I was finally able to purchase one for review and my personal use. So
today we're looking at the CM Storm QuickFire Rapid keyboard, namely the
Cherry MX Red switch model.
This switch model appeals to gamers since it has no tactile bump or
click, and low actuation force for faster double tapping and easier
response. For more information on mechanical keyboards, see this
guide. But to put it in a nutshell, the main benefits to a mechanical
keyboard are a much better feel. Normal keyboards have a mushy feel and
quite simply, once you use a mechanical keyboard, you won't want to
turn back. Mechanical switches are also far more reliable and there is a
large variety of them with a different feel for each. They also reduce
fatigue, as the actuation point is not all the way at the bottom. Now
lets take a closer look at the keyboard itself.
Model Number: SGK-4000-GKCR1
Key Switch: CHERRY Red
N Key Rollover: N key in PS/2 mode
Polling Rate: 1000 Hz / 1 ms
Interface: USB / PS/2
Extra Keys: 6 pcs
Keycap Puller: Yes
USB Cable: Removable
Dimensions: 355(L) x 135(W) x 35(H) mm
Weight: 940g / 2.1 lbs
MSRP: RM315 or $89.99 USD (red switch model)
Notice how the QuickFire Rapid comes with both USB and PS2 interface
compatibility. Excellent! This reminds me of their Sirus headset which
comes with both 3.5mm jacks and USB cables. Cooler Master really knows
about versatility and I'm glad that they continued the trend. PS/2 is
superior to USB for a few reasons: the first being that it supports NKRO
or N key as listed above, which allows all keys to be pressed at once
and they'll all go through. In USB mode, you only have 6KRO or 6 key
rollover (with this particular model at least, I've seen some USB
keyboards have around 20KRO). It also has a detachable USB cable
(mini-USB on the keyboard, full size or PS/2 on the other end). PS/2
interface also can't be delayed due to other devices.
Six extra keys come with the keyboard as well as a keycap puller which
comes in handy especially for cleaning. The dimensions indicate this is
a compact keyboard, and this is because of the omission of a numberpad.
This is a wise choice for a gaming keyboard, and if you want one with a
numberpad, you should wait for the upcoming QuickFire Pro or Trigger.
Despite the compact size, the weight is quite high. In fact, it is much
heavier than the Logitech G11 its replacing which is much larger. The
MSRP is lower than most mechanical keyboards due to the lack of a
numberpad. I found one very similar Leopold for the same price - it too
has a detachable USB cable, no numberpad, PS/2 and USB support, and
Cherry MX Red switches. However, that Leopold doesn't come with the
extra keys, keycap puller, or one particular feature I love about the
QuickFire Rapid which you'll see later.
With the specifications out of the way,
it is time to examine the packaging of the QuickFire Rapid. I ordered
it from the Cooler Master Store, since the red switch model is listed as
a CM Store exclusive item. The Cherry MX Blue version can be found at
various retailers. As for the Brown and Black switch models, you'll
have to order overseas for them. Anyway the box has nice art on it as
well as full specifications on the back.
So that pretty much wraps up this section. The packaging alone bears no
surprises, but I love the six spare keys and keypuller. These things
would normally drive the cost up even more, but you get them with a
mechanical keyboard that costs less than the majority of its
competition. Time to move on to the more interesting stuff.
I just love the font on the keys, don't you? I've never seen it before
and it gives it even more of a unique appearance. They're laser etched,
by the way. Although the font is nice, they're only ABS keycaps and
combined with the Costar stabilizers, they wiggle around a little bit.
Costar stabilizers don't alter the feel of the switch like Cherry ones,
but Cherry stabilizers are more stable and make it easier to remove the
bigger keycaps such as shift, enter, and spacebar. I would have
preferred to see PBT keycaps nonetheless. The red outline underneath
the keys is easily visible and adds to the awesome look. It continues
the red and black theme - something that CM Storm is known for since the
Storm Scout chassis, most of their mice, and their Sirus headset.
You'll find CM Storm branding on a few areas of the keyboard itself, as
well as on the Windows keys (rather than a Windows logo we have a CM
Storm logo) and the spacebar which reads QUICK FIRE. I've seen some
people complain about this, but I rather like it. But like it or not,
it doesn't affect how the keyboard feels or performs.
On the back of the keyboard you'll a mini-USB port for the detachable
USB cable (which can and should be used with the PS/2 adapter). The
cable has excellent and complete sleeving - nearly identical to their
mice and Sirus headphones. There is also a pair of foldable stands used
to tilt the keyboard. There are a total of six feet - the foldable
ones, one next to each of those, and two more on the opposite side. The
non foldable ones are rubberized.
Here is a shot of the included keycap puller. To use it, simply place
it around the key like so. Once you hear it snap into place, hold the
keyboard down with one hand and then lift the keycap puller with the
other.
Here is an overhead shot of the keyboard with the WASD keycaps replaced
with the included replacements, as well as the CTRL keys replaced by the
included Cooler Master keys. I also turned on CAPS LOCK and SCROLL
LOCK to show you how they light up when enabled. Unfortunately, there
is no backlight on the keyboard. The F5 to F12 keys function as
multimedia keys. To use them, hold FN and just press them. The
multimedia function will activate instead of the F key function.
Here's another shot of the keyboard. A cool feature on the QuickFire
Rapid is that you can enable a "Game mode" which locks the Windows keys.
This is useful since normally, when in a game, pressing the Windows
keys (accidentally) will exit your game. With the windows keys lock,
they don't function and won't interrupt your game. To enable it, simply
hold that FN key for a second or two, then press F9 at the same time
and release both keys. The F9 key will then light up like the CAPS LOCK
and SCROLL LOCK keys, signaling that the Windows keys are now locked.
