I’ve loved typing on the Tecware Spectre 75 — but it falls flat in the face of fierce competition

Tom's Guide Verdict The Tecware Spectre 75, on paper, sounds like a great mechanical keyboard — and it almost is. Its linear switches are responsive and lovely to type on, and the keyboard packs 1,000Hz polling for casual gamers. There’s also an LCD screen but janky companion software makes customization frustrating; stock switch choice is limited; the build and design are lackluster; and the keyboard becomes unresponsive after some time. Though it costs just $79, it’s not the best investment. Pros +Lovely to type on +Good gaming performance +Customizable LCD screen +Costs just $79 Cons -Lackluster design -Plasticky build -Janky companion software -Limited stock switch choice -Becomes unresponsive after some time Why you can trust Tom's Guide Our writers and editors spend hours analyzing and reviewing products, services, and apps to help find what's best for you. Find out more about how we test, analyze, and rate. I’ve tested nearly 100 keyboards, at the time of writing, and the Tecware Spectre 75 is one I’ve boxed back up the quickest. The keyboard costs just $79, and offers a great typing experience. It’s great for hardcore typists who want nothing but responsive switches for a day’s worth of work — but its issues are too hard to ignore.The Spectre 75 features a built-in LCD screen you can display GIFs on, but frustratingly, its companion software (needed for customizing the screen) is finicky to use. The build and design are nothing to write home about, neither is its limited stock switch choice. But my biggest issue with the Spectre 75 is how it becomes unresponsive after being in sleep mode.To find out why it isn’t one of the best mechanical keyboards, read my full Tecware Spectre 75 review.Latest Videos FromTom's GuideTecware Spectre 75 review: Specs Swipe to scroll horizontally Price $79 Switches Tecware Cocoa Brown (tactile) or Candy Red (linear) mechanical Keycaps Double-shot PBT Construction ABS plastic Mount Gasket Layout 75%, 81 keys Operating system macOS, Windows Backlighting Per-key RGB Polling rate 1,000Hz Paired devices max 3 Connectivity Bluetooth, 2.4GHz dongle, wired Battery 4,000mAh Measurements 12.99 x 5.71 x 1.50 inches Weight 1.87lbs Colors Black, White Tecware Spectre 75 review: Cheat sheetWhat is it? A 75% layout, hot-swappable mechanical keyboard with either tactile or linear switchesWho is it for? For hardcore typists and casual gamersHow much does it cost? The Tecware Spectre 75 costs just $79What do we like? The typing experience, LCD screen to display GIFs on, and 1KHz polling for gamingWhat don’t we like? The plasticky build, the lackluster design, janky companion software, and limited stock switch choiceTecware Spectre 75 review: The upsThe Tecware Spectre 75 is lovely to type on, it sounds good, and it features a built-in LCD screen you can display GIFs on. It’s a decent keyboard for gaming, too, thanks to 1KHz polling.Lovely to type on (Image credit: Tom's Guide)The Tecware Spectre 75 is a fantastic keyboard to type on, so it’s great for hardcore typists (like myself). The keyboard comes fitted with pre-lubed Cocoa Brown (tactile) or Candy Red (linear) mechanical switches. I tested the Candy Reds which require 45g of force to activate. They’re slightly heavier than the 35g Sea Salt linears in the Epomaker RT100 ($115) but even so, I’ve found the Candy Reds non-fatiguing to type on. I wrote this review and another on the Spectre 75!The Candy Reds feel smooth and responsive to type on. Combined with the double-shot PBT keycaps, the gasket mount, and several layers of foam padding, the Spectre 75 sounds lovely, too. It’s got a deep, creamy sound which isn’t too loud that it disturbs your coworkers, but it isn’t too quiet either, so you can appreciate it.Speaking of, the double-shot PBT keycaps feel soft to touch. By their nature, the PBT keycaps are more resistant to oil and wear and tear than their ABS counterparts. They don’t get shiny like the ones on the expensive Turtle Beach Command Series KB5 ($149) either.Tom's Guide: Direct to Your InboxGet instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Swipe to scroll horizontally As soon as I unboxed the Spectre 75, I took a typing test at 10fastfingers.com (as I always do). Straight out of the box, I was able to achieve 93 words per minute with 90% accuracy. Though a little slower than what I’m used to, like 109WPM on the Epomaker Glyph ($139), I’m happy anytime I get over 90WPM, so I’m pleased with the Spectre 75’s performance.Good gaming performance (Image credit: Tom's Guide)The Tecware Spectre 75 is a competent gaming keyboard, packing a 1,000Hz polling rate over a wired connection. Over Bluetooth, this naturally drops to just 125Hz. 1KHz polling is more than plenty for 99% of gamers. I played Counter-Strike 2 and Cyberpunk 2077 