The full-size EVGA Z12 gaming keyboard is down to £20 at Amazon UK
A great value choice for those that prefer non-mechanical keyboards.
We've covered the EVGA Z20 mechanical keyboard a couple of times here on the RPS Deals beat, thanks to its quality design, full-size layout and extremely low asking price, and now we have an alternative deal for those that prefer the lighter feel and softer sound of membrane keyboards.
The EVGA Z12 is the firm's rubber dome offering, and it's down to £20 at Amazon UK, a heavy reduction from its £60 RRP and a few quid less than it's been over the past few months.
The Z12 is a good board for much of the same reasons as its mechanical cousin, with a full-size UK layout and plenty of features: macro keys, media keys, optional RGB backlighting, software controls and water-resistant switches. This produces a keyboard that ticks a lot of boxes for both gaming and general use, while costing significantly less than our current 'best gaming membrane keyboard' pick, the AOC GK200.
If you are working in a quiet space but still want those extra keys and other gaming features, then the Z12 is a nice pickup for the money.
In comparison to mechanical keyboards, there are some things you're giving up here - most notably customisation, longevity and key feel.
Customisation is fairly straightforward; while with mechanical boards you can swap out keycaps for a plethora of alternatives with different colours, materials and designs, membrane boards tend to only work with the keycaps that come with it. There's also no way to change switches, something that can even be hotswappable on some mechanical models.
Longevity is another easy one: the rubber domes in a membrane board will degrade over time, requiring increasing force to actuate, while mechanical boards last significantly longer without degrading and their core components can be repaired or replaced.
Key feel is more of a subjective thing, but I find mechanical boards offer more tactile and audible feedback to let you know when a key press has been registered, so they feel more precise and fun to type on. There are also tonnes of switch varieties, so you can have short or long travel, clicky, tactile or linear types and much more.
However, I know not everyone is on the mechanical train, and that's OK - that's why we're covering this deal on the Z12, which looks like a solid option from my point of view.
Thanks for joining me and we'll see you again next time!