Review – ROG Azoth 96 HE Lite + ROG Strix Morph 96 Wireless – Rise of the 96% layout

So you’re a frequent tech shopper around your area, so pretty sure you’ve come across keyboards, whether gaming or not, they are like full-size ones, but they are lacking a couple of keys. The Numpad’s still there, though.

Congratulations, you’ve stumbled upon 1800-layout keyboards, or the “96%” for the mainstream crowd. Why “1800”? Well, it is a reference to the CHERRY G80-1800 model, so the community just went the easy way of naming things around.

Nevertheless, for today, we have a couple of 96% boards from ROG – The ROG Azoth 96 HE Lite and the ROG Strix Morph 96 Wireless. From this pitching alone, I can see that the market is definitely looking to push the 96% layout more, since there’s more demand and it is a hole to be filled sooner or later. This could also mean ROG wants at least a 96% in 2 different segments of the premium-focused Azoth lineup, followed by the more general Strix family.

Unboxing

So here we have the boxes; they are long and bulky, and extra heavy for the Azoth 96 HE Lite too, since it has more accessories.

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And here’s what’s inside the box. Well, there’s a treatment gap too – The accessories sit inside plastic bags on one hand, then the other has a dedicated holster for them. And also, the Azoth 96 HE Lite comes with a silicone wrist rest too.

Quick Points

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The Azoth 96 HE Lite measures 382 x 136 x 42mm, which is a bit taller than the Strix Morph 96 Wireless’s 398 x 134 x 39mm, so the Azoth is therefore shorter from left to right, while the Morph is slightly slimmer front-to-back and lower overall.

But let’s talk about the 96% layout, especially for gaming. Yes, it is around the size of a TKL keyboard, as I personally use one.

It’s not a big deal for MOBA games, since mouse movements aren’t as hectic. But for shooters of any type, it depends on where you come from. If you’re a 60% / 65% keyboard user, and you’re a low-sensitivity player that flicks often, then you’ll really need to rethink the way you angle the big 96%.

But the trade-off you get is the absolute flexibility. You get the Numpad, arrow keys, and the usual navigation cluster while compressing the overall footprint compared with a conventional full-size keyboard. That means you can also do some RTS (Warcraft III enjoyers, anyone), general work, and practically anything with this layout.

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The build quality is good for what they are designated for – The Strix Morph 96 Wireless and the Azoth 96 HE Lite runs a top metal plus bottom ABS combo. Both of them are filled with dampening materials for reduced hollowness and a better sound profile in general.

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And yes, both boards are tri-mode, with support for Bluetooth and wired as well as wireless via their dedicated USB dongle. The maximum number of devices connected at once is set at 3 for the Strix Morph 96 Wireless and 5 for the Azoth 96 HE Lite.

The Real Difference

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Now comes the biggest part and perhaps the one aspect that can help one to decide which one to get – The input mechanism.

The Azoth 96 HE Lite uses ROG HFX V2 magnetic switches and Hall Effect sensors for up to 100M keystrokes, with the switches detailing a 3.5mm travel distance, 32gf initial force, and 49gf total force. More importantly, the actuation point can be adjusted from 0.1mm to 3.5mm in 0.01mm increments.

This means that through extremely detailed tuning, one can create per-key adjustments to one’s habit, and the 8K polling (through Zone Mode) is just the icing on the cake. And there are other things like Rapid Trigger and Speed Tap (SOCD) to make input even faster and “unfair”, so one can take over the game through hardware advantage.

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Meanwhile, the Strix Morph 96 Wireless comes with the ROG NX Snow V2 linear switches for our unit here (You can find it with NX Storm V2 clickies too), with NX Snow V2 running a 1.8mm actuation point, 40gf initial force, and 53gf total force. So yes, this is a mechanical keyboard rather than a magnetic one, hence explaining its price point and tiering.

And since it is mechanical, your PC just receives raw “0” or “1”, so no adjustments whatsoever.

