Getac V100 Review

Found in 1989, Getac is the third largest computing group in Taiwan. Specializing in rugged computing Getac has set the standards on rugged computing. Today I’ll be taking a look at their most popular model, the fully rugged convertible notebook that is the V100. Let’s take a quick look over the fact sheet from Getac! “The Getac V100 Fully Rugged Notebook transforms with one quick rotation to a Rugged Tablet PC. Designed with the real-world in mind, the V100 is equipped with multi-touch solution for professions without taking off the gloves under critical environments. Getac V100 is both MIL-STD-810G certified and IP65 certified, composing a magnesium alloy case, a shock-protected HDD, vibration and drop resistance, and sealed I/O caps and doors to prevent damage from solid particles and moisture. With an Ultra Low Voltage Intel® Core™ i5 vPro™ Processor, the V100 boasts a quiet fan-less design and the power you need for various sophisticated applications The V100 features a 10.4” LCD display. A full-sized 83-key keyboard is included with an option to upgrade to a backlit rubber keyboard. The V100 is great for field applications by it’s integrated 2M pixels webcam and GPS receiver. The V100 provides comprehensive connectivity options including Bluetooth, WLAN and WWAN, and the advanced TPM security to safeguard important data” Though it says the V100 features an Intel Core i5 processor, the one we have on hand is the actual Core i7 model, so don’t worry too much, you can get fully beefed version of the V100. Let’s take a look at ruggedness and some of the standards these laptops require and meet to get the highest ratings they can. Ruggedness is one of the most important factors to consider when choosing mobile solutions, which is why Getac ensures that its fully-rugged units operate even when dropped onto concrete, or used in harsh environmental conditions such as heat and cold, dust and rain. The rigorous testing that these units go through ensures that our clients are provided with products that meet the highest standards of ruggedness and reliability. Getac employs MIL-STD 810G to test its products. This standard, set by the US military, is the most widely used international standard. MIL-STD 810G covers a broad range of tests used to measure equipment reliability: High Temperature: MIL-STD 810G Method 501.5 This test procedure determines a computer’s operating performance during exposure to high temperature conditions. The operational test differs from the storage test in that the computer is evaluated while conditioned to elevated temperatures determined to be applicable to, or resulting from, exposure in its operational configuration. Low Temperature: MIL-STD 810G Method 502.5 This test determines the performance of the computer during exposure to low temperature conditions. The operational test differs from the storage test in that the computer is evaluated under cold conditions determined to be applicable to, or resulting from, exposure in its operational configuration. Temperature Shock: MIL-STD 810G Method 503.5 Temperature shock tests determine if an item can withstand sudden changes in the temperature of the surrounding atmosphere without experiencing physical damage or deterioration in performance. The two objectives of the temperature shock test are set to determine whether the test item can still a) be safely operated, and b) satisfy its performance requirements, after being exposed to sudden changes in temperature of the surrounding atmosphere. Rain: MIL-STD 810G Method 506.5 Rain Resistance tests are performed to determine the resistance to rain and wind-driven rain. Drop: MIL-STD 810G Method 516.6 Free fall drop tests (shock) are performed to ensure that equipment can withstand relatively infrequent, non-repetitive shocks or transient vibrations encountered during handling, transportation, and normal service. The standard requires 26 drops from 1.2 m (4 ft) onto plywood, using up to 5 units. sahin.s@centrecom.com.au

Logitech G600 Mouse Review!

Logitech have been around for quite some time now and though they’ve been creating pretty solid gear consistently over time, occasionally they produce a diamond from the rough, and today it’s the G600 MMO Gaming Mouse.

Let’s start with the big fat elephant in the room; the G600 has 20 MMO-tuned buttons. My first thought to that is how the heck people manage 20 buttons with just their thumbs. Holding it in my palm my brain went into a frenzy trying to adjust to the sheer number of buttons. But before we get in to the performance let’s take a look at the packaging.

