Aorus Gaming Peripherals Roundup

I tested the entire Aorus product line together over a couple of weeks both working on the site and gaming.  The build used was one of our lab PCs recently set up for a LAN party.  Core components include an Nvidia GTX 1070 Founders Edition, an Intel I7 5960X and 16 GB of Kingston DD4 3000.

I liked the feel of the K7 and the M3 and quickly settled into them over a three day holiday spent gaming with my clan on both Battlefield 4 and 1.  Over 3 heavy days of play the dependable feel of the Cherry MX Reds was instantly familiar reminding me again why they are the most popular mechanical switch type today.  This one is a keeper!

The M3 feels great and I quickly got used to the feel and weight.  In game performance was outstanding and comfort was nice even after hours of play.  Paring with the AMP300 makes sense both visually and for the price point.

Testing the Aorus H5 headphones is a bit more involved.  I tested them both through the Sound BlasterX AE-5 Pro Gaming Sound Card and the Creative Sound Blaster X7. Both represent top options, both internal and external, for serious PC sound. I even hooked the H5s up to a Darkvoice 336 SE to see how they sound through a tube amp compared to my beloved Sennheisers.

I put the H5s through the paces both in stereo and surround sound and found they exceeded my expectations in every case. Gaming in stereo is definitely where they shine. While not quite ready to dethrone my audiophile setup, they easily bested most of the gaming stereo setups in the lab. 

Sadly the H5 mic became a sore spot.  Clan mates immediately noticed a difference in sound quality over TeamSpeak from my usual setups.  I found I had to fiddle with the plastic boom to get it positioned correctly in order to be heard clearly.  Perhaps the removable function should be reconsidered as the mic sound is finicky.

Gigabyte has provided some amazing peripherals in their latest refresh of the Aorus line.  It is important to remind readers these are all highly competitive products at a lower price point than most of the competition. And that is a huge feat.  As a system they look and feel great especially with the synched RGB Fusion effects. I would definitely recommend Aorus product together for serious gaming on a budget.

Overall I loved the look and feel of the K7 Gaming Keyboard.  It feels great and the small footprint makes this my new go to recommend for space limited gaming!  I love the color scheme as well but hope the software matures over time.  The RGB is just too cool once you get it dialed in. I can’t wait to see what the next level Aorus keyboards will be if this represents an entry level offering.

Attractive design
Cherry MX Red switches
Small footprint
Hardware controlled RGB lighting
Adjustable feet

Simple design
No wrist rest
Currently software is limited and finicky
No detachable cable

The Aorus M3 Gaming Mouse is a triumph for the price point.  Comfortable fit with a combination of Omron switches and a PIXART 3988 sensor. And currently under $40!  It is clear the Gigabyte engineers are paying attention as the shape is nearly perfect.  I wish they had gone a bit crazier on the RGB her as the logo disappears during use.  Did I just ask for more RGB in a mouse?

Comfortable shape
Omron switches
Pixart 3988 sensor
Hardware controlled RGB lighting

Plastic cable
No adjustable weight
Minimal use of RGB (I said it!)

As for the Aorus H5 Gaming headset, these things sound way better than expected thanks to the 50mm Beryllium metal drivers.  The Gigabyte engineers put their money where it counts producing stereo sound that rivaled much more expensive offerings when paired with a good amp/DAC combination.  I even felt the padding was comfortable and isolated noise well. I am impressed.

The H5 Mic is the only exception.  It was finicky and felt cheap feeling as though it was an afterthought.  However it was adequate once I got it set for every gaming session.  Good enough probably but it should have been better. Still I would not hesitate to recommend for most gamers looking to step up their audio game.

Looks and feels great
Class leading stereo sound
Nice use of RGB
Pairs nicely with a good sound source

Pleather ear cups
Bendy Mic is just adequate
No detachable cable