For PC gamers with an eye for desktop bling, nothing's quite like powering on your computer in anticipation of the small RGB joys that await you.
That's the feeling Cougar invokes with the Attack X3 RGB ($99.99), a visually striking mechanical gaming keyboard that goes head-to-head with boards such as the Corsair Strafe and the Logitech G810 Orion Spectrum on price and performance.
In contrast to that Logitech rival, the Cougar Attack X3 RGB uses key switches developed by Cherry, as opposed to Logitech's proprietary Romer-G switches.
(Other second-string mechanical keyboard makers use switches from Cherry-imitation switch sources such as Kailh, so kudos to the Attack X3 for providing the "real deal.") The X3 comes outfitted with a choice of Cherry MX Red, MX Blue, or MX Silver switches, each of which offers a distinct feel and feedback sound.
In that regard, the Attack X3 RGB draws more parallels to the Cherry MX Red- or MX Blue-equipped Corsair Strafe.
In other ways, the lighting is closer to that of the G810 Orion Spectrum ($389.95 at Amazon) , with a palette of 16.8 million colors to choose among.
How you select and program those colors is the Attack X3 RGB's weakness, though.
It's a solid midrange gaming keyboard whose software is its Achilles' heel.
Dubbed "Cougar UIX System," the Windows app that steers this keyboard is a challenge to navigate compared with Logitech Gaming Software or the Synapse program used by many Razer keyboards, such as the BlackWidow Tournament Edition Chroma ($109.99 at Amazon) .
It's the Click That Counts
Measuring 1.57 by 9.05 by 18.39 inches (HWD), the Cougar Attack X3 RGB isn't substantially larger than the Corsair Strafe (1.57 by 6.69 by 17.63 inches) or the Logitech G810 Orion Spectrum (1.4 by 17.5 by 6 inches), and it's certainly no heavier.
While the Strafe weighs 2.9 pounds and the G810 weighs 2.6 pounds, the Attack X3 RGB is only 1.98 pounds.
The keyboard is available in two different shades, as well.
I was sent a silver version for review, and Cougar also offers an "Iron-Grey" model that looks closer to black.
The layout of the Attack X3 RGB comprises three parts, broken up by stylish angles and straight edges.
Top- and bottom-edge borders sandwich an aluminum front plate that's held in place by two screws.
Fully animated, the colorful LEDs project onto it like a dazzling light show at your favorite theme park.
Cherry MX Red key switches tend to be many gamers' top choice among mechanical-switch types, and that's what was in the Attack X3 RGB gaming keyboard sent to Daxdi for review.
These are nimble, linear switches with a shallow actuation distance of just 2mm.
As such, MX Reds take only a small amount of effort to "bottom out," or reach an actuation point where you hear an audible click.
These are ideal for fast-paced competitive online games, such as Fortnite and Overwatch, wherein the goal is to trounce your opponents with hair-trigger moves.
Cherry MX Silver switches, one of the other three switch flavors you can get this keyboard in, require the same amount of force as MX Reds to actuate, just with a lower 1.2mm actuation distance.
Meanwhile, the Logitech G810 Orion Spectrum's Romer-G switches actuate at 1.5mm, though they are louder and harder to press.
Cherry MX Blues are a little different.
Because you have to press halfway down their deep 4mm travel distance for a keystroke to register (somewhat reducing the possibility of typos), Cherry MX Blue switches are the better option for typists who might do some light gaming on the side.
The key layout itself is par for the course.
It's a standard QWERTY lineup, along with a row of function keys that double as media keys, with the media functions toggled by the ever-present Fn key.
Like the Logitech G810 Orion Spectrum and many other gaming-focused keyboards, the Cougar Attack X3 RGB bears a Windows-key lockdown function embedded in the hardware, in case you're prone to pulling up the Start menu mid-scrimmage.
Alas, you get no dedicated media or macro keys, though you can assign the first three function keys (F1 to F3) to any action you like (dubbed M1 to M3); you'll trigger these actions in combination with the Fn key.
The keys F5 through F12 work as media keys the same way; you'll use them for changing the volume, pausing background music, or skipping songs.
A Panel That Needs Some Polish
The control-center software for Cougar's Attack X3 RGB is called Cougar UIX System.
You'll use it for tweaking performance, key assignments, and lighting profiles.
By default, you can customize three overall profiles, each one assigned to M1, M2, and M3—as I mentioned earlier, the secondary functions on the F1, F2, and F3 keys.
By default, their settings are all identical, but you customize them to suit your play style and cosmetic preferences.
The Performance section is broken up into four categories: Polling Rate, N-Key Rollover, Repeat Delay, and Repeat Rate Test.
The polling-rate setting of the Cougar Attack X3 RGB ranges from 125Hz to 1,000Hz.
Setting the rate to the top setting results in the lowest possible latency, while keeping the polling rate at a minimum means putting less strain on your CPU.
