Corsair K70 RAPIDFIRE Cherry MX Speed - The Best Mechanical Keyboard

I purchased the Corsair K70 Rapidfire with Cherry MX Speed switches on Amazon for $99.99. Considering that a budget membrane keyboard can be had for around $15, these keyboards are for enthusiasts.

That said, just like I prefer a 144Hz monitor to a 60Hz monitor, I prefer a mechanical keyboard over a membrane keyboard. I have used quite a few mechanical keyboards over the last few years, and I think the search for the perfect keyboard for me, ends with the K70 with Cherry MX Speed switches.

Everything comes down to preference, and I prefer a keyboard with a wrist rest, standard keyboard layout with a numpad (I work from home often, so I need it), USB pass through, and backlit with what I like to call warm colors (red/orange or yellow).As for switches, after using different switch types, I realized I prefer linear switches.

This keyboard has all the above-mentioned features. In the package, they included a keycap remover, some custom textured key caps for FPS and MOBA games. I installed the WASD keycaps, and I really like how they feel.



Now for the switches themselves. After using Kailh Brown, Cherry Red, Blue, Speed, and Razer Green, I feel that the Speed switches are the most comfortable. Whether its typing or gaming, these feel just right. After long hours of work or a gaming session, I never have the finger fatigue I felt when using any other keyboard. In this regard, the Blue switches were the worst for me.

I prefer these over the Cherry MX Red. Going back to my K70 with Red switches, I can immediately feel the difference in actuation point. I only have to lightly tap the keys for them to actuate on the Cherry MX Speed keyboard.

I got the feeling that actuation force is also less for Speed switches, compared to the Red switches, but this is not the case. They both require a 45g actuation force.

I think I got my money’s worth. This particular line of keyboards are targeted for gamers, but I will definitely recommend this for non-gamers as well. If you prefer smooth, linear switches, then the Speed switches are definitely worth trying. For those of who have used membrane keyboards, the price of mechanical keyboards might seem absurdly high, but I recommend trying a few to see if they are to your liking. From a comfort standpoint, the Speed switches definitely surpass the best of the membrane keyboards (from my experience).

Windows 7 Virtual Machine Freezing with VMware Player 12

I run a Windows 7 VM on a Windows 10 Host OS. I've been having issues with the VM freezing intermittently. The host OS does not have any issues. I have to shut down the VM through VMware controls, and restart it.

VMware Player Version

I looked at the VMware log to find this error -

2017-02-13T20:24:26.983-06:00| vmx| I125: GuestMsg: Channel 2, Cannot unpost because the previous post is already completed
2017-02-13T20:24:26.983-06:00| vmx| I125: GuestRpc: Reinitializing Channel 0(toolbox-dnd)
2017-02-13T20:24:26.983-06:00| vmx| I125: GuestMsg: Channel 0, Cannot unpost because the previous post is already completed
2017-02-13T20:24:30.429-06:00| vmx| I125: E1000: E1000 rx ring full, drain packets.
2017-02-13T20:24:36.432-06:00| vmx| I125: E1000: E1000 rx ring full, drain packets.
2017-02-13T20:24:42.735-06:00| vmx| I125: E1000: E1000 rx ring full, drain packets.
2017-02-13T20:24:48.710-06:00| vmx| I125: E1000: E1000 rx ring full, drain packets.
2017-02-13T20:25:00.711-06:00| vmx| I125: E1000: E1000 rx ring full, drain packets.
2017-02-13T20:25:14.736-06:00| vmx| I125: E1000: E1000 rx ring full, drain packets.
2017-02-13T20:25:30.789-06:00| vmx| I125: E1000: E1000 rx ring full, drain packets.
2017-02-13T20:25:48.203-06:00| vmx| I125: E1000: E1000 rx ring full, drain packets.
2017-02-13T20:25:51.683-06:00| vmx| I125: GuestRpcSendTimedOut: message to toolbox-dnd timed out.

I wasn't sure if this was strictly related at first, but I noticed this error was in the log every time the VM froze. I did some research online, and there was a post on the VMware forums (don't have the link at the moment), where someone suggested changing the send and receive buffers.