In true Logitech style the box comes with a front facing door that once opened showcases the mouse at an angle that highlights the 20 buttons covered in thin perfectly moulded plastic allowing you to get a feel of the shape of the mouse.

Once opened you get a real good feel in the build quality of the mouse. You know you can always trust Logitech to build a solid piece of equipment and the G600 is no less. The long braided corded allows to be tangle-free and easily slide through crooks and crannies until it gets to your computer.

The driver with the G600 is surprisingly well polished. I’ve tested a lot of mice over the past year and seen a lot of drivers, yet the Logitech is definitely up there competing in top spot. The intuitive interface allows you to quickly and easily setup macro buttons and assign mouse buttons. 

Unfortunately for me you cannot assign the G keys as generic mouse buttons as they must be setup as actual keyboard inputs. This means basically the mouse is purely useful for MMO gamers. What this mouse also has is a third mouse button where your ring finger goes. I thought it was a neat resting place for the finger but it turned out to be another button which I think is a bit inventive to be honest. Generally mice have two main buttons but Logitech have gone and added a third which I think actually works pretty well.

 

I couldn’t really test out the mouse in a MMO game, I assigned generic key macros like copy and paste and tried it out in various applications and it worked out pretty good all in all! In general FPS games the mouse is actually very comfortable and easily glides across my mouse pad. The shape of the mouse allows for palmers to easily adjust to it.

 

The software also allows you to set the colour and effect of the G keys. You can either select a particular colour or set it to automatically cycle through automatically.

sahin.s@centrecom.com.au

Corsair Vengeance C70 Case

The Corsair Vengeance C70 is a mid tower competitive gaming grade case. Crafted from solid steel i thought i would take a closer look at one in time for our massive gaming sale. Read on for more.

Let's take a look at it's features:

• Room for two 240mm radiators when lower drive cage is removed for outstanding watercooling potential.
• Tool-free thumbscrews for each of the eight expansion slots, making it easy to upgrade to dual, triple, or quad video card setups
• Front panel USB 3.0 ports with internal header for modern peripherals
• Tinted side window with dual fan mounts lets you cool, and view your hardware in style
• Three 5.25” bays and Six 3.5”/2.5” hard drive bays for excellent expansion capabilities
• Two included 120mm intake fans directly blowing across your GPU for maximum cooling potential, and a single 120mm fan for heat exhaust

Specifications:

• Warranty: Two years
• Dimension: 501mm (H) x 232mm (W) x 533mm (L)
• MB Support: ATX, mATX
• Expansion Slots: 8
• Form Factor: Mid-tower
• Material: Steel
• Drive Bays: Three (3x) 5.25” bays, and Six (6x) 3.5”/2.5” hard drive bays
• Cooling: Three (3x) 120mm fans
• Front I/O: (x2) USB 3.0, (x1) Headphone, (x1) MIC, Power, and Reset Switches
• Power Supply: ATX (not included)

 Pretty nifty looking features, taking a closer look at the case from outside one can not be impressed by the build quality. Even when taking off the front cover it feels solid and not a whimsy like plastic. It stays sturdy and firm and shows off the full steel interior, yes it is all steel. Apart from the hard drive racks which i'll be honest i wasn't the greatest fan of as they seemed pretty cheap, the rest of the case is nothing but steel. This gives an it an incredibly durable feel to it and is sure to be favoured by a lot of gamers.

Even the fans inside feel incredibly strong. They are almost identical to those found of the H60, H80 and H100 series water coolers. The fans on those are amazingly built and are ridiculously heavy and strong for their size. All the wiring supplied within the case is all black which gives me the sense that Corsair put good thought into this case. Having all the cables a single colour matching the case gives a good touch to it. The rear side of the motherboard tray is thick enough for me to fit my fingers in and looking at the back we can see Corsair have added nice clips that help with cable management and holding cables together.

