Lighting and Performance

The NZXT Function 2 MiniTKL supports N-key rollover USB out of the box, which tested successfully using Aqua's test. Switch Hitter confirmed no chatter with these keys either, and seen above are all the functions with dedicated keys on the base layer. As usual, R. Win is replaced by the Fn key which is used for the Fn layer itself. We also don't have a dedicated menu key here but NZXT does provide the NZXT key which I suppose you can use to switch profiles or use as a macro key. There is also an Fn layer which brings with it shortcuts to improve quality of life such as commonly used programs and media playback. These are also identified by the front-facing legends on the keycaps and, together with the dedicated volume controls on the left, make this a far more versatile keyboard than usual.


Seen above are some of the available lighting effects on the Function 2 MiniTKL and you will definitely need to use NZXT CAM to get the keyboard lit up as you want on a per-key basis with your choice of 16.8 M colors. By default the LEDs are in a rainbow wave lighting effect and we saw on the previous page how there are others available in CAM, although some are restricted to software profiles. It's not as numerous as some other mainstream offerings or even some Asian ones which may have language barriers but there is a good selection of static, dynamic, and reactive effects to choose from with their own specific subset of options. The keycaps are backlighting compatible, which is a nice change from all the opaque keycaps we've seen lately. They are also floating so there is some light bleed, although less on this black version. On the other hand, the white color version of the keyboard should be more vibrant and brighter if you prefer that. NZXT also did a good job with color fidelity given the keyboard is able to put out a fairly accurate white from the RGB LEDs used.

There is no wireless connectivity on offer here so that means we can move directly to the user experience of the Function 2 MiniTKL in its wired-only mode. The biggest takeaway for me here is how muscle memory can absolutely wreck typing efficiency even on what is not that different a form factor compared to a TKL keyboard. It might be the part of my brain expecting to see a shorter R.Shift key and arrow keys with a single column of modifiers above, as with pretty much all other 65%/75% keyboards, but I ended up having a harder time getting used to this keyboard than I thought. Two days later and things were all back to normal though and now I could appreciate the extra keys too. I still made the occasional error hitting the Insert or NZXT button when I wanted Delete and having Pause/Break on the top-right corner is certainly a choice for that prime real estate but I will give props to NZXT for trying something different and making it (mostly) work. I also mentioned before how the entire keyboard ends up being fairly busy as a result with the left side also having the volume knob and three extra buttons—these wobble a bit more than I would like. That said, having them on the left does mean most right-handed people can keep their dominant hand on the mouse longer and use the left hand for volume controls instead. Combine this with the shorter length keyboard and you also have more room to move the mouse on your desk as well as place the peripherals in a more ergonomic layout.


NZXT had made some updates from the previous versions when it comes to the typing experience. I admittedly have no experience with the original Function lineup but people generally seem to agree that the keycaps and dampening could be improved. With the Function 2, we have doubleshot PBT keycaps replacing the thin ABS keycaps from before and there is now PCB tape used, in addition to an extra layer of foam dampening. While this may sound like all the problems are solved, in reality things are less impressive. The keycaps still feel cheap with the plastic being rougher than I'd like to see and some wobble on the switches. The foam sheets are also mediocre in dampening to where I don't really notice much dampening of keystrokes, let alone support for typing and elimination of reverberations. There is no foam/silicone sheet between the plate and the PCB which makes this worse. The stabilizers are also somehow mushy and uneven in response to where I again had to check whether they were actually lubed. Perhaps this is a case of uneven lubing? The only consolation are the switches which do feel quite smooth to type on. These are medium force linear switches with a rated actuation force of 40 gf, although it is unclear if this is at 1.5 mm or 1 mm travel given they also allow for a choice of two actuation points. This change is controllable via software, but we don't have per-key control. I had just finished testing a Hall effect switch keyboard which really executes this feature much better to where I am unfortunately left wanting more from NZXT.


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 NZXT Function 2 MiniTKL keyboard sample at ~95 WPM as it comes out of the box with the Gateron optical switches. For context, you can find sound clips from other keyboards here, including those with linear switches. I did bottom out here and it helps test how loud, or not, these switches are as well as the effectiveness of the damping system too, and it works mediocre at best as mentioned above. There is still more pinging off the plate than I'd like and the overall sound signature is higher pitched as a result. In fact, the typing sound isn't that far off from the budget-priced darkFlash GD100 we saw before, possibly even more high pitched too! I am not a fan of how the keyboard sounds and NZXT makes it extremely hard for people to modify it either.