Closer Examination

The keyboard comes in a plastic wrap as well, so between these and the two seals on the box, you can rest assured that you will get a brand new product looking as clean as can be out of the box. The Apex M750 sample I received has a 104-key US ANSI layout, and all layout versions come with the standard black color scheme as seen above. This is a very clean-looking keyboard with angled edges at the top and bottom and a SteelSeries logo in the top-right corner to differentiate it from an otherwise clean slate. The logo has a light glossy finish to where it is subdued when looked at directly, and it only looks white at an angle. While unabashedly gaming-specific, the Apex M750 will fit into a professional environment just fine as well.

We have a 5000 series aluminum alloy frame here, and given the "aerospace grade aluminum" marketing used with the keyboard, it presumably is a 5052 or 5652 alloy. In practice, all you really need to know is whether or not the metal frame looks good (it does), is a fingerprint/grime magnet (it is not), and provides structural integrity to the keyboard without weighing it down a lot. The keyboard has zero flex at even moderate torque forces applied to it beyond those it is usually put through in regular use, and at slightly under 1 Kg in mass, it is not a heavy keyboard either. The bezels are also smaller than average on all sides from a direct perspective, although the angled edges do add some material that really seems to be more form than function. This is also the case on the sides, where we see a glossy insert that does not serve any function and exists to just add some flair to the keyboard.

There are dedicated indicator LEDs in the top-right corner, under the SteelSeries logo. As far as keycaps go, single-legend placement is biased towards the top left for 1u size keycaps and top center for larger keycaps, with the font size on the larger side of average for easier visibility. The secondary legends are placed above the primary ones in the second row, which may not bode well if the LEDs are at the top of the switch as with most non-Cherry, RGB mechanical switches. The typeface itself is very clean too, going well with the rest of the keyboard.


On the back, we see a glossy black section in the middle that has the company logo and product certification stickers. This glossy part is really out of place compared to the rest of the keyboard and is a dust magnet, to where SteelSeries thought it apt to have a plastic cover over it. I have no idea what the thought process was here as you now end up with a dusty surface underneath no matter what, and this extends upwards to the sides slightly as well. There are also two rubber pads at the bottom for some friction against a desk's surface.

The same at the top is provided from the case feet, which, as we saw before, are merely shaped rubber pieces. The stock feet provide no elevation to the keyboard as they are snug and in-line with the bottom's surface, and the replacement feet raise the keyboard slightly in a similar manner as pop-up feet on most keyboards do. I actually prefer this design since people tend not to swap between keyboard orientations often, and these feet are snugly in place while providing a dampening effect as well. It is very easy to remove a foot from the insertion point, but not as easy to install one. Take your time by pushing in three and then using a flat, thin object to push the final one in at an angle.


The keyboard's cable is non-detachable and comes out in the middle at the top. It is longer than average at 6.5 feet/ 2 meters long and terminates in a standard male USB Type-A connectors. USB 3.0 (3.1 Gen 1) is recommended so as to be well above the current draw requirements for all the RGB LEDs here, which should not be a concern for the intended audience today.


SteelSeries has gone with an OEM (Cherry MX OEM) profile for the keycaps here, which was the right decision for this product in my opinion. The target customer likely has already tried a similar "gaming keyboard" with an identical OEM profile, and the familiar row sculpting with contoured surfaces will help with the purchasing decision here. The keycaps have a floating design, so they are easier to remove/install relative to others, and it is also easier to clean the keyboard while they remain installed. This does run the risk of causing light bleed with per-key RGB backlighting, where you have neighboring keys backlit differently, so we will be sure to see how it fares there later on. The keycaps themselves are made of thin ABS plastic (0.98 mm average wall thickness) with laser etched legends, so they are on par with the vast majority of stock keycaps and thus disappoint in terms of longevity. ABS will develop a shine with finger oils sooner rather than later, and laser etched legends will begin to wear down at the same time. The benefit here is that SteelSeries has adopted a "standard" bottom-row spacing to go with the US ANSI layout, which enables compatibility with hundreds of aftermarket keycap sets and individual keycaps.


As we saw before, SteelSeries uses their own branded QX2 mechanical switches here. These switches are a result of a partnership with Gateron who makes excellent switches, and have other brands partnering with them as well. In general, aside from yields, I have zero issues with a Gateron switch that is based off a Cherry MX switch, and in this case, we have the QX2 linear RGB mechanical switch based off the Cherry MX Red RGB. It shares near-identical specs in dimensions, actuation force, and distance, total travel distance, and also the color of the stem itself. One thing different here is the location of the RGB LED, which is on top with a diffuser piece over it, rather than under the switch as with keyboards having Cherry MX RGB switches. The larger switches also have Cherry stabilizers, which goes well with the floating keycap design in that these are easier to remove/install as well, though at the risk of mushy feedback, especially on the larger space bar.