Performance
The marketing for the G Unit, in all its metal glory, certainly sets high expectations for the quality and durability of the board. Crafted out of a solid plastic, authentic Cherry Black mechanical switches, and gold-plated USB, it doesn't disappoint. I did have a little problem with the integrity of the wrist-rest clips that secure the rest to the board. The locking system basically consists of two solid tabs and four prongs that snap into place and allow a little flexibility. The first time I attempted to equip the wrist-rest, the left side clip snapped like a twig. After contacting ThermalTake about the problem, they immediately recreated the issue at their office and ensured it would be addressed.
The layout of the board is fairly typical, though I do have a few minor complaints. I discovered that at certain time I position my hands based on the left edge of the keyboard. So, instead of using the home row (sorry Mr. Heisman), I visually judge about where my hands should be according to how close to the end of the board I am, and usually I get pretty damn close. With two rows of programmable keys, I have found myself in trouble a few times, trying to use T9 as Q, for instance.
Usually I use the left Shift key in game, but I know plenty of instances in which the right may be utilized. Because Thermaltake has opted to make the Enter key two keys tall, the '\' key has been moved next to its '/' brother, which cuts the right Shift key in half.
Though they are minor grievances, if you usually navigate the keyboard without really looking at it, they are different enough from a normal keyboard to throw you off. That being said, if you adopted the G Unit as you primary board, I'm sure you would pick adjust to it without too much effort. Just be aware if you have ever have to switch back.
The Cherry Black switches are ideal from gamers for several reasons. Since the position of actuation and release are the same, actions such as double-jumping in Unreal Tournament require much less effort. Because of a high-actuation point, accidental presses are also less likely. In other words, unless you decide 100% to prone in Call of Duty, chances are you won't drop to the floor if you decide not to at the last moment. The fact that the key must be pressed to the base for activation, or "bottoming out", is also why no tactile response is needed.
The trade-off is that this works in the exact opposite for general typing. Because it takes more effort for each key stroke, words per minute will decrease when using Cherry Black switches, and therefore the Meka G Unit.
