CM Storm NovaTouch TKL Topre Switch Keyboard Review




/ 9 years ago

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Introduction


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New keyboards are a fairly common thing in this industry, I see wave after wave of mechanical and membrane switch keyboards come through the office each year. However, very few of the keyboards I review have had me as excited as the NovaTouch TKL. The NovaTouch has been a long time coming, we’ve seen it at trade shows around the world for over two years now, but it’s finally here and ready for consumers! Cooler Master has ditched the usual choices of Cherry, Kailh or any other brand of mechanical switch for this keyboard, instead opting for hybrid capacitive switches from Topre.

“Built to impress, the NovaTouch TKL utilizes exclusive Hybrid Capacitive switches which are exceptionally quiet and suitable for heavy-duty typing or gaming. The actuation force is precision-tuned to the strength of your fingers, while an ultra smooth, tactile key process makes NovaTouch the best feeling keyboard on the market” – CM Storm

The NovaTouch switches are a patented design, which use a spring mounted switch with an electrostatic capacitive sensor. Combined they offer a unique typing sensation that removes the key bounce associated with mechanical switches such as the Cherry MX range, while offering smooth and linear key travel. Cooler Master say this keyboard is ideal for gaming and typing, no doubt designed with the PC enthusiast in mind. Can this really be one of the best keyboards in the world? There’s only one way to find out.

As you can see from the specifications below, the NovaTouch TKL is equipped with a 1000hz/1ms polling rate, a high quality removable braided USB cable, N-Key Rollover and more; all fairly standard stuff for a high-end keyboard.

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One thing I really like about this keyboard is that it comes bundled with a set of rubber O-Ring mods. If you don’t know what these are, check out our review of them right here. There’s a gold plated USB to micro-USB cable, a key-cap removal tool and a simple quick start guide.

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The keyboard is pretty standard is terms of design. It’s constructed from high quality plastics and has a nice lightly textured matte finish to the chassis and the keys; giving it a premium quality, yet understated look.

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There are no glaring logos, no flashy lights, no chrome strips or any of that other nonsense which you often see on high-end gaming friendly keyboards. The NovaTouch is sleek, clean and tidy.

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Each of the key caps are really nicely finished, with a clear font and a slight curve to each key that provides a nice finger resting position.

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The keyboard isn’t completely void of extra features, and you’ll find a few FN shift functions on the F-keys. F9-F12 will give you access to a Windows key lock and system volume control.

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The keyboard has a slightly raised rear and a slow curve from front to back; this provides a nice typing position. The height can also be increased with the rear kickstands.

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Around the back of the NovaTouch TKL you’ll find a micro-USB port tucked away on one side, as well as the only bit of obvious branding on the other.

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The keyboard is fairly heavy at 895g, and there are four tough rubber grips on the base; so it’s unlikely to start sliding around on your desk.

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The flip up feet are plastic, but they’re still pretty durable compared to the ones we often see on keyboards. There’s also a rubber grip on the base of each foot.

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The new switches certainly look different from most mechanical keyboards, in fact they’re quite similar in appearance to plunger style switches. One thing I do like, is that the switches are fully compatible with Cherry MX stem key-caps, so you can still install a set of custom caps if you wanted to. Cooler Master had these switches specially made to feature the MX stem in the middle, all other Topre switches I’ve seen do not have this.

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The key caps can easily be removed with the included key-cap puller, allowing for quick and easy maintenance of your keyboard.

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As I mentioned before, the NovaTouch comes bundled with a set of O-Ring mods to help reduce key noise. Here you can see I’ve installed a few on the WASD keys to demonstrate how they’re installed. This will prevent the key caps from bottoming out as hard and should make them a little less noisy to type on.

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Performance


Performance on this keyboard has to be 100% stunning, at this price range there is no other acceptable level that I could tolerate. Fortunately, it doesn’t disappoint. The Topre switches are obviously the major selling point here and given that they’re manufactured by Topre, rather than Cooler Master’s own interpretation of the technology, you can rest assured that you’re going to get the premium quality we’ve come to expect from Topre switches. Of course, this will only hold true for anyone who has tried a Topre switch before, which is unlikely given that they’re still quite a rarity.

