My last two keyboards have been Corsair boards (K55 and K70 Rapidfire). I had significant software and firmware issues with these boards, including but not limited to infinite key ghosting, randomly disconnecting every connected USB device, and causing lockups when connecting and disconnecting controllers and similar devices. I also hated the Cherry MX Speed switches I had on the K70, too little actuation force and distance, far too linear, and typing felt really mushy (would also hit lots of other keys because of how odd the Speed switches are). And for a $150 keyboard, the K70 was definitely not worth it (doesn't even have on board memory!). Not to mention, the iCUE software is very bad. You can do a lot of cool lighting effects with it, but the UI is ugly and it is very clunky. Some things like profile switching and adding macros to new profiles is very annoying and is really time consuming (often times profiles would randomly switch on their own when tabbing through various open programs).
Queue the ROG Strix Flare. After being pissed at how bad my last few keyboards were I definitely didn't want to get another Corsair one. I've been a fan of Asus products for some time, with most of my PC being made out of ROG components and having a Zenfone; so I naturally went to see what Asus had to offer. The Claymore looks really nice, but its quite expensive and doesn't come with a wrist rest (from what I've seen), so I looked for other options. The Cerberus is a membrane board, and isn't RGB; but its cheap. I saw the Flare crop up in Amazon and it looked pretty good. I went and watched a couple reviews for it and was sold. I chose the MX Brown model.
Unboxing the Strix Flare was really nice. The keyboard was wrapped in cloth and, as per usual, the actual box itself was well designed and very simplistic. I went and got the ROG Armoury II software; which has less customization than Corsair's, but the UI is nicer and works far better. The Brown switches were immediately different from the Speed switches. I can rest my hand on the keys without accidentally inputting a bunch of random characters, and the feel of pressing the key is much more responsive thanks to the tactile bump. The heavier actuation force and farther actuation distance makes typing much more enjoyable. I no longer accidentally press wrong or extra keys, and the keycaps feel nicer under my fingers.
The board itself looks more simplistic than the K70, and it feels nicer despite being made out of plastic. The RGB elements are done better imo, and the under-glow on the sides is cool. The media keys are easier to reach because they aren't hidden behind tall keycaps anymore, I would prefer them to be above the numpad, but I think the trade-off is acceptable. The volume nob is larger and feels better when you roll it. There is no volume mute button, which is kind of unfortunate, but at least there's media keys. I don't feel like the Windows lock button is necessary, but I've rarely used them before, so maybe its nice for someone else. Actually having on-the-fly macro recording is nice as well (if it was on the K70 I never knew how to use it). The wrist rest feels nice, despite not being padded. However I think they cut back here, the wrist rest does not seem to actually attach to the board, not even with magnets. I just seems to kinda rest in the grooves cutout for the wrist rest, if you lift the keyboard the wrist rest will fall off.
ROG Armoury II, the software used to control ROG peripherals is really nice. Macros are universal across lighting profiles (I absolutely love this). The Flare has onboard storage, which I expect at this pricepoint, and is nice (no more mismatched RGB while booting up). This also means I don't have to install software and copy files over to a DVD or USB drive just to use the keyboard on my laptop, or another PC. The Flare also has built in profile switching buttons (thank you) and you don't have to unplug the keyboard to factory reset (also a nice touch, I think).
There are probably better keyboards for less, but I prefer Asus products and I don't think it was money poorly spent. I'm loving this keyboard and I highly recommend it for those who like MX Brown (or similar) switches and want a nice, high quality RGB mechanical keyboard.
| Brand | ASUS |
|---|---|
| Series | XA01 STRIX FLARE PNK/RD/US |
| Item model number | XA01 STRIX FLARE PNK/RD/US |
| Hardware Platform | PC |
| Operating System | Windows 7, Windows 10 |
| Item Weight | 4.4 pounds |
| Product Dimensions | 17.9 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches |
| Item Dimensions LxWxH | 17.9 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches |
| Color | Pink |
| Power Source | Corded Electric |
| Manufacturer | Asus |
| ASIN | B07SXJJZC4 |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Date First Available | June 5, 2019 |
