INTRODUCTION

   Judging by all the comments under our reviews and some of the emails and social media messages we've been getting lately although not everyone out there may like RGB lighting (and let's not forget that with most such products you can still use single colors) the truth of the matter is that thanks to that most if not all gaming peripheral lines by the majority of manufacturers in the market have recently been updated either with brand new models or with revamped older ones. This of course doesn't mean it's raining quality gaming peripherals lately because of the addition of RGB lighting but the more new products the more chances of that happening. SteelSeries also updated their keyboard line recently and the Apex M750 Aluminum Core Mechanical Esports Keyboard is not only their top of the line model but it's also been sitting on our desk for the past 13 days.

   SteelSeries has fueled the gaming industry by creating innovative new products, designed specifically for eSports and passionate gamers everywhere. Here at SteelSeries, we are obsessed with “firsts”. Dating back to 2001, our company was formed to meet the surface needs of hardcore gamers by introducing the first glass mousepad, the Icemat. Since that original innovation, we created the first mechanical gaming keyboard, the first suspended headband for gaming headsets, the first World of Warcraft mouse and endless other innovations. SteelSeries is dedicated to building products that push professional gaming further than anyone dreamed. Those innovations make gaming more competitive and more fun for gamers everywhere.

   Just like the Apex M800 again by SteelSeries which used their very own QS1 linear switches the brand new Apex M750 is based on their latest QX2 linear switches (unlike the QS1 however these are very similar to the all classic Cherry MX ones). According to SteelSeries the QX2 switches feature copper click leaves and have an actuation force of 45cN with 2mm actuation point, 4mm total travel and are guaranteed for up to 50 million key presses insuring a lifetime of durability. That's not all you're getting from the Apex M750 since it also features an frame made out of anodized aerospace-grade aluminum, N-Key Roll Over with 100% anti-ghosting, 1000Hz polling rate, per-key RGB lighting with 12 available effects and support for SteelSeries Prism Sync (allows RGB lighting and effects coordination between all your Prism-enabled gear). Let’s take a closer look at the latest Apex M750 Aluminum Core Mechanical Esports Keyboard by SteelSeries.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

Typically we received the Apex M750 inside a box that has a large product picture at the front along with the company logo and a picture of the latest QX2 switches.

Some of the main product features are listed on both the top and the sides of the box.

Both the product and the Prism Sync features are printed at the rear of the box.

The keyboard is wrapped inside a plastic bag and placed in a formed piece of cardboard which is actually an extension of the box.

Along with the Apex M750 SteelSeries also ships two extra rubber feet and the product information guide.

THE APEX M750

Measuring 454mm in length, 153.5mm in width and 46.7mm in height the Apex M750 is only slightly larger compared to the Apex M500 we reviewed a couple of years back and the 6Gv2 before that.

The floating keys design is very popular lately (makes keys easier to clean) so the same applies for the Apex M750.

As always the SteelSeries logo is placed on the top right corner.

The Apex M750 may not have dedicated keys but by pressing the Fn (function) key and the F5-F12 keys you can control the keyboards brightness levels and its media functions (previous/play-pause/next/mute audio/volume down-up).

I was hoping that the sides of the keyboard were also part of its RGB lighting system (just like with the M800 model) but unfortunately i was wrong.

Here we see the brand new QX2 switches which look a lot like the Cherry MX ones we all know.

Turning the keyboard over we see a glossy plastic section and 4 rubber feet (no height adjusters).

Just like with the M800 you can swap the front rubber feet (0.5mm) for the bundled ones (0.9mm).

The 2 meter long cable has a regular USB plug (not Gold plated) at the end.

Here you can see the minimum and maximum brightness levels of the Apex M750.

STEELSERIES ENGINE 3

Since the keyboard doesn't come with a software CD you will need to download the latest Engine version from SteelSeries as seen above.

Once you install and launch the Engine 3 software it will check the firmware version of your keyboard (and of other devices by SteelSeries if you have any) and notify you if it includes a newer version.

You can also use several apps with the Engine 3 software as seen above.

The main control screen is very forthcoming so you can program any of the 104 keys by just clicking on it, create macros, pick one of the 12 available effects and adjust their speed, choose between single color and RGB (colorshift) lighting, change the polling rate from the graph, choose the proper keyboard layout from the world map, adjust the brightness levels from the bulb, set the default engine app color and finally you can also save/delete profiles.

Here you can see several of the available RGB lighting effects.

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 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

   It took some time for SteelSeries to release a high-end gaming keyboard after their highly anticipated and award winning Apex M800 model and although the Apex M750 isn't exactly just as impressive still it delivers where it really counts. Quality is top notch (just as good if not better compared to the M800), the floating keys design is certainly much easier to clean and the new QX2 switches seem and feel far more durable than their QS1 ones (they are a bit louder however and are certified for up to 50m actuations and not 60m as the QS1). We did like the design and the extend of the RGB system on the M800 more than that of the M750 but the latter seems brighter than the former so that may or may not be something people will care about. Once again SteelSeries has used two sets of different height rubber feet instead of height adjusters and although they do feel steadier they just don’t raise the keyboard as much from the desk. As for the Engine 3 software well we’ve used it so many times already that we don’t have much to say about it. It still needs work (too dark and resource hungry) but it’s one of the most detailed and easy to use (not to mention it’s unified) so there’s not anything to complain really.

   The Apex M750 Aluminum Core Mechanical Esports Keyboard carries a price tag currently of USD139.99 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for 115Euros inside the EU (Amazon.co.uk) so it’s priced way beneath the M800 at launch. Sure you’re not getting the same impressive gaming keyboard (in terms of looks) as the M800 but the M750 with its QX2 switches and the aerospace-grade aluminum frame not only looks but also feels more durable and honestly you’ll really have a hard time finding something just as good at around the same price point which is why we give the Apex M750 by SteelSeries our Golden Award.

PROS

- Build Quality (Anodized Aerospace Aluminum Frame)
- Full RGB Individual Key Illumination (16.7m Colors)
- QX2 Mechanical Switches (Linear With 50M Actuations)
- Fully Programmable Keys
- 12 Available RGB Effects
- NKey Rollover With 100% Anti Ghosting
- Engine 3 Software

CONS

- No USB Passthrough
- Sides Are Not Illuminated