SteelSeries releases an affordable spill-resistant keyboard

Spilling a can of Red Bull on this keyboard might leave behind a sticky mess, but it probably won't kill it.

SteelSeries has a new keyboard available that offers gamers a bit of durability. The company's new Apex 150 isn't afraid to get a little wet—there is an internal membrane sheet that protects and repels liquid from damaging the internal electronics. And if it gets a lot wet, there are two drainage cavities to ensure the keyboard isn't sitting in an ocean of coffee.

This is not a mechanical keyboard. Instead, SteelSeries opted for a rubber dome setup with an exclusive "quick tension switch" system that it purpose built to deliver low friction and durability with an "excellent key feel."

"The quick tension keys are designed for fast reaction times; the tension membrane’s design pulls the key into actuation, resulting in a tactile key feel and quiet operation," SteelSeries says.

The keys also feature molded POM compound top housing inserts and RGB backlighting that is configurable in five different zones, as opposed to per-key backlighting.

There are not dedicated gaming or macro keys, though each key is independently programmable through SteelSeries' Engine utility. Anti-ghosting, 24-key rollover, and Discord integration are part of the package as well.

A major selling point here is the price—it only costs $50 which is extremely competitive for a spill proof RGB gaming keyboard!

The Apex 150 is available now.

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Platinum #192: Don’t Knock Twice

Hey there!

Don’t Knock Twice is a short little horror game, which can be completed in around 1 hour. The game reminded me of Dying: Reborn. It also supports PlayStation VR, but it’s not needed.

Like I said, it’s similar to Dying: Reborn and if you liked this game, you might also enjoy this one. I haven’t enjoyed both.

You need to make 2 playthroughs for the Platinum Trophy. Luckily, you can use cloud save to shorten the second playthrough. There are also the usual collectibles trophies and there’s one trophy called “Faster Than Light” which requires you to complete the game without lighting any wall candles. Unfortunately, this trophy is a little bit glitchy and it might be possible that you need to play through the game again.

If you’re having any troubles with beating the game or the collectibles, you can use this video guide by IBadDriverI.

Yours,

AvengedEvil

Buy cheap PSN cards here.

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ChromaGun – Trophy Guide

Difficulty: 3/10

Time to Platinum: 3-4 hours (less with guide)

Playthroughs: 1

Missable Trophies: 0 (all can be gotten during chapter select)

 

P       The End

            Yeah, that’s it

Unlock all trophies.

 

B       Not A Lie

            Find the hidden cake we actually have, as opposed to that other game that doesn’t have a cake.

The cake can be found In Chapter 3: Floor 4. Don’t go through the exit after beating the level. Instead turn around and go inside the room in which the 2 WorkerDroids have been. At the end, you’ll find a small passage which can be entered. Inside this passage you’ll find the cake.

 

B       Pre-Schooler

            Mix a color. It’s not that hard, really.

This trophy is story-related and will unlock during Chapter 2: Floor 2.

 

B       Right in the Head!

            Shoot a WorkerDroid.

This trophy is story-related and will unlock during Chapter 1: Floor 2.

 

B       Doing it Wrong

            Try painting grey WorkerDroid and realize how pointless that was.

In Chapter 2: Floor 3 you’ll encounter your first grey WorkerDroid. Simply shoot him with your gun to unlock this trophy.

 

B       Open, Sesame!

            Open a door by activating a trigger.

This trophy is story-related and will unlock during Chapter 1: Floor 6.

 

B       Sizzle, Sizzle

            Grill a WorkerDroid on a Deadly Electrified Maintenance Tile.

This trophy is story-related and will unlock during Chapter 3: Floor 1.

 

G       Welcome to ChromaTec

            Finish Chapter 1.

For this trophy, you must beat all 8 levels of Chapter 1.

 

Take a look at “The End” for video walkthrough, in case you need help.

 

G       Color Equals Fun

            Finish Chapter 2.

For this trophy, you must beat all 9 levels of Chapter 2.

 

Take a look at “The End” for video walkthrough, in case you need help.

