Cooler Master Storm QuickFire Pro Review

Looks like it is time for another mechanical keyboard review. A few months back, we looked at the Cooler Master Storm QuickFire Rapid. It was CM's first mechanical keyboard, and to the surprise of many, it came out strong with an astounding 95/100. However that is a tenkeyless board, which means it has no numberpad, which some people don't wish to compromise. This leads us to the QuickFire Pro, a mechanical 104-key board.

For those who are unaware of mechanical keyboards and what they are, here's some basic information on them. They are far more reliable and effective keyboards as they use a mechanical switch for every key. Mechanical switches actuate about half-way to the bottom, which eliminates the need for bottoming out the key, reducing fatigue in long typing sessions. Lifespan is rated about 5x more for a mechanical switch, compared to normal keyboards.

There are many different mechanical key switches designed to give a different feel; some are linear, which means the switch is pressed straight down and gives no feedback to the user. The QuickFire Rapid I reviewed uses linear switches. Then there are tactile switches, which give feedback at the actuation point (which again, is about half way to the bottom). This feedback is felt as a slight bump, and some tactile keys also combined a clicking sound with this feedback to alert the user that he/she has hit the actuation point.

Tactile keys are generally preferred for typing, since compared to linear switches, it is easier to just give them a light press so that they only travel to the actuation point, instead of bottoming out. Linear keys are generally preferred for gaming, since you will be bottoming out anyway as you hold down keys to move and do other things. Here is an in-depth mechanical keyboard guide for more information.

http://www.overclock.net/t/491752/me...keyboard-guide

The model we're looking at uses Cherry MX Brown switches, which have a slight tactile feel, no audible click, and light actuation force at 45g.

The QuickFire Pro was released recently, and that's what we'll be looking at today. It is a full size 104-key board, a premium quality product with a nice value. It features, more or less, the same minimalistic design as the QuickFire Rapid. Lets see if Cooler Master can keep up the streak!