Aorus has introduced a new mechanical keyboard called the Thunder K3 Tournament Edition. The new offering is a tenkeyless version of the previous Thunder K7, which has also been refreshed with orange backlighting.
The Thunder K3 is aimed at eSport pros as the 'tournament edition' moniker suggests, and it's the same as the K7 but for the fact that the number pad has been chopped off (which is what 'tenkeyless' refers to). This means the mechanical keyboard – which uses Cherry MX red switches like the K7 – is considerably smaller, with no great loss as the numpad often isn't used in gaming anyway.
This more compact nature means it's easier to carry to LAN parties, and gamers will be able to have their mouse and keyboard much closer together, with no more potentially awkward stretching out to the side to use the mouse (which can certainly be a comfort issue with larger keyboards, at least in our experience).
Braid is best
The K3 offers a two metre long cord so you won't have issues with the cable length, and it's made from braided cotton for better durability.
And the keys themselves are designed so they're sturdy and can withstand mid-combat mashing, and benefit from a nonslip Rubber-Teflon finish to stop potentially sweaty fingers from slipping.
Other features include anti-ghosting tech to enable multiple simultaneous key presses, and you also get a couple of nifty little roller wheels top-left to control sound volume and the brightness of the backlit keys respectively.
As mentioned, the Thunder K7 (pictured above) has also been refreshed with the addition of orange backlighting. The K7 comes with a detachable mechanical gaming keypad that offers 20 customisable macro keys, and can be used as a standalone pad.
The Thunder K3 should be available imminently but pricing hasn't been revealed yet, although the K7 with orange lighting is on sale and retails at £130 (around $190, or AU$250).
- Also check out: 10 best gaming keyboards 2016