 

G       Vector Operations

            Finish Chapter 3.

For this trophy, you must beat all 7 levels of Chapter 3.

 

Take a look at “The End” for video walkthrough, in case you need help.

 

G       Desperate Times

            Finish Chapter 4.

For this trophy, you must beat all 7 levels of Chapter 4.

 

Take a look at “The End” for video walkthrough, in case you need help.

 

G       Desperate Measures

            Finish Chapter 5.

For this trophy, you must beat all 7 levels of Chapter 5.

 

Take a look at “The End” for video walkthrough, in case you need help.

 

G       How Time Flies

            Finish Chapter 6.

For this trophy, you must beat all 7 levels of Chapter 6.

 

Take a look at “The End” for video walkthrough, in case you need help.

 

G       Demanded Attention

            Finish Chapter 7.

For this trophy, you must beat all 6 levels of Chapter 7.

 

Take a look at “The End” for video walkthrough, in case you need help.

 

G       The Grand Finale

            Finish Chapter 8.

For this trophy, you must beat all 6 levels of Chapter 8.

 

Take a look at “The End” for video walkthrough, in case you need help.

 

S       Wait, what?

            Solve a chamber without firing a single shot.

This trophy can be unlocked during Chapter 7: Floor 6. In this level, you must release the WorkerDroids by standing on the trigger and lure them to trigger in the next room. Repeat this until the door is open and don’t fire! Doing this will unlock this trophy.

 

B       Ineffective

            Try to jump… and fail.

Simply press X during any level to unlock this trophy.

B       Dangerously Ineffective

            Try to jump over a Deadly Electrified Maintenance Tile… and fail horribly.

Deadly Electrified Maintenance Tiles appear from Chapter 3: Floor 1 onwards. Try jumping over a tile by pressing X. This will cause your death and unlock this trophy.

 

B       Making Darwin Proud

            Simply walk onto the Deadly Electrified Maintenance tile in Chamber 3-1.

Simply do as the trophy description says and walk on the Deadly Electrified Maintenance Tile in Chapter 3: Floor 1. This will cause your death and unlock this trophy.

 

B       No Hugging!

            Get killed by a WorkerDroid.

The earliest possible stage to unlock this trophy is Chapter 1: Floor 8. There you’ll encounter a spiked WorkerDroid. Let it hit you until you’re dead to unlock this trophy.

 

B       Droid Love

            Rescue the WorkerDroid in Chamber 5-3.

The trophy description is a little bit misleading as you can’t rescue the WorkerDroid in Chapter 5: Floor 3. It should better be called: “Don’t kill the WorkerDroid in Chamber 5-3.” Don’t kill the droid and this trophy will be yours.

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Platinum #191: 36 Fragments of Midnight (EU Version)

Hey there!

36 Fragments of Midnight is a platformer for PlayStation Vita and costs 2.99€. It is currently only available in the EU store. I was available in the NA store as well but it has been removed after one day. I don’t know when or if it will be available again.

The game itself isn’t that hard. There’s only one level, which is randomly generated, in which you need to collect 36 fragments. There are traps, like in every platformer, and you only have one life. This means if you get killed, you must start all over again.

There are only 12 trophies (incl. the Platinum Trophy) and they aren’t too hard if you’re good at platformers. Even if you suck at platformers, like me, you should get all trophies within 2 hours. The most annoying one is the speedrun trophy, in which you need to collect all fragments within 6 minutes. Here you need a little luck with the traps. Sometimes you must wait and thus you’ll lose precision seconds. Once this trophy is done, you can take your time a go for the other trophies on your own pace.

If you own a PlayStation Vita, it’s totally worth to get this game. As already mentioned, the game isn’t too hard at all. Stay concentrated and patient and this Platinum Trophy will be yours in no time.

Yours,

AvengedEvil

Buy cheap PSN cards here.

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Platinum #189 + 190: ChromaGun (EU + NA Version)

Hey there!

