The Aorus K9 Optical is such a unique device that it made me rethink everything I value in a gaming keyboard. When I first pulled the K9 out of its box, before even plugging it in, my first impressions were "this seems simple" and "why is it so heavy?" Over the last couple of weeks, I've grown to think of the K9 as my service weapon. It IS simple, in terms of bells and whistles, but it's also a reliable piece of equipment that's been painstakingly engineered to be fast, accurate, and virtually indestructible. When I type on it I feel like I'm firing controlled bursts from my rifle. Hitting the space bar now sounds like the ping of an M1 Garand. This is my keyboard. There are many like it, but this one is mine.
Clearly, the K9 has developed a much stronger identity for me than I ever thought it would. I love the idea of a keyboard built first and foremost to withstand anything you can throw at it. In an age of planned obsolesce, it's really nice to know the K9, as the name implies, will be by my side until the bitter end.
A Keyboard Built To Last
Optical switches are already more durable by nature, but Aorus really leaned into that feature when they designed the K9. Regular mechanical switches have a lot of moving parts that wear down over time and are more prone to defects and malfunctions. They also have the potential to trap dust which often causes chatter, resulting in keypresses to get registered multiple times.
Optical keyboards like the K9 use lasers to register keystrokes, which means they can register presses measurably faster than traditional mechanical keyboards. Further, there is less space and recesses in the switches for dust to build up. Optical keyboards are designed to outperform and outlast mechanical keyboards in just about every way.
The K9 is rated for 100 million keystrokes, double what most mechanical keyboards are rated for. There's no metal connectors in the switches, meaning the switches won't rust or corrode. And because there are no metal connectors, the keyboard is also splash-proof. No dust, no rain, no spills, not even gamer tears can stop the K9. Aorus says the K9 can be used underwater. I didn't try it, but this thing has proven itself to be a beast in so many ways already I don't doubt that's true. They even use special keycaps called PTB because they're more durable.
The Trade Off
The K9 is all about hardened sustainability, and while it makes room for some obligatory gamer features, it probably isn't going to appeal to RBG fanatics. While it has fully customizable per-key backlights with preset patterns to choose from and virtually unlimited color options, the effect isn't particularly impressive compared to other RGB gaming keyboards. The light doesn't come through the space between the keys or underneath enough to contribute much to the aesthetic. The feature is functional but unremarkable. If stunning RBG is what you're after, I suggest you look elsewhere, maggot.
There are not too many other features to speak off. Its got a nice braided USB cable and left, right, or center cable routing, which are both pretty standard features. It's fully modular, meaning you can mix and match switches. Impressive, but I've never met anyone with a per-key preference for the switches they use. I believe most gamers have a preference and wouldn't have any use for the ability to switch out individual keys to different types, but the option is there.
There is no LCD display, no programmable function keys, no volume knob, and no USB ports. There is a list of hotkey that comes on a separate card in the box. It fits nicely underneath the keyboard so you can reference when you need to. I'm not going to do that, and I'm certainly not going to ever remember Fn+↑ changes the direction of the backlight. Luckily, all of the function key hotkeys are labeled on the keycaps.
I Love The Smell Of Flaretech In The Morning
Optical keyboards promise two things: increased durability and faster switches. The durability of the K9 is something I can feel, but the speed really isn't. The optical Flaretech switch is proven to have a debounce speed 600 times faster than regular switches. I'm not doubting that's true, I just honestly can't tell the difference, and it isn't making me better at Call of Duty yet (and at this point I'm pretty sure nothing will).
What I can tell is how tough this sucker is. The K9 has given me great pause and forced me to reevaluate what it is I truly value most about my devices. A reliable piece of equipment that promises to be with me no matter what life brings is incredibly reassuring, especially now, when everything feels so unpredictable. I'm not a brand loyal guy, but I've found a certain kind of loyalty for the K9 the way we're all still loyal to the Nokia 3310. I'm confident the K9 will age a lot better than that brick of a phone, and I'm confident I'll still be enjoying it for many years to come.
An Aorus K9 Optical keyboard was provided to TheGamer for this review. You can learn more about the K9 on Aorus' website.