The Gaming FAQ Info

Auravision EluminX(?): Review 1 | Review 2

Belkin Nostromo n52: Review 1 | Review 2

Deck Backlit Keyboard(*): Review 1 | Review 2

Ergodex DX1(^): Review 1 | Review 2

Ideazon ZBoard(!): Review 1 | Review 2

PD Scientific Wolf Claw(?): Review 1 | Review 2

Logitech G15(*): Review 1 | Review 2

Metadot Das Keyboard: Review 1 | Review 2

Raptor-Gaming K1(*): Review 1 | Review 2

Saitek Gamers Keyboard(+): Review 1 | Review 2

Saitek Eclipse(+): Review 1 | Review 2

(*) - Denotes Confirmed Full-N-Key-Rollover
(!) - Denotes Confirmed 7-Key-Rollover
(^) - Denotes Confirmed 6-Key-Rollover
(+) - Denotes Confirmed 5-Key-Rollover
(?) - The Company responded with "We don't know."
If you own this device, please test it, and let me know.​

Logitech MX310: Review 1 | Review 2
Corded - Optical - 800 DPI - Right Hand - USB/PS2

Logitech MX518: Review 1 | Review 2
Corded - Optical - 1600DPI - Right Hand - USB/PS2

Logitech MX1000: Review 1 | Review 2
Cordless - Laser - 800DPI - Right Hand - USB/PS2

Logitech G5: Review 1 | Review 2
Corded - Laser - 2000DPI - Right Hand - Weight System - USB/PS2

Logitech G7: Review 1 | Review 2
Cordless - Laser - 2000DPI - Right Hand - Fast Swap Batteries - USB

Microsoft Laser 6000: Review 1 | Review 2
Corded - Optical - 2000DPI - Right Hand - USB

Raptor Gaming M2: Review 1 | Review 2
Corded - Optical - 2400DPI - Right Hand - Weight System - USB

Razer Copperhead: Review 1 | Review 2
Corded - Laser - 2000DPI - Right or Left Hand - USB

Razer Diamondback: Review 1 | Review 2
Corded - Optical - 1600DPI - Right or Left Hand - USB​

Compad Speed-Pad[H]: Review 1 | Review 2
9.4"L x 11.8"W - Hard Composite - Low Friction - Non Slip Underneath - High Temp Resistant

Corepad Magna[H]: Review 1 | Review 2
12.4"L x 10.0"W - SafetyGlass - Includes Skidmat

Corepad Original[H]: Review 1 | Review 2
11.0"L x 8.66"W - Glass

Everglide DKT Destrukt(S): Review 1 | Review 2
8.5"L x 10.5W" - Cloth - Non Skid Backing

Everglide Richochet 2.52[H]: Review 1 | Review 2
11.40"L x 9.06"W - Plastic - Non Slip Feet - Dual Sided

Fatal1ty Gaming Pad(S): Review 1 | Review 2
14"L x 17"W - Cloth

Func 1030[H]: Review 1 | Review 2
10"L x 8.5"W - Plastic - Non Skid Mat - Dual Sided

Func F-Series[H]: Review 1 | Review 2
11"L x 14"W or 11"L x17"W - Plastic - Non Skid Backing - Two Surfaces

Icemat[H]: Review 1 | Review 2
8.2"L X 9.8"W - Glass - Rubber Grip Feet

Ratpadz GS[H]: Review 1 | Review 2
11.6"L X 9.4"W - Plastic - Rubber Grip Feet

Razer eXactMat[H]: Review 1 | Review 2
10.4"L x 13"W - Aluminum - Dual Surface - No Slip Grip Feet

Steelpad QcK+(S): Review 1 | Review 2
17.7"L x 15.7"W - Cloth - Non Slip Rubber Base

Steelpad S&S[H]: Review 1 | Review 2
10"L x 12.5"W - Plastic

ThermalTake Gamma[H]: Review 1 | Review 2
8.9"L x 8.9"W - Plastic - Rubber Grip Feet - Fancy LED Lights

XTrac Hybrid(S): Review 1 | Review 2
10"L x 16"W - Cloth/Plastic Hybrid - Sure Grip Rubber Backing

[H] - Denotes Hard Surface
(S) - Denotes Soft Surface​

The first thing to consider is simple, do you have your box pushed to far? We all know there is a very fine line to overclocking, and in our exuberance to get more speed, sometimes we all go a little to far. The following is a great resource on how to OC, and some of the best techniques you can use to test, and ensure a stable clock.

The Overclocking Guide
​

The most common problem of any machine locking up, and in some cases rebooting, is heat. The inside of your machine is a very volatile environment. Without proper cooling and airflow, your machine simply will not function properly. The following are things that can help you with your cooling issues.

How To Clean your Computer.

Air Cooling Guide.​

A: The short answer is yes. Not only are you stealing a product that took a ton of time and money to make, you are also opening yourself up for issues. The game code could have been altered to contain viruses and even key loggers. The game could also function incorrectly, causing you issues. Most people will tell you they don't have problems, but is it really worth the risk of your data and important information? Do us all a favor, and buy the game.​

This is probably one of the most difficult issues to troubleshoot. There are a myriad of problems that can cause your machine to act crazy when your attempting to play. Below are some of the more common problems to look for:

Q: Are you getting blue screens?
A: If you are experiencing the infamous BSOD, there are a couple things we can look at. Most of the time, blue screens are caused by driver issues, but in some cases it could even be hardware. (Which we will cover as well). The first thing we should do is consult the following:

Understanding and Troubleshooting Blue Screens

Q: Have you performed drive cleanup lately?
Yes even your hard drive requires some upkeep to ensure optimal performance. Stuttering issues can often be attributed to a severely fragmented hard drive. Before going any further, run a Disk Cleanup, Scandisk, and Defrag. If you are unsure how to do so, please refer to the following:

Disk Cleanup, Scandisk and Defrag

Q: Does your machine meet the minimum requirements of the game?
A: Most of the time poor performance is attributed to a certain component not meeting the games minimum, or lately the suggested, requirements. Please refer to the package and make sure your machine meets what is recommended.

