Hardware

The winner of our Razer AC-1 contest sent us some pictures of his new audio card. I don't think pictures can do justice to the card's sound quality, so we'll just have to take Jon's word.

Received the sound card yesterday! It's absolutely amazing.

Thanks Jon! I'm sure that you're the envy of all you LAN friends. More pictures after the jump!

The DeathAdder is the newest addition to Razer's growing family of high-end gaming mice. Gamers who play fast-paced first person shooters will probably get the most out of this mouse because it is equipped with Razer's new 3G Infrared Sensor. While I can't provide quantitative data support its name (it's actually named after a snake), I suspect that gamers will appreciate the unique combination of engineering, design, and flexibility that the DeathAdder offers.

While playing first-person shooters, most gamers tend to keep their sensitivity settings low to maintain accuracy. A low sensitivity setting allows you to line up your shots with care, but you'll find that more substantial movements, like reacting to a sniper on a rooftop, require you to move your mouse a greater physical distance. While these high speed motions often confuse other infrared and laser mice, the DeathAdder's 3G Sensor is capable of tracking movements at more than 60 inches-per-second without suffering from random cursor movements.

We're giving away Razer's new AC-1 Audio Card built exclusively for gamers. It features a 7.1 Dolby Pro-Logic IIx surround processor and it's worth $200. To enter, just send us a story about a funny gaming experience. Read the entire post for more info.

Good: Very flexible; great configuration software; comfortable; looks great.
Bad: Profile change button is in an awkward location; pricey for casual gamers.
Overall: Combines simplicity and flexibility to deliver a great gaming experience.
Price: $129.99
Where to buy: Amazon

If you ask a PC gamer to describe his or her ultimate gaming rig, they'll most likely focus on their cutting edge graphics card, powerful processor, and immersive surround sound system. They'll probably avoid the fact that they're using a three-year-old keyboard from a depreciated Dell. Gaming keyboards have been becoming more popular recently, but Razer's new Tarantula is one of more innovative products. Its features are so comprehensive that I agree with their decision to call it a "professional gaming keyboard."

A truly dedicated individual, known as DocCRP on the GameFAQs forums, took the time to create a model of the Wii that is "accurate to within a quarter of a centimeter in every dimension." He posted a ton of comparison pictures of the model sitting next to common (and uncommon) household items, and they are all listed neatly thanks to Joystiq. Now he's gone and done up a PS3 model. They are both quite convincing.

In a recent forum post on gaming site ScrewAttack.com, Handsome Tom promised to blow up his Xbox if the Dallas Mavericks lost to Miami Heat in the NBA Finals. Well Miami won, but Tom didn't back down on his word. Here is a video full of smoke, flames, and inspirational music as proof. At least that Xbox was so last generation.

Honestly, I don't know a single gamer who uses a racing wheel on a regular basis. This is probably because wheels are often expensive and don't match the precision of a standard controller. With an MSRP of $99.99, I wouldn't call the DriveFX cheap, but after some adjusting I was able to handle turns like a pro. Its innovative axial feedback technology uses motors to send vibrations throughout the wheel and create a great sense of realism that might be enough to grab the attention of racing buffs.

The axial feedback motors are in the steering column and they vibrate when something happens on screen--just like the standard vibration in the 360's controller. When you crash, skid, or shift, the wheel applies resistance and vibrations in the appropriate areas. This makes it feel like you are really fighting with road during a tough maneuver.