I don't really do "reviews", so I am not sure where to actually start. I am going to break it down into a couple of parts that make sense to me when talking about the keyboard and go from there. I'll do a scale of 10 to make it easy on me.
Layout and feel (8/10)
The keyboard has a standard layout of most 104-key keyboards these days. The Shift key is a little awkard to get to and the Windows key doesn't have a logo, instead it says "Win". All gaming keyboards should have a key that says WIN, especially when it will potentially tab you out of a game... OH WAIT! There is actually a feature that stops that, but more on that later. Everything seems to be in the right place and it didn't take very long to adjust to this keyboard. It took me longer to adjust from the old cheap-o Logitech keyboard to my previous Thermaltake MEKA G1. Maybe it is the practice.
Aside from being laid out well, it has a great feel. The keys are well spaced and raised. The Cherry MX Brown switches are awesome. I am used to Blacks, but these things feel great. They keys are a little easy to jar. I've actually knocked a couple of them off without meaning to by bumping into it a little too hard. The Browns have a great clickiness to them and really lets you know that it is mechanical. They say that they are supposed to be quieter, but I don't really hear it so much. They sound great and the keys have a great feel to them, it appears the letters are lasered, and yes, it makes all the difference in the world!I would love to see an adjustable lift in the back and the inclusion of a wrist mount. I feel like if I buy a "Pro" model, it should have some pretty nice features... right? I could have stepped up to an Ultimate, but it doesn't seem to have these things either. A lot of other keyboards include things like this, it would be a nice touch. However, none of this really changes the fact that the keyboard feels great. It would feel much better if my hands were going numb from this angle, though....
Features (8/10)
I have only ever had one other mechanical keyboard of this caliber, so it will be hard to compare to a wide variety of them. The features on this board aren't really noteworthy, but they sure to assist in the quality of life aspect. That, like SSDs, I can really appreciate.
The FN-Lock key is a life saver. This is the key that makes your WIN button not lose. This is how you will adjust settings on the keyboard. Everything from polling to backlight brightness, to what keys even get lit up. The FN-Lock key really gets it done. This key doesn't make up for the lack of macros, though. Not that I need macros, because I don't, but they are pretty standard in the gaming keyboard world. I stepped up from an older mechanical keyboard that didn't have them, so I haven't spoiled myself, but others may be disappointed. How would they integrate it? Don't ask me. I'm not a design engineer.
The backlight leaves something to be desired. I understood when getting it that the entire keyboard would not light up. I was okay with that. It highlights my most important keys... now, really. The backlight does not show fully on all keys that it supports. There is a logo that isn't full lit up and there are several keys that just don't full illuminate. Then, there are keys that look perfect. The ESC key and the arrow keys look excellent. The FN-Lock and the Spacebar look far less attractive.
Price and availability (9/10)
This thing is a steal. For about $80 you can get your hands on one of these and be very happy with the quality and design of the unit. That being said, for a few bucks more you can get more out of your keyboard. What this keyboard does, it does well for the price.
It wasn't hard to find. I could pick it up just about anywhere. Newegg, Amazon, Superbiiz, NCIX, even at MechanicalKeyboards.com. There are even multiple versions of the keyboard. You can find one with just the switches you want in it, if you look hard enough. Thankfully I wanted to try out the Browns, which was part of the reason why I picked this one.
Great price, multiple options, available all over the place. This is a place where this keyboard shines!
Typing and Gaming (7/10)
Time for some of the wicked honesty. The keyboard is great, but only because it was cheap. I wanted to give another set of caps a try and I wanted to see what this thing was all about. Sure, I'm gonna stick with it, but I know that there are better options. I feel it is a step up from the keyboard I had previously, even know I lose out on the headphone/mic jacks and the additional USB.
The keys feel great, but they also feel kind of small. This isn't such a bad thing. Like I said, I easily made the adjustment in just a few hours. There are features on the board that almost don't make sense, especially when leaving others out. The lack of macro keys means that this is a very limited keyboard from a gaming standpoint. The NKRO feature seems kind of strange as a key feature of this keyboard, since it is lacking those macros. The main feature of it is kind of defeated, but okay.... However, macros are not a big deal to me, but I have to consider the person that would be buying this.
Typing here is kind of complicated with the smallish keys. I made the adjustment, but one of the features of that NKRO is that it will now register all of those accidents as you are missing keys. This can be infuriating if you use a lot of different keyboards or if you are used to a larger one. I work in front of a computer all day and then play in front of one all night. I have been doing this for more than two decades, I might have a leg up on the average Joe. My work keyboard is a dome that wants so bad to be a mechanical. it has a similar layout, so it makes it a little easier.
This isn't a typists dream or a gamers go-to board. This is a keyboard that can exist in both worlds. It does fine in gaming and feels good to type on.
Conclusion (32/40 = 8/10)
I'm glad I got it. I am glad that I took this jump. I may find that 8 months from now that I am in love, but my initial reaction is of happiness... and a little disappointment. This thing matched my computer "theme" of black, red and white. It fits in way better than an obnoxious green Razer would. That doesn't mean that it is a better product, though.
The product is fine, don't get me wrong, but it could be better. I would be willing to pay more for something with a few more features. Make the keys larger, add macros, included a wrist rest and give us some adjustable heights and this thing is worth $150 to me. The weird lighting is fine, as long as it works and feels good, but if you wanted to illuminate them ALL and just give me red highlights for the "gaming" keys, that would look amazing. Pay attention CoolerMaster, I'm a big fan and I'm trying to get you millions. =P
Overall, I'd recommend the keyboard. I would be sure to mention some of the limitations, though. It's a nice keyboard and I look forward to making other folks smash their own keyboards into bits with it.
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