PC World February 2015

F E B RUA RY 2015
Whats Next for
Windows 10
We have one word for you: Holograms.
INSIDE: NVIDIAS CHEAP, CHEAP GTX 960
FEBRUARY 2015
DEPARTMENTS
TABLE OF
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FEATURES
7 News
109 Catalyst Omega reinvents AMDs approach to drivers
31 Reviews & Ratings
133 Heres How
120 The Best Netflix Tools
COLUMNS
143 Hassle-Free PC
146 Answer Line
23 Consumer Watch
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5
NEWS
8
Windows 10s new

features: Cortana
and more
16
Nvidia releases
GeForce GTX 960
at a surprisingly
low price
Android update
to reportedly
fix Lollipops
memory leak
20
CONTENTS
Windows 10s new features:

Cortana and more
BY BRAD CHACOS
TS OFFICIAL, FOLKS: Windows 10 is coming to the people. After

kicking off Windows 10 with a bevy of business-friendly features,
Microsoft drew back the curtain on the operating systems new
consumer-focused features, while simultaneously driving home
a vision of an operating system designed to deliver a singular, cohesive
experience across a myriad of device types. And itll be a free upgrade
for Windows 7 and 8 users (go.pcworld.com/winfree), who can snag
the operating system for nada in the first year after Windows 10 hits
the streets. After Microsoft operating system chief Terry Myerson
announced that crucial tidbit, Microsofts Joe Belfiore took the stage
to run through some features coming to Windows 10 Preview that are
designed to make using the operating system a smoother experience.
8
Windows
Holographic will
build 3D imaging
into Windows 10,
which can be
experienced using
the HoloLens
headset.
NEWS
First, Belfiore showed off some helpful tweaks to Windows 10 features

that have already been announced: The Start menu will be able to
expand to fill the full screen if you desire, for one thing. The Action
Center (read: Windows 10s notification center) is receiving improved
functionality, such as Windows Phone 8.1-esque quick action buttons
that let you activate features (such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi) with a
single click. Notifications in the Action Center will be able to be
expanded. More helpfully for everyday workflow, Windows 10 will
condense the Control Panel and the modern UI PC Settings into a single
interface, eliminating Windows 8s maddening insistence on dumping
crucial system tools into two separate locations. Microsoft also
announced that its Continuum feature (go.pcworld.com/continuum),
which dynamically shifts the Windows 10 interface from the Modern UI
to the desktop depending on whether youre using a traditional PC or a
touchscreen device, will soon appear in Windows 10 Preview builds.
Cortana comes to PCs
As anticipated, Microsofts Cortana digital assistant will make the

jump from Windows Phone to Windows 10, assuming control of many
of the operating systems search features. Cortana, which will get her
Cortana Weather
on a Windows
10 PC.
own place next to the Start button in the desktop taskbar, can perform
many of the same basic tricks she does in Windows Phone. Cortana can
be interacted with via text or natural voice queries, just like on mobile
devices.
Still based off Microsofts cloud-based Bing brains, Cortana can answer
basic queries like Will I need a coat tomorrow? or how much it costs to
attend the University of Washington, as Belfiore showed in live
demonstrations. But Cortanas also been tweaked for more useful PC-like
interactions. She can scour your local machine, OneDrive account, and
even your business network to find files based on
natural language queries. Belfiore showed off the
capabilities by asking Cortana to Find PowerPoint
slides about the charity auction and Show me
photos from December. The digital assistant
surfaced the desired information nearly instantly.
That sounds pretty darn handy, and there are
more playful commands, too: Telling Cortana to
Play my music launches the music app, while asking her to Please be
quiet silences the music. Nice!
The digital assistant

surfaced the desired
information nearly
instantly.
Windows 10 for phones and universal apps
Belfiore then veered off to show Windows 10 on phones and tablets,

including a brief demo of mobile, touch-friendly Office apps. Windows 10
for phones will basically act like an extension of your PC, featuring
universal Windows apps (go.pcworld.com/universapp) that share the
same central heart and design as their PC counterparts, as well as newly
universal notifications that synchronize across Windows 10 devices.
Windows 10 phones and small-screen tablets will include a free copy of
Office. For a quick look at the universal Office apps, be sure to check out
our article on Windows 10 for phones and tablets (go.pcworld.com/10pt).
After the mobile talk, Belfiore showcased a rebuilt version of Outlook
designed for PCs, tablets, and phones alike as a universal Windows app.
Strongly resembling the Mail app in Windows 8at least aestheticallythe
universal Outlook map will sport a unified look across device types, packing
10
NEWS
touch-friendly commands such as swiping left on a message to remove

it, or swiping right to flag it for later follow up.
Since many of Microsofts appsincluding Outlookhave their heads
in the cloud, changes you make to a universal app on one device will be
immediately reflected on other devices, as Belfiore demoed by actively
editing Calendar app entries simultaneously on a PC and a phone.
Microsofts bringing the same cloud-centric, universal app
experiences to its core Windows apps as well, all powered by OneDrive
on the back end. The Photos app will create albums from all your
devices, intelligently removing duplicates and burst photos. A
revamped universal People app will collate your contacts, while the
Music app is also receiving a universal overhaul. As rumored, Microsoft
will add support for you to put your music collection in OneDrive
within the next month or two, so you can listen to your tunes
anywhere. Maps will also be receiving Cortana integration, and shell
be able to remember where you parked your car.
This is Spartan
Also new to Windows 10 is Spartan: A new, clean-looking, lightweight

browser built around a new rendering engine. It wont be available in
the first Windows Insider builds, and it will only come to phones
11
The Spartan
browser's
annotation
capabilities.
eventually, Belfiore said.

The Spartan browser includes a note-taking mode that lets you
annotate a web page, then share your marked-up, commented-on
version with others using Windows 10s native Share feature. Theres also
a clipping tool so you can save portions of websites directly to OneNote.
Spartan also doubles down on the mere act of reading on the Internet.
The browser integrates an updated version of the stellar Reading Mode
found in Windows 8s Metro Internet Explorer app. Reading Mode strips
all the ads and sidebar crud out of web pages,
formatting articles so that they appear similar to a
book. Its a wonderful thing. Spartan also taps into
the Windows Reading List app, so you can save
articles to read later, synchronizing the list across
multiple devices. Unlike the Reading List app in
Windows 8, the one in Windows 10 will let you save
content to read offline.
Cortana is also being integrated directly into
Spartan. Because she knows you, she can help in
more nuanced ways, Belfiore said, showing an
example where searching for Delta in his address
bar popped up information for the Delta flight
Belfiore was scheduled to take later. Cortana will also pop up when you
visit a restaurants website, surfacing directions as well as information
about the restaurants menu, hours of operating, and Yelp reviews.
Unlike the
Reading List app
in Windows 8,
the one in
Windows 10
will let you save
content to read
offline.
Improving PC games with Xbox
Microsofts also bolstering Windows 10s gaming chops (go.pcworld.

com/chops) by deeply integrating Xbox capabilities into the operating
system. A new Xbox app essentially looks like a more fully fleshed-out
version of SmartGlass, letting you chat with your Xbox Live pals, view
your achievement information, or access game DVR clips. The app also
lets you like, share, and comment on game clips.
But Windows 10s new gaming chops is about more than merely
expanding Xboxs footprint. While youre playing traditional PC games,
12
NEWS
be it in Steam or otherwise, a new Windows key + G keyboard shortcut

brings up an interface for saving snapshots and 30 second video clips of
your adventures, which then brings you into the Xbox app to share it.
Games dont directly have to support the functionality as its being
overlaid directly by Microsoft in Windows 10.
As previously announced, the performance-enhancing DirectX 12
gaming API (go.pcworld.com/dx12) is also coming to Windows 10. Xbox
head Phil Spencer claims that the API can deliver up to a 50 percent
performance improvement in games.
Microsoft also wants to enable more gaming experiences regardless of
the device youre using. Fable Legends players on Windows 10 and Xbox One
will be able to play with each other, and youll be able to stream your Xbox
One games directly to any Windows 10 device, though it sounds like it will
be limited to local networks only, similarly to Steam in-home streaming.
Surface hub and Windows Holographic
This has nothing to do with Windows, but its a majorand unexpected The Windows
hardware announcement from Microsoft: The companys rolling out the
10 Xbox app.
13
NEWS
Surface Hub, an 84-inch, 4K, touch-enabled display for office

collaboration. You can read the full details at go.pcworld.com/surfhub.
And the Surface Hub isnt even the craziest hardware announced by
Microsoft today. That honor goes to Windows Holographic, a set of
technologiesa headset, new Windows 10 technology, and a
HoloStudio dev appthat brings some insanely intense augmented
reality capabilities to Windows. Youll definitely want to check this out
(go.pcworld.com/holo).
When can you get it?
Myerson also revealed some stats from the Windows 10 Technical

Preview. Thus far, more than 1.7 million people have registered for the
Windows Insider program, and theyve installed Windows 10 on more
than 3 million different PCs.
A fresh Windows 10 Preview build containing the newly announced
features will hit PCs next week, with a Windows 10 build for phones
becoming available after the Super Bowl.
14
Microsoft
HoloLens
Joshua
You might know

.
He loves video games, and he
owns enough to know theyre not
all meant for kids. Thats why he
reminds his friends (at least the
ones that have kids) that they all
have big black letters on the box
to help parents find the ones that
are best for their families.
You can learn about those
ratings at ESRB.org
Los Angeles, CA
Nvidia releases GeForce GTX

960 at a surprisingly low price
BY GORDON MAH UNG
THE FORD GT may get your pulse racing, but ultimately when Joe Public
walks into a dealership, hes likely going to drive out with a Ford Taurus.
Thats arguably what Nvidia introduced with its surprisingly cheap
$200 GeForce GTX 960 (full review at go.pcworld.com/gtx) that appears
designed as much to hit an ailing AMD while its down as it is to keep the
core gamer happy. Rather than a high-end $1,000 or $500 GPU most
gamers can only dream about, the new GeForce GTX 960 fills that allimportant performance segment of gamers who actually buy far more
video cards.
16
NEWS
Based on the
companys newer
GM206 core, the
GeForce GTX 960
promises 1080p
gaming at the gold
standard of 60 fps.
Although Nvidia is likely loath to describe its new

affordable GPU as a Taurusperhaps thats better
left to Intels integrated graphicsthe company
does acknowledge the larger volumes at stake here.
Jon Peddie, with Jon Peddie Research, said the
enthusiast segment of $250 to $900 claims but 6
percent of the marketalbeit with far greater
margins. Still, given the 28.5 percent of sales that goes
to cards priced between $100 and $249, Nvidia doesnt
want to leave this lower tier of gamers wanting.
Its this budget sector whose need Nvidia hopes to
feed, and theres good reason to believe the company can do it to with
the GeForce GTX 960. The card uses the latest graphics core from
Nvidia, with features not even the pricier GeForce GTX 970 and
GeForce GTX 980 can boast.
Based on the companys newer GM206 core, the GeForce GTX 960
promises 1080p gaming at the gold standard of 60 fps. That wont be
in every game and with every detail slider turned up to maximum, of
course, but for the price its a deal. And while 1080p gaming may
sound pedestrian in a world of curved monitors and 4K displays, its
Reference cards
wont be sold, instead
all GeForce GTX 960
cards will use coolers
designed by board
makers such as this
Asus Strix card.
17
1080P with DSR
1080P no DSR
actually where the sweet spot is. Nvidia, in fact, says 95 percent of
games are played at 1080p or lower, and this card is for them.
For the most part, the GeForce GTX 960 is like a little version of the
GeForce GTX 970 and 980 that launched late last summer.
Its feature list has been pretty much lifted from the Big Maxwell
with: Dynamic Super Resolution, Multi-Frame-Sampled Anti-aliasing
(MFAA), Voxel Global Illumination, and VR Direct. In fact, so little has
changed you can just read up on the features (go.pcworld.com/geforce)
in our write-up from last year.
Not exactly the same, but better too
That doesnt mean all is the same. Nvidia is now so confident that its
MFAA feature offers enough of a free performance advantage in
visual quality, that it will turn it on by default for those who use the
companys GeForce Experience (go.pcworld.com/experience).
The GM206 core features you wont get in the pricier GeForce GTX
970 and GeForce GTX 980 cards (which use the GM204 core) include
H.265 decoding and full HDCP 2.2 compliance. That may sound like
18
Yes, youll be
able to get
nVidias DSR
feature in the
new budget
card too.
NEWS
spec soup, but its actually fairly important if you intend for your PC to
play 4K content going forward. Although the GeForce GTX 970 and
GeForce GTX 980 have HDMI 2.0 ports, as does the GeForce GTX 960, the
former cards may have issues with protected content such as 4K and 8K,
which could very well require HDCP 2.2.
Its likely bits under the gate though. Few people will run the larger and
pricier GeForce GTX 970 and 980 in a living room to run a 4K TV. The
GeForce GTX 960, however, will probably find service there as its smaller
and quieter, and in some configurations, completely silent.
Silent Gaming
In fact, under very light gaming loads, such as League of Legends, some
cards will keep the fans completely off.
The real head-turner with the GeForce GTX 960 is its price. Most
expected the new card to slot in at $250, which is what the GeForce GTX
760 cost. At $200, its even cheaper than the GeForce GTX 660, which was
introduced at $230.
The aggressive pricing on the new card is sure to put even more
pressure on AMD, which has been losing ground to its old foe.
The latest figures from Jon Peddie Research, which closely tracks
graphics in the industry, puts Nvidia with a commanding 71.5 percent of
the add-in video card game. AMD is at 28.4 percent. Intel actually dwarfs
both in overall graphics market share, but integrated graphics is hardly
respected nor desired by gamers. AMDs own quarterly reports put its
graphics sales down 15 percent quarter to quarter.
With Nvidia now releasing two rounds of cards without a significant
response from AMD, fans may be getting nervous. All the company has
done is slash prices. Gamers looking for deals may celebrate, but it isnt
good for AMDs shareholders.
Peddie, however, said the game isnt over yet. While he acknowledged
AMD was a bit late with a new GPU, he said the company was nearly
finished with its next one. He also cited AMDs long history with GPUs (at
least, through its acquisition of ATI): AMD has been doing it (via ATI) for
30 years, he pointed out, compared to Nvidias 20.
19
Android
update to
reportedly
fix Lollipops
memory leak
BY FLORENCE ION
ANDROID LOLLIPOP MAY bring with it tons of neat
new features (go.pcworld.com/lollipop) and

aesthetically pleasing visual changes, but its rollout
has been bumpy. Googles been working out the kinks,
however, as evidenced by a recent thread in the AOSP
bug tracker. One particular fix, for rampant use of
RAM, is reportedly slated to show up in the next
Android update.
The issue tracker mentions a memory leak that
causes apps either to run slowly or to crash without
any warning. Android 5.0.1 apparently takes up as
much as 1.3GB of RAM, which is particularly
detrimental to devices that top out at 2GB. There are
20
NEWS
even a few Reddit (go.pcworld.com/reddit)

threads devoted to complaints about this
particular issue.
A ticket (go.pcworld.com/ticket) for the
RAM issue opened up on Googles AOSP issue
tracker in late December. In January Google
marked the issue as FutureRelease, which
means the next version update will include
a fix for this annoyance.
Why this matters
Years of dealing with

Apple, Microsoft,
and Googles
software updates
have taught us theres
no such thing as
a smooth rollout.
Years of dealing with Apple, Microsoft, and Googles software updates

have taught us theres no such thing as a smooth rollout. Regardless,
theres a lot at stake when it comes to the Android operating system,
especially considering that it already has a reputation of
fragmentation and delayed software updates.
With Googles new slogan being Be together, not the same, it
needs to be more quick about fixing minor issues and ensuring OS
stability across the board. At least the company is being somewhat
transparent on what its working on for the next update.
21
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CONSUMER
WATCH
Make smart purchases,

stay safe online.
Nifty new features change

your passwords for you
Nifty updates to Dashlane and LastPass makes swapping almost easier.
BY IAN PAUL
ASSWORD MANAGER APPS Dashlane (go.pcworld.com/rvdash)

and LastPass (go.pcworld.com/rvlast) are hoping to take the
sting out of the next security snafu that affects your online
accounts. This week, both services offer new automatic
password-changing features that let you swap your login codes with just a
few clicks, replacing them with randomly generated passwords made up of
23
Both LastPass Auto-Password Change and

Dashlanes Password Changer work only on
PCs and are not available on mobile devices .
letters, numbers, and symbols. The new features automatically save the new
logins to your password manager of choice.
Both Dashlane and LastPass can change your password for about 75
separate services, but they operate a little differently. LastPass AutoPassword Change works on an account-by-account basis, while Dashlanes
Password Changer can work on multiple accounts at once.
Why this matters: After the public reveal of the Heartbleed (go.pcworld.
com/hb) vulnerability in April, many users were forced to swap out at least
some of their passwords for online services. But changing passwords is a
pain and can be very time consuming. The new Dashlane and LastPass
features will make it easier the next time a major vulnerability has you
scrambling to change multiple accounts at once. It also makes it easier to
change your passwords more regularly, which is standard practice for good
password hygiene (go.pcworld.com/hygiene).
Hands-on with LastPass
The password changing features for both Dashlane and LastPass are
currently in beta; however, Dashlane is only letting users sign-up for the
chance to try its new feature. LastPass is already rolling out auto-password
change to any user running LastPass version 3.1.70 for Chrome, Firefox, and
Safari. Both LastPass Auto-Password Change and Dashlanes Password
Changer work only on PCs and are not available on mobile devices.
To change your passwords automatically with Auto-Password Change you
have to open your LastPass Vault by click on the extensions icon in your
browser. Then press the pencil (edit) icon for the account you want to change.
In the tab that opens, click the Change Password Automatically button under
the password field. Then you have to click Change Password Now in the new
window that opens to authorize LastPass to open a new browser tab, log in to
your account, and change your password. The whole process takes just a few
24
CONSUMER
WATCH
seconds, and you can even watch it happening in the new browser tab.
LastPass says all changed passwords are created on your device and
do not go up to the LastPass servers before being encrypted.
A few problems
In my tests, Auto-Password Change worked with a wide range of

accounts including Amazon, Dropbox, Facebook, GitHub, Google,
Reddit, Spotify, and Yahoo. Notably, LastPass new feature does not
appear to work with Microsoft accounts.
Despite the system working well overall, there were a few times
that LastPass choked on its password changing attempts. The first
site LastPass had problems with was Facebook. Towards the end of
the password change, Facebook asked if I wanted to logout of all
LastPass needs
to login to a
site for you
to get the
job done.
LastPass can automatically change your password on about 75 websites.

