Actually got to sit down in front of an Aorus Thunder today. Usually I don’t like gamer style keyboards. I don’t like keyboards with wrist rests. I don’t like keyboards with gimmicky addons or pointless buttons or controls that could just be easily mapped to a function key.
The Model I have is the US layout version, the one that OcUK sells has Orange Backlights and UK layout. The one in pictures is the same other than the layout and backlight.
It strikes me as very odd that the Aorus Thunder falls into every one of those problem areas for me and stands out as being absolutely bloody brilliant at being a gaming keyboard.
I tried the old Gigabyte Aivia Osmium which this Aorus Thunder is based on and it was ok but had some flaws that really made it tough for me to really get my support behind the product.
My position at OcUK allows me to test out every keyboard we sell and I don’t like to think of myself as an influencer on the forums but I do give my honest opinion on products based on what I like personally. We sell a lot of keyboards from a lot of brands. Aorus isn’t known for its peripherals so I thought I would give the Thunder K7 a chance.
Unique Selling Points.
The keyboard splits in two. You can run it as a ten keyless board run it with the numpad on the right or left side. Split the keyboard and have the keypad on the other side of your mouse with the additional cable. Whatever configuration works for you.
There is a full length magnetic wrist rest on the board that is easily detachable but nice and secure. Sadly it doesn’t split with the numpad which is a real shame as users who are choosing to use the Thunder in the split configuration are going to be stuck without the option to use it.
The numpad splits off the board in a magsafe style lock. The magnet unit also powers the separate keypad so only one cable is needed in full size configurations. The keyboard comes with another cable so you can run the numpad anywhere else using the magsafe style connecter too.
Typing Feel and Position
The Thunder uses Cherry MX Red switches. This is ultimately down to personal preference and I can type on anything [I do prefer blues] but ultimately they are lovely to type on, have a nice consistent feel all the way down the keypress. They are brilliant for typists as touch typing on reds is a quite nice due to the relatively low actuation force and they are the most popular switch in gaming keyboards as they are a solid choice for gamers looking for an easy to press switch that provides a good responsive feedback as well as low actuation force that reduces fatigue in longer sessions of use.
Build Quality
The board is built from a pretty solid plastic. It feels very much like a PBT plastic but I could well be wrong. It’s very nice anyway and is good at hiding fingerprints.
The Cable is also nice and robust but not too thick and carrying a load of pointless audio cables like the older Gigabyte Aivia Osmium. This is one thing that really irks me about gaming keyboards. Especially ones with hard fixed cables and the Thunder pulls it off perfectly with a nice braiding job and no other fussy thick cable mess. The optional numpad cable for the split board configuration isn’t braided. This is a bit of an oversight for what is essentially the keyboards major unique selling point really but is forgivable given that many users won’t bother with the split board configuration.
The feet on the back of the keyboard are nice and grippy on the desk. It won’t be sliding around at all. The feet also raise it to a nice typing position too.
Features
As I mentioned, I don’t really like additional buttons but the mouse style scroll wheels on the top of the board are actually pretty good. They control lighting and are simple to use and have a nice feel to them. The volume scroll wheel works well too and feels identical. Click both of them down to mute sound or turn off lights. Cool.
Would I Buy One
I think the Thunder has a lot going for it. Whilst it doesn’t have RGB lighting or a gaming peripheral heritage, the Aorus Thunder K7 is well built, has a nice amount of features for the money and is lovely to type on. This is a great compromise for people who like small form factor keyboards but occasionally need to use a numpad.
For this to be the perfect keyboard, my suggested improvements would be:
A split wrist rest, maybe with magnets so that you can use the keyboard in all configurations with the wrist rest.
Higher quality PBT or dual shot keycaps to match the feel of the keyboard case. The keycaps themselves are actually really nice for a standard keycap but the feel of the keyboard case is really nice and higher quality caps would make it even nicer.
The Spacebar isn’t in line with the bottom of the row. This does two things. Firstly, it means you cannot just use an aftermarket keycap kit on the board to change it to match your taste and secondly it makes my OCD go wild. That said, slightly longer spacebars are admittedly nicer for typing and gaming on as your hand sits in a more natural or ergonomic position.
Numpad cable braiding was a bit of a let-down as I mentioned, not a deal breaker but it would have been a nice addition.
So back to my opening statement, I don’t like gaming keyboards. But I like this one. You’re ok Aorus Thunder K7, you can stay.
Aorus Thunder K7 Mechanical Gaming Keyboard - Cherry MX Red @ £129.95 inc VAT
World's 1st Mechanical gaming keyboard with detachable Macro keys
Arrange 80% and 20% keyboard separately in your own way. You can choose the different combination to adjust the best gaming experience.
Gaming mode
Shift the Mechanical keyboard and Macro keypad to enjoy the macros in game play
80% Stand-Alone mode
The best mode for game competition. Reserve more space for your mouse sliding.
20% Macro Gaming mode
Managing the 20 macro keys to any key you want. More efficient and flexible.
