Dell Alienware Pro Gaming Mechanical Keyboard AW768 – AlienFX 16.8M RGB 13 zone-based Lighting – 15 programmable macro…

Pros:- Great packaging, cool design and lighting- Loved the volume control and media buttons- Pretty heavy keyboard so very stableCons:- Key spacing is a bit narrower than normal, especially on the left side. This doesn’t seem like a big deal but I found myself always adjusting my left hand to land on the “A” instead of Caps Lock. This was one of the major deal-breakers for me.- The other issue was that I couldn’t wake my computer (a closed, docked ThinkPad laptop) from sleep by hitting a key – I had to use the power button on the dock. Not a huge deal but it messed with my normal workflowThese issues may not be problems for others or those who are using this for gaming (or on an Alienware PC) but for business use on a non-Dell machine I wasn’t satisfied and will be returning the keyboard.

**Update**I truly loved this keyboard but a couple of days ago it just stopped working. It is completely unresponsive. I expected a lot more from a keyboard with this price. I paid around $130. Although I purchased this for gaming purposes, it never had heavy usage. I am completely disappointed.Best keyboard I have ever used or owned. The keys are such a pleasure to type on that I sometimes look for excuses to type. My fiance is jealous and says he will be purchasing one in the future. We are both WoW players and the programmable keys on the left make it much easier for macros.This keyboard is solid and very heavy. The backlit keys are beautiful. I feel it was worth what I paid for it. Overall, I am very impressed with this Alienware keyboard. You should definitely give this keyboard a chance if you are looking for a high quality gaming keyboard.

So I admit that cosmetics is the worst thing to look at in a keyboard, but of course I did want to match my Alienware PC so this purchase made sense.So far it has been OK.. except for a few main issues. I am currently waiting for a replacement keyboard so I will avoid PROS..CONS: – The programmable buttons on the left side are really pathetic.. You can record a macro, PRESS KEY, RELEASE KEY.. and add in a wait duration.. But that is 100% of its capabilities. You cannot, for instance, tell it to repeat a key combo by continuosly holding that button.- The key at the top left (where one would expect the ESC key) is now reserved for changing your macro set, so the keys below it can have different recorded actions. I keep hitting that key instead of ESC, which is annoying in the few games I have played where ESC needs to be the easiest key to find blindly.- It is also disappointing that you cannot set back lighting for individual keys.. instead they have predefined zones. I really hoped to color code based on the game I am playing but that isn’t happening.- It is absurd for this price that they couldn’t include the pad to rest your wrist. This is a huge problem considering this board DEFINITELY is bulky and sits higher than other keyboards I have used, so it becomes uncomfortable and I have now had to buy the rest separately.The main issue though, which hopefully will be solved soon, is that my keyboard apparently has number keys that do not work. Hopefully I will not have issues with the replacement I ordered but my confidence is not high with that kind of first impression.

I bought this keyboard along with the Alienware Mouse (AW958) and 25″ G-SYNC monitor (both of which I will also leave a separate review).So far, I’m extremely satisfied with this keyboard and will break down the key parts1. ConstructionThis is a brown switch mechanical keyboard that Alienware succeeded in providing a premium look and feel. Though the keyboard’s casing may appear to be metal, it is in fact plastic. Still, despite the plastic construction, the keyboard is fairly weighty and solidly built. There’s no noticeable flex when pressing down on the keys. The keyboard has a braided USB cable that is definitely built to last.2. DesignThe keyboard comes with a gunmetal matte finish that not only looks sharp, but also does a good job at not picking up fingerprints. The keyboard comes with retractable feet with two different height settings, giving you a total of three height options. The Alienware logo towards the bottom is not too intrusive, but definitely stands out, showing anyone who can’t already guess that this is an Alienware product. See the photos to see different angles of the keyboard – when it comes to the overall design, I personally think Alienware absolutely killed it on this one.3. FunctionalityThe keyboard is very responsive and is great for gaming, as well as for general use. In addition to the backlighting, which I will cover later, this Keyboard has a few neat functions built in. The keyboard has 5 macro keys on the left side, with a 6th button on top that toggles between 3 macro sets, adding up to a total of 15 macro keys. While there are no dedicated media buttons, you can still access the standard Play, Stop, Rewind, and Fast Forward by using the Function Key. There is a button to mute (and unmute) audio with a volume rocker next to it, which is a very nice touch. The Alien Head button can be configured to turn off all lighting effects or to toggle “Game Mode”, which you can customize in functionality to lock different keys (such as the Win-Key). Other function keys include the ability to adjust the brightness of the keys and under glow (controlled separately), change between 3 saved lighting profiles, and direct access to the Alienware Control Center.4. LightingThe Alienware (AW958) Keyboard does come with 16.8 Million color RGB backlighting; however, it’s worth noting that the color for keys cannot be individually set. Instead, there are groups of keys that can have their color set (WASD, Arrows, Macros, Numpad, etc.) or by using 5 different lighting zones.The ambient (under and side glow) can also be set to your liking. Personally, the available lighting groups are perfect enough to customize the keyboard to my liking. If you prefer a more dynamic lighting setup, there are also 10 preset animated lighting effects. This includes a rainbow effect, a firework effect, and an x-ray effect (which sort of reminds me of lightning).5. PricePrice is always a huge factor when making any purchase. This keyboard was purchased for around $110.At this price, there are many other options out there that offer similar and even more functionality ata much cheaper cost.Being able to control the lighting of each individual key would have been a nice feature to help justify the price; however, I would have to say that overall, even though this keyboard is a little pricey, if you like the Alienware brand and styling enough, this keyboard definitely won’t disappoint and it certainly looks, functions, and feels like a premium product.A final note on this keyboard is that Dell (Alienware) does offer a separate palm rest that magnetically attaches tothis keyboard, which I find to be a little more comfortable. Check out my review on the palm rest for more information.

I am not a gamer but I like the keyboard, I have small hands and I can reach all the keys easily, the little indentions on each key make it easier to type so I can go really fast. It has lights and you can change the color of the lights my favorite is purple. I am not really sure what the far left of the keyboard does I think that is where the gaming comes in. I am glad I bought this I have finally found a keyboard I like.