In device manager in the Windows VM, I accessed the properties for the network card. I changed the Transmit and Receive from 256 to 512. I did this a week ago, and so far, I have not had any issues.

Receive and Transmit Buffers

The Witcher 2 (PC) Review

I played the GOG version. I would recommend this over the Steam version because it has no DRM. I purchased it for $5.99. I think it is well worth the price.

The Witcher 2 has done a lot of things better than the original. It is an overall polished game. This also meant that it is much more mainstream, and some elements are made with the consoles in mind.

Combat received a much needed overhaul. It is more free flowing, and it an overall better experience. It has some quirks, such as the target locking system, which can be unwieldy at times, especially when multiple enemies attack in a very narrow corridor. Combat styles are gone, and there is much reliance on dodging and using signs. I enjoyed this system a lot more compared to the first game.

Story picks up where the first game left off. It has a lot of very interesting side quests, and the main quest sets itself up for the next game. I am looking forward to playing The Witcher 3.

I imported a save from the first game. I am not quite sure how this has changed the game compared to starting without importing a save file. I took a backup of the savegames, so if Witcher 3 allows me to import them, I intend to do so.

Beautiful underground pool

The choices in the game have a much larger impact than in the previous game. I discovered that depending on some key decisions made in the first act, the second act will branch into different story lines and then both converge for the 3rd act. This offers a lot of replay value.

Visuals got a huge upgrade compared to the first game. I installed the Better Texture Environment Mod. The game looks fantastic on my GeForce 1080 on Windows 10. I played it at 2560x1440 on ultra settings with Uber Sampling disabled, and it rarely ever dropped below 100FPS. Enabling Uber Sampling would drop the FPS to around 50. I did not see any improvement with it enabled.

Game settings panel

The game is fairly stable on Windows 10. It did crash to the desktop a few times, but other than these one off crashes, I did not experience any stability issues.

For all the freedom the game offers, the boss battles are terrible. There is no room for improvisation here. This is by far the worst thing about the game for me.

Mountain village

Skills is another aspect that could have been a lot better. I went through the entire game without allocating a single point to alchemy. There was no reason to use it. Just make sure you upgrade Quen, and upgrade your swordsmanship, and you are good to go.

There were only a few instances where I found potions to be useful. Certain sections of the game require you to drink a potion, but otherwise, Cat was the only potion I found useful.

Cat potion

The inventory system is a mess. It is very poorly designed. The developers announced at the time that they were targeting consoles as the primary platform. The inventory system in the first game was far superior compared to this.

All in all, it is a fantastic game. I thoroughly recommend it.

Dear Esther (PC) Review

Walking simulators have received a lot of attention in the gaming media lately. Having never played one, I wanted to try Dear Esther.

The game is built on the Source engine. The story begins on an uninhabited island, and the narrator recounts events from the past, as you slowly walk through the levels. If you have played the game, and didn't fully grasp all the details of the story, I recommend reading the story analysis done by Pop Matters, which can be found here - http://www.popmatters.com/post/164085-/

It takes about an hour to finish the game. Its an enjoyable one hour for sure. There are four levels in the game, each level will take about 15 minutes or so to complete, and they are all beautiful, with the Underground levels being the highlight. They put the Source engine to good use.

The gameplay is very simplistic. The player slowly walks (can't change the walking speed) through the levels with narration in the background. The game has absolutely no interactivity.

The main menu does not show any load or save options. There is a quick save and quick load option using hot keys, but you wouldn't know this unless you were looking for it in the key bindings. The interface is very minimal - this is a good thing for the game. I am glad they gave this option because I revisited the under ground level (the best level in the game), I wouldn't have bothered to do so without the quick save.

Dear Esther is significant in terms of giving birth to the genre. Without it, there may not be an Abzu and Firewatch. I still can't recommend paying $9.99 for this game. I got it as a part of a Humble India Bundle 8. I paid $1 for four games, and I think I got my money's worth. I would be disappointed if I spent the full asking price given that there is absolutely no replay value.

Screenshots

Underground Level Video Preview