Disassembly

Most metal-frame keyboards are easier to disassemble than full plastic case variants, but Genesis decided to make it harder by not only having all of 16 screws underneath specific keycaps, but two more holding the volume wheel assembly and frame to the case, too. The latter two can be accessed by removing the knurled volume wheel knob, which you can do by simply pulling it out. When you put it back together, make sure to align the notches. A precision Philips head screwdriver comes in handy, and with all 18 screws removed, there is enough room to separate the two sections of the keyboard.


There are still two more internal cables to dislodge, and these connect the case to the PCB. The third one leads to the now freely suspended volume wheel daughter PCB, whereas the first two connect the attached USB cable as well as a secondary daughter PCB for the two extra buttons next to the volume wheel. It is only now that the case can be detached completely for further examination, though there is not much to see here. Genesis is using an ABS plastic case without any noise-dampening foam, but there is plenty of room to add your own should you be so inclined.


The PCB is blue, and solder quality is decent enough. The switches are soldered through the aluminium frame to the PCB; no hot-swappable switches here! Powering the keyboard is a Vision VS11K09A-1 HT50F52 32-bit ARM Cortex-M0 USB microcontroller, which we have seen in other budget RGB keyboards before. It also has an integrated RGB LED driver, though it is only capable of some simpler effects we will go through over the course of this review. All the components, including the switches, SMD RGB 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.