PC World February 2015

F E B RUA RY 2015

INSIDE: NVIDIAS CHEAP, CHEAP GTX 960

Whats Next for Windows 10

We have one word for you: Holograms.

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109 Catalyst Omega reinvents AMDs approach to drivers

FEBRUARY 2015

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146 Answer Line

143 Hassle-Free PC

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NEWS8 Windows 10s new

features: Cortana and more

16 Nvidia releases GeForce GTX 960 at a surprisingly low price

20 Android update to reportedly fix Lollipops memory leak

CONTENTS

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ITS 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.

Windows 10s new features: Cortana and moreBY BRAD CHACOS

Windows Holographic will build 3D imaging into Windows 10, which can be experienced using the HoloLens headset.

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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 PCsAs 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

NEWSNEWS

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!

Windows 10 for phones and universal appsBelfiore 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

The digital assistant surfaced the desired information nearly instantly.

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NEWSNEWS

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 SpartanAlso 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

The Spartan browser's annotation capabilities.

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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.

Improving PC games with XboxMicrosofts 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,

Unlike the Reading List app in Windows 8, the one in Windows 10 will let you save content to read offline.

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NEWSNEWS

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 HolographicThis has nothing to do with Windows, but its a majorand unexpectedhardware announcement from Microsoft: The companys rolling out the

The Windows 10 Xbox app.

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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.

Microsoft HoloLens

NEWS

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You might know Joshua. 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 thoseratings at ESRB.org

Los Angeles, CA

Nvidia releases GeForce GTX 960 at a surprisingly low priceBY 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 all-important performance segment of gamers who actually buy far more video cards.

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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

Based on the companys newer GM206 core, the GeForce GTX 960 promises 1080p gaming at the gold standard of 60 fps.

Reference cards wont be sold, instead all GeForce GTX 960 cards will use coolers designed by board makers such as this Asus Strix card.

NEWS

17

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 tooThat 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

Yes, youll be able to get nVidias DSR feature in the new budget card too.

1080P no DSR 1080P with DSR

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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 GamingIn 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.

NEWS

19

Android update to reportedly fix Lollipops memory leakBY 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

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 mattersYears 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.

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

NEWS

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P 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

CONSUMER WATCH

Nifty updates to Dashlane and LastPass makes swapping almost easier.BY IAN PAUL

Make smart purchases, stay safe online.

Nifty new features change your passwords for you

23

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 Auto-Password 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 LastPassThe 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

Both LastPass Auto-Password Change and Dashlanes Password Changer work only on PCs and are not available on mobile devices .

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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 problemsIn 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

CONSUMER WATCH

LastPass can automatically change your password on about 75 websites.

LastPass needs to login to a site for you to get the job done.

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.

LastPass didnt play well with this Facebook feature.

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Spot the telltale signs of malware on your computerBY 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.

CONSUMER WATCH

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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 (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

Ransomware, such as CoinVault, announces itself clearly.

Be suspicious if Windows Update, fails to work.

29

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.

CONSUMER WATCH

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 fi ghting cancer. To learn how you can help keep these kids in play, go to stbaldricks.org/inplay and standup2cancer.org/pediatrics.

175,000 KIDS WILL BE DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER THIS YEAR.

HELP KEEP THESE KIDS

IN PLAY.

Julia HernandezDiagnosed at 16, in remission. 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. Ph

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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

REVIEWS & RATINGS

CONTENTS

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Mechanical keyboards revisitedRGB lighting, software and keys can make a slab obuttons something really special. HAYDEN DINGMAN

TESTED IN PCWORLD LABS In this section, hardware & software go through rigorous testing.

REVIEWS & RATINGS

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W 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.

Cherry MX Blue switches give you a tactile bump as well as an audible click.

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Razers Blackwidow Chroma sticks with the Green switchesalthough 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.PH

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Logitechs G910 features heavily scalloped keys that werent comfortable to type on.

More: Mechanical Keyboards

REVIEWS & RATINGS

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 brushed-aluminum 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 $120

Rapoo KX is designed with an attractive brushed-aluminum top and solid plastic casing,

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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 keysInstead 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.


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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.

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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 lineThe 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.


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REVIEWS & RATINGS

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

Nixeus MODA $80

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 knock-offs. 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 candidateWhat 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.

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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 lineIts 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.

In all other ways, the Moda should suit budget-minded users.

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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 durableLike 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

Razer Blackwidow Chroma $170

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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 designIm actually fascinated by Razers design, because its something I was told couldnt be done by both Logitech and Corsair. Prying off

The Chromas Keys are evenly lit, without a ton of light leakage around the edges.

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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.

Synapse 2.0Other 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

Other manufacturers could also learn a thing or two about software from Razer. Especially Corsair.


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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,

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

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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 lineI 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.


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REVIEWS & RATINGS

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 designIm 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

Logitech G910 Orion Spark $180

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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 SwitchesKey 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

The Romer-G switch unmasked.


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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 best-looking 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.

SoftwareLogitechs 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.

There is a distinct actuation point, but its really close to the keys resting point.

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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

Effects give you some goofy but beautiful options.


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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.

Bottom lineI 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.

Various game-specific features mentioned prior to release still havent made it into the product as sold currently

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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 classicThe 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

Corsair K70 RGB $170

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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 switchOr 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

Corsair and Cherry embedded the LEDs on the board itself

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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.

SoftwareThe 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.

The K70 hides essential tasks behind multiple menus


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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

Default color schemes need to be deleted or else youll add your own colors on top.

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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.

A labyrinth of menusCorsairs software is also an unintuitive labyrinth of menus. Creating

Instead of a smooth, 16.8-million-color spectrum, the K70 has noticeable stepping in color.


