SteelSeries Apex 100 Mechanical Gaming Keyboard - Blue Backlit, Fully Customizable RGB, US Layout (PC/Mac) - Perfect for Esports, Streaming & Office Work

It WAS a good keyboard until windows 10 FORCED an update down my throat and installed Steel series GG engine which immediately killed my keyboard. I can unplug it and plug it back in and it will work for a few minutes before stopping again. tried troubleshooting, uninstalling and reinstalling drivers, ect all to no avail. it'll work for a few minutes and then stop. that's the last steel series product I'll ever buy. if something works stop coming out with garbage "updates" that brick stuff. it's a keyboard, you plug it in and type with it, it doesn't need updates.it ok but it the sound is ok so it ok it but if you want a cheap keyboard it good but it not mechanicalWhy are they so much on here??? The Apex 100 Gaming is only $29.99.....Everywhere...in every store ive been into.. but this one is more than twice that price. why???This keyboard is not good. It cuts my typing speed at least in half with very slow key response time. Make a mistake? Be prepared for huge delays in backspacing and correcting because the keys are so sloppy. I only chose this KB because my Logitech wireless kb/mouse combo went dead during an auto-firmware update and I couldn't get the wireless fob to work. So I tried a 2nd fob and that one was corrupted by the same firmware crash. Never buying another Logitech product, but that's OT here, regarding this SS product. Even as I type this I am reminded of how badly I need a replacement. I'm getting rid of this KB very soon.This review is for the M750 TKL:There are quite a lot of reviews on here but some are for different keyboards in the Steelseries range so I thought I would give my opinion on the TKL version of the M750 as there doesn't appear to be many reviews of it in this section.If you are after a TKL board there are not that many choices really and they all seem to be priced quite high, with Amazon pricing of the 750 isn't too bad compared to the competition. Construction is first class and very solid. The attached cable is a non-braided version which I prefer and it is nice and flexible so desk routing is fairly easy. The cable is also permanently attached to the keyboard.There is no USB pass-through or any other features like some other keyboards like dedicated media keys although you can adjust volume and other features with the f keys. When wanting to use media functions it is quite nice as you press the Steelseries logo and all the functions are highlighted in a different colour to the main colour of the keys. You also are able to lock the windows key which is handy for gaming.There are 3 led indicators below the Steel series logo, from top to bottom is 1)Caps lock 2)Scroll lock 3)windows lock, which is activated by pressing and holding the logo and then Windows key. The indicators are set to white light, it would have been nice to be able to change these to a different colour as well but this is nitpicking.RGB; I am not a massive fan of crazy RGB colour combos but having per key RGB is a great feature, I normally just keep a uniform colour over the entire keyboard so it's nice to be able to change it up every now and then to freshen up your desk. Brightness goes to insane levels and can be changed via the keyboard. You can also do basic colour changes via the keyboard using the logo button with INS,DEL,Home,End. You do get a light bleed under the keys due to the nature of the mechanical keys but it does not look bad IMHO. The only slight let down is where the LED's are located makes the number keys not quite as bright ie the symbol looks a little brighter than the number on the same key. That being said you can still clearly see the numbers. To go full crazy RGB you have to use the Steel Series app, colour combos are then pretty much unlimited.Keyboard noise may be something to consider, as this is a mechanical keyboard if you are using it in a shared room it may start to annoy people around you as it does make quite a loud clack on each keystroke, reading reviews this isn't regarded as the loudest keyboard but it is near the top. My desk seems to amply the sound so I have ordered an extra large mouse pad to insult the noise a little bit. If your primary use is long typing sessions it may get annoying. The key activation is also very light so for touch typing, it may also lead to some input errors but for gaming it is great which is what it is really intended for.You can adjust the height of the back of the keyboard, included in the box is another set of rubber feet that you can swap out, it is isn't a quick solution so it's more a set it and forget really, the keyboard is angled slightly so I found the lower feet to suit me better, if you like changing up the angle depending on your task bear this in mind.The Steelseries app that you can download is also very good IMHO, 3rd party apps tend to be utter junk