Sometimes much less is extra. There are loads of fanatics who would fortunately forego extras like RGB, software program and macro keys, and are completely content material with a well-priced, snug mechanical keyboard. Some will rejoice on the Thermaltake W1 Wireless ($110 as of writing) gaming keyboard’s subdued look. There’s no RGB to distract you or eat up battery life, and also you get media keys and a wrist relaxation. As with among the finest wi-fi keyboards, you may even join by way of a USB Type-A dongle and as much as three Bluetooth gadgets for straightforward multi-device management, in addition to by way of a removable cable.
But to these with even barely extra on their want listing, the W1 Wireless has a skimpy characteristic set. Plus, my evaluate unit suffered from stiff keys, rattling stabilizers and pinging, particularly with the spacebar. Things get extra awkward whenever you notice how comparable The W1 Wireless is to one of Logitech’s wireless keyboards.
Those points finally make it arduous for the W1 Wireless to compete with the finest gaming keyboards, however it will probably nonetheless be a dependable wi-fi mechanical keyboard for different functions, if that’s all you’re after.
Thermaltake W1 Wireless Specs
| Switches | Cherry MX Blue (examined) or Red |
| Lighting | None |
| Onboard Storage | None |
| Media Keys | Volume wheel, mute |
| Connectivity Options | Bluetooth 4.1, USB Type-A dongle, USB-A cable |
| Cables | 1.5m USB-C to USB-A braided cable |
| Additional Ports | None |
| Keycaps | PBT plastic |
| Software | None |
| Dimensions (LxWxH) | 17.4 x 8.7 x 1.6 inches (442 x 222 x 40.6mm) |
| Weight | 4.4 kilos (1,991.3g) |
| Extra | Keycap puller |
Design of Thermaltake W1 Wireless
Most keyboards concentrating on avid gamers as we speak are clearly from the brand new millennium. Multiple RGB lighting results, generally boosted by pudding keycaps and different tips, and glossy high plates with brushed finishes make for a new-age look. The Thermaltake W1 Wireless, alternatively, might move for the keyboard your dad and mom saved (or, maybe, maintain) within the laptop room. Its wi-fi connectivity apart, this keyboard might simply be from final century, with nary an RGB or colourful element in sight.
The Thermaltake W1 Wireless appears similar to the Logitech G613, a mechanical keyboard from 2017 with the same worth and wi-fi featureset. Cut off the G-keys, transfer some indicators round and drop some media keys in favor of a considerable quantity wheel, and you have a twin.
The W1 Wireless is all “titanium grey and black,” as Thermaltake places it. There are avid gamers who’ll have a look at it and snooze and others who will likely be excited by the unexciting. Not everybody needs to be blinded by LEDs, however some type of backlighting would have been good. Yes, it’d eat up battery life quicker, nevertheless it’d additionally make keys simpler to search out in a darkish gaming den, for instance. Thankfully, the kecaps’ legends are distinctly lighter grey than the remainder of the darkish keycaps.
Finer touches embody a quantity wheel with an pointless indicator printed subsequent to it and a devoted mute button. You additionally get keys for switching between the Bluetooth and dongle connection (every gentle up when pressed). The Game Mode change will present both a spot of pink or inexperienced, relying on which manner you slide it. This feels fairly fundamental, however definitely will get the job accomplished — and with out software program. You’ll have to carry the ability button on the appropriate edge down for about 5 seconds earlier than the keyboard’s indicator lights flash, so turning the keyboard on and off could possibly be smoother.
The complete keyboard is plastic, and feels prefer it. Despite having heft, many elements of it really feel hole. The high has some seen texturing, nevertheless it doesn’t convey a lot distinction to the keyboard. The aspect with the ability button and the left aspect are each easy, and on the keyboard’s underside has a pair of toes that flip out sideways for somewhat further peak.
