2015 年，我们第一次听说华硕(ASUS)的RGB(Republic)灯(RGB illumination)效(Gamers)机械键盘。一年后，也就是 2016 年末，华硕(ASUS)终于推出了他们的华硕 ROG Claymore(ASUS ROG Claymore)。它是一款让任何看到它的人都感到敬畏和惊叹的游戏键盘，每个按键上都有全光谱RGB照明，完全可编程的按键和(RGB)Aura Sync 支持(Aura Sync support)（一种跨设备同步照明设置的技术）。此外，它还是一个模块化键盘，这意味着您可以将Numpad连接到主键盘体上或从主键盘体上卸下(keyboard body). 我们在假期里玩过它，我们想在这篇评论中与你分享我们发现的一切：
华硕 ROG Claymore 拆箱
华硕 ROG Claymore(ASUS ROG Claymore)游戏键盘采用亮面黑色硬纸板制成，外观精美。它的正面是您将在里面找到的键盘的全尺寸大图片以及游戏玩家共和国(Republic)徽标(Gamers logo)的所在地。
将盒子倒置，您将看到使这款游戏键盘真正与众不同的所有功能和硬件规格，例如它使用的Cherry MX开关、每个开关上的全光谱RGB 照明(RGB illumination)或可拆卸数字键盘。
打开包装盒，您会发现华硕 ROG Claymore(ASUS ROG Claymore)游戏键盘及其可拆卸的数字小键盘(Numpad)，均装在单独的黑色天鹅绒袋中。
在键盘下方，您还可以找到一根 USB 转 microUSB 编织线、两张Republic of Gamers贴纸、快速入门指南(start guide)、保修卡(warranty card)和ROG 家族(ROG family)欢迎词。
您从华硕 ROG Claymore 游戏键盘获得的拆箱体验非常愉快，并且非常适合让您对新键盘的外观更加好奇。这绝对是一款高级设备。(The unboxing experience you get from the ASUS ROG Claymore gaming keyboard is very pleasant and serves very well its purpose of making you even more curious about what your new keyboard will be like. This is definitely a premium device.)
硬件规格
ASUS ROG Claymore是一款使用机械开关的游戏键盘。它们是Cherry MX RGB开关，您可以在红色、黑色、蓝色或棕色之间进行选择，具体取决于您对驱动距离和力度(actuation distance and force)的偏好，或者它们会产生的噪音。开关的RGB 部分(RGB part)指的是它们可以单独以您想要的任何颜色亮起。由于采用了一项名为Aura的技术，华硕 ROG Claymore(ASUS ROG Claymore)还可以将其灯光效果与您在其他华硕(ASUS)照明设备上设置的灯光效果同步。
无论您喜欢哪种类型的开关，华硕(ASUS)都向您承诺，每个开关都可以持续使用 5000 万次按键。这是相当多的，如果你阅读这篇文章，你会发现华硕 ROG Claymore(ASUS ROG Claymore)上的开关应该可以使用很多年。
华硕 ROG Claymore(ASUS ROG Claymore)游戏键盘还具有防重影技术，因此无论同时按下多少个其他键，它都能确保键盘检测和记录您的每一次击键。
作为一款专为游戏玩家打造的设备，华硕 ROG Claymore 键盘(ASUS ROG Claymore keyboard)还为其按键工作方式、照明和宏设置提供了大量自定义和控制。(customization and controls)我们赞赏的一件事是它具有内置闪存(flash memory)，这意味着您可以在不使用华硕(ASUS)提供的软件的情况下自定义键盘。如果您的主板也是华硕(ASUS)制造的，您可以使用组合键来改变它的点亮方式、录制和使用宏，甚至超频您的处理器或 RAM 内存(processor or RAM memory)，以及控制风扇速度。
键盘使用 1.8 米（71 英寸）长的编织 microUSB 转 USB 2.0 可拆卸电缆连接到您的 PC，您可以将其安排在键盘背面，以向左或向右伸出。
