Tecware Phantom RGB 87 Keyboard Review

Tecware has just released their newest addition to the Phantom line of keyboards. They launched two different keyboards side by side, the 87 key and the 104 key, which includes a Numpad. Today we will be reviewing the 87 key version with the 104 key version coming soon! If you are in the market for a gaming keyboard that is on the cheaper end then Tecware is a great place to start looking. The Tecware 87 Key Keyboard is on sale right now for 45.99 but usually sells for 59.99. This is a mid-range price for a gaming keyboard and maybe just what you are looking for!

Tecware Phantom RGB 87 Features and Specs

• RGB Backlighting
• Outemu Switches 
• Fiberglass PCB
• Double-Shot Keycaps
• N-Key rollover
• 1000Hz pooling rate
• Compact Design (excludes Numpad)
• Modular Switches
• USB Braided Cable 
• Floating Key Design
• 2.65 pounds
• 4 Extra Keys Included

What To Expect From The Tecware Phantom RGB 87

Upon first opening the box, you are met with the keyboard straight on. After taking the keyboard out, the wire is tucked away neatly behind a cardboard container in the back of the box. This is also where you will find the spare keys for your keyboard. Overall the presentation of the box and unboxing the keyboard was pleasant. The back of the box provided a bunch of useful information. 

One of the things I noticed straight away from the keyboard is it has a braided cable. I have expressed my love for braided cables due to the fact that they are durable and hard to tangle. This is no different here, and the braided cable definitely adds to the overall quality Tecware was going for.

Another thing to notice out of the box is how small the keyboard actually is. If you have used an array of RGB mechanical keyboards in the past, you will know that most of them are clunky and overall, very heavy. While the 87 Key keyboard doesn’t have a Numpad, it doesn’t compensate for that in its weight. Weighing only 2.65 pounds, this keyboard is lightweight and reduces clunkiness. This is especially good for people who don’t use a Numpad or simply like to have more room for their mouse on their desks. 

Starting it Up

When I got the Tecware RGB 87 Key keyboard, I decided to test it on my main PC. I unplugged my Corsair keyboard and plugged the Tecware in. Immediately the overall quality of the keyboard showed through. Coming straight from an over 100 dollar Corsair keyboard, I was expecting the Tecware keyboard to feel a bit cheaper than that one. However, the Tecware keyboard felt almost identical to a keyboard that many would put in the higher price range of keyboards. This quality kept up throughout my time with the Tecware keyboard, and soon it became my standard keyboard over my Corsair. 

The keyboard comes in 3 different Outemu designs. Each of these functions a bit differently. 

Blue switches:

– Tactile bump

– Audible click

Brown switches:

– Tactile bump

– Inaudible click

Red switches:

– No Tactile bump

– Inaudible click

That is a simple guide to the different Outemu designs. I was provided with the Brown switches and the inaudible click was my favorite part of this keyboard. Many people like the clicking sounds of a traditional mechanical keyboard but I find the clicking to be distracting. Especially if you are playing with a group of friends in a discord room and all they can hear is your clicky keyboard. Therefore, I was very happy to find out the 87 key keyboard was silent upon typing. 

Tecware RGB 87 Software and RGB

When you plug the Tecware 87 Key Keyboard into your PC you will be greeted with a series of lights that surround different keys on your keyboard. This was a nice touch. The default RGB for your keys will be rainbow-colored as most defaults are. I immediately went to look for software to change the keys on my keyboard to my liking. However, after scouring the Tecware website I was met with nothing but what seemed to be a driver download. After some time I realized that the driver download wasn’t actually a driver download but a software download. This confused me as the installation process for this was similar to that of driver installation. Therefore, I didn’t get to use the software as much as I wanted to during the review process. However, from what I did get to use with it, it was a nice piece of software. 

It isn’t super bare-bones like other software I’ve seen in the past and it definitely gets the job done. In the software, you can set macros for individual keys on your keyboard and you can change the RGB lights on your keyboard. The latter is likely the reason you decided to download this program in the first place. There are many different options that Tecware has provided in order to meet your customization needs. Everything from a “Breathing” lights option to a full spectrum mode that will turn your keyboard into a rave. You can even edit the brightness and speed at which your lights function. With these many options, I feel like the software is worth downloading. 

However, if you aren’t a fan of cluttering your computer with hundreds of different programs that all do the same thing, then Tecware made a more streamlined way of customizing your RGB lights. Once unboxing the keyboard you will run across an instruction manual. This manual will have the obvious stuff in it (like how to plug your keyboard in) but don’t throw it away yet! It actually has some useful information in it. If you flip a page you will find different keystrokes you can use to manually change your RGB lights on your keyboard. Everything from changing how the lights flow through your keyboard to changing the color of the lights. 

Having a manual option to do this adds another layer of detail that Tecware didn’t have to include. It speaks volumes to how dedicated they are in their products and I think that is one of the things that shines through most in this keyboard.

Overall

I can’t really think of any qualms I had with this keyboard. For the price, you are getting a keyboard that shares similar quality to a $120 keyboard for only 45.99. You just can’t beat that deal. I can’t recommend this Tecware keyboard enough, especially if you are in the market for a mid-range keyboard. I would recommend this to everyone but more specifically to someone who may just be starting a PC build and wants a quality keyboard but doesn’t want to spend upwards of a hundred dollars for one. This is easily the best option. 

Watch the Phantom RGB 87 Keyboard Video Review Here!