QPAD have gone their own way and are using Cherry MX Blue keys in their MK-80 keyboard. As an added twist QPAD have included adjustable back lighting and audio pass-through alongside a USB 2.0 hub. This feature packed keyboard will soon be available for around €120.
The QPAD MK-80 keyboard differs in quite a few ways from your average mechanical gaming keyboard. For one there is the back lighting, and secondly the keys have a rubbery coating on them. Besides the extravagant features you also get a decent wrist rest in the bundle.
Specifications :
- Key switch: Cherry MX blue mechanical switch technology
- N Key Rollover: Gaming cluster with anti-ghosting capability
- Key strokes: 50 million
- Lighting: Individual LED backlight
- Lighting features: Four levels of brightness
- Connectors: Gold plated connectors for extremely low latency
- Media keys: Media keys for volume control, play, pause and skip tracks
- USB Hub: Two high speed USB 2.0 ports
- Audio ports: 3.5mm Headphone-out and microphone-in jacks
- Cable: 1.8 meter extra thick cable
- Extras: 4 extra orange key caps and key cap puller
- Dimensions: Keyboard 44.45 x 14.48 x 2.54 cm (17.5 x 5.7 x 1 inch), Wrist pad 44.45 x 6.1 x 1.4 cm (17.5 x 2.4 x 0.55 inch)
- Weight: 1.27 kg (2.8LBS)
- Warranty: 2 year
The bundle includes everything you might need and then some. Among the treats is a key cap remover along with four spare bright orange keys you could use to highlight the WASD area.
Because of the pass through feature and USB 2.0 hub the one cable that leaves the keyboard splits into four separate leads. Two mini-jacks for the headset transport, a PS/2 connector for the keyboard and a USB connector for the integrated hub.
Closer Examination
The MK-80 keyboard from QPAD looks really good compared to most gaming keyboards. The design is slightly anonymous with the lights off but once they are turned on it becomes a very prominent figure on your desktop.
Cherry MX Blues with a twist! QPAD have managed to create a keyboard with back lighting. This also means that the lettering on the key caps will not wear off any time soon, unlike that of keyboards with printed lettering.
In order to improve comfort the key scape is slightly bent. This means that all the keys are in roughly the same distance to your fingers no matter what row they are situated on. Also worth noticing in that the entire keyboard is covered with a non-slip rubber-like coating. This feels a bit odd at first but after a while you learn to appreciate the softer feel of the keys.
At the top right corner we find the three key lock indicators. These glow with the same intensity all the time which is quite annoying. Since the keyboard already has a dimming system it makes no sense. These three diodes should have been hooked up to the light controller like the rest of the 101 keys!
Performance
The QPAD MK-80 keyboard's feel differs quite a bit from that of the other recently reviewed mechanical keyboards. Due to the use of the Cherry MX Blue key mechanisms this keyboard gives you two types of distinctive tactile feedback. One click when the keys reach actuation point and one slam when they hit the bottom. This makes the QPAD MK-80 the noisiest keyboard we have ever come across.
Once you get over the sometimes excessive noise the keyboard is a very solid performing one. The rubberized feel of the keys is certainly pleasant and the adjustable back lightning works like a charm. There is only one issue with the lighting control and that is the fact that it does not dim the num-lock, scroll-lock and caps-lock lights at the top right corner of the keyboard.
Gaming
In terms of gaming performance the Cherry MX Blue type key mechanism is not as bad as one might think. Sure the sound is obtrusive but the keys themselves work quite well for FPS gaming. The real issue is that the keys feel a bit slow going over the hump compared to how fast you can actually move your fingers. This will hamper performance of any competitive RTS or RPG gamer to some extent their double taps are crucial. The actuation force of the Blue keys is somewhere in the middle between the semi soft Browns and the hard Blacks.
Like the other gaming keyboards the QPAD MK-80 features full N-key roll-over when hooked up via the PS/2 port. On USB 2.0 this is limited to a 6 key roll-over. Whether this is a problem or not depends solely on the game you play and how you play it. A lot of gamers will never hit these limits.
Typing
For general typing tasks the QPAD MK-80 is good, although it feels slightly slower to type on than the Zowie Celeritas which features Cherry MX Brown keys. The extra tactile feedback from the Cherry MX Blue key mechanism is not essential at all if your typing style is relatively normal. At various speed typing tests the QPAD performed the same as the Zowie Celeritas, but it took a while to get used to the added feedback.
The use of Cherry MX Blue keys is controversial. The MX Blues feature a click mechanism and the usual tactile feedback. This doubles the noise the keyboard makes when typing because there are two sources. The actuation force is a little higher than that of the Cherry MX Browns which were featured on the Zowie mechanical keyboard, and a lot easier to press down than the Cherry MX Blacks of the Tt eSPORT Meka keyboard.
Durability
The QPAD MK-80 is a well put together keyboard. It is perhaps not as durable as the simpler constructions available like the Zowie Celeritas. The Cherry key mechanisms are incredibly durable and since the LEDs are positioned outside the key mechanisms the Cherry keys are not weakened at all. The attachment mechanism for the wrist rest seems to handle abuse quite well.The rubber coating on the keys is an unknown factor here. We have not come across it before and therefore we have no idea how long it will last. During our tests the surface held up really well and it is quite scratch resistant. Since the keyboard has clear keys painted black, the lettering will remain clear for a long time, until you wear through the thick black coating.
Since there are many things integrated into this particular keyboard the possibility of failure is a bit greater than that of a normal one. However, the MK-80 seems built really well. Two weeks of intense use did not affect the looks or performance of the keyboard, which bodes well for its long term durability.
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