Epomaker TH108 Pro Review - A Game Changer
As someone who is fairly well-documented at this point as not being into PC gaming, when a new peripheral comes along, a very cynical attitude of “how significant can this actually be?” enters my head. “Keyboards have keys, mice scroll around and can be clicked, and do I really care about the microseconds that can be shaved off with the latest model?” pretty well summarises the flippant attitude I’ve had over the years. But then, from time to time, something comes along to shake up, and the Epomaker TH108 Pro has done just that, by just doing the basics incredibly well for someone such as myself who wants something for gaming, just as much as I want it for work.
If you’re looking for that multifunctional keyboard, the TH108 Pro is that keyboard. For gamers, you’re set, and it includes the numeric keypad as well. Having been using a lot of gaming keyboards in recent years, I was surprised initially by the weight of the TH108; it’s a hefty unit, but that size is justified, with Epomaker including some wonderful features to make the experience of using the keyboard so much more appealing for both the user and others who might be in the vicinity.
I had no issues with the clacking that comes with modern mechanical keyboards… until I sat in the room with a colleague who also had one, and suddenly the noise from the keyboard was infuriating. It’s one of those things that you don’t notice when you’re using the keyboard, but when you’re not, it’s quite obnoxious, and it seems like Epomaker is aware of this. The TH108 Pro is equipped with linear mechanical switches that respond just as a mechanical keyboard does, but don’t provide the same noisy feedback, while the cushioning provided for each input is wonderful. To experiment, one day I left the keyboard sitting on my desk, and watched as students would come in, discuss whatever school business they wanted to discuss, but would casually press keys on the keyboard, and then suddenly become transfixed by just how soft and soothing it was to use the keyboard. I also shared the use of the keyboard with my office colleague, and we were both impressed by the ways that the TH108 Pro dulled that harsh clacking of our usual keyboards.
The TH108 Pro comes packaged with a USB-C cable for wired connection, but also holds a good charge for use via over 2.4GHz connection (with a provided dongle concealed cleverly in one of the feet of the keyboard), or Bluetooth. Input delays weren’t observed throughout my couple weeks of using the keyboard in both wired and wireless modes, and the 10000mAh battery will ensure that you’re going to get many hours of use from the TH108 Pro before you’ll need to charge the battery on it again.
As far as personalisation is concerned, the TH108 Pro provides a few options. Firstly, for those who really wish to inject their own flavour, the TH108 Pro includes a small LED screen in its top right corner, and offers you several frames of animations so that you can insert GIFs, favourite images and more to scroll through. The keyboard also has RGB functionality, and while the keys themselves aren’t see-through in any way (a challenge for those less experienced with a QWERTY keyboard if you can’t see the keys in a darkened space), the RGB lighting does a bit to ease the strain. I was provided with the black model of the keyboard, which emphasises a few keys such as Esc, Return, and the directional arrows. Each is coloured separately, which is a stylistic choice that I can’t say I would have made myself, but is far from a dealbreaker at the same time. Beyond the black model that I’ve been using, there’s a clean white/blue model, and a very striking pink available as well; so if you’re looking for something that fits your style, or can be easily customised to fit your style, then you’ve got a few handy, and reasonably priced options available.
There is one notable omission, however. For a device that is targeting gaming communities, I find it quite surprising that there isn’t some kind of cushioned rest for wrists while typing. Due to its size and feature set, the TH108 Pro sits a healthy distance above the top of the table, and in the absence of some kind of rest, your wrists are vulnerable. This would be an important addition to any future versions of this keyboard or others in the family.
The Epomaker TH108 Pro is going to meet all of your gaming needs, but is unbelievably practical for almost all other uses. The toned-down auditory load is greatly appreciated by this user and all others around him, so consider jumping on the bandwagon.