Thermaltake forces a wrist relaxation on you, and it’s a continuation of the identical arduous, barely textured plastic used all through the keyboard’s chassis. It provides somewhat help and is definitely extra comfortablethan simply typing on a desk. But you’ll should decide to mediocrity at finest, as there’s no solution to improve to one thing higher because it’s completely connected. The wrist relaxation has the sensation of a funds model, however the keyboard is decently priced.
You can inform Thermaltake is aware of a bit about what issues in a mechanical keyboard, because it spent a part of the $110 keyboard’s restricted funds on PBT keycaps. When you choose keycaps on your mechanical keyboard, good PBT keycaps are typically thought-about to be extra sturdy than ABS plastic keycaps, whereas additionally resisting shine higher. And, like within the Thermaltake W1 Wireless’ case, PBT keycaps typically include a bodily and visually interesting texture. The W1 Wireless’ keycaps appear fairly thick, however you may really feel the paint filling of the laser engraved legends on high, making them appear cheaper and placing the legends susceptible to finally fading. If you do not like them, the keyboard comes with an affordable keycap puller.
Speaking of sturdiness, there’s a mildly regarding quantity of house bordering every key cluster, particularly the arrow keys. I worry it will appeal to mud, or worse, result in keyboard injury. That mentioned, I haven’t seen any points throughout my couple weeks with the keyboard.
Thermaltake has a knack for making some juggernaut keyboards. The Thermaltake Level 20 gaming keyboard, for instance, is 3.3 kilos and 19 inches lengthy. And its W1 Wireless follows that theme. Some wi-fi keyboards go for portability, however the W1 Wireless is that basic type of giant keyboard that dominates a desk. It’s 17.4 inches lengthy, 8.7 inches deep,1.6 inches tall and weighs 4.4 kilos. For comparability in opposition to equally priced wi-fi mechanical keyboards, the Logitech G613 is even longer, as a consequence of its G-keys, however lighter (18.x 8.5 x 1.3 inches, 3.2 kilos), whereas the productivity-focused Razer Pro Type saves house and weight by dropping the wrist relaxation (17.4 5.2 1.6 inches, 2 kilos).
Wireless Experience With Thermaltake W1 Wireless
If you’re sick of cables, you may join the Thermaltake W1 Wireless to your system by way of its USB-A dongle or Bluetooth 4.1. You can toggle between as much as three Bluetooth gadgets (by urgent Fn + 1-3), making it straightforward to toggle by 4 gadgets and get to typing shortly. I saved the dongle in my finest gaming PC and saved it paired by way of Bluetooth to my work PC and a smartphone and laptop computer. Switching between the dongle and Bluetooth connection or between Bluetooth gadgets was seamless, with a delay that was not than the time it took for me to show from one display to the subsequent.
It’s straightforward to modify your present wi-fi mode, however not essentially as straightforward to recollect which mode or gadget you’re utilizing. The dongle and Bluetooth buttons solely gentle up for a second after being pressed, and there’s no solution to know which Bluetooth profile you’re utilizing with out typing and seeing which gadget responds. When toggling between the dongle and Bluetooth connection, the keyboard will routinely default to your most just lately used Bluetooth gadget.
Thermaltake claims that, with the two.4 GHz dongle connection, you’ll see as little as a 1ms delay between whenever you press a key and when that motion really occurs. If you need to sport wirelessly, that’s the best way to go as a result of the delay will increase to a purported 125ms when linked by way of Bluetooth. The keyboard maker additionally claims that you should utilize the keyboard from as much as 32.8 toes (10m) away with its dongle connection.
I had no bother utilizing the keyboard’s dongle connection throughout my testing interval. I all the time used it alongside a wi-fi mouse and infrequently with wi-fi headphones and by no means seen any apparent lag or suffered a dropped connection. I used to be additionally in a position to make use of the Thermaltake W1 wi-fi throughout my small, one-bedroom house, even with two closed doorways between the keyboard and dongle.
