Performance
Now that we have taken a closer look at theRGB80’s features and the software that the bundle along with it I can finally talk a little about my time using it. As I mentioned before TKL keyboards are really hit and miss with people. Even for me there are only some situations that I prefer to use one. On my main PC where I do all of my writing and work on I always prefer to have a full number pad but on test benches and most importantly with my LAN rigs I prefer a TKL every time. The reason for that is because when I don’t use the number pad often it is great to gain that space back, it opens up your desk space nd gives you more room for a large mouse pad. The RGB80 is perfect for LAN use, you have the small size that you need for LANs. On top of that you have backlighting to help you see I the dark lighting of LANs and having the option to switch to different color backlighting is nice as well so you can make sure your keyboard matches your PC.
Beyond its size and backlighting what I really liked about the RGB80 was the ability to be able to program any key to run a macro. I’m not a big fan of the standard macro keys because they require you to move your hand away from the keys you are using in game to get to them. Being able to reprogram every key is a great way to get the same functionality but within reach. Being able to hot swap between profiles helps make this possible as well. Speaking of that while I don’t normally use media keys that require a function key, it’s great that Rosewill slipped those in.
How does the RGB80 type? Well the blue switches might not be Cherry switches but they do function nearly the same. You get the same satisfying click that is sure to drive your wife or friends crazy if they don’t have a headset on. Being a standard layout I didn’t run into any weird quirks or issues. I will say that the Kailh switches did still have a little wobble in them just like the last few keyboards I have tested. It’s not a large amount of wobble but you will notice it the most when you are trying to reinstall a keycap and you are pressing harder than normal.
So beyond being able to flip between profiles and with that backlight colors Rosewill also slipped in another function key option with the up and down buttons on the direction pad. Here you can flip through a few different lighting options. Specifically you can turn the backlighting up and down when you are running a solid light, there is a single breathing effect option, and then they slipped in two different lighting layouts. One turns off all of the key backlights other than WASD, space, enter, the profile F keys, and the direction pad. The other option is similar but with the modifier keys and the numbers above WASD also lit up. I would prefer to see them go with something like what Cooler Master did with the Rapid-I where you can turn each keys backlight on and off and make your own profiles, but this is still better than nothing, at least for FPS players.