25
my devices where I was

logged in to Facebooksuch
as my phone.
When Facebook threw up
that window, LastPass choked
and cancelled the password
change. But since I saw the
dialog that Facebook put up, I
answered it and elected to remain logged in to my other devices.
When this happened, Facebook said my password was successfully
changed, but LastPass hadnt registered the switch.
Uh-oh.
Actually, it wasnt that hard to fix. LastPass saved its attempt to
change my Facebook password as a Generated password for... entry
meaning I could swap out the old password manually and keep
everything up-to-date.
Another hiccup came when I was tried to change the password to
one of my Google accounts in Chrome.
I am usually signed in to multiple Google accounts at once. When I
tried to change one of my Google accounts, LastPass failed since it
couldnt navigate through some of the screens multiple account users
have to deal with, such as the page where you have to choose one of
multiple accounts to log in to.
This is admittedly an edge case, but I suspect many PCWorld readers
will have multiple Google accounts and this is an issue to be aware of.
LastPass would probably not do well with any accounts that are
protected by two-factor authentication too since LastPass doesnt
have access to your passcode generator. I did not have a chance to test
this issue thoroughly, however.
Despite its few drawbacks, overall LastPass Auto-Password Change
makes it much easier to change your passwords regularly or when
disaster strikes. As for Dashlanes new feature, we look forward to
trying it out once we get our hands on it.
26
LastPass didnt
play well with
this Facebook
feature.
CONSUMER
WATCH
Spot the telltale signs of

malware on your computer
BY LINCOLN SPECTOR
What is to be done when Windows wouldnt update on your PC and

system restore is down as well? A malware infection seems likely. Here are
some symptoms that could suggest foul play.
Im received countless letters from readers who think they have a virus.
The problems they describeBlue Screens of Death, no audio, grinding
sounds inside the PCcan be attributed to virtually anything but malware.
27
Real malware is generally designed not to be

noticed. The people who write these programs
dont want you to clean them off of your computer.
But if you know what to look for, you can recognize
a symptom that might be caused by malware.
Sometimes malware is obvious.
Ransomware,
such as CoinVault,
announces itself
clearly.
Ransomware, such as CoinVault (go.pcworld.com/cv),

announces itself clearly. But then, ransomware is
basically an extortion racket. It cant make you pay
the ransom if it doesnt tell you that it has your data.
But the symptoms for other types of malware are
less obvious. Here are some common ones:
Suddenly poor performance. If your PC is running slower
Be suspicious if Windows Update, fails to work.

28
CONSUMER
WATCH
than it used to, or it seems to be running an awful lot of stuff in the
background, malware could be the cause.
Standard maintenance programs dont work. Malware will often
protect itself by disabling programs that might help you identify and
remove it. So if programs like Windows Update, Task Manager, your
antivirus program, Regedit, System Restore, or Msconfig fail to work,
you have reason to be suspicious. I should mention that some of
these programsespecially Windows Updatecan regularly fail
without help from outside bad guysalthough if its one of several
programs that fail, malware is likely.
New, unwanted toolbars that wont go away.
All sorts of programs might install a new toolbar into your browser,
and usually, its no more than a temporary annoyance. But if you
cant turn off the toolbar, or you do turn it off and it soon reappears,
theres something more sinister at work.
Your home and search pages change. This is very much like the
toolbar problem. If these pages change to something you dont
want, and you change them back, but your change doesnt last,
something is running that you have to stop.
So what do you do if these signs suggest you have an infection?
First, assume that your antivirus program has been compromised.
So scan with something else. Try either the ESET Online Scanner
(eset.com/online-scanner) or Trend Micros HouseCall (housecall.
trendmicro.com), neither of which requires installation.
I also suggest you do the scanning in Safe Mode with Networking
(See Heres How for information on Windows Safe Modes). That way,
the malware is less likely to interfere.
29
HELP KEEP
THESE KIDS
IN PLAY. 175,000
KIDS WILL BE
DIAGNOSED WITH
CANCER THIS YEAR.
Children are our greatest hope for the future.

Lets be their greatest hope too.
Cancer strikes infants and children. For teens
and young adults, survival can depend on
treatment by a pediatric oncologist, designed
specifically for them.
The St. Baldricks Foundation and Stand Up To
Cancer are funding groundbreaking collaborative
research to bring the most effective therapies to kids
fighting cancer. To learn how you can help keep
these kids in play, go to stbaldricks.org/inplay and
standup2cancer.org/pediatrics.
Samuel L. Jackson
Stand Up To Cancer and
St. Baldricks Ambassador
St. Baldricks Foundation is a charitable 501(c)(3) organization funding childhood cancer research.
Stand Up To Cancer is a program of the Entertainment Industry Foundation, a 501(c )(3) charitable organization.
Photo by Nigel Parry
Julia Hernandez
Diagnosed at 16,
in remission.
REVIEWS
& RATINGS
CONTENTS
32
Mechanical
keyboards revisited
58
Netgear redeems
the Nighthawk X4
66
AVADirect i7 X99
is fast with a classy
chassis
71
HTC Desire Eye

doesnt quite live
up to its price tag
77
The Last Tinker:

City of Colors is
a charming
platformer
81
Budget headset
roundup: We test
five sub-$100
entry level model
31
REVIEWS
& RATINGS
TESTED IN PCWORLD LABS

In this section, hardware & software
go through rigorous testing.
Mechanical keyboards
revisited
RGB lighting, software and keys can make a slab obuttons
something really special.
HAYDEN DINGMAN
32
I L LU ST R AT I O N BY C A ST I N C R A M E R
E ALREADY REVIEWED one set of mechanical

keyboards, (go.pcworld.com/mk) but believe it or
not there have been enough new releases in the
months since that were able to put together an
entire second set of reviews.
The craziest bit? Out of the five mechanical keyboards in this
roundup, only one (the Corsair K70 RGB/K95 RGB) uses Cherry MX
switcheslong the de-facto
standard for all brands. That means
my typical spiel (go.pcworld.com/
spiel) about the four main kinds of
Cherry switches (Red, Black, Brown,
Blue) is basically worthless.
If you are looking for that
information because youre planning
to purchase a K70 RGB or K95 RGB, I
recommend checking out our
previous roundup (go.pcworld.com/
roundup).
It really makes you wonder,
though: Now that Cherrys patent
has run out, how many
manufacturers will swap away? Will
Cherry switches someday be as rare and coveted as the IBM Model
M keyboard is nowadays?
But I digress. Besides the K70 RGB/K95 RGB, we have four other
keyboards.
The Nixeus Moda uses Brown switches with the trademark
tactile bumpbut Brown switches manufactured by Kailh, not
Cherry.
The Rapoo KX also uses Kailh switches, but theyre Yellowslinear
switches with a 50cN actuation force that falls between Cherry Reds
and Blacks.
33
Cherry MX Blue
switches give
you a tactile
bump as well as
an audible
click.
P H OTO G R A P H Y BY G O R D O N M A H U N G
More: Mechanical Keyboards
Razers Blackwidow Chroma sticks with the Green switches

although Im pretty sure those Green switches were made in a
partnership with Kailh also.
And then theres Logitech, which introduces the exclusive Romer-G
switch with its new G910 Orion Spark.
The other big push has been in RGB-enabled lighting. We kicked off
last year with zero RGB-enabled mechanical keyboards and ended
with three: The K70 RGB/K95 RGB, the G910 Orion Spark, and the
Blackwidow Ultimate Chroma.
All three take a different path toward RGB backlighting, but the results
are the same. You can set one color across the entire board or tweak each
individual key, allowing for complex profiles that (for instance) highlight
useful keys in your favorite shooter or even change color to match the
cooldown of your abilities in League of Legends or Dota 2.
The possibilities are in theory endless, but it all comes down to your
patience and the amount of community support each keyboard has,
so well be taking a look at the included software alsohow intuitive
and accessible it is to newcomers.
Of course, that bit doesnt apply to the Rapoo KX and the Nixeus
Moda, which are both more standard keyboard models.
Last but not least, well take a look at any luxury features. For
instance, media keys are pretty standard on mechanical keyboards
nowadays, but which implementation did the manufacturer go with?
Volume buttons versus a volume scroll wheel? Dedicated media keys,
or keys stamped onto the function buttons?
Its a lot to cover, so lets get to it. And if none of these keyboards is
doing it for you, remember to check out our previous mechanical
keyboard roundup.
34
Logitechs G910
features heavily
scalloped keys
that werent
comfortable to
type on.
REVIEWS
& RATINGS
Rapoo KX
$120
Mechanical keyboards are typically such beastly devices, Im always

surprised when I pull one out of a box and its a dainty little thing. The
Rapoo KX fits that bill, occupying a mere 13 x 6 inches of desk real
estate thanks to a no-frills, tenkeyless (no number pad) design. For
mechanical keyboard snobs needing something on the road, the KX
would fit into a backpack easily. And thanks to its attractive brushedaluminum top and solid plastic casing, you could do so without
worrying about its durability.
Its also a dual-mode wired/wireless keyboard. Embedded in the back
are a MicroUSB jack, a power switch, and then a slot to hold the KXs
Rapoo KX is
designed with an
attractive brushedaluminum top and
solid plastic casing,
35
35

small wireless USB dongle. As I type this Im using the KX wired
because the battery was low, but theres a lithium battery inside that
held about a weeks worth of charge for me.
Flicking on the power switch triggers the keyboard to vibrate
briefly, and all the backlighting activates. The backlighting is a soft
Apple-like white with three levels of brightness (including Off). You
can cycle the brightness by holding the Fn key and tapping Tab.
Soft Function keys
Instead of a standard row of mechanical Function keys across the

top, the KX opts for a set of soft keys that vibrate when touched. In
normal Function mode the keys are white. Hit the Fn key and the
backlighting on that strip turns blue, indicating that you can
trigger the media keys, volume controls, et cetera. Its not a fully
moddable touchpad like the Razer Blade Pros Switchblade
interface, although you can use Rapoos application to change
some of the alternate functions.
Its attractive, but I dont really know why they did it this way
otherwise. Soft keys are always finicky. Sometimes the KX doesnt
register multiple taps in a short period (say, if youre rapidly hitting
the volume keys) and theyre not particularly convenient to use by
touch if youre playing a game that maps the Function keys (or just
trying to feel for F12 in Steam to take a screenshot).
And unlike the rest of the keyboard, you cant adjust the
backlighting of this strip. To my eyes it seemed pretty dim, especially
Hit the Fn key and the

backlighting turns blue,
indicating that you
can trigger the media
keys and volume
controls.
36
REVIEWS
& RATINGS
when sitting back a bit from the keyboard.

How much any of that bothers you
probably depends on how much you use
the Function keys, but I use them a fair
amount for my job.
Another quibble: The backlighting on
the KX could be more even. Especially at
the lower brightness setting the letters
have an ugly variance in luminescence. The
top bit of the R key for instance is
brightly lit while the bottom isnt lit at all.
Then there are the keys themselves. I
dont mind the switches in the Rapoo KX.
Im not a huge fan of linear switches,
preferring to use Cherry MX Blues for that clickety-clackety sound
that drives some people to madness, but the resistance of the KXs
Kailh Yellow switches (somewhere between Cherry Reds and Blacks)
feels smooth and high-end. The only switch I really dont like is in
the Backspace key, which feels about twice as resistant as the rest of
the keyboard.
The design of the keyboard leaves more to be desired though. The
keys are broader than a standard keyboard by a few millimeters, and I
I also dislike that

the Menu key is so
close to the Arrow
keys instead of
replacing the
right-hand
Windows or
Alt keys.
37

found myself fat-fingering a bunch of mistakes even after a few days of
use. Muscle memory is a huge part of touch-typing, and adding even a
few millimeters onto the width of every key is enough to screw with my
head apparently. I kept triggering wrong keys, triggering two keys at a
time, double-tapping keys, and a whole host of other dumb errors.
I also dislike that the Menu key is so close to the Arrow keys instead
of replacing the right-hand Windows or Alt keys. Its too easy to
trigger the Menu by accident, which is even more of an annoyance
when the Escape key is embedded in that soft-touch strip and thus
not easy to immediately feel out blindly.
Bottom line
The Rapoo KX is an attractive, lightweight, and compact keyboard that

would be perfect for use on the road, but I dont know how much Id
use it at a normal desk. There are better tenkeyless boards out there
(including the WASD V2), and I dont really like fumbling for soft-keys
no matter the reason behind itespecially when that includes
something vital for normal usage, like the Escape key.
And especially when Im plunking down for the list price of $120. If you
can find it cheaper, its a better bargain.
38
REVIEWS
& RATINGS
Nixeus MODA
$80
Like the Rapoo KX, the Nixeus MODA will score points with some
consumers right out the gate because of its small size. Its not quite
as compact as the KX, thanks to a small palm rest and a dedicated
Home block, but this is still a dainty model compared to your typical
gaming monstrosity.
A bare-bones mechanical keyboard
The Nixeus Moda is a great little device, provided youre looking for a
bare-bones mechanical keyboard. Youre not going to get many frills
herenot even media keys. If you can live without those perks,
though, this is a solid (and cheap) device.
The Nixeus Moda uses Brown switches, but not those made by
Cherry. These knock-offs are otherwise the same though, with an
actuation force of 45cN and a 2mm actuation point that features a
39

tactile bump instead of the click found in MX Blues. Despite being
the same, I did notice that the Moda has more of a hollow, clacking
sound to it than other Cherry Brown keyboards I had lying around, but
whether thats due to the switch or due to the Moda itself I cant say.
Will the average person ever reach a point where using Kailh
switches instead of Cherry switches is a real detriment? Probably
not. Theyre knock-offs, but they seem to be pretty decent knockoffs. It seems like Kailh has sorted out most of the manufacturing
issues it had in the past, and while they might cut corners and skimp
on materials...well, Im just not convinced the average mechanical
keyboard user will care.
An entry-level candidate
What they will care about is price. At only $60 on the street, the
Nixeus Moda is one of the cheapest available mechanical keyboards.
If youve been eyeing the mechanical keyboard realm for a while now
but didnt want to plunk down an exorbitant amount of money, the
Nixeus Moda is a damn good entry-level candidate.
The downside is that its fairly stripped-down. You have dedicated
Mute, Volume Up, and Volume Down keys in the upper right corner,
The Nixeus Moda is

affordable, but fairly
stripped-down.
40
REVIEWS
& RATINGS
In all other ways,

the Moda should suit
budget-minded users.
but there are no media keys on the board, nor

any macro keys.
Theres also no backlighting, which for me
is an annoyance. I tend to work and game a
lot at night. Even as a touch-typer, backlighting
is a lifesaver.
In all other ways, the Moda should suit budget-minded users. Its a
durable little device, housed in some extremely thick black plastic
with a faux-brushed metal look. The keys have a subtle texture to
them that I really enjoyed typing on.
The only two things I dont like design-wise are the typeface and the
fake screws in the palm rest. Both look tacky and undermine whats
otherwise a sleek-looking keyboard.
The cable could also use an upgrade. Its cheap rubber,and not very
thickespecially where it connects to the keyboard itself. Id be
concerned the connection could break under heavy, active use.
Bottom line
Its cheap (especially on sale), its stripped down, its simple. The
Nixeus Moda does nothing to stand out, but it doesnt need to
its all about the price. This is a budget mechanical keyboard with
impressively few caveats.
41
Razer Blackwidow Chroma

$170
We already took a look at the Razer Blackwidow Ultimate (go.

pcworld.com/bwultimate) earlier this year, and this new Chroma
version is 95 percent the samewith the addition of fancy new RGB
backlighting and another $40 tacked onto the price.
Sleek and durable
Like its predecessor, the Chroma is a sleek and durable black

keyboard designed specifically for gaming. This is most obvious in
its custom-designed Razer Green switches, which (as far as Im
aware) are branded Kailh switches.
Razer Greens feature the same tactile click and actuation force
(50cN) as Cherry MX Blues, but the actuation point is a bit higher.
Cherry MX Blues are traditionally considered good for typing, because
you can learn to press keys without bottoming outstriking the key
so hard it slams into the bottom of the board, putting strain on your
wrists and fingers. However, the low actuation point can be
42
REVIEWS
& RATINGS
problematic in games because its harder to double-tap keys.
Because of this, Razers Green switches move the actuation point
closer to the keys resting point. This makes it easy to double-tap
keys, which is good for games. The side effect, however, is that
Razer Greens are not very pleasant to type on. With their heavy
up-front resistance and high actuation point its easy to bottom out
keys, and theyre just not as fun to type on as Blues.
Typing or Gaming?
Its kind of up to you to decide what you think youll be

using your keyboard for moretyping or gaming. If
the latter, Razers Blackwidow line might not be a bad
choice. These keys combine some of the benefits of
MX Blues and Blacks, producing that nice mechanical
clickiness while still being good for games. As
someone who types a lot though, I still think Razers
switches are a pain to use. I literally cannot type on
this thing without bottoming out two-thirds of my strokes, even
when Im concentrating on it.
Thats all the same as the previous model though, so lets cut to
the new stuff: The RGB backlighting.
I actually liked the backlighting on the basic Blackwidow
Ultimate model, despite the trademark Razer eye-searing green
color scheme. The Chromas really the Razer product Ive been
looking for thoughfinally, a device of theirs that I can
customize to look the way I want.
The Chromas backlighting is gorgeous, no matter which color you
choose. Keys are evenly lit,and theres not a ton of light leakage
around the edges of the keyscertainly less than Corsairs K70.
Smart design
Im actually fascinated by Razers design, because its something I

was told couldnt be done by both Logitech and Corsair. Prying off
43
The Chromas
Keys are evenly
lit, without a
ton of light
leakage around
the edges.

