Usage
As the TT Premium X1 is a gaming keyboard, most of our time using it was spent gaming. Right now we are pretty addicted to battle royale style games, so we put in quite a few hours of Fortnite Battle Royale with the X1. While we could definitely feel a difference between the CHERRY MX Speed Silver switches of the X1 compared to other keyboards with CHERRY Red and Brown switches when they were sitting next to each other, we really didn’t notice a very distinct difference when we were in the heat of a game. Our inputs were registered as expected, and at no point did we feel like we needed any adjusting, especially since we were coming off of using CHERRY MX Red switches on our daily-use keyboard. Overall, our gaming experience was great with the TT Premium X1.
While keyboard and its wrist rest were quite comfortable in their use, though we did run into a few issues in our non-gaming testing, specifically when doing a lot of typing. Our first problem was with the sensitivity of the CHERRY MX Speed Silver switches. With their low actuation force, we kept running into two issues quite often. The first was when we would lightly rest our fingers on the keys during a pause in writing, we would often end up with a string of characters from the weight of our fingers resting on the switches. This led to be quite frustrating. The second issue with the switches when typing was that they were sensitive enough to often register extra key presses for a key, or even adjacent keys that may be bumped with normal typing motions.
Our other issue was with the wrist rest surface. The combination of the rest’s hard plastic and slightly rough texture added up to being a somewhat slick surface. We really felt like our wrists were sliding down towards our desk when using the wrist rest. With this constant movement, there was quite a bit of noise from the friction between our hands and the plastic. We would love to see a rubberized or soft touch plastic surface on the wrist rest, as it would have improved our experience greatly.
All this being said, we think the X1 felt great in gaming situations, but the sensitivity of the CHERRY MX Speed Silver switches led to extended typing tasks becoming a chore. Thankfully the TT Premium X1 is also available with Blue switches, which require a bit more force to activate, and are often loved by typists.
Final Thoughts
The Thermaltake TT PRemium X1 RGB gaming keyboard lives in a very, very crowded market segment. With just about every peripheral vendor having at least one or two gaming keyboards, most with RGB lighting and a slew of features, it is a very competitive arena to be in. In order to stand out amongst your peers, you have to offer something that others can’t, or offer a premium experience. Thermaltake attempted to go the premium route, according to their marketing materials, and we think that might have been a mistake. Nothing about the X1, in our opinion, feels premium. The all-plastic build, while having a hefty feel that often accompanies quality products, is underwhelming and bland. We would have loved to see some brushed aluminum, or even just a thinner border; either would have improved the aesthetics of the keyboard.
Where we think Thermaltake got things right is in their switch and feature set. By utilizing genuine CHERRY MX switches, the X1 comes with a bit of assurance that your gaming experience will be top-notch. And while the MX Speed Silver switches might have been a bit sensitive for our typing needs, they were great for gaming, and you can even go with MX Blue switches if they are more your style. With regards to features, the per-key RGB illumination is implemented in a fashion similar to most gaming keyboards, and the on-board and application controlled customization options should fit the needs of most users. Add in the USB and audio pass-through ports, and you have a pretty standard gaming keyboard. If you are an Apple iPhone user, you have the added bonus of being able to utilize Thermaltake’s additional apps that let you use your phone to make adjustments to your keyboard or use the screen as a gaming controller.
Priced around $135 on Amazon, the Thermaltake TT Premium X1 RGB Gaming Keyboard is priced right where it should be for a 104-key model. With plenty of features to keep the majority of gamers pleased, we give the Thermaltake TT Premium X1 RGB Gaming Keyboard an 8 out of 10.
Pros
- Sturdy build
- CHERRY MX switches
- Per-key RGB lighting
- USB and audio pass-through
- Detachable wrist rest included
Cons
- All-plastic design
- Basic software
- Slick and noisy wrist rest
- CHERRY MX Speed Silver switches are very sensitive