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You are here: Home / Archives for gaming keyboard

Cooler Master SK653 Keyboard Review

11/22/2021 By Hakan Can

Cover photo for SK653 post

Earlier this year, Cooler Master introduced their SK652 and SK653 flagship mechanical keyboards. Available in two patterns (Gunmetal Gray and Silver White), the SK653 boasts premium features such as TTC low-profile switches and hybrid wired/wireless via Bluetooth capabilities. The keyboard also arrives in a very appealing brushed metal finish with RGB back illumination and compatibility with MasterPlus+ customization software. With these premium features comes a premium price point: the SK653 has an MSRP of $129.99, but currently we do not see it less than $149.99. How does the SK653 keyboard compare to other low-profile mechanical switch offerings such as the Logitech G915 and the Corsair K70 RGB MK.2? Is the SK653 worth purchasing over these two similar options? Without further delay, let’s take a closer look at this Cooler Master SK653 keyboard review.Front view of SK653 keyboards

Read:   Cooler Master GS750 Desktop Hub Review

Cooler Master SK653 Keyboard Review

Key Features

  • Slim design, brushed aluminum plate
  • Ergonomic, floating keycaps
  • TTC low profile brown/blue/red switches
  • Wired/wireless-capable via Bluetooth 4
  • MS Windows, macOS, iOS, Android support
  • RGB illumination, 16.7M colors
  • Fully customizable using MasterPlus+ software

Specifications

Switch TypeTTC Low Profile Mechanical
(Red/Blue/Brown)
MaterialsAluminum & Plastic
KeycapErgonomic Low Profile
ColorsGunmetal Gray
Silver White
LED ColorsRGB 16.7M
Polling RatesWired Mode: 1000 Hz
Wireless Bluetooth Mode: 125 Hz
Response Time1 ms
MCU32bit ARM Cortez M0 64 Pin
Onboard Memory512 KB
On-The-Fly SystemYes
Multimedia Keysvia Function (FN) Keys
Wireless ConnectivityBluetooth 4.0
Battery4000 mAh (2000 mAh x 2)
OS CompatibilityMS Windows 8-11
mac OS X 10.10+
Android & iOS
SoftwareMasterPlus+
Cable Length & Type1.8 Meter USB Type-C Detachable & Braided
Dimensions430 x 125 x 25mm
16.93 x 4.92 x 0.98 Inch
Weight (w/o cable)737 grams
1.62 lbs
Warranty2 Years
Read:   Cooler Master MM831 Gaming Mouse Review
Closeup of corner key of SK653 keyboard
Closeup of right side keys of SK653 keyboard
Soft switch of the SK653 keyboard
Brushed metal finish of SK653 keyboard

Construction and Design

As you can see from the photos above and below, the Cooler Master SK653 keyboard is one attractive, modern-looking piece of hardware. It is lighter and smaller in footprint (16.93″ x 4.92″ x 0.98″) than every keyboard I’ve owned or reviewed before it. And unlike all but one of those previous keyboards, it’s portable. Unfortunately, it doesn’t come with a protective carrying case. You’ll have to purchase one of those.

Whether your illuminated keycaps are white or black, the top surface comes with a brushed aluminum finish in either Silver White or Gunmetal Gray. Both versions look fantastic and should complement your desktop arrangement well. The underbelly comes in black regardless of version.

The cable connecting the keyboard to your desktop is 1.8 meters in length and is beautifully braided with a shiny finish. The keyboard end has a USB Type-C detachable connection and the desktop end, a USB 2.0 Type-A connector.

The SK653 comes with three different TTC low-profile mechanical switches to choose from: red, blue, and brown. For the purposes of this review, we received the brown and are most pleased with this choice. By using low-profile mechanical switches, the actuation is reduced by 20% from 4mm to 3.2mm. The sound the keystrokes make with the brown switches is neither loud nor soft. Yet, the feel of the keystroke is on the softer side. If you’re in an office environment and are concerned that your colleagues around you will be bothered by the sounds, you need not be.

Corner view of SK653 keyboard
Close up of SK653 keys
Rear view of SK653 keyboard

The weight of the SK653 (minus the cable) is 1.62 lbs., and is barely noticeable.

For comparison’s sake, the Logitech G915 and the Corsair K70 RGB MK.2 weigh in at 2.26 and 2.38 lbs., respectively. Each of the three keyboards uses a mechanical switch from a different manufacturer. Logitech uses Kailh GL low-profile switches in red, blue, and brown, meanwhile, the Corsair uses Cherry MX low-profile switches in red and silver only. Both competitor’s keyboards are larger by length and width than the SK653, while the G915 is 1/10″ lower in height. Furthermore, both competitor’s keyboards are more expensive than the SK653, and the Corsair K70 RGB MK.2 doesn’t have Bluetooth connectivity.

The Cooler Master SK653 utilizes the 32bit ARM Cortex M0 64Pin MCU along with two 2000 mAh batteries.

Read:   Cooler Master MM711 Gaming Mouse Review

Capabilities and Performance

According to the folks at Cooler Master, their target audience for the SK653 is creative professionals like myself, yet there’s plenty of reasons why it should also be aimed at and adopted by gamers.

There are three big features of the Cooler Master SK653 keyboard that you ought to know:

  1. Multi operating system (OS) capability.
  2. Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity, and
  3. On-the-fly controls and hybrid key rollover.

The SK653 is capable of working with devices utilizing the following operating systems: Microsoft Windows (8 and above), Mac OS X, iOS, and Android. This is a huge selling feature. Switching between a PC and Mac couldn’t be simpler. Holding the Cooler Master FN button tells you what OS the keyboard is working with, and combining this with the right shift key switches the OS back and forth.

Let’s say you have both a PC and a Mac at home or the office. In theory, you would only need one keyboard between the two systems. Sadly, I cannot test this theory as I do not own an Apple computer so I’ll take Cooler Master at their word here.

Because of the hybrid design, you can operate the SK653 in one of two ways: wired or wireless, utilizing the latter with Bluetooth 4.0. According to the folks at Cooler Master, while in Bluetooth mode, “the SK653 allows users to save 3 settings with 3 individual devices and can easily switch between them.” Another great feature of this keyboard.

Finally, the SK653 has a plethora of on-the-fly controls and software: You can customize macros, profiles, and lighting schemes easily. In order to save time from discussing or listing these controls, I’ve included two diagrams that cover the on-the-fly shortcuts in detail. Visual is the better approach here.

SK653 On-the-fly shortcuts
SK653 On-the-fly shortcuts macOS

Putting aside the SK653’s internal features and capabilities for a moment, what Apple or PC user wouldn’t want this keyboard alongside their desktop?

For additional information, please refer to the quick start or Bluetooth setup guides.

Read:   Cooler Master MH751 Gaming Headset Review

MasterPlus+ Software

Cooler Master uses their MasterPlus+ software to control the SK653’s wireless, lighting, keymapping, macros, and profiles as seen in the five screenshots below. For instance, LED modes and speeds are adjustable and customizable via the MasterPlus+ software. A lot of high-quality colors radiate from this keyboard.

There is one thing I don’t like about the software and that’s when there’s an update available. It appears you are unable to use the software unless you click to update.

MasterPlus+ SK653 Wireless Page
MasterPlus+ SK653 Lighting Page
MasterPlus+ SK653 Key Mapping Page
MasterPlus+ SK653 Profiles Page
MasterPlus+ SK653 Macros Page

Conclusion

Pros:

• Beautiful, minimalistic design
• Low-profile switches yield no fatigue or finger pain after many hours of daily use
• Portability and Multi-OS support
• Terrific RGB back illumination

Cons:

• Difficulty connecting to Samsung Galaxy S Android mobile device via Bluetooth

Not long ago, I wrote a review on the Cooler Master MM711 gaming mouse saying that it was “quite possibly the best mouse I’ve ever used.” Well, I’m about to top that endorsement. Whether it be a keyboard, a mouse, or some other desktop peripheral, this SK653 keyboard is my favorite desktop product of 2021. Even though I’ve got more expensive keyboards from other brands behind me to my left, I’ll be using this keyboard for years to come. I love it that much. My younger nephew, who couldn’t take his eyes off of it, will have to wait for the hand-me-down.

And I have no doubt that I’ll sort out the Bluetooth to Android connection issue shortly after this posts.

Cooler Master’s SK653 is available for purchase on Amazon for around $150, see the Affiliate link at the bottom. This well-engineered keyboard has earned a 4.75 out of 5-star rating.

What do you think of this Cooler Master SK653 keyboard review? Do you agree or disagree with our verdict? Let us know in the comment section below or via social media. We’re eager to hear your thoughts.

Read:   Patriot Viper V765 Gaming Keyboard Review

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SK653 Packaging Front View
SK653 Packaging Rear View

Don’t hesitate to head over to the Cooler Master website to see their latest products and peripherals like their cases, keyboards, and mice. To learn more about service and support, click here for their Support section at the bottom of their website. The Cooler Master SK653 keyboard comes with a 2-year warranty.

