Small, and
very nearly perfectly formed
Mechanical
keyboards have been around for decades, and for most of that time, they’ve been
relatively unfashionable devices – reserved for typing purists and those who considered
cheaper membrane keyboards uncouth. Recently, though, we’ve seen mechanical
keyboards experience a renaissance, with manufacturers keen to tout them as the
next must-have gaming peripherals.
CM Storm – Quick Fire Rapid
As ever, a
lot of what’s said is marketing hyperbole, but there are benefits to using a
mechanical board. They tend to be extremely sturdy for a start, as the
mechanical keys need to be mounted to a metal chassis. This makes even a small
model such as the CM Storm Quick Fire Rapid surprisingly weighty, lending it a
feeling of quality and stability.
The other
major benefit, and the one for which you’re paying a hefty price premium, is
the key switches themselves, which have longer travel and more tactile feedback
than membrane key switches. The silver Quick Fire Rapid we’re looking at here
uses Cherry Black switches, although there’s also a black version of the
keyboard that uses the Red switches too (SKU SGK-4000-GKCR1).
However,
the Quick Fire Rapid’s Black switches have a slightly higher actuation force,
which can make them a little less responsive, as it takes more force to
register a key press. The difference is minor, though, and the resistance can
be welcome in long gaming or typing sessions, as it makes typing less tiring.
The silver Quick Fire Rapid we’re looking at
here uses Cherry Black switches, although there’s also a black version of the
keyboard that uses the Red switches too
The other
major characteristic of the Quick Fire Rapid is its size – the board eschews
the traditional numberpad, making it almost a third smaller than other
keyboards. Some people will undoubtedly miss the extra size, but we certainly
didn’t feel restricted at any point when using the board. In fact, we
appreciated the extra room on our desk.
Our major
gripe, however, is the lack of a wrist rest – mechanical keyboards tend to sit
a little higher up off the desk due to the height of the keys, so having a
wrist rest is important and a silly omission.
As it’s a
gaming keyboard, the Quick Fire Rapid also sports n-key rollover technology,
meaning that the board can recognise any number of simultaneous key presses.
This only works when connecting the keyboard via the bundled PS/2 adaptor,
however – USB users will be limited to six-key rollover, which isn’t ideal when
so many new motherboards don’t even have PS/2 connectors. It also sports media
shortcut keys that are accessed via a function key, and a handy feature to lock
the Windows key, to avoid accidental presses when gaming.
Conclusion
The CM
Storm Quick Fire Rapid’s dinky proportions, solid build quality and affordable
price make it an attractive keyboard. It lacks some of the flair of the more
expensive Corsair Vengeance K60 but if this isn’t important to you, and you
don’t mind purchasing a separate wrist rest, then it’s a solid mechanical
gaming keyboard for the money.
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Pros and
cons
Wolverine
Small without feeling cramped;
sturdy; well priced
Storm
No wrist rest; only 6-key rollover
when using USB
How
much?
Price: $100
Manufacturer: www.cmstorm.com
SKU number: SGK-4000-GKCC1
In
detail
Connection: Wired, USB
Cable: Braided, removable
Material: Plastic and metal
Extras: Extra red WSAD keys
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Scores
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Design
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8/10
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Features
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7/10
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Value
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9/10
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Overall
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8/10
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