Page 3 - Conclusion
In some ways, the Gigabyte AORUS K1 feels very similar to the last keyboard they sent us, the K9 Optical. For one, we still have the excellent build quality and zero flexing in the board. Its minimal design has some subtle but nice design elements for its punk-like finish. The island-style layout is pretty typical and makes for a smaller footprint keyboard while also exposing the metal backplate. On the keyboard itself, Gigabyte has polished their secondary functions, dividing them intuitively to avoid accidental changes. Furthermore, they have really increased the number of functions to adjust backlighting, so that users can quickly make changes to the lights. Underneath each key, we have genuine Cherry MX Red switches which provides a light, linear feel that gamers will prefer, even with its longer travel. Other good features on the AORUS K1 include NKRO, a flexible cable, and routing channels for the said cable. Unfortunately, there are also some things that still could be improved, like the RGB lighting and software. I really would have liked to see more vibrant lighting that illuminate the whole of the keycap. The software should be streamlined to only require one utility for the overall usage. Finally, we still have some missing features, like PBT keycaps or a wrist rest. I can forgive the use of the ABS keycaps, but I think gaming-focused keyboards should come with a wrist rest. Even so, I think overall, it does feel like Gigabyte listened to some of the requests I made from their last keyboard, and I am happy with that. At a retail price of $100 USD at press time, this keyboard once again lands in a relatively competitive area with competing keyboards having different feature sets. As such, the Gigabyte AORUS K1 is yet another good option for an RGB mechanical keyboard.
Gigabyte provided this product to APH Networks for the purpose of evaluation.
APH Networks Review Focus Summary:
8/10 means Definitely a very good product with drawbacks that are not likely going to matter to the end user.
7/10 means Great product with many advantages and certain insignificant drawbacks, but should be considered before purchasing.
-- Final APH Networks Numeric Rating is 7.1/10
Please note that the APH Networks Numeric Rating system is based off our proprietary guidelines in the Review Focus, and should not be compared to other publications.
The Gigabyte AORUS K1 is an improved, well-designed mechanical keyboard with Cherry MX switches and lighting to boot.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. A Closer Look - Hardware and Software
3. Conclusion