因为华硕 ROG Claymore(ASUS ROG Claymore)是机械键盘，而且它的框架是由金属制成的，所以它不是一个轻量级的设备。它重 770 克或 27 盎司，长度、宽度和厚度为 360 x 145 x 45 毫米（14.17 x 5.70 x 1.77 英寸）。所有这些都没有考虑到可拆卸的小键盘部分(Numpad part)。连接小键盘(Numpad)后，键盘重 888 克或 31 盎司，长度、宽度和厚度为 450 x 145 x 45 毫米（17.72 x 5.70 x 1.77 英寸）。
就其支持的操作系统而言，华硕 ROG Claymore(ASUS ROG Claymore)游戏键盘适用于Windows 10、Windows 8.1 和Windows 7。
您可以在此处找到此键盘的完整规格：ASUS ROG Claymore。
使用华硕 ROG Claymore 键盘(ASUS ROG Claymore keyboard)
让我们从基础开始：华硕 ROG Claymore 键盘(ASUS ROG Claymore keyboard)使用放置在铝合金金属框架(aluminum alloy metal frame)顶部的机械开关。如果您习惯使用塑料键盘，这个框架会很重，但如果您将它与Razer Blackwidow等其他机械游戏键盘进行比较，它就会很轻。当然(Sure)，RGB色彩会占据所有名气，但为了让Claymore更加漂亮和吸引游戏玩家，华硕(ASUS)还精心设计了键盘框架的外观，因此在其表面印制了玛雅风格的设计，我们必须说它看起来非常漂亮。
我们之前提到您可以购买带有红色、黑色、蓝色或棕色Cherry MX开关的ASUS ROG Claymore 。这是一个广泛的选项，可以满足任何游戏玩家的愿望和偏好。我们这么说是因为为您选择正确的开关非常重要。每个人都有自己的打字风格(typing style)，有些人愿意处理更多的噪音以获得最佳性能，而另一些人则更喜欢更少的噪音。
我们测试的华硕 ROG Claymore 键盘(ASUS ROG Claymore keyboard)具有Cherry MX RGB棕色开关。与黑色或红色开关相比， “布朗尼(Brownies)”具有额外的触觉反馈(tactile feedback)，并且也是该系列中较少点击的兄弟姐妹，这意味着它们不会像蓝色或绿色那样发出太多噪音。由于这些特性，棕色Cherry MX键轴在游戏玩家的世界中非常受欢迎，对于在键盘上写很多东西的人来说也是一个非常好的选择。
华硕 ROG Claymore(ASUS ROG Claymore)上的按键很容易找到，按起来感觉恰到好处。它们不需要太大的力，但也不容易按。棕色开关在各方面都适中，这是一件好事。老实说，在这个键盘上打字是一种享受！
华硕 ROG Claymore(ASUS ROG Claymore)也很容易上手，因为边框上的按键布局采用了默认的ANSI放置(ANSI) 模式(placement model)。这意味着您有一个长的左Shift 键(Shift key)可用并且Enter 键(Enter key)是矩形的。这是大多数西方键盘上使用的布局，因此它很可能与您以前的键盘相同。
ASUS ROG Claymore上的所有按键均采用RGB LED(RGB LEDs)单独背光。这意味着您可以在无限的变化中将灯光颜色自定义为您想要的任何颜色。这实际上是modder的梦想。🙂 您可以将一些预定义的效果应用于键盘的照明，例如呼吸、颜色循环、波浪、波纹、反应、星夜(Breathing, Color Cycle, Wave, Ripple, Reactive, Starry Night)和流沙(Quicksand)，您还可以创建自己的自定义效果来匹配您玩的游戏或只是您喜欢的视觉外观。您可以在下面的视频中查看所有这些模式的演示。
大部分效果都是通过华硕提供的(ASUS)ROG Armory 软件(ROG Armoury software)配置和控制的。但是，Claymore 键盘(Claymore keyboard)也可以通过按特定键直接进行配置。尽管您可以访问的控件更为基本，但它们可能足以根据您的喜好自定义键盘，而无需在您的计算机上安装华硕软件(ASUS software)，如果您正在旅行，则无需在您朋友的计算机上安装。🙂 例如，您可以按Fn和Del、End或Page Down来循环显示红色、绿色和蓝色背光颜色的 10 种不同强度级别。
