Today we will analyze a new mechanical keyboard, that just arrived on the market. We're talking about the Durandal Ultimate G1NL from Tesoro, a yet small company from the US, which wants to provide high quality peripherals to gaming enthusiasts. Let's find out together what this keyboard is all about, since the name sound quite promising already (Durandal is the sword of Roland).
On the following pages we will show you the strengths and weaknesses of the Tesoro Durandal Ultimate.
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Preview
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Features
- Model number: TS-G1NL
- Keys: Cherry MX Brown / MX Red / MX Blue
- Keycaps: ABS
- Backlight: 4 levels LED backlight + dimming control.
- Profiles: 5
- Macros: 50
- USB Full N-Key Rollover.
- Key drop: 2mm (4mm to bottom)
- Interface: USB 2.0
- Cable: 1.55m (braided and shielded)
- Dimensions: 455 x 206 x 43.4 mm
- Weight: 1.4 Kg
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Front
At
a first glance, the Durandal Ultimate looks like an interesting gaming keyobard,
and it still does when you take a closer look. Tesoro decided to not equip this
keyobard with additional macro keys which makes the Durandal feature a standard
size layout. In the upper right corner you will find LED's, which indidact Caps
Lock on/off status, Num Lock status and there is furthermore an additional "G"
sign. This shows whether the keyboard is in gaming mode or not. Tesoro decided to
replace the Scroll Lock sign with their "G" LED and right next to that one you
can find the Tesoro logo, which features a purple backlight. Compared to the
other backlit signs, this one is by far not as bright.
Judging from the first look, one might think that this keyboard has been made
from aluminium, but in fact, the Durandal G1NL is made from plastic with a high
quality finish that looks like brushed aluminium. The upper right corner as
well as the wrist rest feature parts made from ABS with an industrial design
pattern. It's unusual but suitable for a gaming keyboard and it give this thin
an individual touch.
Like all high-end gaming keyboard the Durandal Ultimate comes with CherryMX
keys. In our case, there were Cherry MX Brown switches, but you can get anything
you like, whether it's Cherry MX Black, Brown, Red or Blue.
To provide gamers with additional functions, Tesoro placed a
FN key next to the ALT GR key. Pressing the FN key and F1 to F6 one can adjust
volume and scroll through playlists. Pressing FN and the keys F7 to F12 makes it
possible to access up to five different game profiles. Tesoro chose to perform
laser engravings on the keys and behind each key cap there is a separate LED,
whereas the brightness can be adjusted in several steps. When the backlight is
at maximum the effect is not only well visible in the darkness, you see it
clearly during daytime too.
Back
If you
flip the Durandal you will realize that this product is quite heavy. The weight
also helps with providing the keyboard with a safe stand on your desk, although
it doens't feel like being glued to a table. On the rear you can find the two
feet, you get with every keyboard. Furthermore there are two USB 2.0 ports,
which are able to power devices which need less then 100mA, which is enough for
flash drives or mice. Also on this side the build quality is on a high level and
we like the sleeved cables and the gold plated connectors.
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Software
Installation CD as well
as user manual are wrapped in a practical cardboard, which is in fact hard to lose.
Furthermore the latest version of the software is also available on the official
website from Tesoro. The user manual is always useful but it is not really needed, just connect the keyboard to start to use it but
if you want use the macros, you should maybe check it out.
The software GUI's perfectly
fits the attractive design of the keyboard and it is practical and easy to use. With this program, you can configure up to a maximum of 50 macros. The settings can be exported and imported, which is useful if you want to compare your settings with those of your friends.
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Conclusion
Build quality
Thanks to the fact,
that Tesoro's Durandal Ultimate Keyboard weighs 1.40kg it doesn't take long
until one realizes that this is a well built product. Combined with the rubber
coated feet, that keyboard has a safe stand on every desk. Basically it doesn't
really matter where you're looking, the Durandal Ultamate is very well built and
it can take quite some punishment. The only thing which seemed a bit unusual
concerned the USB connector, which seems to be slightly thicker than usual and
therefore it takes quite some force to plug the connector to a USB port.
Design
Although the keyboard is not made from actual
alumiunium, the finish that looks much alike it, is well done. Furthermore the
handrest is perfectly integrated and it fits just fine. Another thing that is
done perfect is the backlight of the keys. Since Tesoro chose to put one LED
behind each and every keycap there are not keys that shine brighter than others.
We liked the multimedia keys but for example in case of the volume control we
would prefer a wheel.
Software
The software is well structured and easy to use. Very good
is the possibility to import and export profiles, which is useful in case of backup, sharing with friends
or clan mates. One note about the lack of integration with other Tesoro's software, each device creates its own icon in the tray, so if you have a mouse and keyboard you will have two icons.
It would be great if everything was displayed in one software suite.
Perfomance
The Durandal is equipped with the best mechanical switches on the market and offers the ability to
save up to 50 macros per profile. The key drop is accurate and perfectly well
defined. The response is immediate and perfect as you would expect from a mechanical keyboard
in this price range. Furthermore the Durandal is very comfortable, thanks to the presence of the palmrest, which reduces hand fatigue.
It's just perfect for long gaming sessions and also typing is a lot of fun.
Price / Recommendation
The Durandal Ultimate costs 159.- CHF, approximately 130 Euros. In terms of value, the Durandal is certainly a quality product but can be improved in some aspects and the price is slightly higher than
it's competitors.
Tesoros Durandal
Ultimate gets
three and half out of five stars.
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