Introduction

If you had read my review of the Thermaltake W1 Wireless keyboard, you knew this was coming. Well, this keyboard actually came before the W1 Wireless keyboard but ended up taking a backseat owing to a lot of embargo releases in the middle. The ARGENT series is new from Thermaltake, with the company having introduced a new lineup of peripherals at CES, including this keyboard, mice, headset, mousepads, and even a desk. With the ARGENT series, Thermaltake wants to showcase the best it can do with peripherals, and heralds in the flagship lineup for 2021 and years to come. Before putting these claims to the test, let's thank Thermaltake for sending the review sample to TechPowerUp!


The ARGENT K5, a full-size keyboard, is the first keyboard entry to this lineup. There are plenty of extra buttons, as well as a wheel on the right the company claims is inspired by automobile knob designs. The design is also quite different from the usual, with an indented step past the alphanumeric section, which also brings with it a color change for contrast with the silver elsewhere. The image above also hints at side lighting, on top of what is no doubt per-key RGB lighting. We will go through all these features and more in this review that begins with a look at the specifications in the table below.

Specifications

Packaging and Accessories

Thermaltake packaging is typically big and bold, and the ARGENT K5 packaging is no different. We see a plastic wrap over the product box to keep it pristine in transit, and the box itself is large to reflect the larger-than-average keyboard inside. On the front is the company logo, product name, and a large render of the keyboard all lit up, as well as a sticker to let you know of the switches on the unit inside. Some salient marketing features make an appearance as well, with the others alongside more renders and the technical specifications in multiple languages on the back. Two seals and a double flap on the side keep the contents inside in place during shipping.


Opening the box, we immediately see the keyboard, and it is tucked away inside a soft foam wrap, with thicker foam on the sides for further protection. In fact, the foam pieces have cutouts to accommodate not only the keyboard suspended in-between, but also the wrist rest underneath in a separate layer. This is also where we see the other accessories, including a zip-lock pouch containing paperwork; the warranty policy, a note on how best to use the volume wheel, and a multi-language quick installation guide (online copy here) that goes over the various functions and features of the keyboard in enough detail to get you going before you get to the software support for more options.


There is a luxurious wrist rest in the box, with a soft foam top surface that has a textured finish and the Tt logo in the center. On the back, we see a lot of rubber pads to add friction against the resting surface, as well as a flip-out section in the middle with a notch to make flipping it out easier. It keeps the magnetic section enclosed on the other side, out of sight and mind until you need it.


Last but certainly not least is a set of replacement keycaps and the puller tool. Thermaltake provides a plastic ring-style puller, which works well enough but can scratch the sides of keycaps when used. The keycaps are Q/W/E/R/A/S/D/F to cater to the gaming crowd and made out of thin ABS plastic (average wall thickness 0.92 mm) with laser etched legends on a shiny red base. These are backlighting compatible, and the font is more rounded than with the default keycaps.