Cooler Master CK721 Hybrid Wireless Mechanical 65% Keyboard Review

Cooler Master is one of the most recognisable PC hardware brands out there, with a long history of award-winning products. They've got a solid range of gaming peripherals too, and I've been reviewing them for the ten years I've been in this industry! I have quite literally lost count of how many Cooler Master keyboards I've tested in that time, but overall, I remember them for being extremely well made and more robust than many of their rivals, with stylish but somewhat understated designs that were always distinctly "Cooler Master" and honestly, I'm hoping to see that heritage in the new CK721. Cooler Master CK721 This is an interesting keyboard, as it's a 65% design. So you have a full-size keyboard, chop the number pad off and you end up with TKL, shrink it down again by moving the arrow keys over and you end up with a 65% design, not unlike the layout of a lot of mid-to-large laptops. Sure, this design is not for everyone, but when space is limited on your desktop, and/or you need something you can easily travel with, it certainly has its advantages. The keyboard is hardly lacking in features though, boasting three types of connectivity, a removable aluminium top cover so you can customise it or replace it with aftermarket versions in the future, built-in customisation controls, RGB lighting, a wrist rest and much more. So, with much anticipation, let's jump in for a closer look at what's on offer! Features Hybrid Wireless Tech (Wired, Bluetooth 5.1 and 2.4 GHz)3-Way Customisable DialRemovable Aluminium Top CoverPortable 65% DesignSoft Wrist RestRGB BacklightingOn-the-fly ControlersMasterPlus+ Software Support2-Step Adjustable Keyboard Stand What Cooler Master Had to Say "The CK721 wireless mechanical keyboard is an elegant small form factor solution for both work and play. A 65% layout and hybrid wireless technology emphasizes portability with nearly universal OS & platform compatibility, while a sandblasted aluminium body imbues the sleek durability necessary in an everyday workhorse. In addition, mechanical switches give you the reliable performance, feel, and responsiveness you can count on. With all the features you need that just work, the CK721 is your go-to keyboard you want in the office and your gaming setup." Packaging & Accessories The box is nicely designed, and suitably compact too. It feels pretty durable, so it should keep your new keyboard well protected until it reaches your home. The box is well laid out, with a few large photos of the keyboard that shows off most of the key features. We can also see the connectivity, layout and switch type are nicely detailed. The box is nicely spaced out, with dual-layer cardboard on the edges, and a hard plastic shell protecting the keys too. The back of the box contains the wrist rest, with the keyboard towards the front. Included in the box, you'll find a durable USB-C cable, key cap pulling tool, wrist rest and of course, the keyboard. The keyboard has a gold-coloured plastic coating on the milled aluminium edges, preventing them from getting damaged. A Closer Look & Performance This is one GORGEOUS looking keyboard, and already I'm falling in love with the compact 65% design. Albeit, that's partly because I so rarely see them in for review, and it's nice to have something a little more unique from time to time. There are two versions of this keyboard available, a dark coloured CK721 Space Grey, and a lighter CK721 Silver. While they could have just done a black or a white version, it's likely they would have made it out of plastic. Since this top panel is aluminium, these more natural tones give it a more premium quality vibe. The aluminium top panel looks great, but it's also removable. This means you eager modders could have it engraved, painted, or tweaked as you see fit. However, there's the promise of some aftermarket parts from Cooler Master in the future too. I hope so, as Cooler Master used to do a lot of cool Maker series products that were full of custom components you could purchase, and they were/are awesome. Apparently, we can expect options like a braided coiled cable, PBT keycap sets and coloured aluminium top plates. Obviously, getting the keyboard down to 65% means some things have to be cut out and others have to be moved. It's an interesting compromise. As you can see, the number pad is utterly gone. There are three control buttons here, however, which are delete, page up and page down, and the number pad is so far to the left, that it's actually left of the delete key, which again is interesting! If anything, this does look a little more like a laptop layout, but with full-size mechanical keys. The mechanical switches are sat fairly low in the chassis of the keyboard too, meaning the key caps sit nearly flush with the level of the aluminium. This is interesting, as many mechanical keyboards have quite high caps, but I prefer this look, it's much cleaner. The keyboard may be small, but it is certainly not lacking in functionality, albeit, it's a little more unconventional in its approach. Damn near every key has a secondary function, with the exception of the B and N keys. These extra functions are used by holding the Fn-Shift plus the desired key. The arrow keys can control the lighting speed and effect direction. Here you can cycle through Bluetooth devices. Mac/Win mode to change between, well, Mac or Windows modes! Just above that, you'll find multimedia and volume controls, as well as the "missing" end, insert, and home keys. Interestingly, there are more multimedia and volume controls on the F-keys too... never hurts to have options I suppose. In the middle, you'll find a macro recording engine, with functions for repeat, endless loops, and more, allowing for on-the-fly macro recording. This is great for automating repetitive tasks in some games, and you can do it without needing the desktop software. Bored yet? Wouldn't blame you, this is a pretty long list of stuff. Down here, four built-in profiles, so you can save your lighting, macros, shortcuts and more to various