and this app looks like it had a lot of work put into it, you can do lots of adjustments and if paired with other SteelSeries products you can set everything together, no complaints here.It would have been nice for Steelseries to include a wrist rest in the box that is sized to the keyboard, at this price level I think it's a bit cheap on the part of Steelseries as TKL wrist rests are not easily available and this is a premium keyboard.Overall I think it's a decent bit of kit, there are not that many good TKL keyboards and this while expensive is not crazy high in price. Its designed really for gaming and in that role it works great, there are no gimmicks really just a solid build and great responsive keys if a little loud ! The faults I have pointed out are really minor and to be honest I would consider them nitpicking and they haven't made me regret my purchase. I am still getting use the keyboard but I am happy so far.Cons:Keys are quite loudRGB a little uneven in some areasNo included wrist restPros:Solid constructionVery responsiveCompact sizeGreat App to control everything (separate download)Edit: I added some keyboard dampeners (small little o-rings) which have really improved the noise levels of the keys, they help stop the harsh bottoming out sound of the keys without wrecking the nice feeling of the keystrokes.Kit used was: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B06XFGHDG5/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1Skip to UPDATE 3 for the reasons why this keyboard has gone from a 5 start to a 2 star keyboard.I'm writing this review using the Apex M750 keyboard and it reminds me very much of the old IBM PC M-series keyboards and my old BBC Micro. In fact, it's action is more like a BBC Micro keyboard than pretty much any other keyboard I've every had. For me, this is not a bad thing at all as the Beeb was my first computer back in 1983 and I've always loved their keyboards.Feature wise, the M750 doesn't disappoint providing some really great features with static and reactive colours which change/ripple/perform an effect as you type. This can be distracting if you're trying to be productive so mercifully the reactive behaviour can be turned off.I've been using and MSI laptop with built in steelseries keyboard for a couple of years but needed a new desktop keyboard I could use with the laptop when I had it docked. I went with the steelseries partly because of its reviews and partly because I already have the laptop with steelseries keyboard fitted so having an external keyboard that looks like it belongs to the same setup was important to me.One thing I'm getting used to is the size of the keys when compared to the laptop as they're actually a bit smaller than the laptop keys so my accuracy has taken a bit of a hit until I get used to the key spacing on the new keyboard. I'm aware this is a temporary thing that will improve as my muscle memory adapts to the new keyboard and it's to be expected when changing from a laptop keyboard to a full mechanical device.In terms of the physical adjustability, the rake on the keyboard is altered by replacing the rubber feet with the deeper ones which are supplied so you effectively have two settings for the keyboard but if you plan on switching between them often, it could prove a cumbersome process.In the spirit of transparency, this is my second keyboard. The first arrived four days ago and it was immediately obvious from the outer packaging that it had had a battering. The inner printed packaging was pristine but it seems the keyboard did not survive the impact all that well with the J key having an intermittent LED. Amazon's return process has been quick and easy and being the Easter weekend, I held on to the old keyboard whilst the new one was delivered and I'm pleased to report that this second keyboard has no such issues.UPDATE: Three months of use and I'm really settled in with this keyboard now. The customisation tools are excellent and I've tailored the key illumination to most of my games now. FPS games, I just have the WASD, CTRL and SPACE keys illuminated in red, Elite Dangerous, the entire keyboard is coloured to match the HUD in orange.In use, the keys are responsive and natural. The noise does sometime grate on people that may be around and not actually using the board but I like it when I'm typing and don't notice it when I'm playing.UPDATE 2: I've added pictures to illustrate that from the operators point of view you can't see the Num Lock, Caps Lock, Scroll Lock and Windows key de-activated indicator. If they were above rather than below the steelseries logo, this keyboard would be perfect.UPDATE 3: It's now about 6 months and 2 weeks since I bought this keyboard and as per my original review, it's my second one because the first one that shipped was faulty. Today, the second keyboard has developed the same fault. Essentially, the three colour LED's fail. On the first keyboard, the LED under the J key