虽然华硕 ROG Claymore(ASUS ROG Claymore)上的所有按键都可以用于宏，但它上面并没有专用的宏键(macro keys)。有些人可能不喜欢这样，但我们喜欢它。毕竟，您可以录制宏并将它们分配给例如 Fn 键。或者，如果您是一个真正专注的游戏玩家，您可以使用键盘的Numpad 部分(Numpad part)并将宏分配(keyboard and assign macros)给它的所有键。Claymore 游戏(Claymore gaming)键盘是模块化的，小键盘部分可以取下并重新连接到(Numpad part)核心键盘(core keyboard)的左侧。以这种方式放置意味着您可以用左手轻松访问您在数字键盘(Numpad)上配置的所有宏键(macro keys)，并且在激烈的游戏过程中，您不必从鼠标上抬起右手。
在我手里拿着华硕 ROG Claymore(ASUS ROG Claymore)游戏键盘的那段时间里，我用它玩了很多游戏。这发生在寒假期间，所以也有帮助。🙂 我必须说这款键盘感觉很棒，并且在我使用它玩的所有游戏中都表现出色。我喜欢《天际(Skyrim)》，喜欢《疯狂麦克斯(Mad Max)》，我非常喜欢《英雄(Legends)联盟(League)》 。
ASUS ROG Claymore 是一款出色的机械键盘，无论您是否是游戏玩家，都会让您爱上它。(The ASUS ROG Claymore is a great mechanical keyboard, one that will make you fall in love with it regardless if you are a gamer or not.)
华硕 ROG Armory 软件
华硕(ASUS)为Claymore用户提供名为ROG Armory(ROG Armoury)的软件，旨在提供对键盘个性化(keyboard personalization)控制的轻松访问。在此软件中，您可以为键盘创建和保存多达五个不同的设置配置文件，可以自定义灯光效果，可以录制宏，还可以检查一些统计数据。
虽然它提供了基础知识并且是详细控制灯光效果的唯一手段，但我们必须说我们对ROG Armory 软件(ROG Armoury software)并不是很兴奋。公司应该投入更多的精力来改进它。
对于初学者来说，对于真正的游戏玩家来说，只能创建和使用五个配置文件似乎太少了。您可以说您可以为MMO(MMOs)（大型多人在线(Massively Multiplayer Online)游戏）、RTS（实时策略(Real-Time Strategy)）游戏、动作或格斗游戏等创建(action or combat games)键盘配置文件(keyboard profile)。但是，真正的游戏玩家可能会使用英雄(Legends)联盟(League)中的个人资料，天际(Skyrim)中的第二个个人资料，星际争霸(StarCraft)中的第三个个人资料等等。最好的方法是允许在软件中创建无限的配置文件，即使键盘只能将其中的五个存储在其硬件闪存中。
然后是您从ROG Armory(ROG Armoury)获得的统计数据。如果您看一下下面的屏幕截图，您会发现只有一些数字显示您按下几个键的次数和您的KPM（每分钟击键(Keystroke Per Minute)次数）。您不会获得有关键盘上所有键的详细信息。更糟糕的是，在软件开始记录统计数据之前，您必须打开ROG Armory 并按下(ROG Armoury and press)记录按钮。(Record)如果您问我们，这并不完全是用户友好的。
然后是这个应用程序的外观：ROG Armory 软件(ROG Armoury software)看起来过时且未经修饰。如果您看看竞争对手中其他类似软件的外观，您就会明白我们为什么这么说。
华硕 ROG Armory 软件完成了它应该做的事情，但它可能会更加精致。(The ASUS ROG Armoury software does what it's supposed to do, but it could be a lot more polished.)