profiles; handy, given the multi-device support! The keyboard looks great from all angles, and Cooler Master has done a fine job on the overall design. It's cool enough to look great in a high-end gaming PC setup, and stylish and professional enough to look purposeful in the office, and that's not an easy double act to pull off. Save your poor wrists from fatigue, as the CK721 comes with a massive wrist rest. It's going to offer you long-term comfort and support thanks to its durable padding, plus, I think it looks fantastic next to this keyboard. Ergonomics are important though, and as you can see, the keyboard does sit nice and low but has a gentle wedge shape to it also. You can increase the angle in two more stages too, thanks to the flip-up feet on the base. Connectivity is king, and this keyboard will operate over Bluetooth 5.1, allowing you to pair it with a huge range of devices, such as your phone, laptop, even some consoles. It's also got a 2.4 GHz mode thanks to the included dongle, which will give you ultra-fast response times and is great for those who don't want cables getting in the way while working or gaming. The keyboard supports a USB-C wired mode too, and if you're just leaving it on a single desk all the time, this is likely the best way to use it. It won't run out of battery during those long gaming sessions at least. That being said, the battery life is decent, but with the lights on, it's going to drain in a day and need charging. However, taking it over to your mates for a night of gaming, it'll hold up just fine. As you've likely already seen, the RGB looks great! The colours are vibrant and the per-key effects give you plenty of play around with. To be honest, it's not really anything new, RGB is well established now, and it's safe to say this keyboard does what all the best RGB keyboards should. RGB modes are, static, rainbow wave, crosshair, reactive fade, stars, colour cycle, breathing, ripple, reactive punch, reactive tornado, circle spectrum, fireball, water ripple, heartbeat, snowing, and custom. Doubt you'll need custom though, there's plenty to pick from already! I have the linear red switch version of the keyboard, which has a 45g actuation force, 2mm actuation point, and 4mm travel overall. Which is to say it feels like that other popular red switch, exactly like it actually, I can't tell the difference. It's rated for 50m keystrokes too, so clearly, longevity isn't an issue. However, Cooler Master also offer this keyboard in a Blue and Brown switch. Cooler Master used to be one of the only brands to do a Cherry Green switch model too, I'd love to see that one brought back! There's one obvious big feature on this keyboard I've glossed over, and it's that dial. I do love a good dial, or as Cooler Master point out for you nerdier folk, it's a rotary encoder, oh yeah! This has multiple profiles, the first is volume up and down, or press it in to mute. On profile 2, it'll skip tracks, or push to play/pause. Profile 3 will adjust the backlight brightness or toggle it on and off. Finally, profile 4 will allow you to cycle lighting effects and speeds. However, it's all customisable with the MasterPlus+ software, if you're so inclined. How Much Does it Cost? The stock seems to be a little erratic for this keyboard, at least on Amazon. The darker model wasn't on there, but the silver/grey model with a DE layout was. So it's best to just keep an eye out for stock, as these things change constantly these days. That model is currently listed at £116.60. However, the UK layout in either colour with red switches is in stock at OCUK for £129.95. Not cheap, but keep in mind this is a flagship mechanical keyboard, with multiple connectivity options, so the price is competitive. I'm sure prices and availability of the add-on parts will be revealed in the coming weeks, but don't expect them to be cheap additions. Overview Cooler Master makes many of my favourite keyboards, albeit, some of them are quite old now, but I always liked their keyboards for being a bit more robust and heavy than most. That's not really true of the CK721, it's designed to be a lot more portable than their old tank-like desktop models. It's reasonably light, so it won't be a burden while in your backpack, but it's not as unrelentingly rigid as a result. The build quality is great though, I really can't fault that. You can tell a lot of thought has gone into the overall design, material choices and construction. The CK721 looks and feels like a premium quality product from the moment you set your eyes and hands on it. Little details, such as the nicely finished aluminium, slightly recessed keycaps, or quality switches on the side to change the connectivity or the feel of the dial control, all add up to a very pleasant experience. The choice of switches is nice too, as not everyone wants linear red switches. Albeit, most retailers only stock red, so you may have to shop around for the less common blue or brown variations. It feels just like you would expect an expensive mechanical keyboard to feel though. The keys are smooth, extremely responsive and accurate. For typing lengthy documents, spamming rubbish on reddit, or spending hours in Elder Scrolls Online, it really is great for a bit of everything. About the only thing that it's rubbish at is working on spreadsheets, as the lack of a number pad is limiting. That being said, if you're mostly leaning towards gaming, the number pad is rarely used and it's not like keyboards with number pads are hard to find, if they're what you need. Overall though, it's a very good keyboard, with really good ergonomics thanks to the sort-of low-profile layout of the keycaps, the two-stage angle adjustment, and that Big Chungus-Esque wrist rest that you can really lean into on those long gaming sessions. If you're looking for a stylish, compact, versatile, portable, lightweight, customisable, multi-format gaming keyboard to call your own, then look no further. The Cooler Master CK721 may have some compromises, but it's not without purpose, and it's easily one of the more interesting keyboards I've seen in a long time!