FTC Disclosure: Cooler Master provided Beantown LLC with one (1) Cooler Master SK653 mechanical keyboard sample for review purposes. This writer’s opinion is 100% his own and not a paid product ambassador.

All photographs are the copyrighted property of Cooler Master Technology Inc. © 2021.

Filed Under: Gaming Hardware Tagged With: Cooler Master, gaming keyboard, Keyboard, mechanical keyboard, SK653 12/06/2021

Patriot Viper V765 Gaming Keyboard Review

07/28/2019 By Daniel Nguyen

Viper V765 gaming keyboard review

The Patriot Viper V765 is Patriot’s intermediate level gaming keyboard, and with programmable per-key RGB lighting, it’s sure to look good on any gamer’s desk. Featuring the innovative Kailh Box White switches, the V765 is also partially water and dustproof. The Kailh Box lineup of clicky switches also features a different click mechanism, which gives it a distinctive feel that is different from a traditional Cherry MX Blue style switch. At $89.99 at the time of writing, it is one of the lesser expensive mechanical keyboards on the market and is sure to attract many budget-conscious gamers. However, is that low price-point too good to be true, or is it truly a good keyboard? Without further delay, let’s take a closer look in this Patriot Viper V765 gaming keyboard review.

Viper V765 gaming keyboard review

Key Features of the V765 Keyboard

  • Kailh mechanical box switches for superior durability and quicker response time
  • Water and dust resistant to IP56 rating
  • Full spectrum RGB, 16.8 million color backlighting
  • Dedicated multi-media controls
  • Volume wheel w/mute function
  • N-key rollover and anti-ghosting
  • Removable magnetic palm rest
  • Aircraft grade aluminum chassis

Patriot Viper V765 Gaming Keyboard Review

First Impressions

  • The packaging is well-put together and shows off the keyboard.
  • It’s a medium weight keyboard, and its thinner cable makes transport easier if desired.
  • The RGB implementation bright and will illuminate any setup nicely.
  • It has a very simplistic design and is sure to fit on any desk.

The Switches and Typing Experience

The Kailh Box White switch is one of my favorite switches on the market right now, behind some of Kailh’s other clicky options. The click feels very pronounced, and its design even offers some water and dust proofing for minor accidents; nevertheless, your experience may differ with spills. Though this isn’t a keyboard I recommend having if you’re super messy and spill liquids everywhere. The keycaps feel decent for a $90 keyboard and are definitely passable. The legends have that “gamer” aesthetic but are still rather neutral if you aren’t going for a gamer aesthetic. However, the wrist rest wasn’t long enough for me, and I found my hands on the table instead of on the comfortable rubber grip that the wrist rest offers.

Viper V765 gaming keyboard review

Read:   Gaming: Patriot Viper V570 Mouse Review

Aesthetic

While I appreciate the nice RGB integration, the red Viper logo in the center of the keyboard seems badly placed considering that it may clash with many setups. Overall, the keyboard has a very simple design and it will fit on most desks. The software that Viper provides also gives a lot of customization which means you can coordinate your keyboard with your setup very nicely. However, it doesn’t sync up with other Viper hardware and the fact that it uses separate software from other Patriot components is an element that can be improved.

Viper V765 Keyboard Software Screen

Read:   Gaming: Patriot Viper V361 & V370 Headsets Review

Build Quality

The V765’s build quality is outstanding for a keyboard under $100. The body is entirely metal and will last a long time under heavy use. Overall, I have no concerns the build quality.

Specifications

• Key Switch:
• Cable:
• Switch Lifecycle:
• Dimensions:
• Weight:
• Polling Rate:
• Profile Keys:
• Programmable Keys:
• Multimedia Keys:
• Graphical User Interface:

• Kailh Box White mechanical switches
• 1.8m, braided
• 50 Million
• 1.1 in. x 18.4 in. x 6.4 in.
• 2.5 lbs
• 1000 Hz
• Yes, 5
• Yes, 103
• Yes
• Yes, Viper Software

Viper V765 gaming keyboard review
Viper V765 gaming keyboard review

Conclusion

Pros:
• Kailh Box White switches feel very nice and feel high-quality
• Build quality is very sturdy and will last a long time
• Price is under $100
• Detachable wrist-rest is very comfortable
• Software is very intuitive and easy to use

Cons:
• Wrist-rest is too short and doesn’t fit my palms
• Key-caps feel meh at best
• The software isn’t well integrated with other Viper products

Patriot Viper has created a solid budget keyboard that integrates just the right amount of features that gamers desire. The on-keyboard lighting profiles, as well as the Patriot Viper keyboard software, make it easy to control your lighting profiles. If you take into account all the features of this keyboard, which include its great switches, RGB lighting, design, etc., the Viper V765 is one of the best keyboards I’ve ever tested, even competing with those above $120.

The Viper V765 RGB mechanical gaming keyboard is available for purchase on Amazon for under $100 (see link below) as well as on the Patriot Store at a list price of $99. All-in-all, this is a well-designed RGB mechanical gaming keyboard which easily earned a 4.5 out of 5-star rating.

Viper V765 gaming keyboard review
Viper V765 gaming keyboard review

What do you think of this Patriot Viper V765 gaming keyboard review? Do you agree or disagree with our verdict? Let us know in the comment section below or via social media. We’re eager to hear your thoughts.

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Don’t hesitate to head over to Patriot’s Viper Gaming page to see their newest products. To learn more about service and support, click here for their Support page. The Viper V765 keyboard comes with a 2-year warranty.

FTC Disclosure: Patriot Memory/Viper Gaming provided Beantown LLC with one (1) Viper V765 gaming keyboard sample for review purposes. This writer’s opinion is 100% his own and not a paid product ambassador.

All photographs are the copyrighted property of Patriot Memory LLC and Beantown LLC © 2019.

Filed Under: Gaming Hardware Tagged With: gaming keyboard, Patriot Memory, V765, Viper Gaming 07/28/2019

Thermaltake Level 20 RGB Titanium Gaming Keyboard Review

07/24/2019 By Daniel Nguyen

Thermaltake Level 20 RGB Titanium Gaming Keyboard Review

With the inclusion of the Level 20 RGB Titanium Gaming Keyboard in the Level 20 series, it sure seems to be promising being grouped in the Thermaltake “Premium” Series and bearing the name of its flagship case, the Level 20. With its impressive RGB side glow and numerous RGB installations on its top plate, it’s sure to turn some heads and make a statement on any PC. But for $150 (at the type of writing), is it worth that price point? Without further delay, let’s take a closer look in this Thermaltake Level 20 RGB gaming keyboard review.

Thermaltake Level 20 RGB Titanium Gaming Keyboard Review

First Impressions

  • The packaging displays most of the features of the keyboard.
  • Its thick braided cable will last a long time but will make the regular movement of the keyboard from place to place difficult.
  • Its hefty weight also forms the impression that its build quality is superior to many others on the market right now, however, makes the regular movement of the keyboard difficult.
  • The RGB implementation bright and will illuminate any setup nicely.
  • The aggressive design is too tacky for me, however, it may interest some.
Read:   Patriot Viper V770 Gaming Keyboard Review

The Switches and Typing Experience

While the Cherry MX Silver isn’t my favorite switch in world, its light activation force is sure to be a favorite for light typists. Nevertheless, the decreased travel distance makes me constantly bottom out (hitting the bottom of the keystroke) instead of being able to release the key after actuation (when the keystroke registers). This bottoming out effect led to soreness after extended periods of gaming, especially in my middle finger due to it often hitting the W key too hard. I did eventually adjust to the speed switches and was able to type without too much soreness, but I’d much prefer a switch with a fuller travel distance. Luckily, the Level 20 RGB is also offered in the Cherry MX Blue, though it will be too loud for some users.

Thermaltake Level 20 RGB Titanium Gaming Keyboard Review
Thermaltake Level 20 RGB Titanium Gaming Keyboard Review

Unfortunately, the keycaps weren’t of the best quality. I would have liked to see double-shot (two separate pieces of plastic) keycaps instead of the pad printed keycaps (ink rolled on top of the plastic) as then the legends on the keycaps will never wear away. Nonetheless, the legends are beautiful and feature a seamless typeface which is very clean looking.

These keycaps don’t produce too loud of a noise. I’m not worried that this Level 20 RGB Titanium keyboard will be louder than the run-of-the-mill mechanical keyboard. If you feel the sound is an issue, you can purchase o-rings at any major online retailer to dampen the noise.

The mappable macro keys serve useful for many users. The fact that you can map a key to any combination of keystrokes is helpful to gamers and even professionals alike who have too many shortcuts.

Read:   Gaming: Tt eSPORTS Cronos Riing RGB 7.1 Headphones Review

Aesthetic

While I don’t like the look of the RGB strip in the middle of the board, it is truly a statement piece and will illuminate any desk setup nicely. And while the large bezels look nice, I feel it’s more form over function. The extra desk space the bezels take up could be used for the mice, and concerning gamers, desk space is truly precious. Overall, I would say that this is an attractive aesthetic for those who like the Level 20 RGB keyboard; however, it isn’t for everyone.

