Another black and red entry into the gaming peripheral market from case-maker ThermalTake.
Somewhere there's some science-type guy who's developed a proof for the most perfect gaming colour ever. We're not sure of their methodology, but a lot of gaming peripheral makers are buying into his results... that the colour gamers covet above all others is red.
Thus we find the ThermalTake Challenger Pro - a full size gaming key board in black and LED red.
On the surface... it's not an inspiring design. Despite taking a lot of same cues that our beloved Microsoft X6 keyboard does, it comes out looking ever so slightly cheaper. The plastic is coarser, and a touch thinner, leading to a lot more flex and a much noisier key motion. The red, too seems watered down - like it's been rendered with cheaper dyes and LEDs.
On the upside, though, there are some very thoughtful touches. The USB cable detaches from the board, and the board-end connector has a pull-proof channel running under the board. Great for gamers who travel from LAN to LAN. The cable's also cloth wrapped.
Another thing we find annoyingly likable is the included fan. This sits in a recess behind the keyboard, and can be removed and plugged into the right or left-hand side of the keys. When powered, it delivers a gentle flow of air over sweaty fingers.
It seems bit of a gimmick, but in practice in our hot Game Lab, it's a real boon for long sessions. Our only worry about the fan is that the rear is unprotected; sure, it's not exactly going to slice a finger tip off, but it seems a mild oversight nonetheless.
In terms of key performance, the Challenger Pro has a very stiff key action, and medium travel distance. It's not quite as crisp as the Microsoft X6, but nor is at as wishy washy as our Game Lab standard Lycosa. The cheap plastic keys don't feel all that solid, though, but that's likely because the most important ones - WASD - are designed to be removed. You can have normal black keys, or bright red ones. You know, in case you're a half-blind*. In terms of performance, it didn't really impact our Kill House playthrough time, but nor did it really add anything to the whole gaming experience - except for that cool breeze.
All up, there's not a lot to make the Challenger Pro stand out from the crowd. It's a competent keyboard, and if you like the look then it's a good choice. But considering you can get the X6 for less... well, we know what we'd rather hammer away on.
Issue: 137 | June, 2012