Inside the N-Key Rollover box, you can switch between six-key and N-key rollover settings.
With six-key rollover, when you press multiple keys at once, only up to six of them register.
For instance, when I gave it my key-mashing best in the Windows 10 search bar, just the string of letters "asdfl;" showed up; nothing more.
On the other hand, when N-key rollover is enabled, everything mashed will be displayed onscreen.
The Repeat Delay submenu is where you can designate how long or short the wait will be for a letter or number to repeat itself when its respective key is held down.
Then, the Repeat Rate Test lets you give it a whirl by giving you a convenient space in which to start typing.
As the dialog box suggests, commencing the test is as straightforward as "Click[ing] here and hold[ing] down a key." The results are purely anecdotal.
Under the next tab below Performance, Key Assignment, you can customize any key as you like, reallocating it to the function of your choosing.
For example, you can program the up-arrow key to act as the W key, handy for those who prefer using the arrow keys to WASD for directional control in games.
What's more, this is where you can configure the three multi-purpose macro keys.
The next tab, Lighting Control, takes some getting used to.
At its center is a triangle featuring four percentages: 0 percent, 33 percent, 66 percent, and 100 percent.
This is where you select the brightness of the RGB backlighting.
At each of the polygon's angles is a sphere that you can replace with one of many variations of familiar lighting-animation effects, among them Cycle, Reactive, Arrow, Ripple, Wave, Rainbow, and Rain.
"Reactive" makes it so that each key illuminates a different color as it's pressed down.
"Arrow" reminds me of Dance Dance Revolution, with lighting in the center moving in either horizontal direction as I type.
You can cycle among up to three lighting modes represented by the spheres, hence the triangular shape in the Lighting Control panel.
By pressing the Fn and F4 keys at the same time, you can cycle among the lighting profiles.
Alas, the software on the whole is not nearly as intuitive as that particular shortcut.
Not only is it a chore learning how to customize the lighting in Cougar UIX System, but the options are limited to frilly animated effects.
Anyone who prefers a static monochrome arrangement for their gaming-keyboard backlighting will be disappointed by the Cougar Attack X3 RGB.
Whereas the Corsair Strafe ($129.20 at Amazon) is confined to red LEDs igniting the underside of its keycaps, the Cougar Attack X3 RGB suffers from the opposite problem: You can't make the keyboard light up just one hue.
It is always rainbows.
You might find that good or bad.
Of course, you likely bought something with "RGB" in the name because that's exactly what you wanted, but sometimes you just want a mellow glow.
One alternative is to just shut off the lighting entirely; that, at least, is an option.
Worse yet, despite its RGB backlighting, the Cougar UIX System software does not allow for the customization of individual LEDs to different colors.
You apply the color programming "across the board." You get a wide variety of patterns to choose from, but all are hard-coded by the manufacturer; it is impossible to personalize the keyboard in such a way that, say, 100 keys could each be uniquely toned.
That kind of RGB programmability, often dubbed "per-key RGB," is a premium feature of higher-end gaming keyboards.
It's not here.
Killer Performance—With One Key Caveat
At first blush, the $99.99-MSRP Cougar Attack X3 RGB looks like a decent value.
The RGB backlighting and slick metal build are gorgeous, and its Cherry MX key switches should deliver exactly the satisfying typing feel they are known for in their various flavors, if the MX Red we tested is any indication.
The board is a bit bulky, and it lacks the dedicated media keys found on the similarly priced Logitech G810 Orion Spectrum, but we can overlook these demerits.
What we can't ignore, though, is the cumbersome Cougar UIX System software.
I can only hope this application is updated in the future to account for the lighting-control quirks that make me reluctant to return to this software and, by extension, the keyboard as a whole.
If you're on the fence about the Cougar Attack X3 RGB, know that the Logitech G810 Orion Spectrum will deliver a more polished software experience; the trade-off will be the Romer-G switches versus true Cherry MX Reds.
(Try both before buying in-store, if you can, to get a feel for the Logitech-unique keys.) A different trade-off is in play for the Corsair Strafe, except replace "Romer-G switches" with "only single-color backlighting." Corsair's software, too, like Logitech's, is much more mature and full-featured.
Either way, in this price range for a mechanical gaming keyboard, you'll be making some kind of compromise.
With the Cougar Attack X3 RGB, it's definitely the software.
Pros
Sleek aluminum key backplate.
Choice of three genuine-Cherry MX key-switch flavors.
Customizable key functions.
Plenty of RGB lighting effects.
View More
Cons
Software is less polished than competing products.
No easy path to monochromatic lighting.
No per-key RGB programmability.
The Bottom Line
The Cougar Attack X3 RGB is a gaming keyboard that packs true Cherry MX mechanical switches and has a spellbinding look, but it's held back by lackluster software.
