SteelSeries APEX M800 Mechanical Gaming Keyboard

Product: SteelSeries APEX M800 Mechanical Gaming Keyboard
Provided By: SteelSeries
Price: $199 MSRP at time of publication

Introduction:

I just love mechanical keyboards. The diversity in switches and the general quality that comes with most of them just make me giddy. I am particularly filled with glee that I get to review SteelSeries’ Apex M800 mechanical gaming keyboard! I have been using this board for a good three weeks and have to say, I like it more each day that I use it.

Now just a quick introduction to SteelSeries for those of you not familiar with the brand; they are an electronics company that makes devices varied from controllers to mice, keyboards and audio devices. At CES 2015 we saw a bit of a demo of their new eye-tracking device that really could revolutionize pro gaming and game streaming.

First Look:

Upon gazing at the box for the first time we will notice that SteelSeries did a great job with packaging design. The outside shows off the keyboard in nice color, and shows off a lot of the design features throughout. The name of the keyboard is done in a nice high gloss wording to make it really pop.

Once the box has been opened you can see the excellent job they did securing this device so it would remain intact. After you get inside, you will find the owner’s manual, taller rubber feet for the Apex and replacement keys for use with Apple Computers.

As the pictures suggest, this is a gorgeous board, with its sleek and horizontally stretched design. On the face you will find all of the common keys with the addition of six macro keys and one out of this world huge spacebar! Near the top right corner is a SteelSeries logo that lights up if desired.

A closer look at the ends of the M800 reveals that it is slightly wedge-shaped to lend itself to a nice raised stance. It also has very stylish areas for light to shine through and just make those tears of joy well up in your eyes.

Turning it around to the back edge you will find two USB ports and the 6.6 ft. nylon sheathed USB cable. The overall look of the front is nice and stylish to go with the rest of the board. The cable has two USB plugs on it to power all this bad boy has to offer.

Flipping over the M800 will reveal another world of awesome! We find the interchangeable rubber foot-pads as well as a pathway for one to route cables under the keyboard. The area is a bit shinier than the others, and that is kind of a nice touch and has a divider as well to keep things separate. Also on the bottom you will find the product sticker with the model, serial number and such along with company and product names.

On the next page, we'll cover the features and specifications of this keyboard as we share a few more pictures of this board.