In ChromaGun you find yourself within ChromaTech’s test facilities and you need to progress through the rooms (50 in total) by using your paint gun. You need to paint walls and WorkerDroids, trigger switches and open doors to proceed. It’s a nice little puzzle game which isn’t too challenging at all. Most of the puzzles can be completed on your first attempt but there are a few tricky ones that might take a few tries.

The graphics aren’t too bad and the controls are pretty good. There’s also a story but it is insignificant.

Most of the trophies are story-related or you’ll get them naturally. A few of them are missable but don’t worry, there’s a chapter select.

The first time I needed a little bit under 4 hours to complete the game. The second time I could do it in a little bit over 2 hours.

There are 2 versions available (EU and NA) and both are fast and easy Platinum Trophies. But I’d wait until this game is on sale as it is a little bit overpriced.

Yours,

AvengedEvil

Buy cheap PSN cards here.

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GIGABYTE Introduces Z370 AORUS Motherboards

Supercharge your gaming experience with these powerful motherboards  

Taipei, Taiwan, September 25th, 2017 – GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY Co. Ltd, a leading manufacturer of motherboards and graphics cards, has unveiled the new GIGABYTE Z370 AORUS motherboards based on the Intel® Z370 chipset. These supercharged motherboards are equipped with a server-grade digital power design which fully support 8th generation Intel Core™ processors. Performance tuned, the Z370 AORUS Motherboards are compatible with memory modules rated for 4133MHz. With unique features like an ESS Sabre DAC, Smart Fan 5 and RGB Fusion, there’s no doubt why gamers turn to AORUS for the ultimate gaming motherboard.

“Following Intel‘s release of the Z370 chipset platform, GIGABYTE has designed a new, groundbreaking motherboard,” said Vincent Liu, Senior Associate Vice President of GIGABYTE’s Motherboard Business Unit. “GIGABYTE Z370 AORUS motherboards are designed for gamers who value powerful, yet highly durable motherboards. With our new digital power design, not only will Z370 AORUS motherboards unleash the power of the 8th generation Intel Core processors’ they will easily fulfill gamers’ demands.”



Designed with 14nm technology, the 8th gen Intel Core processors range from 4-Cores and 4 threads to 6-Cores and 12 threads each performing better than its predecessor. Z370 AORUS Motherboards deliver the highest video quality, 4K UHD, and uninterrupted streaming to users through the use of HDCP 2.2 Technology, a HEVC 10-bit decoder, as well as a VP9 hardware decoder.

 

Efficient Power Delivery

The Z370 AORUS Motherboards utilize a new VRM and PWM design which is able to drive 60 amps per power phase as well as strengthen the signal between the processor and voltage regulator. Through the use of server-grade 10K Ultra Durable Black™ capacitors GIGABYTE is able to increase durability while reducing excess electrostatic charge on the PWMs, improving efficiency between the CPU. With its intricate power design the Z370 AORUS Motherboards are still able to meet the standards of the California Energy Commision (CEC) as a low power and high efficiency motherboard.

Immersive Audio Experience with an ESS Sabre DAC

Paired with an ESS Sabre DAC and the Creative Sound BlasterX 720° software the Z370 AORUS Gaming 7 offers unrivaled audio performance. This synergy of hardware and software allows users a distinct advantage in multiplayer online games. Through Scout Radar gamers can obtain visual cues to where enemies or opponents are giving them an edge in-game. For audiophiles this duo has comprehensive tools backed by leading technology and algorithms to enrich the audio experience whether users are listening to music, watching movies, or streaming.



Beat the Heat with Smart Fan 5 with Fan Stop Technology

Smart Fan 5 has been a sought after feature for gamers and PC enthusiasts. As it continues to evolve Smart Fan 5 has incorporated features like Fan Stop Technology which allows fans to actively shut off to reduce ambient noise when thermal thresholds are not met. With the flagship Z370 AORUS Gaming 7, Smart Fan 5 introduces active cooling. Active cooling integrates a unique fan positioned near the VRMs for systems built with AIO liquid coolers where airflow is not present. These technologies allow for users to prolong the life of their gaming pc and squeeze the limits of performance from their Motherboard through the use of overclocking.

