Enermax isn’t really known for its input devices, but they’re starting to branch out from power supplies and such and this series of semi-nice keyboards is their latest foray. Watch the video review above or click below for a few more pictures and written impressions.
The Caesar is Enermax’s top-of-the-line keyboard. It has a little sibling called the Aurora, which is essentially it minus the built-on metal and extra buttons, and then there is an even smaller one that lacks the numerical keyboard. So, is there anything special about it? Well, it depends on what you’re looking for.
The keyboard is very well-built, which kind of surprised me because Enermax is a kind of left-field brand for keyboards. It’s got all the buttons you want, though it’s in a Euro layout so you’ve fot a big “Enter” key, a tiny “Backspace” key, and the right-hand “Alt” is now “Alt Gr,” whatever that means. I’ve used a ton of keyboards so I’m used to the layout if I have to use it, but there are a few idiosyncrasies that people may not be able to get used to (usually the backspace placement).
The Caesar has only one plug, a USB thing, but it has audio jacks on the back. What the hell, right? Well, it’s actually outfitted with an audio chip, which could be handy if you’re running a compact PC or using bad onboard audio. For my purposes, it was useless, but it switches itself over immediately and automatically when you plug the keyboard in, so be ready for it.
It’s a good-looking keyboard for sure, quite big, and very heavy. The metal is solid and the texture is good. It’s very thin so the keys are scissor switches and don’t have very much travel. Some people like that, some don’t. It feels a bit like a laptop keyboard when you’re typing.
There’s not too much more to say. My judgment on it is that it’s a nice keyboard but not really worth the money. The better deal is probably the stripped-down one without the numerical keypad; it’s solid, it’s compact, and it’s thin. There’s nothing wrong with the Caesar, but $70-$80 is a lot to ask for a keyboard without any particularly interesting features to recommend it other than the questionably useful audio card. Get it here if you think it’s your thing.