For PC gamers with an eye for desktop bling, nothing's quite like powering on your computer in anticipation of the small RGB joys that await you.
That's the feeling Cougar invokes with the Attack X3 RGB ($99.99), a visually striking mechanical gaming keyboard that goes head-to-head with boards such as the Corsair Strafe and the Logitech G810 Orion Spectrum on price and performance.
In contrast to that Logitech rival, the Cougar Attack X3 RGB uses key switches developed by Cherry, as opposed to Logitech's proprietary Romer-G switches.
(Other second-string mechanical keyboard makers use switches from Cherry-imitation switch sources such as Kailh, so kudos to the Attack X3 for providing the "real deal.") The X3 comes outfitted with a choice of Cherry MX Red, MX Blue, or MX Silver switches, each of which offers a distinct feel and feedback sound.
In that regard, the Attack X3 RGB draws more parallels to the Cherry MX Red- or MX Blue-equipped Corsair Strafe.
In other ways, the lighting is closer to that of the G810 Orion Spectrum ($389.95 at Amazon) , with a palette of 16.8 million colors to choose among.
How you select and program those colors is the Attack X3 RGB's weakness, though.
It's a solid midrange gaming keyboard whose software is its Achilles' heel.
Dubbed "Cougar UIX System," the Windows app that steers this keyboard is a challenge to navigate compared with Logitech Gaming Software or the Synapse program used by many Razer keyboards, such as the BlackWidow Tournament Edition Chroma ($109.99 at Amazon) .
It's the Click That Counts
Measuring 1.57 by 9.05 by 18.39 inches (HWD), the Cougar Attack X3 RGB isn't substantially larger than the Corsair Strafe (1.57 by 6.69 by 17.63 inches) or the Logitech G810 Orion Spectrum (1.4 by 17.5 by 6 inches), and it's certainly no heavier.
While the Strafe weighs 2.9 pounds and the G810 weighs 2.6 pounds, the Attack X3 RGB is only 1.98 pounds.
The keyboard is available in two different shades, as well.
I was sent a silver version for review, and Cougar also offers an "Iron-Grey" model that looks closer to black.
The layout of the Attack X3 RGB comprises three parts, broken up by stylish angles and straight edges.
Top- and bottom-edge borders sandwich an aluminum front plate that's held in place by two screws.
Fully animated, the colorful LEDs project onto it like a dazzling light show at your favorite theme park.
Cherry MX Red key switches tend to be many gamers' top choice among mechanical-switch types, and that's what was in the Attack X3 RGB gaming keyboard sent to Daxdi for review.
These are nimble, linear switches with a shallow actuation distance of just 2mm.
As such, MX Reds take only a small amount of effort to "bottom out," or reach an actuation point where you hear an audible click.
These are ideal for fast-paced competitive online games, such as Fortnite and Overwatch, wherein the goal is to trounce your opponents with hair-trigger moves.
Cherry MX Silver switches, one of the other three switch flavors you can get this keyboard in, require the same amount of force as MX Reds to actuate, just with a lower 1.2mm actuation distance.
Meanwhile, the Logitech G810 Orion Spectrum's Romer-G switches actuate at 1.5mm, though they are louder and harder to press.
Cherry MX Blues are a little different.
Because you have to press halfway down their deep 4mm travel distance for a keystroke to register (somewhat reducing the possibility of typos), Cherry MX Blue switches are the better option for typists who might do some light gaming on the side.
The key layout itself is par for the course.
It's a standard QWERTY lineup, along with a row of function keys that double as media keys, with the media functions toggled by the ever-present Fn key.
Like the Logitech G810 Orion Spectrum and many other gaming-focused keyboards, the Cougar Attack X3 RGB bears a Windows-key lockdown function embedded in the hardware, in case you're prone to pulling up the Start menu mid-scrimmage.
Alas, you get no dedicated media or macro keys, though you can assign the first three function keys (F1 to F3) to any action you like (dubbed M1 to M3); you'll trigger these actions in combination with the Fn key.
The keys F5 through F12 work as media keys the same way; you'll use them for changing the volume, pausing background music, or skipping songs.
A Panel That Needs Some Polish
The control-center software for Cougar's Attack X3 RGB is called Cougar UIX System.
You'll use it for tweaking performance, key assignments, and lighting profiles.
By default, you can customize three overall profiles, each one assigned to M1, M2, and M3—as I mentioned earlier, the secondary functions on the F1, F2, and F3 keys.
By default, their settings are all identical, but you customize them to suit your play style and cosmetic preferences.
The Performance section is broken up into four categories: Polling Rate, N-Key Rollover, Repeat Delay, and Repeat Rate Test.
The polling-rate setting of the Cougar Attack X3 RGB ranges from 125Hz to 1,000Hz.
Setting the rate to the top setting results in the lowest possible latency, while keeping the polling rate at a minimum means putting less strain on your CPU.
