Asus ROG Azoth X

Asus' high-end keyboard series, the ROG Azoth, has a slightly cheaper version, which we take a closer look at here. It doesn't really lack much in the way of functionality; it's more all the extra - and perhaps slightly superfluous - frills that have been cut out. For many, however, it is essential that the keyboard is fitted with gaskets. Here you get a five-layer design where one layer is Poron foam. In short: This is what keeps the top plate of the keyboard from singing for half an hour after you've hammered down a key.

The packaging is slightly luxurious, and there are a few extra accessories included to give you a good sense of quality when you unpack it all. Of course, there are also tools to remove both switches and keys, as this keyboard - like most modern high-end keyboards - is hot-swappable.

We're dealing with a 75% keyboard with ROG NX Snow V2 mechanical switches, special keys in an... er... alternative colour palette: black, red, white and purple. It has semi-transparent metal on top, not two, not three, but five layers of cushioning foam, OLED display, wireless functionality, a large rubber wrist rest - and there's even support for Apple products.

It's still the little flip switch on the side that controls everything: Bluetooth and Asus' own SpeedNova 2.4 GHz system. But you can also just use a USB cable. According to Asus, the battery is capable of delivering over 1600 hours of operation. This is equivalent to over half a year of 'full-time use' - that's 8 hours a day. No, we haven't had it that long, so we choose to believe it. However, it's easier to believe when you realise that RGB and OLED reduce battery life quite a bit. We hit 75 hours, but if you switch off OLED, the battery life can almost double - if you've read the manual properly.

The keys are south-facing, which means that the RGB light is mounted under the switches and primarily shines towards the user. Unsurprisingly, this gives a powerful RGB experience. If you're the type of person who looks at a keyboard aesthetically and thinks 'that's really cool', you're probably also the type of person who loves RGB - and lots of it. I'm still not sure which I prefer, because north-facing RGB is generally brighter in the keys themselves. Incidentally, they also reflect light to the sides.

The keyboard is assembled with screws in many places, which significantly increases the impression of quality. You can easily try to take it all apart if you want a closer look, but a thin cable is used - familiar from laptops - which you have to be careful with. Some of the damping material is also glued on.

The price... Well... It's only just been released on the European market and the price is 280 USD (~£207) - a pretty hefty price.

The ROG NX Snow V2 switches are of the linear type: 1.8 mm actuation point, 40 g actuation force and 53 g to fully depress them. A composite plastic material is used and the switch itself is reinforced in the stem. They are easy to activate, but have a harsh and very defined sound that doesn't reverberate like many others. If you want something that 'clicks', you can also get the model with the ROG NX Storm.

Most importantly, the spacebar has two stabilisers, connected by a metal rod and mounted directly into the keyboard chassis. Since the spacebar is used a lot, it's generally recommended to re-lubricate the most used keys - even if they're lubricated from the factory, like here. And it's just one of the best spacebar keys I've tried in a long time.

The 2' OLED panel is a practical addition as it - together with the small control button on the side - provides easy access to a lot of information and settings. There is good resistance in the button, which again increases the impression of quality. The panel can display system information on a smaller scale and even visualise sound. I don't really care about that, but I'm sure there are those who would like to have just that.

There are also other modern features like Speed Tap, which allows you to give conflicting commands to the keyboard before the keys have returned to their original position after activation.

The driver software is Armoury Crate. It works, there are many options and it's necessary if you want to further configure the OLED panel.

Overall, it's a hugely accomplished and gorgeous keyboard to use and look at - if you like the distinctive colour scheme and are willing to pay the exorbitant price.