The typing actuation is really slick on these switches. They require 45g of force and travel 4mm (without O-Rings installed). It does still have some of the feel of a Cherry mechanical switch, if anything it’s like a blend of MX Red and MX Black, but at the same time it’s nothing like either. The switches are a lot smoother and have a perfectly linear action, they don’t bottom out on the chassis of the keyboard either. There’s no clank as the key bottoms out, but you still get a nice bump that gives the key a quick sprung return; thisis great for firing off rapid keystrokes when touch typing or playing StarCraft II.

Gaming performance, typing performance, general day to day use,  they’re all the same on this keyboard, a wonderful typing experience from start to finish. The keys certainly feel unique and after a few days of extensive typing, my fingers feel far more rested than they normally do from my usual favourite switch of choice, MX Black.

The keys are a little noisy, as is the case with most mechanical-style keyboards, even more so when compared to membrane switches. The O-Ring mods are a welcome addition, but they only shave off 2 dBa from the overall noise levels; but if you need them, every little helps.

There are no extra software features here, so don’t expect crazy macro recording, shortcut keys or any of that nonsense. What we have here is a pretty basic keyboard don’t incredibly well; nothing more, nothing less.

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Final Thoughts


Price

The Cooler Master NovaTouch TKL really is the play thing of the enthusiast. The £149.99 price tag sets it out of the range of your average consumer, as you’ve got to take your keyboards pretty seriously to make that kind of investment. It’s especially expensive given the rather limited feature set, even more so when compared with the range of Cherry equipped mechanical keyboards that are around the same price; often packed full of extra features.

Overview

Cooler Master have gone all out to make on the best typing experiences available on the market and it’s certainly paid off. Typing on the NovaTouch really is unlike any other keyboard I’ve ever used. It feels quick and responsive enough for competitive gaming, whilst also being simple and professional in terms of design. This makes it a perfect choice for those who spend all day typing news and reviews, then gaming on an evening; that’ll be me then.

The big downside is of course the price. It’s a very expensive keyboard, which feels like a bad deal given that you’ve got no software configuration for macros, no dedicated macro keys, no dedicated multimedia keys, no backlighting features and it’s not even a full size keyboard. So what exactly are you spending all this money on? In the box you’ve got a set of O-Ring mods and a key-cap puller, which add about £10 worth of extra value, but on the surface you’re getting a pretty basic looking keyboard. I’ll tell you what you’re getting, you’re getting a very simple keyboard done incredibly well.

The build quality on the keyboard, the key caps and of course the switches is as good as they come. I feel this keyboard will still be running as smooth in 50 years time as it is today. There may be a no fuss approach to the exterior, but the performance of the swithces speak for themselves, and they’re something that need to be lived with for a day or two to fully appreciate; which puts Cooler Master in a difficult position. The high price isn’t exactly inviting for those who just want to take a chance on something different.

What is good news is that Cooler Master have pushed out a great product at a price that is as competitive as it can be. The new switches aren’t exactly a mass market product yet and it’ll take some time and development over the next few years until they come down in price; just like they did for Cherry MX equipped keyboards. If you want a great keyboard like the NovaTouch, that really stands out from the crowd in terms of performance, then you’re just going to have to make the investment.

It may not have a lot of features, but it’s a very versatile keyboard. It’ll look just as at home on your work desk as it would as part of a high-end gaming setup. Its TKL (Ten Keys Less) form factor also means it’s a great choice for gamers as it frees up a lot of desk space for your mouse, while also being compact enough to put in a backpack for transport to LAN gaming events.

One thing I do know for certain, we’re going to be seeing a lot more Topre switch keyboards over the next few years and I for one welcome them with open arms. I love my MX Black keys, but the NovaTouch Topre switches are in a league of their own.

Editors-Choice

CM Storm NovaTouch TKL Topre Switch Keyboard Review

“It’s certainly not cheap and it doesn’t pack a lot of features, but the NovaTouch TKL is still one of the best keyboards I’ve ever used. You don’t need flashy lights and gimmicky features to make a great gaming keyboard, especially when you’ve got some of the finest switches ever made, combined with tidy aesthetics and reliable build quality.”

Thank you Cooler Master for providing us with this sample.

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