Other technologies that can be found on Z370 AORUS Motherboards are M.2 Thermal Guards which cool down those next generation form factors for storage. AORUS Thermal Guards reside on M.2 slots ensuring that gamers and power users will receive the most optimal transfer speeds from their top of the line storage devices.

Show Your True Colors with RGB Fusion and Digital LEDs

RGB Fusion is more powerful than ever, now with support for Digital LEDs in either 5v or 12v, RGB Fusion can be customized with individually addressable LED strips, arrays, and even matrices. The Z370 AORUS Motherboards offer RGB Pin Headers on both the bottom and top of the board to ensure convenience for modders and the everyday PC builder. With a 4-pin header that can be reconfigured to be compatible with almost all RGBW strips on the market, RGB Fusion is the most versatile platform for all RGB accessories.



For more details, please visit the official GIGABYTE website.
http://www.gigabyte.com/

To learn more about AORUS:
http://www.aorus.com


To learn more about Z370 AORUS GAMING 7:
https://www.gigabyte.com/Motherboard/Z370-AORUS-Gaming-7-rev-10#kf





About GIGABYTE
GIGABYTE, a global leading brand in the IT industry, offers a broad product portfolio including Motherboards, Graphics Cards, PC Components, PC Peripherals, Laptops, Desktop PCs, Network Communications, Servers and Mobile Phones. GIGABYTE also demonstrates the pinnacle of its hardware excellence in AORUS, in which it provides a full spectrum of innovative gaming products that deliver the ultimate performance and exemplify PC’s capability of bringing gamers unprecedented delights. Since its founding in 1986, GIGABYTE has taken the lead in the world’s motherboard and graphics card innovations and been internationally recognized by National Quality Award, Taiwan Excellence Award, Asia Info Tech 100, and as a Taiwan Top 20 Global Brand. With the idea to “Upgrade Your Life”, GIGABYTE creates innovative digital solutions that completely satisfy consumer needs and desires. Please visit www.gigabyte.com for more information.

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Efferus (Fringe Worlds #2) - Done!

Earlier this week, I finally finished Efferus (Fringe Worlds #2). It is currently in the hands of my editor, so I'm hoping to release it soon.

Needless to say, this one took longer than I initially anticipated. That has, of course, impacted the writing schedule with respect to other books - including Kid Sensation #6.  Truth be told, however, I had started writing Efferus even before Kid Sensation #5, so it was long overdue.  (I'm sure fans of the series will echo that sentiment, as they have been asking for the second Fringe Worlds novel for quite some time.) 

That said, I'm excited to get back to the world of Kid Sensation and dive full bore into his next adventure (which - as I probably mentioned before - I've already started).  After that, it's on to the fourth Warden book, and then probably Fringe Worlds #3. (And - if I haven't mentioned it before - Kid Sensation #7 is already in the works.)

In short, I anticipate being busy on the writing front for some time to come. However, that's a good thing. (And if I can pick up the pace of the writing - which is the plan - that's even better.)

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G.SKILL RipJaws KM570 RGB Review

G.Skill RipJaws KM570 RGB - Can this be your new budget gaming buddy!?

G Skill is a brand very well known around the globe for their flashy looking and record breaking memory kits, the latest one being the very popular Trident Z RGB series. Lesser do we know that they even manufacture gaming peripherals including gaming keyboards such as the very robust KM780. Thanks to G.Skill India today I have one of their very popular and mainstream gaming keyboard for review on the table, we have with us the G.Skill RipJaws KM570 RGB Gaming Keyboard.

Priced in at $99 the KM570 RGB comes in two variants with each variant further bifurcated into four sub categories as per their switch types. You can either get the RGB version such as the one we are reviewing today or a non RGB one with red only backlit color, both of these variants are available with CherryMX Red, Blue, Brown and Quick Silver switch types making it a great keyboard lineup as they've got an option for almost everybody depending upon their taste and usages.