Thermaltake Level 20 RGB Titanium Gaming Keyboard Review

Build Quality

The Thermaltake Level 20 RGB Titanium Edition sports a full-metal body, giving it unyielding weight, thus staying on one’s desk for a while. But this weight makes it less portable, which may be a downside for those LAN party players but will work well for those who keep it on their desktop setup. The flip-down feet are considerably stable and have a robust tactile response when they flip down.

Final Thoughts

While this gaming keyboard is one of the best boards you can get, for $150 I feel like you could get another of similar quality for less and have more money to put elsewhere in your setup. It does have all the bells and whistles a gamer could need though, such as macro buttons, voice control, a mic, and USB passthrough. The software is nothing spectacular, though it easily gets the job done via customization and integrating easy setup of macro keys.

There is one thing I do wish Thermaltake offered, and this would be a TKL version. For most gamers, desk space for their mouse is precious, and on a gaming-oriented keyboard, I would have liked to see a more compact version or even this same layout but without its large bezels.

While the Thermaltake Level 20 offers tons of features and a very high-tech look, I can’t recommend the Level 20 for gamers due to its humongous footprint. The Level 20 doesn’t even fare well for general productivity, as the aggressive design and RGB implementation wouldn’t look good in any professional setting. The Thermaltake Level 20 earns a modest 3 out of 5 stars.

Thermaltake Level 20 RGB Titanium Gaming Keyboard Review
Thermaltake Level 20 RGB Titanium Gaming Keyboard Review

Read:   Cooler Master MH751 Gaming Headset Review

The Thermaltake Level 20 RGB gaming keyboard is available for purchase on Amazon for $149.99 (see link below.)

What do you think of this Thermaltake Level 20 RGB gaming keyboard review? Do you agree or disagree with our verdict? Let us know in the comment section below or via social media. We’re eager to hear your thoughts.

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Don’t hesitate to head over to the Thermaltake homepage to see their current line-up of products. To learn more about service, support, and warranties, click on their Support tab. The keyboard comes with a 2-year warranty.

FTC Disclosure: Thermaltake provided Beantown LLC with one (1) Level 20 RGB Titanium gaming keyboard sample for review purposes. This writer’s opinion is 100% his own, and not a paid product ambassador.

Thermaltake Level 20 RGB Titanium Gaming Keyboard Review

All photographs are the copyrighted property of Thermaltake or Beantown LLC © 2019.

Read:   Gaming: HyperX Alloy Elite Keyboard Review

Filed Under: Gaming Hardware Tagged With: gaming keyboard, Level 20 RGB, Thermaltake, tT eSports 07/24/2019

Gaming: Gamdias HERMES P2 RGB Keyboard Review

11/13/2017 By Zach Can

Gamdias Hermes P2 RGB Keyboard Review

As 2017 comes to an end, Gamdias continues to roll out new gaming hardware with two new successors to the Hermes P1 RGB keyboard. These are, of course, the Hermes P2 RGB and the Hermes P3 RGB keyboards. This review focuses on the former, the Hermes P2 RGB. This latest piece of gaming hardware adds “innovative optical technology with dust and spill resistance, individually hot swappable keys, and a host of new features and improvements” to the Hermes lineup. We’ve seen how the Hermes P1 performs. Is this successor able to hold up against its predecessor? Will it stand out on its own? Let’s take a peak in our Gamdias HERMES P2 RGB keyboard review.

Gamdias Hermes P2 RGB Keyboard Review

Key Features of the HERMES P2 RGB Keyboard

  • Easily removable keys
  • Sturdy wrist plate
  • Gamdias Mechanical Switches
  • 100% Anti-Ghosting Support
  • N-Key rollover
  • Multimedia Controls

Read:   Patriot Viper V770 Gaming Keyboard Review

Gamdias HERMES P2 RGB Keyboard Review

HERMES P2 Design and Features

The Hermes P2 keyboard has the standard fare one USB slot requirement working in both 3.0 and 2.0 formats. It has everyone’s favorite multimedia keys, but unlike its predecessor, it has a volume scroll wheel. Gamdias’ trademark keys are not forgotten, such as the key to lock the keyboard from an input, right mouse button input, brightness control, lighting modes, screenshot, and the WASD-Arrow Key flip. The font has returned to a much more generic, basic look. I prefer the stylistic approach which made the Hermes P1 pop. It’s a tad wider than the original model plus it grew in length, thanks to a sturdy non-removable wrist plate which is a very welcome addition.

The switches have a 50 million push-button life cycle that will probably outlast your use for the keyboard, but it’s way better than the other way around. Looking below the volume scroll wheel, you’ll find that the toggle keys light up in blue when activated instead of your standard green or red.

[envira-gallery id=”9649″]

The lighting effects aren’t going to blind you like Patriot’s V770 (see inline post above,) but they aren’t as impressive as the Hermes P1. Maybe it’s because of the metal plate stabilizers, but the colors were brighter and more vibrant. Honestly, it’s a bit short in the lighting department. The Hera software that works with Hermes P2 appears to be rushed, as is not on par with other Gamdias components. There’s more on this topic below. A lot of the lighting patterns have been carried over, nearly all of which are still limited to just one color. “Neon” and “Wave” are the only ones that cycle through colors.

The keys are well protected from dust and any spills, with a switch cover on each key preventing any liquid from getting inside.

[envira-gallery id=”9651″]

Read:   Gaming: Patriot Viper V570 Mouse Review

Specifications

• Key Switch:
• Switch Lifecycle:
• Dimensions:
• Weight:
• Processor:
• Polling Rate:
• Profile Keys:
• Programmable Keys:
• Multimedia Keys:
• Graphical User Interface:

• Optical switches
• 50 Million
• 19.5″ x 9″ x 1.52″
• 3.1 lbs
• TBA
• 1000 Hz
• Yes, 5
• Yes, 109
• Yes
• Yes, HERA Software

Gamdias Hermes P2 RGB Keyboard Review

Read:   Gaming: Sennheiser GSP 350 Headset Review

Gamdias HERA Software

I’m somewhat upset with what’s happened here with the software. On previous Gamdias keyboards it was good-to-great, but on this keyboard not so much. Recently I sent Gamdias a support request informing them of the issues I encountered. It’s only been a couple of days since. Once the problems have been resolved, I’ll be sure to update this write-up.

Currently, it’s messy under the “Keyboard Luminance” tab. The sliders for the RGB don’t work and are not clickable by mouse. Values have to be manually edited by number. The whole part of the keyboard is to be able to make the “16.8 million colors.”

[envira-gallery id=”9668″]

On the “Custom Pattern” screen where one can bind colors to any key they want, some keys that aren’t bindable. It’s just not registered by the software, such as F10, Home, and Num 4.

Furthermore, why has the Fn-Windows button switch has been removed? It was such a great option. Consecutive attack mode is missing as well. There are more lighting options on Hermes P1 with 3x more color presets.

[envira-gallery id=”9676″]

Read:   Gaming: Sennheiser GSX 1200 PRO Amplifier Review

Conclusion

Pros:
• Sturdy build wrist rest

Cons:
• Buggy software at the moment
• Lacking in lighting options over predecessor
• $20 increase in price

Straight up we preferred the predecessor over this current model. There doesn’t appear to be any improvements, nor is the board “cutting edge.” If you wanted a similar-looking gaming keyboard, you should purchase the Hermes P1 RGB. With more options and better lighting, the original version is simply a better keyboard.

The Hermes P2 RGB keyboard lists for $140 on the Gamdias site, while the Hermes P1 RGB lists for $120.

[envira-gallery id=”9650″]

What do you think of this Gamdias HERMES P2 RGB keyboard review? Do you agree or disagree with our verdict? Let us know in the comment section below or via social media. We’re eager to hear your thoughts.

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Don’t hesitate to head over to the Gamdias homepage to see their current line-up of products. The Hermes P2 RGB gaming keyboard comes with a 1-year + 2-months warranty.

FTC Disclosure: Gamdias provided Beantown LLC with one (1) Hermes P2 RGB keyboard sample for review purposes. This writer’s opinion is 100% his own and not a paid product ambassador.

All photographs are the copyrighted property of Gamdias or Beantown LLC © 2017.

Read:   Sennheiser GSP 301 Gaming Headset Review

Filed Under: Gaming Hardware Tagged With: Gamdias, gaming keyboard, Hermes P2 RGB, optical switch 11/13/2017

Patriot Viper V770 Gaming Keyboard Review

10/18/2017 By Zach Can

Viper V770 gaming keyboard review

Patriot started out 2017 strong with two prominent keyboards, the V730 and the V770. The V730 is a keyboard for those new and casual gamers. While its big brother, the V770, is sure to “be the envy of all your friends at the next LAN party.” Right away I can state that you’ll be above and beyond the envy of all your gaming friends. How does such a keyboard do this? We’ve spent the past month with the Viper V770 RGB mechanical gaming keyboard, learning every detail of it. Is this gaming accessory a worthy addition to your rig? Without further delay, let’s take a closer look in this Patriot Viper V770 gaming keyboard review.

