ASUS Introduces the M702 Azoth Extreme/NXSW/Gaming Gaming Keyboard

The ROG Azoth Extreme is undeniably expensive, but it’s also one of the most unique and well-built mechanical gaming keyboards I’ve ever used. If you’re already invested in the ROG ecosystem, want everything to match visually, or just appreciate high-end mechanical keyboards with an exquisite design, this one checks nearly every box. The layered aluminum and carbon-fiber construction is both visually striking and extremely solid. You can actually see the stacked layers along the side of the board, which gives it a refined, almost industrial look that feels more like a piece of art than a typical gaming keyboard. The unboxing experience alone sets the tone. Everything is neatly presented in double-layered packaging with a removable drawer underneath, and the keyboard itself comes wrapped in a branded cloth cover. It immediately feels like a premium product. Setup was flawless but did require a Armoury Crate device driver update which installed smoothly and automatically. As someone who spends hours at my computer every day and has owned many mechanical keyboards, this board offers nearly everything I look for. You get a compact 75% layout, fully customizable key assignments and macros "on-the-fly," tri-mode connectivity (RF, Bluetooth, and wired), customizable RGB, a color OLED touchscreen, a multifunction control knob, Speed Tap for gaming, a gasket-mounted design with multiple dampening layers, carbon-fiber plate, and excellent battery life. The pre-lubed ROG NX Snow linear switches feel smooth and consistent, with a controlled sound profile that isn’t overly loud, making this keyboard perfectly usable for both gaming and productivity. The included wrist rest deserves special mention. It’s heavy, well-built, and extremely comfortable, with a rubberized surface that matches the keyboard’s front profile nicely. It doesn’t slide around and feels like it belongs with the board rather than being an afterthought. On the back of the keyboard, there’s a magnetic metal nameplate that cleanly finishes the design while hiding storage for the RF dongle and the physical gasket-adjustment switch. That said, the gasket adjustment is my biggest disappointment. While it’s a great idea in theory, the difference between the two settings is extremely subtle. Neither position is labeled, and while one setting sounds slightly more “thocky” and the other a bit firmer, the change is minimal. After doing some research, it appears this is a common complaint rather than a defect. My other criticisms are fairly minor but worth mentioning at this price point. Customization relies heavily on ASUS Armoury Crate, which can be finicky, and while the Gear web app works for basic adjustments, Armoury Crate is still required for full control. The included braided cable feels surprisingly basic for such an expensive keyboard, and switch lube isn’t included despite this being marketed as a customizable, enthusiast-grade board. The magnetic metal feet work well overall, but they can slide off if you move the keyboard aggressively across a desk. Typing on this keyboard is genuinely enjoyable. The key spacing, textured PBT keycaps, and smooth switches make long typing sessions comfortable and fast. While it’s clearly marketed as a high-end gaming keyboard, I find it just as enjoyable for everyday productivity. The lack of a numpad doesn’t bother me, as everything else I need is here. If you can find the ROG Azoth Extreme below full retail pricing, I would recommend it without hesitation. At full price, it’s more of a luxury purchase that you really have to want. Remove price from the equation, though, and this is one of the best gaming keyboards I’ve ever used.

