AOC AGK700 Gaming Keyboard Review

AOC is known for their Monitors, so when you hear they now have peripherals, your ears might just prick up with interest? The AOC AGK700 comes in at around $179.99, or around £112 in the UK (as of 21.09.2021 on Amazon). This keyboard is AOC’s premium keyboard and it is everything you would expect, a full-size keyboard, Cherry RED MX switches, macro buttons, media keys and something I always want a USB Passthrough.

Specifications

• Switch Type CHERRY MX RED OR BLUE
• Switch Keypresses Lifetime 50 million
• Programmable Keys All keys programmable
• Macro Keys 5 dedicated
• Media Controls
• Rollover Full keys (NKRO)
• Anti-Ghosting 100%
• Polling Rate 1000Hz, 1ms
• Illumination 16.8 million customizable colors
• Light sync FX
• On-Board Memory 5 profiles
• Top Cover Material Premium aluminum alloy
• USB Pass-through 1x USB 2.0 Type-A
• Wrist Rest Leather, Detachable, Magnetic

Features

• Connectivity 2x Wired USB 2.0
• Cable Type Braided Fiber
• Cable Length 1.8 m

Product on display and packaging.

The box design is great while showing off the keyboard and the keyboards main features, it also allows you to depress the keys to feel what they are like and sound. Below is a short video

Features on the front include the likes of the Cherry MX Switch, the number of colours available to choose 16.8million, Customizable RGB lighting, N-Key Rollover and 100% anti-ghosting.

Not sure what N-Key Rollover and Anti-Ghosting means below I have covered them both for you

N-Key Rollover

A keyboard with n-key rollover, or abbreviated as NKRO, has the ability to scan each button press individually, as opposed to having the PC do it. … For example, if your keyboard has 6-key rollover, you can press six keys at once with successful input. N-key rollover is particularly relevant/helpful for gaming keyboards. Credit

Anti-Ghosting 

The phenomenon that your other keys fail after pressing more than 6 keys on a keyboard is called ‘Keyboard Ghosting’ The Anti-Ghosting keyboard is the function that addresses this phenomenon. Even if you press all the keys on the keyboard, you can also enter all your key characters or commands with this feature. Credit

Moving to the back of the keyboard, you can see the keyboard again, the same key features from the front among with some new features which inc the following

• All Key Programmable
• 5 On-Board Memory Profiles
• AOC G-Tools Management system
• USB Pass-Through

Not sure what AOC G-Tools is? It’s the software used to control, program and have fun with the keyboard, more information can be found here.

When it comes to the keyboards packaging, it’s perfect, no question about AOC’s packaging skills.

First thoughts

A keyboard with 108 keys? when an std keyboard has 104, so what is different, the added media keys, forward, back, play/pause, and stop above the Numpad section. You might be thinking media keys are nothing new, and you would be right, they are normally added to a keyboard as separate keys.

Cherry MX Red is my go-to switch over Razer’s Optical Switches, they are fast, linear and great for streaming, creating videos and working in the office compared to the other key available MX Blue which is clicky and loud.

So apart from the media keys and the 104 keys we all know about what else is there, well along the top, we have 8 keys in total and 5 macro keys and the macro assign button on the left.

Top keys include GAME MODE, home button, Media Button, RGB off or on, RGB animation, mute button and a volume dial. The Media button for some reason only opens up Windows media player which sucks if this is not your go-to streaming service, the worse thing, it can not be changed.

The keyboard is stunning, thanks to the use of brushed aluminium for its top place, it helps the keyboard stand out from its competitors. And that big RED Knob at the top just adds a little flair to its design. The one other aspect which makes me very happy is the leatherette wrist rest with the AGON logo on it, this is something I always want and look for with a keyboard of late, and being magnetic makes me even happier. I always find that a wrist rest will offer great support while typing and gaming.

Almost forgot the AOC AGK700 has a USB Pass-Through, whoop whoop, something I use all the time when one is available.

Software

Buttons

Sensitivity

Light FX

Lighting effects include

• Static
• Breathing
• React
• Flashing
• Ripple
• Radar
• Fireworks
• Blink
• Wave
• Custom Setup
• Concentric Circles
• W Wave

You can also control the brightness, direction, pulsation and when to put an end to all the RGB goodness.

Final thoughts

Do I like the AOC AGK700? yes and no, I like its design, I like its wrist rest, I like the macro keys, I like the RGB animation option, I like the USB Pass-Though. What I do not like is the un-refined G-Tools, when compared to the likes of SteelSeries Engine UI, Razer Synapse or Epos Gaming Suit. The Media key placements do not feel well thought out, they should be separate and next to the mute key as round buttons. Then the media button can not be remapped to a better media streaming service. Then the lack of being able to create profiles for different aspects of your computer life, office, gaming, drawing, streaming etc. Other than that this keyboard is good, and will stand out on your desk as a gaming keyboard, even a quality keyboard. Give AOC a little time for refinement and changes and AOC should be back with a better keyboard design in the future and for sure a more refined G-Tool application.

You can grab this keyboard here on Amazon.

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