Viper V770 Gaming Keyboard review

Key Features of the Viper V770 Keyboard

  • RGB Illuminated Backlighting
  • 11 Lighting & 4 Palm Rest Effects
  • Kailh Red Mechanical Switches
  • 100% Anti-Ghosting Support
  • 109-Key rollover
  • Multimedia Controls
  • USB 2.0 Pass-Through Port
  • Aircraft-Grade Aluminum Front Plate

Read:   Gaming: Patriot Viper V361 & V370 Headsets Review

Viper V770 Gaming Keyboard Review

V770 Design and Features

Per Roger Shinmoto, Patriot VP of Product Design, “Our new RGB V770 keyboard is a high-end, feature-rich keyboard, designed with the serious gamer in mind. With thoughtful design, onboard media controls, dedicated macros, and a high degree of customization, the V770 is a great compliment to any high-end rig.”

The Viper V770 keyboard is one of those ‘Big Boys’ which requires two USB slots. This gives it those added features like five programmable keys, eight buttons to quickly control the lighting options, media switches, and a scroll wheel to control volume. It’s also physically large at 19.5″, approximately 2″ longer than such popular keyboards like the HyperX Alloy Elite and the Corsair K70 LUX. You can thank the five dedicated macro keys on the left for half of the difference in length.

The Kailh Red switches with their 50 million push-button life cycle are terrific for those FPS games. They’re quite sensitive (2.0±0.6 mm pre-travel, 4 mm total travel) requiring little activation force. It took me a couple of days to stop making accidental presses. While we’re still on the design if you look under the volume wheel you’ll notice there’s no indicator for which toggle keys you have enabled (Num, Caps Lock, Scrl Lock). That’s because the keys when enabled light up in white. When disabled, they return to whatever color you have currently selected.

[envira-gallery id=”9512″]

The numerous lighting effects are great. They’re better than most mid-tier and some upper-tier gaming keyboards. The keyboard has about 11 lighting options, 10 of which you can change both the brightness and speed of. A lot of these lighting options can be in RGB or one color. You can create up to 5 custom lighting profiles too.

The keys are top-mounted over a brushed aluminum faceplate with a unique font that helps it stand out from the crowd. The finish on the keyboard is attractive and appears to be fingerprint resistant.

There’s also has a detachable magnetic palm rest which holds better than the Gamdias P1 RGB, which occasionally pops off. Sadly, it does smudge a little. The palm rest lights up and has its own lighting options, four to be exact. Two customizable solid color options with the remaining two as RGB only. Beware, the edges of the wrist plate are sharp, so don’t go knocking it off your desk. It could strike your foot or leg and cause some pain.

You can also re-program almost every key. There’s the USB 2.0 and audio pass-through ports on opposite sides of the keyboard. I don’t find much use for the pass-through ports as it leads to messy wires all over. But there is this one exception. On the back center of the board, there’s slide out phone holder. This feature comes in very handy when you want to charge your mobile phone.

[envira-gallery id=”9513″]

On the back end of the right-of-center braided cord, there are two USB plugs plus one for headphones and another for a microphone to connect to your PC enclosure. If you’re connecting via USB 2.0, use both connectors. If you’re connecting via USB 3.0, you may only need to use one connector. If you’re looking to use either of the keyboard pass-through ports, then connect either the microphone and headset jacks to the PC enclosure. The underside is plastic with six rubber foot pads and two retractable legs.

Editor’s Note: I kept finding myself striking the Caps Lock key and having to correct my misspelling constantly. I’ve not encountered this issue on other gaming boards. I don’t know what to make of it.

Read:   Gaming: Patriot Viper V570 Mouse Review

Specifications

• Key Switch:
• Switch Lifecycle:
• Dimensions:
• Weight:
• Processor:
• Polling Rate:
• Profile Keys:
• Programmable Keys:
• Multimedia Keys:
• Graphical User Interface:

• Kailh Red mechanical switches
• 50 Million
• 19.5″ x 9″ x 1.52″ w/o the wrist rest
• 3.1 lbs w/o the wrist rest
• TBA
• 1000 Hz
• Yes, 5
• Yes, 109
• Yes
• Yes, Viper Software

Read:   Gaming: Sennheiser GSP 350 Headset Review

Patriot Viper Keyboard V770 Software

The high majority of today’s higher-end gaming keyboards come with software to adjust the device, and the Viper V770 is no different. This software support (Version 2.1) configures the RGB LED lighting effects, palm rest effects, profiles, macros, response time, and report rate, just to name a handful.

Truth be told, you don’t actually need the software. Almost every adjustment can be made with either the buttons on the keyboard or a combo of Fn + insert key. The software though is lightweight and clean. It didn’t even require a restart. It worked right away and was very easy to use.

From the main page, seen in the image gallery, you can adjust the 11 light effects, the brightness, and the speed on all but Static mode. There are seven starter colors, all adjustable on a pop-up color map, with an 8th option that’s multi-color. Under the five lighting profiles, the first two of which are displayed below, there are now Keymap and DIY check boxed options.

[envira-gallery id=”9519″]

Under Palm Rest Effects, there are four of the most popular lighting effects. You can alter the direction originating from the left or right, its brightness, and speed. Like the keyboard, you have access to 16.8M color options on the detachable wrist rest. But this is only so for the Static and Breathing selections. The remaining two choices are RGB only. As I’m sure you just figured out, you can configure the speeds and brightness of the keyboard and palm rest separately.

Below this, there are check boxes to select Game Mode and Windows Key Lock, plus slider controls for Response Time and Report Rate. It’s all here.

At the bottom left, you’ve got Profiles and Macros. In the 4th gallery image above is a display of the Macros window. Create and delete Macro(s), Keystroke Input, and Options are all there. Clicking Profiles opens another dialog box (not shown) where you can import and export.

[envira-gallery id=”9540″]

Under the upper right gear icon, you see the current software version, plus can reset settings and update the firmware.

Read:   Gaming: Sennheiser GSX 1200 PRO Amplifier Review

Conclusion

Pros:
• Sturdy build, backlit wrist rest
• Excellent software
• Near complete customization
• Over a dozen lighting effects

Cons:
• No place to store the key puller
• No gaming key caps
• Some sharp edges

Overall, Patriot Memory has created a great keyboard with plenty of features. Furthermore, they’ve done a great job with the lighting options. I’m convinced many people will like this keyboard as much as I did. You can tell there was a lot of thought put into it. Once you add up everything: lighting, macros, easy software, design, etc., this Viper V770 turned out to be one fantastic keyboard. If you want to have a big league keyboard, this is the real deal.

The Viper V770 RGB mechanical gaming keyboard is available for purchase on Amazon for under $120 (see link below) as well as on the Patriot Store at a list price of just under $140. All-in-all, this is a well-designed RGB mechanical gaming keyboard which easily earned a 4.5 out of 5-star rating.

[envira-gallery id=”9511″]

What do you think of this Patriot Viper V770 gaming keyboard review? Do you agree or disagree with our verdict? Let us know in the comment section below or via social media. We’re eager to hear your thoughts.

• Follow Patriot on Twitter
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Don’t hesitate to head over to Patriot’s Viper Gaming page to see their newest products. To learn more about service and support, click here for their Support page. The Viper V770 keyboard comes with a 2-year warranty.

FTC Disclosure: Patriot Memory provided Beantown LLC with one (1) Viper V770 gaming keyboard sample for review purposes. This writer’s opinion is 100% his own and not a paid product ambassador.

All photographs are the copyrighted property of Patriot Memory LLC and Beantown LLC © 2017

Read:   Sennheiser GSP 301 Gaming Headset Review

 

Filed Under: Gaming Hardware Tagged With: gaming keyboard, Kailh switch, mechanical keyboard, Patriot Memory, Viper V770 07/15/2019

Gaming: Corsair K70 LUX Keyboard Review

08/26/2017 By Hakan Can

Corsair K70 LUX keyboard review

Unless you’ve been living in a cave the past 15-20 years, you’ve almost certainly heard the name Corsair. If you’re a hardcore gamer, then you’ve surely heard of one of the gaming sector’s biggest brands. Heck, you’re probably using one of their accessories right now. Not too long ago, we received our first Corsair product–the K70 LUX mechanical keyboard, and have been learning every detail of it ever since. How does the K70 LUX stack up against the higher-end gaming keyboard competition? Is this keyboard a worthy addition to your gaming rig? Without further delay, let’s take a close and detailed look in this Corsair K70 LUX keyboard review.

Corsair K70 LUX keyboard review

Key Features of this K70 LUX Keyboard

  • Red LED illuminated backlighting
  • Seven lighting effects
  • Cherry MX Blue, Brown, Red, & Rapidfire switches
  • 100% anti-ghosting support
  • 104-Key rollover
  • Media controls
  • USB 2.0 pass-through
  • Aircraft-grade aluminum front plate

Read:   Gaming: HyperX Alloy Elite Keyboard Review

Corsair K70 LUX Keyboard Review

K70 LUX Design and Features

Whether it’s Gamdias, HyperX, Patriot, etc.,numerous hardware brands are creating gaming keyboards in the style of Corsair. As the phrase goes, “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.”

