2006-2007. I had been working at an upscale home theater company in Orlando, Florida where I was wildly spoiled by the likes of Bang & Olufsen, Martin Logan, DefTec, and a number of premiere home audio providers and at the same time, flat panel televisions were becoming all the rage.

Read More

Victsing LCD Video Projector - Hardware Review

For its price, the Victsing LCD Video Projector is a really good unit. This is a compact/portable projector that kicks out a respectably bright image and can be hooked into in a variety of different ways. Considering just how expensive projectors can be, this one rings in at less than a hundred bucks and provides pretty solid value.

Read More

TOMOKO I-600 Mechanical Gaming Keyboard - Hardware Review

We at Chalgyr's Game Room are no stranger to mechanical keyboards. Many, if not most of the contributors here grew up with "clicky keyboards" complete with their curly cords and serial connections. Fortunately we are beyond that and living in the midst of a resurgent era of the mechanical keyboard. With this boom it is expected to see everything from the ultra-expensive "brand names" to budget-conscious keyboards. Enter TOMOKO's I-600 waterproof mechanical keyboard, coming in under $60 USD, the blue switch mechanical keyboard is one of the least expensive keyboards we have ever tested. The kicker? It is easily worth twice that.

Read More

TOMOKO Water-Resistant 104-Key Wired Mechanical Gaming Keyboard - Hardware Review

Admittedly, this keyboard kind of surprised me - but in a good way!

I have several gaming keyboards (and mice and headsets - I game... lots!). I was quite happy with my prior keyboard (a Tesoro). Thing is, this new keyboard from TOMOKO replaced it for me in short order as my go-to now, for several reasons.

Read More

GameSir G4s Bluetooth Wireless Gaming Controller - Hardware Review

There are so many different devices out there, and the idea that you need a controller to experience the best of what they have to offer games can be a frustrating experience. That being said, the GameSir G4s Bluetooth Wireless Gaming Controller is incredibly versatile - but beyond that, it is simply an excellent controller as well.

Read More

SCUF Gaming Infinity 4PS - Hardware Review

SCUF Gaming is the premiere controller manufacturer for last and current generation systems. We recently reviewed the Xbox One Infinity1 controller and loved it, and after a grueling 6+ month wait, the new SCUF Infinity 4PS is finally here! We were fortunate enough to build a custom unit, matte black with blue face buttons, short concave analog sticks, SCUF's control disc, and various other goodies.

Read More

Edifier M710 On-Ear Headphones - Hardware Review

Most of the headphones we cover are of the around the ear variety, but the Edifier M710 On-Ear Headphones still manage to deliver an outstanding music experience for those who prefer this style. More than that, they provide a very good value for the price point they come in at.

Read More