Closer Examination

The ASUS ROG Azoth Extreme is a 75% form factor keyboard using a modified US ANSI layout, and you will note how it feels premium the second you take it out of the box. There are 81 keys on this version and I expect ASUS will have the keyboard in other layouts and languages too, based on experience with its previous products. I also pulled out the Azoth and used it for a couple of days in preparation for this review and, despite having tried out the Azoth Extreme at Computex, I was surprised again by how much heavier this is. In fact the all metal chassis makes this ~2x the mass of the Azoth, and it certainly feels like it belongs in the wacky space of high-end prebuilt keyboards. One thing that I also suspect many will appreciate is the simpler color scheme used here, as opposed to having a theme of different colors on the keycaps and even the keyboard at times. This makes the Azoth Extreme equally viable to use at work as much as it will feel in place in your gaming setup. I also noticed the OLED display is smaller here compared to on the Azoth, and this allows for some room on the top row to separate the Fn key sections. Alongside the display is a multi-function control knob with up/down keys and a button on the side which are all again a step-up in build quality from the original Azoth. Looking at the side we see the aluminium alloy and metal frame gets tasteful chamfers and beveled edges, although I suspect the frame going around the sides will be somewhat divisive. At least branding is kept fairly minimal here, with an ROG plate on the back side as seen above. The keycap legends are placed on the top middle surface and have general secondary legends alongside the primary ones in some cases, but underneath in others. Keyboard-specific secondary legends are seen on the front side, and anything not at the very top is opaque.


You will also notice the more intricate machining the closer you hold the keyboard. For example, the edges are carved into steps with a CNC cutter and the entire bottom chassis as well as the back side have a bladed pattern. ASUS says the bottom chassis is manufactured via 12 steps, including sandblasting, anodizing, and CNC machining. The previously seen laser engraved and polished badge is effectively a nameplate, and is found installed over the certification sticker on the back by default. I'd say the bottom section is certainly more aggressively designed than the top, but nothing that feels gaudy. There are small rubber pads on the corners to help add friction against the desk, and we see there are circular cutouts in the top where the provided keyboard feet slot in and are held via magnets—this allows for three elevation steps to choose from.


If you don't care about the 8000 Hz polling rate via 2.4 GHz wireless connectivity, then the included low profile USB dongle will be more than enough. It's called the Omni receiver and allows you to have the Azoth Extreme and a compatible mouse connected at the same time. You can find this in a storage slot behind the nameplate badge in a retail unit and alongside is a toggle switch to go from a softer typing feel to a harder one—more on this later. There is another toggle switch to choose between the three connectivity modes on offer here, and you can find this on the back side facing away from the user. I wish the legends associated with these modes were more legible though! The other side has a similar cutout sporting the expected Type-C connector, and the provided cable fits in easily. There is plenty of room for an aftermarket cable should you so desire. The USB dongle can be used with this cable and the provided adapter to position it closer to the keyboard, and the cable itself is handy for wired connectivity in addition to charging the internal battery. The cable is all black, longer than usual at 2 m, has ROG branding on the connector housings, and goes to a spare USB Type-A port on your PCB where USB 3.2 Gen 1 (USB 3.0) or better is recommended for power and data alike.


The provided wrist/palm rest slots in place on the bottom without any magnets or clips to secure the two; this works fine given the keyboard is hefty enough as it is to not move on its own and the large silicone wrist rest has plenty of friction pads on the bottom as seen before. I appreciated the larger surface area too, allowing you to rest your palms easily on the top. The silicone surface does not get dusty easily either, although you may want to rinse it with water every so often. A look from the side shows the built-in elevation of the keyboard, which I would classify as medium profile without the keyboard feet used. Knowing that many will end up using the provided feet, the wrist rest now feels all the more useful for those who don't hover their hands above the keys. The keycaps use ASUS's take on the OEM keycap profile with the sides cut down slightly, result in shorter looking keycaps that may seem closer to Cherry profile but are not any different to type on than other OEM profile keycaps. They are not floating owing to the two-piece case design, and thus a keycap puller is almost a must to get them out for examination, cleaning, and perhaps even replacement altogether. The provided keycap puller isn't my favorite since it can potentially scratch the sides of the keycaps in use, is thick on the sides to make it harder to fit between some keys, and also does not allow you to quickly remove multiple keycaps easily. It still does the job okay enough to help remove some of the keycaps, which in turn confirms the use of thick PBT plastic (average wall thickness 1.32 mm) with doubleshot-injected legends and a UV coat on the top surface that should last the test of time, while also being backlighting-compatible, although then we see the legends that are placed underneath the primary ones as well as those on the front seem to be pad printed on. These are more likely to wear out, at least the compared to ones on the top of the keycaps, while also being opaque for a double whammy.


There are two switch options for the ROG Azoth Extreme in the form of ASUS's own first-party ROG NX Snow or Storm, although ASUS does have other ROG NX switches in its portfolio. I have the ROG NX Snow switches on this sample which come with ROG branding on the top. The larger keycaps get plate mounted ROG stabilizers that are factory lubed to a decent standard which should help cut down the potential mushy feedback on the space bar key in particular. ASUS says these stabilizers are tuned with gamers in mind, although I don't see how that's any different from simply making smooth and responsive stabilizers. Note also the foam sheets underneath the space bar key to further dampen the large keycap bottoming out.


The provided switch remover tool allows for easier removal of the switches to take a closer look at both the ROG NX Snow switch and the 5-pin switch socket that allows customers to go with their own Cherry MX-style mechanical switches here should the stock switches not be to their desire. I would still suggest trying them out, especially given these are deliberately chosen by ASUS to be used in this keyboard. These are 5-pin RGB switches with a translucent clear top housing, opaque white bottom housing, and an off-white colored stem with walls around for added dust and spill resistance. Examining the hot-swap switch socket also reveals north-facing SMD RGB LEDs associated with each switch as well as the carbon fiber positioning plate and more foam sheets used in the assembly of the keyboard.