Steelseries APEX Keyboard issues

[awbruso]

This keyboard requires two USB ports. I didn't know that until recently and I've been using this keyboard for over a year with just one USB connection.

What is the second USB connection for? Is it simply for the USB passthrough connectivity built into the keyboard or does it actually "require" both USB connections to adequately power the device?

The reason I'm asking is because my wife and I have the same keyboard and she is now all of a sudden having issues (random flickering, keys suddenly stop working until it's unplugged and then plugged back in). We've both been powering the device with only one USB connection this whole time. We don't use the USB passthrough ports on the keyboard itself.

My computer is a beast and I've got a much more powerful powersupply than hers and I have no problems using the same keyboard. She also plugs other USB devices into her PC (phones, ipads, cameras, etc..). Is it possible that her PSU just isn't powerful enough to run the keyboard when all these devices are plugged in? This is now also happening even if we use both USB connections on the keyboard.

I'm not sure where to go from here. Motherboard issue? USB bus issue? I do notice there are some updated BIOS and USB controller drivers so I will try that. Are there any power settings within Windows 10 that would help?

Thanks.

 

[Lutfij]

From this point, it's impossible to pin point the culprit since we are unclear of what the specs to both machines are. You've said it yourself, your system is in larger degree superior to your wife's system so it's customary to include both system's specs, OS and peripherals. Please note, there are 4 variants of the Apex, which one are you talking about?

That being said,
a| Have you made sure your motherboard BIOS is up to date?
b| Have you made sure your chipset/USB drivers are also up to date?
c| Does the issue go away once the second USB port is connected?

It's always advised to make all connections from your peripherals to your system. Leaving one or more out can result in unexpected behavior.