Rosewill Apollo RK-9100 & RGB80 Mechanical Keyboards Capsule Review
by E. Fylladitakis on September 16, 2014 9:00 AM ESTConclusion
With the Apollo RK-9100 and the RGB80, Rosewill proves that they can do a very good job when they want to design and market high-performance computer peripherals. Despite their simplicity, the quality of either keyboard does not disappoint. We do admit that the old school, heavyweight design of the RK-9000 feels more solid, but the RK-9100 looks and feels better without any actual disadvantage.
It also seems that Rosewill addressed the issue with the letters fading. The RK-9000 was notorious for this problem, with the letters fading within just a month of normal usage. We used both the RK-9100 and the RGB80 for 15 days each, with at least six hours of typing per day, and the keycaps of both keyboards remain like new. Unfortunately, we cannot perform much better durability tests within the time frame of a review, but at least we can state that the lettering is more durable than what it used to be. We could complain that the RGB80 is not using switches from Cherry, but we are aware that Cherry's products are more expensive and that would make the retail price of the RGB80 far too high for what it offers.
What left us with mixed feelings is the inclusion of the extra keycaps. Aesthetically, well, let's just say that we would prefer the stock keycaps to either the orange or clear "gaming" keycaps any day of the week. If a user's intents are purely practical however, these keycaps do stand out even in the darkest room, making it extremely easy for the eye to pick them up. Assuming that a gamer would actually look at the keyboard, they do make spotting the correct keys easier. If you ask around however, our experience is that you will be hard pressed to find an actual gamer who switches to clear/colored/beveled/whatever keycaps in order to game "better".
Easily the best feature of both keyboards is the ability to fully reprogram any of the keys. This can be as simple as a layout change for a few keys, or as complex as programming an intricate setup with tens of macros and complex commands. However, even though this gives both keyboards a virtually infinite level of parameterization, the current versions of the software severely hinder the actual capabilities of both keyboards. This is especially true with the software that Rosewill supplies for the RK-9100, which is rudimentary and archaic. Unlike with the RK-9100, the software of the RGB80 is acceptable, but it still could have been much better.
Unfortunately, the worst enemy of the Apollo RK-9100 is the price tag. Rosewill has always tried to compete with value in mind, offering similar products at significantly lower prices than the competition. This however is not apparent with the Apollo RK-9100. With a retail price of $95-$100 (depending on whether you want blue or red backlighting), it faces tremendous competition from numerous manufacturers. This price pits it against products such as the Corsair Vengeance K70 ($105) and the Roccat Ryos MK Advanced ($100), not to mention the many other similar keyboards not specifically targeted at gamers.
The Rosewill RGB80 is a different story, as very few RGB keyboards are currently available. The going price of $100 seems quite reasonable, even for a ten-keyless version. Of course you're also not getting Cherry MX switches, and you don't get per-key backlighting. If you want those, right now you only have a couple of choices, and both are full-size keyboards. Corsair was the first to announce a mechanical switch RGB backlit keyboard, and the K70 at least is finally on shelves and priced at $170; we're still missing the K95 unfortunately. The other option is the Razer BlackWidow Chroma that will likewise set you back $170. Prices are obviously a lot higher, but the cost of additional mechanical switches plus the circuitry to do per-key backlighting at least accounts for much of the added cost.
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Spoogie - Tuesday, September 16, 2014 - link
Disappointing that AT didn't do its homework this time around.This keyboard is identical to many others and simply rebranded with a name change. Sometimes the keys change...
Try the Monoprice if you want MX Blacks ($97) or Red ($97). I should mention that this keyboard is identical to the QPAD MK-85 ($250), save the larger enter key, and to the Nighthawk series ($150). The Xarmor u9bl also appears to be the same keyboard, but uses MX Blues.
MonoPrice confirmed that the MX Black version does not have a backlight, even though the picture they have shows it with a backlit red. You can get a Ducky that's backlit, in MX Black, though it's not programmable. It comes with the option of green, white, or blue backlighting.
If you want MX Browns, you can try the Nighthawk X8.
Araemo - Tuesday, September 16, 2014 - link
I thought the RK-9100 looked a lot like my Monoprice keyboard.I tried the RK-9000.. three of them, actually. All 3 died within a couple months. Rosewill warranted the first two, and I gave up when the third died, it's just not worth the hassle.
fishman - Tuesday, September 16, 2014 - link
I've had a RK-9000 for over a year. It's used quite a bit, and it still works fine.cbrownx88 - Tuesday, September 16, 2014 - link
I have two RK-9000's. Work one has blue switches and has had zero issues. Gaming board at home with Brown switches has been replaced once.Hoping it was a fluke...
Souka - Tuesday, September 16, 2014 - link
So this is better than the keyboard my dell came with?JK!!!!!!
JCheng - Tuesday, September 16, 2014 - link
Good to know. Though it looks to me like the Monoprice $97 model doesn't have macros, the comparable one is $134: http://www.monoprice.com/Product?c_id=114&cp_i...Spoogie - Tuesday, September 16, 2014 - link
This is the one I got two years ago on sale for $74. It works great and has macros. Only thing is, if a key breaks there's no way to replace it due to the way it's built. I imagine the others share the same issue.http://www.monoprice.com/Product?c_id=114&cp_i...
JarredWalton - Tuesday, September 16, 2014 - link
So let me get this straight: sometimes the keys change, the switches change, the prices are different, there may be a larger enter key... but the keyboards are "identical"? Never mind the fact that there are only so many things you can do with a keyboard to make it "different" before you go too far. Anyway, we're well aware of the myriad mechanical keyboards out there, but rather than trying to list every alternative we've focused on keyboards that are potentially better.If something is more or less the same (which would mean backlighting plus basic macro support), then the only reason to get it instead of the Rosewill keyboards would be price. In this case the keyboards you mention (e.g. Monoprice) are essentially the same keyboard as the RK-9100 but they cost more. If you don't want backlighting or macros, there are plenty of other less expensive options. Personally, unless they can save me money I wouldn't buy a Monoprice product over another option; they're pretty much as no-frills as you can get, but where that's great for things like cables, keyboards and displays sometimes need a bit more in the way of features and extras. Rosewill is a known brand with decent support in my experience, so you either need to beat them on price, features, or support. The Corsair and Roccat keyboards can do that, but many other keyboards fall short in one area or another.
That's my two cents at any rate.
Spoogie - Tuesday, September 16, 2014 - link
The ones I listed are essentially the same. No, they're not like comparing a Filco to a Steelseries to a Logitech to a Mionix, to a Corsair etc. etc etc. If you'd done your homework then these facts certainly demand noting in your review. That tells me you didn't, so own up to it already.The differences are minor: sometimes the keys, backlight colors, macro options, prices, and warranties.
Some readers might find these facts useful.
wetwareinterface - Tuesday, September 16, 2014 - link
and most readers will find a breakdown list like you expect to be tedious at best to read through. this isn't a comparison article of rosewill vs. other brands. this is a review of 2 keyboards listing their features and the included software.if you wish to comparison shop online try newegg and amazon. this is a review site