Premium doesn’t always mean better

Similar to other magnetic gaming keyboards made by ROG, they are still kinda “gatekeeping” the use of 3rd-party magnetic switches. This means that the Gateron-made unit that has been sitting in your storage is not compatible with it, while the others like TTC’s could work. So even though, yes, the Azoth 96 HE Lite is hot-swappable; You can take out the switches as you please and without the worry of physical pins getting broken, I don’t really see any purpose for this in terms of customizability, but maybe for maintenance and messing around with the internals.

Meanwhile, the Strix Morph 96 Wireless is using the decade-old hot-swap mechanical socket, so practically any Cherry and MX-style switches are just a plug-and-play away from serving you the best typing and gaming experience tuned to your liking. Due to this, there’s more worlds to explore in terms of sound profile.

Keycaps

The Azoth 96 HE Lite is fitted with a set of PBT keycaps for better longevity, as well as their ability to withstand oil stains and daily wear and tear. So these are objectively better. And they are shine-through too, so have fun blasting rainbows everywhere.

Meanwhile, the Strix Morph 96 Wireless runs the basic WoB ABS set, but the backlight is still able to penetrate to the surface thanks to the plate material. ABS-wise, although they are more prone to the issues that are well guarded by PBT, ABS keycaps actually sound crisper, or “lighter” if you will, so if you’d like a more mellow sound, it’s not bad in terms of fitting that requirement.

Typing feel

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Both keyboards are using gasket mount for a cleaner and more isolated sound profile, but strictly speaking, the Strix Morph 96 Wireless delivers it way better than the Azoth 96 HE Lite, and it is due to the use of a PC plate plus silicone-based dampening to achieve a softer feel. On the other hand, the Azoth 96 HE Lite needs to prioritize the stability and relative positioning of the magnetic switches; therefore, it has been given a stiffer plate and lots of Poron foam, so it is not as flexible.

ROG did advertise them as disassembly-friendly, so if you’re into custom keyboards from the beginning, then feel free to open up and customize the foams, pads, anything to create the best balance between flex and sound.

Style Points

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The Strix Morph 96 Wireless keeps it simple – Just the brand name and a transparent strip on the sides to let the RGB lights out, while the top left comes with a multimedia scroll wheel for controlling a range of features, and to change what you’re changing, there’s a button on the top left.

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Meanwhile, the Azoth 96 HE Lite still runs the iconic and beautiful 1.47-inch OLED screen on the top right that displays 6 types of info through icons, and you apply all the adjustment things via the little 3-way toggler up there. The button is on the side to swap modes too.

Customization with Gear Link

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New ROG boards are all equipped with the ability to use the ASUS Gear Link web-based configuration software for further customization.

The Strix Morph 96 Wireless is rather simple, since it is mechanical and all. But at least Speed Tap is there for some SOCD fun. At least brands have “figured out” the way to implement it without the “magnetic switch only” quirk. Then there’s the usual scroll wheel, lighting, and power options.

Meanwhile, the Azoth 96 HE Lite has an expanded list for the input section because there’s so much stuff that magnetic switches can enable, so the full suite has been given to it.

Conclusion

With how prevalent 96% keyboards are nowadays, it is nice to see them not only in custom keyboards but also in major brand products. Not only are they only marginally bigger than a TKL board, but they retain most keys from a full-size keyboard, making it an excellent layout with the least compromises.

For those looking to maximize every buck they spend, the ROG Strix Morph 96 Wireless definitely is the go-to pick from us. It retains a cool look, types like a cushion, sounds mellow to the ears, and comes with a scroll wheel on the side that is non-invasive while looking neat. The use of mechanical switches also means that you can try out different ones without any problem.

Meanwhile, if you’re going for a top-tier board, and you already know that you can harvest the benefits of hall-effect switches and the associated tech, then the ROG Azoth 96 HE Lite fills that shoe well. You’ve got better build quality, more accessories to complement the experience, buttery-smooth switches, a beautiful OLED screen with a side toggle and button, and a boatload of customizable options.

TL;DR Summary