Apex 9 TKL - Mechanical Gaming Keyboard – Optical Switches – 2-Point Actuation – Compact Esports Tenkeyless Form Factor – Hotswappable Switches - American QWERTY Layout

I’ve recently upgraded to a newer board, but the SteelSeries Apex 9 TKL easily remains one of my favourites. I used it for a couple of years and it never let me down. The optical switches are super fast and responsive, perfect for gaming, and the build quality is excellent — no wobble, no fading, and no issues over time. RGB looks great, the TKL layout is perfect for desk space, and it always felt premium to use. If you want a reliable, long-lasting gaming keyboard, this one is absolutely solid.

I bought this to replace a very ancient and dying Logitech wireless keyboard which I loved, but which deserved a decent burial after many years' service. I work for 8-10 hours a day as a transcriptionist, and play games in my spare time, so needed something that was going to stand up to an awful lot of abuse. And even having had it only a couple of days, I think this will be it. The Apex 7 is solid and sturdy, and the feel of the mechanical keys is a revelation after the membrane design of the previous ones. It is simply so much more comfortable. Although there is unavoidably quite a lot more "clatter" from the keys with a mechanical one, the Brown switches themselves are quiet and do not "click" on actuation, so it's a good compromise. I'm learning to "feel" the actuation point, which is resulting in me gradually adopting a much lighter touch on the keyboard than I had before - which can only be a good thing. Added functions: for me the RGB light effects were less important than function in choosing this one, but now that the board is here and in use I find I quite like them. I work evenings, and it gives me the option to work with a lower ambient light level if I feel like it, which is sometimes quite nice. The OLED display may be useful for some, but for me it really is just a gimmick. It doesn't work with the main game I play, so I've set it to a static image and left it that way. I haven't had cause to use the USB passthrough as I already have a USB hub on my desk so there's no need, so I can't comment on it. The volume roller is excellent for me, as a transcriptionist I am constantly adjusting volume up and down, and this is considerably easier than having to access the volume settings on the PC each time, or even using the push buttons on the old keyboard. This gives immediate, precise fingertip control, which is perfect. Overwhelmingly I'm delighted with this keyboard, and would recommend it wholeheartedly.

Almost perfect. What I like: -switches: buttery smooth, quiet, with adjustable actuation. -price: very good value, especially on sale. -keycaps: nicely textured and seem durable -media scroll wheel: very useful and can be pressed for extra functionality. -detachable cable: always nice to see, especially on the left side (my preference, more space for the mouse) what could be improved: -software: Found it complicated and had issues setting it up the way I wanted. I was told this is because my device isn't fully compatible (even though it said it would be). For example I wasn't able to set multiple RGB profiles and couldn't set a mic mute button to the extra media switches. -build quality: its good enough, but I would prefer to see a metal base and a more durable cable port. 9/10 overall. Would recommend.

This keyboard is very simply and elegantly designed and paired with Steelseries' industry leading software, it's a breath of fresh air. The keyboard works out of the box for those who aren't interested in configuration. The LCD will display the Steelseries logo and can be used to adjust brightness, macros, profiles and settings without ever installing the software. The USB port on the backside of the board is convenient and designed slickly. The keyboard hand rest attaches magnetically, and the magnets are coupling seems like it will be durable in the long run. This is a clear advantage over other keyboards that attach mechanically, which fail in the long term. The software interfaces with different games, meaning that keys are automatically programmed to show different aspects of games. For MMOs, this means that the 1-9 keys can be selectively illuminated to show cooldown times. For FPSs, you can have a row of keys deplete with your ammo. The LCD display can also be configured to show essential information, such as round number, mission objective etc. Users can also draw their own graphic, or upload an image as they please. LED configuration is generous. Users can create custom formats using the intuitive tool, or make advantage of practical plugins (such as music equalizers which illuminate the keyboard accordingly). Additionally, users can also upload GIFs to the software to have them display across the keyboard. The board is a fantastic choice for the price. Cherry MX blue switches are still king!