Q: Have you turned off your background tasks?
A: You know those little icons down by your clock? Before you load your game get in the habit of turning them off. They hog resources and can use the Windows swap files and slow down your performance. Also, if you are running a virus/spyware scanner (and damnit, you better be) that is set to scan at a certain time, you could be in for an unpleasant surprise when it changes the focus back to the desktop right when you are lining up that headshot. Remember to turn on all needed scanners when you are done, or simply reboot. Make sure to also read what you are disabling, the Nostromo series for example requires one of these running, so if it is game needed, of course it needs to stay on.

Q: Have you installed anything recently?
This is probably the single most overlooked thing in troubleshooting a problem. If you have installed a new piece of software or a driver and then things begin to go haywire, chances are it isnt a coincidence. Here is a quick example of why: Often times games and programs share the same DLLs, or Dynamic Linking Libraries. A game may require one version of a DLL, where your new software may use something slightly different. If the game finds something in the DLL that it doesn't understand, it will often drop you right to the desktop. In some cases uninstalling the software can rectify the problem. In other cases it may require you to uninstall and reinstall the game altogether to rewrite the required files. (We'll cover this a bit later as well). Often times a quick check of the softwares tech support, or known issues, can help shed some light on this. Always check to see if any patches are available, and if so, check to see if the issue you are having may be listed in the patch notes.

Q: Have you checked the developers help page?
Often times a problem you could be experiencing has nothing to do with the state of your machine, but the game itself. The first thing to do before beating you head off the desk and continuing along in this guide would be to check out the games help section online. You could very likely have an issue that many people are experiencing, and there could be a simple fix or update for the problem. Also be sure to check out the support forums, as with the [H] forums, users usually identify problems and fixes before any official information is made known. Below is a list of some of the major developers technical support sections:

• 2K Games
• Activision
• Atari
• Blizzard
• EA/Electronics Arts
• id Software
• LucasArts
• Microsoft
• NcSoft
• Namco
• Sony
• Square-Enix
• Strategy First
• Take 2 Games
• THQ
• Ubisoft
• Valve
• Vu Games/Vivendi

Q: Does your machine have the most recent drivers/patches installed?
A: Updating your drivers is often the easiest thing you can do to increase performance as well as correct problems. Below is a list of popular drivers. Please make sure your software is up to date. Also, your Windows install also counts, make sure you have the most up to date Service Pack, patches, and updates installed.


Video Cards: nVidia | ATi
Please refer to our Video FAQ for more information.

Chipsets: Intel | Via | nForce
Please refer to our Motherboard Manufacturer List for more information.

Audio: Creative | Realtek

NIC: 3com | Linksys | Dlink | Realtek | Intel
Please refer to our Networking FAQ for more information.

Microsoft: Windows Update | DirectX
Please refer to our Operating System FAQ for some Windows Tweaking advice.

Please remember that most driver packages suggest you remove the older versions before installing.

Q: Have you scanned your machine for viruses and spyware?
A: Nowadays, the net is an evil place with things lurking around that are designed to basicially make your machine run like crap. The following guides will help you rule out the possibility of infection. Again, I cannot stress this enough, make sure your box has the most recent Service Pack and updates. This will help you to avoid the risk of infection.

The Official Antispyware Thread (Includes information on virus removal and tools).

Rampant Paranoia 101 (An excellent resource for those of you who wish to learn more about security).

I will personally suggest NoD32 and Windows Defender. Trust me, with all the spam we get in our [H] boxes, these two programs running in the background keep me clean. They are both resource friendly and easy to use. Make sure to turn them on and off as needed for your gaming time.

Q: Have you unistalled and reinstalled?
A lot of times, your game data can simply be corrupted. We have discussed many reasons above, and once you are confident none of these are causing your issue, it is time to pull the game and freshly install it. Before proceeding you should backup any saved games you have. Refer to the links above and find out where the game keeps the data and grab it, just in case the uninstall doesn't give you any option. Most games have an uninstall option right in the program group under your Start menu. If not, head to Control Panel and Add/Remove programs and uninstall. Remember to reboot even if you aren't prompted to ensure a clean install. Be sure to follow the instructions and turn off your virus scans/spyware scans, and background applications. You have also defragged and run your scandisk as we have told you, right?

​

A: Starforce is a piece of software that is designed to prevent copying of cd-rom applications. The software itself however has been a great concern to the community because it has been said to cause many issues on your system besides losing the ability to copy software. A good many people in the gaming community consider it to be nothing more than malware as it is said to cause a myriad of stablility issues across the board. By reading the link below you can see that this is a hotly contested piece of software. Please read the information presented and make your own choice in the matter. This information is merely gathered to help you get rid of something that can be difficult to remove.​

A: List of Starforce games.​

A: There is a removal tool from the makers of Starforce, however it has been known to not be 100 percent affective. There is an alternate method of manually removing Starforce which requires some registry editing, it can be found here. Use this method at your own risk.​