INTRODUCTION

   Build quality versus features has always been one of the few things i've seen in most areas of the electronics industry and even more so when it comes to keyboards. Take the professional mechanical models for example, build quality may be impressive (for example i still have the Das Keyboard Professional Model S in the lab and it's almost as good as new) but they lack features like dedicated media and macro keys, RGB lighting, detachable wrist rests etc, etc. Still even though these models are as expected not very appealing to gamers they are a one way for professionals who spend countless hours over them. The Taurus K320 Mechanical Keyboard by DURGOD aims to win over that specific segment of the market with its exceptional build quality and it's been on my desk for the past 2 weeks.

   DURGOD is a peripheral equipment brand established in Zhuhai, China, devoting to improve the image of "made in China" in the mind of the player. DURGOD has an independent research and development team, with the ability of ID design and program design and development. The core idea is to create the technology that conforms to the future, insist on the belief of excellence and the harsh craftsman spirit, and create a unique product made in China.

   The Taurus K320 by DURGOD is a tenkeyless (TKL - 80%) keyboard which is currently available with Cherry MX mechanical switches (black/blue/red/brown/silver - 50 million keystrokes) and in 3 different versions/variants, the non-backlighted one (which is here with me today), the Corona one (white backlight) and the Nebula one (RGB lighting). The non-lighting version of the K320 is available in two colors (space grey/natural white) and features a 32-bit ARM processor, steel plate, FR4 double layer PCB, detachable USB-C cable, N-Key rollover with 100% anti-ghosting, 1000Hz polling rate, dual height adjusters, programmable keys and PBT doubleshot keycaps. The Taurus K320 may not be the most feature-rich mechanical keyboard out there but it does sound interesting right?

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

The Taurus K320 is placed inside a black and blue box the front of which is taken by a large product picture and the company logo.

At the base of the box we see the package contents and system requirements in two languages.

Taking a look at the top of the box we see the main product features listed as folders.

Contact information for DURGOD is printed at the rear of the box again in two languages and right beneath two 2D barcodes.

DURGOD has used a synthetic cover, piece of cardboard and a nice plastic cover to keep the keyboard safe inside the box.

Along with the Taurus K320 Mechanical Keyboard DURGOD bundles two detachable USB-C cables (1m long USB-C to USB-C and 1.6 meters long USB-C to USB-A), keycap puller, case sticker, cable strap and a small mousepad sample.

THE TAURUS K320

Measuring 357.5mm in length, 132.5mm in width and 24.5mm in height the Taurus K320 is a rather large TKL model.

DURGOD has printed their logo on the lower right side and as you can see the K320 follows the typical floating keys design (at least for the most part).

F1 through F7 also double as multimedia control keys with the help of the Fn (function) key (play/pause track - stop - previous/next track - mute audio - increase/decrease volume).

The activity LEDs are placed just over the arrow keys.

Here you can see the Cherry MX Brown mechanical switches.

Turning the keyboard over we see 5 rubber feet and dual level height adjusters.

The USB-C port is located at the center front of the keyboard.

The short feet extend the top end of the keyboard roughly 6mm from your desk whereas the tall ones extend it roughly 13mm.

ZEUS ENGINE BETA 0.99.0.11

The current Zeus Engine software is unified so it can be used with all current product lines by DURGOD.

From the customize tab you can program any of the keys of the Taurus K320 with a wide range of assignments.

Inside the performance tab you will find the win lock options.

You can access the macro commands from Macro tab located on the top menu.

Since the Taurus K320 doesn't feature backlit keys it's quite plain and actually reminds me of the old (tank-like when it comes to durability) IBM keyboards.

AUDIBLE FEEDBACK

Many people ask my opinion on what keyboard they should get for their needs. Some want a “silent” model for use in their living room or even in their bedroom while others ask for a model with good audible feedback for use in the office or for gaming. Because of this I decided to test keyboards by placing our ExTech HD600 vertically over each keyboard (5cm distance) and typing NikKTech a total of 6 times with each (after that the max recorded number - max hold - is placed in the graph). I have to admit that this methodology may not be 100% accurate but it does give a good idea on what you can expect from each model since aside the type of switches used keycaps and keyboard material also matter.

CONCLUSION

   The DURGOD Taurus K320 has three things going for it, it’s near excellent good build quality (steel plate, FR4 double PCB and Cherry MX mechanical switches), detachable USB-C cables and it’s compact TKL size (80%). This means that its target audience is very specific so even though gamers and even casual users will probably not be tempted to spend their money on it (due to its design/color and lack of RGB lighting) professionals will almost certainly see its potential. The good news of course is that for gamers and casual users DURGOD also has the Taurus K320 Nebula model so you should keep that in mind if RGB lighting is your thing.

   Currently the DURGOD Taurus K320 TKL Mechanical Keyboard retails for USD87.12 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for 120Euros inside the EU (Amazon.co.uk) a price tag which is very balanced, at least on the other side of the Atlantic (needs some work in the EU). At the end of the day it all comes down to whether or not you care about RGB lighting and color theme and if the answer is no then the Taurus K320 comes highly recommended by us.

PROS

- Near Excellent Build Quality (Steel Plate / FR4 Double Layer PCB)
- Cherry MX Mechanical Switches (50 Million Actuations)
- NKey Rollover With 100% Anti Ghosting
- Zeus Engine Software
- Detachable Cable (USB C and USB A Cables)
- Dual Level Height Adjusters
- Price (USA)

CONS

- No Dedicated Macro & Media Keys
- No USB Passthrough
- No Backlight (For Some)
- Available Colors (For Some)