Cougar Computex 2015 Booth Tour: $60 Hybrid Mechanical Keyboard

Every time I go to a trade show I come back with at least one or two highlights that really impressed me. At this year’s Computex one of my highlights was from a product category that usually I barely even follow: keyboards. I’ve been a strong advocate for mechanical keyboards ever since I got my first one a few years ago, but the obstacle I still face is that people aren’t ready to fork out close to $100 for a keyboard. Hence I was very excited when Cougar showcased its upcoming 400K and 450K hybrid mechanical keyboards with the cheaper 400K version being priced at only $60. 

What makes the 400K and 450K hybrid is the fact that the keys are ultimately membrane based, but have a mechanical-like feedback (I will save an in-depth analysis to E.). I played around with the 400K for a few minutes and I have to say I really liked the feeling of the key feedback was very close to a real mechanical keyboard, although we certainly need a longer time with the keyboard before drawing a final verdict.

The 450K differs from the 400K by offering 3-color backlight as well as support for Cougar UIX software for custom key mapping. With such a short testing time it’s hard to say whether the 400K and 450K can truly replace a mechanical keyboard, but nevertheless Cougar at least offers a viable option to those whose budget can’t afford a proper mechanical keyboard. The 400K and 450K will be available in the next two months and we are eagerly looking forward to getting one in for review.

Another interesting aspect of the 400K and 450K is the splash-proof design. Since there’s a membrane between the key and PCB, the keyboard can stand a splash of liquid unlike most mechanical keyboards. That’s useful specifically for Internet cafes and other public computers, but it’s certainly a nice feature to have in home environment as well. 

Moving on to power supplies, Cougar demonstrated its CMD Series with Digital Power feature. Basically the end-user can play around with the PSU voltages using Cougar’s software, which is a niche feature but for overclockers and others who like to tinker with their systems it can be handy. Note that the software only allows ~5% changes as per Intel’s guidelines as larger changes could potentially damage hardware in case the end-user isn’t fully aware of his doings. 

Cougar also announced a new mini-ITX case called QBX. The design is fairly neutral and stylish to my eye compared to some of the more enthusiast cases and it can fit a full size GPU for high detail gaming. 

Gallery: Cougar Computex 2015 Booth Tour

Check out the gallery for more products. We will also have a review of the 600K mechanical keyboard and 600M gaming mouse out in a short while, so stay tuned!

The SilverStone Fortress FT05 Case Review

In this review, we are having a look at the SilverStone Fortress FT05. It is an atypical Midi-ATX case, mixing the rotated motherboard tray design of the Raven series with the elegance of the Fortress series. We are going to examine the fruits of this…

Antec Reveals the Signature S10 Premium Tower Case

That Antec designed a new case may not really sound like news. After all, cases are the primary focus of the company, which offers dozens of models. However, this particular release is of special interest as the company has overhauled their lineup with a new flagship case, the Signature S10, a unique tower case of massive proportions. Meant to be Antec’s engineering pinnacle, the Signature S10 is an aggressive combination of advanced thermal performance, versatility, and elegant aesthetics.

Measuring 60 cm tall and 59 cm deep (23.7″ × 23.2″), the Signature S10 is one of the largest tower cases in existence. It also weights about 18 kg, making it a very heavy case that is certainly not designed for frequent movement. Still, the proportions of a case alone are not stimulating and not what is unique about this particular release. What is perhaps the most important point of the Signature S10 is that it features Antec’s patented three chamber design internal architecture.

Exactly as the name suggests, the three chamber design architecture splits the interior of the Signature S10 into three compartments. The entire front of the case is reserved for hard disk drives, the bottom compartment is shared between the PSU and five 2.5″ device trays, and the primary compartment is reserved for the main system alone. Note that, despite its size, the Signature S10 does not have any 5.25″ drive bays, so the idea of an optical drive is truly dead for this case. However, there is a slot for a short 5.25″ device (fan controller, card reader, etc.). The chassis is most likely made out of SECC steel and the buyer is given the choice between aluminum and smoked tempered glass doors for the side panels. If Antec’s press release is accurate and we are talking about real glass, not Plexiglass, that would be a sight to behold.

As the Signature S10 is intended to be Antec’s engineering pinnacle, the stock cooling of the case is intense. The very architecture of the case is supposed to aid thermal performance, forcing top-down airflow. There are seven stock fans, five 120 mm and two 140 mm, preinstalled into the Signature S10, the models and specifications of which are unknown at this point of time. To limit the insertion of dust, Antec installed micromesh air filters to each individual chamber.  

Obviously, Antec is trying to combine the very elegant appearance of the Signature series with outstanding thermal performance and expandability options, pitching the case as a good match for advanced gaming systems and workstations. Meanwhile it seems as Antec put every bit of their technology on the Signature S10, and the retail price reflects that, as the MSRP is just shy of $500. Consequently the potential market of the Signature S10 is going to be very small (if not very elite) limited to the most hardcore of enthusiasts who are willing to pay a very hefty price in order to combine elegant aesthetics and quality with thermal performance.

Gallery: Antec Reveals the Signature S10 Premium Tower Case