The front panel is pretty army-like and features a flick switch for the reset button. Once the front cover is removed you'll notice an area to fit up to 2 fans in for extra intake through the hard drive bays. Along the top you'll find handles which allow for easy carrying and clips to hold in the side panel covers.

Overall this is a solid piece of steel case which i'm sure would be a favourite amongst gamers. With adequate room inside to fit a beefy gaming rig and the ability to carry it around with ease means fun times!

Thrustmaster Gaming Gear

New to Centre Com is the not so new brand Thrustmaster. With gaming week in full swing I thought it would be good to try out some new Thrustmaster gaming gear!

Thrustmaster is anything but a new company, founded in 1990, the company worked on developing flight control simulations on IBM computers. So basically they know what they’re doing. They did go through a rough patch between 1999 and 2002, releasing a lot of cheap and generally poorly made equipment, however it seems like they are back and better than they have ever been!

 

Ok so let’s get straight into it, firstly I would like to point out that ever since I first got a PlayStation and started playing racing games I’ve always wanted a steering wheel! Unfortunately for me my parents thought time would be better spent on homework instead of playing games (Deja-vu anyone). Until today (I’m 27 years old mind you) I’d never played with a steering wheel for console or PC (Racing games at Intencity don’t count) so truth be told I was pretty excited at the opportunity to play with one. You couldn’t wipe the smile off my face and I was excited to finally give it a crack!

Ripping through the packaging of the Thurstmaster Ferrari GTExperience I was getting more and more anxious to get it going. Setup was simple as connecting the pedals to the main steering unit via the attached wiring and then plugging the USB cable from the steering unit to your computer. A quick driver installation later and I was ready to go in Dirt 3. Looking at the overall build quality it is not too bad. It does reflect its price a bit with thick plastic being used pretty much everywhere with a few rubbers striped along where you’d be expected to hold the steering wheel from. You will find a few stray pieces of plastic here and there which to be honest can be expected from a $60 steering wheel. You really do get what you pay for with it, but it’s not something that will affect the performance of it.

 

I won’t lie, the first few races were a bit of a learning curve to try and get used to the awesomeness that it was. The steering goes 90 degrees either way so you are a bit restricted in that sense but I didn’t  find myself the need to go any further to be honest. It is pretty sensitive enough to allow it to not need any more than it offers (you can change the sensitivity on it).

All the buttons on the unit can be configured to virtually whatever you want. The steering wheel is also compatible with PS3’s so it has all the buttons you’ll usually find on a PS3 controller. The steering wheel comes with a nice clamp that allows it to be sturdily placed on your table, however I did tend to pull it out a few times and I found myself needing to push it back in to sit over the table again properly. The sections that actually touch the table do have rubber padding on them to prevent such slips but there just doesn’t seem to be enough grip to really keep it planted. Of course as always though this can come down to a user problem, I was pretty vigorous at times in my steering so if you’re a bit more calm headed and easy driver you may not find this to be an issue. The pedals on the other hand are quite good and responsive. I had it here on a carpet surface and did find it to slide back a few times but this something that can be easily overcome by putting something behind (most would simply have a wall) so I don’t think this should be a concern for anyone.

 

The feedback on the unit is good but not great. It’s just enough to give you a bit of a shaky hand but doesn’t really offer a punch or a big hit when you accidentally lose control of your Subaru rally car and hit a tree causing you to do a 720 spin (not implying this actually happened…)

Overall a great steering wheel, so great that I bought one! Not the first time I’ve reviewed something and then gone and bought it! For my first steering wheel I am happy with it and can’t wait to have some fun with it! If you’re looking for your first steering wheel purchase, I can safely highly recommend this one!

