As 2011 draws nigh, we have seen a competitive streak from GIGABYTE by way of gaming peripherals over the past few months. Their objective is to tackle the gaming market, releasing a flurry of aggressive products aimed directly at the avid gamer.

We have seen in the M6900 and M6980 some fantastic, great value for money gaming products and the Aivia K8100 continues this trend. The keyboard we have been looking at today may not be to everyone's taste due to its strong, vibrant and distinguishable looks but the physical design and outworkings are something we can all agree upon. In fact, I quite like the liveliness the yellow K8100 brings. Its different to anything I've ever used before and even though the majority of the peripherals I use (and most people) it doesn't look hideous. It brings out that extrovert in you!

The supplementary items included in the bundle are a good idea, the different textured W, A, S, D keys are useful rather than being daft like we have encountered with other keyboards that simply offer different coloured keys. Gamer's tend to feel keys rather than look at them. The latter would result in poor gameplay. The protective silicone cover is another great idea, it prevents dirt getting between the keys which would otherwise cause sticking, is easy to clean and makes the keys feel soft and less noisy when typing fast.



The only problems that I am left to report are that the G buttons positioned at the top of the keyboard would probably be better situated vertically along the left hand side of the keyboard rather than horizontally across the top. Keys that are positioned to the side are easier to access whilst in game. With the G buttons currently at the top of the board they are a bit of a reach away. Another thing to note is the fact that usage without the protective silicone cover left the experience feeling sloppy. Keys feel slightly loose and make more of a clattering noise. With the silicone cover however keys seem to bond together, feedback is more fluid and less noisy.

At around GBP £45 / USD $70 MSRP the K8100 is a good buy for anyone looking for a great all round gaming keyboard. Especially as the price that consumers will buy is going to be slightly lower. The K8100 may not compete with the more expensive boards out there that are typically mechanical but the K8100 isn't in direct competition with the likes of the Logitech G15/G19, Razer Black Window to name a few. But I'm sure GIGABYTE are yet to take on these stalwarts. 2011 should be an interesting year for GIGABYTE as they introduce yet more gaming peripherals to the market.