failed. On this second keyboard, the LED under the left arrow key failed. The RED element of the LED has gone and when a colour that uses any RED in it is set for that key, the LED flickers. There simply is no RED left in the LED. I don't know whether this is a failure of the LED itself or it's a failure of the soldering. Being only 6 months old, I've asked for a full refund and I am returning the item again. It would be a fantastic keyboard but given the price of it, I'd hope it would last a good few (10 or more) years before it developed a fault such as this. As it stands, I'll be looking for an alternative from another manufacturer. Disappointed :-(I LOVED this keyboard. It was almost perfect. The customisation of lighting profiles is great. The only way it was let down was because you CANNOT save more than 1 profile to the keyboard when it is being used on something other than your PC with the software. I bought this for my xbox and having to keep plugging and unplugging it into my PC every time I changed game to change my lighting profile to the game was annoying. And made more frustrating by the fact it would often not want to switch, or be recognised by the PC. So often an annoying 2 minute job could take 15 minutes and require many plug and unplugs / PC or software restarts.I have exchanged it for a Corsair K70. By comparison I prefer the Steelseries though.The K70 limits you to 5 colours per profile (when saving to the keyboards memory) and I like to colour code the actions a lot. So for example in Fortnite I have 10 colours. And I instantly know what the action is when I see the colour. Now I'm gonna have to totally rethink my layout. And colours.Also, I have both keyboards side by side as I write this and the brightness and vibrance of the colours on the steelseries is far far better than the Corsair. It really is such a shame.What I can also say is the keys feel superior too. Much more solid build on this than the Corsair. The more I type this the more gutfed I am that I have to switch.If you are planning on using this thing for your PC then I fully recommend it as it lets you assign a key to change profiles while its plugged into the PC so you can do everything I wanted it to do there.Or if you will only be using 1 profile while using it on a different device then again.. This is the one for you!Goodbye my sweet. *Dont look back.. :'( Dont look back.. :,(I upgraded to the Apex M750 from a Microsoft Wired Keyboard 600. At first, I'll admit, it did take some getting used to... the switches used within the M750 (Steelseries' own "QX2" switches) are very sensitive and whereas I previously rested my hand on my WASD keys whilst playing games, I found that even the smallest amount of pressure from my fingers would cause the key to actuate. After many accidental key presses, I got used to the keyboard's sensitivity and now prefer it to any other keyboard I've used in the past.As for looks, sound, and build quality, you really can't fault it. The matte black finish is sleek, key presses respond with a nice mechanical click, and its all-aluminium body feels much sturdier than plastic. Although keyboard debris does generate over time, cleaning is very easy thanks to the visible gap between "key" and "board" - grab some compressed air, spray away, and you're good to go.One thing I would say is that this keyboard is clearly marketed towards "gamers" above those that use their keyboards to type solely essays, etc. Whilst low actuation pressure/distance might make it feel like you're responding quicker in games, it does feel very easy to accidentally press the wrong key whilst typing, especially if you're touch-typing at speed. Note that I've owned the M750 for around two months at this point so it's possible my muscle memory hasn't totally adjusted yet.In terms of additional features, I've encountered no problems with the Steelseries Engine (the software used to control RGB, macros, etc). I use the M750 alongside a Rival 300 mouse and lighting settings work as expected - RGB settings can be applied universally between devices or individually customised. You can also set up presets that activate upon starting certain programs/games, though I haven't played around with that too much.All in all, it's great... except now I can't stop buying SteelSeries products to brand-match all of my peripherals. Oh well.Let me start of by saying the functionality of this keyboard is amazing. The keys are very responsive (albeit a bit loud for red switches) and feel good to type on. What isn't amazing is that when I came back from holiday one day I foudn the the + key on the keybad stopped working properly. It only shiones very low green light and red light, all other colours either cause it to flcier in yellow or default to green. It's a shame because I really do like the keyboard, and don't really want to fork out for another one. I'm not sure If I will stick to steelseries if their products only last this long.