STACK #155 Sep 2017

TECH FEATURE

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Alienware are finally getting into the peripheral market with a new range of keyboards and mice. Oh, and they’ve released a new monitor too. Words Alesha Kolbe

Alienware Elite Gaming Mouse AW958 This is one of the company’s first gaming peripherals. It comes with additional weights and two side grips to customise it to how you want it, and you can even choose between three palm heights. It tracks up to 12,000 DPI

Alienware 25 Gaming Monitor One thing worth noting about Alienware products is that they’re all packaged superbly, and this monitor is no exception. That aside, the new 25-inch gaming monitor is pointy. The feet of the stand look as though they could be used as weapons, and that’s not an exaggeration. The spire of the monitor itself houses all the cords that connect to the back (power, HDMI, etc), which are covered by a neat panel at the bottom to keep everything tucked away snugly. It’s got a 1920x1080px display, that looks remarkable, and the model we played with featured an AMD Freesync graphics kit. One of the first things you notice about the monitor, too, is how wide it is. It’s borderline borderless, with roughly 5mm

(overkill is underrated) and is adjustable to suit how fast/ slow you like to move your mouse. And it wouldn’t be an Alienware peripheral without the AlienFX lighting emitting its ominous glow. The mouse could do with an extra foot on the bottom

just to make it a bit more stable and controlled, but it’s pretty good otherwise. One definite pro is that it comes with up to 13 programmable buttons (depending on which grips you’ve got on), so you can throw a bunch of macros to suit your setup. Alienware Pro Gaming Keyboard AW768 Of Alienware’s new offerings, the keyboard is possibly the most appealing. The left hand side is host to a few macro keys that come in handy, and of course the hardware is backlit with Alienware’s AlienFX lighting, with 13 available lighting zones to mess around with. You’ve even got three different heights to choose from thanks to the adjustable legs on the bottom. One handy addition is a media control centre in the top right of the tech; there’s a useful volume scroll bar and mute button that allows you to play with your audio at a moment’s

around the outside of the screen. It looks like the crisp picture might jump out of the screen at you at any point. The best feature of the Alienware 25 is its

notice, without having to worry about function keys. All of the keys are individually programmable, and are rated for 50 million clicks each. There’s a Windows Key Lock button, too, so there's no worrying about activating the home button while you’re playing.

manoeuvrability; this monitor will move virtually anywhere you want it to. You can

move it up and down vertically, push it forward or backward, or

swivel it around. You don’t need to worry about it sitting too high or too low on your desk – you can set it to exactly where you want it to be. Just be sure to watch out for the sharp edges. If you’re in the market for a reliable, sturdy, and flexible monitor, the Alienware 25 is a great screen to start with.

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SEPTEMBER 2017

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