Disassembly

Disassembly of the Cougar Ultimus RGB keyboard is fairly easy with multiple countersunk screws below specific keycaps keeping the metal frame attached to the bottom plastic case panel, along with eight exposed flat head screws on the sides. A precision Phillips and flat head screwdriver comes in handy here, with a total of 20 screws to remove. There are also some plastic tabs on the ABS case you have to pry out, so it is more involved than I expected going in. Once done, the two main pieces can be separated by enough to access the internal USB cable connecting the two.


Dislodging the USB connector on the PCB helps completely separate the two pieces, and the PCB is black and a lot smaller than the steel frame, which confirms how much overhang we have for no real functional reason. Solder quality is decent, including on the larger capacitor and switches, although there is residual flux here and there. Powering the keyboard is a BYK216 USB microcontroller with no datasheet available online, and it seems to have been used on many OEM keyboard designs, which no doubt this design is as well. There is also an ATMEL 24C02 EEPROM module alongside. All components, including the switches, LEDs, and capacitors, are soldered to a multi-layered PCB.

Before we move on, be advised that disassembly may void the warranty and that TechPowerUp is not liable for any damages incurred if you decide to go ahead and do so anyway.