In this review, we are going to get to know the brand new ASUS ROG Azoth Wireless Mechanical Keyboard. Let’s find out how she performed during the test
Having good peripherals won’t make you an eSports champion, but it will help you to have good performance and make the most of your responsiveness and skills. That’s why the gaming industry has been trying to churn out for years now increasingly competitive products from every point of view. A user who can express his or her potential is certainly a happy user and will most likely return to purchase a product from the same company.
ASUS he knows this well and since 2006 he has been carrying on his brand dedicated entirely to gaming, that is Republic of Gamers (ROG). This section gives us more and more valid products day after day and just a few days ago a new wireless compact mechanical keyboard was presented. We are talking about theASUS ROG Azoth that we will get to know very thoroughly in this review.
Data sheet
- Dimensions: 326 x 136 x 40 mm
- Weight: 1186 g
- Connectivity: USB, Bluetooth, RF 2,4 GHz
- Interface: USB 2.0 (da type-C a type-A)
- Switch: ROG NX red tuners, hot-swappable
- Lighting: RGB
- Anti-Ghosting: NKRO
- Update frequency: up to 1000Hz
- Keycaps: PBT
- Layout: Italian
- Memory: up to 5 profiles
- Display: OLED with control knob
- Software: Armoury Crate
Packaging and design – ASUS ROG Azoth review
The packaging of this keyboard is made up of two layers. A very subtle exterior that I’m in provide all the necessary information to convince the user to purchase and a second, much more robust, within the first. Inside the latter will find our keyboard, wrapped in a cloth to protect it from dust, if needed. Under our Azoth they find accommodation then a user guidea certification, of the stickers and a third pack containing all other accessories. Here we will find:
- and switch lubrication set which includes, in addition to the lubricant precisely, also a brush, a base for lubrication and a tool to open the switches
- and tool for removing switches
- one to remove the various keycaps
- and cavo USB da type-C a type-A for charging
- three additional switches
Once the keyboard has been removed from the protective cover we will be able to immediately feel a constructive solidity like few others know how to give us. This solidity turns into quite important dimensions, especially as regards height, and in a somewhat exaggerated weight. All of this, without a proper palm rest, can cause gods minor wrist problems during long gaming sessions.
The design is that of a 75% compact keyboard. In the upper right corner we then find one 2 inch OLED screen. Through the latter we can see various parameters, including the type of connection we set, whether 2.4 GHz RF or Bluetooth, the battery charge, although it is not expressed as a percentage, and the mode on which the keyboard (PC or Mac). Next to this we find a three-way lever and on the side a key that will allow us to vary between the various submenus that we will explore later.
On the back of the keyboard we find a switch that will allow us to switch between Bluetooth and RF modes or to turn off our keyboard to save battery. The USB receiver will also be housed here which will allow us to connect the keyboard in RF mode to the PC. On the other side of this side we will then find the USB type-C port for charging. The lower part of the keyboard is instead characterized by a textured surface, by the four rubber feet to make it adhere better to the surface and by two risers which can create three different angles depending on whether they are more or less open.
True top-of-the-line performance – ASUS ROG Azoth review
One of the factors that mainly struck us is the battery life which, according to the company, is around 130 hours without light effects. During our test, despite having been used for several hours every day both to write articles and to play with the active effects, we were never able to fully download it. This is also due to the standby mode that activates automatically when a few minutes have passed (you can adjust everything via software).
In this way you avoid unnecessary waste of battery, extending its life and allowing us to play without having to recharge it every few days. However, the battery is not the only noteworthy element in this review of the ASUS ROG Azoth keyboard. Although it is one mechanical keyboard with red switchesfamous for their performance but also for the noise they create, the internal structure with a 3.5 mm silicone pad, a layer of PORON foam and an additional layer of silicone foam allow absorb all vibrations and completely cancel the echo that could be created in the structure.
It all turns into a truly unique typing experience, which sends back only the natural noise of the switches being pressed without it being amplified even more. This makes it much quieter than its direct competitorsallowing us to be able to use it even at night without bothering those who live with us.
All these precautions to reduce typing noise as much as possible they don’t compromise the experiencewhich is instead very fluid thanks to the ROG NX red switches that provide a 1.8mm trigger point for quick input. An initial force of 40g prevents accidental key presses, and goes up to 55g for perfect rebound feedback.
Extensive customization and information at a glance – ASUS ROG Azoth review
In addition to the competitive gaming performance that this keyboard can offer, one of the main selling points in our opinion is the OLED screen and with the relative control knob. In fact, through the screen we will be able to read some important parameters, such as GPU and CPU use, but we will also be able to navigate among the various submenus present: system volume, multimedia track, keyboard brightness adjustment, OLED brightness adjustment, change lighting effect and customize (to be activated) .
The various values, based on the menu we are in, they can be changed thanks to the knob which we will find next to the screen. The latter can be moved up, down or clicked. On the side of the keyboard instead we will find the button that will make us change the superimposed submenu among those mentioned above. Through software Armoury Crate we will also be able to modify the image reproduced on the screen by choosing from those present or by inserting one ourselves. We will also be able to display a personalized banner, the song being played with its acoustic wave or system information.
Also here in the software we find then an important section dedicated to nutrition of the keyboard. Here, in addition to seeing the battery charge, we will be able to set some very useful parameters. The first is that relating toauto standby after a few minutes of inactivity which allows us to save battery. The second concerns a light warning that is activated when the battery drops below a certain threshold; a very useful setting to avoid the risk of being left without a keyboard in the most agitated moments.
Then there is the usual freedom of customization both in terms of keys and lighting. However, the light effects can only be synchronized and used if we are in 2.4 GHz RF mode or via charging cable. In fact, the Bluetooth mode does not allow you to make the best use of these aspects.
Conclusions
We have reached the end of this review on the ASUS ROG Azoth keyboard and it is therefore time to sum up a bit. Equipped with a considerable weight and of a quite robust designthis 75% compact keyboard has a truly exceptional responsiveness to allow for a very short reaction time. However in long sessions the absence of a palm rest is felt given the slightly excessive height of the same. We often found ourselves forced to interrupt both work and play sessions in order to rest our tense wrists for a bit.
Despite this small problem, our test went as smooth as oil, thanks above all to one battery that turned out to be almost infinite. This is mainly due to the excellent handling of the keyboard which goes into standby automatically. It is also possible to modify this parameter according to our needs. Speaking of typing we believe this keyboard is unrivalled. In addition to an almost immediate response time, the very low noise of the red ROG NX was also a real surprise.
Imagine having to play or work in the evening with the usual loud TAC-TAC that could annoy anyone who lives with you. Thanks to the engineering solutions adopted by ASUS this is limited to the maximum, only postponing the thud of the switch under pressure. The icing on the cake then comes with the display OLED and the relative lever that will allow us to control and modify some parameters directly from the keyboard.
In short, we are talking about a real gem, if you love compact keyboards, which will allow you to express yourself at your best in your games. That’s all for this review regarding the ASUS ROG Azoth keyboard. We remind you that you can buy it at the recommended price of 299,99 €price which in our opinion it’s a bit high. In order not to miss future reviews regarding the hardware universe, continue to follow techgameworld.com!
Plus points
- Reactivity
- Battery and management
- OLED panel
- Extensive customization
- Silent typing
Points against
- Prezzo
- Slightly high at the front
- Weight