5-Way Mechanical Keyboard Roundup: Top Decks For Gamers And Enthusiasts
AUKEY KM-G3 RGB Design And Performance
The AUKEY KM-G3 is designed to be minimalistic and space-efficient, all while offering the same features as larger keyboards. In total, the keyboard comes in at just 17.2 inches wide, making it the smallest of all the keyboards included in this roundup. Even with its smaller stature though, the KM-G3 was still able to fit a full 104 key layout. The real kicker here is that for just $65.99 USD, you get full customizable backlighting with 9 preset LED lighting effects, 5 editable game lighting combinations, and 7 color options for each key. That's more than most products offer for over $100 USD.
Along with the lighting, the AUKEY KM-G3 also has a brushed aluminum top panel with a thick plastic base. The overall feel isn't as nice as some of the other keyboards we are testing, but at this price point its hard to complain.
The back of the keyboard is very basic. The only real thing to note on the back is that there are two adjustable stands on each side to increase the height of the back-end. The angle of a keyboard is a personal preference, but we always find additional comfort when the back-end is slightly higher than the base. There are also non-slip pads at both the top and bottom of the keyboard that prevent any slippage while typing or gaming.
The G3 uses Cherry MX Blue clone switches designed by Outemu. The reason to not use Cherry is a cost saving measure, but the thankfully those savings are passed down to the consumer.
Outemu Blue offer a similar tactile bump and audible click to Cherry MX Blue switches, but they are less expensive. The nice part is the savings are what allow AUKEY to include full RGB customizable backlighting at such an affordable price. Also, even though this keyboard doesn't use Cherry switches all the keys still offer full n-key roll over and anti-ghosting features.
AUKEY KM-G3 RGB Performance
