While magnetic Hall Effect switches are all the craze right now, keyboard manufacturers are still working out the kinks in implementing them. The NZXT Function Elite MiniTKL is a road bump in this journey that can’t justify its high price.

Price and Availability

The NZXT Function Elite MiniTKL keyboard costs $199.99 and comes in two colors: matte white and matte black. Included in the box is a braided 6.56-foot USB-A to USB-C cable, a 2-in-1 switch and keycap puller, and three replacement switches.

These Magnetic Switches Aren’t Attractive

I’ll cut to the chase: the Function Elite MiniTKL’s magnetic switches don’t feel good to use. Even the keyboardist with a preference for a lightweight, linear feel, these aren’t likely to satisfy.

The main sticking point I have with these magnetic switches is how rough each press feels, as if the keycaps are scratching up against their neighbors. They aren’t, but that doesn’t change how unpleasant they are, especially given the smoothness I expect from a good magnetic switch.

The space bar has a cheap, shallow clunk to it that seems out of play for a $200 keyboard. In fact, this shallow key feel is endemic across the keyboard. While the gasket mount does muffle the mechanical clacks, it fails to offer the trademark soft feeling and thus makes the entire typing experience lack punch.

I also experienced one of my mechanical switches completely failing a little over a week into testing the keyboard. It thankfully comes with three replacement switches and an easy-to-use puller, so the problem was rectified, but still, it left me uneasy about the chance of further failure. It’s worth noting that the only switches you can use with this keyboard are NZXT Magnetic Switches (the type it comes with).

I do like the double-shot PBT cherry profile keycaps, though. They have a minor roughness to them that helps keep my fingers in place when gaming without irritating sensitive skin like mine. The Hall Effect-enabled features like rapid trigger and snap override worked without issue, showing that these magnetic switches aren’t dysfunctional, they just feel unpleasant to use.

It Wins Design Awards for Sleekness and Contradiction

NZXT did a great job designing a keyboard that appeals to modern minimalist sensibilities while still giving it flair. In fact, I like the design so much that it made me all the more disappointed that other aspects of the Function Elite MiniTKL weren’t up to snuff.

This tenkeyless keyboard mixes a CNC aluminum top case with a plastic bottom flanked by textured grips. Small handles make it easy to move around despite its weight, and the textured grips completely prevent slip, perhaps more so than any keyboard I’ve used. While this ceases to be true when pulling out either pair of back legs, the flexibility to rest keyboard at three typing angles will admirably satisfy most people.

While I like them, the handles are quite a contradiction given that this is a wired-only keyboard since, by that nature, it’s not meant to be moved regularly. I get the impression NZXT originally designed the Function Elite MiniTKL with wireless functionality in mind. Whether or not that’s true, the keyboard could really benefit from a wireless connection, especially given its price point.

The RGB lighting is also a strong point. It obscures the switches with a lush bed of light that vibrantly emanates from the shine-through keycaps. Complementing this is a light strip on the inner edge of the case that can be customized to cycle in tandem with the key lighting or do its own thing entirely. While there may not be the deluge of patterns available that some other keyboards offer, it doesn’t really matter when the RBG effects are this handsome.

NZXT CAM Has Some Serious Bugs

Software customization using the NZXT CAM app has the basics you expect from keyboard customization software. These include RGB color controls, key remapping, macro creation, multiple profiles, and firmware updates.

These work fine most of the time, but when they fail, they can completely lock you out of features. During my testing, the software completely shut off certain keys attached to Profile 1, such as the function keys that control volume. No number of resets, re-installs, restarts and so forth fixed the problem. Later, this happened again out of nowhere with Profile 2.

Even if a failure to fix this was due to flaws in my troubleshooting or a strange issue with my PC (and I won’t entirely discount either), it still leaves me worried that this keyboard could become unusable should the failures repeat. Hopefully a software or firmware update can fix this, but as of now, it’s a pretty fatal red mark.

NZXT CAM is also where you access the cool gaming features that have so many gamers flocking to Hall Effect sensors. The stars here are actuation point adjustment in 0.1 mm increments, toggles for rapid trigger and snap override, and polling rate adjustment up to 8,000 Hz. These are nice, but it’s a cut below what competitors are offering, including choosing which keys to pair for snap override, assigning four actions to one key press, and analog stick and trigger simulation. NZXT does offer up pre-set profiles for different game genres, which is a nice addition for people not interested in tinkering.

Should You Buy the NZXT Function Elite MiniTKL Keyboard?

No, you shouldn’t. On account of the major bugs alone, I can’t recommend the NZXT Function Elite MiniTKL at the moment. I didn’t even get to the parts where the keyboard sporadically decided whether it wanted to wake my PC from sleep or not, or a 10-minute period where it decided to stop working altogether until inexplicably coming back to life.

This could be an okay purchase with a deep discount if those bugs get squashed, but even then, the rough magnetic switch typing is still a tough pill to swallow. While I think NZXT has some good things going here, the product needs another pass, and at a more fitting price point for what it offers.