Closer Examination

The EVGA Z10 RGB keyboard comes with a hard plastic cover on top, and there are multiple plastic strips to peel off the metal trim and the LCD display up top, in addition to the plastic covering the cable. Once all this plastic is removed, we get a good first look at the keyboard, and it is impressive to hold and behold. The Z10 RGB is among the largest keyboards I have handled in both size and mass, and a lot of this has to do with all the extra stuff EVGA has packed on top of the full-size 104 key format with dedicated macro keys as a column on the left and two more on the arrow key cluster. There are more buttons on the top, two sliders for backlighting brightness and volume, two USB ports on the sides, and of course the aforementioned display.

The design of the keyboard is also angular on the edges and sides, and there is a metal trim in a silver finish at the top that goes through the top half on the sides for added contrast to the otherwise monochrome finish. Bezels are larger than average here, which isn't surprising given everything at the top. EVGA's logo has been put in the top-left corner, and the space bar key is weirdly large and jutting out past the row, but there is otherwise nothing aggressive about the design in my books. The indicator LEDs are closer to the center to make room for the volume slider and media playback buttons in the top-right corner. Except for specific cases where tertiary legends take up the space with secondary legends alongside at the top, secondary legends are below the primary ones. As with the replacement keycaps, the legends are smaller in size than the space available on the keycaps. This and single legends being top center hints towards LED placement towards the top of each switch instead of underneath.


Flipping the keyboard around, we see the usual certification sticker in the bottom right, with another EVGA logo and the keyboard name in the center. There are four rubber pads and smaller hemispherical nubs along the sides to keep the keyboard from sliding around on the desk, and two feet at the top open up to optionally elevate the keyboard. These feet also have rubber pads on the bottom to prevent scratches and retain grip on the resting surface. There are buttons associated with each of these feet on the front facing away from the user to release the spring-activated feet, which is a new thing I have not seen anywhere else and does make for a solid shift from having the keyboard with the feet folded in or released.


The attached keyboard cable leads out from the front of the keyboard facing away from the user, and you will need an available USB Type A port on your PC. USB 2.0 will suffice, although the lack of USB 3.1 Gen 1 (USB 3.0) ports is not really a problem with even relatively recent hardware. The cable is thicker than usual and comes sleeved, with an additional Type A connector splitting off at the other end to make use of another port if available, which goes back to a USB hub on the keyboard that connects the two USB ports on the side for other devices, such as a mouse or headset.


The provided wrist rest connects to the keyboard via magnets and has three positions to choose from depending on whether you want the wrist rest all the way in or separated if you have larger hands. Note that anything but the fully inward position allows for some motion of the wrist rest along the sides, since the wrist rest and keyboard case are sculpted to fit each other best in the position shown above. This default position definitely works well, and again, that small touch of extending the contact area for the wrist rest on three sides rather than just one makes this combination more stable and cohesive in use.


A look from the side gives us a better look at the metal trim and one of the USB ports. The keycaps have an OEM profile, and the various rows are thus sculpted accordingly. They have a semi-floating design with the two-piece plastic case still producing a small gap underneath the keycaps, which allows for easier cleaning but can cause more light bleed. The stock keycaps are thin ABS plastic with an average wall thickness of 0.91 mm, so expect them to develop a shine due to finger oils with use. The legends are laser etched, which will have these wear out quicker relative to other application techniques, including dye sublimation and doubleshot injection. As expected, backlighting will be affected depending on where the legends are located relative to the LED underneath. The provided replacement keycaps thus come in handy since they are identical replacements to those keycaps that may wear out sooner because of gaming.


There are two switch options for the EVGA Z10 RGB (and the older non-RGB variant) in the form of the Kailh Brown or Kailh Blue switch. Instead of using the RGB variant with a clear housing and LEDs underneath, EVGA opted for the non-RGB version and used an RGB LED up top as seen above. This allowed them to re-use most of the same components from the non-RGB Z10, which only had red LEDs, and it is a smart move as long as the LEDs continue to be reliable. The three-year warranty does help with the purchasing decision, and my sample had the Kailh Brown tactile switches. Larger keys use a wire-style stabilizer, which come well lubed out of the box.

For those who were wondering why, I am going straight past the usual disassembly page in this review because I hit a point during disassembly wherein I felt I could not get the display out without damaging it.