Cooler Master CM Storm Mech Aluminum Keyboard Review

Final Thoughts

Pricing

As we said before, pricing for the Mech is around £130 here in the UK via Overclockers.co.uk, but we couldn’t find any US pricing at time of writing. However we expect it to cost no more than $200. It’s not the cheapest keyboard ever (obviously), but it does fall in line with the flagship products on offer from brands like Corsair, Razer and Ducky.

Conclusion

The Mech was never really going to be a bad keyboard, it has clearly been well thought out and designed. There is a great choice of components being used here and the mixture of aluminium, MX switches, high quality plastics and a robust chassis all add up to making a product that looks and feels reliable. I only have three minor issues with the keyboard and when I say I’m clutching at straws here, I really mean it because overall I am pretty much in love with the performance and design of the Mech.

First issue is the flip up legs on the back, they feel ok and are more than likely up to the job, but it couldn’t hurt to have something a little bulkier, even if it is just for peace of mind. Next up is the USB cable, it is thick, durable and no doubt high quality, but it’s also pretty ugly and on a £125 keyboard I think a little bit of braiding would go a long way to improve the overall appearance of the keyboard. Finally we have the multimedia keys, while having them on the Fn key is fine for most people, I tend to have music on all day long so having them on dedicated one touch keys would be even better, especially while gaming as it means I can flick between songs while playing online.

Again, I really think they’re minor issues and are more suggestions on how the keyboard could be a little better in my opinion. Yet for those minor gripes I find this keyboard gives a lot of benefits that make it shine. The first would have to be the choice of switches, more and more I’m seeing products that are locked on MX Red and having choice is never a bad thing. Next we’ve got the build quality and mixing soft matte finish plastics, with smooth glossy surfaces and a brushed aluminium panel really make this keyboard look like nothing else on the market, not to mention the fact you can remove the panel and customise it, making yourself something truly unique in the process.

Performance is faultless in gaming and day to day use, although I wasn’t expecting anything less in that respect. So with excellent build quality, design, great features and a price that falls in line with the competition, the Mech really is worthy of our Editors Choice Award.

Pros

• Robust chassis and top panel
• Fun carry handle on the side
• Customisable top panel
• Cool lighting effects on keys and between the chassis and wrist rest
• Extra USB and audio ports on the back
• Choice of MX switch
• Wrist rest
• Easy to clean and maintain
• Keys don’t bottom out

Cons

• Might be too large for some desks
• No dedicated media keys
• Stronger feet would have been preferred

“The Mech is easily one of the best mechanical keyboard on the market today, I would like to call it “the” best, but that really falls down to personal taste more than anything. If you’re wanting something that looks truly unique to all the other mechanical keyboards on the market, but that offers the same premium grade performance of any high end mechanical keyboard, then you’re going to love what CM Storm have created”

Thank you CM Storm for providing us with this sample.