INTRODUCTION

   Up until 5 years ago the only keyboards you'd find on my two desks featured the standard membrane technology for the keys (rubber dome) and since 1989 when i got my first personal computer i must have changed at least 10 of them not because they stopped working out of the blue but because of many other reasons. That suddenly changed with the increasing flow of keyboards featuring mechanical switches (Cherry MX keys) into the market by most of the leading gaming peripheral manufacturers. Certainly mechanical keyboards are not something new and as a matter of fact they've been around for quite some time but it wasn't until quite recently that most manufacturers figured out they could also pitch them to the general public (gamers especially). Today we'll be taking a thorough look at what seems to be a very basic gaming mechanical keyboard at first glance the MEKA G-1 Illuminated by Tt eSPORTS.

   “Challenge is the game” highlights the philosophy to bring out gamers’ addiction in gaming and the ambition of reaching to the extreme. Tt eSPORTS, a gaming obsessed division from Thermaltake, is uniting gamers from all over the world in a unique & fascinating eSPORTS culture, inherited the spirits of Thermaltake, is an energetic, powerful, bold and intelligent challenger who never says “no” to the extreme competition. We do not only provide gamers the ultimate gaming gears but also fulfills the passion to achieve the ultimate success. Thermaltake has been a well-known brand in the gaming & DIY market for PC Chassis, Coolers and Power Supplies PSU for many years. The brand personality of unique, aggressive, vivid and stylish makes Thermaltake an expert in creating exciting things and fascinating environment for gamers and enthusiasts. Tt eSPORTS inherited the brand personality with unique and creative design by observing users’ behaviors and requirements. The fan cooling design on Tt eSPORTS Challenger keyboard demonstrate the brand spirit. It is the worldwide first keyboard with fan cooling function that could dry your hand sweats and blow tension away during cut-throat competition.

   Tt eSPORTS has been making mechanical gaming keyboards almost since their introduction a few years back and that's also why at first glance the MEKA G1 Mechanical Gaming Keyboards seems basic. You see it has no extra macro keys, no fans for the sweating of the hands, no customization for the illumination (single color only) and last but not least it comes without control software. What it does however is cherry MX black switches/keys (certified for up to 50 million keystrokes), anti-ghosting, a very sturdy industrial-grade construction, 1.5m long military-grade braided cable (like nothing we've seen from the competition), 2 USB ports, headphones and microphone audio jacks and a 4 zone illumination which is yet another feature we don't get to see a lot (if at all) with similar solutions. The only real question is whether or not these features are enough to attract consumers so let's find out.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

The main features of the MEKA G1 Illuminated are listed at the front right next to a large product picture and beneath the company logo.

The Solid to Conquer phrase is placed on the bottom and top of the box.

At the rear Tt eSPORTS has placed the features of the unit in 15 languages.

Once you open the box a large piece of cardboard is used to showcase all the product features.

The MEKA G1 Illuminated is placed inside a foam bag.

You will not be getting much with the MEKA G1 Illuminated just the quick installation guide and the warranty policy.

THE MEKA G1 ILLUMINATED

The MEKA G1 Illuminated is quite large even without the handrest weighing a total of 1550g and measuring 430mm in length, 160mm in width and 40mm in height.

Tt eSPORTS has placed their initials right next to the Num/scroll/caps lock LEDs.

The F1-F7 keys can also be used as media navigation keys (stop/play/next/previous/volume control).

You can adjust the backlight illumination via the F11 and F12 keys (with the help of the Fn key always).

Cherry MX Black switches may not be as good as the Red ones for gamers but they do come close.

At the right front of the MEKA G1 Illuminated Tt eSPORTS has placed two USB 2.0 ports and the usual headphones and microphone audio jacks.

The bottom of the MEKA G1 Illuminated has 2 feet that keep it almost 2cm from the desk.

With the handrest mounted the keyboard measures almost 230mm in width.

The military grade braided cable is actually so thick that some people may have a problem routing the cable (on the other hand this will probably outlive every other part of the keyboard).

At the end of the cable we see two gold plated USB ports (you need to plug both into your system to provide power to the rear USB ports) and two audio jacks also gold plated (headphones and microphone used only if you plan on attaching your headset at the rear of the keyboard).

Here we are showcasing the strength of the illumination and the different zones you can choose to illuminate.

CONCLUSION

   What the MEKA G1 Illuminated lacks in terms of bells and whistles some other mechanical gaming keyboards have it more than makes up for that with its build quality although I’m quite certain that this may not sound just as impressive to some people. Now i can't say for certain whether or not the build quality of the keyboard is indeed industrial grade but it does feel very sturdy and able to take on plenty of punishment so i have no reason not to trust Tt eSPORTS. As expected from the Cherry MX Black switches used although they offer almost no tactile feedback the fact that they are quite hard to press makes the MEKA G1 Illuminated ideal for gamers although just not as much as solutions using Cherry MX Red switches. Of course if you type a lot i strongly recommend keyboards featuring Cherry MX Blue switches since they offer the best tactile and audible feedback of all available models. The lack of control software seemed a bit odd at first but since you can control the illumination levels and zones from the keyboard itself the only real use would be for macro commands something i don't find much use for anyways.

   One thing i always liked with Tt eSPORTS is their aggressive policy when it comes to pricing and with a current price tag of USD117.47 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and 108Euros inside the EU (Amazon.co.uk) the MEKA G1 Illuminated Mechanical Gaming Keyboard seems to be a very tempting solution for people looking to get a good mechanical keyboard without spending a whole lot in the process. Overall we were all pleased with the MEKA G1 Illuminated, sure it may not be as impressive like let’s say the G-UNIT or as feature-rich as the Challenger Ultimate (although this is not a mechanical keyboard) again by Tt eSPORTS but for people who want a keyboard and not something to dazzle their friends it's a very good choice and that's also why it gets our Golden Award.

PROS

- Industrial Grade Build Quality
- Cherry MX Black Switches
- 2 USB Ports
- Headphones & Microphone 3.5mm Ports
- Gold Plated USB Plugs & 3.5mm Jacks
- Military Grade Braided Cable
- Backlighting (4 Modes/4 zones)
- Price (For Some)

CONS

- Single Illumination Color
- No Macro Keys