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The K70 LUX is a mechanical gaming keyboard with a 50 million push button life cycle thanks to its use of Cherry MX switches. There are eight versions of the K70 LUX. Half come with RGB LED backlighting, three with Red, and one with Blue. This Red LED backlit Cherry MX Red switch version has seven lighting effects, four brightness levels, five polling settings via hidden switch, six media controls, and a USB 2.0 pass-through. More on these features under CUE.

This keyboard is a bit smaller in length than its newer rivals, the closest being the HyperX Alloy Elite by a ¼”. Without the rubberized full-length wrist rest, the K70’s dimensions are 17.2″ x 6.5″ x 1.5″ and weighs in at 2.97 lbs. In fact, if I were to close my eyes, I would have a bit of difficulty telling the difference between the two. Like I stated, imitation and flattery.

The finish on the keyboard is quite attractive and appears to be fingerprint resistant. Keys are top-mounted over a dark brushed aluminum face plate. Beware, the aluminum edges are sharp, so don’t go knocking the keyboard off your desk. It could strike your foot and cause some pain.

[envira-gallery id=”9126″]

The underside is plastic with four rubber foot pads and four retractable legs. The location of the braided cable is slightly left of center. While we like it off-center, another inch to the left would have been preferred.

On the back end of the braided cord, there are two USB plugs to connect to your gaming desktop. If you’re connecting via USB 2.0, use both connectors. If you’re connecting via USB 3.0, use the connector with the keyboard icon.

Package contents include the keyboard (w/textured space bar), palm rest, ten textured platinum key caps for FPS and MOBA play, one key cap puller, quick installation guide and warranty policy.

The K70 LUX has all these features for a hair under $120. This price is give-or-take within $10 of other higher-end mechanical gaming keyboards with Cherry MX switches. What it doesn’t have are pre-configured lighting zones for different genres of games like with the Tt esports MEKA PRO, or a place to stash the key puller.

[envira-gallery id=”9128″]

There were some issues with the media controls, and I’ve yet to get four of the buttons to work accordingly. Using Amazon Music and Nero MediaHome, I was unable to get the Stop, Rewind, Play/Pause, and Fast Forward buttons to work. The Mute button and Volume wheel worked without a hitch. We’ll continue to play around with the media controls and update this post accordingly.

Read:   Gaming: Gamdias HERMES P1 RGB Keyboard Review

Specifications

• Key Switch:
• Switch Lifecycle:
• Dimensions:
• Weight:
• Processor:
• Polling Rate:
• Programmable Keys:
• Multimedia Keys:
• Graphical User Interface:

• Cherry MX Red mechanical switches
• 50 Million
• 17.2″ x 6.5″ x 1.5″ w/o the wrist rest
• 2.97 lbs w/o the wrist rest
• 32-bit ARM
• 1000 Hz
• Yes, 104
• Yes, 6
• Yes, CUE software

Read:   Gaming: Tt esports MEKA PRO Keyboard Review

CUE — Corsair Utility Engine

As previously mentioned, the K70 LUX keyboard comes with the Corsair Utility Engine software support. Also known as CUE, this software support (Version 2.16.87) configures the Red LED lighting, macros, buttons, acceleration, and DPI, just to name a handful.

From the main page, seen in the first two images, you can update the keyboard’s firmware as well as CUE’s software version. Without having to go any further, you can adjust the Brightness, the Current Layout, and Change LED Color. You really can’t change alter the LED color as this K70 LUX keyboard is backlit red only.

[envira-gallery id=”9097″]

Taking it further, click on the K70 LUX image immediately to the left of the Global Setting gear icon, and get started with making adjustments. Over the next three images are the Actions, Lighting Effects, and Performance screens.

The Actions setting is where you record your macros, and build an Actions Library. Click the Macro drop down menu to proceed with the following: Text, Remap Key, Media, Launch Application, Time, Disable, and Profile Switching.

Under Lighting Effects is where you select one of seven styles, and customize the type of Red you want via the color wheel or Basic/Custom settings. Effects available as of this date are Static Color, Visor, Rain, Pulse, Wave, and Type Lighting Key and TL Ripple. Within each of the seven effects, you’re able to adjust one of more of the following: opacity, speed, direction, or duration. Before I forget, the richness and brightness of the Reds are spectacular. I firmly believe you’re going to like these lighting features a lot.

Under Performance is where you select “If Win Lock is on:” options. There are four choices available, and you can pick any-and-all. You can adjust the Brightness indicator color here too.

[envira-gallery id=”9098″]

To the right of the Global Setting gear icon is the Advanced button. Click that, and make additional adjustments to Lighting Effects like Static, Gradient, Ripple, Solid, and Wave. This is shown in the fourth and final image. And don’t be surprised when the Red LED lighting disappears until you create said adjustments.

Profile names can be whatever you want them to be within Actions, Lighting Effects, and Performance screens.

Read:   Gaming: Sennheiser GSX 1200 PRO Amplifier Review

Final Thoughts

Pros:
• Sturdy build, great wrist rest
• Switchable FPS/MOBA keys
• Complete customization
• Seven lighting effects

Cons:
• No place to store the key puller
• No pre-configured lighting zones
• Sharp edges
• So many other K70 (LUX) choices to choose from

If you couldn’t tell by now, we truly enjoyed testing this keyboard. For the record, we feel it’s in a dead heat to slightly up on the recently introduced HyperX Alloy Elite for our favorite mechanical gaming keyboard of 2017. And the K70 LUX wasn’t even introduced this year. We’ve performed more than a handful of gaming keyboard reviews this year, and to date, nothing else compares to these two. Whether you like the solid (red or blue) color or the RGB for backlighting, you need to put the Corsair K70 LUX on your radar and wish list.

The K70 LUX mechanical gaming keyboard has a list price of just under $120. It’s available for purchase on Amazon and the Corsair website. Pay attention to both websites as we’ve seen it for $20 less on occasion, see Amazon link below.

All-in-all, this gaming keyboard (and software) earned a 4.6 out of 5-star rating. There are scores of gaming boards available (not just from Corsair) with a variety of features, so compare away until you find what’s right for you.

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What do you think of this Corsair K70 LUX keyboard review? Do you agree or disagree with our verdict? Let us know in the comment section below or via social media. We’re eager to hear your thoughts.

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Don’t hesitate to head over to the Corsair homepage to see their current line-up of products. The Corsair K70 LUX gaming keyboard comes with a 2-year warranty.

All photographs are the copyrighted property of Corsair or Beantown LLC © 2017.

FTC Disclosure: Corsair provided Beantown LLC with one (1) K70 LUX Backlit Red LED Mechanical Gaming Keyboard sample for review purposes. This writer’s opinion is 100% his own and not a paid product ambassador.

Read:   Lexar JumpDrive C25i Review for iPhone or iPad

Filed Under: Gaming Hardware Tagged With: Cherry MX, Corsair, gaming keyboard, K70 LUX, mechanical keyboard 10/17/2017

Gaming: Gamdias HERMES P1 RGB Keyboard Review

08/23/2017 By Zach Can

Gamdias HERMES P1 RGB Keyboard Review

It seems like a month doesn’t pass without the folks at Gamdias introducing something fresh to the PC Gaming market. Back in July, they’ve expanded their line by one with the introduction of a new mechanical gaming keyboard with Kailh blue switches. This new board–the HERMES P1 RGB yields 16.8 million colors, four game modes, and a dozen lighting patterns. There have been some design changes since the previous HERMES RGB keyboard such as an all aluminum front plate. How does this keyboard stack up with Gamdias’ others keyboards? Without further delay, let’s take a closer look in this Gamdias HERMES P1 RGB keyboard review.

Gamdias HERMES P1 RGB Keyboard Review

Key Features of the HERMES P1 RGB Keyboard

  • 16.8M color illuminated backlighting
  • Four pre-configured lighting zones
  • Twelve lighting effects
  • Kailh Blue mechanical switches
  • On-the-fly record macro key settings
  • Six key / N-Key rollover
  • 100% anti-ghosting support
  • Aircraft-grade aluminum front plate

Read:   Gamdias HERMES RGB Keyboard Review

Gamdias HERMES P1 RGB Keyboard Review

Hermes P1 RGB Design and Features

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Like its predecessor, the HERMES P1 RGB is mechanical gaming keyboard with a 50 million push button life cycle. It comes with 16.8 million colors, a dozen different lighting effects to choose from, and four preset gaming modes: League of Legends, Counter-Strike, Dota 2, and World of Tanks. You can change the brightness (4 levels) and speed of the effects to your liking. The brains of the keyboard are in the ARM® Cortex®-M3 32-bit microprocessor.

The keys have a new font design that is refreshing and still easy to read. The aircraft-grade brushed aluminum front plate is a nice touch which doesn’t smudge easily. Metal plate stabilizers return from the HERMES 7 Color keyboard adding more flair. (The metal front plate have become quite popular in 2017.)

