Featuring their very own low-profile mechanical chiclet switches and RGB lighting, the Tesoro Gram XS arrives in a very thin package, but how does it fair? Read on to find out.
Product on Review: Tesoro Gram XS
Manufacturer: Tesoro
Street Price: $119.99
Tesoro may not be quite as well known as some of the bigger peripheral manufacturers, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t worthy of some attention. A little over a year ago we looked at an optical key switch, developed by Tesoro, which was one of the first available on the market. It scored our Creative award and impressed the reviewer. Today we get another new switch, again developed by Tesoro.
Looking at the Tesoro Gram XS, a low profile, full-size keyboard featuring chiclet style keycaps with a low-profile mechanical switch. Not only that, the keyboard is also packed with a 32bit ARM Cortex CPU and 512KB of on-board memory to ensure keypresses are processed as quickly as possible for zero lag. Full N-Key and 6-key rollover options are included as well to ensure all keypresses are recorded.
The keyboard is available in black or white and can be optioned with either low-profile Blue or Red switches. The model in for testing today is black with Blue key switches.
Of course, this is 2018, so no gaming keyboard would be complete without RGB lighting. The Gram XS has fully customisable per-key backlighting which can be adjusted within the software.
Tesoro claims the board is perfect for those who work during the day and game at night, offering the best of both worlds. We’ll test out the typing capabilities of the keyboard and load up a few of our favourite titles and see how it performs.
Tesoro on the Gram XS:
The GRAM XS ultra slim mechanical keyboard brings together design and functionality in an ultra-slim body. A sleek and beautiful keyboard that will fit into the décor of your work and home space. The chiclet style keycaps with low-profile mechanical switch technology boasts reliability and high-level performance for the enthusiast. Perfect for those who value style and may be a worker by day but still be a gamer at heart.
Technical Specifications
Model number: G12ULP
Switch Type: Ultra-slim mechanical switch – Blue and Red switch options
Keyboard Colour: Black/White
Actuation Distance
Blue: 1.1 +/- 0.4mm
Red: 1.1 +/- 0.4mm
Operation Force
Blue: 40 +/- 10gf
Red: 45 +/- 15gf
Pressure Force
Blue: 50 +/- 15gf
Red: nil
Travel Distance
Blue: 3.0 +/- 0.3mm
Red: 3.0 +/- 0.3mm
Processor: 32bit ARM Cortex Processor
Memory: MCU 32KB + Flash 4Mbit
Ultra-polling rate: 1000 Hz
Connection: USB 2.0 Full Speed
Key rollover: 6-key / N-key options
Backlit: 16.8M RGB
Lighting Effects: Per key customizable illumination
Multimedia keys 6
Cable: 1.8 meter detachable micro USB cable
System Requirements: WIN 7 / WIN 8 / WIN 10 x86 and x64, PC System with USB Port, Internet connection for the software download
Warranty: 1 year
Product dimensions (WxHxD): 450 x 126.5 x 23.5 mm
Package dimensions (WxHxD): 500 x 201 x 39 mm
Product Weight (w/ cable): 800 g
Product Weight (with packaging): 1175 g
MSRP: $119 USD
Switch Type: Ultra-slim mechanical switch – Blue and Red switch options
Keyboard Colour: Black/White
Actuation Distance
Blue: 1.1 +/- 0.4mm
Red: 1.1 +/- 0.4mm
Operation Force
Blue: 40 +/- 10gf
Red: 45 +/- 15gf
Pressure Force
Blue: 50 +/- 15gf
Red: nil
Travel Distance
Blue: 3.0 +/- 0.3mm
Red: 3.0 +/- 0.3mm
Processor: 32bit ARM Cortex Processor
Memory: MCU 32KB + Flash 4Mbit
Ultra-polling rate: 1000 Hz
Connection: USB 2.0 Full Speed
Key rollover: 6-key / N-key options
Backlit: 16.8M RGB
Lighting Effects: Per key customizable illumination
Multimedia keys 6
Cable: 1.8 meter detachable micro USB cable
System Requirements: WIN 7 / WIN 8 / WIN 10 x86 and x64, PC System with USB Port, Internet connection for the software download
Warranty: 1 year
Product dimensions (WxHxD): 450 x 126.5 x 23.5 mm
Package dimensions (WxHxD): 500 x 201 x 39 mm
Product Weight (w/ cable): 800 g
Product Weight (with packaging): 1175 g
MSRP: $119 USD
Packaging & First Look
Tesoro have packaged the Gram XS in a bright white box with a large image of the keyboard front and centre. There’s some basic information located on the bottom-right.
The rear of the box clearly explains things in a concise manner. We prefer this method of displaying features, instead of overloading the customer with information.
The inside of the box is packed with a thick layer of foam, ensuring the keyboard arrives in perfect condition, with the removable USB cable in the white tunnel at the top.
First impressions are always important, we’re taught that from a young age. The Tesoro Gram XS certainly provides a strong first impression with a solid keyboard and braided Micro-USB cable.
The small Quick Start Guide is short but provides just the right amount of information.
Closer Look
The Gram XS measures 450mm wide and 130mm wide, which is slightly smaller than your typical keyboard, but the height is where the main difference is found, standing 20mm tall at the rear and 14mm at the front.The bezel around the skirt of the keyboard is minimised as much as possible and all of the key zones are bunched together to help reduce the overall size.
The left and right-hand sides of the keyboard illustrate just how shallow this keyboard is, as well as showing the floating style keys on top of the low-profile mechanic key switches.
