ESCAM QF220 WiFi Doorbell IP Camera Front Angle

29 October 201717 January 2018ReviewsBy Olin Coles

ESCAM QF220 WiFi Doorbell IP Camera Review

Hundreds of dollars in electronics and appliances were taken off our doorstep, and we hadn’t taken precautions to prevent the crime or alert ourselves to criminal presence. Our home alarm system alerts us to intruders inside the residence, but cameras weren’t in a position to detect somebody at the doorstep. Apparently this scenario is all too common: protection on the inside, but nothing on the outside. I decided to remedy this weakness by adding a wireless doorbell camera. In this article, Benchmark Reviews tests the ESCAM QF220 WiFi doorbell IP camera.

24 October 201717 January 2018CasesBy Meng Vang

Raijintek Asterion Plus ATX Case Review

The Raijintek Asterion Plus allows for custom water cooling setups and complex server builds. It comes with a roomy interior to house large 240/280/360mm radiators at the front and the top. There is also enough room for tall CPU coolers up to 180mm and large graphics cards up to 340mm in length. To top it off, the acrylic side panels open up like doors using the provided door handles on each side. This case does come in a black variant, but Benchmark Reviews will be taking a look at the Asterion Silver Plus for this review. Let’s take a look at its features, specifications, and a quick overview of what this product has to offer.

18 October 201727 March 2018PeripheralsBy Meng Vang

Gamdias Hermes P2 Keyboard Review

The Gamdias Hermes P2 RGB is a combination of performance, durability, and longevity. With the use of Gamdias certified optical switches, the switches will not rust or corrode over time as they contain no metal contacts. They are also hot swappable, making customization and future repairs easier for the user. In addition, the Hermes P2 does include the normal gaming features, like RGB lighting, six separate profiles, and a built-in wrist rest. Gamdias has sent Benchmark Reviews their Hermes P2 RGB keyboard with blue optical switches. Let’s take a look at its features, specifications, and an overview of what this product has to offer.

13 October 201717 January 2018PeripheralsBy Joe Gulczinski

Bloody P85 Gaming Mouse Review

A4TECH’s Bloody Division over the last few years has been at the forefront with that is called Light Strike technology, replacing mechanical with optical switches utilizing infrared light. Today we examine the most recent iteration of the Bloody mice series, the P85 Light Strike 5K RGB Animation Gaming Mouse; combining a popular eight button layout with some dazzling light effects.

26 September 201717 January 2018CasesBy Meng Vang

Phanteks Enthoo Evolv Shift Review

The Phanteks Enthoo Evolv Shift series bring performance, functionality, and innovative features to the table. At the time of this review, there are two variants: the Enthoo Evolv Shift X and the Enthoo Evolv Shift. They both come with anodized aluminum panels and two large tempered glass side panels. The case may stand vertically as a normal desktop PC, or horizontally as a living room PC. Phanteks has also designed the interior to house an ITX motherboard, dual 120mm AIO water cooled units, and a large graphics card. Benchmark Reviews will be taking a look at the Enthoo Evolv Shift for this article. Let’s go over an overview of what this case has to offer.

25 September 201717 January 2018CasesBy Jason Maxfield

Fractal Design Focus G Case Review

The Focus G offers a host of cooling options, 120mm and 140mm fans, as well as support for 240mm and 280mm radiators in the front or the top (240mm limitation on top) of the chassis. Fractal Design even has a slew of colors to choose from: white, black, mystic red, petrol blue, and the case I received, in gunmetal gray. Included with the case are two Fractal Design SIlent Series 120mm fans pre-installed in the front of the case, which also have white LED’s.

22 August 201717 January 2018AudioBy Jason Maxfield

Corsair Void Pro RGB Gaming Headset Review

Corsair has updated it’s Gaming line of headsets with the Void Pro RGB. Featuring Dolby 7.1 surround with the use of Corsair’s CUE software. The Void Pro RGB has a host of improvements, from the 50mm driver, mesh/memory foam earpads, improved microphone, but is only compatible with the PC. The Corsair Void Pro RGB is a wired version of the new Void Pro RGB Wireless and Wireless SE. The Void Pro RGB ditches the wireless aspect, but maintains all of the features, except for the flip-up muting, which is a feature of the wireless models only. In this article for Benchmark Reviews, I’ll be putting the Corsair Void Pro RGB to the test. Will Corsair deliver the goods and improve on last years Void Surround?

1TB-HP-SSD-S700-PRO-Solid-State-Drive-Review

18 August 20177 February 2018StorageBy Olin Coles

HP SSD S700 PRO 1TB Solid State Drive Review

Relative to solid state storage, one terabyte is an enormous amount of near-instant drive space. Adding to its appeal is the cost of solid state technology, which has doubled its storage capacity per dollar from just one year ago. HP suggests top speeds up to 570 MB/s for reads and 525 MB/s writes from their 1TB SSD S700 PRO, which utilizes 3D NAND to deliver impressive storage density and reliability. In this article for Benchmark Reviews, we test the 1TB HP SSD S700 PRO (2.5″ SATA model 2LU81AA#ABL) against other solid state drive competition.

