Final Thoughts

After several days of using ThermalTake’s eSports Challenger Pro/Ultimate keyboard, I can tell you I certainly do not want to go back to my old Logitech Wave. I really like the low-profile, light-weight keys -- they’re a lot quieter and easier to press, without being so delicate that you accidentally engage them just by resting your fingers. The macros are sure to come in handy, too, as application shortcuts if nothing else. True, the Challenger is not particularly ergonomic, but I think the improved tactile response and stability when typing more than make up for that. The wrist rest, if you could even call it that, is not very supportive, but if that’s something you require, any $5 bar of padding would do you good. The 30mm cooling fan is definitely the most unique feature here; even though I can’t imagine a situation where I would need this little guy, he’s silent and creates a nice little breeze across your fingers. Perhaps the true test of its effectiveness will come this summer.

Besides the feel of the keys, what impressed me most about the Challenger Pro/Ultimate is the build quality. This thing is solid as a rock! Instead of two flimsy plastic shells with a seam in the middle, it has a sort of dish-and-lid design that is held together by no less than 22 regular-size screws. It weighs about the same as the average keyboard, but it’s quite rigid and doesn’t make that plasticky crackling noise when you lift it by one end. It may not survive being run over by a truck or anything like that, but I doubt it would flinch if it fell off your desk.

Though the eSports Challenger Pro/Ultimate is based on the standard 102-key layout for the most part, the top row does take some getting used to. This is because the eight multimedia and utility keys were squeezed on there in line with the escape and function keys, so there are no spaces between any of them. Plus, they’re all a bit smaller than usual, so they don’t even line up with the number keys like you would expect. That’s going to make it more difficult to learn to reach specific ones by feel, as I know I generally use the spaces between the function keys to find my way around them. On the bright side, I find this placement of additional keys to be more aesthetically pleasing than when they scatter them along the top.


I thought right away that the Challenger Ultimate did not seem to offer much in return for spending more money than you would on the Pro, and that opinion wasn’t exactly swayed throughout the duration of my testing. That it requires two USB ports could be considered a bad thing if free ones are scarce on your machine. Also, I found the on-board audio hardware to be of sub-standard quality. It is pretty cool that you can plug in the keyboard and get sound from the computer even if you don’t have an on-board or dedicated audio device, but for some reason the volume is so loud that the sound quality is compromised. Because of that, it’s best not to use it except as a last resort. The base features of both the Pro and Ultimate keyboards, including build quality, key layout, tactile response, and functionality of the macros, backlight, and cooling fan are identical, so I can safely say that spending more money is not better in this case. I really don’t think that different colors for backlighting and a cardboard handle on the carrying bag are worth the extra $20.

Bottom Line

For $70, ThermalTake’s eSports Challenger Pro gaming keyboard is a strong contender for your desk space. If you don’t want it for the trademark hand cooling fan, get it for the excellent combination of comfortable, quiet keys, no-nonsense styling, and durability. The more expensive Ultimate model is best avoided unless you really want to customize the color of your backlight.