The ASUS ROG Claymore II is a wireless full-size gaming keyboard with a modular numpad. Each side of the board has slots to let you position the numpad on the left or the right, depending on what suits you best. You can also remove it completely to use the board in a TKL size. All of its keys are macro-programmable through the Armoury Crate software, and it has a fast charging port and a USB passthrough. The board feels nice to type on, but the ROG RX Blue Optical Mechanical switches require some force to actuate, so they may feel a bit heavy to type on. However, it's also available with linear ROG RX Red Optical Mechanical Switches. While you can use the board wirelessly, you can only use it with its USB receiver, so you can't connect it to any Bluetooth-only devices.
Our Verdict
The ASUS ROG Claymore II is excellent for gaming. It has low latency, a low pre-travel distance, customizable RGB backlighting, and you can set macros to any key on the board. It feels well built, and it comes with a detachable plushy wrist rest. You can place its modular numpad on the left or right side of the board, and you can even remove it completely to turn the board into a TKL size. Unfortunately, the ROG RX Blue Optical Mechanical switches require some force to actuate, which may cause them to feel heavy.
- Modular numpad.
- Customizable RGB backlighting.
- Low latency.
- All keys are macro-programmable.
- Numpad slots feel flimsy.
- Clicky switches feel fairly heavy.
The ASUS ROG Claymore II is terrible for mobile or tablet use, but it isn't designed for this. While you can use the board wirelessly, you can only use it with its USB receiver, so you can't connect it to any Bluetooth-only devices. Also, even without the numpad, it's too tall and heavy to easily travel with.
- Modular numpad.
- Wireless via USB receiver.
- No Bluetooth support.
- Numpad slots feel flimsy.
- Bulky and heavy compared to dedicated tablet boards.
The ASUS ROG Claymore II is good for office use. This sturdy-feeling board comes with a detachable, plushy wrist rest and one incline setting. You can use it wirelessly via its USB receiver, but since it doesn't support Bluetooth, you can't pair it with more than one device at a time. The board feels nice to type on, but the ROG RX Blue Optical Mechanical switches on our unit require some force to actuate, so they may feel a bit heavy to type on. Also, the switches are likely too loud for an office setting, but the board is also available with linear ROG RX Red Optical Mechanical switches that should be quieter.
- Modular numpad.
- Customizable RGB backlighting.
- Wireless via USB receiver.
- All keys are macro-programmable.
- No Bluetooth support.
- Numpad slots feel flimsy.
- Clicky switches feel fairly heavy.
The ASUS ROG Claymore II is good for programming. It's a sturdy-feeling wireless model that feels nice to type on, but the ROG RX Blue Optical Mechanical switches on our unit require some force to actuate, so they may feel a bit heavy to type on. It comes with a detachable, plushy wrist rest and one incline setting. You can set macros to any key and customize the RGB backlighting. Also, you can choose to have the numpad on the left or right side of the board or remove it completely if you prefer a TKL size. Unfortunately, while you can use it wirelessly via its USB receiver, it doesn't support Bluetooth, so you can't pair it with more than one device at a time.
- Modular numpad.
- Customizable RGB backlighting.
- Wireless via USB receiver.
- All keys are macro-programmable.
- No Bluetooth support.
- Numpad slots feel flimsy.
- Clicky switches feel fairly heavy.
The ASUS ROG Claymore II is inadequate for a home theater PC setup, but it isn't designed for this use. While you can use the board wirelessly, you can only use it with its USB receiver, so you can't connect it to any Bluetooth-only devices.
- Modular numpad.
- Customizable RGB backlighting.
- Wireless via USB receiver.
- No Bluetooth support.
- Numpad slots feel flimsy.
- No built-in trackpad.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the ASUS ROG Claymore II with ROG RX Blue Optical Mechanical switches, but it's also available with ROG RX Red Optical Mechanical switches. It's available in black only. You can see our unit's label here.
Popular Keyboard Comparisons
The ASUS ROG Claymore II is a full-size gaming keyboard with a modular numpad that you can remove or place on either side of the board. It features ASUS' new proprietary optical-mechanical switches, which are available in a clicky or linear feel. Compared to other wireless gaming keyboards, it has a very low wired latency, but its receiver latency is higher than other options. However, along with its modular numpad, it has many interesting features that may please some gamers, like macro-programming, a volume control wheel, USB passthrough, and fast charging.
For other options, see our recommendations for the best mechanical keyboards, the best gaming keyboards, the best wireless keyboards.
The ASUS ROG Claymore II and the Corsair K100 RGB are both gaming keyboards, but the ASUS is wireless, and the Corsair is wired-only. The ASUS has a modular numpad that you can place on either side of the board or remove completely, and you can use the board wirelessly via its USB receiver. The ASUS is available with linear and clicky ROG RX Optical Mechanical switches. On the other hand, the Corsair has dedicated media keys, a multi-function wheel, and a lower latency. The Corsair is available with linear switches only, and you can choose between Cherry MX Speed and Corsair OPX switches.
The ASUS ROG Claymore II and the Logitech G915 LIGHTSPEED are both wireless gaming keyboards. The Logitech has Bluetooth and can pair with two devices at once, while you can only use the ASUS wirelessly with its USB receiver. The Logitech has dedicated media keys, and its latency is lower than the ASUS', especially over a wireless connection. However, it's available with low-profile GL Tactile, Linear, and Clicky switches, which some people may not like. On the other hand, the ASUS has a USB passthrough, a modular numpad, and you can set macros to any key on the board, unlike the Logitech. The ASUS is available with linear and clicky ROG RX Optical Mechanical switches.