17 August 201717 January 2018PeripheralsBy Meng Vang

Bloody B820R Gaming Keyboard Review

Optical key switches provide fast response time and performance without compromising build quality. They use infrared sensors as a replacement for metal contacts, making them more durable when compared to a standard mechanical key switch. With the Bloody B820R Light Strike RGB Animation gaming keyboard, it uses LK (Light Strike) Optical switches built exclusively for Bloody keyboards. The B820R comes in two variants; one with blue switches (Machine Gun) and one with red switches (Silent Gun). Benchmark Reviews already tested the B820R with LK Optical Blue switches, so our friends at A4Tech sent us the red variant for this review.

9 August 201717 January 2018CasesBy Tom Jaskulka

Fractal Design Meshify C ATX Case Review

Fractal Design has announced a slew of new products recently. The Focus G series brought a splash of color and style to the typically-reserved Scandinavian case maker, while their popular Define C series added a touch of premium glass with the Define C TG. When Fractal Design offered up yet another, as-of-yet unannounced product to add to their lineup my curiosity was piqued. What else could they possibly have in store? All I had was a product name: the Meshify C. I could hazard a few guesses as to the nature of this new case: ATX, based on the Define C no doubt, with a dressing of mesh – perhaps an Arc Midi successor? Follow along as Benchmark Reviews investigates this new direction from Fractal Design.

19 July 201719 July 2017StorageBy Olin Coles

HP SSD S700 PRO Solid State Drive Review

HP suggests top speeds up to 565 MB/s for reads and 520 MB/s writes from SSD S700 PRO, which utilizes 3D NAND to deliver impressive storage density and reliability. Adding to its appeal is the cost of solid state technology, which has doubled its storage capacity per dollar from just one year ago. In this article for Benchmark Reviews, we test the HP SSD S700 PRO (SATA 2.5″ 512GB model 2AP99AA#ABL) against other solid state drive competition.

HP-SSD-S700-500GB-SATA-Solid-State-Drive-Kit

29 June 201729 June 2017StorageBy Olin Coles

HP SSD S700 Solid State Drive Review

HP promises 560 MB/s read and 515 MB/s write speeds from SSD S700, which utilizing 3D NAND technology to deliver impressive storage density and reliability. Adding to its appeal is the cost of solid state drive technology, which has doubled its storage capacity per dollar from just one year ago. In this article for Benchmark Reviews, we test the HP SSD S700 (2.5″ 500GB model 2DP99AA#ABC) against other solid state drive competition.

15 June 201715 June 2017CasesBy David Shields

In Win 301 Mini Tower Case Review

Tempered glass is all the rage right now in the custom PC market. As a result, many case makers are releasing new designs with tempered glass in an attempt to cash in. But tempered glass is often more expensive than options such as plastic. Seeing this, In Win has released the 301 mini tower, a smaller mATX version of their successful 303 chassis design. In this article for Benchmark Reviews, we’ll take a closer at the In Win 301 SECC Tempered Glass Micro-ATX Mini Tower Computer Case, detailing the features included in this design, before delivering my final recommendation.

12 June 2017CamerasBy Jason Maxfield

WiMiUs L1 4K Action Cam Review

WiMiUs, a company based out of Shenzhen, China, has sent us one of their 4k action cams for us to review. This is the WiMiUs L1 4K Action Cam, somewhat similar to a GoPro Hero Session in size, but around half the price. In this article for Benchmark Reviews I’ll be putting the WiMiUs 4K Ultra HD Action Cam L1 to the test. Is the L1 worth a look, let’s find out!

5 June 20179 June 2017CasesBy Tom Jaskulka

Bitfenix Portal Mini-ITX Case Review

Available in matte white or matte black (each with or without an acrylic window), the Bitfenix Portal utilizes a dual frame and rail system to house enough components to power most single-GPU gaming rigs. Benchmark Reviews has the opportunity to test the new Bitfenix Portal (model BFC-POT-150-WKWKK-RP) – let’s see what it can do.

30 May 2017ReviewsBy Olin Coles

LifeTrak Zoom HRV Wearable Body Computer Review

Fitness trackers all seem to have similar features; pedometer, calories burned, heart monitor, sleep tracker, watch, etc. They’re great for helping to track the daily habits of an average person or someone beginning a fitness or health regimen. However, most fitness trackers are just too basic for a serious athlete or someone interested in their overall fitness condition. That’s where the LifeTrak Zoom HRV (model number LTK7M002) comes into play. The LifeTrack Zoom HRV will continuously measure heart rate and heart rate variability which helps a true athlete know when to train and how hard to push. It’s the perfect multi-sport fitness tracker and an extremely thorough heart rate monitor.

30 May 20172 June 2017PeripheralsBy Jason Vaught

Corsair GLAIVE RGB USB Gaming Mouse Review

If your hunt is for a very nice corded USB gaming mouse that meets and exceeds expectations, then you’ve come to the right place. In this article for Benchmark Reviews we dive deep into the Corsair GLAIVE RGB’s features. We’ll be testing DPI responsiveness, its customization, and real world everyday use for both gaming and other mouse intensive tasks such as Photoshop.

