INTRODUCTION

   We all know that most regular consumers don't pay much attention when choosing the right peripherals for their systems so for their basic needs even a USD20 keyboard/mouse combo will probably do just fine. However if you're a serious or even just a casual gamer then chances are that you spend quite a bit of time online reading reviews before you decide on the right peripherals for the job. Most gaming keyboards in the market use Cherry MX mechanical switches since they are the obvious choice for people that require tactile and audio feedback something which the majority of membrane dome keyboards are not really good at. Tt eSPORTS has been manufacturing mechanical keyboards almost from the day they got established and that has allowed their products to gain a significant advantage over many others both in terms of quality and features. They too have made extended use of Cherry MX switches but today we'll be checking out their latest offering based on Kailh brown mechanical switches the Poseidon Z Illuminated Mechanical Gaming Keyboard.

     “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.

   Kailh may not be as popular as Cherry in the mechanical switches arena (they've been around however since the early 90's) nor do they have the same wide variety of available models but with many other manufacturers announcing the design and manufacture of their very own mechanical switches (see Razer for example) we can't really consider that as a drawback. However for people who just want the "guarantee" the name Cherry carries Tt eSPORTS also makes the Poseidon illuminated mechanical gaming keyboard that features Cherry MX brown, red and blue switches. Now some may wonder as to why Tt eSPORTS took the gamble to also release a mechanical gaming keyboard based on Kailh switches when they already have the same keyboard with Cherry MX switches and the answer is really very simple, availability. Cherry has been selling their popular blue, red, brown and black mechanical switches to virtually every keyboard manufacturer out there and so naturally such high demand can prove too much to handle all the time. Still after almost one full week with the Poseidon Z on our desk we have very good things to say about its mechanical switches (and for it as a whole).

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

At the front of the long black box you will see a product picture along with the Tt eSPORTS logo, the Tt eSPORTS certified switch sticker and the type of switch (in our case brown).

The features and specifications of the Poseidon Z are showcased at the rear with the help of one large image.

As you can see the keyboard is nicely packed inside a bubble bag.

Tt eSPORTS obviously hasn't placed much weight on the bundle (not that anything's missing really) so aside the keyboard you will also get a quick installation guide and a warranty policy paper.

THE POSEIDON Z

The 440mm long, 133mm wide, 37mm thick and 995g heavy Poseidon Z looks like your average keyboard without any hand/wrist rests or fancy bells and whistles.

On the upper right corner we see the usual lock LEDs alongside the Tt eSPORTS logo and a key used to disable/enable the windows keys.

The Tt eSPORTS logo is also placed on the space bar.

F1 through F7 also double as media keys so they can also be used for media navigation and volume control.

You can adjust the 4 level blue LED illumination of the keys by using the F11 and F12 keys with the Fn (function) key.

If the brown mechanical switches didn't have the Kailh name engraved beneath them we would have no reason to believe these weren't manufactured by Cherry.

At the bottom we find a long trail/channel used to route the cable, four small rubber feet that keep the keyboard steady and two flip-out feet that keep it roughly 11mm from the desk.

The Poseidon Z has a vertical piece of rubber attached at the two ends of the front so you don't have to worry about scratching it if placed against something.

The 1.8m long cable (although it says braided on the specs sheet it actually seems normal) comes up to a normal USB connector (not gold plated).

Since the keyboard requires no drivers the moment you plug it in the keys will illuminate. Above you can see the first and last levels of illumination.

CONCLUSION

   At 995g the Poseidon Z mechanical gaming keyboard by Tt eSPORTS may not be the heaviest of its kind but it's very solid and so it should keep you company for many years to come without issue. The backlit illumination is also very good and strong although we would like to see LED color variety since blue many not be something everyone likes (such switches are already a reality so we should see such keyboards from Tt eSPORTS rather soon). We do however understand that the most important feature of one such keyboard is its mechanical switches and here's where things are even more impressive since Kailh brown switches are almost identical to Cherry MX brown ones and we're not exaggerating. Some people call Kailh switches as fake and/or copies of Cherry MX ones but in the end who started the trend (or who has been dominating the market) matters very little. We care about the end result and the Poseidon Z has nothing really to envy from its brother the Poseidon that uses Cherry MX brown mechanical switches. Of course brown mechanical switches may give you tactile feedback but they require more force to press compared to red switches so unless you also use your keyboard to type a lot then the Poseidon with red mechanical switches is more recommended.

   With a current price tag set at USD79.99 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and at around 79Euros inside the EU the Poseidon Z Illuminated Mechanical Gaming Keyboard by Tt eSPORTS is amongst the cheapest ones in the market something which should go a long way with gamers. Sure it doesn't offer much in terms of features so it may not be the ideal choice for people who may want something fancy on their desks but for people on a somewhat tight budget it's certainly a very good choice. As for the Kailh switches well they worked like a charm and although Cherry will probably always lead the market it's a good thing to know that there are alternatives out there. Excellent build quality combined with brown mechanical switches and accompanied with a 5 year warranty and the end result is a very good product well worth our Golden Award.

PROS

- Excellent Build Quality
- Kailh Brown Mechanical Switches
- Key Illumination (4 Levels)
- Driverless
- 5 Years Warranty
- Price (For Some)

CONS

- Single Illumination Color
- No Macro Keys