This keyboard is close to perfect – with just a few little quibbles
The manufacturer lists this as a gaming keyboard. I think it
is that and much more. In so many ways it stands alone in terms of design,
functionality, usability and comfort.
OVERVIEW
Using a keyboard, at least for me, is a very personal thing.
I spend much more time than average at a keyboard and I have rarely found one
that is “just right”. It may have to do with the key shape, the amount of
pressure it takes to activate them, how far they travel, key spacing (which
includes how the manufacturer designs the gaps between the keys), unusual key
placement or shape, the slope of the keyboard, how the “click” sounds, and
more.
As a keyboard – forgetting whether it is used for gaming,
business or personal computing – the Crph3r hits so many of the above points so
positively that I would just like to say I love it. But I can’t. It is close to perfect but read
on to see why it left me hungry for more.
HANDS-ON
The first impression when taking it out of the shipping box
is how HEAVY it is. The first thing I did is weighed it … it came in at 5
pounds, holy cow! After further unpacking of the retail box I found an
all-black inner box with a magnetic flap that opened to reveal the keyboard in
a custom-fitted cloth carrying case and an assortment of manuals, posters and a
door-knob hanger, all printed on high-end materials. While the keyboard is
pretty substantial on its own, I found that the monolithic black box by itself
weighed in at a whopping 3 pounds, with the keyboard on its own only weighing
in at less than the remaining 2 lbs. Since I plan to use my keyboard daily and will
never store it again I guess I will have to find a use for that box to store
something valuable in, like my Stradivarius.
HIGHLIGHTS
-
119 keys (U.S. layout
-
Backlit illuminated (red) keys, dimmable
-
Bottom base lights up red (cool)
-
128k internal memory
-
6 rollover keys
-
Heavy-duty braided cable (excellent)
-
9 fully programmable macro keys – no software
needed
-
Game key (locks Windows key)
-
Gaming cluster with anti-ghosting
The biggest plus of the Cyph3r is the astounding number of
custom programmable keys and the placement of those keys. I’ve never seen
anything like it in any keyboard. Usually when there are programmable keys they
are pre-designated by the designer they way he thinks they should be used. They
are usually placed in a way that they are scattered around, often along the top
where they are hard to reach, and are small, oddly-shaped and don’t have the
same “feel” as the rest of the keys. The Cyph3r’s placement is perfect … six of
them lined up along the left side of the main keys where, with a little
practice, they can be activated by the left hand’s little finger without
looking at the keyboard … an obvious advantage for gaming but also for speed
typing. But wait, there’s more – there are also three custom keys under the
spacebar where they can be activated by touch by the thumb, just where I would
want them. All of the keys are illuminated and operate with about the same amount
of pressure and key travel.
As a gaming keyboard it checks all the right boxes regarding
key response, configurability, accuracy and virtually everything else, all
without looking “weird” (which is not a bad thing, but gaming keyboards don’t
HAVE to look weird). As a business/personal keyboard it is quieter than most
gaming keyboards, an important consideration. But it is not a silent keyboard.
The Cyph3r does something the more famous companies miss out
on by accomplishing their programmability inside the keyboard rather than by
using a cumbersome software app on your computer, which can introduce
significant lag and require almost 100MB of drive space. Programing a key takes about 5 seconds, so if
you are playing a specific game or working on a specific business project you
can program the keys just for that one time and then reprogram them at will. I
would think this keyboard would be ideal for medical, legal or similar business
uses to be able to create custom macros for a specific project.
CONS
For all the good about this keyboard, and there is a lot of
good, there are a few things that kept it off of my “perfect” list. Most of
them personal preferences rather than defects or problems, but yet it was not
perfect for me.
1.
The major issue I am having (and I’ll update
this if things change for me) is that there is some unusual key spacing and
orientation that I’m just not getting used to easily. Because the keys are very
slightly misplaced, my fingers fall naturally to the “home row” but instead of
g & h being exposed my natural position leaves g,h & j exposed and the
little finger on my right hand lands on the “ key. So when I scrunch my right
hand leftward (to an almost unnatural position) that leaves TWO keys, the “ and
the \ to my right; the \ key being EXACTLY where the Enter/Return key is on
other keyboards. Virtually every time I try to press the Enter key I get a \
instead. And the Enter key is a loooong reach with the right pinkie to get to.
2.
Similarly on the left side of the home row, my
left pinkie falls exactly between the “a” and the Caps Lock key, which I can’t
help but accidentally press. None of the
other keys are weird that way.
3.
I prefer a keyboard with totally silent keys but
I don’t mind the mechanical click and I know it comes with the territory on
nearly all gaming keyboards. What bothers me is that the keys rattle, as when I
lay my fingers gently on them and shake side-to-side they have a lot of lateral
movement … noisy movement. The space bar feels totally differently and I wish
all the keys felt and sounded like it. The video below includes a sound clip comparing the keystroke sound to my old keyboard.
4.
The
backlighting isn’t even, in other words each letter and numeral looks
“splotchy” and hard to read. I had to turn it off, which is a shame because it
looks cool. When the backlighting is off the keys have a very nice medium gray
lettering on a near-black background that is easy to read and attractive. The
reason I have to look at the keys is because of the difficulty I’m having
getting used to the spacing.
I know it sounds like a lot of cons but honestly, none of
them a deal-breakers. You may get used to it faster than me and the key sounds
may be exactly what you’re used to. Once I’m used to it I may edit this from
another perspective. The only way you will know for sure if it works for you is
to try it, which I encourage, because this is very much a quality keyboard with
some excellent features.
The Cyph3r is built, as they say, like a tank. I am so happy with it that it has replaced my existing
keyboard and I am committed to having it become my everyday all-purpose
keyboard for gaming, business and everything else. It is soooo close to a 5-star keyboard but
what kept it away, after everything was counted, were two things … the distant
reach to the “enter” key and the side-to-side key wobble/noise. Like I said
earlier, neither may be a make-or-break for you.
Bottom line
If you are used to the sound of mechanical
keyboards, you can ignore any of my personal preferences, it is only because I
have to use the same keyboard late at night and a silent keyboard is an
important consideration for me. As far as the key spacing, well again that is a
personal preference. I am not a speed typist, although at least I don’t have to
look at the keys anymore. How the keys are arranged may be meaningless to you.
Remember, a 4-star rating means “I like it” (as opposed to the extra star
meaning “I love it”). This is still a well-made, high quality keyboard with
some excellent features and I recommend you give it serious consideration.
OVERVIEW VIDEO:
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