Superior CHERRY MX Mechanical Key-Switch
Utilizes Cherry™ RED mechanical key-switches that provide the ultimate user experience during frenzied gaming sessions or prolonged multi-touch keyboarding. Cherry™ RED key provides superior tactile feedback and an optimized actuation force of 45g. Reduced key actuation distance of 2mm improves keyboard response time while remaining whisper silent during operation.
Absolute Anti-Ghosting & Multi-Key press Capability
Utilizing the revolutionary Anti-Ghosting Matrix key-switch design, Thunder K7 provides Anti-Ghosting across all zones of the keyboard. Dominate the competition with the amazing advantage and versatility of being able to input multiple keystrokes at once. Never be hindered again on the battlefield as you twist, weave, and decimate your enemies through the unparalleled freedom of Absolute Anti-Ghost technology.
AORUS Macro Engine
Except the standard number mode, the 20% keyboard supports another 5 gaming profiles. With 20keys, you can program up to 100 sets of macro on the go.
Dynamic Volume & Backlit Illumination Control
Intuitive wheel based volume and backlit key-cap illumination control for easy hassle-free adjustments during intense gaming sessions.
Non-Slip Wear-Resistant UV Coated Keycaps
Thunder K7 keycaps are equipped with a Non-Slip Rubber-Teflon finish to prevent accidental slip-ups during intense gaming sessions. The keycaps are then applied with a wear-resistant UV Coating to provide that extra level of comfort and protection.
18K gold-plated connector
Gold plated connectors for optimum signal transfer quality
2 Meters Cotton-Braided cord
Connector cord braided with cotton for increased durability, 2 meter length for optimal desktop placement compatibility
Features:
- World's 1st Mechanical gaming keyboard with detachable Macro keys
- Superior CHERRY MX Mechanical Key-Switch
- Absolute Anti-Ghosting Multi-Key press Capability
- AORUS Macro Engine
Specifications:
- Macro Keys: 20 (5 profiles - enables 100 different macros)
- Key Switch Type: Cherry™ RED mechanical key-switches
- Anti-ghosting: Absolute anti ghosting across all zones of keyboard
- Key Strokes: 50 Million
- Interface: USB 2
- Cable Type: Braided fiber cable (2 metres)
- Case Colour: Black
- Backlighting: Orange - adjustable brightness
- Product Width: 454mm
- Product Length: 257 (including detachable palm rest - 152mm without palm rest)
- Product Height: 45mm
- Product Weight: 1.6 Kg
Only £129.95 inc VAT.
ORDER NOW
VIEW THE FULL AORUS GAMING RANGE AT OVERCLOCKERS UK
CHECK OUT THE FULL OVERCLOCKERS UK GAMING KEYBOARD RANGE
The Model I have is the US layout version, the one that OcUK sells has Orange Backlights and UK layout. The one in pictures is the same other than the layout and backlight.
It strikes me as very odd that the Aorus Thunder falls into every one of those problem areas for me and stands out as being absolutely bloody brilliant at being a gaming keyboard.
I tried the old Gigabyte Aivia Osmium which this Aorus Thunder is based on and it was ok but had some flaws that really made it tough for me to really get my support behind the product.
My position at OcUK allows me to test out every keyboard we sell and I don’t like to think of myself as an influencer on the forums but I do give my honest opinion on products based on what I like personally. We sell a lot of keyboards from a lot of brands. Aorus isn’t known for its peripherals so I thought I would give the Thunder K7 a chance.
Unique Selling Points.
The keyboard splits in two. You can run it as a ten keyless board run it with the numpad on the right or left side. Split the keyboard and have the keypad on the other side of your mouse with the additional cable. Whatever configuration works for you.
There is a full length magnetic wrist rest on the board that is easily detachable but nice and secure. Sadly it doesn’t split with the numpad which is a real shame as users who are choosing to use the Thunder in the split configuration are going to be stuck without the option to use it.
The numpad splits off the board in a magsafe style lock. The magnet unit also powers the separate keypad so only one cable is needed in full size configurations. The keyboard comes with another cable so you can run the numpad anywhere else using the magsafe style connecter too.
Typing Feel and Position
The Thunder uses Cherry MX Red switches. This is ultimately down to personal preference and I can type on anything [I do prefer blues] but ultimately they are lovely to type on, have a nice consistent feel all the way down the keypress. They are brilliant for typists as touch typing on reds is a quite nice due to the relatively low actuation force and they are the most popular switch in gaming keyboards as they are a solid choice for gamers looking for an easy to press switch that provides a good responsive feedback as well as low actuation force that reduces fatigue in longer sessions of use.
Build Quality
The board is built from a pretty solid plastic. It feels very much like a PBT plastic but I could well be wrong. It’s very nice anyway and is good at hiding fingerprints.
The Cable is also nice and robust but not too thick and carrying a load of pointless audio cables like the older Gigabyte Aivia Osmium. This is one thing that really irks me about gaming keyboards. Especially ones with hard fixed cables and the Thunder pulls it off perfectly with a nice braiding job and no other fussy thick cable mess. The optional numpad cable for the split board configuration isn’t braided. This is a bit of an oversight for what is essentially the keyboards major unique selling point really but is forgivable given that many users won’t bother with the split board configuration.
