Review
- Introduction
- Specifications/Features and Packaging
- Closer Look, User Experience and NKRO Testing
- Conclusion
The board is no bigger than 14"x 5 1/2" in dimensions. The only reason this board looks small is due to the absence of numpad and nothing more. For gamers (and for many other users) absence of numpad is not really a con especially if you don’t use it at all. Rather its a blessing for those with lesser width on their table- and they want to use most of the space for their mouse.
The board uses Cherry MX keys and as you can see that there is an access to install LED light, but the board unfortunately for some type of users doesn’t come with LED keys. The LED key indicator for scroll lock and caps lock are on the keys itself.
I found that the longer keys on the right of the QWERTY board (backspace, shift enter) develops a squeak sound, especially if you’re using them a lot. Not something you want to see- and hear.
There are 4 pieces of rubber case feets on the base of the board. There are couple of retractable elevated keyboard feets. The top shell of the board feels bit smoother than the keys itself. Something like how the top/front panels of Coolermaster Storm Trooper uses. What would have been more helpful is the rubberised wrist rest area for your palms- some might like it and some might not. The board comes with a function (FN) button too as you can use the Function toggle buttons F5-F12 with the basic media buttons and to lock Windows key. You don’t need any software for this. It works out of the box with USB and P/S2. As a nice touch, the windows lock key comes with an LED indicator too.
Now coming to the feel of the mechanical keys. This is the first time with a Cherry RED keyboard. But compared to Cherry Red, Blue and Black keys, these keys feel very light even if you press them halfway (or you can say: the tactile feedback is much lesser- as mentioned on the box). The tactile response is sort of comparable to Cherry Black as you need to hit all the to the bottom but the tactile bump/feel is completely different. This is because the spring on Cherry Black keys has lot more coil than Cherry red.
Some of the most commonly key combinations worked well with BOTH USB and via PS2 converter. However do note: In USB mode, you can hold upto 6 keys together. For NKRO, you need to use the PS/2.
