I sure hope Crimson Desert's new pet limit means I can own 100 pigeon…

Even though many components inside our gaming PCs are exceptionally expensive, enthusiasts are still happy to buy them, partly because they know every item is backed by a warranty. However, that assumes a company is willing to honour that warranty in the first place, and in one such case concerning a Samsung SSD, the responses to the claim have been so negative that it's resulting in a lawsuit. truewildgame.online

The SSD in question is a 4 TB Samsung 990 Pro, a somewhat pricey but otherwise pretty decent Gen4 solid state drive. But as explained by Louis Rosmann, the famous tech YouTuber, repair shop owner, and consumer rights advocate, they can fail, just as any mass-manufactured PC component can.

In his YouTube video on the matter, he describes how he bought the 990 Pro drive roughly a year ago from Best Buy, but that it stopped responding to commands in his RAID-1 array. But since it was still within warranty, he contacted Samsung to RMA it, though his internal alarm bell was already clanging over the fact that this model has practically quadrupled in price since he bought it.

Although his initial inquiry started well, the first hiccup was that Rosmann was unaware that he had contacted Samsung Canada B2B support desk, rather than the USA one (he's based in Austin, Texas, for context). He duly compiled, providing all the necessary information again, apart from one seemingly innocuous piece of data: a photo of the 990 Pro. As he was at work at the time, and the Samsung SSD was still in his computer back home, he couldn't immediately give them what they wanted.

The very next day, Rossmann received an email from Samsung saying that it had closed the support ticket because he hadn't sent over a photo within 24 hours (even though it wasn't actually 24 hours later). Do note that Rossmann openly displays all this correspondence in the video.

Eventually, this all gets sorted, and Samsung contacts Rossmann with details on how to return the drive and so on. That all goes smoothly until a repair statement is sent back to him, stating that "based on the test results, the returned drive was verified as good." The consumer rights activist then queried this, but heard nothing back. Instead, Samsung just returned the drive to him.

In the video, Rossmann then demonstrates the drive in action, showing inconsistent write speeds of 20 to 160 MB/s. That would be slow for an old SATA HDD, let alone a 6,900 MB/s PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD. To even the untrained eye, that drive is goosed, and Rossmann's eyes are highly trained, as he runs a data recovery service in his repair shop.

Naturally, he fires off… how shall I put it?...a somewhat stern but clearly worded email about everything that has transpired, the issue at hand, and consumer rights that protect his warranty claim. Samsung's response to this ("we apologize for the inconvenience or any confusion you may have experienced") only riles him further.

But then the real kicker drops at the end of the response: "As you may already be aware, there is a very big shortage of memory products across the market. Due to this issue, the warranty service does not currently have your model of SSD in stock for replacement or a comparable model for upgrade."

Rossmann then points out that Samsung's store on Amazon has plenty of 4 TB 990 Pros in stock for $949, and argues that stock levels aren't a problem at all. Anyway, he eventually decides that this whole thing is so ridiculous that the only solution for him is to file a small claims lawsuit. "I look forward to costing you more money in legal fees than what you would have paid to simply replace my drive," he says to the camera.

I suspect that when it comes to DRAM and SSDs, this kind of situation isn't especially rare, and Rossmann describes the "wrong thing to do" that many PC users would actually carry out, to get a working replacement: Buy a new $949 Samsung 990 Pro, stick his broken SSD in the box, and then file a chargeback based on receiving 'faulty goods'.

As someone with a whole host of large and currently hugely expensive SSDs in my primary PC, I'm dreading the day when one or more of them decide to fail, whether it's in or out of the warranty period. Because either way, it looks like I'm going to be faced with a large bill to get the solution I want.

But if the likes of Rossmann are willing to keep fighting for our consumer rights this way, then perhaps I'll get lucky and only have to sell one of my kidneys on the black market, instead of both of them (plus my one decently working lung).

If you're looking for an ergonomic PC mouse, you're probably already considering the Logitech MX Master 3S, or the Logitech MX Master 4. I've used both as my main productivity meeces for extended periods of time, and can tell you that either make for excellent picks. But, if they're a little pricey for your liking, ProtoArc has made an ergo mouse with many similar design features for much, much less.

The result is the ProtoArc EM25, a wireless ergonomic mouse that knows what it's about. Right from the off, it screams "budget MX Master" from the nearest rooftop. It's got a similar chassis shape, an extended thumb rest, two scroll wheels (one with a clutch, no less), quiet main switches—the whole kit and kaboodle. The problem is, at every turn, this mouse reminds you of why the Logi mice are brilliant, and why this one doesn't meet the mark.

It's got all the right features on paper, but most of them prove to be a disappointment in practice. It's also got some odd material choices, some strange-feeling mechanisms, and an overall lack of refinement. Dancing around this mouse's various controls over the past few weeks has caused me to pull a vast array of facial expressions, and none of them have been a smile. Almost every control here feels slightly wrong, in a plethora of different ways.

