Hi all,
I just wanted to post my 5-day review of the EVGA Z20: A near technical masterpiece let down by insufferable software.
 
A bit about me:
The Z20 is my first mechanical keyboard and I am upgrading from the excellent Logitech G510 which started to show its age from limited macro support or stiff keypresses. I'm a hardcore computer enthusiast and spend my time doing development work, gaming, and modding games. My technical skill is very high although I have not had much reason to upgrade from the G510 for at least 7 years. (And at the start of that, that keyboard was refurbished!) This lack of regular upgrades might limit my perspective on the keyboard itself. It's important to note that I have not spent much time troubleshooting my problems with the board, I want this to be a good first perspective from a new user to EVGA keyboards (which are new in and of themselves!)
This review is pretty much going to be “Logitech G510 vs. EVGA Z20”
 
I really want to love the EVGA Z20. The typing is nice, I love how the keys feel and overall, it is an exceptional package for $80 from Newegg (including shipping!) a no-brainer price! The main drawback is the forgetful software. It constantly forgets my macros and I am afraid to press them! I have been maximizing my time with this keyboard by bringing it to work and home (Ubuntu & Win 10 environments). One such example of it forgetting my Macros is that when I came home today, my G5 key which was used to mute discord somehow remapped to my G2 key (which was used to repeatedly click the mouse) but apply the silence discord button. This is extremely disappointing!
 
The Keyboard:
Pros:

• NOTICEABLY more responsive keystrokes (thanks to the 1mm actuation mainly)
• Layout is easy enough to pick up and rather standard (which is a good thing)
• Macro keys are numerous enough for my needs, not as many as the G510 but this keyboard can make up for it with 8 easy to find profiles. It is of course, inferior to the G510 in this regard.
• The key switches are an interesting divergence from the traditional Mechanical ones, I like them but they have left me with reservations.
• No right windows button, the Function key turns out to be well worth the loss of that second key! I can now do things like press Fn + Numpad Enter to open my calculator, which the G510 couldn’t.
• Great lighting, I never realized how cool it was to have individual key lights!
• Simple Analog Audio Passthrough (preferable to having a soundcard)
• The keyboard stores some data on-board, making it easy to move around PCs with.

Cons:

• Keyboard is sensitive, good for gaming but while getting accustomed I made many mistakes due to “resting” my fingers on the keys. This makes me realize how clumsy my fingers really are while I type! (It is however, making me a better typist.)
• Poor documentation on how to stop Macros that are running. (and in general…)
• There is a metallic ring after lifting a key, and the ring is inconsistent where the jkl columns are much worse than the asd columns. It should be more consistent in this regard.
• “4D” keycap texture feels like the key is perpetually dirty, I quickly swapped them out and really appreciate EVGA including the swap-outs!
• ABS keycaps and brushed aluminum plate will make this thing look dirty pretty quickly. G510 also had this exact problem and its not a huge deal to be fair.
• Unexplained mysterious keys that don’t seem to do anything (G/PC key) Documentation!
• Hand rest is thin, even for day one and plush things like this rarely if ever remain plush after continued use and time.
• The keyboard should notify me that it is in recording mode, what I would love to see:
  • Press Record button
  • Record Button turns red or some non-current color and recordable keys are highlighted
  • Press Fn + Macro key
  • Macro Key turns red or a different color from the rest of the board
  • At this point record your macro, given that you can hit multiple keys at once, like Ctrl + Right Shift + Right Alt
  • Press Flashing Macro to stop
  • Keyboard flashes white Twice or Three times to indicate that it is successfully recorded!
  • This will never beat Logitechs G510’s on-board screen, but I believe a schema like this should be good enough. Maybe even to avoid EVGA Unleash entirely!
  • I believe I stumbled into it once, and it recorded everything and I had no idea how to stop it.
• Sometimes the keyboard enters a mode when using a macro and the macros get stuck active. The solution is to unplug the keyboard, which is unacceptable to me. The G510 could reset by switching between modes, but given that there’s only 5 keys per mode I don’t think the Z20 should go this route.The keyboard is really nice as long as I use its most generic functions. This leads me to believe that this unit could be updated to actually function as intended!
  

The Software:
Pros:

• It looks nice
• Allows me to rebind most keys for both their normal function but also the FN + key function. Huge benefit from the G510, which couldn’t. Another benefit is that it seems to actually remember that I set it to do this!
• There is a lot of functionality visible, if only I could trust that it would work…

Cons:
As most users of the Z20 are aware, the software is really lacking, and we all have different problems from it, but the number one thing is lack of any documentation!

• Forgets keybinds to Macros
• Doesn’t default to unbound if a binding is lost (causing unpredictable behavior)
• General settings sometimes make no sense and visually, do not line up with the actual setting.
• Does not allow for Key combinations to be recorded.
• Left Windows Key and Right FN key have swapped themselves randomly across all profiles.
• Same for the GAME Mode – Disable Keys
• I have to press Apply all the time to save every bit of progress I madeThe software is a huge letdown, I saw reviews mention it but never imagined it could be so bad to leave me unwilling to press macro keys! I would have had a better experience to have bought the Z15 which does not have these keys. My greatest gripe is it seems to forget things and then miss-bind them, there’s a lot of potential to come soon, I hope… This product has been out for many months.
  

Conclusion:
Overall, I want to really like this keyboard. It physically has all the functionality I need and does so in a way that inspires confidence in the build materials. All at a great price! When I look at its features, I know that keyboard technology has indeed evolved over the years but the software is clearly not ready and represents a large step back in terms of current functionality. I will continue trialing this keyboard as my main driver for the rest of the week but currently expect to have to order a new keyboard which must have good Software for editing Macros. That said,
 
To the Team at EVGA:
If there are any steps which I can take to help you troubleshoot let me know.