#Cm storm quickfire rapid blue full#

This not to say that a QuickFire with the MX Blue switches is flatly unpleasant to use as a gaming keyboard, however. The Cherry MX Black switches found in my Steelseries 7G keyboard would be preferable. The noise of the switch doesn’t add anything to your experience, and the tactile snap of switch engagement feels unusual when quickly tapping the same key over and over. You’ll sound as if you’re typing at a 1,000 words per minute even when you’re just posting a comment on Facebook.Īs a gaming switch, however, the MX Blue has downsides. If you’re working on a keyboard with the MX Blue, people are sure to know it. Every key press is registered by both touch and by sound. This makes the MX Blue a good switch for typing. It also provides feedback to your ears through a “click” noise which occurs at the point where a key press is registered. When pressed it provides feedback to your fingers due by the way the key seems to snap down. There are various versions of the QuickFire with different mechanical switch types sold in different markets, but the one we received featured the Cherry MX Blue. This is a mechanical keyboard, which means it uses individual, mechanical switches for each key, rather than a mushy silicone membrane. That’s a good thing, of course - becoming familiar with this keyboard is simple - but the lack of macro or special function keys will disappoint some gamers. Everything is exactly where you would expect it to be. What you have here is about a foot and a half of keyboard. Unfortunately, this keyboard doesn’t make up for the missing keys with unique macro buttons or interesting functionality. Although the numpad can theoretically be used to bind additional game functions in certain titles, I’ve never actually used it for that. Like a half-finished bowl of cereal.ĭo these advantages justify the loss of the numpad? That is going to depend on the user, but for most gamers I think the answer is yes. The positioning was also much more convenient, freeing up space on my busy desk for other important objects. During these, I found that my mouse arm was more comfortable and that I could game longer without feeling tension in my shoulder. I used this keyboard for a number of long gaming sessions in Star Wars: The Old Republic. By ensuring your mouse hand don’t have to move far, a more comfortable and more effective gaming position is achieved.Īt least that’s the theory. With the numpad out of the way, there’s more room for your mouse hand, which means that your arm doesn’t have to be moved over to the side of your desk to use your mouse. You’ll find no numpad here, which of course serves the purpose of making the keyboard smaller than most others, and also likely helps the product reach its low MSRP. Wait a second! This keyboard is missing its numpad! If you take even a glance at the QuickFire, you’re sure to be struck by something odd. Does the budget pricing require too many sacrifices? Let’s find out. Only the basic RazerBlackWidow limbos into the same bracket as the QuickFire. While Corsair, Steelseries and Razer offer excellent competitors, most are priced over $100. There certainly could be a market for this.

#Cm storm quickfire rapid blue full#

New Cooler Master gaming monitor has killer mini-LED screenĬooler Master’s GamePod is a gaming chair ripped straight from a sci-fi movieĬooler Master's new MasterKeys Pro series lights up with full RGB LEDs One of its early offerings is the CMStorm QuickFire Rapid, a mechanical gaming keyboard that promises the tactile pleasure of a mechanical switch at a low price (the MSRP is $79.99 in the United States, and similarly inexpensive in other markets). The company is still just sticking its toes into the water with keyboards, however. Some of the new products, such as the mid-range Storm Spawn and Storm Sentinel mice, have been well received by consumers so far. Maybe worried that the Cooler Master name doesn’t relate to peripherals clearly, the company has been releasing keyboards and mice under the CMStorm brand.

This includes names like Gigabyte, Corsair, and Cooler Master. Perhaps enticed by that success, more and more keyboards are debuting from companies that you’ve probably heard of, but don’t associate with gaming keyboards. Now some of those brands, like Razer, have become household names among gamers. Five years ago, Logitech felt like the only game in town, joined only by a few niche brands. Gaming keyboards seem to be enjoying a revival as of late.