Gaming on a budget [Review]

March 2023 · 9 minute read

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    • The gaming industry is a fickle one, especially when it comes to the hardware since every single company is in an arms race with each other to add more and more to their products just so they can justify the gaming label attached to them.

    For example, if you’re talking about a gaming keyboard, the first thing that may pop into the head of any user is RGB lighting, and configurable keys.

    As for mouse pads, if they have some RGB elements as well, a good non-slippery bottom, and a smooth surface, they are more than enough.

    Well, to day we will be reviewing two products that have that, and much more:

    We will be looking over how they look, how they behave in terms of their intended purpose, judge whether the price tag is worth it or not, and ultimately give you all the information that you may need in order to see whether the product is indeed worth it or not.

    Are the Aukey KM-G12 and KM-P7 worth it?

    The Aukey RGB Mechanical Gaming Keyboard

    First of all we will start talking about the looks and what’s interesting about this keyboard is just how inconspicuous it looks, since it doesn’t have any of the typical traits that you’d expect from a self-proclaimed gaming keyboard, such as a large frame, or a resting area for your wrist.

    Additionally, those of you that haven’t had many gaming keyboards may be surprised at just how heavy it is, but that is mainly because of the metallic frame that makes up its middle section.

    However, that all changes the moment you connect it to your PC, because that’s when the true light show begins.

    A keyboard with great RGB lighting effects

    The KM-G12 Mechanical Gaming Keyboard comes equipped with 7 colors presets and 12 lighting configuration presets. 

    Each individual key has it’s own RGB light settings, and the transitional rainbow light effects are incredibly smooth and seamless, to the point where you might end up looking at the keyboard for a few brief seconds instead of your intended game.

    Besides the individual keys, this keyboard also features a strip of RGB lighting that runs around the outer edge of it.

    While this strip also has transitional lighting effects, we have to mention that they are not in sync with the ones affecting the keys, but that’s nothing to be worried about.

    If RGB lighting isn’t that much of a deal for you, and find it as a distraction, know that the KM-G12 is highly compatible with RGB software, and you can use it to turn it off.

    Speaking of which, the products comes with its own software called G-aim, and that is there to help you with your RGB customization needs.

    Unfortunately, the software is a bit limited, since it only helps with the key lighting, and has no effects on the side strip.

    However, it does help you create and store up to 5 different lighting profiles that you can customize in however way you want.

    Even if switching between profiles may seem wonky at times, and the UI looks a bit odd, the software is completely free, which is quite nice considering that this keyboard is marketed as budget-friendly.

    What it feels when typing with it

    We wrote the review about the keyboard while using the keyboard itself, and we have to admit that strictly from a tactile point of view, as the buttons really feel responsive, allowing you to truly tell whether a key was actually pressed or not.

    Aukey themselves describe it as:

     Characterized by precise tactile feedback & satisfying travel with an audible click sound.

    This is mainly due to the Outemu Blue switches that are behind the keys, and while they do contribute to the overall lower price of the keyboard, they do come with a certain drawback: they are very loud.

    Besides the large sound of the keys, there’s also a large clacking sound with each press, so if you plan on using the keyboard for typing, or intense gaming sessions, make sure that you are wearing headphones, and that no one is trying to sleep in the same room as you.

    Is the Aukey KM-G12 good for gaming?

    You can’t call a gaming keyboard as such if all it does is flash some pretty lights, so we tested the keyboard intensely while playing multiples popular MMORPGs, RTS and and FPS games.

    As expected, the responsiveness of the keys truly delivered, since we never had the feeling that maybe we pressed the wrong button, since the feedback was incredibly obvious, both tactile and from a sound point of view.

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    Unfortunately, this is yet another department where the key’s loudness might get the better of you, since we had difficulties hearing what was going on within the games, or what we were talking to each other via Discord, since we literally had to stop typing.

    While one part of the problem could be easily solved by simply wearing headphones, there was nothing that we could do when trying to talk over the microphone, except trying to limit our typing to a minimum, and not pressing any buttons during intense gaming moments is more or less equal to a loss.

    Fortunately enough, the metallic framework makes it quite durable, so if you’re the type of gamer that doesn’t take gaming losses too lightly, know that the keyboard ca take quite a bit of a beating before you actually start leaving any marks.

    Those of you looking for something with less of an aggressive look but with the same high-quality performance might also like to try out Aukey’s KM-G15 Mechanical keyboard as well.

    It has the same RGB effects, tactile feedback, and the same rollover with anti-ghosting.

    However, there are a few differences between the two models, since the KM-G15 has 4 extra keys, more color and lighting configuration presets, and it is a bit easier to configure using the gaming software.

    ⇒ Check the price on the KM-G15 Mechanical Keyboard

    The XXL Gaming Mouse Pad

    An epic mouse pad of epic sizes

    If you’re going ahead and treating yourself to some budget-friendly gaming gear, might as well add the XXL Gaming Mouse Pad to your inventory as well.

    One thing that we were amazed about when we first received them was just how massive the mousepad actually is.

    While we did have the measurements beforehand (35.4×15.75×0.15inches), for some reason the mousepad seems a whole lot bigger in real life, to the point where the XXL in its name would seem like an understatement.

    A good build for great stability and control

    Most gaming mouse pads usually follow teh same blueprint nowadays:

    The Aukey XXL Gaming Mouse does nots tray from the blueprint at all, and that is not a problem at all.

    The underside that is definitely non-slippery combined with the mouse pad’s sheer size makes it almost impossible to slide it across a flat surface, offering you complete stability and control over your mouse and keyboard during intense gaming moments or office work.

    A gaming mousepad that is both simple and beautiful

    As mentioned before, the mouse pad features an RGB rim, and while you cannout light it up except via a USB port, the result is quite amazing.

    With a simple switch of a button, you can switch between multiple color schemes, and while there is no way to save profiles per say, the default ones are already very entertaining.

    Lastly, we liked how the mousepad was extremely simple from a design point of view since many gamers find mouse pads that have wallpapers on them or any type of flashy logo to be quite distracting.

    Since this is a mouse pad that will eventually cover the entire surface of your desk, having it in a smooth black color is more than anyone can ask for.

    Final thoughts

    The Aukey KM-G12 Mechanical gaming Keyboard is an impressive piece of work considering how it isn’t created by a company that has a long history in gaming gear.

    However, if you are expecting this keyboard to be silent, then you might as well go looking for a different model altogether.

    The RGB lighting is smooth and well-executed, although the build-in software that lets you customize it does need some serious reworks.

    The key responsiveness was very good, and the 104-key rollover with anti-ghosting allows great typing and gaming performances, allowing you to not have to feat miss-clicks and unsolicited commands.

    When putting the pros and the cons side-by-side, this keyboard is indeed worth it given the price range, so if you’re on the market for a great-looking gaming keyboard with good performances and a low price tag, then go ahead and give the Aukey KM-G12 Mechanical Gaming Keyboard a shot.

    As for the XXL Gaming Mouse Pad, there is no actual limitation to using it as far as we are concerned, except if your desk is not big enough to hold it, since folding is definitely out of the question due to the RGB lighting strip.

    Have you tried these amazing Aukey products? Let us know what you think about them by leaving us your feedback in the comments section below.

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