Next was the Thrustmaster T.Flight Hotas X Joystick for both PC and PS3. Now, I didn’t have a game to test this bad boy on so I quickly looked over the unit to see its build quality and functions. For around the same price as the steering wheel this seemed to be a better build. Stronger and sturdier plastic with much better and more rubber grips gave it a bit more premium feel that what it is. The joystick and throttle level feel great and extremely solid. It has gre1at resistive settings to suit your needs and overall just looks and feels great!

 

So far with both these entry level Thrustmaster gaming gear I got to say I am impressed. Though not the prettiest and strongest they offer great performance to price ratio and bring joys of entertainment for hours!

sahin.s@centrecom.com.au

Gigabyte Osmium & Krypton Gaming Gear!

Up now are two of Gigabyte’s latest gaming peripherals, the Krypton mouse and the Osmium mechanical keyboard. As always Gigabyte like to name their equipment weird science fiction titles.

First up is the Krypton mouse.

• Interface: USB
• Tracking system: Advanced Gaming Laser Sensor
• Resolution: Real 8200dpi
• FPS(Frame rate per second): 12000 frames/second
• Maximum acceleration: 30g
• Maximum speed: 150 inches/ second
• Switch Life: 10 million times
• Onboard memory: 32KB GHOST™ Macro Engine
• Certificate: CE/ FCC/ BSMI/KCC
• Cable Length: 1.8m nylon braided / Gold-plated USB connector
• Dimension: (L)128.0*(W)67.0*(H)41.5 mm
• Weight: 110g ~149g adjustable
• Accessory: Weight Adjustment Case(includes 10 weights)/ Metal Weight Removal Device/ interchangeable Mouse Chassis(Speed+Control) / Spare Teflon Feet Pads
• Support OS: Windows XP/ Vista/ Windows 7

The mouse comes in quite an elegant package; however it is very unfriendly if you’re the type who likes to keep their packaging nice and tidy. You literally have to rip off the external cardboard print wraparound to get to the actual units box.

Lifting the cover off reveals the mouse just sitting there in its plastic case. The inner roof of the lid is protected with black hard foam. Lifting the mouse out reveals the bottom half which contains a small case for the CD and a larger box with a lid which contains the added accessories like weights, mouse base plate and a little tweezer-like picker used to move around the weights (a somewhat useless addition).

The mouse comes with a feature which allows you to change the bottom of it depending on which surface you’re on to allow for smooth mouse operation. By default it comes with the standard 'Control Base' which utilizes an ultra smooth Teflon foundation found in literally every other high performance mouse. You'll also find a 'Speed base' which features an abrasion free ceramic foundation focused on quick movements and immediate reaction.

There is also the option to put in weights in the mouse in a more specific way. There are weight slots along the back and down the sides as well, so if you like a bit of weight on the sides of the mouse, this will come as a big feature for you! Basically it allows you to shift the center of gravity of the mouse to suit your gaming style.

The mouse is ambidextrous and features a button on the mouse which automatically switches the profile to suit the left hand, pretty nifty! There are enough lighting effects on the mouse to keep any sleep deprived gamer entertained for minutes on end.

The mouse looks all cool and comes with plenty of features but unfortunately performance wise, I could never get used to it. It just did not sit on my hands comfortably wether I clawed or palm gripped it. It just did not feel right in my hands no matter how long I tried for. I think it may have been a matter of hand size though. I’m guessing here that small handed users might find it more comfortable to use than some of us other larger handed gentlemen.

Overall though the mouse is not too bad, yes it was outrageously uncomfortable for me but should be pretty good for many others.

Next up is the Aivia Osmium Mechanical Keyboard.

