NZXT Function
Typing into the peripheral mainframe
RENOWNED CASE GIANT NZXT has been attempting to gain a foothold in the wider peripheral market. In our last issue (June 2022), we tested the company’s Capsule microphone, which proved to be a good start for expansion into areas where its name is less well-known. The company’s latest products are a keyboard and mouse combo, so it seems like a good opportunity to test both out in this issue, starting with the Function keyboard here, the MiniTKL variant, which is the smallest of the bunch. NZXT has also released a full-sized and a tenkeyless (TKL) option, so should you go for NZXT’s first keyboard or opt for a name with more experience in this field?
If compact peripherals appeal to you then this MiniTKL form should be right up your street. A standard TKL board is usually compact, but NZXT’s MiniTKL format fits those same features into an even smaller shell. It essentially gets rid of the empty spacing around the TKL board and compresses all the keys together. It’s not quite as small as some 60 percent boards, but is noticeably different from regular TKL keyboards. Let’s just say it won’t take up much space on your desktop.
As for the design, we have the matte black option, with matte white being the other choice available. If you’re after a more specific aesthetic, you can choose to customize the board using the NZXT BLD (build) program, however, these two standard offerings are in line with NZXT’s brand image and pair perfectly with the company’s cases, which is good if your case is visible on your desktop.
There are no sharp unusual shapes or gamer-inspired designs here, but that’s not a bad thing. Although this keyboard reaches out to the gaming market, it could easily fit into an office-based or productivity environment. The minimal design could be viewed as boring but with the per-key RGB backlighting, it’s easy to fit into any setting. Unfortunately, this lighting isn’t the brightest, but does disperse evenly throughout the board. If you want to play around with this, the RGB lighting for the Function is adjustable within NZXT’s CAM application.
To the left side of the keyboard, there are media controls that are sometimes missing on compact boards. These include a rubberized volume wheel, mute, Windows lock button, and keyboard brightness cycle button. Ergonomically, it makes sense to have these on the lefthand side as, more than likely, your right hand will be using the mouse—though left-handed mouse users may not agree.
Underneath, there are two adjustable levels of kickstands to ensure a comfortable angle for typing. One thing that’s missing from this MiniTKL board is the wrist rest, so you’ll need to roll your own. The other two keyboards in the lineup come with wrist rests, albeit they are more expensive, but it’s a shame one was not offered on this more compact version.
KEY TO SUCCESS
What about the actual keys on this NZXT Function? Well, the caps themselves aren’t too impressive. Out of the box, they’re ABS, which feel cheap and are a nightmare for fingerprints. Using NZXT’s BLD program, you can opt for PBT caps, but these come at a higher price. The switches underneath are more impressive and are hot-swappable with a key tool that’s included if you want to customize this further. Gateron red switches come pre-installed on this board and require little pressure to type on. For long durations of typing, it’s a comfortable switch to use without too much audible feedback. Yet, as this is a gamer-focused keyboard, more tactile feedback and louder switches would perhaps be more suitable. The upside is that, being a hot-swappable keyboard, you can change the keys and switches to suit your personal tastes. However, the NZXT BLD program can soon get expensive, and you could end up paying north of $200 for a customised keyboard.
Although it’s a well-made keyboard, there are better alternatives on the market for a similar price that don’t necessarily need to be customized. We’d recommend upgrading to the PBT caps as these are much better than the ABS ones, but you can’t help but feel they should come as standard. This MiniTKL variant is a great looking board, but it can feel cramped after long durations.
If you’re after a productivity board or one for long periods of gaming, we’d recommend the larger boards with a wrist rest. The Function isn’t a bad board and is certainly a decent first attempt at cracking the keyboard market, it just requires a fair amount of customization to get it to a reasonable level.