INTRODUCTION

   There's a somewhat fierce fight taking place in the market nowadays between consumers who strongly support the typical membrane key technology used in the majority of keyboards and the ones who prefer the more durable mechanical keys used in a much lower degree. The only problem with this is that some manufacturers actually invest many resources to further improve membrane key technology and we've already seen such solutions one of which is the very good APEX Gaming Keyboard recently released by SteelSeries. The only downside however when you make a feature-rich gaming keyboard regardless of the type of keys used is its price tag and the APEX is really not the most affordable choice especially for a keyboard that uses membrane keys and thus is considered less "durable" by many people. Well SteelSeries has been around for a long time and they know first-hand that in order to cover most consumers they need to have variety and the cut-down version of the APEX named the APEX [RAW] Gaming Keyboard should tempt consumers on a tight budget a lot more than its brother.

   From day one, SteelSeries has been focused on making professional gaming gear that provide meaningful benefits to gamers of all skill-level, with the most demanding being those gamers whose lively hood depends on the performance of our products. We believe, as most gamers do, in winning, not trying! What originally began as a small two-person operation in Copenhagen back in 2001 has become a global leader in professional gaming products. SteelSeries recognized the need for superior, high-quality professional gaming gear that would give players a competitive edge. Fast-forward to today, and we've come a long way since our first glass mousepad. We have global offices in North America, Europe, and Asia, providing an integrated portfolio of products designed specifically for gaming. Fueling our growth is you, the gamer!

   Unlike the 6Gv2 and the 7G Mechanical Keyboards launched by SteelSeries a few years back the APEX and the APEX [RAW] are nearly identical in design so with both placed right next to each other it may be hard for some people to tell which is which (there are only two differences when the illumination is not on). They also share the same rubber dome keys which according to SteelSeries have a lifespan of up to 5 million keystrokes, the same anti-ghosting feature (6 simultaneous keypresses from the 20 keys that support them), same low profile keys and finally the same adjustable height. However that's just about it and so the [RAW] version only has white key illumination with a total of 8 levels (compared to the 16.7m colors of the APEX), no active illumination zones (the APEX has 5), 17 macro keys in 2 macro layers (vs 22 macro keys in 4 layers of the APEX), shared media keys (while the APEX has dedicated ones) and finally no USB connectors (the APEX has 2). Of course the good thing is that these differences are not massive and most people will probably never use the full potential of the APEX so the [RAW] actually sounds like a good alternative for casual gamers.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

At the front of the somewhat large box we see a product image and its main features along with the SteelSeries logo.

You can see the white key illumination at the base of the box.

The features of the APEX [RAW] are printed at the rear in 10 languages and are showcased on a product image.

Just like the APEX the [RAW] is also placed inside a plastic bag and a formed cardboard that keeps it in place during shipping.

The bundle is the same one we saw with the APEX so aside the APEX [RAW] Gaming Keyboard inside the box you will find a case badge, quick start guide and two rubber feet.

THE APEX [RAW]

The center section of the APEX [RAW] Gaming Keyboard is the same as the one of the normal APEX so it features a nice black glossy coating while the exterior features a matte/texture coating. Size-wise the APEX [RAW] is quite large measuring a maximum of 500mm in length, 220mm in width and 30mm in height (tallest point).

The SteelSeries logo is placed on the upper right and is also illuminated.

Much like the APEX the APEX [RAW] features the same oversized space button which may take some time getting used to.

On the far left we see the 2 macro layer keys and the 5 macro keys right beneath.

Although SteelSeries has left F1 through F4 alone F5 and up to F12 double as media keys. Right above we see 12 more macro keys placed higher to make it easier to locate/use while in-game.

The sides of the APEX are also illuminated however in the case of the [RAW] they are not (still they do look nice).

One unique feature both the APEX and the APEX [RAW] have is the removable rubber feet instead of the usual height adjusters (you can't close them by mistake or even break them).

The preinstalled rubber feet give the APEX an angle of 7 degrees while the ones in the bundle increase that angle to 10.

Unfortunately unlike the APEX the cable of the APEX [RAW] is not braided however the USB connector is also not gold plated just like with the dual ones of the APEX.

USING THE APEX

Since SteelSeries no longer bundles software CDs with their products (and haven’t for a while) you will need to head over to the official SteelSeries support page and download both the latest firmware version and the latest Engine software version.

SteelSeries uses a unified firmware update software so once you launch it you will see many of their products so just choose the APEX [RAW]. The firmware update procedure takes just a couple of minutes.

The first time you will launch the SteelSeries Engine you will need to choose the layout of your model (you can also change it later on from within the Engine software).

From within the Engine control software you can customize any of the keys (different keystroke/macro/to launch programs), configure the 34 different macros (17 via 2 layers), adjust the level of illumination, set the polling rate, create profiles based on games and finally you can also make use of the statistics screen which basically helps you see which keys it is that you are using the most.

We also took a picture with the white LED illumination at maximum (lower levels were not easy to get with the camera) and i do think that it looks fine.

CONCLUSION

   The APEX [RAW] may not share some of its brothers unique characteristics/features but it still has the same high quality build, the same sleek design, 32 total macro key commands, low-profile keys that are obviously faster to use than regular height ones, the same anti-ghosting feature, rubber feet which are simply more "durable" than typical height adjusters (also the keyboard can't be pushed around easily) and finally it comes with a 8-level white key illumination. However the APEX [RAW] shares the drawbacks of its brother and so the keys are still too soft and offer very little feedback (at least for my taste) while the overal distance between the keys is not much compared to other keyboards which is something that may require extra time to get used to. Also the lack of a braided cable may reduce the overall durability of the keyboard although to date i never had such a problem with normal cables.

   The APEX [RAW] is basically a cut-down version of the APEX so naturally its price tag is also lower and so currently you can find it for USD60 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and 60Euros inside the EU (Amazon.co.uk). This price tag is roughly 40% less than that of the APEX so i really think that SteelSeries hit the sweet spot between performance and price. Now of course some people will probably not like that this is not a mechanical keyboard but at that price range there aren't really any mechanical keyboards available aside quite a few very basic models. Besides SteelSeries gives their rubber dome key technology a lifespan of no less than 5 million keystrokes so just like with the APEX i really don't see a problem with the APEX [RAW] durability-wise. Bottom line although not as impressive as the APEX the APEX [RAW] is a very good alternative for people on a tight budget who have use for the number features offered by it which is why it gets our Golden Award.

PROS

- Build Quality
- Low-Profile Keys
- 17 Macro Keys (34 Macro Commands Total)
- 8-Level White Illumination
- Anti-Ghosting Technology (Up To 6 Simultaneous Key Presses)
- Enlarged Space Bar
- Removable Rubber Feet
- Price (For Some)

CONS

- Membrane Keys (For Some)
- Plain Cable (For Some)