Mouthful of words indeed it is. Let’s take a look at the list of its features:

• Interface: USB 2.0
• Activation: Cherry Red Mechanical Switch
• Switch life: 50 million times
• Key Profile: Standard
• Travel distance: 4mm to the bottom
• Pre-travel: 2mm to actuation point
• Peak force: 45g
• USB Hub: USB3.0 + USB2.0
• Report Rate: 1000Hz
• Audio: Microphone-in/ Earphone-out
• Weight: 1500g ±10%
• Dimension: 454(L)* 257(W)*45(H) mm
• Cable length: 2.0m ±10%
• Colour: Black

Let's have a look at some of the keyboards main features:

* Superior Cherry MX Mechanical Key-switch

* Supports USB 3.0 SuperSpeed (Via Motherboard)

* Absoloute Anti-Ghosting Multi-Key Press capability

* 45g Key Force

Now, this is a mechanical USB2 keyboard but features a USB3.0 hub. Basically you need to connect the USB2.0 cable coming from the keyboard to any port and the USB3.0 cable defined by the blue socket connector to a USB3.0 port which purely acts as a pass through for the USB slot on the keyboard. This allows you to use the USB port on the keyboard at full potential speeds. In regards to the cabling, one negative is the fact the cables are all braided together. So basically coming out of the keyboard you have one thick cable which branches out to 2x USB cables, and 2x audio jack cables, A bit unnecessary as many people will just be using one of the cables.

Looking at the keyboard, it is a pretty one! There are G keys along the top which are programmable within the software with two rollers which control the key light brightness of the backlit keys and a volume controller. A quick note about the backlit keys, they are BRIGHT! They are the brightest I’ve seen in any keyboard and are simply awesome. So bright they are it actually glows out and illuminate the sides of the keys giving off an amazing effect. On the right hand side there is also a lit Aivia logo which also doubles up as a button. When pushed it changes the colour of the logo and also switches any profiles you have set up. Each profile is colour coded allowing you to stay in control of your keyboard and know what you have active.

 

The keyboard is a breeze to use. The Cherry MX keys are very comfortable to use and is lightning quick to react! I’m really impressed with this one as I’m not too much of a fan of mechanical keyboards. It is a bit loud but I’m told by others it is quieter than ones they’ve played with and are impressed by the sound on it, clearly i am nitpicking a bit. The supplied wrist rest is durable and a solid piece of plastic. it easily attaches and detaches so you don't need to sit their for a period of time trying to take it off or on.

 

Overall i am impressed with the keyboard. The previous Aivia's were a bit of a let down with their build quality and overall design but it seems like Gigabyte have learned and learnt fast! I'd expect many gamers to be impressed with the Osmium and would forward to future Gigabyte gaming peripherals!

sahin.s@centrecom.com.au

Thermaltake Level 10 GT Battle Edition Case

So Thermaltake have created a case that has quite the long name. Some may say a bit too long and i'd have to agree. I mean when someone asks you what case you have, by the time you say 'I have a Thermaltake Level 10 GT Battle Edition', the other person would have already snoozed off.

http://www.centrecom.com.au/catalog/thermaltake-level-battle-edition-p-59054.html?sort=2a

So the first striking thing about this case is its colour. It's green. Now, one might find the green all monstrous and somewhat Hulk like which would be a slightly fair point. The case is definitely big, but where the Hulk excels in strength is where the Level 10 GT fails. The case is pretty lightweight which is from the plastic made shell. Looking at the design, it would've been magical if Thermaltake added steel parts to it. All the green parts are all plastic and is a massive let down. Even the handle up on the top is plastic and even had some issues with the way it is placed. The corners of it jagged out of line which diminished the smooth complete look of the handle.

So taking the case out of the box was a bit of a surprise with its light weight, but then revealed was the bag/case covering the case. A nice velvety material with the Thermaltake logo and Level 10 GT branding printed on one of the sides in white. A small but nifty touch to the packaging. Removing the black cover reveals the full sized green mammoth of a case. With jagged edges, army inspired design and extruding areas the case does what a lot of others don't, stand out. The front and top of the case features a mix of its power buttons, USB/eSATA and audio jacks. A total of 6 USB ports with 2 of them USB3.0 gives the user plenty of connectivity on the front. Probably one of the most connections I've seen in a while.