one of the Chromas keycaps reveals that the standard Cherry MX
stem design stayed intact hereunlike Logitechs Romer-G
switchesbut Razers also managed to put in full 16.8-million-color
RGB lighting without using all sorts of crazy clear-plastic refractive
bits and utilizing tons of light leakage, like Corsair did.
Instead, theres just a single lens embedded in opaque black plastic.
Its honestly the RGB design Id like to see all manufacturers adopt,
except for the Razer Green switches.
The only place where Razer screwed up is in the Caps Lock/Num
Lock/Game Mode pane in the top right. In the last model, I
complained that by embedding icons under plastic instead of using
simple light indicators, Razer made it harder to tell what was active
and what wasnteverything was blurry. That problem still exists,
with the added fact that those lights arent
RGB-enabled. Instead, they always stay an
unattractive off-white. Its an otherwise ugly
misstep on a beautiful keyboard.
Other manufacturers
could also learn a
thing or two about
software from Razer.
Especially Corsair.
Synapse 2.0
Other manufacturers could also learn a thing

or two about software from Razer. Especially
Corsair.
Razers Synapse 2.0 software is a somewhat
weighty utility, which is its main flaw. However, the process of setting
up the Chroma with all manner of pretty colors couldnt be more
intuitive. I plugged in the device, Synapse recognized it and
immediately brought up the Chroma configuration screen.
From here I could make a new profile or edit the default. Out of the
box, the Chroma is programmed to cycle the entire color spectrum.
New profiles are automatically programmed to Fn plus a number key.
You can easily swap on the fly from your default profile to your FPS
profile and back again without ever re-opening Synapse.
Lighting is all handled on one panel, and changes occur
44
REVIEWS
& RATINGS
automatically as you edit. You can adjust the brightness here (though
you can also still do that from the keyboard itself). There are five
lighting presets: Breathing, Spectrum Cycling, Wave, Static, and
Reactive (keys light up as you touch them).
Theres also Custom, which allows you to change keys individually.
Alternatively, you can start with a template that highlights keys
typically important in different game genres. The first-person shooter
template, for example, lights the WASD keys red, the R key green, and
the 1-5 keys in yellow. Everything else is dark. There are also templates
for MMOs, MOBAs, RTS games, and even specific branded setups for
League of Legends, Dota 2, Counter-Strike: GO and StarCraft II.
It lacks the wealth of options available for both Logitechs G910
Orion Spark and Corsairs K70/K90, but on the other hand its dead
simple. Seriously, you can get up and running with an attractive color
scheme on this thing in less than two minutes, its entirely intuitive,
45
Razer gets you

up and running
with an attractive
color scheme in
less than two
minutes,

and then you can swap between all your profiles on the fly without
ever having to look at Razers software again.
This is the type of approach other manufacturers really have to take
a look at. Sure, Id love if Razer implemented some of the more
advanced options from other keyboardstimed color changes to
indicate skill cooldowns, or custom wave patternsbut those come
secondary to the average persons being able to use the damn thing.
Bottom line
I still dont like typing on the Blackwidows Razer Greens any more
than I did the first time around, but if youre primarily buying this
for gaming that probably wont matter to you anyway. And for the
record, I do like Razer Greens more than I like Logitechs Romer-G
switches. A lot more.
As far as the RGB front, the Chroma is a simplistic beauty. The
Chromas lighting setups are neither as intensive nor as customizable
as the Orion Sparks or the K70/K90s, but Razer understands one
thing extremely well: Its better to cater to the masses first, and then
add more functionality later. I hope to see Razer do more with its
lighting through later Synapse patches, but at the very least youll be
able to plug in this thing and make it look good immediately. That
deserves praise in itself.
46
REVIEWS
& RATINGS
Logitech G910 Orion Spark

$180
Logitechs G910 Orion Spark is a completely new keyboard with

completely new switches, built from the ground up for gaming and full
RGB backlighting. As such, its probably the device where we have the
most to talk about because, well, its entirely unique.
Lets start with the design of the keyboard itself, which is weird enough
as it is. The G910 is a similar shape to previous keyboards in Logitechs
lineupthat is to say, a bit chunky. Even with the smaller of the two wrist
rests attached, this thing will take up quite a bit of your deskthanks to a
row of macro keys on the side, another row on the top (above the function
row), the dedicated media keys, and a phone dock (more on that later).
An uncomfortable key design
Im not a huge fan of macro keys, but I do think it makes more sense to
have five on the side and another four up top, since thats way easier to
trigger than trying to distinguish between three rows of macro keys on
47

the left side of the board. The media keys are standard Play/Stop/
Back/Forward/Mute and then a volume wheel.
Logitech got weird though when it designed the keycaps on the G910.
Most keys come in a pretty standard shapea hollowed bowl, with the
four corners slightly raised. The G910 uses a scalloped shape on all its
keys. In other words the left, top, and right sides are angled upwards. Its
like a little hat for your fingers. Furthermore,
the scalloping is different on every single key.
The WASD keys have the most distinctly raised
edges, to help you find them quickly and
accurately. The effect recedes the farther right
you move on the keyboard.
As such, the G910 is a uniquely weird device
to type on. Uncomfortable, even. No matter
how much I triedand believe me, I triedI
couldnt get used to the feel of the keys. Its
not too bad for things like shooters, where your fingers tend to stick on
the WASD keys the whole time. For typing or for games with lots of
hotkeys, though, I found my fingers commonly caught the edges of
keys on their way by, or landed awkwardly on the key at an angle that
caused significantly more distress than normal keys.
Romer-G Switches
Key handling is not helped by the Romer-G switches. Romer-Gs are

Logitechs proprietary switches, designed (like Razers Green and
Orange switches) with games in mind. Unlike most of the new crop of
mechanical switches though, I cant even think of a good Cherry
comparison. If there were a gun to my head I guess Id say MX Browns,
but really the Romer-Gs are a class of their own.
Thats not to say theyre good. I like that the Romer-Gs are quieter
than your average mechanical keyboard, but they lack the satisfying
oomph of a typical mechanical switch, feeling kind of mushy and dull
instead. There is a distinct actuation point, but its really close to the
48
The Romer-G
switch
unmasked.
REVIEWS
& RATINGS
keys resting point. Combine the mushy feel and the high actuation
point, and the G910 might as well be a rubber dome keyboard.
Ive talked to Logitech about it. Ive asked them if they have other
switches planned. They gave me a Not right now sort of answer,
which is only frustrating because the lighting on
the Orion Spark is so good.
The G910 Orion Spark is hands down the bestlooking of the three RGB-enabled keyboards
here. And itd better be, considering Logitech
built the Romer-G switch specifically to cater to
RGB lighting. Rather than the typical Cherry MX
stem design, pry off one of the G910s scalloped
keycaps and youll find a hollow indentation, with
the lighting element dead center.
What does that mean for the end product? Incredibly smooth
lighting and color from top to bottom across entire keys, plus almost
zero light leakage around the outside of keys (something that both
Corsair and Razers offerings suffer from).
The only oddity: While the G910 logo at the bottom and the
enormous G at the top of the keyboard are color-adjustable, for
whatever reason the media keys and the macro profile keys (the four
tiny ones in the very upper left) are not. The media keys stay blue, the
macro profile keys stay orange.
There is a distinct
actuation point,
but its really close
to the keys
resting point.
Software
Logitechs software strikes a good middle ground between the ease and
accessibility of Razers Synapse 2.0 and Corsairs bag of nightmares.
Its not a particularly pretty program, with icons that look like Word Art
from the late 90s. However, once youve clicked on the icon that looks
like a lightbulb doing mushrooms, youre presented with a fairly simple
lighting interface that also has a surprising amount of depth to it.
Logitechs software is split into four key lighting modes: Freestyle,
Zones, Commands, and Effects.
49
Freestyle, as you might expect, lets you change every key

individually. You can also drag color across multiple keys.
Zones allows you to group keys you use together often and then switch
the color of each groupfor instance, the Arrow Keys or WASD or the
Function Keys. You can stick with Logitechs default zones or create your
own. Its basically a quicker, more orderly version of freestyle.
Effects give you some goofy but beautiful options, most of which it
shares with Razers presets: Breathing, Reactive (here called Key
Press), Color Cycle, Wave, and the incredibly relaxing Star Effect
(which simulates gold constellations on a navy blue background).
And then theres Commands, which Logitech is still fleshing out on a
case-by-case basis. Commands will detect which game youre playing
and activate only the necessary keys. However, support is all down to
Logitechs (or maybe the developers?) implementing key bindings for
50
Effects give
you some goofy
but beautiful
options.
REVIEWS
& RATINGS
their gamesfor instance, Civilization: Beyond Earth still isnt supported

nearly two months after its release.
Finally, we should get back to that dock I mentioned way back at the
beginning of the article. Its not a functional charging station or anything,
but merely a place to stick your phone. Logitech has released its free Arx
Control software for Android and iOS phones, which lets you pair your
device with your computer, adjust profiles on the fly, use it as a secondary
media control, and even monitor your PC stats while youre playing.
Its pretty damn nifty, even allowing me
(through the magic of technology) to launch
games on my PC from my phone. That
particular feature takes the prize for the
absolute coolest and stupidest thing Ive
done with technology this month: I launched
Diablo III. On my laptop. From my phone.
Various game-specific
features mentioned prior
to release still havent
made it into the product
as sold currently
Bottom line
I still think Logitech has room to grow. Various game-specific features

mentioned prior to release still havent made it into the product as sold
currently, and wow I hope Logitech comes out with a switch I enjoy more
than the Romer-G.
But as far as lighting is concerned, the G910 is the winner. Its easy to
configure, and thanks to the Romer-Gs unique design its also the
best-looking of all three contestants. Ive had this thing running the
Star Effect setting for many days now, in between testing various
game settings.
As an added bonus, Logitechs Arx Control software adds a lot of weird
functionality, provided you have a device that can take advantage of it.
51
Corsair K70 RGB

$170
The Corsair K70 and K95 RGB are the only keyboard models in this
roundup that use Cherry MX switchesa relief for my fingers, after
traipsing through Kailh Yellows and Kailh Browns and Romer-Gs and
Razer Greens, only to return home to my tried-and-true Cherry Blues.
But surprisingly, the real moral of the K70 RGB (and by extension, the
K95 RGB) is that switches arent everything. While I love Cherry
Bluesthey make my fingers sing when typingCorsair makes some
drastic missteps on both the hardware and software sides that
undermine what should be a fantastic keyboard.
A Corsar classic
The K70 keyboard is a Corsair classic, with a sleek, brushed-aluminum

industrial look that stands out from the competition. The K95 is
basically the exact same keyboard, except there are three rows of
macro keys attached to the left side. And I mean attached in the
52
REVIEWS
& RATINGS
most literal of ways: The K95 looks like someone
took a K70 and pasted an extra piece onto it. Its
not very pretty compared to the stripped-down
K70, but if you need the dedicated macro keys
thats your prerogative. On the other hand, you
could just use Corsairs software to assign macros
to literally any key on the keyboard and save
yourself some desk space in the process.
The K70 RGB also features the new Corsair
Gaming logo, though I trustlike my earlier headset reviews,
including the Corsair H1500 (go.pcworld.com/h1500)we can skip
arguing over it. You either love it or hate it.
I honestly love the K70 RGB in almost every aspectCherry Blue
switches (or whatever you prefer), an attractive typeface, and one
of the best volume rollers Ive ever used. I love basically every aspect
except for the damn RGB lighting.
The reason we havent had any RGB-enabled mechanical
keyboards before this year is that Cherrys switch design didnt play
nice with the enlarged LEDs necessary for that sort of backlighting.
One color? Fine. 16.8 million colors? Impossible.
A redesigned underlying switch
Or at least, it was impossible until Corsair and Cherry completely

redesigned the underlying switch. The stemin other words, the
most important aspect of Cherry switchesremains untouched.
Cherry Blues still feel like Cherry Blues. Cherry Reds feel like Cherry
Reds. Thats a relief if the alternative is something like Logitechs
subpar Romer-G switch.
Theres a give and take, though. In order to preserve the stem,
Corsair and Cherry embedded the LEDs on the board itself and then
wrapped the whole thing in clear plastic.
If this were a normal keyboard even that might not be a problem.
Like earlier incarnations of the K70, however, the keys on the K70
53
Corsair and
Cherry
embedded the
LEDs on the
board itself

RGB dont actually embed into the frame itself. Instead, they sort of
hover above the base, about a quarter of an inch or so.
The K70 RGB has as much light pollution as the Las Vegas Strip. All
those pretty colors you set up? They shine right out from
underneath each key, through the clear plastic front, and straight
into your eyes. It can look cool in a Tron sort of way, but mostly its
just distracting.
Software
The real tragedy of the K70 is on the software side, though.

First, credit where credits due: You can do some really cool things
with Corsairs software. Theres a lot of flexibility compared to both
Logitech and Razers offerings.
54
The K70
hides essential
tasks behind
multiple menus
REVIEWS
& RATINGS
But its the kind of flexibility most people will never discover,
because its an absolute mess of a program. There are no easy
presets for someone who just wants to jump in and play around.
Instead, youve got to immediately delve into a program that hides
essential tasks behind multiple menus, doesnt explain what its
doing, and is all-around a pain to use.
You cant even change the keys all to one color easily, because the
keyboard comes preset with a white-and-red default color scheme.
Little do you know that you actually have to delete the groups that
Corsair originally set up, or else the colors youre trying to put on the
keys will lay on top of the default colors instead of replacing them.
Its a nightmare, brought on by one of Corsairs coolest features:
The K70 supports layers of lighting. In the background you can set
55
Default color
schemes need
to be deleted or
else youll add
your own colors
on top.

everything as one color, assign lighting to individual keys, or group
certain keys together.
Then theres the foreground layer. Here you can assign one of four
effects to occur every time you press a key: It either turns a solid
color for a certain amount of time, creates a gradient between
multiple colors, or spawns a wave or ripple of color.
You could, for instance, set it up so the entire keyboard is red, then
set it so every time you type, a wave of green goes across the board.
Or you could make it so the Arrow keys are never lit until you press
them, at which point they turn red for ten
seconds. Or you could make the whole
board into a psychotropic acid trip, with a
million different colors and ripples and
waves going off all at once.
Its not like the K70 replaces one color with
a different one for these effects. Going back
to our red keys, green wave example for
instancethe keys dont just switch from
red to green and then back again. Instead,
the keyboard melds the two colors as best it can.
I say as best it can because while the idea is great in theorya
real winner of a way to show off RGB capabilitiesCorsair flubbed
something along the way. Instead of a smooth, 16.8-million-color
spectrum, the K70 has noticeable stepping in color. I dont know
whats going on here, but I assume that something either hardware
or software-related is throttling the color output.
Its ugly, though. Set up an effect that lasts anymore than 5-10
seconds and youll notice that it actually steps between three or
four values instead of actually creating a smooth gradient. Thats a
major issue when youre trying to sell me on an RGB keyboard.
Instead of a smooth,
16.8-million-color
spectrum, the K70
has noticeable
stepping in color.
A labyrinth of menus
Corsairs software is also an unintuitive labyrinth of menus. Creating

56
REVIEWS
& RATINGS
an effect requires you to go to a secondary lighting menu, creating
a new effect, then figuring out how to use Corsairs bizarre linegraph interface (Hint: Right-click) and then figuring out how to
change the color of the nodes you made (Hint: Right click again)
and then assigning it a name and then finally dragging it onto a
group of keys.
You can make some great effects. Gorgeous, even, despite the
stepping issues. But damn does it take patience.
Bottom line
I had high hopes for the K70 thanks to its inclusion of real, honest
Cherry MX switches. Those hopes were mostly dashed, however.
The K70s light leakage issues, its stepped-gradient LEDs, and its
unfriendly configuration software were enough to offset the
benefits of my familiar Blue switches.
The stepping issue is something I hope can still be fixed in a future
firmware or software update, though dont take my word for it. If it
does, Id be happy to adjust the score since I think this is otherwise a
solid keyboard and could even be great if the issues are fixed. Even
so, Im annoyed it shipped in this condition. If your key feature is
16.8 million colors, youd better ship with 16.8 million colors.
57
Netgear redeems
the Nighthawk X4
P H OTO G R A P H Y BY M I C H E L H OM N I C K
BY MICHAEL BROWN
I CALLED NETGEARS Nighthawk X4 a disappointing Wave 2 effort when
I reviewed it in early September. This router performed so poorly during
benchmarking that I promised I would revisit the device when Netgear
came out with new firmware that would take better advantage of its
underlying hardware. That time has finally come, and this story completely
replaces the earlier one.
My original benchmarks were based on Netgears firmware version
1.0.0.52. My new and much stronger benchmark numbers were
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REVIEWS
& RATINGS
achieved with firmware version 1.0.0.76. If you purchased a Nighthawk
X4 and havent updated its firmware, I strongly encourage you to make
sure you have the latest version.
Benchmarking routers is an extremely time-intensive task, so I didnt go
back and retest all three of the 802.11ac routers I originally compared the
Nighthawk X4 to, even though their performance has also likely changed
with firmware revisions. I did, however, retest the Asus RT-AC87U because
it delivered the highest overall performance in September. I used Asuss
version 3.0.0.4.376.2061
for my original test, and I
upgraded the RT-AC87U
Netgear Nighthawk X4
to firmware version
(model R7500)
3.0.0.4.376.2679 for my
PROS:
retest.
Dynamic Quality of Service (QoS)
I dont mean to imply
Supports four spatial streams (4x4)
that its a two-way race
Dual USB 3.0 ports, plus eSATA
between Netgear and Asus
to build the best 802.11ac
CONS:
router. The Linksys
Asus RT-AC87U still much faster when
paired with an 802.11ac bridge
WRT1900AC is also a strong
performer, and I have three
MU-MIMO support yet to be delivered
more brand-new models in
(same goes for Asus)
my bench-marking queue
BOTTOM LINE:
that I hope to review
New firmware significantly changes my
But now, back to the
opinion of Netgears Nighthawk X4. This
Nighthawk X4. I suspect
product was clearly rushed to market
competitive pressures
before everything was buttoned up.
pushed Netgear into
Fortunately, firmware can be rewritten. If
shipping this product too
you buy an R7500, be sure to upgrade its
early, because the firmware
firmware before you put it into service.
significantly boosted its
$280
performance. Where the
Nighthawk with its old
59
Nighthawk X4s rear panel harbors a five-port gigabit Ethernet switch, a power
button, and a switch for its front-panel LEDs.
firmware finished well behind the RT-AC87U in nearly every category,

