We, at TrueTech always believe that not everything that’s good has to be expensive, or rather, not everything that is cheap has to be substandard. A similar quote entered out our minds when Gamdias sent in their Hermes E1 Combo for us to review, and after being using it for well over 3 months, even before we get into the review, I’ll say it out, these will be the best $50 you’ll ever spend, period.
If you are more into a visual representation of the same, lucky for you, we got a video review! Now that I rhymed at least for once in the article, let’s proceed with taking a look at each of the items you get in the combo.
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The Keyboard : Tactile Enough!
With an all-aluminium chassy, and with ‘Gamdias Certified’ key switches, the keyboard is probably the only reason you should be going for the combo. Yes, while the Demeter E2 mouse is badass in its own, nothing defeats the goodness of a tactile, mechanical, solid gaming keyboard.
First off, it has a 21-key rollover, so you know it is made for the hardcore gamers, but as a blogger, I would probably recommend this to the crazy typists out there as well. Since this is mechanical, you may not honestly like the loud key presses, but hilariously enough, that’s why a ton of people pick one up, including me.
While red is the only backlight that goes throughout the keyboard, it does provide a couple of brightness toggles and a final breathing effect. You can also use the Hera software to fine tune not only the keyboard, but also the mouse, and honestly, I didn’t like how they laid everything out, and the built-in options are only a handful anyway. I left the birghtness on my keyboard to its maximum while blogging, and used the ‘Responsive Lighting’ option while gaming. Finally, the keyboard is also anti-ghost enabled, meaning goodbye to accidental Windows-key presses whilst in a deadly match.
Each key can be removed by the Key Remover supplied in the packaging, and you can even swap the Function and Windows keys as per your requirements. The quality of the keys itself is nothing questionable, but since this is my first ever mechanical experience, I’ll let it slip by mentioning that they at least didn’t fade away after 3 long months of typing with sweaty hands all the time. The keyboard also has this wrist-rest attach, and using it makes a hell of a difference for those long hour scripting and gaming sessions.
The Mouse : Ergonomics on Point!
The Demeter E2 is the mouse that comes packed in with the combo. Boasting a 3200 DPI switch, and a multi-color LED that breaths through indefinitely, the mouse also doesn’t fall short in the ergonomics department. On top of that, it manages to keep a pretty subtle design, with the only annoyance being the branding, but oh well. The LED goes through and around the scroll wheel, which by the way is one of the smoothest I’ve ever used.
Now, the mouse is symmetrical, so if you are a leftie, your decisions in buying one shouldn’t be altered. The button presses are really… what’s the word, fulfilling! You do also get two customizable buttons on the side, which do come in handy (literally haha) during tasks like editing or even casual web surfing, but truth to be told, are too easy to accidentally press.
As stated previously, the DPI switch supports 4 presets, going all the way up to 3200, which is I’d say a must have in a gaming mouse these days. I’ve played over 200 gracious hours of Counter Strike : Global Offensive with the same, and the mouse could never be blamed for my lousy aim.
The Mouse-Pad : It’s Large!
Even the mouse-pad provided by Gamdias is a really top-notch one, with a dual layer design, and a smooth as hell surface. It is large enough for most of the games, but if it fails to impress you, the DPI switch on the mouse does wonders too. My only complaint with the same would be the lousy branding, just stealing the stealth look of the mouse-pad.
The umm.. Key Remover?
Yes, flip the keyboard over and you’ll be surprised by a very little own, individual tool to swap out keys. You basically slip your finger in the open end, and use the two prying tips to remove any key you desire. As great as it sounds, some keys like the space-bar, or any key situated near the edges can be removed much easier with your fingers, but yes, for a key surrounded by hundreds of others, the key remover does what it’s supposed to.
Summary
If I were to sum up my entire experience using a couple of words, I’d say that the Hermes E1 Combo is a steal at the price it is currently being offered at ($50). However, people who’re into the entire RGB hype might be dissapointed, big time.
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