Portable Performance Peripherals, Perfect For LAN Party Participants
The LAN party is a mainstay of modern PC gamer culture. With the proliferation of high-speed Internet access, high-quality console graphics, and online match-making services, the LAN party might not hold the same place as it once did, but it's still far from dead.
Today, we’re going to examine some of the better keyboard and mouse options for today’s LAN party attendee. We chose to focus on portable equipment that can be easily taken from the desk to the road, while at the same time keeping the functionality and responsiveness needed for competitive hardcore PC gaming.
On the bench, we have four svelte gaming keyboards: the Kensington K72357US, Logitech K800, Razer BlackWidow Tournament Edition, and Siig JK-US0412-S1. While each of these slim-profile keyboards keep with our LAN party theme, the Logitech K800 we tested is the wireless model, since the otherwise identical corded version was not available when our request for submissions went out.
Our mouse line-up includes two entries from Logitech, the G500 and the G9x, the wired/Bluetooth combo Razer Orochi, and the color-changing Thermaltake TT eSports Theron. This selection gives us a couple of different ergonomic styles to choose from, and all four are driven by the latest-generation high-performance laser sensors.
For keyboards, we’ll be testing noise level, activation pressure, ghosting, and key rollover. Meanwhile, we’ll debunk the need for performance testing mice for DPI, polling rate, and acceleration. Finally, we’ll wrap up with a subjective assessment of comfort by bringing in nine test subjects with varying hand sizes to rate the ease of using these eight peripherals.
Let’s get started with a look at the first two keyboards on our list: the Kensington K72357US and Logitech K800.