Tt eSPORTS POSEIDON Z Forged Mechanical Keyboard Review

By Meng Vang

Manufacturer: Thermaltake (USA) Technologies Co., Ltd.
Product Name: Poseidon Z Forged
Model Number: KB-BAZ-KLBLUS-01
UPC: 841163055793
Price As Tested: $119.99 (Newegg | Amazon)

Full Disclosure: The product sample used in this article has been provided by Thermaltake.

The Thermaltake Poseidon Z Forged is the newest edition to the Poseidon Z family. It comes in with a lot of new features that can be appealing to most gamers. This is the first mechanical keyboard in the Poseidon series to offer programmable macro buttons. In addition to that, Thermaltake is confident that the Poseidon Z Forged will become a long lasting keyboard, so they are offering the same five year warranty as they did with their previous Poseidon mechanical keyboards.

The brushed aluminum finish on the faceplate looks great and provides a heavier weight and durability to the product. The six different lighting levels along with a pulsing effect allows the user to adjust the lighting levels to their desire. Along with its own built-in DAC sound card, headphones can be plugged directly into the back of the keyboard without having to plug them into the computer. Two USB ports are also available at the back next to the built-in headphone and microphone jack. This is perfect for a mouse or a temporary storage device. The wrist rest can be attached via magnets without having to worry about breaking any clips.

With 10 programmable macro keys and five separate profiles to choose from, the Poseidon Z Forged has a total of 50 macro keys in normal mode and 100 macro keys in game mode. And lastly, it comes in two versions with the choice of blue or brown Thermaltake Certified Mechanical Switches. Here at Benchmark Reviews, we are excited to receive the Thermaltake Poseidon Z Forged with blue mechanical switches for this review.

• Fully back-lit mechanical keyboard with aluminum faceplate styling
• Full 104 layout keyboard with 5 dedicated macro keys on each side
• Built-in dual USB port hub and USB sound-card with headphone and microphone jack
• Up to 50 programmable macros, via 10 dedicated macro keys and 5 profiles
• Detachable USB cable
• Removable wrist rest (attaches via magnets)
• Blue LED illumination
• 6 different brightness levels, with an additional Pulse lighting effect
• 5 different pre-configured light zone combinations
• Instant-Switch-System (I.S.S) allows for instant access to all stored macros, without changing profiles
• World’s first 5 year warranty on a mechanical gaming keyboard.

The Poseidon Z Forged performed just as well as expected. It was easy to type on and was wide enough to reduce the tendency of accidentally pressing a button in the surrounding area. All of the keys registered correctly and was verified through the Aqua’s KeyTest software. Macro keys worked like they should and the sound quality from the built-in sound card was a great additional feature to have on a keyboard. I would have liked to see a software for the built-in sound card to allow the user to tune the sound settings.

In terms of appearance, the keyboard looks great with its brushed aluminum finish. The blue LEDs are dim enough and bright enough in a well-lit room. Pulsing LEDs can be activated at the highest level of brightness and looks great for showing off. The plastic wrist rest looks great when attached to the keyboard, but it would have been better if it had a brushed aluminum finish just like the keyboard body itself.

The aluminum faceplate is good for appearance, but it also helps make the entire keyboard very heavy and durable. The rest of the body is made of plastic but it is all supported by the aluminum faceplate. When tilting out the feet from under the keyboard, they feel very sturdy and does not wiggle back and forth like on some keyboards. The keyboard sits nice and firmly on a smooth surface and is not easy to slide back and forth. Attaching the wrist rest does not affect how the keyboard sits on the surface. Being able to attach and remove the wrist rest via magnets is a lot easier than with clips.

When it comes to functionality, the Poseidon Z Forged does everything it should do. Having 50 macro keys in normal mode and 100 macro keys in game mode is more than enough for most people. One problem that I did run into was the fact that there is no documentation anywhere on the box or in the installation guide about the software. Because our review sample did not come with any pre-loaded lighting settings, I had to search for the downloadable software on the Thermaltake website just to get it to work. The software is still new, but it can be more organized giving it the potential to improve in a later release. I would have liked to see an included software CD or some kind of documentation about downloading the software from their website.

As of May 2015, the Thermaltake Poseidon Z Forged sells online for $119.99 (Newegg | Amazon). Considering all of the features offered from this mechanical keyboard, it would make this a good keyboard for this price considering it also has a five year warranty. Although not a lot of people will want to spend this much money on just a keyboard, there are those who will pay the extra premium for some additional features that are not present in low-end keyboards. If you are a person who is willing to pay the extra premium for a longer lasting keyboard with great build quality and tons of macro capabilities, the Poseidon Z Forged is definitely a keyboard to consider.
+ Aluminum and plastic body construction
+ Up to 100 programmable macro keys in game mode
+ Built-in DAC sound card and USB ports
+ Great for typing, gaming, and productivity
+ Five separate profiles with five modes
+ Ability to customize lighting and macro keys via software
+ Detachable USB cable
– No software CD or documentation about a downloadable software
– Software can be more organized, but it is still new

• Performance: 9.25
• Appearance: 9.25
• Construction: 9.00
• Functionality: 7.75
• Value: 8.50

Quality Recognition: Benchmark Reviews Silver Tachometer Award.

COMMENT QUESTION: What do you like/dislike about the Thermaltake Poseidon Z Forged gaming keyboard?