The best way to neuter a high-end PC is to pair it with cruddy peripherals. High-end graphics cards are wasted on low-resolution, bargain basement monitors; bandwidth is a lost cause on sub-par networking gear; clunky keyboards can be a real pain; and poor printers slaughter your carefully crafted documents and photos. We know that your ultimate enjoyment of your PC hinges on the parts that you use to interface with it, so we’ve meticulously selected a few of our favorites from the past year. Plug ’em in and let your PC shine.

Keyboards/Mice
Whether you’re a gamer, programmer, content creator, or just an avid PC abuser, the keyboard and mouse are your primary tools. Every task you perform must pass through the filter of your keyboard and mouse, and for most of us, a generic bundle just won’t do. The best inputs of ’07 are notable for delivering more control over common PC tasks while retaining a simplified layout and appearance. We also awarded bonus points for attractive designs.


Gamers are finicky about their keyboards, and rightly so. In the heat of battle, a poorly laid out keyboard can result in frustrating fumbles and repeated deaths. Logitech’s G series of gamer-oriented peripherals has won high praise in CPU, and the G15 is another excellent specimen. The most visible feature of the G15 is the backlit, programmable GamePanel LCD, which displays game stats, hardware information, frames per second, Ventrilo VoIP data, and more in supported games (visit www.logitech.com/gamepanel for a full list of supported applications). Tweakers will appreciate the programmable Gkeys, which let you create complex macros in-game.

The G15 also helps cut clutter with cable channels built into the bottom of the keyboard for the mouse, headset, and other wired devices. High-contrast and backlit keys also improve your gaming reflexes in light or dark environments. The G15’s media access buttons also let you manage your music sans mouse.

First Runner-Up: Microsoft Wireless Entertainment Desktop 8000

Like it or not, Vista is the future. And with Home Premium and Ultimate versions shipping with Windows Media Center, PCs are handling more of your entertainment. Microsoft’s Wireless

Entertainment Desktop 8000 is packed from the F-keys to the Spacebar with features that come in handy on an entertainment PC. In the upper-right corner of the keyboard you’ll find a touchsensitive pad that lets you control your cursor without a mouse, just like the touchpad on a notebook. The keyboard also has a host of dedicated function buttons, such as the media control buttons, Media Center button, Windows Start button, Windows Live Call button, and Gadgets button. The top of the keyboard features a detachable recharging station for the Wireless Laser Mouse 8000.

The wireless mouse has a battery life indicator, 4-way scroll wheel, five customizable buttons, and an ultra-sensitive and responsive laser. The Wireless Entertainment Desktop 8000 uses Bluetooth technology to let you step away from your PC without giving up control. Other notable extras include an integrated 4-port USB hub, an ergonomic Comfort Curve design, and backlit keys that let you manage in low-light gaming or movie-watching situations.

Second Runner-Up: Razer Lachesis

Razer launched the next generation of laser sensing technology with its Razer 3G-laser-sensor-equipped Lachesis. This mouse delivers unmatched 4,000dpi sensitivity and tracking speeds of up to 100ips (inches per second). With the included Razer Synapse software, you can configure each of the nine Hyperesponse buttons and polling rate. The Lachesis also lets you modify the dpi settings on the fly. Other features include 32KB of onboard memory for storing your settings, technology that reduces lift-off-related errors, and Ultraslick Teflon feet for smoothly tracking enemies with your crosshairs.

Monitors

In 2007, flat panel LCDs made vast improvements in color, brightness, and response time, cutting down the handful of reasons an enthusiast would favor a CRT to almost zilch. Across the board, flat-panel monitors became bigger, wider, brighter, and better. Several new contenders entered the elite 2,560 x 1,600 ring, and dozens of affordable widescreen models—with better than 5ms response times and excellent black levels—also made their debut. Our favorites for 2007 have the real estate to handle your most intense multitasking sessions, as well as fast-paced games and movies.

Winner: HP LP3065

In 2006, Dell’s 3007WFP stole the spotlight and the hearts of graphics professionals and computing enthusiasts everywhere. In 2007, HP and Samsung introduced 2,560 x 1,600-capable monitors. We got our hands on HP’s LP3065 and found little we didn’t love about it. The display offers screen height, tilt, and swivel capabilities; an excellent 178-degree viewing angle; 25mm pixel pitch; and a widescreen 16:10 aspect ratio. Graphics professionals will appreciate the multitude of inputs: The LP3065 supports three dual-link DVI connections. (Two DVI cables are included.) The 92% color gamut also makes for accurate graphics work and more realism in movies and games. The 8ms response time eliminated ghosting, and the 1,000:1 contrast ratio helped the LP3065 produce bright and crisp images in all of our visual tests. Best of all, this dazzling display is currently selling for $300 less than when we originally tested it.

