Category Archive: Accessories

PC Hardware Reviews: Accessories

Fnatic Asphalt & Focus 2 Mouse Mat Review

When it comes to competitive gaming, having the right mouse mat is just as important as having the right mouse and keyboard. Because Fnatic is an eSports company, they supply gaming peripherals and accessories to take on some of the most competitive electronic sports tournaments. The company has sent us two of their mouse mats: the Asphalt and the Focus 2 M. Both of these feature a cloth top with a non-slip grip, and share the same size at 380 x 290 x 3 mm. As for the Focus 2, it does come in different sizes, which ranges from the smaller M size to a large desk size mat. Benchmark Reviews will take a look at these mouse mats and compare the two together.

Continue reading »

Reeven Twila RGB LED Light Strip Review

In this article for Benchmark Reviews, I’m going to be testing the Reeven Twila RGB LED strips. Reeven Twila is compatible with Asus Aura, MSI Mystic Light Sync, ASrock RGB LED, and Gigabyte RGB Fusion ready. Twila connects to motherboards via the 4 pin RGB connector. The motherboard manufactures have their own software for controlling the output of the LED connectors built-in to compatible motherboards.

Continue reading »

IOGEAR Thunderbolt 3 Docking Station Pro 85 Review

The solution is a USB C / Thunderbolt dock, and today Benchmark Reviews has IOGEAR’s latest Thunderbolt 3 Docking Station Pro 85 external dock to review. Connecting to your laptop with a single Thunderbolt 3 cable, the Docking Station Pro 85 supplies 8 additional ports, all of which can be used at the same time.

Continue reading »

Reeven Polariz RFC-4 Fan Controller Review

In this article for Benchmark Reviews, we will test the Reeven Polariz RFC-4 fan controller to see if it provides enough functionality and style to justify the cost and space required in a custom desktop PC build.

Continue reading »

SilverStone Hi-Fi Audio Headphone Stand Review

SilverStone, a leading provider of high quality computer cases, fans, PSUs, and other accessories, is now offering a blacked out version of their Hi-Fi Audio Headphone Stand in their Ensemble Series Audio lineup. The EBA01B is made of solid aluminum, with a 2cm thick base and weighing in at 3.26 pounds, and features the ability to hold up to two large headsets/headphones.

Continue reading »

SilverStone ECM20 m.2 Adapter Review

The m.2 form factor is becoming popular for SSDs due to its small size, and, in PCI-E guise, superior performance. As our recent test of the Samsung 950 Pro m.2 SSD has shown, PCI-E m.2 SSDs offer performance many times that of the very best SATA SSDs, so if you’re looking for a storage upgrade, m.2 is definitely the way to go. While m.2 slots are only available on the latest motherboards, SilverStone Technology’s ECM20 m.2 adapter card offers an inexpensive way for older systems to enjoy the performance and space savings of modern m.2 SSDs. Benchmark Reviews tests the ECM20 and compares the performance of a modern m.2 PCI-E SSD on this adapter card with its performance on a native m.2 port.

Continue reading »

NZXT GRID+ V2 Digital Fan Controller Review

The NZXT Grid+ V2 is a voltage regulated, 30W digital fan controller fits in practically any case (it’s about the size of two SSDs stacked on top of each other) and adds digital fan control capability for up to eight fans across six separate channels. Join Benchmark Reviews as we take a quick look at the capabilities NZXT’s GRID+ V2 digital fan controller will bring to your build.

Continue reading »

ROCCAT Apuri Active USB Hub Review

As if we did not already have enough to appreciate in terms of the number of quality gaming peripherals that ROCCAT has been making available to us recently, we can be thankful that this organization has also been placing focus on providing us with accessories to complement the aforementioned gaming peripherals. One of the more intriguing of these accessories, the ROCCAT Apuri Active USB Hub with Mouse Bungee, is in the Benchmark Reviews spotlight today. ROCCAT calls the Apuri the, “first component of the ROCCAT Smart Desktop Management System (SDMS) offer[ing] you the perfect combination of style of functionality right there on your desktop.” That certainly sounds like a compelling piece of gaming equipment. I invite you to read on in order to get our thoughts on this device.

Continue reading »

XTracGear Ripper XXL Desk Mat Review

If you are in the look for a mouse pad or desk mat you have probably heard of XTracPads. Unlike other big companies like Razer and SteelSeries, XTracPads’ focus is directed only to making the best mouse pad gear and accessories. Lately, the twelve year old company has made some changes such as updating their name to XTracGear and updating many of their lines of products. Luckily, they have sent Benchmark Reviews some samples to test. This time we will be testing their biggest product, the Ripper XXL.

Continue reading »

XTracGear Ripper Mouse Pad Review

XTracGear (formerly XTracPads) is a company dedicated solemnly to manufacture the best mousing surfaces and accessories for gamers and professionals. Since 2002, they have brought along many successful products including their Ripper model, which has been a very strong contender among the big mouse pad market. This year XTracPads decided to refine many things including their name as well as many of their products. They have gladly sent Benchmark Reviews a sample of their new XTracGear Ripper mouse pad which we will evaluate to see if upholds to it’s predecessor.

Continue reading »

XTracGear Carbonic Mouse Pad Review

XTracGear (formerly XTracPads) is a company dedicated solemnly to manufacture the best mousing surfaces and accessories for gamers and professionals. This year XTracGear has decided to update some of their products, as well as introducing new ones. Please read along as Benchmark Reviews takes a look at one of their newest products, the XTracGear Carbonic Surface Mouse Pad, a low cost mouse pad which features a carbon fiber print that XTracGear claims to enhance mouse cursor accuracy.

Continue reading »

X2 XPAD Pro XXXL MP03 Mouse Pad Review

If you’re a PC gamer, then chances are very good you’ve spent money on a high-performance keyboard a mouse. These are peripherals that work with your hands to act like an extension of your body. Unfortunately, your body can fatigue from using them, and mouse accuracy suffers when your hands and arms get tired. This is why the top gamers use a quality mousing surface, which reduces sliding resistance and allows for smooth gliding over the mat. Personal comfort plays a big role in this decision, which is why many products are made soft as opposed to solid surfaces. In this article, Benchmark Reviews tests the XPAD MP02 and desk-sized XPAD Pro XXXL MP03 professional Mouse Pads by X2 Products.

Continue reading »

V-MODA BoomPro Microphone C-BP-BLACK Review

The BoomPro Microphone (model# C-BP-Black) from V-MODA is creative yet simple. It’s one of those products that begs the question: Why hasn’t this been invented already? A 200 cm headphone extension cable with a built in boom microphone – It’s ingenious. The BoomPro Microphone converts your regular or studio headphones (with 3.5mm jack input) into a headset for gaming, communication and recording. Benchmark Reviews has seen many novel accessories and quite a lot of gimmicks in the technology news stream, but this one caught our eye. For $30 you can’t really do much wrong.

Continue reading »

SilverStone SST-ARM11SC Single Monitor Interactive Arm Review

The SilverStone SST-ARM11SC seems to recognize this trend with the naming of their product. This is not just a flexible monitor stand, SilverStone describes it as “the Arm One Single LCD Interactive Arm”. It promises to liberate your view and significantly increase the value and usability of your monitor. In this article, Benchmark Reviews looks at this new monitor stand to see if there is real value behind the marketing claims.

Continue reading »