Lighting and Performance

As seen above, we get full N-key rollover USB or 2.4 GHz with the ROG Claymore II. Switch Hitter also confirmed no chatter with these keys, and as per usual, the R. Win key is replaced by an Fn key.

When the keyboard is first connected with or without Armoury Crate running, it lights up in a rainbow wave effect. I tested it first with just the TKL section and added the numpad shortly after, and it was picked up instantly, with the lighting effect properly using and coordinating the increased number of onboard LEDs with the numpad attached.


As expected, the ROG eye in the top-left corner is backlit and matches the LEDs underneath for dynamic lighting effects. The indicator LEDs next to it, present as a staircase visually, are a whole separate thing by default. We saw in the software section how this section can be made to coordinate with the lighting effects as well, but I think leaving it as a battery status and charging indicator is better, especially if you plan on using this keyboard in wireless mode. I had it connected using the provided USB Type-C to Type-C cable, with quick charging indicated by the purple lights in breathing mode, which would be green in standard (slower) charging mode. Using the software to set all keys to white was also quite impressive, and the fairly true-to-color white might well be a combination of good driver tuning, the central backlighting, and light pillar. With the battery fully charged, as indicated by the solid green LEDs that were breathing purple before, I also tested for light bleed using a multi-color effect and was again left impressed by there basically being none. This I know for sure is the result of the central, better diffused lighting. It also has all the legends on the keycaps well lit, including the few front-facing legends.

Here is a look at some of the other dynamic lighting effects, and you can see how the indicator LEDs may be a distraction in wired mode. It is in wired mode that you may want to synchronize these with the lighting effects using the option in Armoury Crate. I quite like what ASUS managed to achieve with the lighting effects, and the execution of the same. A lot of this comes down to the novel switch design. I just wish Armoury Crate would allow for better granular control and offer more effects, and one should not have to resort to separate software for such trivial things as per-key lighting control.

ASUS has thrown all but the kitchen sink into the feature set of the ROG Claymore II, and it shows in terms of functionality, too. We saw how the clever use of the indicator LEDs for various battery status and charging levels comes in handy, especially with the use of the higher current Type-C connectivity that is so rare even today. I quite like quick charging my keyboard, thank you very much! Charging the 4000 mAh battery would otherwise be an overnight affair because of the USB 2.0 limitations (0.5 A) instead of the 1.5 A on the same 5 V line with USB-C. The additional USB port without a pass-through cable for, say, a mouse is also quite nice. ASUS claims a battery life of up to 144 hours on the full-size setup with lighting off, and up to 43 hours with lighting on while cleverly omitting any brightness or lighting effect details. In practice, expect to see less than 30 hours with a static lighting effect at 100% brightness based on my testing. It is quite easy to top off the battery, though, and I didn't feel bad doing it since wireless mode works so well. ASUS has quite rightly provided a means to extend the wireless dongle, but I had no reason to us it. The 2.4 GHz dongle is also quite small and easy to tuck away, with no lag or stutter in use. Using the keyboard in wireless mode does rule out the USB port for other peripherals, but that was to be expected. I even played a bit of RE Village in wireless mode, and it did not feel as though I was missing anything compared to wired mode.

Incidentally, that gaming was done in TKL mode. The ability to use the ROG Claymore II in one of three configurations is a game changer for many who want a full-size keyboard, but really need a TKL keyboard. Get the ROG Claymore II and you don't have to worry about potentially missing out on anything! I am also ambidextrous to where I appreciated the left-handed numpad option a lot, so much so that I think this is the setup I would personally go with for the ROG Claymore II. The numpad installs smoothly and ends up being an extremely stable configuration courtesy the updated installation mechanism. One issue I did come across is that the included wrist simply assumes a full-size configuration, and the TKL keyboard with the larger wrist rest just looks ridiculous. Outside of that, the dedicated volume wheel and media playback buttons on the numpad come in handy, too. The four hotkeys programmed for media playback by default can be assigned to other things, be it software or onboard controls for on-the-fly macro recording.


It is harder than I thought to miss the onboard macro-recording controls, especially as they only get a tiny section in the provided manual. The transparent reference sheet does help identify the pre-programmed functions, which is what most people will use it for. That was how I first found out that the quick-charging and USB passthrough modes were mutually exclusive, and how to toggle between them, which in itself was to be expected. A few other things, including profile switching between the six stored on the device, is also easily figured out courtesy the front-printed legends on the number key row. But the four extra keys on the numpad are also good for macros, especially in a profile other than the base layer, where it is best to leave them in the default configuration. On-the-fly macro recording works as expected, but I don't expect anyone to use it over the software option unless you really come across something useful while, say, playing a game. I should also mention that key mapping technically allows for typing layouts other than QWERTY, but doing so with these essentially proprietary keycaps makes using other layouts much harder since the contouring will be all over the place.


Those practically proprietary keycaps are a result of these new ROG RX switches, and there is quite a lot to like if you look at it as a switch by itself and excuse the closed ecosystem surrounding it. There is basically no wobble with the keycaps, and the switches on the aluminium frame and PCB are also extremely stable courtesy the 3-pin layout and locking clips we saw before. This results in a keyboard on which you don't have to worry about where to press the space bar to ensure actuation, for example, and it enhances the perceived smoothness of key travel significantly, too. With the gliding stabilizers for switch travel and the light pillar which contribute positively to the uniform, central backlighing we saw put to good use, there is a good deal of innovation even internally.

I have the ROG RX Red optical mechanical switch on my sample, which is a linear switch meant to directly compete with the Cherry MX Red. In practice, however, it is better to compare the ROG RX Red optical mechanical switch to the Cherry MX Speed (Silver) because of its rated actuation at 1.5 mm travel rather than the usual 2.0 mm, and the same 45 gf actuation force. Total travel is 4.0 mm still, with a peak force of 55 gf making this is a borderline lightweight switch. Its optical actuation mechanism results in minimal debounce, and there is no need to worry about the oxidation of metal leafs used in typical mechanical switches. The only thing I would liked to see is perhaps increased QC on the stabilizers since a couple of the switches felt like they had a tactile bump with the keycap removed, which turned out to be the result of a small cut in the stabilizer that caused the stem to hit it during travel, similar to a tactile bump. With the keycaps installed and typed on normally, I could not really perceive said issue. Perhaps finding a way to lube this gliding mechanism will help further, although that is easier said than done on the scaled-up factory production required for an ASUS ROG product.


As always, the sound of a keyboard is based on more than just the switch type. So when comparing sound clips, consider the keyboard as a whole. In this case, I have provided above a sound clip of me typing on the ROG Claymore II keyboard sample at ~110 WPM as it comes out of the box with the ROG RX Red switches. For context, you can find sound clips from other keyboards here, including those with linear switches. I did bottom out more often than not, especially as these are lighter switches, and you can hear the downstroke ping off the aluminium plate. That is my biggest complaint as it takes away from the actual switches themselves, which sound quite nice. They are not high pitched and on the quieter, deeper side of things when it comes to the sound signature. The larger daughter PCB and battery compartment also help minimize reverberation inside an otherwise empty case. The lack of stabilizers hurts, but the switches again help out. It does feel like the switches are being let down by the parts around them.