First Runner-Up: Samsung SyncMaster 245BW

Sometimes we get hardware in for review that we just don’t want to give back. We’ve gushed about Samsung’s SyncMaster monitors before, but the 245BW is our favorite from 2007. This 24-inch monitor features an attractive minimalist appearance and a sharp pianoblack finish. The monitor has a 5ms response time for smooth dark-to-light transitions in movies and games. We also noticed crisp image reproduction, thanks to the 3,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio. The 16:10 widescreen SyncMaster 245BW supports a 1,920 x 1,200 native resolution and comes with or without speakers. The adjustable stand lets you lift, tilt, and swivel the monitor to your liking. Like other Samsung monitors, the 245BW includes several display-enhancing technologies. MagicColor boosts hue and color saturation levels to improve the appearance of difficult-to-reproduce skin tones. MagicBright3 automatically adjusts brightness and contrast, and gamma correction settings produce the best image possible, regardless of the application. If you prefer to tweak settings yourself, you can.

Second Runner-Up: ViewSonic VX1932wm

In a recent roundup of widescreen LCDs, ViewSonic’s VX1932wm landed at the top of the heap for its display performance and affordable price tag. The 19-inch VX1932wm has a 1,440 x 900 native resolution and 16:10 aspect ratio, making it suitable for gaming and graphics-intensive applications. The VX1932wm employs contrast ratio-boosting technology to deliver a 2,000:1 spec. Highlights include a 2ms response time for buttery smooth video and 3D performance, integrated stereo speakers, two cable clips for cable management, and a bright 300cd/m2 panel.

The unit features an attractive silver and black base and frame. Supported inputs include DVI, VGA, and analog audio. Two cable clips in the back of the unit help you manage cables. The VX1932wm’s OSD was easy to navigate and made adjusting settings painless. We don’t recommend the VX1932wm for heavy movie watching due to some perceptible color banding that occurred in fast action sequences, but the problem was far from a deal breaker, especially if you don’t watch many movies on your PC. Gaming came off flawlessly, as did text and still image reproduction.

Networking Devices
What a difference a year makes. Last time ’round, we didn’t feel confident that 802.11n had much to offer enthusiasts over the previous generation of wireless networking gear. In mid-2007, the Wi-Fi Alliance stepped up and began certifying Draft 2.0 gear to ensure equipment from different manufacturers works together. Even though the standard is still in draft form (experts expect 802.11n to be finalized in 2009), applications abound that call for more bandwidth than 802.11g can deliver. To compound the problem, Vista’s Windows Media Center puts even more strain on wireless networks by emphasizing media streaming in the home.

Winner: D-Link Xtreme N Gigabit Router DIR-655

In a perfect world, networking equipment would always be a generation or two ahead of our bandwidth requirements. In reality, most enthusiasts have been streaming rich media, such as music, photos, and video, over barely-capable 802.11g networks. Enter D-Link’s Xtreme N Gigabit Router, which performed quite well in a roundup of 802.11n and 802.11g MIMO hardware published in CPU’s April 2007 issue. (See page 18.) The attractive, twotone white and black DIR-655 boasts 14 times faster speeds and six times farther range than 802.11g devices. The unit is backward-compatible with 802.11b and 802.11g equipment and features four Gigabit LAN ports, one Gigabit WAN port, and a USB port to make configuring security and settings a breeze.

The D-Link DIR-655 also employs Intelligent QoS technology, which analyzes and categorizes traffic to ensure that latency-sensitive data, such as VoIP, video streaming, and gaming, is delivered as smoothly as possible, without delay. Supported security protocols include 64- and 128-bit WEP (Wired Equivalency Privacy) and WPA and WPA2 (Wi-Fi Protected Access), and the advanced firewall features NAT, SPI, and VPN pass-through.

First Runner-Up: Netgear 85MBps Powerline Ethernet Adapter (XE103)

If bandwidth were our only consideration in networking, then the world would be wired. Wires are secure, fast, and cheap. That is, as long as you don’t mind the minor demolition required to run CAT5 behind your walls. But there’s an alternative. Thanks to Netgear’s XE103, you can take advantage of the copper wiring already running between every room in your house for fast, reliable, and secure networking.