on the Alienware 16X Aurora, and I didn’t notice any latency issues or input lag.Linear switches are usually great for gaming, and the same is true for the Spectre 75’s Candy Reds. I found them extremely responsive in my testing. Tecware doesn’t specify the switches’ pre-travel distance, or how far down the switches need to be pressed to activate them. Even so, I felt they only required light taps to activate. (Image credit: Tom's Guide)You also get N-key rollover which ensures consistent and accurate key registration when you’re typing and playing. You can basically hold down several keys at once and all of them will be registered by the keyboard’s hardware and executed on screen. In Cyberpunk 2077, I was able to sprint, jump, reload my weapon and activate my Sandevistan cyberware to slow down time, all at once. This gave me a slight competitive advantage and I was able to run circles around enemies.For competitive gamers or esports players, I’d recommend a Hall Effect keyboard with adjustable actuation and 8,000Hz polling, like the Epomaker HE68 ($59) or the Epomaker HE65 Mag ($99). If you’re a casual gamer, though, the Spectre 75 should more than suffice.Customizable LCD screen (Image credit: Tom's Guide)If I had a nickel for every keyboard I’ve tested that features a built-in LCD screen, I’d have many. Similar to the likes of the Turtle Beach Command Series KB5, the Epomaker RT100 Pro ($119) and the Corsair Vanguard Air 99 Wireless ($259), the Tecware Spectre 75 features a customizable LCD screen.Located between the volume knob and Function row, the screen is tiny but bright. By default, it displays a pre-installed GIF, and the knob lets you adjust the volume. If you hold down Fn and the knob, you can enter LCD Menu Navigation mode. Twisting the knob thereafter lets you cycle through the keyboard’s various settings. You can use the screen (and the knob) to adjust the RGB lighting’s effects, speed and brightness, and swap between macOS and Windows layouts.I found the screen responsive in my testing — it's the Spectre 75’s companion software (that’s needed to upload GIFs) that I have a problem with. More on that later, though.Low price (Image credit: Tom's Guide)One of the best things about the Tecware Spectre 75 is that it doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. It retails for just $79 at Amazon U.S. which makes it one of the cheapest keyboards I’ve tested so far. It’s cheaper than some of our favorite budget mech decks, like the NuPhy Node75 ($99) and the Keychron V1 Ultra 8K ($114). It’s priced similarly to the Royal Kludge L75 ($79) and the Keychron V1 8K ($74) — though the latter is wired-only.Tecware Spectre 75 review: The downsThe Tecware Spectre 75 isn’t perfect. Its lackluster design, plasticky build, janky companion software, and limited stock switch choice leave a lot to be desired.Lackluster design (Image credit: Tom's Guide)I’ll preface this by saying that there’s nothing wrong with the Tecware Spectre 75’s design — it’s just very dull and very boring to look at. There’s nothing special about the design. The Spectre 75 comes in either black or white, and they’re… fine? This is a decent-looking keyboard for anyone who prefers something low-key. There’s flashy per-key RGB lighting that adds a splash of color, though.If you want a keyboard that pops, or utilizes a combination of different colors at the least, I’d recommend the Royal Kludge L75, the GravaStar Mercury K1 Lite ($89) or the MCHOSE K99 V2 ($99). Of those, the Mercury K1 Lite is the polar opposite of the Spectre 75, with a garish, loud design. I’d stick to the Royal Kludge L75 if I were you.Plasticky build (Image credit: Tom's Guide)The Tecware Spectre 75 isn’t the best built keyboard out there. Its body is made entirely of plastic which feels a little too cheap for my liking. It looks like a reskinned Keychron V1 ($94) but without the steel plate. The plastic case feels slightly flimsy, and there’s some flex when you twist the Spectre 75 by its sides. It does feature a metallic knob in the top-right corner which feels premium, though.Its all-plastic build makes the keyboard fairly light, though, so it’s good to travel with. The Spectre 75 weighs 1.87lbs so it’s lighter than the Keychron V1 8K (2.19lbs). But if you want an even lighter keyboard that also feels premium, I’d recommend the NuPhy Node75 (1.45lbs).Janky companion software Image 1 of 4 (Image credit: Tecware) I’m no stranger to janky companion software, having tested many gadgets with finicky apps, but great snakes is the Tecware Spectre 75’s app infuriating. You’ll need to download the Spectre 75’s dedicated software from the Tecware website, and it’s not available on macOS, even though the keyboard itself is compatible with Apple’s laptops. If you own a MacBook, you won’t be able to customize the LCD screen or upload GIFs to it — it’s worth considering a keyboard