Netgears router with its new firmware not only delivered a much
better performance, it beat the Asus in some tests.
802.11ac bridge performance
But it didnt beat the Asus on every count. If you want to see the
highest performance an 802.11ac router can deliver, you need to pair
it with a second 802.11ac router configured to operate as a wireless
bridge. Hardwire your client to the bridge, and it will link back to the
router and enable extremely fast data transfers. If youre setting up a
Roku box or a home-theater PC in your entertainment center, for
instance, this is the way to ensure you get the absolute best
performance (short of hard-wired ethernet, of course).
When I paired the Nighthawk X4 with a second Nighthawk X4
configured as a wireless bridge, the new firmware boosted the routers
performance by an average of 20 percent compared to its
performance with the firmware it shipped with. But when I updated
the two Asus routers to their latest firmware and configured the
second one as a bridge, the Asus combo was 24 percent faster than
the Netgear combo.
And not to bag on Netgear too much, but its annoying that the
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REVIEWS
& RATINGS
Nighthawk X4 youre configuring to operate as a bridge still cant search the
airwaves to locate the SSIDs of the routers you want to connect your client
to (theres one for its 2.4GHz network and one for its 5GHz network). You
need to enter this information manuallyand if you get it wrong, youll
Netgear Nighthawk X4 (R7500)

5GHz 802.11ac performance
(paired with a second router configured
as a wireless bridge)
700
Bedroom
(Client 9 feet
from router)
592
788
851
709
Kitchen
(Client 20 feet
from router)
559
816
834
240
218
Home Theater
(Client 35 feet
from router)
371
366
531
Home Office
(Client 65 feet
from router)
420
607
505
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
NETGEAR R7500 (FIRMWARE 1.0.0.76)

ASUS RT-AC87U (FIRMWARE 3.0.0.4.376.2679)
MEGABITS PER SECOND. LONGER BARS INDICATE BETTER PERFORMANCE.
Nighthawk X4 got significantly faster with its new firmware, while the Asus
RT-AC87Us firmware slowed it down.
61
need to hard-reset the would-be bridge and start over. Tap

a screen on the Asus RT-AC87Us user interface, and it will
locate the SSIDs so you can pick the one you want to
connect to with a click of your mouse (after you type in
the password, that is). Thats the way it should be.
802.11ac USB Wi-Fi

adapter performance
Netgears new firmware delivered an even bigger

performance increase when I tested it with an 802.11ac
USB Wi-Fi adapter. Ive been using the Asus USB-AC56 for
these benchmarks, and using Netgears new router
firmware delivered a dramatic performance boost in this
scenario, but most of the increase came in my two
shorter-range tests (with the client 9 and 20 feet away
from the router).
Interestingly, the Asus RT-AC87Us new firmware
significantly reduced that routers performance in a
couple of tests, cutting its long-range throughput by
nearly half. Averaging all the tests in this scenario left the
Nighthawk X4 slightly aheadby 4 percent.
5GHz 802.11n performance
Netgears new
firmware
delivered an
even bigger
performance
increase when I
tested it with an
802.11ac USB
Wi-Fi adapter.
If your laptop doesnt have an 802.11ac adapter onboard, and you

dont plan to buy one, youll want to know how an 802.11ac router
will perform with an 802.11n adapter. For this test, I rely on the
dual-band Intel Centrino Ultimate-N adapter in the AVADirect
gaming laptop I use for benchmarking routers.
Netgears new firmware reduced the Nighthawk X4s overall
performance on the 5GHz band in the toughest testing location in my
house: the home theater. While the client is closer to the router than it is
when its in my home office, the signal must penetrate several more walls
and layers of insulation to reach the client. Performance improved or
stayed the same in the other test locations.
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REVIEWS
& RATINGS

5GHz 802.11n performance
(paired with a 3X3 Intel Centrino Ultimate-N
6300 Wi-Fi adapter)
204
192
Bedroom
(Client 9 feet
from router)
226
243
215
Kitchen
(Client 20 feet
from router)
160
220
222
21
27
30
Home Theater
(Client 35 feet
from router)
58
59
59
63
Home Office
(Client 65 feet
from router)
93
0
50
100
150
200
250
300

Nighthawk X4's performance improved, but not enough to overcome the Asus RT-AC87U.
The new Asus firmware also proved to be slower than what I had tested
previously. The gap was small in the kitchen, but quite large at longer
range. Still, the RT-AC87U with its new firmware was faster overall than
the Nighthawk X4 with its new code.
63
2.4GHz 802.11n performance
It could be argued that this is the least important benchmark, because

people should be moving off this standard to 802.11ac for its higher
performance. But then I look around my own house and see how many of my
security cameras and other gadgets still rely on 2.4GHz 802.11n connections.
This chart is perhaps the most interesting, because Netgears new
firmware significantly boosted the Nighthawk X4s performance (except at
long range), while Asuss update cut the RT-AC87U off at the knees.
Network-attached storage performance
Netgears new firmware delivered meaningful increases in read and write

performance. The Nighthawk X4 is outfitted with two USB 3.0 ports and an
eSATA port, and Ive made an important change in my benchmarking procedure

NAS performance with a USB 3.0 SSD
Write a single
10GB file
70
45
Read a single
10GB file
84
67
Write a 10GB
collection of files
59
30
Read a 10GB
collection of files
62
59
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
I ran out of time and did not retest the Asus RT-AC87U's network-attached-storage
performance, but the Netgear R7500 got significantly better with its new firmware.
64
REVIEWS
& RATINGS
on this count. Ive been using a mechanical hard drive with a USB 3.0
interface, transferring files across a hard-wired network from a mechanical
hard drive in my client PC. Ive now switched over to using an SSD with a
USB 3.0 interface and transferring files from an SSD in the client PC.
With the Nighthawk X4, I first measured how long it took to copy a
10GB collection of small files from the portable hard drive to my
desktop PC with the firmware I used for my first review. Next, I
performed the same operation with a single 10GB file. I consider these
read tests, because the files are moving from the portable SSD to
the desktop SSD. For a write test, I copied these same files from the
desktop PCs SSD back to the portable SSD connected to the router.
As you can see from the chart, Netgears new firmware really delivers
in this area, especially in terms of write performance. But my overall
opinion of network-attached storage hasnt changed. If this is superimportant to you, a dedicated NAS drive is a much better alternative.
Should you buy one?
One of the features that mark the Netgear Nighthawk X4 and the Asus
RT-AC87U as Wave 2 routers is their support for multi-user MIMO that
enables the router to service multiple clients at the same time (all
modern routers can service more than one client at a time, but they can
give each client only a slice of their attention before moving on to the
next client in round-robin fashion).
But MU-MIMO remains dormant in both routers months after they first
hit the market. And when the feature is finally turned on (via a future
firmware update), MU-MIMO wont deliver much of a benefit until there
are MU-MIMO clients to pair it with. Considering how far behind the curve
the laptop market is when it comes to integrating high-end 802.11ac Wi-Fi
adapters, I dont think that will happen any time soon.
Having said that, the Nighthawk X4s new firmware imbues it with
enough of a performance kick to warrant my increasing its score from
2.5 to 3.5 stars. The Asus RT-AC87Us new firmware helps it retain its
top-dog status for now. Well see what happens when I test the next
batch of routers.
65
AVADirect i7 X99: classy

chassis and fast
BY JON L. JACOBI
THE CONFIGURATION OF the i7 X99 that AVADirect sent us comes as
P H OTO G R A P H Y BY RO B S C H U LT Z
close as any PC Ive seen to perfectly melding class and gaming flash. I
was not alone in my opinion. No fewer than three of the staff here at
PCWorld commented on this gaming systems good looksa rare event
for anything not Apple or thin-and-light.
Of course, AVADirect has to share the credit with Corsair for the Graphite
66
REVIEWS
& RATINGS
Series 760T case, as well as with EVGA for the GeForce GTX980 cards
with their glowing neon-green call-outs. I did mention that the i7 X99 is
fast, didnt I? It is.
Our configuration
Our $5,150 configuration sported a socket LGA 2011-v3 Core i7-5960X

CPU (currently the fastest non-Xeon CPU Intel makes), an Asus X99Deluxe motherboard, 16GB of Corsair DDR4/2133 memory, and a 1TB
Samsung EVO 840 SSD as primary storage.
The latter is augmented by a 2TB Western Digital WD2003FZEX WD
Black hard drive for those with lots of games and digital stuff. Dual
EVGA GeForce GTX 980 SuperClocked ACX 2.0 graphics cards in a SLI
arrangement take care of the gaming
chores. Cooling is courtesy of a
Corsair H100i Hydro with a large
AVADirect i7 X99
twin-fan radiator, while another
Gaming PC
Corsair product, the AX1200i,
supplies power to it all.
PROS:
Part of the reason the i7 X99
Great overall performance
and gaming
exudes class is bling restraint:
Classy case
opaque black rather than neon
Expandable for days
coolant lines allow the blue ambient
lighting and the GeForce logos to
CONS:
have their proper impact. If I have
Naked DIMMs blemish the
any negative comment, its the lack
otherwise great looks
of heat sinks (useless as they actually
BOTTOM LINE:
are) on the DIMMs. This makes for
A nicely assembled, wisely
blemishes of circuit-board green on
chosen set of components
an otherwise pristinely ominous
that games well and looks
interior. I got over it.
great.
$5,150
Case Envy
I rarely get case-envy, but the Corsair

760T invoked a twinge. Hinged see67
With such a
beautiful interior,
why use naked
DDR4?
Braided cables
and blue lighting
classes up the
interior of the
AVA Direct i7
X99 PC.
through suicide access doors? Thats good stuff there. Theres plenty of
room for more storage: six 3.5-inch side-facing drive bays, three
externally accessible, front-facing 5.25-inch bays above that, and two 2.5inch SSD mount points (one filled) on the back side of the backplane. The
backplane also has nicely located raceway tongues and entry grommets
that facilitate neat cable runs, and props to AVADirect for taking the
time to make them so. The cabling is blue, which marries well with the
blue lighting.
Ports and slots
The number of ports on the i7 X99 is just this side of ridiculous. On

the front upper lip of the unit are two USB 2.0 and two USB 3.0 ports,
as well as a headset jack. On the back are an additional 10 USB 3.0
ports, dual gigabit Ethernet ports, three antenna jacks for the
onboard 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, as well as analog audio ports for the 7.1
DTS sound. Theres also an optical audio output. Each GTX 980
provides three full-sized DisplayPort ports, one full-sized HDMI port,
and a single DVI-I port, for a total of ten video outputs.
For slots, you have the two PCIe 3.0 slots filled by twin GeForce GTX
980s, plus two more of the same type that are uninhabited, should you
ever want to go quad. Theres also a x4 PCIe 2.0 slot if your needs are
more mundane. There are eight 6Gbps SATA ports plus a SATA Express
68
REVIEWS
& RATINGS
port. On the front of the PC, occupying two of the externally accessible
bays, are a Bitfenix Recon fan controller and a multi-card reader/IO bay.
Theres also a Blu-Ray recorder for loading games from disc.
Performance to the max
Youd have to screw up royally to make a system with an i7-5960X and

dual GTX 980s perform anything other than great. AVADirect didnt.
They also didnt overclock the system much, but it doesnt really need
it either. The company manually locked in all eight cores to run at
4GHz full-time and also goosed the system's bclock to 102MHz.
PCMark 8 rated the system at 6273 and 3751, respectively, in the
un-accelerated Creative and Work tests. HandBrake transcoded a
30GB MP4 file to tablet format in about 21 minutes. Thats fast. If you
want proof, compare that to the reference system, with its mere four
cores and single GeForce GTX 980 card.
Gaming frame rates at 2560x1600 resolution achieved far in excess
of the playable level: 103 fps for Tomb Raider Survivors, and around
AVADirect i7 X99 gaming system

Tomb Raider (Ultimate 25 x 16)
AVADirect i7 X99
gaming system
103
GTX 980
55
(Reference)
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
(LONGER BARS INDICATE HIGHER PERFORMANCE)
We run Tomb Raider at 2560 x 1600 with Ultimate preset and the single GTX 980
just can't keep up with the pair in the AVA Direct box.
69
AVADirect i7 X99 gaming system

Handbrake Encode 0.9.9 seconds
AVADirect i7 X99
(Core i7-590X)
1128
Core i7-4770K
2197
(Reference)
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
(LONGER BARS INDICATE HIGHER PERFORMANCE)
The 8-core Core i7-5960X destroys the 4-core Core i7-4770K in media
transcoding tests.
130 fps in BioShock Infinite at the highest detail levels. 3DMark results
were 10502 for Firestrike Extreme (2560x1440), and 20479 for plain old
Firestrike. If you need faster gaming than this, youre in the extreme
upper echelonand about to drop another couple of grand.
Our i7 X99 carried a three-year parts (limited) and labor warranty and
used Windows 8.1 Pro as its operating system. The limited in the warranty
excludes acts of God and stupidity. If a component fails, AVADirect will
replace it, assuming you didnt try to game in the bathtub. Longer five- to
six-year warranties, as well as on-site service, are also available.
Bottomline
If you like to overclock harder for the sake of overclockingthere are

fancier setups than our version of the i7 X99. And in point of fact, the i7
X99 can be configured to be faster, flashier, or many things. Opting for
the Asus X99 Rampage V Extreme or four GPUs comes to mind. But if
what you really want is to dispense with the nonsense and play, the i7
X99 configuration we tested is one worth looking into.
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REVIEWS
& RATINGS
HTC Desire Eye

doesn't quite
live up to its
price tag
BY JARED NEWMAN
P H OTO G R A P H Y BY RO B S C H U LT Z
MAYBE ITS THE name, but I expected
HTCs Desire Eye (go.pcworld.com/

htceye) to be less expensive.
Desire, after all, is the name HTC
usually reserves for its mid-range
phones, and the Desire Eye, with its
plastic chassis and boxy frame, seems
like it would fit right in. Yet AT&T is
currently charging $150 on-contract
for the Desire Eyejust $50 less than
flagship phones like the HTC One
(M8)or $550 off contract.
The Desire Eye isnt a bad phone,
even at that price, and its
13-megapixel front-facing camera is
a unique feature. But overall, its a
tough sell when better handsets can
be yours for just a little more.
71
I hope you like red
HTC makes liberal use of plastic on the Desire Eye, but in a way
that seems playful rather than utilitarian. The front bezels and
rear panels are white polycarbonate, as opposed to the glossy
plastic found on cheaper phones, while red trim runs around
the edges. That color accent carries over to the software, appearing
in HTCs BlinkFeed news ticker and in various buttons and icons. But
while HTC offers the Desire Eye in dark blue with light blue trim in
other markets, red is the only option on AT&T.
The other downside is that the Desire Eye feels chunkier than other
large Android phones, even if its 0.33-inch frame is in the same ballpark.
Thats because theres no tapering around the edges to help you cradle
the phone in your hand.
HTC Desire Eye

PROS:
Specs are on-par with HTC's flagship
Front camera captures fine details and
fits plenty of faces
HTC's software is unobtrusive with
some useful features
CONS:
Front camera doesn't get colors right
Rear camera struggles in low light
Design feels boxy
BOTTOM LINE:
HTC's selfie phone is only slightly less
expensive than the flagship One (M8),
but the gulf in quality is greater.
$549
Performance and
software
HTC didnt cut many
corners in the specs
department. The Desire
Eye uses the same 2.3
GHz Qualcomm
Snapdragon 801
processor and 2 GB of
RAM as the One (M8),
making for smooth
animations and no
noticeable problems
with 3D games like
Asphalt 8. The phone
also comes with 16 GB
of storage and a
microSD card slot.
The 1080p display
72
The red-onwhite color

scheme is your
only option
through AT&T.
REVIEWS
& RATINGS
doesnt feel skimpy, either. Some other phones have pushed
resolution higher, but its tough to make out any individual pixels on
the Desire Eyes 5.2-inch display. If I had to nitpick, Id say that black
levels dont get as deep as they could.
HTC did shave a bit off the Desire Eyes battery compared to the One
(M8), with a 2,400 mAh battery instead of 2,600 mAh. It showed in our
video playback test, as the Desire Eye lasted 9 hours and 30 minutes
a half-hour less than the One (M8) and an hour and 15 minutes less
than the Samsung Galaxy S5. To get you out of any low-battery jams,
HTC provides a power saver mode that limits CPU usage and
brightness while disabling vibrations and standby data use, and theres
also an extreme power saver mode that limits the phone to just a
handful of vital functions.
HTC didnt
skimp on the
Desire Eyes
display.
Like most Android phones with custom interfaces on top, the Desire
Eye ships with the slightly-outdated Android 4.4 KitKat. The good news
is that HTCs Sense overlay is among the better customizations youll
find, with an understated look that doesnt pester you with cartoonish
beeps and bloops. You do have to ignore a few superfluous HTC apps,
though, including a notepad thats not as good as Google Keep , and the
73
Zoe photo remix sharing app that has zero chance of catching on.
As for an update to Android 5.0 Lollipop, theres no official word
from HTC yet, though the company has a strong track record, and
were looking at a January to March timeframe according to an
unconfirmed report.
An off-color camera
The camerasnote the plural formare supposed to be the Desire

