This is the perfect 75% keyboard if you are looking for one. I have been using it for a few weeks now and love it. The only two things I dislike about it are the micro USB cable it comes with (I prefer braided) and that there is no key cap puller included. If this sounds familiar, it is because this is the exact same procedure as on the Vortex Core and their Poker line of keyboards. Thus, there are once again some limitations. For instance, you cannot re-program the keys that allow you to toggle between layers. You also cannot re-program right Control since it is used to activate and exit programming mode.

The possibility of using the keyboard in a local layout is a real plus, which is rare among very specialized manufacturers. After that, it plays a big part in the vintage side, and you can’t have it all. Considering even buying a second one with silent switched (although writing my thesis with the Blues is a dream) for work and when around others. It is even possible to measure the level of blue, red, and green lighting yourself to find, as closely as possible, the color that suits you best. Press and hold Fn + R to erase any programming on the layer you are on. This obviously only applies to layers L1-L3 and is shown by the left space bar LED flashing white for 5 seconds, after which you can stop holding the two keys. Overall, the Vortex Race 3 keyboard is a decent buy. As a 75% keyboard, it perfectly represents Vortex’s idea, which is primarily based on providing the most value in a compact body. It provides you with almost all the features of a ten-keyless board, albeit in a portable, sleeker body.I have successfully updated the firmware to V1.02.05 of my Vortex 3 Race (ISO-DE) using a macbook, virtualbox and a free win10 image. If there is a Vortexgear mechanical keyboard that deserves our attention today, it is none other than the Vortex Race 3. The reason is simple. A green or red LED lights up under the right part of the Space key to indicate if your plan is in Colemak or Dvorak.

It feels like you have to go further with your fingers to reach the keys on their top, despite their flat profile. It’s just a matter of getting used to it in a few hours of use, just as it was the first time you used a mechanical keyboard. Despite its flaws it's still my favorite keyboard to use, nothing has broken in the 9 months I have owned it. (which is what you would expect) If you’re an enthusiast who enjoys swapping keycap sets around on a regular basis, this probably isn’t the mechanical keyboard for you.The plate is thinner than I expected, but not thin enough to seem poorly made. Paired with the aluminum case, it appears that Vortex may have been looking to keep the slightly cushy feel that was mentioned earlier. Its PCB is excellent given its engineering sample status (though the revision code is quite old, so this has been in the works for a while). The Vortex 3 is also protected from shorts by a plastic sheet. Great is the operative word here. The mechanical keycaps are made from PBT plastic, which resists shine and yellowing. They also use a flat profile called DSA. Finally, their legends (and side legends, I think) are printed with dye sublimation. That means the letters won’t wear off when using the Vortex Race 3 heavily. There is even a secondary bag of keycaps that contains RGB modifiers and Apple compatible key replacements. The Race 3’s outer case is aluminum. It appears to have been cast, finished with machine processes, and then anodized. Its overall finish is excellent, but a thin grayish line runs around the perimeter of the mechanical keyboard.