Armaggeddon Kai-9 Sentinel Gaming Keyboard Review

9:05 AM armaggeddon , gaming , keyboard , review 1 Comments

     Today I will be reviewing another membrane keyboard, this time, something that is positioned in the budget bracket of gaming keyboards. Without further ado, let's get this review of the Armaggeddon Kai-9 Sentinel started.


WHAT'S IN THE BOX?



TECH SPECS

REVIEW
     Looking at the front of the box, we get a rough impression about what we are about to unbox; interested parties can also try out the keyboard through the little preview cutout even though the Kai-9 is just a membrane keyboard. One thing on the box is the big "2 Year Warranty" plastered at the corner of the box, pretty impressive guarantee given that this is a pretty budget oriented keyboard.


     After removing the keyboard out of its box, we get to take a better look at the keyboard itself. Upon first inspection, the keyboard layout seems unchanged to the standard layout, which is always a good thing because personally I hate having to adapt to some awkward layout imposed by some manufacturers to allow for their 'special' features.


     On the left, we see that Armaggeddon has done its due and added a column of custom macro keys for the serious gamer; more on the macro keys later.


     On the top row, we find some basic function/multimedia keys. There's also a profile switch key to allow users to switch between their own profiles on the fly. The keyboard features a plastic finish which is rougher than the usual kind. This contributes to a unique texture that can be seen from afar. However, I would had still prefer the usual smooth plastic finish; the textured finish just feels very out of place.



     Connection wise, we find a braided USB cable with its end plated with gold. For your information, plating USBs with gold slow down corrosion from frequent plug-ins and outs. Seeing as the keyboard is pretty basic, only one USB port is needed to provide power to the keyboard as well as data transfer.



     Flipping the keyboard around, we find almost no slippy pads on the keyboard, except the two lonely pieces on the bottom, which makes the keyboard a bit too easy to be accidentally pushed out of position. We also see a kick-stand that tilts the keyboard to a comfortable angle for users to type on. Again, no slippy pads on the kick-stands makes the keyboard too easy to push around, albeit a rare occurrence. Hopefully Armaggeddon will focus on this aspect with their future keyboards.




     Plugging in the keyboard, the first order of business is to download the keyboard software in order to truly utilize this gaming keyboard. After a quick installation process, we are greeted with the main screen of the keyboard, basically highlighting what is already plastered across the box. Onto the second tab, we get a full view of the keyboard layout where we can redefine each and every key on the keyboard, which is a nice touch for those with super specific rebinding needs.




     The next screen, promptly named 'Macro Settings' does what it advertises. Here, users can redefine what each of the 6 macro keys are bound to. Users can also record their own macros as shown on the screenshot above.

     With all that aside, we come to the last tab where we are greeted with some 'miscellaneous' settings like polling rate, key response time and windows key lock. One thing I would like to highlight here is that if you like customizing how your flashy lights flash, you will be disappointed with Armaggeddon's software implementation. From messing around, I have came to the conclusion that users are not able to set what colour the keyboard will be backlit by.The only way to see all the colours in action is to select the circular breathing mode; I would like to see a software patch as soon as possible to rectify this problem as I believe a lot of people (including me) take colours very seriously. Apparently, users can switch the keyboard's colour by holding Fn+Scroll Lock/Print Screen.

CONCLUSION

     As a conclusion, the Armaggeddon Kai-9 Sentinel didn't impress me much. However, given that the keyboard is priced at only a mere MYR 139.00, I didn't have too high of an expectation for it. Those looking for a budget keyboard with gaming-centric features that is reasonably built and fancies some flashy lights may want to add this keyboard to their list of consideration. With all that said, I really hope that Armaggeddon improves their software implementation for not just this particular product but also for their entire arsenal of gaming peripherals. From what I have seen, one of the major shortcomings about Armaggeddon would be their software implementation that shoots themselves on the foot.