Introduction

Besides launching the very successful Krypton gaming mouse, Gigabyte has also made a feature-rich keyboard to accompany the mouse. The keyboard is called the Osmium. It is equipped with Cherry MX Red key-switches and two scroll wheels for easy adjustment of light and audio levels. The keyboard also features a double set of feet stands that allow you to tailor the height and inclination of the keyboard exactly to your liking, improving ergonomics. The Osmium comes with the Ghost driver suite from Gigabyte. Ghost provides support for the macro keys and allows you to manage the profiles, which can be loaded onto the keyboard.

The Package

The Aivia Osmium gaming keyboard arrived in a huge box. The insides are very well padded. Gigabyte's bundle for the Osmium is alright. You get a key-cap puller and five themed macro key-tops that look a bit gimmicky but are alright if you can make sense of the graphic.

Closer Examination

One has to admire how Gigabyte is tackling their expansion of their gaming line. The Osmium has a unique design, like the Krypton gaming mouse we reviewed a short while ago.


The two scroll wheels located next to the macro keys are, at first, a bit of an odd feature. These types of things are normally straight-up gimmicks, but the volume-control wheel is actually pretty handy. The light-control wheel is not a feature that gets a lot of use and is, therefore, a bit of a waste compared to having the normal five or more light-levels available through function-key combinations.


This keyboard offers Cherry MX Red key-switches with blue LEDs.


The USB 3.0 port sits so close to the mini-jack outs that use of the USB port might be impossible if you have a headset with a larger-than-normal mini-jack adapter; same goes for a fat memory stick, which might be obstructed by the first mini-jack.

One of the issues we have seen on some gaming keyboards is the lack of rubber pads on the feet stands and the back of the keyboard. Gigabyte's newest board is equipped with plenty of rubber pads, making this keyboard stay in place at all times.


The macro keys are positioned just north of the F-keys, which is different from the majority of gaming keyboards with macro keys. Having them in such a position allows them to sit horizontally and next to each other. This makes them faster to use than those placed on top of each other and to the far left of the keyboard. Even the macro keys use Cherry MX Red key-switches.


The braided cable is extremely thick with two USB connections and an audio pass going through the keyboard's cable. Fortunately, it is quite flexible. The strain reliefs on both ends seem up to the job.


The light system has an almost infinite amount of levels. At full power, the blue back light is even visible in daylight. The lowest level is good for use in a totally blackened out room.