Trust Gaming GXT 833 Thado TKL Keyboard

Keyboards are funny things, really. Over recent years, with working from home and all the other lovely perks of modern society, it could very well be argued that our trusty keyboard has become our most valued accessory. Gamers have been aware of this possibility for some time now, leading to "gaming" keyboards being set up with a premium price, offering features such as fancy lights and keys that can wake up your housemate two floors below you.

Trust's new Gaming GXT833 keyboard is looking to prove you don't need to be spending ludicrous amounts on a keyboard to have a solid gaming experience, though. Currently listed for less than £20 on Amazon, the price of this TKL keyboard is quite baffling when you consider that even a lot of "budget" keyboard options are asking for above £50 at a minimum.

Surely, I think, there must be something wrong with this thing then. As I open it up from it's simple box, it appears to be quite the opposite. The GXT 833 is certainly nothing flashy, but it is a very solid keyboard to say the least. A simple, sleek design (minus the numpad for extra mouse movement), RGB lighting, keys with a solid feel and more combine in this very good budget keyboard option. I particularly liked the metal piece at the back of the GXT 833, which gives it a really nice weight to it, giving it a more expensive and luxurious feel overall. There's not much else to go on about in terms of design. As I said, it's simple stuff, but that works in the GXT 833's favour. I'm not a huge fan of the whole TKL design, but that's a personal preference I'm willing to put aside with the GXT 833, which does a good job at packing a lot into this smaller keyboard format.

I will say that I did find the buttons a bit too close together at times. This meant that while typing I would often make more than a few mistakes thanks to a simple slip of a finger. Over time, I got used to the precise button pushes required, but I think for some this may be a deal-breaker, especially when considering the tiny backspace button on the GXT 833, which can make it quite frustrating to delete a misinput as you fumble your way towards the key you need. Pressing the keys, though, is satisfying. They don't cause a racket, even as I'm blasting away writing, and have a really solid feel to them, as I've mentioned before. If only they were a bit better spaced, or the backspace was larger, they would be a dream to type on.

But, if you're picking up this keyboard, you're likely going to be gaming on it first and foremost. So, how does it game? Well again, the smaller key space takes some getting used to, but otherwise it works very well. Again the keys are the main winner, as they are just great to game on, with one slight exception being the space bar, which has a slightly cheaper feel to it compared to the other keys. Considering how much you use a space bar in games, this might be an issue. The left CTRL key as well takes on a different shape from what you might be used to, but again that's a minor issue if it's one at all.

For a budget option, the Trust GXT 833 is an incredibly solid keyboard. There are a couple of things holding it back from being truly perfect, but for the price you're paying, it's a great choice. As a first keyboard for a young gamer, or simply as part of a budget build, the Trust GXT 833's simplistic but effective design makes it stand out from a lot of the other cheap keyboards on the market. Also, we can't really argue with that price.