The feet on the back of the keyboard are nice and grippy on the desk. It won’t be sliding around at all. The feet also raise it to a nice typing position too.
Features
As I mentioned, I don’t really like additional buttons but the mouse style scroll wheels on the top of the board are actually pretty good. They control lighting and are simple to use and have a nice feel to them. The volume scroll wheel works well too and feels identical. Click both of them down to mute sound or turn off lights. Cool.
Would I Buy One
I think the Thunder has a lot going for it. Whilst it doesn’t have RGB lighting or a gaming peripheral heritage, the Aorus Thunder K7 is well built, has a nice amount of features for the money and is lovely to type on. This is a great compromise for people who like small form factor keyboards but occasionally need to use a numpad.
For this to be the perfect keyboard, my suggested improvements would be:
A split wrist rest, maybe with magnets so that you can use the keyboard in all configurations with the wrist rest.
Higher quality PBT or dual shot keycaps to match the feel of the keyboard case. The keycaps themselves are actually really nice for a standard keycap but the feel of the keyboard case is really nice and higher quality caps would make it even nicer.
The Spacebar isn’t in line with the bottom of the row. This does two things. Firstly, it means you cannot just use an aftermarket keycap kit on the board to change it to match your taste and secondly it makes my OCD go wild. That said, slightly longer spacebars are admittedly nicer for typing and gaming on as your hand sits in a more natural or ergonomic position.
Numpad cable braiding was a bit of a let-down as I mentioned, not a deal breaker but it would have been a nice addition.
So back to my opening statement, I don’t like gaming keyboards. But I like this one. You’re ok Aorus Thunder K7, you can stay.
Aorus Thunder K7 Mechanical Gaming Keyboard - Cherry MX Red @ £129.95 inc VAT
World's 1st Mechanical gaming keyboard with detachable Macro keys
Arrange 80% and 20% keyboard separately in your own way. You can choose the different combination to adjust the best gaming experience.
Gaming mode
Shift the Mechanical keyboard and Macro keypad to enjoy the macros in game play
80% Stand-Alone mode
The best mode for game competition. Reserve more space for your mouse sliding.
20% Macro Gaming mode
Managing the 20 macro keys to any key you want. More efficient and flexible.
Superior CHERRY MX Mechanical Key-Switch
Utilizes Cherry™ RED mechanical key-switches that provide the ultimate user experience during frenzied gaming sessions or prolonged multi-touch keyboarding. Cherry™ RED key provides superior tactile feedback and an optimized actuation force of 45g. Reduced key actuation distance of 2mm improves keyboard response time while remaining whisper silent during operation.
Absolute Anti-Ghosting & Multi-Key press Capability
Utilizing the revolutionary Anti-Ghosting Matrix key-switch design, Thunder K7 provides Anti-Ghosting across all zones of the keyboard. Dominate the competition with the amazing advantage and versatility of being able to input multiple keystrokes at once. Never be hindered again on the battlefield as you twist, weave, and decimate your enemies through the unparalleled freedom of Absolute Anti-Ghost technology.
AORUS Macro Engine
Except the standard number mode, the 20% keyboard supports another 5 gaming profiles. With 20keys, you can program up to 100 sets of macro on the go.
Dynamic Volume & Backlit Illumination Control
Intuitive wheel based volume and backlit key-cap illumination control for easy hassle-free adjustments during intense gaming sessions.
Non-Slip Wear-Resistant UV Coated Keycaps
Thunder K7 keycaps are equipped with a Non-Slip Rubber-Teflon finish to prevent accidental slip-ups during intense gaming sessions. The keycaps are then applied with a wear-resistant UV Coating to provide that extra level of comfort and protection.
18K gold-plated connector
Gold plated connectors for optimum signal transfer quality
2 Meters Cotton-Braided cord
Connector cord braided with cotton for increased durability, 2 meter length for optimal desktop placement compatibility
Features:
- World's 1st Mechanical gaming keyboard with detachable Macro keys
- Superior CHERRY MX Mechanical Key-Switch
- Absolute Anti-Ghosting Multi-Key press Capability
- AORUS Macro Engine
Specifications:
- Macro Keys: 20 (5 profiles - enables 100 different macros)
- Key Switch Type: Cherry™ RED mechanical key-switches
- Anti-ghosting: Absolute anti ghosting across all zones of keyboard
- Key Strokes: 50 Million
- Interface: USB 2
- Cable Type: Braided fiber cable (2 metres)
- Case Colour: Black
- Backlighting: Orange - adjustable brightness
- Product Width: 454mm
- Product Length: 257 (including detachable palm rest - 152mm without palm rest)
- Product Height: 45mm
- Product Weight: 1.6 Kg
Only £129.95 inc VAT.
ORDER NOW
VIEW THE FULL AORUS GAMING RANGE AT OVERCLOCKERS UK
CHECK OUT THE FULL OVERCLOCKERS UK GAMING KEYBOARD RANGE