Constructed with a 50 million keystroke durability and a smooth linear key response as well as contoured keypads for greater comfort, the KM570's other features include macro support with on-the-fly macro recording, per-key lighting customization with seven lighting patterns, full n-Key rollover and 100% anti-ghosting technologies, as well as shortcuts for Windows functions, keyboard functions, media playback and volume control.

What's in the Box!?

G.Skill brings the KM570 RGB in a thin yet solid cardboard box with the red and black color scheme to justify the G.Skill branding. All the key features are printed right on the front CherryMX Red mechanical keys, Per key LED lighting etc. You also get the RGB logo on the top left corner to clarify that its the RGB variant and not otherwise which is a good thing since too many options ought to create confusion.

At the back a colored marked diagram of the keyboard is printed to illustrate the various functions that it has to offer in a well laid out fashion. At the bottom we see the other features printed in various languages aswell, since ours in an 'English' packing so we get all the labeling in English or else it would've been otherwise.

Open the black box and you'll find the KM570 RGB keyboard, a user manual and warranty card. The accessories with this keyboard are bare minimum and even lack the now conventional contorted-textured gaming keys that come with most of the keyboards now. The only possible reason can be the cost cutting factor here but a few plastic caps wouldn't have hurt that much since they include a keycap pulling tool in the box!

The KM570 RGB Keybaord!

Looking at the G.Skill KM570 RGB you realize that its a plain and simple keybaord with a boxy finish very much like that was found in the good old IBM days which is quite nice. I'm happy G.Skill didn't try going wild with the design in the budget segment and kept it subtle while concentrating more upon the features.

Also judging by sheer looks the KM570 actually bridges the gap between the smaller KM560 and the much bigger KM780R making it sit right in the middle of the lineup.

This 450x160x40mm, 1.25Kg matte black keyboard is basically all plastic and no metal, not even to the least of bits but is still quite heavy for its size! This is primarily done to save cost aswell as to avoid any accidental shocks in case of a liquid spillage. The layout is pretty basic and you get the standard Corsair keys with the space-bar key being textured.

At the back nothing much is going on and we find five rubber feet to securely hold the keyboard in place once placed on a surface to avoid slipping and unnecessary budging. These feet do their job quite well for a keyboard of this size and weight plus you get two stand offs to tilt your keyboard a bit if you like to. So nothing much to discuss or complain about over here.

The keyboard comes with a 2m long braided cable that ends up into a gold plated USB 2.0 port for maximum compatibility & optimum signal transfer. The cable is not too stubborn when it comes to straightening it out so you don't have to worry about kinky wires hanging below your desk.

The front of the keybaord is simple with no extra USB port or anything for USB Pass Through functionality which is somewhat acceptable in this budget category so no complains over here.

Looking at it from the side we realize that the KM570 RGB actually is contoured from the front to the back with the keys following the same pattern so as to keep the entire contoured key caps feel intact! The front is 3.5cm high with the key-cap while the back is 4.5cm high, which does pose a small problem which we'll discuss later on in the review.

The keybaord relies upon on board key combinations for a range of functions and they are namely as shortcuts, media buttons and volume control functions. Holding the Fn or Function key located adjacent to the right ALT key you can perform actions such as opening My Computer, Default Web Browser, E-Mail, Calculator, Windows Lock Key for Gaming Mode and the NKRO or N Key Roll Over function.

The media control keys are pretty much straight forward while the arrow keys can be used to change the brightness level on the go with a five stage brightness control system with the final stage setting the LEDs completely off.

The key caps on this keyboard are standard ABS ones with contoured design and no extra padding or texture on top for extra grip for typing or gaming. We'll see how good they are in our testing.

Pop a key cap and you can see the CherryMX Red switches underneath, since these are CherryMX switches they are fitted with a damping material inside to reduce the clicking noise that mechanical keyboards are famous for. These are basically the same CherryMX switches that we tend to find in all of Corsair Keyboards and come with 50 million click cycle & an actuation force of 45g and 2mm depth.

