Performance

The Creative Vanguard K08 supports 26-key rollover USB, which tested successfully using Aqua's test. Switch Hitter confirmed no chatter with these keys in the testing period.






The first video above is the keyboard when you first connect it to a PC, with its so-called "Personal" lighting mode, which is a rainbow wave. The second is of the other presets (Pulsate Red), and the third of a modified version of the second wherein I changed the colors on the wheel and the speed. The LEDs are bright and true to the individual R/G/B setting, and the animation effects between color changes were also well controlled as a result of the speed control available in the driver. On the flip side, I noticed a lot of colors shown on the driver to be different in hue and intensity to the actual color on the keyboard. Given the accuracy of the actual LEDs, I chalk this up to another driver bug at this time.


This is the keyboard in my "Test" lighting profile, where I set everything to a constant white at 100%. Here too the color was fairly accurate and possibly the most true to white of any RGB backlit device I have used so far. At 100% brightness, the light pillar in the center illuminates primary and any secondary legends well enough.


On to the switches themselves now. I have used some Logitech keyboards with their OMRON Romer-G switches briefly before, and these feel exactly like those. The specs match up as well, so I am not really sure how the Creative-OMRON partnership is on the development of these PRE switches. These have an actuation distance of 1.5 mm, which is shorter than the 2 mm of most mechanical switches but higher than the 1-1.2 mm of some newer linear switches, with an actuation force of 45 g. The tactile bump is felt at 55 g and bottoming out is at 80 g and 3.5 mm instead of the 4 mm on most switches. Creative claims these are faster switches in practice, and these will no doubt actuate faster as a result of the relatively shorter actuation distance. The shorter bottoming-out distance means the switch bounces back faster too, and they do even if you bottom out. This is no longer a USP necessarily, and even among tactile switches, there are faster offerings from Bloody, Kailh, and Gateron, while Logitech has had this exact specification switch out for over a year now. What Creative has done is use a rarely used switch type, which by itself is enough to get some attention and does enough to bring it on par with newer switch offerings from most switch makers.

In practice, I did not mind this switch at all. Initially, I felt it was mushy and sort of similar to the Cherry MX Brown switch with a thick O-ring at the bottom. The tactility of the switch is not easy to make out, but then again neither is that of the MX Brown. With some time, I was accustomed enough to where I was back at my usual typing speed and accuracy with clicky, tactile switches, and I appreciated the ever so slightly faster response during some bouts of The Typing of the Dead. I suspect this will be an extremely personal choice, however, as many I know dislike the Logitech Romer-G, and this will be no different to them. If possible, get your hands on an OMRON switch keyboard for at least 15 minutes before making your decision.


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 an example sound clip of me typing on the Creative Vanguard K08 sample at ~90 WPM. For context, you can find sound clips from other keyboards here, including those with tactile switches. I did bottom out here, although it is definitely possible not to do so if you practice enough.