Eyes headlining feature, with 13-megapixel shooters and flash on
both the back and front. But the numbers dont tell the whole story,
and the Desire Eyes cameras come up short in some areas where they
should shine.
In medium to well-lit situations, the Desire Eyes rear-facing camera
does a fine job. Colors can run on the warm side, but thats not always
a bad thing, as I found the Desire Eyes more vibrant tones preferable
to the iPhone 6 Plus camera in certain photos, even if they werent as
true to reality. Low lighting is a different story. Despite an f/2.0
aperture that lets plenty of light in, I struggled to take photos that
werent too blurry to discard.
74
The rear camera

shines in well-lit
situations, but
low-light shots
can be hazy and
blurry without
flash.
REVIEWS
& RATINGS
HTC Desire Eye

front camera
HTC Desire Eye

rear camera
iPhone 6 Plus
front camera
Not ready for selfies
My feelings about the Desire Eyes selfie cam are similarly mixed. You
wont find another front-facing camera that captures this much detail,
as every pore and eyelash can be held up to close scrutiny, and the
wide-angle lens can comfortably fit at least three people in the frame
at arms length. But on the front camera, the color reproduction
problems are even more pronounced. Sometimes the camera made
my skin pale while accentuating redness on my cheeks and lips. Other
times, it gave me an unnaturally green hue, and in low light it bathed
me in too much shadow. Flash can help compensate in some of these
situations, but the result rarely looks natural.
At least HTCs camera software is top-notch. For selfies, you can have
the shutter activate by voice, automatically snap photos when
everyones smiling or create a photo booth image of several
sequential photos. Camera settings are easily available along the left
side of the screen, and if you snap burst photos by holding down the
75
If the Desire Eye

was more successful
on the photography
front, its $150
price tag might be
easier to justify.
shutter button, you can then pick the best one

and automatically discard the rest. My only
complaint is the shortage of tools in the
built-in editoreven basic lighting and
contrast controls are missingbut this is
easily solved with third-party apps like Aviary.
If the Desire Eye was more successful on the
photography front, its $150 price tag might
be easier to justify. I might have even called it
a bargain next to HTCs flagship One (M8),
with small compromises in design and battery life. Instead, the
Desire Eyes rear camera lacks the low-light chops of the One (M8),
LG G3, and iPhone 6, and the selfie cams color issues cancel out the
benefits of its high megapixel count.
As such, the phone sits in an awkward limbo between mid-range and
high-end handsets. If youve already budgeted $150 for a phone,
another $50 opens you up to a much bigger range of options. The $50
to $100 landscape is much more barren, and the Desire Eye could be a
champion in that territory. Banking on an eventual price drop might
not be a bad idea.
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& RATINGS
The Last Tinker: City of Colors

is a charming platformer
BY HAYDEN DINGMAN
THERE WAS A time in the late 90s or early 2000s when The Last Tinker:
City of Colors (go.pcworld.com/lasttinker) would've been a
blockbuster game. It was a time when mascot-driven platformers
ruled consoles. Super Mario 64, Banjo-Kazooie, Rayman, Beyond Good
& Evil, Crash Bandicoot, Jak and Daxterthey were everywhere.
And The Last Tinker, with its vaguely human protagonist and colorful
claymation art style, would've been quite a spectacle.
The 3D platformer boom times are gone, but all that really means is
that The Last Tinker hasn't gotten the attention it deserves. And it
deserves quite a bit of attention, because this is a great (if simple) game.
Hand-built
The Last Tinker looks like a kid's game, and it could be a kid's game. It's
definitely pretty simple as far as "platformers" go. In fact, I almost
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hate to strap that genre onto it because it's not really a

platformer. Jumping occurs more like Assassin's Creed's freerunning or Zelda's auto-jumpthere's no dedicated button for
it. You just sort of reach the end of a platform and then leap off
it onto the next one, or fall off if there's nothing waiting.
This lends itself to very fluid, fast-paced animations and some
clever grinding sections reminiscent of Jet Set Radio or some of the 3D
Sonic games, but it also makes the game damn simple. If you're coming
to this expecting the challenge of even Mario 64 (not a terribly hard
game) then you're going to be disappointed. There are also a handful
of easy puzzles to break up the pacing, but if you're at all familiar with
games they won't exactly leave you scratching your head.
But The Last Tinker sort of lulls you into a rhythm that's pleasant, if
not difficult, and it ends up feeling like a miniature version of some
bigger games. Combat
even has a Batman:
The Last Tinker:
Arkham Asylum flow to it
City of Colors
that I never would've
expected, and there are
PROS:
the expected tributes to
Gorgeous hand-crafted art style
classic platformers
Interesting, if predictable, story
objects that explode into
CONS:
currency when hit,
Auto-jump does not a challenge make
collectible hidden in
Repetitive puzzles
corners, and a silent-butstill-somehow-emotive
BOTTOM LINE:
main character.
The Last Tinker looks like claymation,
You play as the titular
plays like a simple platformer, and is
last
of the Tinkers, Koru,
perfect to enjoy with the family (or
by yourself).
a monkey-boy who lives
in the multi-hued city of
$20
Colortown. Or at least,
parts of it are
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Koru, the
titular last of
the Tinkers, is a
monkey-boy
who lives in the
multi-hued city
of Colortown.
REVIEWS
& RATINGS
multi-huedthe parts that aren't infested by a bunch of racists.
The Red, Green, and Blue districts of Colortown used to live in
harmony, but over time that's collapsed and now all three districts live
in big walled ghettos to keep the other two groups away. The only part
of the city that's still unified is the Market District, which is where
Koru resides. If only there were some way of reuniting the city,
perhaps through some sort of world-ending disaster...
Characters
"talk" in words
written in chalk
on floating
cardboard
speech bubbles.
Yeah, it's not exactly the most complex story, nor the most veiled of
analogies. It's basically a kid's game, after all. The way it's all presented
is charming though, with the different segments of the city featuring
decidedly different vibes. The Reds are angry and warmongering so
their district is all fire and spears, for instance, while the fearful Greens
have covered every available surface in security cameras.
And I mean presented in the physical sense also. Colortown, and
Tinkerworld in general, is a place built from craft materials. It's
paper, glue, cardboard, and paint. When people "talk" in their
gibberish language, the words are written in chalk on floating
cardboard speech bubbles.
You're basically playing through a claymation film, like a technicolor
version of Chicken Run. The aesthetic is definitely pulling most of the
weight in this game, with charming octopuses and a sun that goes to
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sleep at night to become the moon and even a

Bob Ross reference.
The soundtrack is similarly spectacular, with
different themes for each area and a few musicbased areas that take full advantage of the
wonderful orchestration. My favorite was a twangy
guitar theme, but all of the tracks are solid.
Bottom line
My favorite
was a twangy
guitar theme,
but all of
the tracks
are solid.
It's just charming, okay?

If you're tired of browns and greys, the drab color palette of most
modern games, this is the perfect antidote to gently glide through
over the course of a few nights. The Last Tinker's not difficult for an
adult who's reasonably familiar with games, but I can't deny I enjoyed
playing it.
Yes, I wish it was a real platformer instead of an auto-jump game,
and I think the final boss needed tuning (or at least some
checkpoints). This is one to toss on the shelf for the kids though, and
then pull down late at night after they've gone to bed because,
damn it, you want to play too.
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Budget headset roundup:

We test five sub-$100
entry level models
BY HAYDEN DINGMAN
WITH THE RISE of multiplayer voice chat comes the rise of headsets.
This once-luxury peripheral is now about as standard as a mouse and

keyboard when it comes to the core PC gaming crowd.
And as with the mouse and keyboard, theres plenty of competition.
Boutique brands have pushed the headset to soaring price points,
with the Astro A40 and the SteelSeries Elite coming in at $200, and
the wireless Astro A50 coming in at a wallet-murdering $300.
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It doesnt have to be that way, though! Regardless of whether youre

a gaming headset veteran or just want to test the waters without
breaking your budget, there are plenty of affordable, entry-level
headset options that will have you screaming orders in the heat of
battle for well short of $100.
We gathered a handful of sub-$100 headsets and put them in a fiveway brawl. At the low end of the price spectrumthe most entrylevel of entry-level headsetswas the SteelSeries Raw Prism, coming
in at a budget-friendly $60.
The other four headsets we reviewed all came in at $80: Kingstons
HyperX Cloud, the newly rebranded Corsair Gamings H1500, GX
Gamings scorpion-esque Cavimanus, and a special glossy white
edition of Razers Kraken Pro.
We ran the headsets through a battery of tests, both design- and
audio-oriented.
Design is a tricky one with headsets, encompassing everything
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from the shape of the earcups to the durability of the headset to
the materials used to overall comfort. It also tasks us with watching
for some luxury featuresfor instance, in-line controls, or
controls built into the headset that allow for on-the-fly volume
control and muting.
Then theres the headset itself. While the focus is always on
graphics in games, audio is just as important. The sharp crack of a
gunshot, the low, ominous strains of a cello as you enter a haunted
house, or even just the meaningless prattle of Simsthese all add to
your enjoyment of a game, and youd better be hearing the best the
game has to offer. And hey, maybe youll want to use this headset for
music and movies as well as games!
How does that experience sound?
We tested each headset with a
wide variety of sounds, from test
tones to TV to films to music to
games. As far as games are
concerned we tested mostly with
shooters, which tend to have the
most involved sound design of any
modern experiences. Battlefield 4 is a great reference, if you want to
throw on a new headset and put it through its paces.
And then theres the microphone, which makes a headset a headset
and not just a simple pair of headphones. Detachable mics,
retractable mics, omnidirectional nubsweve got them all in this
round-up, and its a factor that weighs just as heavily on the score as
the audio.
Without further ado, lets dive in. Well have a roundup of more
extravagant headset purchases soon, but for now heres your guide to
2014s budget-friendly headsets: SteelSeriess RAW Prism, Kingstons
HyperX Cloud, Corsair Gamings H1500, GX Gamings Cavimanus, and
the white Razer Kraken Pro.
We tested each headset

with a wide variety of
sounds, from test tones
to TV to films to music
to games.
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More: Sub-$100 Headsets
Razer
Kraken Pro
$80
The Razer Kraken Pro isnt new, per se, but this iteration
of it certainly is. Like the special version of the Razer
Taipan released earlier this year, the Razer Kraken
Pro now comes in a glossy white. Sure, Razers strict
neon green/black color scheme has its proponents,
but I personally enjoy seeing the company branch
out a bit.
The build quality of the white Kraken Pro is solid. I didnt really like
Razers choice of glossy white plastic on the Taipan Proit was a bit
hard and uncomfortable when my hand was accustomed to softtouch rubber coatings. On your head though? Its perfect, giving the
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Kraken Pro a high-end, professional look.
That is, it would look professional if it werent for the ghastly
fake cut Razer logo on the top of the headband.
Everything else about this headset, even Razers snake
logo emblazoned on each earpiece, looks sleek and
professional. Then theres just this cheesy
typographical nightmare on top.
Ah well, you cant win them all.
The earcups on the Kraken Pro are a bit
smaller than your average headset, with a
circular shape rather than elliptical. While
my ears still fit inside, it wasnt nearly as
roomy as Id like. However, the actual
tension of the headband is perfectly
tuned, meaning if youve got small ears
you could use this headset for a while, no
problem.
The Kraken Pros sound is decent, warm,
with a slight boost to the bass. Out of all the
budget headsets reviewed here today, this is
probably one of the strongest when it comes
to listening to music (up there with the
HyperX Cloud). Youd better like the sound of
the Kraken Pro, as unlike its older sibling the
Kraken 7.1 you have no Razer software solution
for EQ.
I did notice a slight muffled quality to the sound,
but it wasnt enough to detract from your experience
playing games. Its primarily noticeable with gunshots
theyre not as sharp and crisp as you can achieve with other
headsets. Dialogue also suffers a little.
Its workable. It gets the job done. Thats the best way to describe the
Kraken Pro. Its not really aiming for anything special, and it doesnt
achieve anything special. Its just an average pair of headphones. Id
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also like to point out that I had easily the least amount of noise
leakage with this headset, so its perfect for quiet environments.
You do get one luxury feature, in the form of a retractable
microphone. Retractable
microphones are great, considering
theyre almost invisible when you
dont need them but dont get lost
or need the additional 3.5mm jack
like a detachable mic. The
microphone is decent quality, fully
positionable. Theres no way to
noise-gate, however, so its prone to
breathing/swallowing noises
depending on how you arrange it.
The main issue, and what really sinks the Kraken Pro for me, is that
there are no on-the-fly controlsno in-line controls attached to the
(lengthy) wire, and no controls built into the headset as far as I can
tell. That means you have no way to adjust the volume of the headset
and, more importantly, you have no way (that I can tell) to mute the
microphone outside of potentially retracting it entirely, a process
that takes more than a bit of effort.
Whens the last time you bought a headset without some form of
on-the-fly controls? I dont even know, in my case. At this price point,
thats unacceptable. Even the $60 SteelSeries RAW Prism, with all its
issues, built in a mute button.
Retractable microphones
are great, considering
theyre almost invisible
when you dont need them
but dont get lost or need
the additional 3.5mm jack
like a detachable mic.
Bottom line
Im happy to see Razer making products in color schemes Id actually

want to use, but the Kraken Pros in desperate need of an overhaul if
it wants to stay competitive at this price. With circular earcups,
40mm drivers (as opposed to the now-standard 50mm), and a lack of
in-line controls, the Kraken Pro is showing its age.
Its not the worst headset out there by a long shot, but there are
better options for the money.
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REVIEWS
& RATINGS
GX Gaming Cavimanus
$80
The GX Gaming Cavimanus is like the headset version of a concept car.

Think of every weird, whiz-bang feature youd want from a headset,
and theres a solid chance it shows up on the Cavimanus.
Oh, its nothing to look at. The Cavimanus is
actually a bit boxya far cry from the
sleek designs we see out of Astro or
SteelSeriesand is decked out in
glossy (read: cheap-looking) red
and black plastic. This set of
cans definitely wont win
any beauty pageants.
Its an unfair first
impression, though.
Underneath that red and
black plastic, for
instance, is a durable
metal frame that gives
this headset a
decent heft. The
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headset flexes side-to-side a bit more than
Im comfortable with, and it doesnt come
close to the build quality of the HyperX
Cloud. Among the budget headsets weve
reviewed, however, this is a perfectly
capable device belied by its outward
appearance.
Theres a sizable volume knob
built into the left earpiece. Its not
all that pretty, but its functional.
This is the easiest built-in volume
control Ive ever used, with the
exception of the Siberia Elites
enormous earpiece-encompassing
knob. Its simple to find, its simple to
adjust. Thats more than can be said of
most headsets, whether using built-in
controls or in-line controls.
Wearing the Cavimanus is a bit strange. The
headset doesnt seal against the head as much as it
just hangs. While this makes up for the relatively thin
amount of padding on the earpieces, it also means that
leaning forward or back causes the headset to shift.
The sound of the Cavimanus leans heavily on the bass.
Heavily. Out of the box, this is one of the most bass-heavy sets Ive
ever used. The highs and mids still cut through decently, but theres
an enormous bass presence behind it all that Id argue is a bit too
much, especially if youre ever going to try and listen to music or
watch TV on these things.
I think the Cavimanus was designed with bass in mind, though.
Remember how I said this thing is like a concept car? Well lets get into
the really weird concepts. Above that enormous volume knob is a
solitary button with a V next to it. It turns out the Cavimanus is built
to vibrate like an overloud subwoofer.
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Yes, it vibrates on your head. Its
not incredibly powerfulId liken it
to the kick of a small 2.1 set of
computer speakersbut the fact
remains the Cavimanus shakes
against your head whenever theres
a powerful bass note. Ive no doubt
this is a divisive feature. Me? I
thought it was a nice bit of haptic
feedback during explosions/
gunfights/what have you. Playing
devils advocate, though, I could see
how the vibration might get really
annoying after a while. You can
disable it, but do so while playing a
game and youll notice that the
bass feels a bit lifeless afterward.
Returning to the idea of the
Cavimanus as a powerful device
undercut by its appearance, the
same theme actually extends to
the software that comes with it. The Cavimanus cord (plain rubber, by
the way) terminates in a USB connection. You can either install
software for sound adjustments off an included disc or download it, if,
like me, youve moved on from optical media.
Wow: The software is ugly. I cannot stress this enough, because at
best it looks like youre trying to adjust the speakers in Windows XP.
There is serious power here, though.
Youve got your generic raft of EQ sliders, of course, but thats just
the start. Want to pitch shift whatevers coming in to the Cavimanus?
You can do that. Want to clumsily excise the vocal parts from a song?
You can do that. And did I mention this is a full 7.1 surround-enabled
headset? And unlike Corsairs H1500, the Cavimanus gives you all
sorts of adjustments to take advantage of its surround sound. You
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can, for instance, spoof differentsized environments for the audio
(Shower, Arena, Underwater,
Cathedral, et cetera) or shift
where the virtual speakers are
placed in the room.
The microphone also gets a
host of customizations, including
a virtual +48V switch if you think
the microphone isnt loud enough. And while the microphone doesnt
bend, it does automatically mute when flipped up out of the way,
which is potentially my favorite non-essential headset feature.
Returning to the idea of the

