Custom PC - UK (2020-02)

FEATURE/ ANALYSIS

KEYBOARDS

Doyouneeda gamingkeyboard?Essentially,no.Thatwasthebroad
conclusionwereachedinourtesting.Thereareallsortsofreasonsto
buyonekeyboardoveranother,butacrossthehandfulofkeyboards
wetestedforgaming,therewerejusta coupleoffactorsthatmade
anysignificantdifference.
Thefirstwasoverallbuildquality.A sturdykeyboardthatsits
securelyandhaskeysthatrespondpreciselymakesfora morereliable
experience.Inthisregard,a premiumkeyboardwithmechanical
keyswitchesis worthwhile.It won’tmakeyoua bettergamer,butit will
lastlongerandprovemorereliable.
Thesecondfactorwashavinga Windowskeylockbutton.Thatis,
a buttonyoucanpressthatdisablestheWindowskeys,soyoudon’t
accidentallygototheWindowsdesktopduringa game.Otherthanthat,
RGBandmacrokeysandalltheotherbellsandwhistlesdidn’taffect
ourexperienceinthegameswetested.Inotherwords,scrimpingon
yourkeyboardis fineforpuregaming.

ESSENTIAL
Youcanabsolutelygetawaywithusinga cheap,basickeyboardfor
gaming.Justaslongasthekeysstillstrikereliably,you’llbegoodto
go.Youcanpickupa basicmodelsuchastheLogitechK120for£10.
Alternatively,theCorsairK55is a greatentry-leveloptionthat’sstylish
andincludesthatall-importantWindowskeydisablebutton.

MICE

Getting just the right mouse can be a revolutionary experience when
it comes to PC gaming. The combination of a high-quality sensor, the
right shape, your ideal button layout and the features you need can
take your gaming skills from being adequate to exemplary.
However, testing all those features across all the games we were
testing, and accounting for personal preferences on shape and style,
is well beyond the scope of this article. For a basic example, we
compare the Logitech MX Master 3 and a cheap Microsoft Classic
Intellimouse with a range of proper gaming mice (old and new), and
three core factors came to the fore.
The first is the sensor. The past few years have seen a return to
optical sensors that, when used with the right mousemats, make for
a truly flawless tracking experience. So, if you’re holding onto your
favourite mouse from ten years ago (especially if it uses a laser
sensor), be in no doubt, it’s worth an upgrade.
What’s more, non-gaming mouse sensors are often designed not
with performance in mind. Using the Logitech MX Master 3 or Microsoft
Intellimouse in our gaming tests, for instance, proved a poor experience.
The second factor to consider is the number of buttons and other
features you want. For most of the games we tested, we preferred a
very simple set of buttons that didn’t crowd our hands. However, for
games where a lot of macros are required, such as some RPGs, mice
that include extra buttons can be really handy. The style and location of
buttons is also important. The extra buttons on the MX Master 3, for
instance, proved more of a hindrance in gaming.

MIDRANGE

The big upgrade you can make here is going for mechanical keyswitches,

which are more reliable and longer-lasting than rubber membrane keys.

Add in a button for disabling the Windows key and you’re good to go. The

Cooler Master CK550 is a great choice for £75 inc VAT.

TOP DOG

There are plenty of ways to spend more money on the latest

keyboards but we’ve seen little reason to look beyond the excellent

Corsair K70 MK.2 Low Profile. It looks fantastic, it’s built to a very high

standardandhaswonderfullow-profile mechanical keyswitches,

whichiswhyit costs£160incVAT

Thirdly, there’s the arrival of modern wireless technology in the latest

gaming mice. Just in the last year or so, wireless technology has finally

reached a point where it can be as responsive in games as using a wired

mouse. If you have the money, it’s definitely worth taking the plunge

into the wireless world for a cable-free experience.

ESSENTIAL

Almost any proper gaming mouse will do the trick here, but we really

like the SteelSeries Rival 110. It’s small and simple, but has a good

gaming-centric sensor. It provides great performance and costs just

£30 inc VAT. For competitive first-person shooters, the lightweight

Glorious PC Gaming Race Model O is also brilliant.

MIDRANGE

If you want more buttons, you can opt for an MMO-centric mouse such

as the Razer Naga Trinity or Roccat Nyth. However, those mice aren’t

well suited to other types of games. Instead, the SteelSeries Rival 600

offers a couple more buttons than some, while also being an excellent

mouse for a wide variety of games.

TOP DOG

Adding in the convenience of wireless is a great way to keep your desk

tidy and prevent cables snagging mid-game. The Logitech G Pro

Wireless is a fantastic wireless mouse that we simply loved using in all

the games we tested. It is pricey though.

whichiswhyitcosts£160incVAT.

Fancy keyboards

add little to raw

gaming performance,

but quality switches

are worth having