Introduction:

OCZ Elixir Gaming Keyboard

Of all the parts of a computer, keyboards are perhaps the most sensitive to personal subjective preference. Most decisions on a CPU or videocards can be resolved with cold, hard facts, but keyboards choices tend to be very subjective. On the one hand, you have some that don't care about what keyboard they use, so as long as it works. On the flip side, there are some who are religious about their keyboard preference. I'm somewhere towards the latter group, having been using my trusty original Logitech G15 keyboard for the past 2.5 years.

Gaming keyboards certainly have their place as they typically offer extra keys and functionality that's useful to most gamers. However, they have also carried a hefty price tag, as we saw with the Logitech G15 Rev. 2, which ended up costing even more than the original. Today, we'll take a look at OCZ's entry into the gaming keyboard market, with their Alchemy Elixir Keyboard, which surprisingly retails for only $30 USD. This is certainly a nice selling point, but let's see if the low price has any affect on quality.

Specifications:

There's not much to be said about the specifications of a keyboard, but there are some things you'll want to note. Firstly, this keyboard uses the more recent double-sized Delete key layout, which relocates the Insert key to the upper row and changes the Home/End/PgUp/PgDown grouping. Personally, we prefer the traditional layout but getting used to this layout is not hard. Furthermore, the left Windows key is completely absent from the layout, most likely to prevent accidental activation during games where this results in an annoying drop back to the desktop. However, this decision is questionable.

• Full specifications

Other important things to note are the additional of ten special keys marked L1-L5 and R1-R5, grouped alongside the left/right edges of the keyboard. (Hence the markings, L and R) These extra keys are completely customizable and are intended to be used for gaming or other purposes as they can be mapped to any function or macro. Additionally, there are the standard "extra" keys and media keys on the Elixir.

The Elixir comes in pretty standard packaging, though it's worthwhile to note that the box photo doesn't show the actual keyboard layout; the US layout does not have the oversized L-shaped Enter key but instead the more practical single-row size. Keyboard layouts are a sensitive issue for many, and of particular concern is the Enter key.

The OCZ Elixir.

Box shot.

Opened.

Opening it up, you'll find the keyboard, a software CD, quick guide and some replacement keys. The spares offer replacements for the WASD, arrow keys, left-shift and the spacebar - these are evidently the most commonly-used keys during gaming. Overall, it's a nice gesture to include these in case the keys get worn out, but shouldn't a good keyboard not suffer from this? Nonetheless, it's worthwhile to note that this is the first time we've seen extra keys included with a keyboard.

The keyboard.

What's included.

Underside.

Looking at the keyboard itself, there are many notable features. Firstly the keyboard is quite light and thin, which doesn't help to give a feeling of durability, but of course, this is all subjective. The keys themselves are slimmer and lower-profile than most keyboards, but still have roughly the same amount of travel, so things still feel normal. There is a somewhat narrow wrist rest permanently attached to the keyboard, though it's purely made of hard plastic with only a leather texture on it.

Wrist rest.

Left side keys.

Main layout.

However, perhaps the nicest feature of the keyboard is the rubber-coated keys. All of the keys (except for the smaller-sized media/extra keys on the extreme left/right) are coated in rubber to provide a nice feel and good grip. Though we've never really had a problem with slippage on a keyboard, it's still nice to have this; we've grown used to mice with nicely textured rubber surfaces, so why not keyboards?

As mentioned before, the Elixir uses the compressed Home/End grouping with the double-sized Delete key, so this also means the arrow keys are placed closer to the main group. The top row of Function keys is also smaller than the regular keys, though this is becoming commonplace on keyboards nowadays as well.

However, as mentioned before, the left Windows key has been removed, ostensibly to decrease the chances of an unwanted depression of this key during a gaming session, leading to frustration as the Start Menu pops out of the game and back to the desktop. We've never had this endemic problem but would've preferred the key to have not been removed and instead optionally deactivated by a switch, like with the Logitech G15; after all, we still use the Windows key a lot during regular desktop use as it's useful for a lot of shortcuts.

Right side keys.

Key height.

Arrow keys.

