The EVGA Z15 keyboard was first released in 2021 and at the time cost north of $100. Today, you can regularly find it for around $50 on sale on Amazon and for that reason alone it would seemingly fit as a great value option, especially considering it has multiple features not usually seen in that price range. What are some of those?
Pros:
Mechanical Switches – The keyboard is fully mechanical and the model I am reviewing came with Kaihl silver speed switches. These are very responsive. Maybe even too responsive for some people, as they require only the lightest of presses on each key (accidentally getting a long line of characters on screen because you were not expecting even the slightest press to trigger the key is not uncommon). If you are used to something more tactile, those are not the switches for you, but
The Switches Are Hot Swappable – This is somewhat unusual for this price range, and it is a direct result of migrating from the higher price point. If you want something clickier to type, you can 100% achieve that with some modification, though whether or not those mods add to the price of the board (and thus impacts the whole value prospect of it) obviously depends what kind of deal you can get on new switches.
Build quality – The keyboard feels heavy and incredibly solid and has a nice metal top plate. Any plastics used are thick and high quality. This extends all the way to the risers in the back. We will talk about the keycaps later, however.
10-Key and Media Controls – Not everyone wants or needs a 10 key number pad or media controls, but I am personally a big fan of them as they extend the functionality of the keyboard beyond just typing or gaming, so their inclusion here is welcome. It is also notable that the slate uses a volume control wheel. The wheel feels smooth and responsive, and after using it, I miss it on all other keyboards that do not have it.
Polling Rate – Polling rate is how many times per second your PC checks for keypresses. The Z15 has three options in this area, 1000hz, 2000hz and 4000hz, meaning you can choose for your PC to check for key presses 1,000, 2,000 or even 4,000 times per second. Ultra precise keypresses matter more for gamers than other people who might be using this for just typing, and even now, 2000hz and 4000hz are likely overkill, but it’s really hard to complain about having too many options on a board that has an MSRP of $59.99.
Software – Mechanical keyboard software is generally a mixed bag, but EVGA Unleash does an excellent job allowing you to configure multiple aspects of your keyboard including lighting, macros, polling rate and keys you want to disable during gaming so you don’t accidentally kick yourself out of a game. You will, of course, likely have to upgrade the firmware on the keyboard to get access to all of these features.
Cons:
Keycaps – Oddly enough, the one area in build quality EVGA skimped on is the keycaps. They are a single shot ABS, and they show wear very quickly. Mine began to develop a shine within just a couple of days and they became slick to the touch, which actively detracts from the typing experience. This is perhaps in combination with the overall sensitive nature of the silver switches, but for this review I swapped out all the ABS keycaps with double shot PBT caps from Hyper X and found the experience significantly improved for typing. The silver switches are more than adequate when combined with a proper keycap.
Overall
For a keyboard you can find for $40 brand new on Amazon if you hit it just right, this is a phenomenal option, with one caveat. The build quality is excellent, it has hot swappable switches plus tenkey, adjustable polling rate and overall decent software. The caveat is the keycaps themselves. They are junk. That is somewhat forgivable on a board this cheap, but having to replace them does harm the value prospect of the board. The set of Hyper X keycaps I used were only $20. But if you also want to replace the switches with something clickier, then that is additional money on top of that, and at that point you are likely at or over $100, which directly pits the keyboard in more serious competition. That is not to say the board is not worth $100, but make sure you know what you are getting into first.
8/10