Cavimanus as a powerful
device undercut by its
appearance, the same theme
actually extends to the
software that comes with it.
Bottom line
The Cavimanus is weird. Its not very pretty, nor does it have the best
sound on the market. Still, its such a unique device in many ways
(not least of all because of the vibration) that I could see it garnering
interest.
And thats not a bad thing. If youre willing to spend an hour
tweaking its sound, the Cavimanus becomes an even more attractive
value propositionits a great 7.1 headset at this price point. In fact,
Id say this has the potential to be the best 7.1 headset at this price
point, but not everyones going to have the patience to tweak and
tweak and tweak.
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& RATINGS
Corsair
H1500
$80
First things first: Youre probably either ambivalent toward the new
logo that came with Corsairs rebrand to Corsair Gaming, or you
absolutely loathe it and think it looks like a fancy neckbeard or
perhaps something more appropriate for a [ahem] lower back tattoo.
Regardless, its not going to affect its score in this budget headset
roundup, and youll have to make that decision on your own.
One oddity, however: The old Corsair sails logo still flies on the
USB connector. Its like Corsair couldnt quite stomach giving up the
old logo entirely.
The H1500 is the cheaper of Corsairs two offerings, wired in
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comparison to the wireless H2100. Apart from that distinction,
however, the two are fairly similar. The H1500 certainly makes a bold
statement by arriving in black and yellow, a combination not seen
much in gaming peripherals. Maybe its just because its unique and
stands out, but I like it. It gives the headset a decidedly high-end look,
even at this relatively low price.
There are some design oddities. The cable is extremely long, with no
way to shorten it. Thats great for me, as a desktop gamer, but plug
this thing into your laptop and youre going to be drowning in excess
cable. The in-line controls also hang slightly lower than is useful.
Theres a clip on the back which you could attach to your shirt, but I
wish it just hung higher.
Aside from those minor quibbles, though, this is an excellently
designed set. It looks sharp, it feels durable, and the earpieces even
swivel outward and lay flat when you bring
the headset down around your neck.
Wearing the H1500 is a treat also. The
earpieces are massive, with plenty of space
to completely surround your ear. I did notice
a little bit of tightness on my jaw, but the
headset seemed to loosen up after a few
days so this might go away eventually. Like
with the RAW Prism, Im not a huge fan of the mesh ear coverings, but
I can deal. At least the H1500s mesh is covering a solid amount of
padding, making this a comfortable headset to wear for marathon
sessions.
Unfortunately I didnt find it a comfortable headset to listen to in
marathon sessions. The H1500 isnt overwhelmingly bass-y, which is a
relief. However, the sound profile isnt flat either, and the easiest way I
can describe it is bright. The upper mid-range sounds like its been
boosted quite a bit here.
Thats great for guns. Playing Battlefield 4 or Spec Ops: The Line, guns
cut through to the top and have a solidity to them thats lacking in
other headsets. However, it starts to tire out my ears after a while.
The earpieces are

massive, with plenty
of space to completely
surround your ear.
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Your ears can really only take so much unfiltered
treble before the shrillness starts to wear you
out. Music is flat-out disappointing.
Corsair lets you tweak the EQ profile in
its software, but here I ran into other
troubles. More than any other headset
in this roundup, I noticed that the
H1500s drivers start to distort at
moderately high volumes. Past a
certain threshold I could distinctly
hear rattling noises whenever the bass
kicked in. And yeah, it was loud, but not
so much that it was unlistenable.
Another consideration: The H1500 had
the most sound leakage by far of any
headset I tested here, so be careful if
youre planning to use this in the
bedroom or anything along those lines.
The H1500s big push is the inclusion of
7.1 Surround. Now, no headphone is going to
give you real surround, but I
do have to say that
Corsair comes
close here. Is it a
huge improvement over simple stereo headsets? Not especially. At
this price point, however, the additional situational awareness
gained by 7.1 Surround isnt a bad thing to have, if you can put up
with the bright sound profile and a slight (slight) hollowness to
what would be the center channel in a true 7.1 setup.
As far as the mic goes, Corsair is middle-of-the-road. The H1500
features a boom mic that flips up out of the way when youre not
using it. The microphone picks up decent sound quality, but its a bit
too quiet. If you think the solution resides in moving the mic closer to
your face, well, the boom itself is only semi-flexible. Trying to force
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the mic closer to your mouth is like trying to mold a baseball mitt
into shapeyou just keep pushing and pushing and hoping that by
degrees youre making a difference. Its still a much better microphone than youll find on some of the other headsets in this
roundup.
Bottom line
The H1500 is a decent start to Corsairs gaming rebrand, but I

expected better. This is a middle-of-the-road headset. It simply
doesnt compete with some of the others at this price point, in
large part because of a scooped-mids audio profile and a
mediocre microphone.
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Kingston HyperX
Cloud
$80
SteelSeries, Astro, Razerthese are the

gorillas of the gaming headset (and
gaming peripheral) world. And have been
for some time. With that in mind, I can
honestly say I never expected to come out
of this roundup most impressed by a
headset from...Kingston.
Its not that Kingston is a
bad company. Far
from it. I just didnt
have any idea what I
was in for with
Kingstons HyperX
Cloud headset. It was a
nonentity. Another red
and black headset in a long
line of red and black headsets,
stretching back into eternity.
What I found after sorting through the array
of assorted adapters and cables (cell phone, airplane, USB,
and analog extension) included with the HyperX Cloud, however, is
one of the best sub-$100 gaming headsets Ive ever used.
The HyperX impresses right from the start with some notable
luxury features, even at its diminutive $80 price point. The solid
metal construction gives this headset both a nice heft and a
durability thats unmatched in the sub-$100 range, while keeping the
form factor slim and attractive. I joked about the red-and-black color
scheme, and for good reasonits basically gamer standard. Still,
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its not so much a detractor as something
you just deal with, and the red
stitching along the edge of the
band is an attractive highlight.
Thanks to the detachable mic
Id even say this is another
headset you could use on
the street without looking
like you just escaped from
a call center, although the
lengthy braided-fabric
cable might give you away.
Youve got two large,
leather earpieces on the
HyperX out of the box, with
the option to swap to
microfiber for a different feel. The
ear cups were large enough to
encompass my entire ear with room
to spare, but also didnt commit the
sin of transferring the tension to the
jaw. This is easily one of the most
comfortable headsets Ive ever worn, with
one caveatmy head isnt the largest around, but I still had to extend
the set as far as it could go to wear it. Bigger heads, beware. The
earpieces also dont rotate, which is a shame, as they tend to push on
the neck when the set is taken off and shouldered.
One last design complaint is the in-line controls. Attaching the
control box also requires attaching an extension cable, leaving the
controls about a meter below the actual headsetway too far down
to find in the middle of a tense firefight. Pressing the buttons also
made a horrible ping noise in my audio, which seems
counterproductive.
Minor caveats aside, its a strong design. And surprisingly the HyperX
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Cloud matches its design with a fantastic sound. Dont get me wrong,
this isnt a studio-quality set of headphones. Its a mite heavy on the
bass (though less than most gaming headsets) and the high-end
sounds a little slick. If youve ever dabbled in audio and thrown too
much compression on a track, youll know what sound I mean.
Theres an excellent feeling of presence though, with the large
earpieces giving plenty of space and depth to the sounds. Kingston
makes no attempt at a surround experience, but the sound profile
of the HyperX Cloud is better than that on a lot of the headsets
touting the feature anyway.
If only the detachable microphone werent such a half-tooled piece
of junk. The microphone plugs into a small jack on the bottom of the
left earpiecea jack protected by a tiny piece of rubber that is just
begging to get lost. Its not hooked to anything, so as soon as you set
it down its probably going to disappear. Mine did.
The best part of the microphone is its extremely bendable,
allowing you to position it as you please. Thats about all the positives
I have for the microphone. It could use a lot more noise canceling, and
the wind filter is a poor pop filter at bestspeaking at a normal
volume, my voice was still full of plosives. Rearranging the mic helped
only somewhat, trading a lack of pops for less volume. It also has a
tendency to make your voice sound extremely nasal and hollow.
Bottom line
Would I still recommend the HyperX Cloud? Absolutely, especially

at this price. The sound quality is second to none in this bracket,
the build quality is superb, and its extremely comfortable. Make no
mistake, though: Its the microphone thats holding this headset
back. Its fantastic, until you actually open your mouth. Then its
just okay.
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SteelSeries
RAW Prism
$60
SteelSeries has been a major

contender in the headset
market for years, thanks to its
Siberia V2 headset. The DNA
of the V2 still exists in the
companys slightly
higher-end V3 model
(look for a review
from us soon) but
this time around
SteelSeries
decided it could go
for the even more
budget-minded
consumer with the new
RAW Prisma real bargain
of a headset at $60.
And if that price makes
you wonder whats the catch? Well, its actually
catches, plural.
The adage You get what you pay for isnt always true in the
gaming headset market. There are definitely some low-quality
headsets masquerading behind an absurdly high price tag and vice
versa. That being said, the RAW Prism is most definitely a $60 headset.
Looking at the design from afar, you cant really tell. Its sleek, and
the single band of adjustable-LED lighting on each ear makes the
RAW Prism fit in with its older (and more expensive) siblings. Its not a
work of art, but it looks designed. Truth be told, I probably like
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SteelSeries headsets the best because they universally look like
something I could wear in public, in the office, or around non-gaming
friends without immediately calling attention to the fact that these
are first-and-foremost gaming devices.
The RAW Prisms fancy looks are all a show, though. This is the
headset equivalent of a pleather jacket: Sure, youll look the same if
you wear it on your motorcycle, but when you finally test it out and
the jacket hits the pavement its going to shred apart into a million
tiny pieces and youre going to feel sad you cheaped out.
Phew, what an analogy.
As you might expect from the price, the RAW Prism is not the most
solid-feeling device in the world. Its constructed from white plastic,
and when held in your hands it just feels unremarkable. The cord is a
stiff white rubber, terminating in a USB connection that powers the
LEDs and delivers audio. The cord is also pretty short for a USB device
(five feet), which might be tolerable on a laptop but could be a pretty
huge hassle depending on your desktop
setup.
Wearing the headset, youre immediately
conscious of two things: 1) This thing is
seriously lightweight, which is great for
marathon gaming sessions, and 2) the
earpieces on this thing are really cheap. If
you want to know the cheapest thing about
this cheap headset, it is the earpiece
coverings. Both are covered in some sort of mesh fabric that, while
breathable, feel like a basketball jersey rubbing against your face. I
dont like it.
Next we come to the sound itself. If theres one thing I want to
commend the RAW Prism on, its that these things get loud.
Deafeningly loud. Its also nice of SteelSeries to include the SteelSeries
Engine 3 software with the RAW Prism, albeit in limited form. You can
only tweak a few settings, but heycustomization is customization.
And to be fair, the RAW Prism is a decent-sounding headset if its
As you might expect

from the price, the
RAW Prism is not the
most solid-feeling
device in the world.
99
absolutely the only thing you can afford. It will get the job done. Due
to the thin ear cups, the most succinct way to describe the RAW
Prisms sound is flat. Theres not a lot of space, not a lot of room for
the various sounds to breathe or give you much sense of
directionality. Its all just pushed into your ear, functionally and
unceremoniously.
The other thing youll notice, though this should come as no
surprise, is that it lacks a lot of the bass end. Explosions are missing
their oomf, and again this contributes to the headsets slightly flat
feeling. This is less of a detractor for games, though definitely
noticeable. Music? Dont even bother. Youre better off listening on
any $20 pair of ear buds.
Much more worrisome than the sound, though, is the RAW Prisms
microphone. While this has never been SteelSeries strong suite
compared to some other brands, the RAW Prism eschews the
retractable/boom microphone for an omnidirectional nub on the left
earpiece.
The nub is a nightmare. Its not nearly fine-tuned or sensitive
enough (even when adjusted through SteelSeries Engine), and Im
not going to yell in my apartment. Thats why I use a headset to begin
100
REVIEWS
& RATINGS
with. At best it sounded like I was talking from far away in an echoprone room, and all sorts of other noises (my typing, my breathing,
my chair, my computer fans, cars driving outside, disturbing thumps
from my upstairs neighbors, et cetera) were also picked up and
reproduced. This thing will drive your teammates nuts.
On top of that, theres no LED in your line of sight indicating
whether youve muted the microphone. Props to SteelSeries for
building the mute control into the headsetyou tap the outward
face of the left earpiece to togglebut without a visual indicator,
the RAW Prism team was forced to include an audible notification.
This takes the form of a horrific, ear-piercing beep/double beep, and
its hard to remember which corresponds to muted/unmuted. In fact,
even after using the headset for a while I couldnt remember. Thatll
be fun in the middle of a firefight, Im sure.
Last but not least, theres no on-the-fly volume control.
Bottom line
I commend SteelSeries for trying to bring the price of headsets

down to a more reasonable level for entry-level gaming
enthusiasts, but the RAW Prism just doesnt do it for me. The
benefitsprimarily the low costare outweighed by at-bestdecent sound and an abysmal microphone.
And is $60 really that cheap? Weve reviewed multiple headsets
that retail for $80 and are much better devices. Even SteelSeriess
own Siberia V3 isnt that much more expensive than the RAW Prism,
and its worlds better. I strongly urge you to save up the extra dollars
and save your ears (and voice, and sanity) in the process.
101
Greenbot.
A website for
Android enthusiasts.
Weve got the droid info youre looking for.

Helpful tips, critical reviews, and expert
analysis for passionate Android users
of every experience level.
www.greenbot.com
REVIEWS
& RATINGS
HP Envy 23xt Beats Special

Edition All-in-One: Colorful,
musical... Kinda' slow
BY JON L. JACOBI
THE HP ENVY 23xt Beats Special Edition All-in-one is red. Beat-red, if
youll pardon the pun. I liked the color and it reminded me just how
boring electronic black has become. Intended to inspire the budding DJ
with good audio and some creative music applications such as eDJing,
and Music Maker Jam, the Beats AIO has a very nice 1080p IPS
103
touchscreen display and fine-sounding Beats Audio speakers. Fine

enough to make up for the units slow hard drive? Not in my book.
Even the Hybrid SSD/HD offered
as a $50 upgrade on this unit
Hewlett Packard
wont cut the mustard for me. And
with this AIO costing close to a
Envy 23xt Beats
grand
Special Edition
The Beats AIOs major strength is
All-in-One PC
audio. Lets start there. The
PROS:
hardest thing to do in audio is
Good audio for an All-in-One
accurately reproduce mid-range
frequencies, which along with
CONS:
transients and overtones, is where
Slow, slow hard drive
the individual character of musical
performance
instruments resides. The speakers
Mediocre corded keyboard
and mouse are standard.
in the Beats AIO actually do a
surprisingly good job; sound is
$1,049
distortion-free and relatively
uncolored. Theres a decent
104
The back of the

Envy 23XT Beats
also features a
striking red kick
stand and well
as Gigabit
ethernet, HDMI
and USB ports.
REVIEWS
& RATINGS
amount of bass, but its not rumble-y like a sub-woofer, and the highend is as clear as anything Ive heard in integrated PC speakers.
Component-wise, the $899 (discounted from $999) base model of
the Beats AIO we tested also has some strong points, including an Intel
Core i5 4460T, 8GB of DDR3/1600 memory, and the aforementioned
1920x1080 display which renders movies nicely. Its prone to glare as
all touch displays are, so youll want to decrease the ambient lighting a
bit for optimal viewing. Theres also a DVD burner on board. Options
include faster processors (the Core i5 4590t and Core i7 4785T), a BluRay burner, and up to 16GB of system memory.
The weak point is the storage subsystem. Our unit shipped with a
5,400 rpm Seagate ST1000LM024. That's a 2.5-inch laptop drive and
CrystalDiskMark rated it at around 106MBps reading and writing,
which is slow, but it seemed even slower in actual usethe system
booted slowly and labored when opening and closing programs.
One touch we appreciate is

the integrated headphone
hanger that slides out. And
yes, the hanger is compatible
with headsets other than
Beats Audio too.
Theres the aforementioned option for hybrid

SSD/HD which would probably help some,
but in PCWorlds testing, hybrid drives
never deliver the goods, either
subjectively or objectively. Trust me
on this, what you really want is an
SSD and unfortunately, you cant
get one with this AIO.
PCMark rated the Beats AIO at
2704 in the un-accelerated Work test and 2376 in
the Creative test. Gaming was typical Intel HD 4600OK for older or
less realistic stuff, but unsuitable for any modern game. Only Ice Storm
Extreme had acceptable frame rates, and thats the sixth most intensive
3D Mark test designed for far weaker mobile devices. Encoding a 30GB
MKV/H.264 file to Android tablet format took 2 hours and 6 minutes.
About average for this CPUwith a slow hard drive.
Design-wise, the Beats AIO is a good-looking unit with a hefty
kickstand, and as I mentioned up top, the red grows on you. Theres
even a handy hook that pulls out from the left side for you to hang
your matching Beats headphones on. I wish a pair were part of the
package, but apparently, this is
an up-sell opportunity for your
local box store.
Any time you create an AIO
that prohibits access to the
desktop space behind it,
youve missed the point, which
is increasing your usable desk space by reducing your computers
footprint. The wedge AIO design looks sexy and facilitates easy
touchscreen use, but with no VESA mount point, youll need to
dedicate it its own 2-foot square area. Sigh. HP isnt alone in this faux
pas, but it should know better.
Additionally, the keyboard and mouse that HP shipped with our
Beats AIO werent styled to match, and their quality was OK at best.
Design-wise, the Beats AIO is a

good-looking unit with a hefty
kickstand, and as I mentioned
up top, the red grows on you.
106
REVIEWS
& RATINGS
The keyboard is short throw, but only the space bar provides any aural
feedback, which Im guessing from the overall quality, was an accident.
Also, both peripherals are wired, which knocks down the available USB
connectivity from six to four ports. There are wireless upgrades, but HP
didnt send us any so I cant tell you if theyre styled to match or battery
hogs. But for a mere $10, I say go for them.
While Im sort of on the subject, additional ports include an SD card
slot, a headset jack, and an HDMI output. Wi-Fi on our unit was 802.11
b/g/n, but an AC upgrade is only $10. Whats with the $10 deal? Go for
that one as well.
Fire engine red, Christmas red, beat-read, if only HP had put an SSD
in this PC. Its nice-looking, sounds good and the screen is nice. But
the overriding impression I took away from it was how slow it booted
and programs installed and loaded. Ive belabored the point, but with
a PC this expensive, a slow hard drive will cause buyer remorse. Add
an SSD option HP!
107
How many light bulbs

does it take
to change an American?
Its no joke: climate change is a critical issue for all life

on Earth. But can the actions of one individual really
make a difference? Visit nature.org to calculate your
impact on the world around you and learn about steps
you can take to make the world a better place for us all.
nature.org/calculate
Photo istockphoto.com / Color of Time
Feature-stuffed
CATALYST
OMEGA
reinvents AMDs approach
BY BRAD CHACOS
to graphics drivers
109
A NEW APPROACH TO GRAPHIC DRIVERS
LETS BE HONEST:
Most of us dont update our graphics drivers religiously.
Okay, maybe you do, Mr. Hardcore
#PCMasterRace enthusiast, but a vast
swath of gamers fiddle with drivers
only when they absolutely have to
when something breaks, or when a
new game is acting funky. AMDs new
Catalyst Omega driver and its
underlying philosophy are designed
around that behavior.
Catalyst Omega marks the beginning
of a new driver release schedule for
AMD. The usual game updates and
bugfix drivers will continue to roll out
continuously as before, but going
forward, AMD plans to reveal a major
release brimming with new features
once per year, to entice even the most

stubborn of holdouts into updating
their software. Catalyst Omega is just
such a goodie-stuffed driverand its
also the start of a new era of quality
assurance for the company, according
to Robert Hallock, AMDs technical
communications lead.
But it also appears to be the
potential dawn of a more ominous age
for AMD enthusiasts, because the vast
majority of Catalyst Omegas new
features arent available for onegeneration-old Radeon 7000-series
graphics cards, nor the current-gen R9
280 and R9 280X (which are basically
AMD CATALYST OMEGAS Virtual Super Resolution in action.
110
rebrands of the older Radeon 7950 and