Interestingly, the Thermaltake W1 Wireless makes use of Bluetooth 4.1, though Bluetooth 5.x has been a factor for some time now (see the expensive Razer BlackWidow V3 Pro). While the newer technology packs a larger max bandwidth and working vary, all of it will depend on the implementation, and your precise expertise will even fluctuate primarily based in your atmosphere. I by no means suffered any dropped Bluetooth connections or hindering lag, and finally you received’t miss out on something main as a consequence of this keyboard utilizing an older sort of Bluetooth. As talked about, the Thermaltake W1 Wireless is terribly just like the Logitech G613, which additionally has Bluetooth 4.1, because it got here out in 2017.
Should all else fail, Thermaltake features a braided USB-C to USB-A cable. This means you should utilize the keyboard even when your batteries runs out. However, you received’t be capable to recharge the keyboard. A compartment on the keyboard’s underside not solely retains the pair of AA batteries however has dongle storage as effectively.
Battery Life of Thermaltake W1 Wireless
As regular, anticipated battery life when utilizing the keyboard’s dongle connection is shorter than when utilizing Bluetooth. With the two.4 GHz connection, Thermaltake claims as much as 1.5 months of battery life with two AA batteries, in comparison with 2.5 months with Bluetooth. For comparability, the Logitech G613 claims as much as 18 months of battery life. The keyboard isn’t rechargeable, however a pair of AA batteries is straightforward to search out.
Unfortunately, there’s no solution to get an actual battery studying from the Thermaltake W1 Wireless. However, there’s an indicator gentle will gentle up inexperienced (100-21% battery remaining), yellow (20-6%) or blink pink (lower than 5% battery) whenever you faucet the ability button, providing you with a touch.
I haven’t used the keyboard for months, however I did go away it on for a couple of week, actively utilizing it roughly 8 hours per day, and its battery indicator gentle was nonetheless inexperienced after that testing time.
Gaming Experience With Thermaltake W1 Wireless
Thermaltake calls the W1 Wireless a gaming keyboard, nevertheless it’s the type of branding that evokes philosophical questions round what turns a mechanical keyboard right into a gaming one. We could not all agree on the reply, however the Thermaltake W1 Wireless does little to justify its gaming qualifier, apart from providing n-key rollover with its USB cable. That drops to 10-key rollover with the dongle connection and 6-key rollover in the event you’re linked by way of Bluetooth. Perhaps if this weren’t a gaming keyboard, Thermaltake wouldn’t have bothered together with a cable. Regardless, that’s about all that basically makes this keyboard extra gaming-ready.
My evaluate unit got here with Cherry MX Blue switches, which aren’t my favourite for gaming. The clicky, tactile switches require 60g of power to actuate, have 4mm of journey and actuate at 2.2mm. They’re barely heavy for fast or sudden in-game actions, and I discover them tiring for lengthy gaming classes in comparison with different clicky switches, like Razer Greens or Kailh Box Whites. You may get the Thermaltake W1 Wireless with Cherry MX Red linear switches, that are highly regarded for gaming. They ought to be much less tiring to actuate as a result of they don’t have a tactile bump, require solely 45g of power to actuate and have a shorter actuation level of 2mm.
Additionally, Cherry MX Blues are fairly loud, so it’s very probably, relying in your mic, that your teammates or, definitely, anybody bodily close by will hear you clicking away. I might hear the clicks over my gaming earbuds, which admittedly could possibly be louder and extra isolating. Making issues worse: the keyboard, particularly the spacebar, is in critical want of lubrication. I might hear the spacebar’s stabilizers rattling and the loud, hole noise of it bottoming out and metallic pining over the hectic sounds of Borderlands 3. Various different keys all through felt further stiff too, particularly the appropriate shift key. You maintain down the important thing to dash in Borderlands 3, so fast darts have been hindered by a hair.
You might deal with this through the use of our directions for How to Lube Your Mechanical Switches, nevertheless it’ll take time and extra talent than you may anticipate to simply get the keyboard to be much less distracting when gaming.
The wrist relaxation was additionally sometimes distracting. Because of its dramatic slope and the extent of smoothness (it’s not completely easy, however easy sufficient), my hand generally slid down, forcing me to take my eyes off the display (by no means factor to do in Borderlands) to reposition my hand.
