Gigabyte may be best known for its award winning motherboards and graphics cards, simply the brand is abode to a host of power products from estimator cases to entire computers, which includes tablets and laptops. Peripherals are also on Gigabyte's lengthy listing of wares, with its Aivia series possibly being the nearly noteworthy and one I've had the pleasance of testing.

As solid as the Aivia Osmium mechanical keyboard and Aivia Uranium wireless mouse may have been when nosotros used them, Gigabyte wanted to develop even more than farthermost models and to do and so the company created a new brand, forming a subsidiary company called "Aorus" -- a name that already represents an elite keyboard, mouse and mouse pad as well every bit a few gaming laptops.

For review we have the Aorus Thunder K7 backlit mechanical gaming keyboard with a detachable macro/numpad, the 16-button Thunder M7 MMO gaming mouse, and the meter-long P3X gaming mouse pad. With everything unboxed and plugged in, nosotros're set up to find out what about $300 of Aorus gear is worth when Zerglings come knocking.

Aorus Thunder K7 Detachable Mechanical Gaming Keyboard

The Thunder K7 is an expensive keyboard, though past mechanical standards it's relatively affordable at $150, particularly if you consider that it'south meant to be the all-time of the all-time. To put that price into perspective, the CM Storm NovaTouch costs $200, the Corsair K95 Cherry MX at $190, the Das Keyboard four Ultimate at $180 and at $170 yous volition find the Roccat Ryos MK Pro as well as Razer BlackWidow Chroma.

Despite being more affordable than other upper-end mechanical boards, the Thunder K7 presents itself as a no expenses spared kind of product with full anti-ghosting functionality, wheel-based book and backlighting controls and a detachable number pad with macro keys.

The detachable pad can be used as either a number pad or a macro keyboard. The 20 keys are fully customizable and permit for on-the-wing programming. Using the Aorus macro engine software gamers tin can setup five individual profiles for the 20 keys on the detachable pad. Each contour can be color-coded so you know which profile is agile.

What is absurd virtually the detachable pad is that it can either be connected to the right side of the keyboard or the left side, making it perfect for both lefties and righties. Additionally, using a magnetic cablevision, the detachable pad can be used by itself.

Obviously the cardinal (forgive the pun) to any mechanical keyboard is its mechanical keys, which vary between boards and can bear on feedback response and actuation pressure. At that place are iii principal types of mechanical keys: linear, or those that simply movement vertically without any feedback or clicking dissonance such as Blood-red MX Blacks; tactile, which provide concrete feedback when a primal is actuated, such as Carmine MX Browns; and tactile with an audible click accompanying the physical bump, equally offered past Cherry MX Blues.

Gigabyte has fitted the Thunder K7 with Cerise MX Red switches, which are linear like Scarlet's MX Blackness switches, meaning in that location is no click or sound associated with pressing them, except Reds crave 45g to activate versus 60g. The switches are rated for 50 million clicks while the cardinal caps have been coated in a not-slip clothing-resistant UV prophylactic-Teflon which feels nice and should help avert any accidental skid-ups.