The extra keys on the left side include "standard" ones like back/forward and launching your web browser. They are nothing to write home about, and we've rarely found a huge use for them. The interesting bits are the blue-coloured L1-L5 keys, which are completely customizable with the included software. In this respect, they're much like the G-keys of the Logitech G15 we reviewed earlier. They are accompanied by five more keys, R1-R5, on the right side of the keyboard, which serve the same purpose. The "Mode" key toggles between one of three different profiles for these extra keys, thus tripling the number of custom commands you can assign, but obviously not use simultaneously.

Also on the right side is a column of media keys, for launching your selected media player and controlling playback and volume. All of the extra keys make the Elixir quite a big keyboard; though it uses the "compressed" Home/End key grouping, the keyboard turns out to be only about 1.5" shorter than the original Logitech G15, a keyboard renowned for its size. (The actual dimensions of the Elixir are (W)20"x(D)7.87"x(H)1.14")

Feet collapsed.

Feet extended.

LEDs.

The keyboard includes some small feet to extend the slope a little, as with most keyboards. The underside also has rubber feet to prevent slippage. There are cable routing grooves on the underside of the keyboard, but strangely, these could not fit the cable of the Elixir as they were too narrow. Since most people don't really care for this, it's not a big deal. Lastly, we've included a photo above of the LEDs to show how the current profile is indicated.

Installation:

This is a USB keyboard so installation is dead simple as you shouldn't even have to restart after plugging it in. Installing the included software is also easy; it's not needed but if you want to take advantage of the extra keys you'll need it. Seeing as how the extra keys are one of the central points of the Elixir, you'll definitely want to install the software.

Main configuration.

Custom configuration.

The Alchemy software for the Elixir looks somewhat unrefined but is actually very fully-featured. You can configure any of the L1-L5, R1-R5 keys to perform custom commands such as keystrokes, or launching a program or even defining custom macros. Some may object to the use of macros in games, but the Alchemy software nonetheless offers this ability.

Different profiles.

Assigning any key.

In addition to the custom keys, you can also re-assign any of the normal keys on the Elixir using the software. Don't like the Caps Lock key? Re-assign it to something else, like Shift! Though there are programs and registry hacks that can accomplish this, it's nice to see it included in the official software.

Up to three different profiles allow you to switch between different sets of custom mappings you've defined. These can be toggled using the "Mode" key on the keyboard. Unlike the Logitech G15, there are no explicit keys for switching to a certain mode; instead you cycle through them using the "Mode" key.

One thing we'd like to see in the Alchemy software, that we don't think is included, is the ability to switch to a specific profile based on the current program that is running. This would, for example, automatically switch the custom key mappings from one game to the next. Logitech's software has had this feature for some of its keyboards.

Testing:

We tested this keyboard both for gaming and regular desktop usage. Tactile feel and feedback were very good and the rubber-coated keys gave a unique and nice feeling that we've come to be quite fond of. Typing was comfortable, though the wrist rest could've benefited from being something a little softer; using the same rubber coating as on the key caps would've been a nice addition here.

The additional keys were quite useful, as expected. This is especially important for certain RTS and RPG games that generally have a blinding array of commands. The extra shortcut and media keys at the extreme left/right of the keyboard were nice additions, but ultimately we did not find them to be of that much use, except for the volume control.

We didn't have problems with the double-sized Delete key layout, but we take issue with the removal of the left Windows key. This is something many have grown accustomed to as it's a useful shortcut key present on most keyboards. OCZ was obviously thinking of eliminating accidental key presses, but they could've done this by including a toggle switch, or better yet, allowing users to deactivate or re-assign the key using the included software.

Conclusion:

Overall, the OCZ Elixir is a solid keyboard at a very good price. ($30 retail) The minor layout issues we had were just that - minor nitpicks. We're very picky about our keyboards. Compared with most keyboards, $30 is about average - though the Elixir is anything but average, with the plethora of additional functionality provided. True, it may not have the same level of features as the Logitech G15, but it's also far cheaper. For those that don't feel like paying too much for a keyboard, the OCZ Elixir is a solid buy.

Pros:

• Rubber-coated keys

• Comfortable

• Extra keys and functionality

• Easy to use configuration software

• Can re-map any key using software

• Good price

Cons:

• Minor layout issues

• Lacking in features when compared to some other gaming keyboards

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