We have seen quite a few different products from ROCCAT including the Horde AIMO RGB hybrid keyboard which got some awards from Craig. Now we put the ROCCAT SUOARA FX through its paces which features RGB customisable backlighting, mechanical switches and a current cost of £90 in the UK and $130 in the US! Let’s check it out and see what ROCCAT and the SUORA FX mechanical keyboard has to offer!
ROCCAT SUORA FX Specifications & Features
Features
- ADVANCED ANTI-GHOSTING – Thanks to n-key rollover
- FRAMELESS BUILD – With focus on raw performance
- 16.8M COLOR KEY BACK-LIGHTING – With quick access to stunning effects
- 6 MACRO KEYS – Programmable zone above arrow keys
- ROBUST DESIGN – With tough-built metal housing
- DURABLE KEYS – With 50 million keystroke lifecycle
- 1000HZ POLLING RATE – For rapid-response keystrokes
- MEDIA & HOTKEYS – For convenient control over media
- GAME MODE BUTTON – Quick launches custom gaming profile
- F1-F4 KEY LIGHTING FX PRESETS – Quick toggle: wave, breathing, ripple, solid
Tech Specs
- Advanced anti-ghosting with N-key rollover
- 1000Hz polling rate
- 50 million keystroke lifecycle
- Multimedia functions
- 6 programmable macro keys
DIMENSIONS / WEIGHT – Width 12.5 cm , Height 43.0 cm
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS – Windows® 10, Windows® 8, Windows® 7 64 Bit, Windows® 7 32 Bit, Internet connection for driver installation, USB 1.1 Port
ROCCAT SUORA FX Closer Look
The ROCCAT SUORA FX isn’t exactly a new keyboard on the market and is one of the more established from ROCCAT, but what’s interesting is that the SUORA FX follows a more conventional design as opposed to previously released models. The keyboard itself features a black frameless design with black laser etched keycaps which allow the RGB LEDs to shine through.
There is a selection of Fn or function keys which means you can control different aspects of the lighting modes using the F1 to F4. The rest of the F keys have options for controlling different and basic aspects of your computer, with F9 to F12 acting as onboard media control keys for things like Windows Media Player.
The SUORA FX is a full-sized keyboard and because of this has a functional numpad which does have function keys as well. The numpad keys can also double up as macro keys which means genres of games such as MMOs, MOBAs and MMORPGs are catered for.
Unlike most mechanical keyboards in its price range, there isn’t a Cherry MX switch in sight which isn’t a bad thing of course, but if your looking to take a punt on a keyboard with ‘different’ switches, the SUORA FX uses transparent TTC switches which gives the RGB lighting more room to escape which gives brighter and better colours.
On the rear of the SUORA FX is rubber feet which protects your desk and stops the keyboard from sliding around, as well as a channel for cable routing and adjustable feet so you can make the keyboard more ergonomic.
The LED lighting options given by the ROCCAT SWARM software which is intuitive by the way includes options such as fully lit, wave, fade fx, snake, ripple fx, rai, snail, scanning, radar, colourshift and breathing. One of the best things about the SUORA FX is the ability to individually assign each key to a different colour which most RGB mechanical keyboards on the market fail to do. This means you can customize the keyboard to new levels and this is something which is simply awesome.
The lighting itself is vivid and let’s be honest, it looks absolutely amazing!
For a highly intuitive overview of the ROCCAT SWARM software, YouTube user cac2244 did an awesome tutorial for making the most out of it! The SWARM covers a multitude of ROCCAT products and if your wanting to know a lot more about the inner workings, check out his video below!
The ROCCAT SUORA FX Review: Performance & The Final Verdict
The performance of the ROCCAT SUORA FX is actually pretty good as the keycaps used feel good quality and the switches which for the sake of testing are TTC Browns which have a light and tactile response. The SUORA FX has n-key roll over so no issues with ghosting or limitations on that front. It’s full sized and is fully RGB and as you would expect from a keyboard costing just under £90. It wasn’t always like this as this model did used to cost upwards of £120 and given the current pricing, it’s a much sweeter option to consider than ever before.
What’s hot:
- A much more conventional design which should prove popular to more people
- RGB lighting options are plentiful with the ROCCAT SWARM, but works well without it too!
- Good build quality
- Competitive RGB option compared to other models on the market from other brands
- Not brand new, but still ticks a lot of boxes in terms of performance, design and quality
- Each RGB switch can be individually customised which is awesome, true RGB
- Current price (£90 in the UK) is more in line with the value than the older RRP
What’s not:
- TTC switches aren’t as well-known so little is known about them on the general market, and may be offputting to some in comparison to keyboards using Cherry MX switches
The ROCCAT SUORA FX has already established itself as one of their most prominent models which offers a more subtle and conventional design than previous ROCCAT peripherals. The frameless design looks good, but this does of course mean there is no wrist-rest included. This isn’t as off putting as you might expect because what the SUORA FX does well, it does very well down to the RGB LED lighting and individual key customisation in regards to RGB. The ROCCAT SWARM software also works well and is a lot more intuitive than some other brands on the market, so if you’re looking for a solidly build RGB mechanical keyboard for gaming and don’t want to sacrifice on performance or quality, the SUORA FX is one to certainly consider.
The lack of Cherry MX switches may concern some and ROCCAT’s decision to use cheaper knock-off TTC branded switches might look like a bad decision, but the SUORA FX looks great, handles good and feels superb to use. Highly recommended if you’re looking for an alternative to the usual brands and let’s not beat around the bush, ROCCAT has done a pretty good job here!
Thanks to ROCCAT for sending a sample of the SUORA FX in for review.