Due to the added depth to the switches and the contoured design of the keybaord itself the LED lights are quite bright but still they don't bleed out. This is a very good job done by G.Skill since keycaps with height, even on premium keyboards, tend to lights bleeding out from under them but the designing on the KM570 RGB is nicely done.

Nothing special just a bunch of photographs I managed to click with different lighting configurations and the same red color!

G.Skill KM570 RGB Utility

Even though you can control some of the vital functions of the KM570 RGB from the keybaord itself like Maco Recording but still you need the G.Skill KM570 RGB Utility to use this keyboard to its maximum potential. You can simply plug n play with this keybaord on Windows 7 and above but once you install this utility it will update the keybaord firmware once, it did in my case, only after which you can use the keybaord after a system restart. At first the software failed to update the firmware on my sample and rendered it dud means I couldn't use the keybaord at all but after a system restart and a fresh utility install the firmware update was successful and I was all set to go.

The first thing you notice about the KM570 RGB Utility is that its plain, basic and the windows is the design of your keyboard only. On the opening screen you get two main tabs and three sub tabs, the first is the Customize tab that lets you link a program to a key for quick launch purposes or even swap two keys  in case you need a bunch of keys right under the tip of your fingers be it while gaming or editing videos/photos etc. You can save these settings into a profile and then flash it onto the keybaord memory. Sadly the KM570 can hold only one profile at a time so make sure you save the appropriate profile to your device when taking it to a LAN party etc.

Settings tab is as the name suggests and lets you tweak the technical behavior of the KM570 RGB including the Polling rate, N-Key Roll Over and even the repeat rate.

Lighting lets you choose from the number of Lighting effects the KM570 has to offer including the Rain and Wave effects along with the level of brightness. Remember that when you save a profile to the keybaord you would be saving it with all the three aspects together and not individually means that a profile would have the key settings, polling rate and the lighting effects all together.

Macro and Lighting Effects tabs let you program macros to any key that you like or even add a text message that you can directly add to the chat box and send to your team mates during a match by the press of a single key! Also note that this message is actually typed by the keyboard and not copy pasted from the clipboard so it will work with all the apps possible. Lighting Effects area is the section where you can customize the entire effect as per you own taste including colors, patters and even timings which is quite handy.

The G.Skill KM570 RGB Utility is quite basic and needs a face lift for sure but considering the fact that its neatly laid out and makes a basic budget keyboard such as the KM570 quite a lot useful and customizable is a noteworthy fact. It does add a few brownie points to this keybaord simply because of its pricing but for more expensive keyboards this utility is just not enough and quite lame to be honest when compared to what the competition has to offer.

Performance - Time to put those Keys to Test!

Whenever I review a keyboard or mouse I like to use the device for atleast a week putting it through my daily usage varying across the week. My usage is obviously more inclined towards typing and I mean lot of typing with various keyboard shortcuts combinations, followed by casual gaming mainly racing, open world or FPS. So lets classify the G.Skill KM570 MX RGB Gaming Keyboard performance across two broad categories of daily use and gaming.

Daily Affairs

G.Skill KM570 RGB is a very competent keyboard when it comes to typing paragraphs swiftly and smoothly.  The CherryMX Red switches due to their quick response & lower actuation makes it really easy to type long paragraphs with great speed without hurting your fingertips. Though it does need a little getting used to since the keys are quick but with a few minutes into training your fingers you'll find yourself using it with no problem. Since my fingers are thick I did accidentally push the Caps Lock key at times since the key is quite big and at almost no separation from the main alphabetical keys, people with slimmer fingers might not come across this issue.

These switches are identical to those used by Corsair with their keyboards, which I'm more used to since I own one of them, when it came to typing or anything else making it easier for a large chunk of consumers to get used to quickly. The keys are not slippery and the slim design makes them a good landing pad for the fingers imparting reasonable grip.

The aluminum plate at the bottom and the MX Red switches don't really make it too noisy like relatively to other mechanical keyboards I've come across nor does the board slip when I go all berserk while typing. For typing and daily use the keyboard has absolutely no issues that I can point out.

Game On!

