Lighting and Performance

The EVGA Z12 keyboard supports the expected 6-key rollover USB with these membrane switches, which tested successfully using Aqua's test. Switch Hitter confirmed no chatter with these keys either, and as is usually the case with keyboards these days, the right Windows keys is replaced by an Fn key.

When first powered on without the software running, the EVGA Z12 keyboard lights up in a rainbow wave effect. The light effect is good for making sure all LEDs are up and running, and a visual indicator that the keyboard is recognized and working well.


Fn + the Left/Right arrow keys toggles between preset lighting effects, and if you do not want to use EVGA Unleash, the same combination with the Up/Down arrow keys adjusts the brightness level. But the software is the way to go for finer control, and I used it to set the keyboard from an all red to an all white you otherwise don't get. White is typically harder to achieve with RGB LEDs, and it was one with a definite blue hue to it. There is some light bleed at the common edges of the light zones owing to the floating keycaps, though the lack of per-key lighting does mean it is far less an issue. Seen above is also one of the other lighting effects, of which we have a grand total of five outside of simply turning the lights off. Between this and the absence of per-key lighting, EVGA was obviously restricted by the cheaper microcontroller used on the Z12.

The EVGA Z12 is otherwise a fairly regular full-size keyboard that takes little time to get used to. The dedicated volume and media playback controls are handy even with volume increase and decrease tied to secondary functions on the Fn key row, as are the other hardware and software controls. The E-key at the top-left corner toggles game mode on or off, which can be customized in software to disable keys or even some combinations of keys. Associating the nine onboard profiles with different programs is handy, and the customizable dedicated macro keys are equally useful for gaming and productivity. This is certainly a plug-and-play keyboard in that pretty much all you need is stored on the keyboard itself, with the software only necessary for fine-tuning.


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 EVGA Z12 keyboard sample at ~90 WPM as it comes out of the box with these modified membrane switches. For context, you can find sound clips from other keyboards here, including those with membrane switches. As expected, I did bottom out, and you can see how the keyboard is louder than the average membrane keyboard, too. This is because EVGA's modification makes the switches more of the "memchanical" kind that were all the rage in budget keyboards these past couple of years, although thankfully without adding an artificial click bar. What we end up with is a switch that bottoms out at 3 mm but is otherwise meant to provide the user experience of the Cherry MX Brown by being a medium force (~45 gf) tactile switch. I suspect these will be divisive, not being true enough to membrane switches in the typing experience but also not being crisp enough to have people think these are mechanical switches.