7970. See go.pcworld.com/rebrands).
When asked whether some of the
features might hit 7000-series cards in
the future, Hallock said This driver is
focused on R9 and R7.
Ive been testing the drivers for a
couple of weeks now. Lets dig in!
Virtual Super Resolution
As you may have guessed from the

name, Virtual Super Resolution is
AMDs rival to Nvidias Dynamic Super
Resolution (go.pcworld.com/nvidia),
and its new in Catalyst Omega. When
VSR is enabled, your graphics card will
render games at a higher resolution
than your monitor natively supports,
and then downsample the image to
native resolution when its sent to
your monitor. Virtual Super
Resolution supports resolutions up to
full 4K, even if youre using a 1080p
monitor.
The technology gives you far
smoother edges and textures than
youd see at your native resolution, as
well as a much wider field of view
though that can occasionally wreak
some havoc in games with small
interface elements, as highlighted in
the AMD-provided comparison below
of Civilization: Beyond Earth at 1080p
111
with VSR disabled (left) and enabled at

4K resolution (right). Downsampling
also negates the need for anti-aliasing.
Actually using AMDs Virtual Super
Resolution technology is much more
seamless than using Nvidias Digital
Super Resolution, in my opinionat
least if you dont let Nvidias software
automatically optimize your in-game
settings. While Nvidias DSR settings
are buried inside its GeForce
Experience software, AMDs
technology lets you simply select
higher-than-native resolutions via
in-game options after youve enabled
VSR in the Catalyst Control Center.
If your system supports it, that is.
The first iteration of Virtual Super
Resolution requires scaler hardware
found only in a handful of graphics
cards: The R9 285, R9 290, R9 290X, and
THE TECHNOLOGY GIVES

you far smoother edges and
textures than youd see at
your native resolution, as well
as a much wider field of view
The technology gives you
far smoother edges and
textures than youd see at
your native resolution
THE MONITOR
RESOLUTIONS
and timings
supported by Virtual
Super Resolution,
along with the
virtual resolutions
available on that
hardware.
Target Display Timing
Supported VSR Modes
1920 X 1080 @ 60Hz
2560 x 1440, 3200 x 1800,

3840 x 2160 (R9 285 only)
1920 X 1200 @ 60Hz
2048 x 1535, 2560 x 1600,

3840 x 2400 (R9 285 only)
2560 X 1440 @ 60Hz
3200 x 1800
1920 X 1080 @ 120Hz
1920 x 1200 # 120Hz,

2048 x1536 x 120 Hz
dual-GPU R9 295X2. Sure, the price of

Radeon cards has plummeted recently,
but those models are still on the beefy
end of the spectrum. Fear not, budget
gamers! AMD hopes to release a driver
that enables VSR in the rest of the
R-series lineup using software tricks
sometime in early 2015which,
admittedly, takes some of the shine off
Catalyst Omegas ONE DRIVER PER
YEAR! pitch.
Its also hard not to feel a wee bit
disappointed that this feature is limited
to current-gen Radeon hardware alone,
as Nvidia rolled DSR out to GTX 500, 600,
and 700-series cards (go.pcworld.com/
dsr) after establishing it in the new GTX
970 and 980.
Your monitors resolution and refresh
timing also need to be supported for
Virtual Super Resolution to function,

though the most common resolutions
are. If your monitor doesnt meet spec,
the option to enable VSR wont even be
available in the Catalyst Control Center,
as I discovered when I tried using
Catalyst Omega with a 30-inch,
2560x1600 monitor. Also note that full
virtual 4K resolution is available only
with the R9 285.
Its great to see graphics vendors
actively supporting downsampling after
years of leaving it to third-party
solutions like Peter Durante Thomans
(stellar) GeDoSaTo (go.pcworld.com/
gedosato). Technologies like Virtual
Super Resolution are a smart way to
utilize the extra horsepower of modern
high-end graphics cards with monitors
that gamers actually useespecially
112
when you consider how screen

resolutions have been largely stalled for
the past decade.
pesky screen tearing and stuttering

issues that can pop up under normal
circumstances. Weve seen Nvidias
G-Sync implementation (go.pcworld.
com/gsync) in action, and the result is
stunningly smooth.
Catalyst Omega paves the road for
AMDs response. The first FreeSync
monitors have yet to hit the streets,
but Samsung announced FreeSync
support (go.pcworld.com/freesync)
for a whole line of 4K displays, and
New monitor support

galoreincluding FreeSync
Speaking of displays, Catalyst Omega also
enables support for AMDs FreeSync
technology. FreeSync is similar (yet again)
to Nvidias G-Sync: Both technologies
force your graphics card and monitor to
sync their refresh rates, alleviating the
FREESYNC PREVENTS the screen tearing seen when your GPU

and monitor refresh at different rates.
113
THE FIRST 5K
MONITOR is
already here, in
the form of
Dells 27-inch
UP2715K.
Hallock says at least three other

display vendors will be showing
FreeSync-compatible monitors at
CES 2015. The initial FreeSync
monitors are expected to be
released this year, with Samsungs
UD590 and UE850 4K displays
launching in March.
But the first 5K monitor is already
here, in the form of Dells 27-inch
UP2715K (go.pcworld.com/dell27).
Catalyst Omega includes support for
the display and its eye-popping
5120x2880 resolution, though your
graphics card needs at least a pair of
DisplayPort 1.2 connections to power
such a beastly screen.
And if youre running an insanely

beefy system, Catalyst Omega
boosts AMDs Eyefinity multimonitor support all the way up to a
ludicrous 24 simultaneous displays
in a quad-GPU setup, along with a
tweaked Eyefinity interface. In a
word: Damn. If you get a glorious
setup like that up and running, be
sure to shoot us a picture!
Gaming performance
enhancements
Catalyst Omega also includes
the in-game performance
enhancements that are the
bread and butter of system
114
graphics drivers, though theyre

mostly a secondary focus behind the
new features and QA enhancements.
As Hallock told me, Were not
promising the world here.
Indeed, AMDs supplied
performance stats even compare
Omega against launch-day Catalyst
drivers for APUs and GPUs, rather
than the most recent drivers. That
makes a bizarre sort of sense, though,
as Omegas targeted toward people

who rarely update their drivers.
AMD APUswhich combine an AMD
CPU with Radeon graphics on the
same chipsee the biggest benefit
here. Per AMDs supplied statistics,
several titles see frame rate increases
in the double-digit percentages
compared to the launch-day Catalyst
14.2 driver. (I dont have an APU
system on hand to test myself.)
BIOSHOCK INFINITES AVERAGE FRAME RATE indeed improved

drastically, however, leaping from 51.4 fps to 61.7 fps at 2560x1600
resolution, on Ultra settings with Diffusion Depth of Detail enabled.
115
You may also see some frame rate

boosts when youre using discrete
Radeon graphics cards, but even AMDs
supplied stats (which compare Catalyst
Omega against the older Catalyst 13.12
driver) show modest improvements.
In most of our testing suite
comprised of Metro: Last Light Redux,
Sleeping Dogs Definitive Edition, Alien:
Isolation, Ryse: Son of Rome, and the
Unigine Valley and 3DMark 11
Firestrike benchmarking tools
frame rate improvements were
negligible over the Catalyst 14.11
beta drivers. Bioshock Infinites average
frame rate indeed improved
drastically, however, leaping from 51.4
fps to 61.7 fps at 2560x1600
resolution, on Ultra settings with
Diffusion Depth of Detail enabled.
Catalyst Omega has another nifty
trick up its sleeve: It brings the frame
pacing enhancements previously
available for multi-graphics card
BETTER FRAME
PACING means less drastic
leaps in minimum/maximum
frame rate rendering, giving
games a far smoother,
less jittery feel.
CrossFire setups to AMD Dual Graphics

configurations, which is basically
AMDs fancy-pants way of saying an
APU paired with a Radeon processor.
Better frame pacing means less drastic
leaps in minimum/maximum frame
rate rendering, giving games a far
smoother, less jittery feel.
Again, I dont have an APU on hand to
test the claim, but here are AMDs
supplied stats from a system pairing
an A10-7850K APU with a Radeon R7
250 processor, with both games run on
medium graphics settings at 1080p.
Catalyst Omega also includes frame
pacing improvements for a handful of
memory-intensive games being played
in a CrossFire setup: Tomb Raider, Hitman
Absolution, Watch Dogs, and Far Cry 3.
Video enhancements
Games arent the only media getting a

boost from Catalyst Omega. The new
driver aims to give video playback a
boost through several new features,
which is great news for folks who
tapped AMDs Radeon-bolstered APUs
for their home theater PC.
Contour Removal more efficiently
removes those blocky little
compression artifacts so common in
compressed videos. Contour removal
is supported on 25W or higher APUs
116
AMDS CONTOUR
REMOVAL compared
to a still from a video
that wasnt optimized
with the technology.
and R7- or R9-series Radon graphics

cards only (but not on the Radeon R9
280 or 280X).
1080P Detail Enhancement hits a
similar note, improving the clarity and
sharpness of compressed, lowresolution video when youre playing it
at 1080p resolution. This technologys
supported on AMD 7x00 A-Series APUs
and only the Radeon R9 285 graphics
card, which is powered by AMDs new
Tonga GPU (go.pcworld.com/tonga).
Since the R9 285s GPU is so fresh,
presumably this feature will be
supported in wider fashion whenever
AMDs next-gen R9 300-series
graphics cards appear.
FullHD to UltraHD Video performs
the same action but for beefier
hardware, by using processing trickery
to improve the clarity of 1080 video

when its blown up on a 4K display. To
use it youll need a AMD 7x00 A-Series
APU, any R-series Radeon GPU of R7
260 or higher, andof coursea 4K
monitor. (It seems a bit odd that this is
supported by the R9 280 and 280X
but not Radeon 7000-series cards.)
Finally, Fluid Motion Video uses GPU
compute to interpolate inferred
frames with real frames, according to
AMD, making playback smoother.
Unfortunately, I didnt have a chance
to test the tech because its available
only in insanely specific scenarios.
Beyond requiring an 35W or higher
AMD 7x00 A-Series APU or a Radeon
R7 260 or higher R-series graphics
card (again, sans the 280X and 280) on
the hardware front, Fluid Motion
117
Video works only when youre watching a

Blu-ray disc with Cyberlink PowerDVD 14.
Even then, you have to enable it
manually in the TrueTheater/Hardware
Decoding submenu, which is hidden in
the Video, Audio, and Subtitles submenu
of PowerDVDs Player Settings options
while youre watching a Blu-ray.
Quality assurance
improvements
I started this article with a call for

honesty, and if were being honest,
AMDs drivers have long had a

reputationfair or notof being not
quite as stable as Nvidias. With Catalyst
Omega, AMD tackled the issue head-on,
a fact that Hallock stressed repeatedly.
Compared to previous drivers, AMD
performed 65 percent more automated
QA testing on Catalyst Omega. Beyond
letting machines do their thing, AMD
also engaged in rigorous internal
dogfooding of the driver, performing
12 percent more manual testing on
Catalyst Omega, across 10 percent more
THE COMPANYS MAINTAINING a dedicated bug report page and

plans to focus on squashing the top community-reported bugs going forward.
118
system configurations and 10

percent more display types. All told,
Hallock says the team engaged in
hundreds of thousands of tests,
which foundand fixedseveral
hundred issues before Catalyst
Omegas release.
AMD still has a way to go before it
wins over skeptical gamers. To that
end, AMDs been actively asking for
quality feedback from its users.
Catalyst Omega fixes the ten most
devastating driver bugs mentioned
by those users. The companys
maintaining a dedicated bug report
page (go.pcworld.com/reportbug)
and plans to focus on squashing the
top community-reported bugs going
forward.
And much, much more
Those are only the key consumer

features included in Catalyst Omega.
Here are a few more highlights:
The hair-enhancing TressFX 3.0
adds support for animal fur.
AMDs Gaming Evolved client

now includes Mantle support
for game streaming
OpenCL 2.0 and OpenGL
ES3.0 are now supported
AMD CodeXL 1.6 and HSA
Runtime support for
developers
Catalyst packages for the Red
Hat and Ubuntu Linux distros
Streamlined Catalyst
installation and faster
hardware detection
Sure, were still eagerly awaiting

AMDs Radeon hardware response
to Nvidias masterful 900-series
graphics cards. But Catalyst
Omega shows AMDs still fighting
on the software side of things,
tooand you can expect that
whenever all those new Radeon
R9 300-series graphics cards do
start showing up, theyll take full
advantage of the slew of features
buried within this driver.
119
Use these 10 tricks

and tips to get the
most out of your
subscription
BY JARED NEWMAN
120
etflixs simplistic interface

may be well-intentioned,
but sometimes you need
more powerful tools to find
the best streaming movies
and TV shows.
Now that Netflix has shuttered its
public API (go.pcworld.com/techcrunch),
the number of useful apps and sites for
sorting through Netflix video has
thinned. But there are still several triedand-true methods for finding the good
stuff, along with a few tools and settings
from Netflix that everyone should know
about. Here are 10 tips for making the
most of a Netflix streaming subscription.
NETFLIX TOOLS
USE BETTER
BROWSING
TOOLS
Netflixs catalog of movies and

shows is massive, but you
might only scratch the surface
with its basic apps and website.
When youre really trying to
scratch a particular itch, use AllFlicks.net, which
lets you search within specific genres, filter
movies and TV shows, narrow down a date range, and sort by rating.
(InstantWatcher at go.pcworld.com/instant) has a similar tool without as
many sorting options, but it does include a handy synopsis view.)
If you just want a quick recommendation, try WhatIsOnNetflix.com. It lists
a handful of top-ranked movies from IMDB, Rotten Tomatoes, and Metacritic,
and its Random Pick tool is especially helpful for the indecisive.
122
WATCH NEW &

SOON-TO-BEDEPARTED
RELEASES
Netflixs New Releases

section rarely gives you
the full story when youre
trying to find fresh movies and
TV shows. For that, turn to
InstantWatchers Newly Available on
Instant section (go.pcworld.com/new),
which gives a complete list of recent
arrivals. It also lets you filter just movies
or just TV, and it has sorting options for rating and original release date.
You might also want to keep track of which movies and shows will be
leaving Netflix. Now Streaming has weekly and monthly roundups (go.pcworld.
com/roundups), so you can watch the good stuff before its gone.
NETFLIX TOOLS
USE EXTENSIONS
TO TAKE
COMMAND
In theory,
Netflixs builtin star rating
system should work really well,
because its personalized to your
interests. But sometimes you just
want to watch a trailer and see
what critics think before pushing play. The Netflix Enhancer extension (go.
pcworld.com/enhancer) for Chrome can help, showing IMDB ratings, Rotten
Tomatoes scores, and a trailer button when you hover your cursor over a movie.
To gain even more control, install Lifehackers Flix Plus extension (go.
pcworld.com/flix), which adds a heap of customization options including a
Darker Netflix theme and the ability to hide spoilers.
124
GET POWERFUL
SORTING
OPTIONS FOR
YOUR QUEUE
Sorting through the My

List (go.pcworld.com/
mylist) section of
Netflixs site can become
unwieldy if youve built up a
massive backlog. Fortunately, a
free script called Netflix
Queue Sorter (go.pcworld.com/
sorter) lets you get a handle on
your queue in Chrome, Firefox, Opera, or Safari. Once installed, you can sort your
queue by star rating, genre, title, and more. You can also shuffle the order if youre
feeling lucky. Just follow the instructions on Github for your browser of choice.
(Note: You must turn on Manual Ordering (go.pcworld.com/order) in Netflix
settings for the script to run.)
125
NETFLIX TOOLS
FIGURE OUT
WHATS ON
WITH YOUR
PHONE
Most Netflix power tools live on the Web,

but that makes them cumbersome if you
dont have a home-theater or easy access
to a laptop. For powerful Netflix searches on
your phone, check out Upflix for iOS (go.
pcworld.com/upios) or Android (go.pcworld.
com/updroid). The free app lets you sort
movies and shows according to their ratings on Netflix,
IMDB, TMDB, Rotten Tomatoes, or Flixster. You can also
browse through dozens of genres and use a roulette feature to get spontaneous
recommendations. When youre ready to watch, you can even jump straight into the
Netflix app to begin playback.
126
SEARCH
BEYOND
NETFLIX
Searching on Netflix can be a

waste of time if youre looking
for something specific that
the service might not even
have. Instead, broaden your
search with WhereToWatch
(wheretowatch.com), a video
search engine that includes several legal online sources,
including Amazon, iTunes, and Hulu. You can search by title,
actor or director, and while it has a few holes, itll save you the
disappointment of coming up empty on Netflix.
NETFLIX TOOLS
If youre ever felt let down by Netflixs

recommendations, it might be because you
havent fed it enough data. Start by visiting the
Edit Profiles (netflix.com/EditProfiles) section of
Netflixs Website, and make sure everyone in your
family has their own profile. (Dont worry, its free
to have several profiles tied to a single account.)
Now head to the Your Account section (netflix.com/YourAccount) of Netflixs
Website and click on Taste Preferences (netflix.com/TastePreferences), where you
can rate how much you care for various genres. You can also use the Ratings
Wizard (netflix.com/RatingsWizard) to give star ratings to the movies and shows
youve already seen. Its a good way to ensure those banal direct-to-DVD horror
movies are permanently banished from your menus.
MANAGE
YOUR
PROFILE
128
LEARN SOME
KEYBOARD
SHORTCUTS
Watching
Netflix on a
laptop isnt
quite as comfy as
kicking back with
a TV and remote
control, but using
keyboard shortcuts are the next-best thing. Some of these
controls will work on other video sites such as YouTube and
Hulu, so theyre worth remembering:
Enter or Space: Toggle pause/play
Left Arrow: Rewind
Right Arrow: Fast Forward
Up Arrow: Volume Up
Down Arrow: Volume Down
M: Mute
F11: Toggle Full Screen (Chrome only)
129
NETFLIX TOOLS
For those who watch a lot of foreign fare,