Consecutive attack mode also makes a return. The keyboard comes with its own key puller. It has all those standard Gamdias’ features like the multimedia keys, two macro buttons, and the key locker if you wanted to vacuum your keyboard real quick.

[envira-gallery id=”9058″]

The HERMES P1 RGB can be used with or without the HERA software. One option which pleased me is the ability to switch out the Windows Key with the Fn button. I was like, “Oh yeah. That’s a nice touch.”

Flipping the keyboard over, you’ll notice three channels to direct the 1.8 Meter braided cable. The keyboard legs have improved over its predecessor and are now much wider. (We hope it was our suggestion that led to the upgrade.) The key puller is now attached to the underside.

To be completely honest not too much has changed from the HERMES RGB to the HERMES P1 RGB. It’s more of a hybrid combination of its former self and the HERMES 7 Color keyboard bringing their greatest features into one keyboard.

Sadly, there are two disappointments to report, first being the removable wrist rest. In our tests, it came off too easily. We wish it fit more securely because as soon as you even move the keyboard, it pops right off. Finally, most of the lighting effects are one color only. On the 7 Color board, the lighting effects played across all colors. The HERMES P1 RGB would have been near perfect if it were not for these two small issues. The keyboard handles and performs very similarly to the HERMES RGB.

Read:   Gaming: Gamdias HEBE M1 RGB Headset Review

Specifications

• Key Switch:
• Switch Lifecycle:
• Dimensions:
• Weight:
• Built-in Memory:
• Polling Rate:
• Programmable Keys:
• Multimedia Keys:
• Graphical User Interface:

• Kailh Blue mechanical switches
• 50 Million
• 17.64″ x 6.16″/7.97″ x 1.45″ w/o and with the wrist rest
• 2.86/3.44 lbs w/o and with the wrist rest
• 72 KB
• 1000 Hz
• 2
• 6
• Yes, HERA software

Final Thoughts

Pros:
• New keyboard font
• Switchable Fn/Windows key
• Complete customization
• Twelve lighting effects

Cons:
• Most lighting effects are one color only
• Wrist rest pops off quite easily
• Very similar to the Hermes RGB

If you were having trouble deciding on whether to purchase the Hermes RGB or 7 Color keyboard, then you need to look towards this newer one. It’s got everything they do and a little more. I’m pleased with this Hermes P1 RGB keyboard. Still, I’m kind of sad about the lighting effects being mostly one color though. I unquestionably recommend this board. It’s already become my new main gaming keyboard.

The Gamdias Hermes P1 RGB mechanical keyboard has a list price of just under $120 and is available for purchase at Amazon and the Gamdias website.

[envira-gallery id=”9057″]

What do you think of this Gamdias Hermes P1 RGB keyboard review? Do you agree or disagree with our verdict? Let us know in the comment section below or via social media. We’re eager to hear your thoughts.

• Follow Gamdias on Twitter
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Don’t hesitate to head over to the Gamdias homepage to see their current line-up of products. The Hermes P1 RGB Mechanical keyboard comes with a 1-year + 2-months warranty.

FTC Disclosure: Gamdias provided Beantown LLC with one (1) Hermes P1 RGB keyboard sample for review purposes. This writer’s opinion is 100% his own and not a paid product ambassador.

All photographs are the copyrighted property of Gamdias or Beantown LLC © 2017.

Read:   Gaming: Tt esports MEKA PRO Keyboard Review

Filed Under: Gaming Hardware Tagged With: Gamdias, gaming keyboard, Hermes P1 RGB, keyboard review, mechanical keyboard 10/17/2017

Gaming: HyperX Alloy Elite Keyboard Review

08/15/2017 By Hakan Can

HyperX Alloy Elite keyboard review

August 21st is a big day for the folks at HyperX. It’s on this day they introduce not one, but two new mechanical gaming keyboards to the consumer market. Following the successful launches of the Alloy FPS keyboard and Pulsefire FPS mouse, HyperX is set to launch a second Alloy FPS model, this time tenkeyless, as well as their Alloy Elite. We’ve spent the past couple of weeks playing with their top-of-the-line board. How does the Elite stack up against its high-end gaming keyboard competition? Without further delay, let’s take a close and detailed look in this HyperX Alloy Elite keyboard review.

HyperX ALLOY Elite keyboard review

Key Features of the Alloy Elite Keyboard

  • Red LED illuminated backlighting and light bar
  • Six lighting effects
  • Cherry MX Blue, Brown, or Red switches
  • Anti-ghosting functionality
  • N-Key rollover
  • Media controls
  • USB 2.0 pass-through

Read:   Gaming: HyperX Alloy FPS Keyboard Review

Per Marcus Hermann, Senior Business Manager at HyperX, “Further raising the bar for personalization and comfort, HyperX is excited to reveal the new Alloy Elite Keyboard with Cherry MX Mechanical switches, detachable palm rest and custom lighting features. Ensuring that gamers connect and play immediately, keyboard customization options can be accessed without the assistance of software via keyboard functions.”

HyperX Alloy Elite Keyboard Review

[envira-gallery id=”8951″]

First Impressions

  • Very nicely packaged with excellent use of wording and imagery.
  • Keyboard has a sleek, steely, modern, top-mounted look.
  • Cable is braided and centered; two USB desktop connections and a USB 2.0 pass through.
  • The red LED lighting and light bar look great. They illuminate nicely, especially in a dark setting.
  • There’s a well-balanced layout with lighting effects on the left and audio controls on the right.
  • Partially textured palm rest feels great and holds on tight.

Specifications

HyperX Alloy Elite keyboard review

Specs Property of HyperX

Read:   Gaming: HyperX Pulsefire FPS Mouse Review

Alloy Elite Design and Features

If there’s one thing I dislike about specifications, it’s the use of the Metric System. So for all of you in North America, here are the standard units. The keyboard measures 17.48″ x 8.93″ x 1.43″, and weighs in at 3.23 lbs.

If you’re familiar with the Alloy FPS keyboard, then consider this second keyboard release from HyperX the big brother. The Alloy Elite not only looks similar to the Alloy FPS, but it has nearly every feature of it too, plus some more of its own.

There’s the same beautiful matte black finish, top-mounted and steel frame appearance, Cherry MX switches, USB pass-through, red LED lighting, and dynamic lighting effects. What’s new is the red 18 LED bar, dedicated Game and lighting mode/effect buttons, media controls, and a detachable palm rest. The location of the braided cable is now dead-center.

[envira-gallery id=”8970″]

On the underside, there are two rubber foot pads and two retractable legs. Alloy Elite package contents include the keyboard, palm rest, eight platinum key caps (WASD are textured), one key cap puller, quick installation guide and warranty policy.

It has all these features for a hair under $110. This is in line with high-end mechanical gaming keyboards from other top brands. What is doesn’t have, and I’m sure others will note this, is macro recording capability and pre-configured lighting zones for different genres of games.

There were some issues with the media controls, and we’ve yet to get all four buttons to work simultaneously. Using Amazon Music and Nero MediaHome, I was unable to get the Rewind, Play/Pause, and Fast Forward buttons to work. The Pause button worked without a hitch. And the Volume Wheel worked well with all but one speaker. It wasn’t able to adjust the audio of the Libratone One Click speaker. We’ll continue to play around with the media controls and update this post accordingly.

Read:   HyperX Cloud Revolver S Headset Preview

Performance Testing – Everyday Use

As a daily keyboard, this Alloy Elite with Cherry MX Red switched keys worked flawlessly. The surface of the key caps are soft and the sound they make when pressed is minimal. Conversely, if you were typing with Cherry MX Blue switches, then you know how loud they can be.

There’s no noticeable resistance between keys. I’m sure this is due to the optional change between the gaming mode and the typing mode. More keyboards should seriously have this feature–it’s incredible!

I don’t think I’ve ever loved it more; it allows one to have regular keys and then super reactive keys.

[envira-gallery id=”8969″]

Read:   Gaming: Gamdias HERMES 7 Color Keyboard Review

Performance Testing – Gameplay

Gameplay consisted of the following games: Rainbow Six: Siege, RimWorld, and Titanfall 2.

Unlike the Tt esports MEKA PRO, I didn’t notice as much of a disruption with the F2 Key when playing Rainbow Six: Siege. Regardless, the keys are quick and responsive. I truly like the way this keyboard is designed.

With RimWorld, the keys are nice, snappy, and move quite accurately. When compared to the MEKA PRO, I enjoy and prefer the snappiness of the Alloy Elite’s keys. It feels much more organic rather than as if I were pushing super hard keys. However, RimWorld is a strategy game, so there isn’t much that’s noteworthy. It works, so that’s what matters.

On Titanfall 2, here’s where the keys shine. I found the controls were quick and snappy; it’s just what you would want from a gaming keyboard. The Alloy Elite made it easy to move around the map, and I’ve dodged more than one artillery round from a titan. Once again, the keys are quick and responsive in the gaming mode. I love the ability to switch between Gaming and Standard Mode with the use of the Game Mode button.

