The G.Skill KM570 ΜΧ Mechanical Keyboard Review: Sturdy & Efficient
by E. Fylladitakis on August 4, 2017 8:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Mechanical Keyboards
- Peripherals
- G.Skill
- Keyboard
- Cherry MX
Conclusion
Not every person is willing to pay the premium price of a mechanical keyboard that is loaded with all kinds of bells and whistles. G.Skill entered the market with the extravagant KM780 that we reviewed two years ago and found it to be a very good top-of-the-line, yet expensive, keyboard. The company knew that they had to release keyboards with more enticing price tags in order to grab a sizable piece of the market, which led to the cost-effective KM570 series.
Even though it can be easily mistaken for a typical office keyboard, looks can be deceiving with the KM570 MX; under the hood beats the heart of a high quality mechanical keyboard. It will not win any aesthetic/design contest, but it is very well made, with durable plastics, a steel frame, and genuine Cherry MX switches. It does not have any features such as a USB hub or macro keys, but it does have four extra keys that provide sound volume control without having to result to keystroke combinations. The use of keys is not as effective as a wheel but it does get the job done.
G.Skill sells four different variants of the KM570 MX – one each for the four different Cherry MX switch types – so each user can pick the switch that suits their needs. The sample that we reviewed featured Cherry MX Red switches, which are very comfortable and responsive for long-term gaming, yet professionals might prefer a switch with tactile feedback instead. What both gamers and professionals are likely to need is a good wrist rest, as the KM570 MX is a very tall keyboard and it can be very uncomfortable for after long gaming or work sessions, especially if the desktop is at or above the user’s stomach level.
The one weak link of the KM570 MX is its very rudimentary macro support. The keyboard does support basic on-the-fly macro recording of keystroke macros but it has no profiling support. Each time the user programs a macro, it has to overwrite the function of an existing key. In order to get that key back to its default state, the user has to delete the macros. Re-programming the macros each time they are necessary is quite an ordeal. It would be very difficult to use this function, unless the keyboard is solely dedicated for gaming and some stock key functions can be discarded without issues. This is where the more expensive KM570 RGB comes in, with its software profiling and macro programming support, which is its major advantage over the KM570 MX.
G.Skill’s MSRP for the KM570 MX is $100, a price that is not very appealing considering the capabilities of the keyboard. However, the KM570 MX can be currently found retailing for less than $80, which is a fair price tag for a device with genuine Cherry MX switches. Despite its shortcomings, the KM570 MX is a cost effective mechanical keyboard for those that do not care about advanced functions and RGB lighting. Gamers and professionals that seek to employ complex commands that require software programmability and control will have to look elsewhere.
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Ssoyd - Sunday, August 6, 2017 - link
You're getting pretty hard up for things to review when you choose an over priced keyboard.Ssoyd - Sunday, August 6, 2017 - link
I can type just as well on a $10 keyboard.damianrobertjones - Monday, August 7, 2017 - link
I do type faster on my mech keyboard compared to the standard type. Not that much faster but it is easier.BrokenCrayons - Monday, August 7, 2017 - link
People are silly and will invent any number of reasons why they think they're gaining benefits that offset the added cost. Companies would be foolish not to take advantage of those people. That applies to basically any product sold including computer interface devices.Dug - Monday, August 7, 2017 - link
Wish list:Low profile keys (~6mm vs. 11.5), mx brown or equivalent, macros, backlight, no numberpad.
So tired of these ergonomically incorrect mechanical keyboards that make a ton of noise. I watch people type on these and cringe. Good wrist rest is needed that extends to end of desk so arms don't drop.
DanNeely - Tuesday, August 8, 2017 - link
If you want quiet you're going to have to go for an oring mod; especially since you want low profile which means less room for key travel before bottoming out. I got one with reds because they're one of the "silent" switches; the clack of them bottoming out was, while not as awful as blue switches I tried in retail, several times louder than any membrane keyboard I'd ever typed on. Modding it quieted it to within the normal range for the latter. Not silent, but no longer anti-socially loud.karanzale - Wednesday, August 9, 2017 - link
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I've had the RGB MX-Brown version for a few month now and love it. It's literally my first mechanical keyboard since the old IBMs (been using some higher end Microsoft board for last 5+). While the method of setting up macro's isn't the best, it's super easy once you learn how to do it. And it's stored on the keyboard so you can plug it into any computer and it'll have the macros saved. The RGB software was also a little rough around the edges for the first 10 minutes, but once I figured out you could "drag and drop" a color across a region of keys and then pick out the individual ones later, it was also no problem.Overall I'm very happy with mine, the colors are super vibrant but by far the most important aspect is that there's no lightbleed. Whether between keys or light coming out the bottom, G.Skill made this keyboard perfect for gaming in a dark room. The only complaint I have, which Anand mentioned, was that some keys have their main icon/letter on the top (primarily just the F keys). The light isn't as strong for the top icon compared to the bottom, so the F keys are a little harder to see than they should be for a keyboard of this quality. Other than that, it's built like a tank, braided cables, no lightbleed, etc. I strongly recommend it if you're in the market for an RGB 10-key board.
zogus - Friday, August 18, 2017 - link
Cherry MX switch keyboards are more or less predictable nowadays. I'd like to see more reviews of mechanical keyboards using other technologies.aptoide apk - Saturday, August 19, 2017 - link
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