One thing I dislike, which nearly every keyboard has, is how the keys
sit in grooves, allowing dust to build up around the keys and making it
harder to clean.
So upon first look of the Cooler Master Storm QuickFire Rapid, I have
mostly positive impressions. The weight and the feel of the keyboard is
absolute top quality. I love the rubber-coated finish as well as the
unique font, and just overall styling aspects. The Windows key lock is a
very useful feature, as is the detachable USB cable with PS/2 adapter.
However I keep wishing there was a backlight. For this particular
model, a red backlight would be perfect. At least it substitutes for
this with the red paintjob underneath the keys. I'd also like to see
the keys elevated so they no longer sit in grooves, which just catch
dust and make it harder to clean. PBT keycaps would have been nice as
well. Nevertheless things are looking mostly positive for the QuickFire
Rapid. Lets get on to the performance now.
The CM Storm QuickFire Rapid uses Cherry MX Red mechanical switches
which have a low actuation force, and no tactile bump or click. This
may be best for gamers, who need a fast response and don't need a
tactile bump/click. These switches are nearly identical to Cherry MX
Black switches, except black require more force to actuate.
Mechanical switches are louder if you bottom out, but once again,
mechanical switches don't have to bottom out in order to activate. This
is the benefit of the tactile bump/click of other switches - they let
you know that you hit the actuation point (which is about half way down
to the bottom on most or all mechanical switches), so they let you know
when you can let go. Once again Cherry MX Red switches, which this
particular model uses, lacks this since most gamers don't want that feel
as it might get in the way, and gamers usually bottom out anyway. If
you type without bottoming out, then these red switches are silent and
even quieter than normal keyboards.
So for the performance tests, I did a word per minute (WPM) test using this
website. Now I don't type a whole lot - I got this keyboard for gaming
since that's what I do most with my computer. For these tests, I did
three different word per minute tests (each one has different text) and
took the average of them. With the Logitech G11, my average was about 88 WPM,
scoring 88 on the first, 91 second, and 84 on the third and a maximum
of 3 errors. With the CM Storm QuickFire Rapid, I scored an average of 99 WPM,
scoring 98 on the first test, 93 on the second, and 106 on the last
with a maximum of 3 errors. So that's a difference of 11 WPM which is
very good, but increasing WPM probably isn't why people buy a Cherry MX
Red switch keyboard.
I did some gaming tests as well, playing a while in the original Turok
game (an FPS with platforming elements), Serious Sam 3: BFE, The Elder
Scrolls V: Skyrim, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Shadow of Chernobyl, and even
Battlefield 3. While playing all of these, the far superior feel of
pressing the keys becomes evident once again. Mechanical keys are
linear so pressing keys gives a more precise feel. I used Battlefield 3
just for the Quick Time Events, and I can double tap much faster with
the mechanical switches. The low activation force also helps with
platforming in Turok which requires constant jumping.
The bottom line is, there is no comparison between regular keyboards and
mechanical keyboards. The feel is totally different and I actually
hate typing on regular ones. They just feel so mushy, cheap, and give a
less positive response. Whether you're gaming or typing, you use your
keyboard a lot so I don't mind paying extra for a keyboard that feels
and functions much better.
The Cooler Master Storm QuickFire Rapid is listed as a gaming keyboard,
and for that it does the job perfectly. The lack of a numberpad is a
bonus for gamers in my book - numberpad just gets in the way and now I
have more space for a larger mousepad and a joystick. This is the first
mechanical keyboard I've owned, and while I have experience with the
old mechanical IBM keyboards (Buckling spring switches I believe), but
these Cherry MX Red switches are something else. The low actuation
force and lack of a tactile bump/click makes them a great choice for
gamers. On top of that, the QuickFire Rapid has great styling even
though the lack of a backlight disappoints me, but the price is hard to
beat for a mechanical keyboard. Time to score the product, with 5 being
the highest in the subcategories and 100 being the highest overall
score.
Appearance: The QuickFire Rapid has a
black and red theme going on, which matches other CM Storm peripherals
and also indicates that it uses Cherry MX Red switches. The finish is
appealing and fitting, and the font on the keys is excellent. No
backlight will hurt the score, but only slightly. 4.5/5
Construction:
Everything about the board construction is excellent. It has a very
hefty feel and is quite heavy for a keyboard (especially a small one), a
nice rubber coating on the surface, and of course Cherry MX Red
mechanical switches. Cable sleeving is perfect and the included stands
do the job just fine. I'm not a fan of having the keys sit in grooves,
but nearly every keyboard has that issue. However, I will remove a
quarter point for the ABS keycaps. 4.75/5
Performance:
There isn't much performance to a keyboard to be honest. Since this
one uses mechanical switches, it causes less fatigue and gives more
positive feedback. My WPM went up by 11, I'll make even less mistakes
in games, and double tap much faster. 5/5
Functionality:
The QuickFire Rapid has no programmable keys, as the price would
suggest, but it has the Windows key lock, detachable USB cable, PS/2
adapter, multimedia keys, and the included keycap puller and key
replacements. PLUG N PLAY IS THE BEST. No complaints really. 5/5
Value:
At RM315 at Malaysia bought it from local retailer, the QuickFire Rapid red switch model costs Rm30 more than the
blue switch model because the Cherry MX Red switches are harder to find
as far as I understand. So its value compared to
other mechanical keyboards is excellent, it is still over twice as
expensive as a generic keyboard. The differences are huge, but many are
not yet comfortable with the price difference. 4.5/5
Overall: 95/100
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