The Fnatic STREAK65 LP (see our review of that board) released a little over two years ago to great reviews, and the performance and aesthetics of that board had many gamers asking for a TKL version (keyboard size differences explained) that is now finally being released. If you’ve followed the gaming keyboard scene for a bit, you’ll know that a lot has happened in those two years though, so in our full Fnatic STREAK80 LP review we’ll figure out whether or not this is worth it in the year 2024 and beyond.
At A Glance
Fnatic STREAK80 LP
Used by 1 player ()-
Boaster
Ever since the release of the STREAK65 LP, people have been requesting a TKL version of that board. It’s now finally here, and it doesn’t disappoint. Everything that people loved about the STREAK65 LP was brought over to the STREAK80 LP, but the gaming keyboard space has drastically changed since the release of that keyboard.
Pros
- Sounds nice
- Good stabilizers
- Great keycaps
- Comes with coiled cable
- Fantastic looking RGB
Cons
- Not very customizable
- Lack of analog switch compatibility hurts its gaming performance somewhat
- Spacebar stabilizer sometimes rattles (depending on where you’re pressing it)
Specs
| Form Factor | TKL |
|---|---|
| Switches | Fnatic Low Profile |
| PCB | Non-Hotswappable |
| RGB | Yes |
| Height | 2.5cm |
| Width | 35.3cm |
| Length | 13.0cm |
| Weight | 587g |
First Impressions
The Fnatic STREAK80 LP is a sleek board. That goes for its looks as well as its dimensions. It’s immediately clear that Fnatic have gone to great lengths to make the whole experience feel premium.
Pretty much everything about the board itself feels very nicely finished (more on that later) and as an added bonus you also get a coiled cable to go with it. This doesn’t have any fancy aviators connectors on it or anything like that, but it does help with elevating the overall look of the product. This, to me, is miles better than the boring (and often horrible quality) cables that you get with most other gaming keyboards, so extra points go to Fnatic here.
As with Fnatic’s other keyboards, there’s a ton of branding. There’s a logo on the spacebar, on the front of the escape key, on the top right of the board, on both the left and right sides of the board, and at the back. The logo at the back is on a plate that’s attached to the keyboard via magnets. This plate can, theoretically, be swapped out for something of your own creation. Fnatic initially (when they released the first STREAK) planned to sell custom backplates for their keyboards, but I haven’t seen a lot of information regarding this. Because of that, this feature kind of feels like an afterthought to me in its current state.
RGB
We all know that RGB isn’t important for gaming performance, but the light show that the STREAK80 LP puts on deserves its own heading. The RGB on this board is incredibly bright and beautiful, and that combined with the white case makes for a keyboard that can look very dreamy at night. This RGB can be configured (or turned off entirely) so if you don’t care for this then you can of course just skip it, but I found myself staring at this board more than once during my testing.
Packaging
Inside the box of the Fnatic STREAK80 LP, you’ll find:
- The keyboard
- A coiled USB-C cable
Given the fact that this is an 80% keyboard, you don’t need an intricate manual to understand all of the shortcuts like you would with a smaller keyboard, so the contents of the box contain pretty much everything you need to get started. I would love to see a keycap puller being included, however. This can always come in handy when it’s time to properly clean the keyboard.
Features and Build Quality
Materials and Build Quality
The top case of the STREAK80 LP is made out of aluminum, while the bottom portion is made out of plastic. The top plate is decently thick, which makes it a very sturdy board. It’s possible to bend it ever so slightly if you pick it up and twist it with both hands, but that’s not something that you should be doing to a keyboard so as far as I’m concerned this is a nicely built keyboard. There’s no flex or creaking when using the board normally.
The keyboard can only be bought in an all-white configuration as of right now. I know beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but I absolutely love the way the STREAK80 LP looks. The white looks clean, modern, and spotless. The RGB, as I’ve mentioned earlier, is also quite simply fantastic. The STREAK80 LP is a beautiful keyboard.
The only (very nitpicky) remark that I have on this front is that there’s a pretty noticeable screw nested between the INS, HOME, DEL, and END keys. This doesn’t impact the performance of the board whatsoever, but it does kind of break the dreamy, almost ethereal vibe that this board puts out when looking at it from the top.
Low Profile Design
The Fnatic STREAK80 LP is a low profile keyboard. This takes some getting used to at first, especially if you’ve been using a keyboard with a chunky case as your main. Once you do get used to it, however, you start to see the advantages. The most obvious advantage is of course the fact that this is a lot more ergonomic than a regular keyboard. Having a low profile keyboard pretty much eliminates the need for a wrist rest. It allows you to keep your hand almost flat when using it, which is better for your wrists.
A low profile keyboard is also (slightly) more portable than a regular keyboard. Due to its thin and light nature, it’s much easier to stuff into a backpack. With a weight of under 600 grams, the STREAK 80 LP also isn’t very heavy. That’s an added bonus for people who find themselves on the road often.
Lastly, a low profile keyboard can also look sleeker than a regular keyboard, though this will obviously depend on personal preferences.
Is a low profile keyboard objectively better than a regular one? I wouldn’t say so. I’ve used a ton of (gaming and non-gaming) keyboards over the years, and I firmly believe that it’s just a matter of preference. Sure, a low profile keyboard is more ergonomic, but you can always get a wrist rest. What it really comes down to is what you personally prefer. There are no right or wrong answers here, and unless you have hyper-specific tastes you’ll be able to use both profiles just fine.
Keycaps
The Fnatic STREAK80 LP comes with PBT keycaps, and these feel absolutely great. They’re mildly textured but don’t feel chalky. I personally don’t like powdery textures on peripherals, so for me these keycaps feel great.
