INTRODUCTION
If you've been following our reviews then you should know that the majority of gaming keyboards we end up testing are mostly no-thrills models aimed towards gamers, enthusiasts and even professionals who place durability and sometimes even brightness levels for the keys above everything else. What if however you could pick a keyboard which combines durability with strong RGB key illumination and a good set of "useful" features? Granted there aren't that many such keyboards in the market today but more and more manufacturers do their best in releasing what could become a best seller especially among gamers and Azio is certainly among them. Their latest offering is called the MGK L80 RGB Backlit Mechanical Gaming Keyboard and we've been using it in the lab for 2 full weeks already.
Azio Corp. is a manufacturer dedicated to providing innovative tech gear to make everyday life more engaging and fun. We believe that design has the power to alter not only perceptions, but also emotions. Through superior design, we are driven to provide a better experience for people of all ages from all walks of life, no matter what your hobby, profession, or need may be. Technology can simplify complicated things, or complicate simple things. Our design goal is to create cutting-edge products that are intuitively easy to use, provide maximum comfort, and leave a minimal environmental footprint. Through the use of color, material, and finish, we strive to design our products with the perfect blend of elegance and ferocity. Our brand, Azio®, is an acronym for "A to Z, Input-Output". This reflects the core of our business as a manufacturer of computer and electronic peripherals. The Azio brand logo employs a simple, geometric typeface to resemble solidity, efficiency and forwardness. This simplicity and cleanliness avoids all decorative and nonessential elements to demonstrate that Azio aims to only offer succinct products that have the optimum balance between aesthetics and functionality.
Unlike some of the most feature-rich gaming keyboards in the market today the MGK L80 RGB model by Azio may not come with dedicated macro keys but that's just about the only thing it really lacks. To be more precise the MGK L80 RGB Mechanical Gaming Keyboard by Azio is a driverless model that features Kailh brown mechanical switches (60 million actuations), RGB illumination for its keys with 6 different effects, N-Key rollover (NKRO), 4 macro keys (not dedicated), anodized aluminum top panel, dedicated volume control knob and keys and a detachable magnetic palm rest. Since the MGK L80 is a driverless keyboard that means you can record macros and control its RGB backlight directly from its keys and although we have mixed feelings about this (sometimes it's just easier/faster to use software) there's no doubt that some users will be glad Azio took this route. Also for people who are not into RGB key illumination Azio makes the single backlight color MGK L80 blue and red models with Kailh brown and red switches.
SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES
PACKACING AND CONTENTS
Typically the front of the box is taken by a large product picture and the company logo.
The specifications table is placed at the base of the keyboard in 8 languages.
Another product picture is placed at the rear of the box right next to the main product features.
The keyboard is wrapped inside a plastic bag and placed inside several cardboard pieces and two black foam spacers.
Along with the MGK L80 RGB mechanical gaming keyboard and its detachable magnetic palm rest you will also get a keycap puller, user guide and a thank you card.
THE MGK L80 RGB
The 1060g heavy MGK L80 RGB features a anodized aluminum faceplate and measures 444.5mm in length, 147.32mm in width and 38mm in height.
Just like several other gaming keyboards the MGK L80 RGB is very easy to clean because of its floating keys design.
On the far upper right corner we find the volume control knob (quite sturdy - can also be pressed to mute/unmute sound) and two keys used to enable/disable game mode (disables windows keys) and enable on-the-fly recording of macros.
F1 through F4 double as macro keys, F5 through F8 can be used to launch your email program, internet browser (with your homepage), Windows calculator and search program and F9 through F12 double as media navigation keys (previous, play/pause, next and stop).
The print screen button can also be used to launch the default media player software.
Via the insert key (and the function key obviously) you can go through all of the available backlight colors while with the home, page up/down, del and end keys you can go through all available effects.
The brightness levels are adjustable via the up and down arrow keys (and of course the function key).
Here we see the Kailh brown mechanical switches.
At the base of the MGK L80 RGB we find two height adjusters and 4 rubber feet.
These height adjusters raise the top end of the keyboard by roughly 11mm from the desk.
Azio has used a 1.8 meter long braided cable that has a gold plated USB plug at the end.
The magnetic palm rest is a breeze to attach onto the keyboard and works very well just as long you don't try to pull up the keyboard with it attached.
With the magnetic palm rest attached the keyboard width increases to roughly 210mm.
Here we see the minimum and maximum brightness levels.
Some of the effects of the MGK L80 RGB are showcased above.
AUDIBLE FEEDBACK
Many people ask my opinion on what keyboard they should get for their needs. Some want a “silent” model for use in their living room or even in their bedroom while others ask for a model with good audible feedback for use in the office or for gaming. Because of this I decided to test keyboards by placing our ExTech HD600 vertically over each keyboard (5cm distance) and typing NikKTech a total of 6 times with each (after that the max recorded number - max hold - is placed in the graph). I have to admit that this may not be 100% accurate but it does give a good idea on what you can expect from each model since aside the type of switches used keycaps and keyboard material also matter.
CONCLUSION
The MGK L80 RGB Backlit Mechanical Gaming Keyboard by Azio may not bring anything unique on the table in terms of features but it’s a good looking and sturdy model which we think most users would like to have on their desk. The Kailh brown mechanical switches are quite durable (although not as popular as their Cherry MX counterparts) and the anodized aluminum faceplate adds to the overall feeling and quality of the keyboard. Unfortunately due to the lack of software you can’t fully control the RGB illumination of the keyboard but at the same time being able to control it partially via two keys is something some people will appreciate. The volume control knob is something which we’ve seen in the past but still we do think that it’s a nice addition (although it would be great if Azio had placed LEDs around it which would turn on and off according to the chosen level).
Right now the MGK L80 RGB Backlit Mechanical Gaming Keyboard by Azio retails for USD119.99 inside the USA (Newegg.com) and for roughly 120Euros inside the EU (availability however is low) a price tag which although not bad since it’s similar to what other RGB keyboards of its class ask it’s still way too much compared to the regular models which currently retail for almost half (Amazon.com). That being said if you do care about RGB illumination then you should really take a serious look at the MGK L80 RGB especially since it’s worthy of our Golden Award (if you don’t care about RGB illumination however we recommend getting one of its much more affordable single key illumination brothers).
PROS
- Very Good Build Quality
- Kailh Mechanical Switches (60 Million Actuations)
- Full RGB Key Illumination (6 Effects)
- Magnetic Palm Rest
- Braided Cable With Gold Plated USB Plug
- Volume Control Knob
- On The Fly Macro Recording
CONS
- No Dedicated Macro Keys
- EU Availability
- Price (Compared To The Single Key Illumination MGK L80 Models)