The ASUS ROG Strix Scope TKL is a wired TKL board, while the ASUS ROG Claymore II is a wireless full-size board with a modular numpad. The Claymore II is a better choice for gaming, thanks to its much lower latency. Also, it has a volume control wheel, a USB passthrough, and a plushy wrist rest. You can place the numpad on the left or right side of the board or remove it completely for a TKL size. It's available with ROG RX Red Optical Mechanical switches and ROG RX Blue Optical Mechanical switches. On the other hand, the Strix Scope TKL is available with a variety of Cherry MX switches.
The ASUS ROG Claymore II and the Corsair STRAFE RGB MK.2 are both full-sized gaming models, but the ASUS can be used wired and wirelessly, while the Corsair is wired-only. The ASUS has a modular numpad that can be positioned on either side of the board or removed completely if you prefer a TKL size. It has a lower wired latency, and it comes with a plushier wrist-rest. It's available with proprietary linear and clicky ROG RX Optical Mechanical switches. On the other hand, the Corsair has dedicated media keys, and it's available with Cherry MX Red and Silent switches.
Test Results
The ASUS ROG Claymore II has a modular numpad that changes its size from a full-size to a TKL when removed. You can connect the numpad to either the left or the right side of the board.
Our review's test results for the width and weight show the measurements of the board with the numpad. Without the numpad, the board is 14.68" (37.3cm) wide and weighs 1.89 lbs (0.856 kg).
The wrist rest is full-size, so it fits perfectly with the numpad attached, but it will stick out if you use the keyboard in the TKL mode. If that bothers you, then check out a modular keyboard like the Mountain Everest Max.
The ASUS ROG Claymore II feels very well built. Its plastic body has very little flex, and it has a metal base plate with a brushed finish that helps keep the board feeling sturdy. The doubleshot ABS keycaps feel good, but they don't feel as durable as PBT keycaps. All keys feel stable, including the Shift and Enter keys, and only the Spacebar has some wobble to it. The rubber pads on the underside grip decently well, so the board is unlikely to move if you lean your hands against it. The incline feet are less grippy, but they should still hold well enough. There are slots on each side to easily attach and detach the modular numpad, but they have quite a bit of flex to them, so we recommend removing the numpad before transporting the keyboard anywhere. The plastic covers that hide the numpad slots also feel pretty cheap.
For some photos of the slots for the numpad, see below:
The ASUS ROG Claymore II is a straight board with one incline setting, and it comes with a magnetically attached plushy wrist rest.
The ASUS ROG Claymore II has RGB backlighting with individually lit keys. It's great at color mixing, with no hints of colors when the lighting is set to white. There's a battery indicator at the top left next to the logo, but you can also customize this to be another RGB zone.
The ASUS ROG Claymore II's cable is very stiff and retains a lot of kinks from packaging. Both ends are USB-C, but the board comes with two USB-A adapters: a male to female adapter and a female to female adapter. The female to female adapter is a USB receiver extender that needs to be used with the cable.
You can use the ASUS ROG Claymore II wirelessly via its USB receiver. ASUS claims the battery lasts 144 hours with the backlighting off and 43 hours with the backlighting on at 100% brightness, but we don't test this. The USB receiver is a USB-C connection.
The ASUS ROG Claymore II has many extra features. All of the keys are macro-programmable, including the dedicated macro keys below the volume control wheel. There's a battery indicator next to the logo on the top left that you can program to match the rest of your RGB backlighting. Also, there's a fast charging port that doubles as a USB passthrough as well, and you can toggle between the two features with Fn + F12. Its numpad is modular, meaning that you can place it on the left or right side of the board, and you can even remove it completely if you prefer a TKL size. Note that the numpad uses power from the keyboard to function.
- ASUS ROG Claymore II
- Numpad
- Wrist rest
- Magnetic side covers
- USB receiver
- USB-C to USB-C cable
- USB-C to USB-A adapter (male to female)
- USB-C to USB-A receiver extender (female to female)
- ROG stickers
- Transparent layout reference map
- User documentation
Our ASUS ROG Claymore II unit has clicky ROG RX Blue Optical Mechanical switches. They have a short pre-travel distance, which should help the board feel responsive, but typing may feel heavy because of the high operating force. If you prefer a linear feel, it's also available with ROG RX Red Optical Mechanical switches, but we haven't tested them.
The ASUS ROG Claymore II provides a great typing experience. The ABS keycaps have a slightly textured surface, and though they feel fairly good to type on, they're prone to shine from finger oils. All keys feel stable, including the Shift and Enter keys, and only the Spacebar has a bit of wobble to it. Thanks to the incline setting and the wrist rest, you shouldn't feel much fatigue typing on this keyboard. While the clicky ROG RX Blue Optical Mechanical switches feel a bit heavy, it shouldn't be enough to cause much finger fatigue, either. If you're left-handed or otherwise prefer to use the numpad with your left hand, you can easily connect it to that side.
The clicky ROG RX Blue Optical Mechanical switches on our ASUS ROG Claymore II unit are loud and are likely not suitable for a quiet office space. However, the board is available with linear ROG RX Red Optical Mechanical switches, which are quieter, but we haven't tested them.
The ASUS ROG Claymore II has incredibly low latency when used with its cable. While the latency is higher when using the USB receiver, it's still very good.
ASUS' Armoury Crate software has an easy-to-navigate interface. You can customize the RGB backlighting, set macros, remap keys, and save profiles to the ASUS ROG Claymore II's onboard memory.
The software is only available on Windows. However, all default keys still work on Linux, but the Scroll Lock and Pause keys don't work on macOS. While you can use the ASUS ROG Claymore II wirelessly, you can only use it with its USB receiver.