A Closer Look - Outside

The SCHENKER KEY 18 Pro doesn't resemble a conventional gaming laptop, nor should it, necessarily. Rather, it's in line with the understated and professional aesthetic of the earlier models also released by SCHENKER, a consistent design theme from the brand. The KEY 18 Pro lacks the typical RGB craziness that is has been popularized for the class of enthusiast/gamer notebooks that aren't MacBooks. The absence of glowing stripes around the main body could be a real pro for some users, but this also may be a dealbreaker for others. Regardless, this is a professional orientated notebook, and thus the aesthetics are right in line with expectations. I personally don't like notebooks that glow like Christmas trees, so I'm giving a clear thumbs up to the stealthy and mature design of this XMG device, lacking hints towards its excellent gaming capabilities. The branding on the lid is kept to a minimum - only a small logo is positioned in the center, and SCHENKER also offers a non-branded lid for a small surcharge. The heat vents aren't aggressively styled like some gaming machines, which boast Lambo-like exhausts on the rear that do little for actual function.


The lid, as well as the top and bottom sides of the chassis, are made of aluminium, which is nice to see even in this price range. Yes, some competitors use more plastic in their designs. The black finish feels pleasant to the touch, but it's not exactly fingerprint-proof. Over the course of several days of testing this machine, while some smudges are visible, the coating doesn't look particularly dirty, and I wasn't constantly cleaning it with a microfibre cloth, either.

Overall rigidity seems very good. If you press hard in the center of the lid, it'll bend a bit but not too much. I applied a lot of pressure on purpose on the whole top section of the upper deck, and while I spotted just a small flex in the middle zone above the keyboard, I don't think that someone will notice this when using this notebook normally. The section between the Space key and the touchpad is practically unmovable! Good job, SCHENKER!

You can open the lid with one hand or even using your thumb. Right off the bat, my first two or three tries were unsuccessful. Then I realized that the base of the device slightly sticks out further than the lid (by design?). When you place your finger on the front of the lid, push it slightly and start to rotate the thumb towards the inner side of the chassis. This will create a slight gap, and now you can lift the heavy lid. It may sound complicated, but after a few tries, you'll feel at home.


The full-sized keyboard with a 4-column NumPad is well suited for both gaming and typing. The keycaps are placed quite high off the deck, which leads to long travel. The feedback is clicky, and you can feel that, especially during long typing sessions. Speaking of which, the keys are large and well spaced; most users should value this, especially those with big hands like me. The top coating seems matte and non-slip. My only con regarding this keyboard is the placement of the arrow keys—yes, they are big but are positioned at the 5th and 6th row. You could accidentally press keys that are close to them. I prefer the Lenovo Legion design, where the arrow keys are a bit more separated from the main keyboard deck.

The keyboard boasts N-key rollover and anti-ghosting. This combo is handy when playing games. The board supports simultaneous key presses at the same time without some of them being ignored or missed. I tested that with COD: Warzone, where I'm pressing WASD, Shift, Space, and the Scorestreak shortcuts simultaneously, quite frequently. I didn't experience any issues.


The touchpad is wide and tall (150 x 90 mm). It's super smooth, and my fingers glide with ease on its surface. The accuracy for everyday usage is on point. The pad registers taps even on its top edge. The physical clicks sound normal for laptops, not too loud, not too quiet.


The 5MP Web camera has a privacy shutter.


The bottom of this device houses many ventilation grilles of different sizes. On the same side, I can see the cutouts for the speakers along with four big and grippy rubber feet.