The SteelSeries Apex 7 TKL is a great TenKeyLess gaming keyboard with many features and great software that goes with it. It has full RGB backlighting, keys that can be set up for macros, and an OLED screen that lets you change settings without having to pause games. It is well made and almost exactly the same as the SteelSeries Apex Pro. Our unit has SteelSeries Brown switches, which make typing easy and give good feedback. It can also come with SteelSeries Red or SteelSeries Blue switches that are either linear or clicky.
1. Design
The SteelSeries Apex 7 TKL is well-made and almost the same as the SteelSeries Apex Pro in terms of design. Even though most of the keyboard is made of plastic, the top is made of aluminum to give it strength. The aluminum plate has a soft finish, and the keyboard’s keycaps are made of doubleshot ABS, which makes the key legends last longer. The key stabilizers are great, and there are no signs that they are loose or shaking. It comes with a soft wrist rest that sticks to the keyboard with magnets. This wrist rest attracts dust, which is a shame, but it seems well-made and shouldn’t have any problems with long-term use.
This keyboard is easy on the body. It only has one angle setting, but it comes with a wrist rest that magnetically attaches to the keyboard. It has a soft finish and is very comfortable, but it attracts a lot of dust. When you type, the keys feel very light, and you probably won’t get tired even if you type for a long time.
The SteelSeries Apex 7 TKL has full RGB lighting, and it can be changed using the SteelSeries Engine software, which lets you change each key separately. The backlight is bright enough to see in a room with a lot of light and is perfect for people whose rooms are dark.
The SteelSeries Apex 7 TKL has special keys for controlling media, and all of the keys can be programmed to do macros directly on the keyboard or with the SteelSeries Engine software. When the menu button is pressed and held, the wheel lets you change the volume and move around the keyboard’s OLED screen. This OLED screen lets you change settings and profiles without closing games. You can also customize it to show information like K/D ratios in certain games.
2. Typing experience
The SteelSeries Apex 7 TKL’s typing experience is great. Our unit has tactile SteelSeries Brown switches, which are similar to Cherry MX Brown switches but feel softer and have a smaller bump. The keys are stable and have a fairly standard spacing, which is good for typing accuracy, but they feel less responsive because they don’t spring back as quickly. Overall, typing on these switches feels light and shouldn’t make you tired, even if you type for a long time, but some people may find them too soft.
We tested a unit with Brown SteelSeries switches. They don’t need much force to work, have a small bump that you have to get over, and make typing very light overall. The pre-travel distance is a little longer than the 2 mm that was advertised, but most people won’t notice. There are also linear SteelSeries Red and clicky SteelSeries Blue switches that can be used with this keyboard. The SteelSeries Apex 9 is an improved version of this keyboard. It has optical switches that let you choose between two preset actuation points, one that’s best for gaming and one that’s better for typing, so check it out if you want something that can do more.
3. Software and operating system
The Steel Series Apex 7 TKL has good compatibility. It has full functionality with all major desktop operating systems, but the SteelSeries Engine software isn’t available for Linux; as such, Linux users won’t be able to customize the keyboard or import profiles from the cloud, though all the keys work and you can save certain settings to the onboard profiles.
The software support for the SteelSeries Apex 7 TKL is great. The SteelSeries Engine software lets you program the RGB backlighting, remap keys, and set macros. You can save up to five different profiles onboard, and there’s a cloud sync feature that allows you to carry your settings over to another computer, though this feature requires an account.
All View
The SteelSeries Apex 7 TKL is a great keyboard for gamers. It feels well-made and sturdy, and the SteelSeries Brown switches on our unit are easy to press and give good feedback. It comes with a wrist rest and has full RGB lighting with individually backlit keys. It also has an OLED screen that lets you change settings without pausing games and great companion software that lets you remap keys, set macros, and change lighting settings.
The SteelSeries Apex 7 TKL and the full-sized SteelSeries Apex 7 are the only SteelSeries Apex keyboards that come with more than one type of switch. Even though it’s mostly made for gaming, the Apex 7 TKL is more flexible than most dedicated gaming keyboards and should please people who want a mechanical keyboard that can be used for both gaming and work. See our suggestions for the best programming keyboards, the best keyboards, and the best gaming keyboards for more options.
