SteelSeries Apex M800 provides superior typing experience.
I am a very tactile person. I love the feel of a real book as I thumb through its pages and the feel of a pen as it touches paper. I truly appreciate digital media and what technology has done for our daily lives, but there is just something intimate about tactile connections. That why I was immediately intrigued when I was introduced to mechanical keyboards. They are computer keyboards, but they are the closed thing to what an old-fashioned typewriter feels like. Not long after my brother let me test out his miniature mechanical keyboard, I started researching different types of them and found this one from SteelSeries that I was dying to try.
The Apex M800 keyboard from SteelSeries is a mechanical keyboard designed for PC gaming. The tournament-grade programmable keyboard gives you a quick response time and personal control so that you have a fantastic gaming experience. The Apex M800 was specifically designed for speed and customization. A couple of the really cool features of this keyboard include:
- The CPU inside the M800 – It’s dedicated to processing key presses. This allows for a smoother, faster keyboard/gaming experience
- QS1 Switch – Developed by switch experts and SteelSeries, the M800 swtiches have smooth linear action and 25% faster actuation than traditional mechanical switches
- N-Key Rollover – Apex M800 is a zero ghosting gaming keyboard. In game mode, you could press up to 256 keys at the same time
- Cable Management – A convineint channel was included under the keyboard to provide easy cable management. There is also a USB 2.0 Hub included on the back
- Macro Keys – Fully programmable macro keys are included for maximum customization ability.
In a word, the Apex M800 is cool.
Now, here comes the mind-blowing part of this review – I’m not a PC gamer. I do type a lot though and a good keyboard that functions well and is comfortable for me is essential to my personal well-being. So, we I started researching mechanical keyboards, I turned to ones specifically designed for gaming because they are typically built to last and structured for long-term daily use, too. The Apex M800 has really been a godsend for me. I wouldn’t say that I’m hard on keyboards, but I do type A LOT. During my daily work day, I probably send out at least a hundred emails and respond to instant messages as well as type up documents. It can be very taxing work on the hands and having this wonderfully designed keyboard at my disposal has been great.
In comparison to my older standard Dell keyboard, the keys feel very responsive and solid. I haven’t had any missed keystrokes. The spacing of the keys and the size/shape of the space bar is wonderful. I type on a variety of keyboards – laptop, MacBook Pro, iPad, iPhone, etc. – and have found that the Apex M800 is my favorite. I have actually installed it at work, but then un-routed cables and packed it up to bring it home for work, too. It’s designed with an ergonomic low angle and I’ve not noticed my hands or fingers suffering any undue stress or strain.
The Apex M800 is a keyboard designed to delight nearly all the senses. I already talked about how it feels. Now I would like to talk about how it sounds. Typically, you don’t think too much about how a keyboard sounds, but when it comes to mechanical ones, you should be aware that they have a wonderful clickety-clack noise to them when you depress keys. This is music to my ears, but some others might find it loud and annoying.
One of the very special features of the Apex M800 is its awesome multi-colored, light-up keys. The keyboard is built with a ‘per key’ RGB LED layout. That means that all of the LEDs on the M800 are individually customizable. There are 16.8 million colors to cycle through and eight different brightness levels. The keyboard will do a color wave when it’s not in use. After about 5-10 second, the keyboard will sort of go into a standby mode and creates a light show for passers by. When it’s in use, the keyboards default color scheme is a yellow/orange light gradient. And, when you press the keys, the LEDs change to blue. It can be quite fascinating to watch someone type on the M800.
I honestly can’t speak highly enough about the Apex M800. It’s a fantastic keyboard and makes daily tasks (as well as gaming) a welcome experience. If you are looking into keyboards for any reason, check this one out. It’s a premium keyboard with exceptional features.
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For more information, visit steelseries.com/apex-m800
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