Kailh makes keyboards? Yes! But the one we’re reviewing today, the Kailh Hexgears KHBSJNB-0795, is a special edition product designed as a demonstration platform for Kailh’s new BOX mechanical switches which is what we’re actually reviewing today.

The Kailh BOX mechanical switch is a relatively new switch on the market and has a few new design changes from the traditional Kailh switches we all know and love. The Kailh BOX switches were released back in June 2017 and is now just starting to trickle into mainstream mechanical keyboard designs. Unlike the previous Cherry clones, the Kailh BOX comes in its own line of stem [...]

Although Patriot Memory is most well known for its memory kits, Patriot has become quite the major player in the gaming peripheral business in the past few years.

At CES 2017 earlier this year, we were first introduced to the Patriot Viper V770 mechanical gaming keyboard, which would be Patriot’s flagship mechanical gaming keyboard of 2017. At the show, the Patriot Viper V770 showed quite a bit of promise as a solid premium mechanical gaming keyboard with features such as RGB backlit Kailh Red Switches, a ton of built-in features, dedicated macros, and a LED wristrest.

Over the past few months, we’ve had the opportunity to review [...]

Sometimes it’s better to think inside the box.

The new Kailh BOX switches have their stem sitting inside a protective box. This decreases the width of the gap between the stem and the switch housing when the key is depressed. The contact leaves also seem to be contained in their own compartments inside the switch, leaving no metal components exposed. As a result, the Kailh BOX switches are rated to be IP56 dust and water resistant and have a minimum lifespan of 80 million keystrokes.

The Kailh BOX switches will come in Red, Brown, White, and Black variants. Other than the new housing and a slightly shorter actuation distance, the BOX switches are [...]

Razer’s BlackWidow Chroma mechanical gaming keyboard is one of our favorite mechanical gaming keyboards here at Custom PC Review and it looks like Razer is giving it a minor update for 2017.

As a minor update, Razer is for the most part keeping the design of the V2 version of the keyboard the same as the original except it will now feature a magnetic wrist-rest which should help make the keyboard a bit more comfortable for long typing or gaming sessions. Razer will also debut a new switch option as well which will be their new Razer Yellow switch, a linear switch with 45g of actuation force similar in specs to the Cherry MX Red switch.

Aside from [...]

At CES 2017, AZIO is spicing up the keyboard market with some eccentric keyboard designs.

Say what you want, but Azio’s MK Retro 2 sports the most interesting keyboard designed we’ve seen at CES 2017. The Retro 2 is inspired by the vintage design of the timeless typewriter and sporting the tactile Kailh Blue switches, the keyboard simulates the tactile feel and the sound as well. The Khail Blue switches on the Retro 2 have custom mounts with the LED embedded directly in the center. Though this design does help with lighting distribution, it also means that it’s incompatible with standard [...]

Ever since I laid my hands on a mechanical keyboard several years ago, I was hooked. Today, almost every keyboard I own is mechanical with the exception of the keyboard on my laptop and a Bluetooth keyboard I use from time to time with my HTPC or tablet. Wouldn’t it be great if everything could be mechanical? I sure think so and Razer seems to think so as well.

Several weeks ago, Razer introduced their new Ultra Low-Profile Mechanical Switches which attempts to solve one of the biggest hurdles to mechanical switches being implemented in portable applications – size. Up until this point, [...]

As awesome and essential as mechanical keyboards are, it’s often difficult to justify tossing a benjamin or two on a keyboard when a cheap $10 one works just fine. However for PC enthusiasts, gamers and typists, a good mechanical keyboard is not just a commodity, but a necessity.

So what’s out there for those who aren’t looking to drop some serious money on a keyboard? Well, there honestly weren’t a whole lot of options for a long time until recently when Cherry’s mechanical switch patents expire making way for cheaper cloned designs.

One of the most cost-efficient ways to improve the looks of a keyboard is to slap on some pretty lights. This is an easy way to boost the “wow” factor without complicated modifications and additional investment from the manufacturer.

That’s exactly what Thermaltake did with its hugely popular Poseidon Z keyboard. The Poseidon Z is well-known around the web for being one the most affordable and value-oriented keyboards on the market. Not only does its price give gamers an incentive to upgrade from membrane, it does so without compromising on build quality.

Today we’ll be taking a look [...]

ROCCAT announced its Suora Keyboard a while back, but we weren’t able to get our fingers on one. Luckily, ROCCAT had a demo unit on display for us to try out at Computex 2016.

The ROCCAT Suora follows the recent rise in popularity of caseless mechanical keyboards. The chassis is recessed to show put the switches on display. The bezels are nearly flush with the keys, giving it a very small footprint when sitting on your desk. Currently, the ROCCAT Suora only comes with blue backlighting at launch.

It was interesting to see that the ROCCAT Suora uses TTC switches instead of Cherry or Kailh. TTC is a major switch producer in China and is a [...]