Inside the N-Key Rollover box, you can switch between six-key and N-key rollover settings.
With six-key rollover, when you press multiple keys at once, only up to six of them register.
For instance, when I gave it my key-mashing best in the Windows 10 search bar, just the string of letters "asdfl;" showed up; nothing more.
On the other hand, when N-key rollover is enabled, everything mashed will be displayed onscreen.
The Repeat Delay submenu is where you can designate how long or short the wait will be for a letter or number to repeat itself when its respective key is held down.
Then, the Repeat Rate Test lets you give it a whirl by giving you a convenient space in which to start typing.
As the dialog box suggests, commencing the test is as straightforward as "Click[ing] here and hold[ing] down a key." The results are purely anecdotal.
Under the next tab below Performance, Key Assignment, you can customize any key as you like, reallocating it to the function of your choosing.
For example, you can program the up-arrow key to act as the W key, handy for those who prefer using the arrow keys to WASD for directional control in games.
What's more, this is where you can configure the three multi-purpose macro keys.
The next tab, Lighting Control, takes some getting used to.
At its center is a triangle featuring four percentages: 0 percent, 33 percent, 66 percent, and 100 percent.
This is where you select the brightness of the RGB backlighting.
At each of the polygon's angles is a sphere that you can replace with one of many variations of familiar lighting-animation effects, among them Cycle, Reactive, Arrow, Ripple, Wave, Rainbow, and Rain.
"Reactive" makes it so that each key illuminates a different color as it's pressed down.
"Arrow" reminds me of Dance Dance Revolution, with lighting in the center moving in either horizontal direction as I type.
You can cycle among up to three lighting modes represented by the spheres, hence the triangular shape in the Lighting Control panel.
By pressing the Fn and F4 keys at the same time, you can cycle among the lighting profiles.
Alas, the software on the whole is not nearly as intuitive as that particular shortcut.
Not only is it a chore learning how to customize the lighting in Cougar UIX System, but the options are limited to frilly animated effects.
Anyone who prefers a static monochrome arrangement for their gaming-keyboard backlighting will be disappointed by the Cougar Attack X3 RGB.
Whereas the Corsair Strafe ($129.20 at Amazon) is confined to red LEDs igniting the underside of its keycaps, the Cougar Attack X3 RGB suffers from the opposite problem: You can't make the keyboard light up just one hue.
It is always rainbows.
You might find that good or bad.
Of course, you likely bought something with "RGB" in the name because that's exactly what you wanted, but sometimes you just want a mellow glow.
One alternative is to just shut off the lighting entirely; that, at least, is an option.
Worse yet, despite its RGB backlighting, the Cougar UIX System software does not allow for the customization of individual LEDs to different colors.
You apply the color programming "across the board." You get a wide variety of patterns to choose from, but all are hard-coded by the manufacturer; it is impossible to personalize the keyboard in such a way that, say, 100 keys could each be uniquely toned.
That kind of RGB programmability, often dubbed "per-key RGB," is a premium feature of higher-end gaming keyboards.
It's not here.
Killer Performance—With One Key Caveat
At first blush, the $99.99-MSRP Cougar Attack X3 RGB looks like a decent value.
The RGB backlighting and slick metal build are gorgeous, and its Cherry MX key switches should deliver exactly the satisfying typing feel they are known for in their various flavors, if the MX Red we tested is any indication.
The board is a bit bulky, and it lacks the dedicated media keys found on the similarly priced Logitech G810 Orion Spectrum, but we can overlook these demerits.
What we can't ignore, though, is the cumbersome Cougar UIX System software.
I can only hope this application is updated in the future to account for the lighting-control quirks that make me reluctant to return to this software and, by extension, the keyboard as a whole.
If you're on the fence about the Cougar Attack X3 RGB, know that the Logitech G810 Orion Spectrum will deliver a more polished software experience; the trade-off will be the Romer-G switches versus true Cherry MX Reds.
(Try both before buying in-store, if you can, to get a feel for the Logitech-unique keys.) A different trade-off is in play for the Corsair Strafe, except replace "Romer-G switches" with "only single-color backlighting." Corsair's software, too, like Logitech's, is much more mature and full-featured.
Either way, in this price range for a mechanical gaming keyboard, you'll be making some kind of compromise.
With the Cougar Attack X3 RGB, it's definitely the software.
Pros
Sleek aluminum key backplate.
Choice of three genuine-Cherry MX key-switch flavors.
Customizable key functions.
Plenty of RGB lighting effects.
View More
Cons
Software is less polished than competing products.
No easy path to monochromatic lighting.
No per-key RGB programmability.
The Bottom Line
The Cougar Attack X3 RGB is a gaming keyboard that packs true Cherry MX mechanical switches and has a spellbinding look, but it's held back by lackluster software.
