I got my hands into BenQ XL2410T 120Hz LED backlit TF + Zowie EC1 (mouse) & swift (mousepad) bundle. First impressions:
1) The monitor beats Samsung 2233RZ 120Hz TFT in every aspect there is, except for the 16:9 widescreen ratio. Yes, I like 16:10 better. XL2410T is:
a) faster (less blurring/ghosting) b) has more vivid colors/contrast (no idea about the accuracy, need testing) c) A LOT less backlight bleeding d) more uniform ligthing e) darker black point f) bigger screen, higher resolution
2) Zowie EC1 mouse is actually better than Xai for me. I can do rocket jumps (with Xai I just failed every one of them). You don't even have to install drivers, in fact Zowie doesn't even provide you with ones, it's a very basic mouse that has 500/1000/2000dpi switch and five buttons. Also the mouse defaults to 1000Hz refreshrate.
3) Zowie Swift mousepad feels a bit like Steelseries S&S, Func F30.R, name your standard semi-smooth mousepad. Definitely not better than Steelseries SP for qw in my case, but that's just me.
So do you people want to read another review? I can probably write one, at least if it's about that monitor. Mouse and pad? Probably not, other than "quick look".
There is a mousepad that is above everything else if you think about QW, and it's the Steelseries SP (at least for me).
As for the mouse, that's a bit different thing, I don't think I have had a single mouse that I've felt "omg this is so good". I liked G9 a lot because of its size (kinda small + it is highest at the back of the mouse ("ass section") but other features of that mouse aren't so great. Xai made me fail rjs and it had too low back + the placement of thumb buttons sucked a lot, and it had slight acceleration on the sensor. MX510/G5 are too bulky, they don't feel good in my hand. Right now I'm obviously testing the Zowie EC1 which came with the monitor and it feels a bit bulky, but otherwise it's good. So in a week or so I can really tell if it's ok mouse for gaming, but the short version at this time is "it feels pretty good".
On topic, more "votes" for the TFT review and I can start forming an opinion of what I should write about the XL2410T.
Funny that you say that, since SP lasts for like 2 years on my use, while any other plastic pad is worn out in just 6-11 months. My way of using the mouse is obviously trying to force it through the mousepad and the table itself
Was actually planning on doing a review on the EC1, but if Renzo is up to it, go ahead and I can add my own comments there. I think for me, the size could be just between ec1 and ec2. Still it is the first mouse in a long time that just felt natural when I started using it. Like a good combination of Deathadder and msie3.0. There are problems ofc, but I'll get to those later (nothing dramatic, unless you use claw grip and lower sens)
I would also like to see 16:10 120hz screen instead, but I guess we'll have to wait for that, as fullhd is such a de facto high resolution standard. Got two 1920x1200 screens at work and that's the way I wanna roll some day in qw as well
So far so good with the EC1, it feels really accurate but I can't say if it's just the mouse or the TFT with 0ms input lag. Also note that EC1 is a big mouse.
Mouse buttons 1 and 2 are kinda okay, left button is a noticeably more stiff than the right button, but I don't know if it's a good or a bad thing.
Mouse buttons 4 and 5 are actually ok, they fit above your thumb even if you have shit-shovels (read: big hands) like I do, but I think they are a bit misplaced, maybe they would need to be a centimeter further away from your palm.
Middle button click feels exceptionally nice, however the mousewheel scroll feels rather shitty, it's like a rattler snake, something that is not under control.
The top material of the mouse is matte, which is good, however the sides are glossy plastic, which is extremely bad. Sure, you can keep the mouse clean from the sides easier, but it just doesn't feel quite right under your fingers.
As I already said, the mouse comes with no drivers from the manufacturer. You can change DPI between 500, 1000 and 2000 and the button for that is under the mouse. Not the best possible solution, especially if you need to change the sensitivity when playing. You can also toggle the mouse's refreshrate between 500Hz and 1000Hz, you can do this by unplugging the mouse, pushing mouse4 down and plugging the mouse back in to get 500Hz refreshrate. Do the same but use mouse5 and you'll get 1000Hz back. It's good that you can change it via hardware level, but one might think of having an easier way, like dedicating a button for it too.
Interesting that you mention failing RJs with Xai as that's something I've struggled with since getting the mouse.... e.g. even simple ones like dm3 pent went from a formality to something I have to concentrate really hard on. Always put it down to poor technique though
I'll try to get my review done this week. For once I've actually used the mouse pretty much exclusively for the whole time (2 weeks) that I've had it (also speaks to my past experiences
Renzo: I'm also really fond of the shape of G9 (or G9x that I use. Same shape afaik). I also like the super smooth feel some hard mousepads give, but my last go at one, the razer destructor, got worn out after just one or two months use. The pad felt sticky in the middle where I used the mouse a lot, and smooth on the sides, rendering the pad almost completely useless due to a really inconsistent feel. This being the 3rd Razer product I've bought that have gone to hell in just some months time (DeathAdder, Lycosa keyboard that never really worked to begin with, and Destructor mousepad), I've sworn to never buy a Razor product again.
You mentioning the Steelseries SP woke my interest slightly for hard pads again, but it's nowhere to be found. Neither in netshops, steelseries own site or stores in my city. Is it taken out of production totally? And do you know of any other durable hard pad that got a super smooth feel?
I have noticed the absence of SP too, but last time I checked there were some pads available on some of the finnish online retailers.
If you want the smoothest pad available I have tested, then it has to be the aluminum Steelseries SX. Unfortunately, it has a smooth surface, which doesn't suit me at all in QW, but maybe you can handle smooth surface instead of rough one.
As for the others, it's like in some of my previous blog entries (the mousepads galore I guess). The pads that are smooth (in order starting from smoothest) are:
1) Steelseries 4HD/9HD (only size is different) 2) Zowie Swift 3) Razer exactmat smooth side 4) Steelseries S&S 5) Func F30.R 6) Razer exactmat rough side
Exactmat is has the least friction, especially the rough side. The next in line is probably Zowie swift. The third place goes to either Swift or 4HD/9HD, and the remaining ones are not that different from each other, but they DO feel different under your mouse. For example 4HD/9HD feels a bit soft while Zowie swift feels hard and Razer exactmat (both sides) feels rock hard.
Heh, I'll chalk it up to a bit of laziness and a bit of wanting to actually give ec1 a good run (unlike most other mice, which not-so-coincidentally I have never publicly reviewed And I have actually played with it almost 100% of the time still.
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) but other features of that mouse aren't so great. Xai made me fail rjs and it had too low back + the placement of thumb buttons sucked a lot, and it had slight acceleration on the sensor. MX510/G5 are too bulky, they don't feel good in my hand. Right now I'm obviously testing the Zowie EC1 which came with the monitor and it feels a bit bulky, but otherwise it's good. So in a week or so I can really tell if it's ok mouse for gaming, but the short version at this time is "it feels pretty good".
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