Apexgaming was founded at the tail end of 2017 to offer products for the gaming community. We caught up with the company at Computex 2018 to see what it has in store for its first birthday and beyond, and even though it's only been around for less than a year, Apexgaming's portfolio already includes power supplies and adapters, cases, height-adjustable desks, gaming chairs, and other gear.
Apexgaming recently won a Red Dot award in the product design category for its Hermes and X-Mars chassis. The Hermes is a budget E-ATX mid-tower chassis with a $70 MSRP, while the X-Mars is a prototype, handmade, E-ATX full-tower chassis with an MSRP of $1,000. Apexgaming informed us that this product most likely won't reach to mass production but a more affordable version of it, called X-Mars junior, will do.
The X-Mars junior is a mid-tower chassis that will cost $190 once it becomes available later this month. In the first of the photos above you can see the X-Mars junior side-by-side with its larger, and much more expensive, brother.
Apexgaming will also enter the gaming chair market with the GC5000 and GC6000. Both chairs use Napa leather, which is soft to the touch and quite expensive, so we don't expect the chairs to be affordable. The backrests come with embedded lumbar support, the armrests are 4D adjustable, and the backrest can recline at up to 180 degrees, satisfying those who want to nap or just relax during gaming (or work) sessions.
We have already tested an Apexgaming PSU, the AG-850M, and it left us with mixed feelings mostly because of its noisy operation. All Apexgaming PSUs are based on Solytech's platforms and the newest line is called AP. It consists of three members, with capacities ranging from 850W to 1200W. All are 80 PLUS Platinum certified but they haven't yet received a Cybenetics certification for efficiency and noise.
According to Apexgaming, the PSUs will offer silent operation, however the double ball-bearing fan they use doesn't leave much room for high expectations. All three AP units are fully modular and exclusively use Japanese caps, while their dimensions are compact enough with 160mm depth. Unfortunately there is no information on the PSUs' release date or their MSRPs.
Two desks with (electrically) adjustable height caught our attention in Apexgaming's booth, the Elite 60" and the ZT series EDR-3612. The first is a standing desk with a height adjustment of 29-48" and a stiff MSRP of $580. We tried it for a short period and its operation was smooth while the build quality looked solid. The ZT EDR-3612 is more affordable at $270 and can be adjusted from 5.7-18.1", so it's not a stand-up desk.
The ideal accessory for the stand-up desk is an anti-fatigue mat. Our video presenter loved this product from the moment she tried it. It is made of PU with a PVC surface, its dimensions are 32 x 20 x 0.625" and it will be available in three colors: red, brown, and dark brown. With a $25 MSRP this mat is quite affordable. We couldn't test it for a long enough time to see if it truly works as advertised, however, during the show.
Apexgaming also released a number of wireless chargers. With more phones adopting the Qi standard, it is nice to have lots of options in wireless chargers.