like the Epomaker RT75 ($91) instead.Speaking of GIFs, uploading one to the Spectre 75 feels like an uphill climb, or like Sisyphus pushing a heavy boulder up said hill, only to watch it roll back down. The process seems simple enough at first. Navigate to the GIF tab, click on the + icon, and add your preferred GIF. When I did so, the software told me that the GIF had 61 frames and only 44 were allowed. You can delete specific frames within the software itself, but you can’t do so in bulk. You have to delete each frame individually — and this includes confirming every time that you’re certain you want to delete said frame. (Image credit: Tom's Guide)It took some time, but I managed to trim the frames down to 44. I clicked ‘Upload to Keyboard’ and watched the progress bar fill up… and then the software crashed. I booted up the software again and repeated the process, only this time the software didn’t say that the frames were limited to 44 — strange, but at least it saves me a gazillion steps. Again, I clicked ‘Upload to Keyboard’ and this time, it worked (thankfully).But that isn’t where my troubles stopped. I wanted to test the software’s macro recording feature but for some reason, none of the options in the macro tab were clickable. I reinstalled the software and the issue persisted. I even checked if the Spectre 75 had the latest firmware installed (it did).The Spectre 75’s LCD screen is capable of displaying CPU and GPU stats, too, but the software needs to be running in the background — again, impossible to do on macOS. Overall, the software left a sour taste in my mouth, and it sticks out like a sore thumb.Limited stock switch choice (Image credit: Tom's Guide)The Tecware Spectre 75 comes with pre-lubed switches that are made in-house. Unfortunately, you’re limited to just two stock switch sets. You can choose either Cocoa Brown tactile or Candy Red linear switches. There are no clicky or silent switches, and you’ll have to buy your preferred ones separately.Thankfully, the Spectre 75 is hot-swappable and compatible with south-facing 5-pin mechanical switches. It’s nice to see a budget keyboard offering hot-swappability when some pricey keyboards don’t (looking at you, Turtle Beach Command Series KB5). If you want more stock switch choice at checkout, I’d recommend the Keychron V1 8K.Not the most responsive when waking (Image credit: Tom's Guide)The last nail in the Tecware Spectre 75’s coffin is its tendency to not respond when it’s waking from sleep mode. In my testing, over Bluetooth and a wired connection, the keyboard wouldn’t respond after my laptop — and therefore, the Spectre 75 — had been asleep for a while. Though it didn’t happen all the time, I had to reconnect the keyboard a few times to get it working again. I tested this on macOS and Windows machines and had the same issue each time.I haven’t had this issue with other mechanical keyboards I’ve tested. For that reason, and everything else I’ve mentioned up until now, I’d recommend the Keychron V1 8K or the Royal Kludge L75. I’ve tested both keyboards extensively and neither of them have given me this much grief.I've reached out to Tecware's representative about this issue, to see whether it's limited to my review unit alone.Tecware Spectre 75 review: Verdict (Image credit: Tom's Guide)The Tecware Spectre 75 is a decent mechanical keyboard for typing and casual gaming, thanks to its responsive linear switches and 1,000Hz polling rate. It features an LCD screen that you can view keyboard and system stats on, or display GIFs on, too.But there isn’t much else to like about the Spectre 75. The companion software needed to customize the screen is janky and frustrating to use, while the keyboard itself sports a lackluster design and plasticky build. You’re limited to just two stock switch sets, too. I also struggled with the keyboard becoming unresponsive in my testing.While $79 isn’t a high asking price, you can get better value for your money elsewhere. The Keychron V1 8K and the Royal Kludge L75 are fantastic keyboards under $80, and are much better choices if you want a feature-packed deck. Nikita is a Senior Writer on the Reviews team at Tom's Guide. She's a lifelong gaming and photography enthusiast, always on the lookout for the latest tech. Having worked as a Sub Editor and Writer for Canon EMEA, she has interviewed photographers from all over the world and working in different genres.When she’s not working, Nikita can usually be found sinking hours into RPGs on her PS5, flying a drone (she's a licensed drone pilot), at a concert, or watching F1. Her work has appeared in several publications including Motor Sport Magazine, NME, Marriott Bonvoy, The Independent, and Metro. You can follow her photography account on Instagram here. You must confirm your public display name before commenting Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.