CONCLUSION

   Thermaltake has released several good mechanical keyboard models over the years via their Tt eSPORTS brand so when they announced the X1 RGB under their new TT Premium brand I was very interested to see what changed. Well for starters the X1 RGB is among a handful of keyboards released with the Cherry MX RGB Silver Speed by a manufacturer other than CORSAIR and yes, they are indeed faster when playing games (not sure if I’d call it 40% faster however - unfortunately the DE layout required quite a bit of getting used to). Controlling the keyboard both from its keys and from the gaming software is also a plus and honestly unless you like using macros and per-key illumination the software isn’t really needed. As mentioned in the intro page Thermaltake also offers a smartphone app from where you can control various keyboard functions like its RGB system but it’s really not one of its strong selling points (for example in our book the dual height adjusters are far more important). Also, as with most gaming keyboards that feature one the magnetic wrist rest of the X1 RGB may not be as steady as the usual clip models but it’s far more stable than most we’ve seen to date.

   Currently the X1 RGB Mechanical Gaming Keyboard by TT Premium retails for USD127 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for 120Euros inside the EU (Amazon.co.uk) a price tag which is balanced for what you’re getting. Of course the X1 RGB may be far from the perfect keyboard (for example for some strange reason the brightness level of some effects is not maxed out and the keycaps used in the lower rows of keys are not as ergonomic as the top - check the above picture for more on that) but it still offers a very good price/performance/features ratio and for people looking for a full sized model with plenty of features and Cherry MX RGB Silver or Blue switches this might just be the one and since we feel it delivers on everything Thermaltake promises it gets our Golden Award.

PROS

- Full RGB Individual Key Illumination With 12 Effects
- Cherry MX Silver Speed Mechanical Switches (Linear With 50M Actuations)
- Fully Programmable Keys
- NKey Rollover With 100% Anti Ghosting
- RGB Sync & Alexa Compatible
- Dedicated Media Controls
- Detachable Magnetic Wrist Rest
- USB 2.0 & 3.5mm Pass Throughs
- Small & Large Height Adjusters
- Smartphone App

CONS

- Brightness Levels (For Some Effects)
- Lower Key Rows Keycaps (Not As Ergonomic As The Top)