The Mad Catz S.T.R.I.K.E 3 and Razer Deathstalker are excellent PC gaming keyboards that duked it out over the 2D-X Excellence Award — now GX Gaming looks to join the fray with its Manticore. The keyboard hits the budget price sweet spot at $79.99, but with the wallet-friendly cost comes a few pitfalls that keep the Manticore from living up to its potential.
The Manticore is stunning keyboard that impresses with its many macro keys, threaded USB cables, and red metallic accents. It also has three profile keys that allow users to change pre-configured profiles for particular games or users. I constantly play StarCraft II, League of Legends, and DOTA2. All require different key combinations, so having the profiles on hand is incredibly convenient when changing macros and ghost keys on the fly. However, things take a turn south from there.
A feature-rich product like the Manticore demands software that’s up to par with the hardware — sadly, this isn’t the case. The interface looks incredibly dated and lacks the sophistication seen in products from Mad Catz and Razer. The amount of time it took me to configure each profile easily exceeded 40 minutes, and at that point the convenience of the profile keys seemed trivial. Conversely, it takes about 10 minutes to configure both the Razer Death Stalker and the Mad Catz S.T.R.I.K.E 3. The GX Gaming software crashed multiple times, and took about 1-2 minutes for the LED color changes to load (during that period the keyboard cannot be used).
That said, the Manticore’s build quality is impressive as the keyboard is very durable and light-weight. It also includes two side USB ports for easy access. GX also advertises that the keyboard has simulated mechanical black keys. To be frank, the keys didn’t feel mechanical at all. In fact, after removing a few keys, I found that they sit on dome membranes. Sorry, folks, no spring switches here. However, the keys do feel good to the touch and have a satisfying bounce.
The Manticore is not a must have keyboard, but it’s an aesthetically pleasing one that functions well. It’s hampered by bad and dated software,, but if can overlook that and have the patience to work with it the hardware may impress.