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an effect requires you to go to a secondary lighting menu, creating a new effect, then figuring out how to use Corsairs bizarre line-graph 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 lineI 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.

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Netgear redeems the Nighthawk X4

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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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 to firmware version 3.0.0.4.376.2679 for my retest.

I dont mean to imply that its a two-way race between Netgear and Asus to build the best 802.11ac router. The Linksys WRT1900AC is also a strong performer, and I have three more brand-new models in my bench-marking queue that I hope to review

But now, back to the Nighthawk X4. I suspect competitive pressures pushed Netgear into shipping this product too early, because the firmware significantly boosted its performance. Where the Nighthawk with its old

Netgear Nighthawk X4 (model R7500)PROS: Dynamic Quality of Service (QoS) Supports four spatial streams (4x4) Dual USB 3.0 ports, plus eSATA

CONS: Asus RT-AC87U still much faster when paired with an 802.11ac bridge

MU-MIMO support yet to be delivered (same goes for Asus)

BOTTOM LINE: New firmware significantly changes my opinion of Netgears Nighthawk X4. This product was clearly rushed to market before everything was buttoned up. Fortunately, firmware can be rewritten. If you buy an R7500, be sure to upgrade its firmware before you put it into service.

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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 performanceBut 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

Nighthawk X4s rear panel harbors a five-port gigabit Ethernet switch, a power button, and a switch for its front-panel LEDs.

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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

Nighthawk X4 got significantly faster with its new firmware, while the Asus RT-AC87Us firmware slowed it down.

Netgear Nighthawk X4 (R7500) 5GHz 802.11ac performance (paired with a second router configured as a wireless bridge)

MEGABITS PER SECOND. LONGER BARS INDICATE BETTER PERFORMANCE.

NETGEAR R7500 (FIRMWARE 1.0.0.76) NETGEAR R7500 (FIRMWARE 1.0.0.52) ASUS RT-AC87U (FIRMWARE 3.0.0.4.376.2679) ASUS RT-AC87U (FIRMWARE 3.0.0.4.376.2061)

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Kitchen (Client 20 feet from router)

Home Theater (Client 35 feet from router)

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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 performanceNetgears 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 performanceIf 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.

Netgears new firmware delivered an even bigger performance increase when I tested it with an 802.11ac USB Wi-Fi adapter.

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Nighthawk X4's performance improved, but not enough to overcome the Asus RT-AC87U.

Netgear Nighthawk X4 (R7500) 5GHz 802.11n performance (paired with a 3X3 Intel Centrino Ultimate-N 6300 Wi-Fi adapter)


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Home Theater (Client 35 feet from router)

Home Office (Client 65 feet from router)

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Bedroom (Client 9 feet from router)

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NETGEAR R7500 (FIRMWARE 1.0.0.76) NETGEAR R7500 (FIRMWARE 1.0.0.52) ASUS RT-AC87U (FIRMWARE 3.0.0.4.376.2061) ASUS RT-AC87U (FIRMWARE 3.0.0.4.376.2679)

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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.

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Netgear Nighthawk X4 (R7500) NAS performance with a USB 3.0 SSD


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Write a single 10GB file

Write a 10GB collection of files

Read a single 10GB file

Read a 10GB collection of files

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NETGEAR R7500 (FIRMWARE 1.0.0.76) NETGEAR R7500 (FIRMWARE 1.0.0.52)

2.4GHz 802.11n performanceIt 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 performanceNetgears 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

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.

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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 super-important 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.

REVIEWS & RATINGS

AVADirect i7 X99: classy chassis and fast

THE CONFIGURATION OF the i7 X99 that AVADirect sent us comes as 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

BY JON L. JACOBI

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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 configurationOur $5,150 configuration sported a socket LGA 2011-v3 Core i7-5960X CPU (currently the fastest non-Xeon CPU Intel makes), an Asus X99-Deluxe 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 twin-fan radiator, while another Corsair product, the AX1200i, supplies power to it all.

Part of the reason the i7 X99 exudes class is bling restraint: opaque black rather than neon coolant lines allow the blue ambient lighting and the GeForce logos to have their proper impact. If I have any negative comment, its the lack of heat sinks (useless as they actually are) on the DIMMs. This makes for blemishes of circuit-board green on an otherwise pristinely ominous interior. I got over it.

Case EnvyI rarely get case-envy, but the Corsair 760T invoked a twinge. Hinged see-

AVADirect i7 X99 Gaming PCPROS: Great overall performance and gaming

Classy case Expandable for days

CONS: Naked DIMMs blemish the otherwise great looks

BOTTOM LINE: A nicely assembled, wisely chosen set of components that games well and looks great.

$5,150

With such a beautiful interior, why use naked DDR4?

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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 2.5-inch 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 slotsThe 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

Braided cables and blue lighting classes up the interior of the AVA Direct i7 X99 PC.

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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 maxYoud 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)

GTX 980 (Reference)

AVADirect i7 X99 gaming system 103

(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.

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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.

BottomlineIf 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.

AVADirect i7 X99 gaming system Handbrake Encode 0.9.9 seconds

Core i7-4770K(Reference)

AVADirect i7 X99 (Core i7-590X) 1128

(LONGER BARS INDICATE HIGHER PERFORMANCE)

The 8-core Core i7-5960X destroys the 4-core Core i7-4770K in media transcoding tests.

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HTC Desire Eye doesn't quite live up to its price tagBY JARED NEWMAN

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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.

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I hope you like redHTC 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.

Performance and softwareHTC 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

HTC Desire EyePROS: 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

The red-on-white color scheme is your only option through AT&T.

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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

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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 cameraThe 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 Eye

PC World February 2015

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