Simply plug the XE103 into a power outlet near your computer, plug a second XE103 into another outlet, and use the Ethernet ports on each adapter to connect your devices. The XE103 Powerline Ethernet adapters separate AC current from Ethernet data to deliver safe and speedy networking throughout your home. Your PC simply thinks it’s using a wired Ethernet connection, so no software installation or device configuration is necessary. Plus, you don’t have to worry about your neighbors snooping around on your network.

The XE103’s 85Mbps (theoretical) throughput rating is more than sufficient
for even the most demanding applications, such as streaming 1080p video.

Second Runner-Up: Belkin N1 Vision)

Blinking LEDs this ain’t. In the unending quest for faster performance, power users appreciate hardware and software that offers new levels of insight into the inner workings of their systems. Belkin’s N1 Vision, with its interactive LCD, is just such a piece of hardware. The LCD is capable of displaying download/upload speeds, network bandwidth usage, the number of connected devices, guest access network key, and the time and date. You can also use the N1 Vision to troubleshoot
networking problems at a glance. The N1 Vision Wireless Router supports 802.11b/g and 802.11n Draft 2.0 wireless protocols, which support ranges up to 1,600 feet and throughput rates up to 300Mbps (theoretical). This router is best suited for Web surfing, gaming, and even demanding HD video streaming applications. The unit features four Gigabit Ethernet ports, one Gigabit WAN port, and support for WPA, WPA2, and 64- and 128-bit WEP encryption.

Printers

In the eyes of power users, the latest and best printers just don’t generate buzz like the fastest graphics cards and CPUs do. But it’s a safe bet that users at every computing proficiency level have a printer and use it regularly. Despite the seeming lack of enthusiasm, however, printer manufacturers have been packing the latest models with borderless photo printing capabilities, USB ports and media card readers, wireless networking support, and the ability to print on multiple types of media. Our favorite models also earned their places by being fast, efficient, and quiet.

Winner: HP Photosmart C5280

HP has been in the printing business for a while, and it really shows in the Photosmart C5280. This AIO (all-inone) inkjet lets you print, scan, and copy. The machine delivers color and black and white copies at an impressive 24 and 32ppm, respectively. The HP Smart Web Printing feature puts an end to cutoff Web pages. You can also print CD covers with specialized media. The C5280 also supports high-quality Vivera six-ink color (optional purchase) to produce vivid high-quality photos that resist fading.

The Photosmart C5280 also lets you do more without a PC. The unit features a card reader that supports CF, MMC, SD/miniSD, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Duo, and xD Cards (among others) for quick and easy PC-less printing. View photos on the integrated 2.4-inch LCD; erase ugly red-eye with the Red-Eye Removal button; and let the automated paper tray select the appropriate paper type for your photos. Best of all, the Photosmart C5280 helps you keep up with the demands for photos of the latest big events (and a few of the little ones) without breaking the bank.

First Runner-Up: Kodak EasyShare 5300

Kodak isn’t necessarily a name that comes to mind when you think about printers. But, photos, well, Kodak is synonymous with photos. This is why it’s no real surprise that the EasyShare 5300 AIO does photo printing so well. This inkjet prints up to 32ppm in black and white and 30ppm in color. The EasyShare 5300 can also produce a high-quality 4- x 6-inch photo in about 28 seconds.

The EasyShare 5300 has a 3-inch LCD, card reader, and USB ports that enable you to print photos without a PC. The unit employs six inks and a 3,840-nozzle printhead to output colorful lab-quality photos. Add-ons include an optional USB Bluetooth adapter for wireless networking and a duplexer for two-sided printing. The EasyShare 5300 also goes easy on the ink, delivering low cost per page in blank text documents (2 cents), mixed graphics and text documents (7 cents), and photos (10 cents). Second

Runner-Up: Brother HL-4040CN

For faster-paced, more demanding print environments, an inkjet just won’t do. Brother’s single-function laser HL-4040CN may not be a jack-of-all-trades, but it is a master of printing. The HL-4040CN can churn out 21 color and monochrome ppm at up to 2,400dpi. The black toner cartridge will deliver approximately 2,500 prints, and the three color toner cartridges should last for 1,500 pages. Another highlight is the integrated USB port for PC-less printing. This reliable and efficient laser is also one of the more affordable units you’ll find.