The font on the caps is quite neutral, and the light shines through the crisply printed legends evenly. On the front of the (relevant) keycaps you’ll find their secondary functions, making it so that you can operate the keyboard without needing to remember any shortcuts.
All in all, these keycaps are really nice. I don’t feel any need to swap these out whatsoever. That’s a good thing, as finding replacement caps for this board is difficult. The Low Profile switches that the board uses (more on those later) don’t take standard keycaps.
Customization
Customizing the board can be done on the board itself, or through Fnatic’s OP software. There, you can change the lighting and do some basic stuff such as key rebindings. It’s definitely not the most expansive piece of kit, and people who want to endlessly tinker with their keyboard’s functionality will find this lacking, but I am not someone who creates intricate macros or anything like that so I’m fine with this.
Switches
The Fnatic STREAK80 LP comes with Fnatic’s Low Profile switches. These were co-developed with Kailh and have been out for a while now. I really like these switches: they’re smooth straight out of the box and sound nice. They also feel very responsive. Their actuation point of 1 millimeter makes them feel pretty fast, but there’s enough room for error here to prevent you from fat-fingering the keys due to the actuation force of 45G. This actuation force is pretty standard and not overly light, making it so that the board feels fast once you commit to a keypress, but not overly sensitive so that resting your fingers on a key might trigger an actuation.
This lower actuation point makes them good for gaming (for reference: a standard Cherry MX switch has an actuation point of 2mm) but to me it’s a bit of a missed opportunity that Fnatic hasn’t gone for analog switches in this board. I’ll speak more about this further down in the review.
Typing and Gaming Experience
Stabilizers
The stabilizers in the Fnatic STREAK80 LP are pre-lubed. Fnatic isn’t stingy with this lube, and the stabilizers on most keys sound fantastic. On my copy, there is some rattling on the spacebar, however. This wasn’t present when I first started testing the board, so this might be an indication that the lube is inconsistently applied.
Aside from this minor mishap, I have no complaints about the stabilizers. They’re among the better ones I’ve felt and heard on mass-produced keyboards.
Gaming Experience
Fnatic’s Low Profile switches are great to game with, but they’re not the absolute best gaming switches out there since they’re not analog switches.
In case you’re unfamiliar with the technology: those types of switches allow users to customize the actuation point on a per-key basis. They also offer fancy stuff such as rapid trigger, where the actuation point of a switch resets the moment you let go of the key. This way, you don’t have to wait for the key travel up all the way in order to use it again.
These things might sound inconsequential, but in games where movement and precision matters a lot (such as CS2 and VALORANT, for example) they can make a big difference. Now that pretty much all big gaming manufacturers are implementing these switches in their gaming-focused keyboards, it’s becoming kind of a necessity in a board aimed at hardcore competitive gamers if you ask me.
The low actuation point and lower overall travel distance of the Fnatic Low Profile switches would of course make HE switches less effective overall, so you could say that it’s not as necessary on a board like this. Still, I would love to see Fnatic come out with their own version of customizable switches at some point in the future. Even if it’s just on regular keyboard and not on their Low Profile boards.
Overall User Experience
I am not super knowledgeable on low profile keyboards, but to me the Fnatic STREAK80 LP is up there with the best low profile boards on the market. That’s because Fnatic has thought of everything here. Not only do they offer great keycaps and lubed stabilizers, they also added acoustic foams to the board itself, giving it a pleasantly thocky sound.
There is also no case ping present, and there are no harsh or mechanical tones when typing. The STREAK80 LP quite simply sounds great to type on. Of course it doesn’t compare to a custom-built keyboard with hand-lubed switches and stabilizers, but as far as mass-produced gaming keyboards go, this is among the better ones.
The volume knob that’s been added at the top is a nice addition. You can push it to mute, or you can rotate it to manipulate the overall volume of your PC. These knobs always give keyboards an extra premium look if you ask me, but I never find myself using them. For me, this is a nice extra to have, but nothing more than that. If you are someone who loves these types of knobs though, you’ll be happy to hear that it’s nicely implemented. The knob feels stable, and there’s a tiny bit of feedback when using it that I really appreciate.
Obviously, this is not the most customizable keyboard. The switches aren’t hotswappable, and you can’t use standard aftermarket keycaps with this board either. If you’re someone who doesn’t quite know what they’re looking for yet, or you value customizability highly then there are better boards to buy.
Sound Test
Fnatic STREAK80 LP Review – Conclusion
Ever since the release of the STREAK65 LP, people have been requesting a TKL version of that board. It’s now finally here, and it doesn’t disappoint. Everything that people loved about the STREAK65 LP was brought over to the STREAK80 LP, but the gaming keyboard space has drastically changed since the release of that keyboard. This means that the STREAK80 isn’t as impressive in today’s market as its predecessor was back in late 2021.
Don’t get me wrong: this is a high quality low profile gaming keyboard. It has great switches, nice PBT keycaps, and a bunch of enthusiast-level features such as acoustic foams to make the board sound better. If you loved the STREAK65 LP and you prefer TKL boards, this is an easy purchase. It’s also a great purchase if you know you want a low profile keyboard and you want to get one that’s focused on gaming.
If you are undecided on what you want when it comes to keyboards, however, it might be a good idea to look at what’s out there a bit more. The STREAK80 LP is a great low profile board, but it’s not the most customizable product on the market due to its low profile nature. It also doesn’t come with analog switches, which are sort of becoming the norm in today’s gaming keyboard market.
If you can live with these ‘shortcomings’, then the STREAK80 LP is a great buy and it won’t disappoint.
You can learn more about the Fnatic STREAK80 LP on Fnatic’s website.
This product was received for free from the manufacturer and given to our reviewer to test and review. Brands and manufacturers have no editorial control over our reviews. For more information, check out our review FAQ.
