Closer Examination

When looking at the Fnatic Gear Rush, we can see that its font is easy to read; it is a simple, clean font that compliments the keyboard perfectly. I find a font that is too busy annoying, especially when it is supposed to be a 'gamer' font, which just looks garish to me.


Looking at some of the functions of the Fnatic Gear Rush, we can see that we have an FN key in the usual position. Used in conjunction with the F keys, it can do many things. F1 - F4 include the volume keys as well as some of the media keys.


F5 to F8 consist of the other media keys and some of the profiles that can be set. F9 to F11 are the other three profile keys, and the last key, F12, is to enable 'Fnatic mode', which is a really nice idea I will go over a little later on.


The numpad on the Fnatic Gear Rush has arrow keys that can be used by turning off the num lock. Used in conjunction with the FN key, the "2" and "8" keys will increase or decrease LED brightness.


Pulling off the keycaps reveals the Cherry MX Brown switches. You really can't go wrong with Cherry switches; they are regarded as being one of the leading brands and are always a welcome sight. The Fnatic Gear Rush keyboard is also available with Cherry MX Reds or Blue switches, so there is a switch to cater to most users. The keycaps are of good quality and can be changed if need be since they have a "+" shaped stem.


Flipping the keyboard over, we can see that Fnatic has gone with simple plastic feet. While such feet do sometimes have issues with snapping, they are pretty much an industry standard. There are also some rubber feet at the front to keep the keyboard from slipping. This particular image also shows the slot for the wrist rest.


As with the original Func keyboards, the wrist rest is attached in quite a unique manner. Instead of the wrist rest having plastic tabs affixed to it, there are separate ones. The two small tabs shown above are simply pushed into the keyboard's bottom and the wrist rest is then pushed into the tabs' grooves.


With the wrist rest attached, the keyboard looks great; it isn't over the top and is quite sophisticated-looking, without any silly 'gamer style' elements companies seem to think we want.

I did notice that the keyboard's finish attracts fingerprints, the wrist rest being the most affected. I washed my hands on numerous occasions and cleaned the keyboard often, but after installing the wrist rest, I was left with a lot of marks, which can be annoying.


At the rear of the keyboard is a USB passthrough for two devices; this is not a powered port, and the USB connector's limitations make these USB 2.0. I very much doubt these would be able to deal with too many high powered devices, but they are great for things like USB drives or mice.


The cable for the Fnatic Gear Rush is 2m long and is braided in a good quality material. During the time I used the cable, it didn't snag or exhibit any other issues. The single USB connector has a sturdy rubbery coating to protect it and to stop it from breaking due to any stress on the cable.


Powered up, we can see that the LEDs are bright, even in a well-lit environment. The currently only available color for these LEDs is red, and their only effect is a breathing mode. I don't really think that a breathing effect adds anything to the aesthetics of the Fnatic Gear Rush, but it is an option nevertheless.