I am/was crazy! And Windows XP question

[Grimezy]

Hey sted, glad to see you've finally gotten round to ordering your rig! And glad to see you've had the epiphany of realising you don't have to spend a fortune to get some enjoyment out of PC gaming! Your build looks pretty decent Very similar to mine so I can vouch for the CPU, GPU and ram being up to scratch. All I'd say is re-consider the keyboard if you can, £70 is a lot of money for a keyboard that isn't mechanical and although it looks like it has lots of lovely fancy features, realistically you probably won't use most of them and at the end of the day you're still going to be gaming on standard rubber domes. I'm sure your mind is already set though! I personally have the Aivia Osmium, Cherry red mechanical keys, blue LED backlighting, lots of little extras and it's built like a brick. Honestly I could never go back, movement just feels amazingly smooth on the cherry red keys and when my friends come over to try out my rig they still end up pointlessly pressing down keys that they don't need to just to feel them.

I don't think PCS sell the Osmium though so I won't rant too much about it x) I'm sure other mechanical keyboards offer similar feedback.

 

[sted]

Thanks, Grimezy!

Thanks for the suggestion, I'll have a little think on it before I re-decide, saving money is never a bad thing. I've not before had a proper gaming keyboard, though, so if I do go with it atleast I'll (finally) have the experience of using one.

when my friends come over to try out my rig they still end up pointlessly pressing down keys that they don't need to just to feel them.

That good? Haha, I'll look it up, see if I like it.

 

[Grimezy]

Thanks, Grimezy!

Thanks for the suggestion, I'll have a little think on it before I re-decide, saving money is never a bad thing. I've not before had a proper gaming keyboard, though, so if I do go with it atleast I'll (finally) have the experience of using one.




That good? Haha, I'll look it up, see if I like it.

I completely agree with spending a fair few bob on a keyboard, the Aivia Osmium was £110 with postage! I had stuck with a £26 logitech wireless combo set for 5 months though so I felt like I deserved to treat myself. You can pick up fairly standard mechanical boards for around the £70 which may not have all the fancy lights and features but will be a dream to type/play on.

And yup, no word of a lie, my mate came the other night and we were having a blast on battlefield. 3 hours later he was still making unnecessary movements left and right just because he wanted to press them down. All I'd say is don't get sucked in by fancy touch pad features, macro keys, etc. Just focus on what will feel best to game on I'm sure others would agree when I say that mechanical boards make the world of difference.

 

[sted]

I suppose removing an item is better than giving in to upgrade-itis with the amend order option. xD I'm surpised I haven't yet changed anything.

 

[Grimezy]

I suppose removing an item is better than giving in to upgrade-itis with the amend order option. xD I'm surpised I haven't yet changed anything.

Stick with the Razer if that's what you're happy with! I don't wanna screw up your build as you'll probably want a nice fancy keyboard when your rig arrives. I tried a few non-mechanical keyboards in PC world the other week similar to the razer you've picked and they're still very nice even if they are rubber domed. The keys still feel fine and certainly don't feel cheap, plus the added features are pretty exciting (I was looking at the mad catz one with all the touch screen media buttons, etc). There's just something about the feel of a mechanical board that makes you want to go back for more x)

I'd definitely recommend having a look in PC world if you can (I am by no means promoting a competitor, just they have things on display sometimes). The one local to me in Worcester has about 5 keyboards, 10 mice and 5 headsets to try out at the front of the store. They're not all great but have a good mix to get used to the different types and at least you can go home and order what you want online with at least some hands-on experience.

Proud owner of my new Steelseries Siberia V2 Frost Blue Edition headset from there actually! And my Corsair M65... I feel I may have splashed out too much money to a company I don't particularly like...

 

[sted]

The Mad Catz caught my eye a while ago until I noticed the price, I think a piece of my soul drifted away when I saw that. Haha

Up to now I think I'll be sticking with the Razer, but I'll continue to research other options to make sure. Thanks for all the info's!

 

[Grimezy]

No worries and yea, some of the prices are ridiculous considering they still use standard rubber dome keys. I mean there's only so many extra-features that you actually need... I personally could make do with a blank board with no extra features at all but it's nice to have the options! (Osmium has volume control, backlighting control, 5 macro keys, USB 3.0 run-through, audio and mic run-through) so enough to keep me satisfied really without going overboard. Most importantly for me was surprisingly a decent wrist rest. If a wrist rest wasn't an important factor I would have gone for a £150 blue backlit Ducky Shine II haha! Check this out for some awesome backlighting: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=wvhMYH_n_oU

 

[sted]

Before the backlit keys were turned on it looked similarish to a standard keyboard. The specific area/keys lighting and keys lighting up when you press them seem good features.

I think that one in your link needs an epilepsy warning. Haha, all the flashing and such.

 

[sted]

I now temporarily hate the weekend.

I got an Email from PCS detailing about my rig staying in Processing for 5-6 days etc, but weirdly the My Orders page said that it went in to Pre-production a day or two earlier. Am I reading the Email wrong and it's an indication it had went to Pre-production, or is it probably a mistake about still being in processing? I don't want to ring PCS to find out, as it's not too important really, and doesn't demand correction if it is a mistake or anything.

 

[Rakk]

I suspect it'll just be the automated email that goes out after about 6-7 working days, I shouldn't worry about it.

 

[sted]

Been getting really impatient.

Not been checking the status a great deal, only about two or three times each day. After 7 working days in Pre-production, I've received an Email at 8:59am today, saying that it's already been built, wasn't sure if I actually was awake. Haha

Thanks PCS!

 

[sted]

Not sure if I had a sixth sense, but I woke up about the time of getting an email to confirm dispatch to my phone. To think how long I have been trying to get this, and even moreso how long I've been wanting, was once a very distant dream. I'll finally be able to play games on high(est) settings. I think I'll be in Hermit mode on arrival.

I should probably get a start on rearranging my room and tidying it now.

but looks like I'm going to need a new desk too :/ just tried the keyboard draw and it is thoroughly jammed with the rail crossed. If anyone has any suggestions on a good, but not too big desk, would be appreciated! Metal frame and glass surface may be preferable, assuming its not too expensive, in general, wooden ones are annoying for me in most cases, especially the current which has no real leg space beneath it.