Computex 2014 - Day 2

Computex 2014 - Cooler Master

The first thing Cooler Master had to show us was its in-ear Resonar headset, which is set to retail for somewhere between £45 and £55. It will come with a single four contact TRRS 3.5mm connection so that it can be used with smartphones and certain laptops, though a standard dual 3.5mm connection adaptor for separate headphone and mic ports will also be supplied. Small mechanical wheels on the ear pieces are used to adjust bass and volume levels. We can't comment on the sound quality, as for reasons that should be obvious we weren't too keen to try them on...


In one of the display systems we also caught a glimpse of the Nepton 120XL AIO liquid cooler. This hasn't been officially announced, but it's clearly a dual 120mm fan model based on the larger Nepton 140XL that was launched earlier in the year – a smart move, as 120mm radiators offer much more case compatibility than 140mm models. It's a fairly safe bet that we'll also be seeing a 240mm version to complement the current Nepton 280L too.


Next up was the Novatouch mechanical keyboard, which has a standard black chassis design. Unlike the majority of mechanical keyboards on the market that use Cherry MX switches, the Novatouch uses electro-capacitive Topre switches. However, these come with a twist in that they're compatible with the cross-shaped keycap system that Cherry MX has made so popular, so users of exisiting Cherry MX keyboards with customised keycaps needn't worry about making the move.


We had a (very) brief play on the Novatouch, and found that the experience was most similar to Cherry MX brown switches, though still different, as Topre switches use rubber domes to provide most of their resistance. The result is something with a familiar feel for those used to membrane boards, but with a smoother feel and less of the stickiness. We also noticed that the keys were considerably quieter than your typical Cherry affair, both when bottoming out and when returning – maybe this will be the solution to Antony's mechanical keyboard woes!


The Cooler Master stand this year was rather special for us, as the company was showcasing a trio of case mods, including none other than our own Mod of the Year 2013 winner Skyline GT-R by forum user Ronnie Hara (be sure to check out the awesome project log here). It's a truly fantastic mod of the Cosmos II, and the other two mods on display (Project Imagination ROG and Sabertooth) were looking pretty tasty too. It's also cool to see such support of the modding community at such a large event – here's hoping it's a trend that continues in years to come.