The PBT keycaps fared effectively, though they’re not very high-end PBT. After heavy gaming classes, they acquired somewhat clammy, which made them really feel barely stickier however by no means arduous to grip.
If you employ macros for gaming or in any other case discover it helpful to have completely different settings for particular video games and apps, this isn’t the keyboard for you. There’s no software program, reminiscence profiles or onboard programming right here. You might use an out of doors device, like SharpKeys, to flip your numpad right into a macropad or program different features, however such instruments aren’t as straightforward to make use of or have a look at as one thing like Razer Synapse and infrequently require rebooting your PC.
Typing Experience With Thermaltake W1 Wireless
My evaluate unit got here with clicky Cherry MX Blue switches as a substitute of the linear pink ones. I’d a lot somewhat use tactile switches for typing and love click on too. Unfortunately, my evaluate unit’s switches want lubing, as urgent every key felt stiffer and extra resistant than typical. The pinging spacebar was accompanied by loud stabilizers and hole bottoming out noises that simply didn’t mesh with different keys’ noises.
Plus, the spacebar would generally get jammed very briefly. A couple of different keys — tab, caps lock and left shift — even have distinct and hollower noises than the remainder of the keys when pressed with various pitches. Various different keys steadily made a pinging noise when typing aggressively, and out-of-the field, the H key would typically get caught in place.
The keycaps, nevertheless, have been good to sort on and didn’t get smudged or nasty. U-shaped curves enable for consolation, though the keycaps could possibly be extra textured to match extra premium PBT caps.
Because of the stiff keys, my typing accuracy dropped barely, by about 2%, once I took the Thermaltake W1 Wireless by a couple of rounds of the 10fastfingers.com typing take a look at. Again lubing the switches would probably assist, however isn’t one thing each gamer will need to do after spending over $100 on a keyboard.
Software for Thermaltake W1 Wireless
The W1 Wireless doesn’t include any software program. For some, like these sick of Razer Synapse and its RAM calls for, this can be a good factor. Thermaltake’s W1 Wireless is plug-and-play, so to talk, and there’s no app to fuss round with in an effort to get the perfect expertise doable. This does imply there’s no precise battery meter studying, which can also be useful to have with a wi-fi peripheral.
However, many gaming keyboards as of late do provide software program, not just for taking part in with the backlighting, however for options that may also be useful for gaming, like key mapping or creating profiles that may carry settings throughout completely different PCs. This isn’t the keyboard for avid gamers seeking to sustain with the Joneses.
Bottom Line
What makes gaming keyboard? Different avid gamers have completely different solutions. If your reply is RGB, the Thermaltake W1 Wireless clearly received’t lower it for you. If it’s about well-lubed switches and stabilizers and ping-free actuation, this keyboard falters as effectively. And in case your reply is programmable keys and macro recording, then you definitely’ll even be upset by this so-called gaming keyboard. But taken purely as a wi-fi mechanical keyboard, the W1 Wireless has its wins.
For one, I by no means suffered a misplaced connection or apparent lag with hours of dongle connection. Bluetooth additionally labored reliably, and the keyboard made it straightforward to shortly change between a dongle or Bluetooth connection or between 1 of three paired Bluetooth gadgets. You even have the choice to make use of a braided cable. Battery life also needs to be good, in the event you’re okay with utilizing AA batteries.
That’s plenty of wi-fi performance and reliability for $110 (as of writing). But yet one more drawback is there’s a keyboard that’s suspiciously just like the W1 Wireless and cheaper. The Logitech G613 ($80 MSRP) appears practically similar to this Thermaltake choice however provides a macro financial institution. However, that keyboard limits you to a single Bluetooth profile and Logitech’s Romer-G Tactile mechanical switches.
An absence of options makes it arduous for the W1 Wireless to face out, particularly if the G613 is accessible for much less. But in the event you choose linear or clicky switches and want to hook up with a number of Bluetooth gadgets, the Thermaltake W1 Wireless is a cable-free clacker you may depend on. You simply could need to maintain some change lube round.
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