Gamers who don’t want noisy or stiff keys will appreciate the Cherry MX Red switches and for whatever it’s worth, this review was written using the Thunder K7, and I preferred it over the high-end membrane board I was using. If anything, the Thunder K7 is flexible with its detachable number pad, catering to lefties and righties as well as folks who can’t decide between buying a standard full size keyboard and one without a numpad. The way the numpad and wrist rest snap together using magnets is cool, but it was annoying at times as well. I like to move my keyboard on a regular basis and with my previous keyboard it was simply a matter of pushing it away and then pulling it back once I needed it again. The K7 Thunder’s detachable design makes it difficult to pick up as a single piece without the number pad and wrist rest falling off. That said if you never really move your keyboard then this is a non-issue. Perhaps my biggest issue with the K7 is its lack of connectivity – there are no USB or audio ports. This is surprising as Gigabyte’s own Aivia Osmium offers these features at a considerably cheaper $100. It’s also worth noting that the Aivia Osmium offers both Brown and Red Cherry MX switch options while the Thunder K7 comes exclusively with Reds, and the Osmium also boasts a larger full size wrist area and extra macro keys. Unless you need the detachable number pad feature, we suggest buying Osmium over the K7 for a little more than 30% less money. The Thunder M7 mouse was a surprise. I usually can’t stand claw-grip style mice, but I took to the Thunder M7 quite well before long. As I don’t play MMO games I decided to stick to what I know and test the device in StarCraft II. Its macro buttons were remarkably useful in this game as I could move a number of the more awkward keyboard commands to the mouse. However, after some research it seems that MMO players aren’t impressed with the Thunder M7 because it features less macro buttons than competing solutions from Razer and Logitech. Apparently this will put you at a disadvantage, even if you learn to master the new layout. Another oversight is the fact that that the mouse wheel doesn’t support horizontal scrolling while its number one and two buttons can’t be used while left clicking. So while it seems great for RTS games, the Thunder M7 isn’t as good for MMOs, which is a little ironic. I didn’t care for the Thunder M7’s small size, but I did get used to it because its 14 dedicated buttons are well placed and easy to use while its 8,200 DPI sensor seemed smooth and accurate, though I never used it above 3200 DPI. A larger version with weight adjustments would be something I could happily use daily for work and play. We honestly expected more features for a $90 mouse considering the new Logitech G502 costs just $80, as does the G600. And again, Gigabyte’s own Aivia Krypton mouse is cheaper and offers more features, though it isn’t geared toward MMOs. Overall, neither the Thunder K7 or M7 will let you down in terms of quality and functionality, we just feel they are a little overpriced. As for the Aorus Thunder P3X gaming mouse pad, we don’t really mind that it costs $40. That price does make it the most expensive extended mouse pad on the market, but it is also the best option if you want a Slip ‘N Slide on your desk. The Razer Goliathus 2014 Extended costs slightly less at $35 and doesn’t look nearly as good in our opinion, the XTrac Pads Ripper XXL also costs $35 but is slightly smaller and again doesn’t look quite as good, while the Corsair MM200 Extended Edition can be had at $32 but it’s 30% smaller and 1mm thinner so saving $8 might not be worth it.
Aorus Thunder K7 Mechanical Keyboard
Aorus Thunder M7 MMO Mouse
Cons: Expensive, no USB ports on the keyboard. Cons: Perhaps too small and light for some (me, anyway), and somewhat pricey for its features.