Good but not worth that much, extreme actual worth around $300-$350

I must begin this review, by saying that Amazon Customer Service is currently being lead by the best possible people for the job. They are working very hard to make Amazon CS the best in the industry, and I believe they will accomplish their goals. I, very much, look forward to Amazon CS being restored to the golden days, of when they actually cared about helping you, and were very good at doing so. Now, onto the keyboard. I, personally, have never had a keyboard that felt this good to type on, and the sounds it makes are amazing. The build quality is second to none, I do not believe you will find a better machined keyboard anywhere, and it is very heavy. The wrist rest feels amazing, as well. My only wish for it, is that I wish it was magnetic, as it tends to slid around on the surface I am using it on. My hope is that this may well be the last keyboard I ever need, but only time will tell. The software, Asus' Armoury Crate, which is needed to use this keyboard, is, shall we say, it's software. It can be painfully slow at times, and doesn't have a ton of functionality at the moment, but you can, eventually, get the keyboard configured. I hope Asus eventually makes it software worthy of the gear it is meant to operate, and the customers who use it. I will update this review, as I have had more time to use this keyboard, so I can provide a full accounting of how well it performs. Thank you, to the Amazon CS Team who helped me resolve what was an ugly problem, and restoring my trust, from the 20 years I have been a member! Update: I just wanted to add an update on my experience thus far, with the ROG Azoth Extreme Keyboard. There have been issues, the very first one I purchased had to get replaced, just a few minutes after unboxing it, as the Asus update it required bricked my keyboard. This resulted in my opening comments about Amazon Customer Service, as they really went above and beyond in helping me get that issue resolved. The second one ran fine for awhile, approximately 5 months, and had several successful updates, until another update caused the wireless to stop functioning. Again, the extended warranty came through, and after having sent the keyboard in for them to look at, and they're being unable to fix the problem, they refunded me, after which I bought the same keyboard again. I love this keyboard, what can I say, for my needs it is quite literally perfect. The newest board functions fine, but the battery level reporting tool, not sure if the fault lies in the software or this keyboard itself, but it seems to take forever to drain down to around 55%. But, I have found if I do not charge it, before it hits the reported 55%, then it goes from 55% to 0%, they keyboard shuts off, and all of my settings, including lighting effects I have set up, are lost and must be reconfigured. I believe this issue is directly related to this keyboard specifically, and not the software, or the Azoth Extreme line as a whole, as none of my other Azoth Extremes behaved in this manner. It isn't as if my batter is only giving me half of the time it should, it seems as if there is a problem with how this individual keyboard reports the battery status, as I mentioned earlier, it takes several days, 8-10 on average, for it to get to that 55%. I have gotten used to this glitch, and simply know if I get below 60%, I need to recharge it that night. Still, through all of these faults, I still love this keyboard, and am happy with my purchase, it remains the best keyboard I have owned, other than my IBM keyboards back in the early 90s. As I mentioned, my needs are very specific, and shine through keys are a very important part of that, and the shine through keys on the Azoth Extreme are the best I have seen. They have clear high quality legends, and the shine through effect is perfect for me. The sound and feels of these keycaps, when coupled with the Snow switches, is right up there with another keyboard I have, but rarely use, the Evo80. The Evo80 might sound a tad better, but finding high quality shine through keycaps for it, is an impossible task, especially given the RGB is south facing, but even if you turn them around to be north facing, finding good keycaps, in a color that looks fitting to the board, is again a near impossible task. The bottom line becomes, if shine through keycaps are important to you, and you are looking for a premium feeling and sounding keyboard, which I am one of those people, then the Azoth Extreme is as good a keyboard as you'll find, and likely better. If shine through keycaps are less important to you, or not at all, you may find a better keyboard elsewhere. I paid the original opening price of $499.99, for the Azoth Extreme, and though I own other high end, high quality keyboards, I do not regret my purchase, and the Azoth Extreme is the only board I use entirely, every single day, only breaking out the others on occasions when the outside lighting is just right. For the current asking price of $399.99, I think it is a great value, if you have similar needs to mine.

Pros: -This is 75% Mechanical Keyboard which may not include numpads, though it is sold separately. -Excellent comfort feel while typing and gaming -I love the silicone wrist rest which is smooth, soft, and comfortable -It's got 1.47" OLED Touchscreen to add custom animation (GIF), CPU/GPU temp, brightness, etc. -It has a knob on the right side to adjust volume slider, OLED brightness, multimedia, etc. -It includes keycap puller/mechanical switch puller to customize the way it looks and feels -high-quality premium Double Shot PBT keycaps -hgh-quality dampening frames to reduce pitch noise while typing -keyboard itself is made out of high-quality aluminum -It supports 8Khz in both Wired/Wireless Polling Rate which you will need to connect polling rate booster USB dongle that comes with it out of the box, but also requires very fast CPU to benefit much higher polling rate! -RX Snow Refined-Linear Switch feels almost like Cherry MX Brown/Cherry MX Red Switches which delivers satisfying tactile feel -On the back, you can toggle between soft and hard mode to adjust dampening pad feel while typing. -It comes with USB Omni Receiver to pair up with multiple devices that supports ASUS wireless mouse & keyboard -Battery Life can last up to 1600 Hours, regardless brightness and polling rate Cons: -Incredibly expensive at $560 USD which is not for everyone. This is geared towards an enthusiast gamers who want the best wired/wireless gaming mechanical keyboard -It does not come with Magnetic Hall-Effect Switches which is much easier to double tap, but it all comes down to personal preference. If you spend a lot of time playing single player PC games, then it doesn't matter if the keyboard is comprised of either mechanical switches and/or Hall-Effect switches. -All in all, this is one of by far the best wireless/wired gaming mechanical keyboard I've ever used for gaming & content creation!

I really wanted to love the Azoth Extreme Keyboard. The build quality and wireless performance are excellent—but unfortunately, the Armoury Crate software issues are hard to ignore. In wired mode, the keyboard flickers and becomes unstable, making it virtually unusable for typing. It’s a strange and frustrating flaw, especially at this price point. Wireless mode works flawlessly, but I couldn’t justify keeping a $500 unit with such a critical defect. I’ve returned it.