优点和缺点
关于华硕 ROG Claymore(ASUS ROG Claymore)有很多好话要说：
- 这是一款出色的键盘，可以满足游戏玩家和打字员的需求和愿望。
- 您可以购买四种不同类型的Cherry MX机械轴：红色、黑色、蓝色和棕色。
- 它的背光效果非常好 - 您可以单独自定义每个按键并将其设置为使用您想要的任何颜色，此外您还可以获得多种照明效果。
- 它是模块化的，这意味着您可以将Numpad 部分(Numpad part)拆卸或连接到核心键盘(core keyboard)。您也可以将Numpad连接到键盘的左侧，而不仅仅是右侧。
- 它很容易习惯，因为它不包含额外的宏键，而且它使用标准的ANSI 布局(ANSI layout)，这是西方键盘上最常见的按键布局。(key layout)
- 它有一个内置闪存模块(memory module)，可以记录和存储您所做的设置和自定义，独立于计算机上的软件。
- 铝合金框架(aluminum alloy frame)手感非常坚固，华硕(ASUS)在上面使用的玛雅设计(Mayan design)看起来很棒。
不利的一面是，我们只希望华硕(ASUS)改进一个方面：他们的ROG Armory 软件(ROG Armoury software)。我们认为它缺乏质量，并且比竞争对手提供的定制选项更少。即便如此，它仍会发挥作用，并且可以满足您可能拥有的基本需求。
判决
ASUS ROG Claymore是一款出色的键盘，运行完美，外观精美。是的，它只是一个键盘，但它很棒，您会非常喜欢使用它。机械开关、铝制框架(aluminum frame)、玛雅风格的设计(Mayan-inspired design)、您对灯光效果和颜色的完全控制，所有这些都可以很好地协同工作，并为您提供绝佳的体验。这款键盘是每个人的绝佳选择。无论您是否想要它用于游戏、打字、任何类型的办公室工作(office work)等都无关紧要。华硕 ROG Claymore(ASUS ROG Claymore)将满足所有购买它的用户的需求。
Reviewing the ASUS ROG Claymore - One of the best keyboards money can buy!
Thе first time we heard about ASUS' Republіc of Gamerѕ mechanical kеyboard with RGB illumination was in 2015. And a yеar later, in late 2016, ASUS finally launchеd their ASUS ROG Claymore. It is a gaming keyboard that аwes and wows anyone looking at it, with full spectrum RGB lighting on each key individually, fullу programmable keys and with Aura Ѕync support (a technology that sуnсs your lightіng settings across devices). In addition, it is also a modular keyboard, meaning that you can attach or detach the Nυmpad on or off the main keyboard bodу. We've had it to play durіng the holidays and we'd like to share with you everything we've found about it, in this review:
Unboxing the ASUS ROG Claymore
The ASUS ROG Claymore gaming keyboard comes in a premium looking box made from glossy black cardboard. Its front side is home to a large full-size picture of the keyboard you're going to find inside, together with the Republic of Gamers logo.
Turn the box upside down and you'll see all the features and hardware specifications that make this gaming keyboard truly special, like the Cherry MX switches it uses, the full spectrum RGB illumination you get on each switch or the detachable numerical keypad.
Open the box and you'll find the ASUS ROG Claymore gaming keyboard and its detachable Numpad, both tucked inside separate black velvet bags.
Underneath the keyboard, you will also find a braided USB to microUSB cable, two Republic of Gamers stickers, a quick start guide, the warranty card and a welcome message to the ROG family.
The unboxing experience you get from the ASUS ROG Claymore gaming keyboard is very pleasant and serves very well its purpose of making you even more curious about what your new keyboard will be like. This is definitely a premium device.
Hardware specifications
The ASUS ROG Claymore is a gaming keyboard that uses mechanical switches. They are Cherry MX RGB switches, and you can choose between their red, black, blue or brown variations, depending on your preferences for actuation distance and force, or the noise they will make. The RGB part of the switches refers to the fact that they can light up in any color you want them to, individually. And thanks to a technology called Aura, the ASUS ROG Claymore can also sync its lighting effects with those you have set on other ASUS illuminated devices you own.
Regardless of the type of switches you prefer, ASUS promises you that each of them will last you for 50 million keystrokes. That's quite a lot, and if you'll read this article, you'll see that the switches on ASUS ROG Claymore should last for many years.
The ASUS ROG Claymore gaming keyboard also features anti-ghosting tech and so it ensures that every keystroke you make is detected and recorded by the keyboard, no matter how many other keys are pressed at the same time.
