Acer Predator Aethon 700 Review
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We recently tested the small form factor Aethon 330 from Acer, and for the price, it fared well against the competition in that price point. Acer have since sent us their full-sized Aethon 700 to try and put to the test. This keyboard, as you can see from the pictures, has a switch on the top right, which is linked to its main selling point! Dual Switches..
The Aethon 700 allows users to toggle between two different switch types. Switched down the keyboard toggles to tactile, these switches do sadly feel a little cheap and compare to budget switches like the Kalihs, which really is a shame as better switches here could have made this keyboard amazing. Switching the lever up, however, activates the linear type switch. This mode feels far better and gives a clean, responsive feel that I enjoyed using for gaming.
Acer is trying something a little different with this design, and something that we haven’t seen before. Delving deeply into how this is achieved, we find that the lever moves a whole board inside, activating a small switch within each keyboard switch to change every key to the same switch type. How this will stand up long-term is yet to be seen, but it’s certainly nice that Acer is trying something new!
When it comes to price, however, things start to fall off a little. At around £160, it is hard to recommend the Aethon 700; the competition at that price point is strong, and sadly, the switches offered here don’t compete.
The build quality isn’t bad, and you will notice straight away how heavy the keyboard is, but you can’t help but feel it just isn’t that premium feel you would want at this price point. The keycaps just don’t feel as nice as others we have tried, obviously changing them is always an option, but you expect a little better when forking out this sort of money.
RGB lighting is offered in seven different presets and is very bright and colourful. Changing the preset is simple by just holding FN and then selecting the preset you want. Again, at this price point, the lighting does feel very basic and few options to choose from.
The Predator Quartermaster software gives users the ability to change key mapping, Win‑key lock, polling rate adjustments and macro recording if required.
The Aethon 700 is a full-sized keyboard; users have access to a full num-pad as well as a wheel just under the switch toggle that can be used to adjust volume.
In the box, Acer also include a magnetic wrist-rest included in the box. The wrist rest is fairly thick and supportive, so it is a nice inclusion.
The Aethon 700 is wired, but sadly, instead of having a removable USB-C, Acer opted to hardwire the USB to the keyboard, meaning any damage to the cable will be difficult to fix instead of just replacing a cheap cable. The back of the keyboard has a few different routes for the cable to slot into, depending on which side you need it. The adjustment is just a single height with a flip-out foot on either side.
Verdict:
The Aethon 700 is an interesting idea and does work, but sadly, the Tactile switches and keycaps feel cheap and just not what you expect at this sort of price. RGB is also very limited, with only a few presets.
The build quality is fairly solid and weighty, but I just don’t think the Aethon 700 offers enough compared to the competition at its price point. A few more RGB, software options, better keycaps and switches would go a long way if Acer decide to keep this two-switch design.
Score:
6.9/10
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This keyboard was loaned to us for our honest and unbiased review.
Pros
- Unique tactile/linear toggle. Two switch modes in one keyboard
- Optical switches with full anti-ghosting and NKRO
- Magnetic plush wrist rest supports comfort
Cons
- Tactile mode feels cheap and low quality compared to other similar priced keyboards
- Software offers limited macro and lighting customization
- Keycaps aren't the best quality
- No OLED panel or advanced media controls found on some rivals