23 May 20172 June 2017MotherboardsBy David Ramsey

BIOSTAR Z270GTN mITX Motherboard Review

Mini-ITX (mITX) motherboards, once nice products for HTPCs and the like, are becoming mainstream as the need for multiple PCI-E slots wanes. Today Benchmark Reviews has Biostar’s new Z270GTN Racing mITX motherboard, and it’s aimed squarely at the enthusiast and gamer market with features like solid state capacitors, onboard RGB LED lighting and control, and m.2 and u.2 storage connectors.

22 May 20176 August 2017PeripheralsBy Meng Vang

Tesoro Excalibur SE Spectrum Keyboard Review

Most of us are familiar to standard mechanical switches found in popular gaming keyboards. Standard Cherry, Kailh, and TTC switches share similar designs using physical metal on metal contacts to register a keystroke. With the Tesoro Excalibur SE Spectrum, this keyboard utilizes optical key switch technology. Each key uses an infrared sensor to detect when the key is registered. This design eliminates metal on metal contacts and boosts the keystroke life cycle from 50 million to an insane 100 million. It also has per key back lighting, a spill and rust resistant design, and internal drill holes in case of spills. In this article for Benchmark Reviews, let’s a look at the Tesoro Excalibur SE Spectrum with blue optical switches.

8 May 20179 May 2017AudioBy Jason Vaught

Bloody M660P Gaming Headset Review

Bloody gaming has released a new addition to their M660 series headsets, the M660P. The M660P has the same 40mm drivers and the same MO-CI (Mycelium of Carbon IT) dual diaphragm as it’s older brother, the M660 Chronometer. What the M660P brings to the table is an in-line microphone instead of a boom mic. Is this a good thing or a bad thing? That’s one of the things we’ll be testing in this article for Benchmark Reviews.

2 May 20176 May 2017CasesBy Meng Vang

Anidees AI Crystal Cube Lite Case Review

With tempered glass becoming a trend on modern computer cases, the Anidees AI Crystal Cube Lite certainly stands out from the crowd with its 5mm thick tempered glass panels. But what exactly is Anidees? This design company was founded in 2011. It is popular in European countries, such as Germany, France, and more. Most people may not have heard of Anidees, but the company strives to provide great quality products by listening to ideas from people like you and me. With that in mind, the Crystal Cube Lite looks very promising with its flexible water and air cooling capabilities, glass panels, and small form-factor design. In this article for Benchmark Reviews, we will be taking a look at the AI Crystal Cube Lite case to see what Anidees has in store for us.

COUGAR-Armor-Gaming-Chair-Front-Left-Corner

11 April 201728 October 2017ReviewsBy Olin Coles

COUGAR Armor Gaming Chair Review

When Champ Chairs offered us a chance to test the COUGAR Armor gaming chair, I couldn’t say no. Literally, my body wouldn’t allow it. COUGAR is well known to gamers for their keyboard and mouse peripherals, but they also rock my favorite color on their products: orange. It looks great (to me), but how does it feel after extended gaming?

10 April 201730 November 2017PeripheralsBy Meng Vang

Roccat Kone EMP Gaming Mouse Review

Being the successor to the Kone XTD, the Kone EMP (Empowered) brings a few new things to the table. The Kone EMP weights less than its predecessor and maintains the same body shape as before. It also includes the new Owl-Eye 12000 DPI optical sensor, known as the PixArt 3361 optical sensor. This is a modified version of the PixArt 3360 with improved responsiveness and manual surface calibration. The Kone EMP now features RGB lighting along with customizable profiles via the Swarm software. Benchmark Reviews will be taking a look at the Roccat Kone EMP with its new Owl-Eye optical sensor, so let’s jump in to a quick overview of this mouse.

17 March 201717 March 2017PeripheralsBy David Ramsey

Corsair Sabre RGB Gaming Mouse Review

Any serious gamer needs a serious gaming mouse, and there are certainly a lot of them on the market to choose from. Premium vendor Corsair offers no fewer than five such mice, ranging from entry-level (for Corsair) items to multi-button mice for MOBA gaming. Today Benchmark Reviews has in hand one of what Corsair refers to as part of their “lightweight gaming mice” lineup, the Corsair Sabre RGB wired USB gaming mouse, equipped with a 10,000dpi optical sensor and multi-zone RGB lighting.

7 March 2017PeripheralsBy Joe Gulczinski

AZIO MK Retro Mechanical Keyboard Review

AZIO has provided innovative and unique peripherals for over 17 years, focusing on three core aspects of accessibility, convenience, and entertainment. One of their latest products featured is a deviation from the average offerings commonly found in keyboards, focusing more on pure typing facets versus gaming. The MK Retro possesses a definite characterized feel and look that has not been approached (yet) by other manufactures, employing tactile Blue type switches beneath carefully crafted keys. Even the common LED indicators are tube-like white lit domes, embracing the retro feel.