Being a device dedicated to gamers, the ASUS ROG Claymore keyboard also offers plenty of customization and controls for the way its keys work, for the lighting and for the macro settings. One thing we appreciated is that it has a built-in flash memory which means that you can customize your keyboard without using the software provided by ASUS. You can use key combinations to change the way it lights, to record and use macros or even to overclock your processor or RAM memory, and to control the fans speed, if your motherboard is also made by ASUS.
The keyboard connects to your PC using a 1.8 meters (71 inches) long braided microUSB to USB 2.0 detachable cable, which you can arrange on the back of the keyboard to come out either to the left or to the right.
Because the ASUS ROG Claymore is a mechanical keyboard, and because its frame is made from metal, it's not a lightweight device. It weighs 770 grams or 27 ounces and it's 360 x 145 x 45 mm (14.17 x 5.70 x 1.77 inches) in length, width, and thickness. All these without taking into consideration the detachable Numpad part. With the Numpad attached, the keyboard weighs 888 grams or 31 ounces and it is 450 x 145 x 45 mm (17.72 x 5.70 x 1.77 inches) in length, width, and thickness.
In terms of operating systems that it supports, the ASUS ROG Claymore gaming keyboard works with Windows 10, Windows 8.1 and Windows 7.
You can find the full set of specifications of this keyboard here: ASUS ROG Claymore.
Using the ASUS ROG Claymore keyboard
Let's start with the basics: the ASUS ROG Claymore keyboard uses mechanical switches placed on top of an aluminum alloy metal frame. This frame is heavy if you are used to plastic keyboards, but it's lightweight if you compare it to other mechanical gaming keyboards like the Razer Blackwidow. Sure, the RGB colors will take all the fame, but to make the Claymore even more pretty and attractive to gamers, ASUS also took care of how the keyboard's frame looks like, and so it printed a Mayan-inspired design on its surface, which we must say it looks very nice.
We previously mentioned that you can buy the ASUS ROG Claymore with red, black, blue or brown Cherry MX switches. That's a wide palette of options and will fit any gamer's wishes and preferences. We're saying that because choosing the right switches for you is extremely important. Everyone has its own typing style and some people are willing to deal with more noise for the best performance possible, while others prefer less noise.
The ASUS ROG Claymore keyboard that we tested had Cherry MX RGB brown switches. "Brownies" have an additional tactile feedback when compared to black or red switches, and are also the less clicky siblings of the family, meaning that they don't make as much noise as the blues or the greens do. Because of these features, brown Cherry MX switches are very popular in the world of gamers and are also a very good choice for people who write a lot on their keyboard.
The keys on the ASUS ROG Claymore are easy to find and pressing them feels just right. They don't require too much force, but they aren't easy to press either. The brown switches are moderate in every way, and that's a good thing. Honestly, typing on this keyboard is a pleasure!
The ASUS ROG Claymore is also very easy to get accustomed to because the layout of the keys on the frame uses the default ANSI placement model. That means that you have a long left Shift key available and that the Enter key is rectangular. This is the layout used on the wide majority of western keyboards so there's a big possibility that it's the same as your previous keyboard.
All the keys on the ASUS ROG Claymore are individually backlit with RGB LEDs. That means that you can customize the light color to anything you want in an infinity of variations. It's a modder's dream actually. 🙂 There are some predefined effects that you can apply to the lighting of the keyboard, like Breathing, Color Cycle, Wave, Ripple, Reactive, Starry Nightand Quicksand, and you can also create your own custom effects to match the games you play or simply the visual appearance you like. You can view a demo of all these modes in the video below.
Most of the effects are configured and controlled from the ROG Armoury software provided by ASUS. However, the Claymore keyboard can also be configured directly by pressing specific keys. Although the controls you have access to are more basic, they will likely be enough to customize the keyboard as you like, without having to resort to installing the ASUS software on your computer, or on your friend's computer if you're traveling. 🙂 For instance, you can press Fn and Del, End or Page Down to cycle through 10 different levels of intensity for the red, green and blue backlight colors.