HyperX Alloy Elite keyboard review

Read:   Gaming: Tt esports MEKA PRO Keyboard Review

Pros:

  • The custom LED settings. These are impressive settings; one lights up all the way, one turns off LED features, one causes a wave, one causes dimmer settings, one “explosion feature” (lights up rest of the keys when one key is pressed, and one causes only the AWSD keys to be lit up. Overall six different LED options. Very much enjoyed the ability to change up the lighting features.
  • The threaded cable screams “Nice Keyboard” along with its decent length. The feel of the keyboard is most pleasant on the fingers, plus there’s that steel frame.
  • Custom gaming mode allows toggling in between Game Mode and normal typing. It’s a feature which helps when you’re typing up a letter/resume versus swinging around in Titanfall 2.
  • Keys during Gaming Mode are friendly and responsive. Excellent accuracy when moving around; a lot of quick tapping helped. I never had one case where I felt it was the keyboard’s fault.
  • The removable palm rest is a comfortable addition for those who use them. It appears to be fingerprint-proof.
  • No software needed to operate the keyboard. It’s Plug-n-Play.

 Cons:

  • The keyboard is a bit larger than we would have liked, but that’s what you get when there are so many buttons and keypads.
  • It’s a bit heavier than most gaming keyboards, but you have to weigh that against the use of great materials of construction. Maybe it’s not so much of a Con.
  • There’s no travel pouch like with the Alloy FPS.
  • There are no programmable macros.
  • Media controls didn’t work under all conditions.

[envira-gallery id=”8971″]

Read:   Speck Back To School Backpacks for 2017 Preview

Ratings

• Appearance: 9.5/10
• Usefulness (gaming): 9/10
• Overall: 9.1/10

• Space/compactness: 9/10
• Usefulness (Typing up essays and whatnot): 9/10

Final Thoughts

If you couldn’t tell by now, we truly enjoyed testing this keyboard. For the record, we feel it’s in a tie with the Corsair K70 LUX for our favorite mechanical gaming keyboard of 2017. We’ve performed more than a handful of gaming keyboard reviews this year, and to date, nothing else even compares. You need to put the HyperX Alloy Elite on your radar and wish list.

The Alloy Elite mechanical gaming keyboard has a list price of just under $110.

What do you think of this Hyper Alloy Elite keyboard review? Do you agree or disagree with our verdict? Let us know in the comment section below or via social media. We’re eager to hear your thoughts.

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Don’t hesitate to head over to the HyperX homepage to see their current line-up of products. The HyperX Alloy Elite gaming keyboard comes with a 2-year warranty. Should you need to reach Customer Support, feel free to call one of these two numbers: 714-435-2639 or 800-435-0640 or check out their Support page.

This review was co-written with Gamer Jack Yang. All photographs are the copyrighted property of Kingston or Beantown LLC © 2017.

FTC Disclosure: HyperX provided Beantown LLC with one (1) Alloy Elite mechanical gaming keyboard sample for review purposes. Both writers opinions are 100% their own, and neither are paid product ambassadors.

Read:   Lexar JumpDrive C25i Review for iPhone or iPad

Filed Under: Gaming Hardware Tagged With: Alloy Elite, gaming keyboard, HyperX, mechanical keyboard 10/17/2017

Gaming: Tt esports MEKA PRO Keyboard Review

08/12/2017 By Hakan Can

Tt esports MEKA PRO keyboard review

If you’re a fan of gaming, then there’s an excellent chance you’re familiar with Thermaltake and its accessories brand Tt esports. We’ve used hardware from Thermaltake for nearly a decade, but have shied away from Tt esports until recently. A few months ago, Tt esports introduced a new mechanical gaming keyboard with Cherry MX switches. We’ve spent the better part of the past month with the MEKA PRO mechanical gaming keyboard customizing and learning every detail of it. Is this keyboard a worthy addition to your gaming rig? Without further delay, let’s take a closer look in this Tt esports MEKA PRO keyboard review.

Tt esports MEKA PRO keyboard review

Key Features of the MEKA PRO Keyboard

  • Red LED illuminated backlighting
  • Four pre-configured lighting zones
  • Cherry MX Blue (Brown and Red) switches
  • Anti-ghosting support
  • On-the-fly record macro key settings
  • Six key / N-key rollover

Read:   Gaming: HyperX Alloy FPS Keyboard Review

Per the press release, “The MEKA PRO Cherry MX Mechanical Gaming Keyboard comes in a simplistic durable design packed full of features and functions for the most avid gaming enthusiasts. This includes the use of the latest and highly responsive Cherry MX Blue Switches with a 50 million click lifespan, individual per key red backlight illumination with 7 stunning lighting effects, 4 pre-configured game mode lighting zones, 100% anti-ghosting support, and on-the-fly macro recording for ultimate customization of your gameplay settings.”

Tt esports MEKA PRO Keyboard Review

Tt esports MEKA PRO keyboard review

First Impressions

  • Clean, well-packaged box, big keyboard.
  • Keyboard has a modern look and nice feel. It’s not as big as initially thought, surprisingly slim for the box size. It functioned well with a laptop pictured (see the bottom of this post.)
  • While the keyboard cord is a good length of 1.8 meters, we would have preferred it a bit longer making it easier to reach more desktops. Also, we would have preferred a braided cable
  • The deep red lighting is a nice touch. It illuminates nicely, especially in a dark setting.
  • Initial tapping of the keys are smooth and quick, but the Cherry MX Blue switches are loud.  

Specifications

Tt esports MEKA PRO keyboard review

Tt esports MEKA PRO keyboard review

Read:   Gamdias HERMES RGB Keyboard Review

MEKA PRO Design and Features

If you’re familiar with Tt esports keyboards, then you’ll notice how closely the MEKA PRO resembles the Poseidon Z Illuminated and RGB models. The key difference is internal–the switch. This new design incorporates Cherry MX Blue, Brown, or Red switches.

As you can see from the bulleted Key Features list, the MEKA PRO offers plenty in the way of gaming features. These are all pretty much standard among ~$100 gaming keyboards. One feature not included in many gaming keyboards are pre-configured lighting zones. The MEKA PRO has four of them: FPS, MMO, MOBA, and RTS. The matte black finish across the board looks great.

[envira-gallery id=”8910″]

On the underside, there are five rubber foot pads and two retractable legs. Whether you use the legs or not, the keyboard will grip a flat surface well.

Package contents include the keyboard, eight red key caps, one key cap puller, quick installation guide and warranty policy.

Performance Testing – Everyday Use

As an everyday, standard keyboard, the keys are a bit annoying to type with. They sound too much like a typewriter. It’s almost obnoxiously loud and would wake my family if they slept next door. It’s one of those things you have to get used to when using Kailh or Cherry MX Blue mechanical switches.

Typing up documents wasn’t too bad. The draw back here is that words are typed up too quickly. It’s an awkward feeling as words are rapidly misspelled. This was due to the rapidness of keys. It requires you to change their style a bit.

Then some keys appear to be a little slower than others. I often found myself mistyping things which typically doesn’t happen with non-Blue switch boards. However, it might be from lack of experience rather than work.

Tt esports MEKA PRO keyboard review

Another item was that the Backspace button was super soft, almost too much in comparison to the rest of the keys. At first, I thought there might be a manufacturer defect, or it was somehow damaged. It just felt abnormally soft compared to most other keys. The same experience was observed with the Enter and Shift keys. These three keys threw me off whenever pressed. It might be intentional on the part of Tt esports; nonetheless, I was thrown off.

Another thing to note about the Backspace key is that I noticed it sticking. It held for a certain length of time and caused the delete area to go past what was intended. I tried to delete a sentence and ended up erasing a bit more. I found that the standard keys have a bite, a precision to them when pressed down. Overall, I found the MEKA PRO somewhat disappointing for use as a regular keyboard.

Read:   Gaming: Gamdias HERMES 7 Color Keyboard Review

Performance Testing – Gameplay

Gameplay consisted of the following games and times:

• Rainbow Six: Siege – 2 Hours
• RimWorld – 3 Hours

• Mount & Blade: Warband – 50 Minutes
• Total War: Shogun 2 – 2 Hours

With Rainbox Six, I found the MEKA PRO had some difficulty pressing some of the video game “hot keys.” For example, to pull up the Ubisoft screen, one had to press Shift-F2. This was rather difficult to accomplish and took a lot of time, one which players usually don’t have.

Also, I don’t like the Enter Key. Some games like this one require quick hits to the Enter button, and it felt unresponsive. I noticed that the mechanical keys tend to make my fingers and wrists a lot more tired as the game went on. With long-term games such as Siege, it requires a lot of holding down buttons and rapid pressing which can be rather tiring.

Overall, it’s just okay for shooter games that keep you under tension or require quick dodges. I found my fingers tiring quickly, beginning to lose a lot of their mobility as the rounds went on, and often when crouching, my pinky would start to tire of holding down all the buttons.

