Tt eSPORTS Challenger Pro keyboard review



Testing
Upon plugging the keyboard into one of my computer's USB ports it immediately powered up with an impressive red glow. The backlight is one of the things I really like about this keyboard, it's a very nice color and it looks exquisite in the dark.

Challenger 
Pro illuminated

Challenger Pro illuminated


To enable the keyboard's special features you need to install the driver from the CD (or download it from Tt eSPORTS' website). The software is very straight-forward, each of the four profile has its own tab and easily enables you to define up to 40 macros. When defining a macro, you press record and start hitting the keys. The macro is recorded exactly as you insert it, including key delay times, but you can adjust these if you wish to slow down or speed up the macro. One downside though is that it's hard to see which profile you're using. The keyboard uses a multi-color LED to indicate which of the four profiles is loaded, but it's hard to remember which color correspondents with which profile. The LED indicators are also very dim, they're hard to see in daylight.

Besides assigning macros, the software also lets you assign other commands to the T-keys such as "cut", "paste", "launch", "new", "undo", "save", etc. Once finished, you can upload the profiles to your keyboard. The software also lets you import/export profiles from/to your hard disk.

The keyboard's backlight can be controlled via the keyboard's light switch as well as via the software, but the Tt eSPORTS logo can only be deactivated via the software panel. The only extra feature in the software is a timer that lets you keep a track record of total gaming duration, other than that there's no extra functionality. Some gaming keyboard software lets you disable the Windows keys to prevent accidental keystrokes during gaming but that's not the case with this model, instead Tt eSPORTS opted for a hardware approach by including two dummy Windows keys.

During testing, I found the keyboard to be very comfortable and very responsive. The small travel distance between the keys takes a little time to get used to but after about an hour I no longer had a problem with this.

Challenger Pro driver


Conclusion
Tt eSPORTS made a nice entry into the gaming keyboard market. The Challenger Pro isn't perfect but makes quite an impression with its exquisite backlight and its rich set of features. The keyboard provides good comfort but the fan seems of little use to me, and some areas could use a little improvement; the keyboard has four different profiles for the ten macros keys but it's hard to see which profile you're using. What also puts me off a little is the lack of flair, I can't really put my finger on it but despite the solid build quality, the keyboard looks and feels a little cheap compared to some other gaming keyboards. Other than that, the Challenger Pro is an excellent keyboard and I feel we'll be seeing a lot of other great gaming peripherals from this firm! The MSRP is $69.99.

The Good Stuff
  • Lots of functionality
  • Ten macro keys
  • Nice illumination (which can be switched off)
  • Solid build quality
  • Comes with keyboard travel bag
  • Has two USB 2.0 ports

    The Bad Stuff
  • No sound mute key
  • Fan is of little use
  • Hard to see which profile you're using
  • Indicator LEDs are very dim, hard to see in daylight

    DV Hardware awards the Tt eSPORTS Challenger Pro gaming keyboard with a 8/10 and our Seal of Approval.

    Seal of Approval




    Thanks go out to Caseking for making this review possible.

    Caseking

    Added: April 18th 2011
    Product reviewed: Tt eSPORTS Challenger Pro keyboard
    Reviewer: Thomas De Maesschalck
    Score: 8/10
    Page: 3/3



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  • About the Author

    Thomas De Maesschalck

    Thomas has been messing with computer since early childhood and firmly believes the Internet is the best thing since sliced bread. Enjoys playing with new tech, is fascinated by science, and passionate about financial markets. When not behind a computer, he can be found with running shoes on or lifting heavy weights in the weight room.



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