It's a no-brainer: If I were to buy a gaming keyboard today, I'd choose this Asus at $148

Let's begin with a fact. We at PC Gamer have no shame in admitting that we are keyboard nerds. There is a discussion about keyboard switches, typing experience, integrated screens and other topics almost every day. Let me assure you that if a keyboard is at the top of our guide to the best gaming keyboards, it has been there after a lot of heavy debate and extensive tests.

Enter the Asus ROG Strix Scope II 96 wireless. Ignore the overly wordy title for a moment, because I'm pretty certain it's a joke from Asus so that hardware reviewers will double-check their writing every time they recommend this keeb. Which they will. It's fantastic.

We gave it a 93% rating in our review. Or rather, Jacob gave it a 93% rating in his review. Since then, we've all nodded our heads to approve. Jacob is one the most picky keyboard users in the office. When Jacob says that the switch feels are excellent, that the sound dampening works, and that this is the best gaming keyboard that he has used in a long time, then you know that this is something special.

The Armoury Crate keyboard software is not very good. To be honest, most gaming keyboard software is rubbish, so we shouldn't be too harsh.

I found it on sale for $148 on Amazon and I wouldn't even consider anything else. Enthusiast keys can become very expensive very quickly. Under $150 is a great deal for a keyboard which combines all the best features of the current gaming models into one sleek, powerful, typing and gaming machine.

That's the real trick. These days, you can find mechanical keyboards that are hot-swappable, as well as media wheels, lubricated switches, etc. Asus has been able to bring together the best of all versions in a single board.

It's actually created a problem for itself. Asus produces some excellent boards, such as the ROG AZOTH and ROG AZOTH Extreme. However, they are often quite expensive. This model was reasonably priced when it first came out, and now that it has been around for some time it is seeing some real discounts.

Why would you choose the more expensive models? The OLED screens look nice, but how useful they are is debatable. This is a much better device because it doesn't have such a feature. What matters are typing feel, gaming performance and build.

The Asus ROG Strix Scope II 96 Wireless has all that and more, and it's available for a very reasonable price. This is the keyboard I would choose if I were to buy a gaming mouse right now. No contest, job done.