One of the best keyboards I have had in a long time. I prefer the full sized keyboards and it feels solid to type on. The RGB is a nice touch on it with the light shining through the keys for making typing in the dark easier if necessary. The onboard usb comes in very handy for plugging in memory sticks if I'm too lazy to go under the desk.

I’m honestly very surprised, this keyboard has blew me away. I would have never expected a keyboard with a screen to be this sleek and clean. I absolutely love the amount of features this keyboard has. Take the time to read the list I have written below. PROS: -One of the best looking sleek keyboards I have ever had, it’s quite minimalistic and the overall feel to it is quality, there is barely any plastic to be seen. (Except for the keycaps) -The screen is built into the keyboard and is amazing, I love that I can control the keyboards lighting effects, brightness of the screen, macro settings and even a factory reset if needed all from a little screen. -Keycaps honestly feel nice and your fingers end up resting into curved middle quite nicely, the keys themselves don’t wiggle that much and it’s very nice to type with. -I chose the cherry red switches as there wasn’t any other switches in stock but I would’ve chosen red regardless, it’s very nice to hear the switches click and provide sound feedback when your typing and it has a linear switch as well, that means when pressing a key down it will feel smooth and linear from top to bottom during the travel of the switch. -Hand-rest is a pleasant additional touch, I have a wooden desk and my wrist aches with other keyboards but with the Apex 7 you have a magnetic hand-rest that feels nice whilst typing. If I need any space I can easily detach the hand-rest by simply pulling away from the keyboard as it’s only held in by two magnets, that being said there is still enough force between the magnets to ensure no accidental detach during usage. -The media controls, which are very simple are easy to use and usually register what I’m trying to do (pause a track, skip a track, go to the previous track, mute the volume) so I don’t have to switch screens trying to do it. CONS: -This keyboard can get very, very dirty. I had to remove all of my keycaps and even then I couldn’t clean it properly with the switches in the way. The hand-rest attracts a lot of dust that is quite hard to clean unless you have a micro fibre cloth, even then you have to scrub the rubber in order to get the dust completely off. -I had a problem with a gif not being able to be removed from the screen (you can upload gifs to the keyboard’s screen via the SteelSeries engine application) so I had to factory reset the keyboard. -The screen for some reason doesn’t have colours, it’s only black and white unfortunately which limited the option for certain gifs to be uploaded. In summary I’m honestly surprised that a keyboard with a screen could look so clean, especially considering that many many keyboards have tried this same screen effect and it not looking clean as the Apex 7. There are barely any problems I’ve had with the keyboard, and at the price I would recommend this keyboard.

★★★★★ I'm absolutely thrilled with my new keyboard! The sleek and minimalist design not only looks fantastic on my desk but also complements my workspace perfectly. The keys are incredibly responsive and provide a satisfying typing experience, whether I'm working on a lengthy document or engaging in intense gaming sessions. The backlighting is customizable, allowing me to personalize the keyboard to suit my mood or environment. Additionally, the build quality is top-notch, ensuring durability for long-term use. Overall, I couldn't be happier with this keyboard and would highly recommend it to anyone in search of a reliable and stylish input device.

With brown switches: Pros: ~Immensely customizable RGB experience like no other. ~Compact design but still has the essential manual volume control. ~Macro/RGB/illumination software highly intuitive ~Heavy and solid ~Very plush design and lovely wrist support ~The display is fully customized with each profile, along with the RGB settings e.g. you can upload gifs and images from dedicated websites for this. You can swap between led/screen profiles with a hotkey. Cons: ~Very thick cable may annoy some users although there is an under-keyboard tidy to select left/centre/right exit for cable. ~Requires 2 USB ports if using the USB passthrough (one for keys/lighting and one for UBS passthrough port (Usb3.1)). ~Some audible ping from all keys after pressing which is somewhat annoying (o-rings have lowered bottoming out sound but the 'ping' is a separate sound) ~If you are moving from a membrane keyboard to this it is significantly louder i.e. I have to be conscious about not waking up people who are sleeping in another room. I certainly can't use it as I want to This is with the o-rings fitted to all keys. This is a big downside for me. Purchased as "used - like new" but greesy and used. Got 10% refund to keep.