Netflixs Subtitle Preferences menu (go.
pcworld.com/subtitle) is worth a visit, as
itll let you change the color, size
and font of all subtitles and
captions. (It works on all devices
except those running iOS, which
have their own instructions (go.pcworld.com/iosdev). You should also
check out the Playback Settings menu (go.pcworld.com/playback),
which lets you manually adjust video qualityuseful when youre on a
limited data planand turn off auto-play of the next video in a series.
And if youre perturbed by Netflixs auto-sorting of your My List
queue, you can turn on Manual Ordering (go.pcworld.com/manual) to
arrange them by hand.
TWEAK
A FEW
SETTINGS
130
If Netflix keeps hitting

you with the dreaded
buffering icon,
you may be able
to sacrifice audio
and video quality
for smoother playback. While streaming, hold Ctrl-Shift-Alt
and press S to bring up the bitrate menu. Select lower
numbers for audio and video bitrate to increase your odds of
smoother streaming, then click Override. You can change
things back to normal by bringing up the menu again and
hitting Reset.
MINIMIZE
BUFFERING
131
NOVELS ROCK N ROLL

STAND-UP COMEDY JAZZ
VIDEO GAMES MOVIES
COMIC BOOKS TALK RADIO
EVERY NEW ART FORM HAS ITS FIGHT FOR FREE SPEECH.
OUR TIME IS NOW

FIGHT FOR YOUR VIDEO GAMES
V I D E O G A M E V O T E R S . O R G
HERES
HOW
134
The right way to

set up your new
Chromebook
140
When to use
Windows 7
and 8 Safe Modes
143
Hassle-Free PC
Three securityboosting steps to
perform on
every router
146
Answer Line
How to stop
autoplay videos
133
CONTENTS
HERES
HOW
How to build, maintain,

and fix your tech gear.
The right way to set up

your new Chromebook
Follow these tricks for getting yourself up and running with
the right apps, settings, and offline tools.
BY DEREK WALTER
134
SETTING UP A new Chromebook is much easier than setting up a PC.
Chromebooks dont require major updates or antivirus software. You

start simply by signing in with your Google Account (or creating that
account, if you dont already have one).
All that said, Chromebooks have some unique quirkssuch as limited
offline capabilities, and a wonky method for connecting a printer.
Heres everything you need to know to set up your new Chromebook
up the right waystarting with the tools that let you replace the
Windows software that just wont work on a Googley laptop.
Chromebooks thrive on the web, survive offline
Yes, Chromebooks are primarily conduits to the web. But aside from
very specific computing demands, such as high-end gaming or video
and image editing, the gap between what a Chromebook can or cant
do is quickly closing. There are a slew of superb, powerful web apps
(go.pcworld.com/apps) available that can already replace most
peoples basic desktop software.
Adobe is building a Chrome-friendly version of Photoshop, while
You can still work
in Google Docs,
Sheets, and Slides
offline by
enabling this
feature in the
settings.
135
Microsoft is bringing Skype to the web (and native webRTC-based

voice and video chats are already here go.pcworld.com/rtc). The
absolutely free Office Online works with traditional Office docs and
offers enough features for mainstream users. Some recent initiatives
(go.pcworld.com/initiatives) by Humble Bundle and Mozilla hint that a
brighter future for web-based gaming.
The other typical knock on Chromebooks is that theyre not as useful
offline. While thats still true to some degree, Google and numerous
third-party developers have been working hard to enable offline
capabilities in their web apps. The Chrome Web Store (which is the
digital storefront for Chrome apps) even features a section dedicated
to offline apps (go.pcworld.com/chromeoff). The Chrome App
ecosystem has really taken off in the last yearstart by checking out
the best (go.pcworld.com/thebest) weve found.
Preparing your Chromebook for offline use
Beyond offline Chrome Apps, numerous native Chromebook apps and

features can be configured for use away from the web.
136
Pressing Crtl-Alt-?
simultaneously can
reveal all the secret
Chromebook
keyboard shortcuts.
HERES HOW
For example, Googles Gmail Offline lets youyou guessed itwork

with Gmail while offline. Download the app (go.pcworld.com/gmailoff)
from the Chrome Web Store, then fire it up from the Chrome OS app
launcher. Youll then be asked if you want to save your messages
offline. (If youre signed in to multiple Google accounts, toggle the
email address at the bottom to select where to save your email data.)
Once enabled, Gmail Offline lets you reply and compose new
messages, which are cached and then fired off to the recipient once
youre back online.
Heavy Google Drive users should head to the settings page (click the
wrench icon at the top right) inside Drive to enable offline storage. It
will then sync all your docs, sheets, slides, and drawings to your
Chromebook. Just like Gmail, it syncs back your changes to the Drive
server once youre reconnected. Be mindful of the limited storage
space found in most Chromebooks, however; the files stashed in your
Google Drive could easily exceed your Chromebooks capacity.
PCWorlds guide to everything Chromebooks can do offline (go.
pcworld.com/everything) has even more nitty-gritty details.
137
Install the Gmail

Offline app to access
your mail when
youre not online.
Set up your Chromebook for printing
Printing from a Chromebook is the most complicated process youll

encounter. Youre in luck if your printer is Google Cloud print ready (Google
has an official list at go.pcworld.com/official). If so, all you have to do is
enable Cloud Print on your Chromebook (go.pcworld.com/cloudprint).
To see whether your Chromebook recognizes your printer, simply

open the Chrome Settings menu (click the icon that looks like three
horizontal bars, or a hamburger) at the top right corner of the
browser window, select Settings, click Show Advanced Settings, and
then scroll down to Google Cloud Print. Under New Devices you
should see the name of your printer, assuming its properly
connected to your network.
If your printer doesnt show up in the list, it may not be GoogleCloud-Print ready, or it could just be having some other connection
issue (remember: printers are evil at go.pcworld.com/evil). You may
have to dig out that instruction manual or head to the printers
138
Google Cloud Print

connects your
Chromebook to a
compatible printer.
HERES HOW
specific help page. Google also has a support site (support.google.

com/cloudprint) that may point you in the right direction.
If your printer isnt Cloud-Print-enabled, the only way to print stuff
from your Chromebook is to connect your printer to a Mac or
Windows PC, install Cloud Print on that as well as your Chromebook,
and then tie it all your Google account. Whew! Here are Googles
specific directions (go.pcworld.com/directions) on how to do that.
The kludgy workaround works well enough, but if you plan to print a
lot from your Chromebook, youll want to spring for a Cloud-Printenabled printer. Another advantage of Google Cloud Print is that once
its configured, you can print from any device (go.pcworld.com/any)
that can sign into your Google Account.
Chromebook power!
With those basics under your belt, youre ready to rock and roll. For
more advanced trickssuch as setting up multi-monitor support,
advanced mouse settings, or VPNsbe sure to check out PCWorlds
Chromebook power tips (go.pcworld.com/tips).
The beauty of Chromebooks is that after the initial setup, most
people will never need to worry about those beefier settings and
optionsor any other kind of maintenance or management, for that
matter.
139
When to use Windows 7

and 8 Safe Modes
BY LINCOLN SPECTOR
FOR YEARS NOW, the quick way to enter Safe Mode, Windows strippeddown, minimum-driver environment has been to press F8. But that trick
doesnt work for all Windows 8 PCs.
And even in older versions, its not always the easiest form of entry.
Safe Mode gives you a low-resolution, visually ugly, feature-limited
Windows environment useful for diagnostic and repair purposes. You
140
HERES HOW
wouldnt want to create a
PowerPoint demonstration
there, but if things are
misbehaving, it can be a fruitful
place to visit. For instance, if a
programs uninstall routine
keeps failing, it just might
uninstall properly in Safe Mode.
Among the things that
standard Safe Mode cannot do
is networking. However,
because network and Internet
access are needed for some
diagnostic choressuch as
malware scanning and updating driversWindows also provides an
alternative Safe Mode with Networking environment.
The conventional way of entering Safe Mode still works in Windows
7 and Vista, and in some Windows 8 PCs. Boot the computer and start
pressing and releasing F8 repeatedly. Once the Advanced Boot Options
menu pops up, you can select
Safe Mode or Safe Mode with
Networking.
Once the
Advanced Boot
Options menu
pops up, you
can select Safe
Mode..
Or try this
If that doesnt work, heres

something specific to
Windows 8:
1. Hold down Shift while selecting the Restart option on the

Shutdown menu. This works with the Settings charm andin
Windows 8.1right-clicking the Start button.
2. On the resulting Choose an option screen, select Troubleshoot >
Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart.
3. When the Startup Settings menu appears, type 4 for Safe Mode
141
Hold down
Shift while
selecting the
Restart option.
or 5 for Safe Mode with

Networking.
or this
Heres one more path to Safe

Mode, and it works in Windows
7, 8, and Vista:
1. In the Start menus Search
field or in the Windows 8
Search charm, type msconfig,
and launch the resulting
program.
2. Click the Boot tab.
3. Check the Safe boot option
4. Select an option below that. Safe boot brings you to the standard
Safe Mode. With networking does exactly what you think it does.
5. Click OK, then Restart.
One problem with this method: When youre done and you reboot
Windows, it will take you back into Safe mode. So while youre still in
Safe Mode, launch msconfig and uncheck the Safe boot option.
142
Check the Safe

boot option
HASSLE-FREE PC
HERES
HOW
BY IAN PAUL
Three security-boosting
steps to perform on
every router
THE COMPUTER INDUSTRY has worked hard to make sure that a lot of
the gadgets we use are mostly plug-and-play. In other words, you just fire
up the device, login and youre ready to gono configuration necessary.
One device you should never consider plug-and-play, however, is your
homes network and wireless router.
After the technician leaves your house there are a few important
things everyone should do.
Change your router admin details
The first thing you should always do when you have a new router is log
into its control panel. You want to do this so you understand where to
change the Wi-Fi access password, change the type of security protocol
143
HERES HOW
your router is using, change the router name, et cetera.

Most importantly, however, you need to login to your
router so you can change the admin name and
password.
Alas, some routers wont let you change the admin
user name, but changing the admin password is the
crucial part. If you dont do this and a bad actor is able
to get onto your home network, they can easily log in
to your control panel and own your router using the
devices default settings.
You dont want that.
If you dont know how to login to your router check the
manual that came with it, ask your Internet service
provider, or try to find a user manual for your model online.
Use WPA2
Right now,
WPA2 is
considered
the best way
to secure
your router
connection.
Now that youve logged in to your router, its time

to make sure you are using WPA2 (Wi-Fi Protected Access
II) as the encryption standard for connecting to your router.
Right now, WPA2 is considered the best way to secure your
router connection. This standard works by encrypting all traffic
between devices and the router, making it much harder for
anyone to nab your data as it travels through the air.
One thing youll also want to do is make sure that Wi-Fi
Protected Access (WPA) is disabled. This feature allows a weakness
in your router that could be exploited by a determined attacker.
Your routers encryption protocol settings are often found under
the Security heading or something similar.
Use an uncomfortably long password
Now dont go too nuts with this one. Im not suggesting you use a
100-character password or something like that, but a 20-30
character password with randomly generated letters, numbers,
144
HERES HOW
and special symbols (if allowed) is a pretty solid idea. The point is
to make it as hard as possible for an attacker to figure out your
password. One easy way to do that is to make this password a little
longer than most passwords you use online.
It does mean you should probably use a password manager to
remember it, and the occasional need to log new devices onto the
network can be a pain. But the extra effort pays off with a more secure
password that keeps the bad guys off your network.
Those are just three basic things, but once youre inside your router
theres all kinds of other settings you could tweak such as changing
the Wi-Fi broadcast channel, change the channel width, adjust your
NAT settings, and configure port forwarding. PCWorlds guide to
speeding up your router (go.pcworld.com/fast) can point you in the
right performance-boosting direction.
145
ANSWER LINE
HERES
HOW
BY LINCOLN SPECTOR
How to
stop
autoplay
videos
Norm Arlt asked How do I stop the How-To video from automatically starting in my browser when I click on an article?
I sympathize. We all deal with this annoyance. In
fact, Im willing to bet that everyone reading this article
who hasnt already solved this problem knows exactly
what Im talking about.
Most of these videos run on Shockwave Flash, so Im
going to concentrate on that technology. The trick isnt
to block Flash entirely, but to make it work only with
your permission.
146
How you do this varies with each browser. So Ill offer instructions for
the three most popular ones. Christopher Breen of Macworld offered
these alternative fixes (go.pcworld.com/more) as well.
Chrome
1. Click the menu icon on the upper-right corner and select Settings.
2. Then scroll down to the bottom of the page and click the Show
advanced settings link.
3. Scroll down further until you find the Privacy section. Click the
Content settings button.
4. In the resulting Content Settings dialog box, scroll down to the
Plug-ins section. Select Click to play, then click the Done button in the
lower-right corner.
From then on, a Flash window will appear as a gray box with a
jigsaw piece icon in the center. If you want to watch the video, click
in that box.
147
Youll find Click

to Play in the
Content
Settings box.
Firefox
1. Press Ctrl-L to go to the address bar, and type in the local

URL about:addons.
2. Click Plugins in the left pane.
3. Find Shockwave Flash in the list of plug-ins.
4. Click the Always Activate pop-up menu on the right, and
select Ask to Activate.
When you visit a page with an embedded Flash video, the
video window will again be a box, but this time it will be white
with Adobes Flash logo (a stylized letter f) in the center. A gray
bar at the top of the page will give you options to continue
blocking or allow the flash.
If you click Allow, youll get options to Allow Now or Allow and
Remember. If you want to allow it at all, I recommend Allow Now.
Internet Explorer
1. From the menus at the top of the window, select

Tools>Manage add-ons.
2. In the resulting Manage Add-ons dialog box, make sure that
Toolbars and Extensions is selected on the left. Wait for the list
to appear.
148
Click the Always

Activate pop-up
menu on the right,
and select Ask
to Activate.
HERES HOW
3. Find and double-click Shockwave Flash Object on the right (its listed
under Adobe and will likely be near or at the top).
4. In the resulting More Information dialog box, click the Remove all
sites button. Then close the dialog boxes.
The Flash windows may not appear at all, or they may appear blank.
A bar at the bottom of the window will offer options to allow Flash to
play. Click the x on the right to say No.
Send your questions to answer@pcworld.com.
149
Find and
double-click
Shockwave
Flash Object
on the right.
Tech Spotlight
A video showcase of
the latest trends
Watch the
video at
go.pcworld.
com/trinity
CyberPowers Fang
Trinity: simply insane
CyberPowers Fang Trinity looks like no PC weve ever seen. Yet
make no mistake, this is realand it packs a punch: a liquid-cooled,
4GHz Intel Core i7 4790K, Gigabyte Z97 Mini-ITX motherboard, five
SSDs, one 3.5-inch hard drive, a Blu-ray drive, a full-size 500-watt
power supply, and a full-size GeForce GTX 980 graphics card.
150

PC World February 2015

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F E B RUA RY 2015

Whats Next for

INSIDE: NVIDIAS CHEAP, CHEAP GTX 960

109 Catalyst Omega reinvents AMDs approach to drivers

31 Reviews & Ratings

133 Heres How

120 The Best Netflix Tools

150 Tech Spotlight

wireless mobile scanner

CCO & SVP, U.S. MEDIA AT IDG John Gallant

INTERNATIONAL DATA GROUP, INC.

REPRINTS AND PERMISSIONS

QUESTIONS AND COLUMNS

Windows 10s new

Windows 10s new features:

TS OFFICIAL, FOLKS: Windows 10 is coming to the people. After

First, Belfiore showed off some helpful tweaks to Windows 10 features

Cortana comes to PCs

As anticipated, Microsofts Cortana digital assistant will make the

The digital assistant

Windows 10 for phones and universal apps

Belfiore then veered off to show Windows 10 on phones and tablets,

touch-friendly commands such as swiping left on a message to remove

Also new to Windows 10 is Spartan: A new, clean-looking, lightweight

eventually, Belfiore said.

Improving PC games with Xbox

Microsofts also bolstering Windows 10s gaming chops (go.pcworld.

be it in Steam or otherwise, a new Windows key + G keyboard shortcut

Surface hub and Windows Holographic

Surface Hub, an 84-inch, 4K, touch-enabled display for office

When can you get it?

Myerson also revealed some stats from the Windows 10 Technical

You might know

Nvidia releases GeForce GTX

Although Nvidia is likely loath to describe its new

1080P with DSR

Not exactly the same, but better too

ANDROID LOLLIPOP MAY bring with it tons of neat

new features (go.pcworld.com/lollipop) and

even a few Reddit (go.pcworld.com/reddit)

Why this matters

Years of dealing with

Years of dealing with Apple, Microsoft, and Googles software updates

Get your digital

VIDEOS: Tap and play videos

(with Internet connection).

image to activate slides.

Get it here: go.pcworld.com/digital

Make smart purchases,

Nifty new features change

ASSWORD MANAGER APPS Dashlane (go.pcworld.com/rvdash)

Both LastPass Auto-Password Change and

Hands-on with LastPass

In my tests, Auto-Password Change worked with a wide range of

LastPass can automatically change your password on about 75 websites.

my devices where I was

Spot the telltale signs of

What is to be done when Windows wouldnt update on your PC and

Real malware is generally designed not to be

Sometimes malware is obvious.

Ransomware, such as CoinVault (go.pcworld.com/cv),

Be suspicious if Windows Update, fails to work.

New, unwanted toolbars that wont go away.

CANCER THIS YEAR.