Although all the keys on the ASUS ROG Claymore can be used for macros, there are no dedicated macro keys on it. Some may not like that, but we love it. After all, you can record macros and assign them to the Fn keys for instance. Or, if you are a truly dedicated gamer, you can take the Numpad part of the keyboard and assign macros to all its keys. The Claymore gaming keyboard is modular, and the Numpad part can be taken off and reattached to the left side of the core keyboard. Placing it this way means that you can have easy access with your left hand to all the macro keys you configured on the Numpad, and you won't have to raise your right hand from the mouse during intense gaming sessions.
During the time I had the ASUS ROG Claymore gaming keyboard in my hands, I used it to play lots of games. This happened during the winter holidays so that helped too. 🙂 I must say that this keyboard felt great and worked great in all the games I played using it. I liked it in Skyrim, I liked it in Mad Max, and I absolutely loved it in League of Legends.
The ASUS ROG Claymore is a great mechanical keyboard, one that will make you fall in love with it regardless if you are a gamer or not.
The ASUS ROG Armoury software
ASUS provides Claymore users with software called ROG Armoury, designed to offer easy access to the keyboard personalization controls. From inside this software, you can create and save up to five different settings profiles for your keyboard, you can customize the lighting effects, you can record macros, and you can also check a few statistics.
Although it offers the basics and it is the only means to control the lighting effects in detail, we must say that we are not very thrilled about the ROG Armoury software. The company should invest some more effort into improving it.
For starters, being able to create and use only five profiles seems too few for a true gamer. You could say that you can create a keyboard profile for MMOs (Massively Multiplayer Online games), one for RTS (Real-Time Strategy) games, one for action or combat games, and so on. However, a true gamer will probably use a profile in League of Legends, the second profile in Skyrim, a third one in StarCraft and so on. The best way to go here would have been to allow unlimited profiles to be created in the software, even if the keyboard can store only five of them in its hardware flash memory.
And then there's statistics you get from ROG Armoury. If you'll take a look at the screenshot below, you'll see that you get only some numbers showing the number of times you pressed a few keys and your KPM (Keystroke Per Minute). You don't get details about all the keys on the keyboard. What's even worse is that you have to open ROG Armoury and press the Record button before the software starts recording statistics. That's not exactly user-friendly if you ask us.
And then there's the looks of this app: the ROG Armoury software looks outdated and unpolished. If you take a look at what other similar software from the competition looks like, you'll understand why we say this.
The ASUS ROG Armoury software does what it's supposed to do, but it could be a lot more polished.
Pros and cons
There are plenty of good things to say about the ASUS ROG Claymore:
- It's a great keyboard that will fulfill the needs and desires of both gamers and typists alike.
- You can buy it with four different types of mechanical Cherry MX switches: red, black, blue and brown.
- The backlighting on it is as good as it gets - you can customize each key individually and set it to use any color you want, plus you also get more than a few lighting effects to play with.
- It's modular, meaning that you can detach or attach the Numpad part to the core keyboard. You can attach the Numpad to the left side of the keyboard also, not only to its right.
- It's very easy to get accustomed to, because it doesn't include additional macro keys, and it uses the standard ANSI layout, which is the most common key layout on Western keyboards.
- It has a built-in flash memory module which can record and store the settings and customizations that you make, independently from the software on your computer.
- The aluminum alloy frame feels very sturdy and the Mayan design used by ASUS on it looks great.
On the negative side, there's only one aspect we would like ASUS to improve: their ROG Armoury software. We believe that it lacks in quality and has fewer customization options than what the competition offers. Even so, it will do its job and you're covered for the basic needs that you might have.
Verdict
The ASUS ROG Claymore is an exceptional keyboard that works flawlessly and looks stunning. Yes, it's only a keyboard, but it's a great one and you will very much enjoy using it. The mechanical switches, the aluminum frame, the Mayan-inspired design, the complete control you have on the lighting effects and colors, all work very well together and will offer you a great experience. This keyboard is a great choice for everyone. It doesn't even matter whether you want it for gaming, typing, office work of any kind and so on. The ASUS ROG Claymore will fit the needs of all the users who purchase it.
