![]() Metal tends to block wireless signals, and since the Azoth is intended to offer low-latency wireless, that bottom case provides a way for those signals to escape. The bottom case is plastic, but there’s a good reason for the material swap. The design also means that the keyboard is weighty and feels extra premium in the hand. Unlike many gaming keyboards, this does hide the top of the switch housings, so it’s not quite as flashy when viewed from the side, but helps to isolate the RGB under the actual keys. The Azoth tops this with a steel plate for the switches and then a burly aluminum top case on top of that. Keyboard manufacturers like to brag about “aircraft-grade aluminum” frames, when what they really mean is the plate holding the switches. ![]() The top half of the case is made of sturdy aluminum, much like you would find on expensive custom keyboards. I anticipate 200 hours with lighting at half brightness and taking advantage of the power saving settings that put the keyboard to sleep when not in use. Most people will probably use both and won’t hit that number, but even ignoring that recommendation, I haven’t even used 50% of the battery in over two weeks of daily use. Asus quotes an incredible 2,000 hours of total battery life with RGB and the OLED screen disabled. The battery life on the Azoth is also something to behold. Bluetooth is best left for typing due to the inherent delay, but I found SpeedNova competed with even very best wired keyboards, including the 4,000 Hz Corsair K100 RGB and the 8,000 Hz Razer Huntsman V2, despite maintaining a 1,000 Hz polling rate. Once it’s connected, it was reliable and fast. Trying it for the first time, the keyboard paired automatically with its USB dongle, but I appreciated having a screen to confirm my Bluetooth device and pairing status. The screen also indicates your current connection status between USB, Bluetooth, and 2.4 GHz SpeedNova wireless. Each category gives you a clear read on your current settings and makes adjustmenting them easy, though I would have preferred a knob for more precise tweaks to volume. Clicking the button changes categories between volume, lighting brightness, lighting effects, multimedia controls, and OLED brightness. The screen also ties in with the keyboard’s control dial, which has a pressable button and a lever to navigate up and down. ![]() This is especially useful if you’re pushing your system for the best performance and want to keep an eye on temps. While small, it can be customized to show anything from your own custom logo and GIF animations to system information like your CPU and GPU temperature, the date and time, or even calendar and email notifications. In the upper right is an OLED screen that’s anything but gimmicky. ![]() While you’ll still need to hold the function button to access a few keys, like Print Screen, most of what you’ll need has a dedicated button, so you won’t be slowed down if you need to type out an essay or get some work done. Compared to the uber-small 60% designs of the Steelseries Apex Pro Mini or Corsair K70 Pro Mini Wireless, it’s entirely more functional. It has most of the keys of a TKL but leaves a couple of extra inches for your mouse hand. The Azoth uses a 75% layout, which means that it has a full function row and arrow keys, as well as a column of navigation and editing buttons along the right side. The design strikes a middle-ground between gaming prowess and functionality as a do-everything day-to-day keyboard. To keyboard enthusiasts (who are also gamers): it has sound dampening foam, lubed stabilizers, great keycaps, and excellent switches, complete with their own lube kit. To gamers, it has just about every feature you could ask for: per-key RGB, tons of programmability, high-speed wireless connectivity, and great battery life. Virtually every part of its design is a response. Asus clearly paid attention to all the buzz around custom keyboards throughout its development. The ROG Azoth is the product of one of the simplest things a company can do: listen. 10 Images Asus ROG Azoth – Design and Features
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