Gaming is the area where this keyboard really shined for me since I personally prefer the CherryMX Red switches for gaming purposes so this keybaord did the job for me. The keys are just perfect and due to logical actuation force and distance its neither too sensitive nor too hard. I generally find CherryMX Speed switches a bit too quick and can't be used without some practice but these I'd say are a buy and go for most of the buyers out there. Still sometimes I found pressing a key accidentally as my finger was resting over it & managed to press it down just by a little, namely the spacebar not mainly due to the key sensitivity but due to the absence of a wrist rest which is gravely needed for a compact keybaord that also happens to be contoured like this and for users like me who have large palms.

Rapid key strokes is where the keyboard proves its metal as they keys offer high resistance with distance and hence reset quickly so rapid strokes are easy and swift making it easy in game like Rise of the Tomb Raider.

A strange issue that I came across is that the Esc key on my sample has this double press issue and I couldn't pause and jump to the menu while gaming! Its quite irritating when you feel like taking a pee in real life and need to pause of game campaign life. Probably an issue with my unit only since others over the net don't seem to complain anything like this.

The default keys work well for gaming aswell especially considering the price tag. Contoured design of the keybaord frame is the prime reason for this grip on these ABS caps as it makes the grip a tad bit better when compared to similar key cap boards.

My Verdict

The budget gaming peripheral market is flooded and that includes the keyboards as well most of which are just not worth even half of the asking price even from reputed manufacturers! G.Skill on the other side might've found itself a winner in form of the KM570 RGB gaming keyboard. Its exactly what you pay for and even a bit more at times. The build quality is solid and even though its plastic the feel and rigidity is top notch. Its a plain and simple keyboard layout with all the basic essentials for gaming.

Loaded with CherryMX switches all the available KM570 are extremely well thought off considering that at around $80 at some websites you get an RGB keybaord with a very well defused lighting that can be customized to a great extent with a software suite that's easy to use and quite comprehensive for the asking price of the product. I'm happy to see that G.Skill opted for CherryMX switches here and not any other lesser known manufacturer to cut corners with the pricing.

On the downside the keybaord doesn't have a wrist rest or swappable key caps out of which the former is a big let down since its necessary for gaming over long stretches.

"I recommend the G.Skill RipJaws KM570 RGB to anyone who is looking for a mechanical keyboard on a budget and values balanced performance with classic yet effective aesthetics to get the most out of their money."

Pros - 

• Solid Build Quality


• CherryMX Switches 


• Supports Macros


• RGB lights are very well defused


• Well priced 

Cons - 

• No Wrist Rest


• Only supports one Profile at a time

I give it a 8/10 earning our Gold Award!

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Platinum #188: The Smurfs 2

Hey there!

The Smurfs2 has been released for PlayStation 3 in 2013 and is one of the easiest platformers I’ve ever played. It is so easy that I only died once in 2 playthroughs – and I really suck at platformers.

The graphics are good and the controls work perfect. I can’t tell you anything about the story as I’ve skipped everything. To be honest, I wasn’t here for the story, I was here for the Platinum Trophy.

For the Platinum Trophy, you need to complete the game twice. First of all, simply run through the levels as fast as you can. This shouldn’t give you much problems as in most cases you only need run from left to right. Whenever you see a coin which can be easily gotten, try to pick it up but don’t worry if you can’t get it yet as you will need to play through the levels again. The only thing you want to do during this playthrough is to beat each boss without getting hit. There are only 6 bosses and they won’t give you any troubles once you’ve learned their patterns.

After finishing them game you need to collect all coins to unlock all the Smurfs. This will be very easy as you now can switch between the Smurfs within the levels, which will allow you to get all the remaining coins.

The rest of the trophies are very easy to get but you need a second DualShock 3 controller as you need to beat one level with a friend. Make sure you have one before starting this game.

Whenever you stumble across a cheap copy of this game, pick it up. It’s definitively worth it is very easy and short. You should get the Platinum Trophy in 6-8 hours or less.

Yours,

AvengedEvil

Buy cheap PSN cards here.

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