iRocks Rock Series K10 Gaming Keyboard Review

Peter Donnell / 10 years ago

Introduction

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iRocks are one of the newest names on the scene, and they’re on a mission to create some really great peripherals, without the premium price tag that often accompanies them. I only recently discovered the brand with the release of their iRocks Spirit Cocoon mouse, which was one of the most unassuming products I’d ever seen, only to be left with my jaw hitting the floor when I saw what it could do (full review here).

The K10 gaming keyboard is the second iRocks product I’ve ever seen, and if it is even remotely as interesting as the iRock Cocoon mouse, then it should still be pretty special. Targeted at the budget end of the gaming market, this keyboard looks set to innovate on just how much value for money you can really get from your peripherals.

[youtube width=”800″ height=”450″]http://youtu.be/kkWaj34tB8Q[/youtube]

At just £20-22 the K10 isn’t exactly going to hurt your wallet, but it’s packed full of features that should make it a great day-to-day keyboard for work and play, with some nice added bonuses that should appeal to the gaming market such as the 1000 Hz polling rate, long switch life and 30 key N-key rollover.

Technical Specifications

Interface: Full Speed USB
Polling Rate: 1000 Hz
Key number: 104 keys (by language)
Key stroke: 3.8±0.5mm
Key force: 55±15g
Switch life: about 20 million life cycles
Cable length: 180cm
Dimensions: 448 (L) x 148 (W) x 34(H) mm
Product weight: about 1.2kg
N-key Rollover with 30 keys trigger capability
Membrane key-switches with plunged key structure

The packaging is nicely designed and certainly looks designed to appeal to a gaming audience. There are a few of the major features and specifications listed on the box (see above).

Around the back are a few small diagrams that detail how the new membrane switch works, as well as a more detailed run down for the keyboards features.

In the box you’ll find a hard wired keyboard, with a good quality USB cable attached and a simple to follow user guide.

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A Closer Look

The K10 is a really nice looking keyboard, with good spacing between the keys and a full size layout, including a number pad. The chassis is made of good quality plastics and feels pretty sturdy, certainly more so that most keyboards in this price range.

There is a slim red trim in-lay around the edge of the keyboard, it’s nothing more than an esthetic touch, but I do like it.

The key caps have a unique shape to them, straight across the top edge but curved on the lower edge.

The very funky key caps also feature a cool font, giving a slightly gothic look to them.

The keyboard is laid out with a gentle ergonomic sweep to the keys and a chassis which is thicker at the back, which combine to promote a good hand resting position and typing angle.

Around the back you can see the cable is hard wired, and you can also see that the red trim goes right around the edge of the keyboard chassis.

The cable can be run through one of three channels, which should help you keep your desktop cable routing in check. There are also four small rubber pads on the base to help keep the keyboard from sliding around.

There are two thick plastic flip-up feet at the back, each with an extra rubber pad on the bottom.

The key caps are removable, allowing you easy access to clean the inside of the keyboard. The keys are membrane switch, but use a plunger type switch.

Also, if you look between the keys you can the interior has been given a kind-of brushed aluminium effect finish to the plastic, giving a nice aesthetic touch to the gaps between the keys.

The i-rocks logo on the space bar lights up in green when the keyboard is powered, but you can turn this off by holding the print screen button for a few seconds.

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Performance

This being a gaming focused keyboard means that it really has to perform under pressure, so I fired up a few games of League of Legends and DOTA II and started mashing those keys. Firstly, the anti-ghosting features are a big win, especially for those moments when things get really frantic, or you feel the need to just mash your palm on the keys and hope for the best. Never missing a keystroke can by the difference between life and death and fortunately the K10 never let me down in this respect. Sure I still suck at both games, but that’s not the keyboards fault.

The typing action on the keys is really nice, I’ve been using a Cherry MX Black keyboard for some time now and the switches in the K10 feel like a hybrid of Black switches and membrane keyboards. It’s not as good as a mechanical, but it’s certainly better than your typical soft rubber dome tactile sensation that you normally get from membrane keys. There is a satisfying pop to each keystroke that give you good feedback, and the keys are fast enough for smooth gameplay when playing twitch shooters such as Shoot Mania.

Working day-to-day on the K10 is pretty good too, I’ve been using it for three days now and certainly have no complaints. The key caps are of a really nice quality and feel good under your finger tips, the light and fast typing action makes writing articles pleasant enough and to be honest, you would be fooled into thinking this keyboard is worth far more than the current retail price. Gamers may miss out on features such as macro keys, but at this price it is hard to be too picky about bonus features, especially when the switches performance is this good and the build quality is rock solid.

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Final Thoughts

Price

The iRocks Rock Series K10 Gaming Keyboard is one of the most budget friendly keyboards we’ve seen, with an average price of just £20-22 from major retailers such as Amazon, it is hardly going to hurt your wallet. The low price may fool many to thinking this is just some cheap knockoff product, but that is hardly the case and when compared to keyboards such as the Corsair K40, which features similar plunger type switches, the K10 wins hands down for costing less than half of the Corsair offering, while being every bit as good! Sure the Corsair has a few macro keys, but you would have to think very hard before spending £30 extra for one extra feature.

Overview

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this keyboard, it’s really cheap to buy and as a consequence I expected it to be a little lifeless and dull. There is nothing wrong with a budget keyboard, even a boring one that doesn’t perform especially well, so long as it is priced to reflect that. The iRocks K10 is priced like a cheap keyboard, but performs well above its price bracket. Had the iRocks brand have a more established name, they could likely get away with charging 50% more for this product.

Build quality is really good, the chassis is sturdy and made of good quality plastics that have a nice finish to them. The key caps are especially well crafted and feature a good quality finish to them, and little touches like the brushed metal effect and the red plastic trim make the rest of the keyboard stand out from the crowd, if only by a little.

Performance is certainly better than I expected and those wanting a gaming keyboard with solid performance will not be disappointed, features such as 30 key rollover and a 1000hz polling rate mean you’ll never miss a keystroke. The light typing action is great for fast paced gaming, but also brings benefits to those who have a lot of typing to do in general. So while I do think this is a great low-budget gaming keyboard, it’s just as suitable for everyday tasks. Plus your average office keyboard of a similar price often won’t look anywhere near as good.

iRocks may be a fairly new name to many of you, but from the mouse we reviewed a few weeks ago and the K10 keyboard we have here today, the company is certainly off to a great start. We look forward to seeing what their next range of products will be.

“Rock solid performance, great build quality and a stylish design make this one of the best budget keyboards on the market today, you’ll struggle to find anything similar without doubling your budget first.”

Pros