The top-right displays the Tesoro logo, loud and proud, alongside the typical CAPS lock, NUM lock and Scroll lock.
Just alongside the Tesoro logo is a set of function keys for swapping settings and making adjustments on the fly; these work even if you don’t have the software installed.
Closer Look (Continued)
Following on the function keys, the top row of F keys also features a second set of options, mainly focussed around media playback, however profiles can be hopped on the fly using F1, F2 and F3.
The reverse side of the keyboard is very basic, not even featuring any kind of adjustable feet to raise the rear of the keyboard.
The keycaps are removable, allowing you to see the keyswitch, the thin transparent plastic housing lets you witness the actuation underneath which we particularly enjoyed!
Finally, just behind the Tesoro logo is a Micro-USB plug, with an included 1.8M braided cable.
Software
The Tesoro 360 Software is a little on the basic side, but it’s incredibly responsive and very simple to use.Here’s a short clip of us using the software to assign button mappings to specific keys and adjusting the lighting on the keyboard.
Performance Testing
Within the introduction of the review, we mentioned Tesoro’s claims regarding the usability for work and games, so we set about using it for a few days, to allow time to accustom ourselves to the unique layout of the chiclet style keys and relatively short mechanical keyswitch travel of 3.0mm, whereas most Cherry MX or Razer keyswitches are between 4mm and 5mm.
The first thing we noticed was the spacing of the keys. The alphabetical keys occupy around 8% more area than the keyboard we use on a daily basis, the Razer Blackwidow Chroma V2. This took a long time to get used to, with each key being bigger than normal and spaced differently. However, once we spent some time using the keyboard on a daily basis, this was less of an issue but we weren’t quite able to hone our touch-typing though, despite years of doing this with ease. The small bumps on the F and J keys were too small to find reliably and the spacing was too far different to anything we’ve used before.
In regards to the keyswitches, we had the Blue ones in our review sample. They felt ok to type on, but nothing to write home about if you’re used to a fully-fledged mechanical keyboard with anything from Cherry, Kailh, Razer or Logitech. They’re also quite loud, despite featuring very little tactile feedback; we’d either expect a quieter switch or a firmer bump. It seems you get the worst of both worlds here. There’s also no mention of the expected lifespan of the low-profile keyswitches, something which most manufacturers provide.
Gaming was another serious consideration we needed to make, due to Tesoro’s claims. We fired up Borderlands 2, Battlefield 1 and War Thunder for some testing. We feel our experience was somewhat disturbed by the Blue keyswitches, with the audible feedback being a little too loud and with very little tactile feedback to warrant the noise. We don’t mind a loud key if it provides a positive keyswitch like a Razer Green or Cherry MX Blue.
Moving on from the typing and gaming, comfort is the next logical step. The front of the keyboard only stands 15mm from the desk, so a wrist rest isn’t really necessary to remain comfortable for typing for prolonged periods. Something we felt was majorly lacking is the ability to raise the back of the keyboard, this is something that’s included on almost all keyboards for a reason, because it’s necessary and most people use it. Why have Tesoro decided to exclude this?
RGB lighting, the key element to any gaming keyboard at the moment, is excellent on this board. The outer edge of each key is illuminated as well as the legend on the keycap. The effects aren’t massively plentiful within the software, but there’s certainly enough to keep you happy. Everything is crisp and bright and the effects are buttery smooth.
Conclusion
Sadly, the keyboard isn’t currently available in a UK layout, nor is it available in the UK, however due to the novel inclusion of their low-profile mechanical keyswitches, we decided to take a look anyway. Tesoro have plans to join the UK market so we look forward to welcoming them to the UK.The US price is $119.99 which directly translates to £89.88 at current exchange rates, however we’re all well aware that it would translate at a more realistic £100 to 110 or similar. This puts it in a very dangerous zone, competing with fully featured Cherry MX equipped keyboards from Cooler Master and Corsair as well as keyboards from Logitech and SteelSeries.
RGB lighting is essential to many customers, with manufacturers fighting for the brightest LEDs and fanciest effects. Tesoro have put up quite the fight with the Gram XS; the lighting is vibrant and crisp and the animations across the board are incredibly smooth.
Despite the simplicity of the software, it does exactly what you need very well, without any messing around. We can get behind a simple software suite when it doesn’t try to be anything else.
The low-profile mechanical keys are good and feel nice to type on, but the keyboard layout and spacing lets the keyboard down somewhat. They’re nowhere near speaking terms with a full-size mechanical switch either; the difference is night and day.
The design and overall layout, including the function keys, is well thought out and looks great. The thin bezel around the outer perimeter of the board certainly aids the aesthetics as well, with us believing this to be one of the best looking gaming keyboards on the market.
The Tesoro Gram XS is an attractive keyboard with excellent RGB lighting but unfortunately the mechanical switches require some work
Pros
+ Vibrant, crisp RGB lighting
+ Incredibly good looking
+ Simple, efficient software
+ Good function key layout
+ Full N-Key rollover
+ 1000Hz Polling rate
Cons
– Pricey
– Mechanical keys feel weak
– No height adjustment
– Not available in the UK
+ Vibrant, crisp RGB lighting
+ Incredibly good looking
+ Simple, efficient software
+ Good function key layout
+ Full N-Key rollover
+ 1000Hz Polling rate
Cons
– Pricey
– Mechanical keys feel weak
– No height adjustment
– Not available in the UK
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