There's a certain solidity to the chassis design that makes the EM25 verge towards consideration—especially given its very reasonable $50/£29 price tag. However, unless you're absolutely desperate for an MX Master-a-like for less, I can think of lots of less-ergo, but much better standard mice for your money.

Features

3.5

Ergonomics

1

Performance

2.5

Aesthetics

4

Software

2

Value

2

Group 1 Data

Product	Features ()	Ergonomics ()	Performance ()	Aesthetics ()	Software ()	Value ()
ProtoArc EM25 gaming mouse	3.5	1	2.5	4	2	2

We scored the ProtoArc EM25 out of five in six distinct categories.

ProtoArc EM25 features

The ProtoArc EM25 is an ergonomically-shaped mouse with a clutch-controlled main scroll wheel, a horizontal side scroll wheel, and an enlarged thumbrest on the left hand side, à la the Logitech MX Master 3S/4. It's also got twin forward and back buttons, and a small button mounted on the front left corner for switching between its Bluetooth and regular 2.4 GHz connections, the latter of which makes use of a small (some would say, nano-sized) dongle.

Said dongle can be retrieved from the bottom of the mouse via a magnetically-sealed hatch compartment, which is a nice touch. The polling rate is switchable, topping out at 1,000 Hz.

The sensor is an 8000 DPI max optical unit, while the battery is a 500 mAh internal rechargeable model. ProtoArc doesn't list the battery life in among the specs, but I've only had to charge my review sample once (straight from the box) over several weeks of on and off testing.

Software comes in the form of a web app rather than an installed application, which I'll be going into a bit later. And, again like the MX Master 3S and 4S, it's got quiet click switches underneath the main left and right buttons, for your serene, productivity-clicking needs.

The weight isn't listed on the product page, but some searching around suggests it's about 90 grams. What I will say is that the EM25 is light enough to give my scales trouble measuring it, and it feels significantly less porky than the 150g MX Master 4.

Still, it's definitely built for productivity purposes—those looking for something fast and genuinely light would be better off elsewhere.

Plenty of control options

Features

3.5

Plenty of control options Data

Product	Value
Features	3.5

ProtoArc EM25 ergonomics

Testing out all of the buttons, wheels, and ergonomic features of the ProtoArc EM25 is something of an adventure, and that's because almost all of them, in some form or fashion, feel a bit… wrong. I'm going to need to go through them individually here, because each is worthy of note.

Let's start off with the good. The two main switches underneath the left and right buttons feel very positive. They're quiet, too, while still providing plenty of clicky feedback. You can tell most of the money went into these two switch units, and that's a sensible place to put it. They're the ones you'll be interacting with most, after all.

Then there are the traditional forward and back thumb buttons on the left hand side. These are hollow-feeling, bendy, and springy in all the wrong ways. Still, there's a positive click underneath them, and I'm sure you'd stop noticing their drawbacks over time.

My true ire, however, begins with the big orange clutch button behind the main scrollwheel. It's got an astonishingly long travel, a surprising amount of springy resistance, and seems to engage and disengage the scrollwheel clutch at differing points, somewhere along the way.

There's a physical mechanism working behind the scenes to switch the scroll wheel from free scroll into a more clicky affair, unlike Logitech's magnetic solution, and the difference is pretty stark. Which brings me on to the main wheel itself.

In free scroll mode, it feels disconcertingly light. So much so that it can be quite difficult to control, and the wheel moves from side-to-side in its housing more than I'd like. In ratcheted mode, it feels slightly graunchy and overly-loud, although fairly positive. The middle click, though, takes far too much force to activate, and results in the wheel inadvertently moving as you press down on it.

Despite all this, my biggest critique has to be left for the skates on the underside. They look acceptable in person, and feel fine when you run a finger over them. But, no matter the mouse pad, it feels like there's a raised edge somewhere that should have been sanded down.

I can actually hear (and feel) this mouse scraping against my smooth Corsair pad as I move. I'll be honest, that's a new one on me. And I've tested lots and lots of budget mice over the years. Unmute the video below and turn your sound up for an example:

Shape-wise? It's actually quite nice to palm, and perfectly fine for fingertip usage, too. I'm not convinced by the satin-style finish, though, which is a bit tacky. And by that, I mean literally. Tacky, as in it tacks against your skin. Eesh.

Oh, and there's a side scroll wheel as well, which is somehow totally different-feeling and yet similar to the main scroll wheel itself. It's… fine. A little loose, a little hollow-feeling, a little tinny. But fine. Mercy me.

The main switches are fine, but as for the rest? Nope.

Ergonomics

1

The main switches are fine, but as for the rest? Nope. Data

Product	Value
Ergonomics	1

ProtoArc EM25 performance

At no point does ProtoArc advertise the EM25 as a gaming mouse, and given its specs, I don't think many will be buying it for such a purpose.