Moving down the case gets you to the hard drive area. You'll find yourself 5 bays which i believe are meant to resemble rockets or bullets (correct me here people). A push of the button beside the numbering unlocks the cage and allows for it to be pulled out. Be aware though, once you pull it out you cannot unsee what lays before you. You'll find yourself holding a pretty ugly green plastic case. What makes this a bit more of an issue than other plastic holders is the larger area covered by plastic. It disappoints me really to see Thermaltake design a drive mount with so little thought. 

Personally i am quite a fan of Thermaltake and have owned/own all their Xaser series cases which have amazing design ideas put into them, so when i see something that i feel is going backwards, it really does let you down. Looking around the cage however you will find some interesting illustrations and instructions for the hot-swappable bay which definitely lifts the overall army feel of the case, a nifty little touch! The overall colour could have used a bit more work though. I would've liked to have seen either a better green colour or some army camouflage. The plain green colour is very different from usually but doesn't have a very strong aspect to it.

Sure, standing out is always a good thing, but i guess what all people would want to know is its performance and practicality. Just note, the case comes locked so you can't open it till you find the keys which are subtly located at the back. Once you remove the keys (read the manual for this one) you can get to unlocking the side panel. Opening the door reveals the mounted fan with directional flaps and the roomy but somewhat enclosed motherboard area. The drive area is pretty well closed off besides a few holes. It does mean it would look good for people who like to show off their rigs. You have a nice complete isolated area to work with. The grommets on the Level 10 are very firm and are probably the best quality grommets i've come across. I've had a lot of cases in the past where the grommets would easily come off, and if you've experienced this you'd know how much of an effort and struggle it is to put them back on, so the Level 10 gets a big plus for it's cable management system. Opening the rear reveals more of the Level 10's fantastic cable management system. Most cables are pre-tied and ready to be plugged in. Sure you may need to change a few cables around and you can easily do it with the Level 10. One problem i did kind of have is trying to trace the cabling back to its source so if you do plan on rewiring some of the cabling, be prepared. The drive bay is interesting. It's all hot-swappable-like where you plug the drives into pre-built mounts and attached the cables to the mounted ports. The power ports come with a special made 5-port cable with an extension at the end of it. Now, this could cause a problem and make things worse and here's why. 

When plugging in a hard drive, you are going to run a SATA line anyway (which typically has 4 ports on it) so creating something like this means you need to find somewhere else to hide the extra power ports on the cable, whereas if you'd ran the whole cable directly to the mounted ports you could tuck the extras into the empty drive bays. Another issue is line amperage on PSU's. Unless you have a 1200watt+ PSU chances are a single SATA power rail isn't going to supply enough amperage to power 5 hard drives through the one cable.

The case does come with 3-led fans which have their speed control and light switch on top of the case. The fans aren't too bright but the airflow in them was surprisingly good and you'll find it provides very good cooling solution. Long graphic card owners beware though, there isn't too much space in there for long graphics cards. The GTX690 for example at first glance does not look like it would fit in. There isn't much you can do either. The drive cage is locked into place and unmovable.

 

Overall, the case is pretty good. Regular LANners would love the ease of carrying this around with its handle and large windowed area and plenty of fan space allows for great cooling. This really is a solid gaming machine. Sure, it does have a few flaws including the a bit steep price tag but it offers the owner something special and unique. It gets my Silver Best Choice award for a few reasons, 1, It's uniquely designed, 2, it has the 'cool'factor, 3, Solid cooling at no extra cost.

By Sahin Selvi
sahin.s@centrecom.com.au

The benchmark results may differ from user to user depending on what background software you are running and versions of benchmark software. These results aren’t portrayed to be seen as exact performance figures but merely as a rough estimate on the performance of the machine. These results are in no way bias to any company or person and are here to provide the end user in depth details and to provide extra assistance of potential purchases. All information on this page is subject to copyright. Please do not copy any parts of this article.