Thermaltake's Challenger keyboard fans off our sweaty palms
By Joanna Stern posted Jun 4th 2010 3:51PM
As crazy as Thermaltake's fan-equipped keyboard is, we're sort of shocked that something like this hasn't made it to market earlier. The gaming keyboard comes with a small 6,000rpm fan that plugs into the top of the panel and blows air across it to keep your tired, perspiring hands cool. We expected it to be a total gimmick, but the fan actually moves a decent amount of air for its size. Beyond the added blades, the keyboard is of the typical "clicky" mechanical variety and has two USB ports along with a mic / headphone jack on its backside. The Challenger Ultimate is the most premium version with 256 backlight cool options, 64KB of memory and 14 macro keys. The mid-range Challenger Pro only has 10 macro keys, while the entry level Challenger has only 6 and 32KB of memory. A marketing rep on hand told us that all three models will retail for under $100, and mentioned the Pro version landing in the $65 range. In other news, Thermaltake also introduced its red-glowing, 4000dpi Black gaming mouse at the show. We know you're probably dying to see what that small fan feels like (trust us: it's exactly what you think), but the best we can give you from here are the shots below.