However, I game with the Logitech MX Master 4 all the time, as it's perfectly reasonable to use for several thousand turns of Civ 7, or a slower-paced, singleplayer shooter. So, I thought I'd try out the EM25 for the same purpose. And you know what? It's also fine.

However, the MouseTester charts above show some odd inconsistencies in the polling rate, although I can't say I noticed the mouse feeling particularly laggy or inconsistent in practice. It's not super-accurate or particularly fast to respond, but it's decent enough to get by. Can you do some light gaming with an EM25? Yes. Should you? Probably not.

For day to day usage, the sensor feels smooth and reasonably accurate, and I've had no dropout issues with either the 2.4 GHz or the Bluetooth connection. In terms of the internal, movement-tracking components, this mouse delivers acceptable performance for a pure productivity squeaker. In terms of the experience of actually using it, see all the ergonomic issues above.

Acceptable, for an ergo mouse

Performance

2.5

Acceptable, for an ergo mouse Data

Product	Value
Performance	2.5

ProtoArc EM25 aesthetics

Despite the drawbacks of the satin finish in terms of hand-feel, the coating actually looks pretty great in photos, and in person, too. I also like how the EM25 is highly reminiscent of Logitech's offerings, while having a neater, tidier design of its own.

The orange button sticking out of the top also adds a nice splash of colour to the black-and-chrome aesthetic. It's a mouse that looks good on your desk, that's for sure. I just wish it felt anywhere near as good when I put my hands on it.

Quite the looker, it must be said

Aesthetics

4

Quite the looker, it must be said Data

Product	Value
Aesthetics	4

ProtoArc EM25 software

Your software options here are webpage-based, which, on my Chrome browser, renders all the text in a Times New Roman font. I know that's a small thing to point out, but it doesn't exactly inspire confidence in the design. However, there are plenty of options to reassign button functions, create macros, and tweak the general settings of the mouse. By default, the EM25 sets itself to a 250 Hz polling rate, but it can be upped to the full 1,000 Hz here.

Despite the functionality, the interface really does feel basic, with some confusingly-labelled features. An "Advanced Controls" tab allows you to switch on "maximum sensor performance" for limited amounts of time, from 10 seconds to half an hour.

It "runs the sensor at peak performance with high LED brightness" says the menu page, although with a warning of increased power consumption. Fair enough. I've left it off for my testing, as you can only enable it for a 30 minute maximum, and in my opinion, you're bound to forget the option exists. You can also adjust the click debounce time, or activate an Extended Range Mode which supposedly boosts the range from 8-10 meters to 10-12, again, diminishing battery life.

I tested it, and I couldn't tell the difference in terms of using the mouse from different ranges. Still, it manages to transmit successfully over the whole distance of my large front room with the setting turned off, so hooray for a bit of extra juice.

Barebones, and full of head-scratching moments

Software

2

Barebones, and full of head-scratching moments Data

Product	Value
Software	2

ProtoArc EM25 value

I really want to like the ProtoArc EM25, honestly I do. I've used lots of 'Amazon special' gaming mice and ergo mice over the years, particularly as I enjoy a quiet mouse for sociable gaming, and there aren't too many big brand options.

You know all those $20-$30 "silent mouse" options in the listings from manufacturers you've never heard of? I've tried a lot of them. My drawers are absolutely full of the not-so-squeaky squeakers, alongside the many high-end, mid-range, and budget gaming mice I've tested at PC Gamer.

Honestly? I'd take almost any of them over the EM25. It might be cheap, but it really hasn't made me cheerful. And while I appreciate the effort that's been taken to make an MX Master competitor for a more reasonable price point, the end result is something I've found very disappointing.

It's got the MX Master's rough shape and feature set—but in terms of value, I really think you'd be better off looking elsewhere. The sensor is fine, the main button switches are decent, and it looks good on your desk. But I could say the same of many other ultra-budget mice that are even cheaper than this one.

The question I'd be asking myself, if I was considering one of these, is whether I really need those trick scroll wheels in combination with the quiet switches and an ergo shape. If yes, then it's the Logitech MX Master offerings for you.

If you just need a cheap, comfortable-yet-not-ergo mouse, though, how about the Mchose G3 V2? Or this Inphic cheapo-beepo unit I've been messing around with recently. It's $20, it's got a thumb rest, quiet switches, and a single scroll wheel that's perfectly acceptable. Or, if you've decided to save some more pennies and want an ergo mouse that's a bit different (yet still cheaper than the Masters), what about the weird and wonderful Keychron M5?

Overall, it's very difficult to recommend the ProtoArc EM25, unless you must have an MX Master-alike for around $50. Even then, I'd say saving your cash for the real thing is a much better bet.

Cheap, but that only counts for so much

Value

2

Cheap, but that only counts for so much Data

Product	Value
Value	2