[envira-gallery id=”8911″]

With Rimworld, the MEKA PRO was much kinder. The quickness of the keys made things much easier to move around the map. It was still tiring, but not nearly as much as the previous game. I found this game worked perfectly with a mechanical keyboard. After 3 hours of play time, I liked using these Cherry MX Blue mechanical switches a lot more.

However, the distance between keys was bothering, and the relative softness of the larger keys was a bit off putting, Again, this could be personal bias/preference.

On Mount & Blade, I couldn’t stand the super hard keys. It’s a problem with the F1-F9 keys. They require the top fingers to reach, and considering that the game involves using F1-F9 a lot, it makes it very hard to arrive at these keys without feeling like one is uncomfortably stretching their hands.

Finally, on Total War, there was no noticeable change. A good game play could have been achieved just as easily with a non-gaming keyboard.

Read:   Gaming: Gamdias HERMES E1 Keyboard Combo Review

Pros:

  • Relatively Compact. It fit well with two laptops and a bunch of other stuff on my desk.
  • It has excellent ambient lighting in the background, works perfectly at night.
  • The alphabet buttons felt fantastic! There’s good response on most keys, and there’s nice feedback.

 Cons:

  • Clicking noise on the keyboard is obnoxiously loud thanks to the Cherry MX Blue switches. Fortunately, there are other switches available such as the Cherry Brown and Red. The keys sometimes sound like an M1 Garand reload ping when typed.
  • The Enter and Backspace keys felt a bit too soft. It threw the nice tapping of the other keys off a ton. This feels like a gaming keyboard, and those other keys have vast uses when typing. I found that a regular keyboard works much better with it.
  • I’m not sure about the issue I have with the F1-F9 keys. I dislike them; it makes it so that for highly tactical games such as Mount in Blade where the F1 key plays a significant role, it is incredibly uncomfortable. It’s possible to key bind these to different keys, but the difficulty of using these in the first place offsets it I felt.
  • With the mechanical keys, there’s the issue of my fingers getting tired, especially in games which require a lot of finger dexterity. Fingers lost a lot of strength quickly and were tired by the end of the game. Plus, there was one sticky Backspace key.

Final Thoughts and Ratings

• Appearance: 9/10
• Usefulness (gaming): 7/10
• Overall: 7.3/10

• Space/compactness: 8/10
• Usefulness (Typing up essays and whatnot): 5/10

The MEKA PRO mechanical gaming keyboard has a list price of just under $90. Fortunately, it’s available on Amazon for $20 lower at the time of publishing.

There are scores of gaming keyboards available each with a variety of features, so shoppers will compare until they find the right keyboard for them.

Tt esports MEKA PRO keyboard review

Read:   Enermax Ostrog ADV Case Review

What do you think of this Tt esports MEKA PRO keyboard review? Do you agree or disagree with our verdict? Let us know in the comment section below or via social media. We’re eager to hear your thoughts.

• Follow Tt esports on Twitter
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Don’t hesitate to head over to the Tt esports homepage to see their current line-up of products. The Tt esports Black FP gaming mouse comes with a 2-year warranty. Should you need to reach Customer Support, click on this link.

This review was co-written with Gamer Jack Yang. All photographs are the copyrighted property of Thermaltake or Beantown LLC © 2017.

FTC Disclosure: Tt esports provided Beantown LLC with one (1) MEKA PRO mechanical gaming keyboard sample for review purposes. Both writers opinions are 100% their own and neither are paid product ambassadors.

Read:   Lexar JumpDrive C25i Review for iPhone or iPad

Filed Under: Gaming Hardware Tagged With: Cherry MX, gaming keyboard, mechanical keyboard, MEKA Pro, Thermaltake, tT eSports 08/22/2017

Gaming: HyperX Alloy FPS Keyboard Review

03/26/2017 By Hakan Can

HyperX Alloy FPS Keyboard Review

If you live in North America and are into Gaming, then you’ve probably heard of HyperX. By now, the high majority of us are familiar with their DRAM and Cloud headsets. But even after being on the market for five months, there are still those who aren’t aware that HyperX has entered the gaming keyboard sector. Back in October of 2016, the Alloy FPS keyboard with Cherry® MX Blue switches was introduced. Four months later, this same keyboard became available with Cherry® MX Red and Brown switches. Do you want to know how this mechanical gaming keyboard ranks with us? Without any further delay, welcome to our HyperX Alloy FPS keyboard review.HyperX Alloy FPS Keyboard Review

Pros:
• Attractive, red-on-black design
• Portable design w/detachable cable
• Solid-steel frame
• Cherry® MX switches (Red, Blue, Brown)
• Built for the gamer in mind
• Well priced at ~$100

Cons:
• No onboard memory
• Keyboard may be too heavy for some
• Keyboard may be too compact for some


Read:   HyperX Cloud Revolver Headset Review

Per Marcus Hermann, Senior Business Manager at HyperX, “HyperX is pleased to expand our Alloy FPS keyboard product line to now include Cherry MX Red or Brown switches, along with the blue switches we introduced in 2016. Gamers who play FPS classics like CS: GO or Overwatch can now choose from a variety of Alloy FPS gaming keyboards including a linear switch, a tactile switch or something in between.”

HyperX Alloy FPS Keyboard Review

HyperX Alloy FPS Design and Features

The Alloy FPS is a mechanical gaming keyboard with a 50 million push button life cycle. It comes with six different lighting effects (including a custom effect) to choose from. Of these, two in particular: “Wave” and “Explosion,” are the coolest. You can change the brightness (4 levels) to your liking.

This keyboard is compact, like those made by Coolermaster. Its exact dimensions are 17.4 x 5.1 x 1.5 inches and weighs 2.34 lbs. And in case you haven’t noticed, there’s no wrist guard/plate. You just don’t need one for the games this keyboard was designed to play with.

Flipping the keyboard over, you’ll notice a flat surface with two flip-up legs. The legs are nearly an inch wide with ample space for your thumb to open/close them. The mini-USB connection for the 6′ detachable braided cord is located at the rear of the keyboard. There’s even a USB charging port for your mobile phone battery.

HyperX Alloy FPS Keyboard Review

HyperX Alloy FPS Keyboard Review

The Alloy FPS keyboard comes with your standard Num-Lock, Caps-Lock, and Scroll-Lock, but it has another lock which is appropriately titled “Game mode.” Enabling Game mode disables the Windows key preventing any accidental press of the Windows key fatal.

Wondering about N-key rollover? There’s no need to. The Alloy FPS has 6-key/N-key modes and is 100% anti-ghosting.

You can also completely lock the keyboard out, for when you want to vacuum it or pull a key out. A key puller, as well as eight red key covers, are supplied as part of the package contents. It has the now standard media player controls such as “Previous”, “Next”, “Play/Pause”, “Mute”, Audio “Decrease”, and “Increase.” You can switch “WASD” to the arrow keys and vice versa. The keyboard also can “Increase” and “Decrease” LED backlight brightness and modes.

And before I forget, I’ve got to mention that this keyboard is portable. Within the package, contents is a terrific padded mesh carry bag.

All-in-all, it’s a nicely designed keyboard with an HX logo on the spacebar.

HyperX Alloy FPS Keyboard Review

Read:   HyperX Cloud II Headset Review

Final Thoughts

Unlike many gaming keyboards, you don’t need software to work the lighting effects. As stated above, you can change the lighting effects using the Fn + Right/Left Dimming Keys. If custom lighting effects are what you desire, then look no further than the Alloy FPS.

The keyboard itself is beautifully designed with a sturdy build. The red LED lights are bright and vibrant.

The list price of the Alloy FPS Keyboard (whether it has Cherry® MX Blue, Brown, or Red Switches) is $99.99. See the Amazon link at the bottom of this post. If you’re lucky, you may be able to catch it for $20 less on sale at Fry’s or Newegg.

It’s a rare day when we can rave about a product and not say one negative thing, but this is how we feel about the Alloy FPS keyboard. We’re sure you’ll arrive at the same conclusion.

The Alloy FPS was the first keyboard put forth by HyperX and they hit it out of the gaming arena. We highly recommend you check out this product before making your next mechanical keyboard purchase.

HyperX Alloy FPS Keyboard Review

Do you agree or disagree with any part of this post? Let us know in the comment section below or via social media. We’re eager to hear your thoughts.

The HyperX Alloy FPS mechanical gaming keyboard comes with a 2-year warranty. Should you need to reach Customer Support, feel free to call one of these two numbers: 714-435-2639 or 800-435-0640.

• Follow HyperX on Twitter
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Don’t hesitate to head over to the HyperX homepage to see their current line-up of products. We hear through the grapevine that a mouse isn’t too far away.

FTC Disclosure: HyperX provided Beantown LLC with one (1) Alloy FPS gaming keyboard sample for review purposes. This writer’s opinion is 100% his own and not a paid product ambassador.

All photographs are the copyrighted property of Beantown LLC © 2017.

Read:   HyperX Cloud Revolver S Headset Preview

Filed Under: Gaming Hardware Tagged With: Alloy FPS, gaming keyboard, HyperX 08/18/2017

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