Mechanical Keyboard review of Cooler Master Masterkeys Pro White LED (Cherry MX Brown)
My review only speaks from programming and content writing background. I don’t play games much. I did some research before buying a mechanical keyboard online for my purpose. It seemed that everyone is singing hymns for Cherry MX switches so bought this cheapest option at that time with brown switches. Frankly speaking while going through Amazon reviews I couldn’t find any helpful review for this keyboard hence writing my own in depth. This review will also help you if you are thinking of investing in costly mechanical keyboards.
Problems with new Cooler Master keyboard
DO NOT USE WITHOUT BIG WRIST PAD:
The keyboard thickness is excessive. Do not rest your palm on table while using this keyboard or else you may develop carpal tunnel. Use a wrist pad with at least 2.5 cm thickness.
DELICATE MICRO USB PORT IN KEYBOARD:
The detachable USB wire is thick and braided but feels useless since the micro USB port on keyboard feels delicate. The slot to keep wire in place is useless and wire slips out of it (see image below).
HIGH PRICE:
Price is relatively high but I couldn’t find a better cheaper alternative with Cherry MX brown switches anywhere.
NO RIGHT CLICK BUTTON
But i got used to the alternative, SHIFT + F10
NOT SURE IF IT’S A GOOD TYPING KEYBOARD
Even though I am using a thick pad but getting used to the new typing experience is tough. I am not sure whether it’s the cherry MX switches or the ergonomics as getting used to it will take time and my hands pain after typing for 10 to 15 mins maybe I need some getting used to. I will share an update after few weeks to be sure.
Good stuffs about new Cooler Master keyboard
Cherry MX brown keys feel good for typing and no issues in any typing speed, moreover I feel like I can easily go crazy with quick and heavy key presses.
Awesome heavy build quality with nice white led lit see-through character key caps and feels rock solid on my desk.
Smart programmable LEDs with many configurable modes. You can do anything with the LED behavior and can also turn them off. I personally hate RGB or any any lighting but white LED is not that bad. I keep my keyboard lighting off anyway. But if want to configure your LED lighting then you must download SDK from here and must know little C++, the shared tutorial makes it super easy.
Programmable Macros, press FN + F11 to record any repetitive task on your computer and assign a shortcut key combo to it. Awesome thing is that macros are stored inside keyboard memory, so no hassle to install anything.
Past experience with Logitech K200 and problem:
I am a software developer and type a lot using touch typing method with F-J reference keys. Prior to buying this keyboard I was using a Logitech K200 and my life was going great. There was only one problem with my old keyboard, whenever I would increase my typing speed and intensity then the keys would start giving up on me. They would often get stuck and after 6–8 months some keys would start failing.
Research for new keyboard:
I found that the key-switches are the culprit in previous keyboard hence started looking for keyboards with good switches and almost everywhere I was hearing praises for Cherry MX switches based mechanical keyboards. I started looking for best ergonomic typing keyboards with Cherry switches. I even researched keyboards like
Kinesis Advantage — 33,000 Rs
Das Professional — 24,000 Rs and
Many ergonomic keyboards from windows as well.
As you can see the prices were too high but I observed that one thing common to many top marketed keyboards were Cherry MX switches. So I looked into different types of cherry MX switches and started searching for the cheapest keyboard with Cherry MX Brown switches without compromising much quality and found these options
Gigabyte Force K83–4000 Rs
TVSe Bharat Gold — 2300 Rs (But now they don’t have Cherry MX switches)
Logitech G413–4500 Rs
I picked Cooler Master because of good reviews on their build quality, 2 years warranty, inbuilt macros and availability of Cherry MX Brown switches.
My final thoughts on this purchase:
Not happy with my purchase as of now but will give this keyboard some time to grow on my hands as typing with this one hurts my fingers and wrists. Cherry MX switches are excessively hyped. They may be best in terms of long life but in terms of typing experience many cheap under 1000 Rs Logitech keyboards will beat it badly.
My Wish:
My ideal perfect keyboard will have these characteristics
* Very thin profile like apple and surface chicklet/scissor style keyboards as it goes so easy on wrists.
* Good tactile feedback and low key travel. Only thing I dislike in brown switch is the excessive key travel, it makes my fingers tired.
* Good keys life even under heavy use like with Cherry MX keys.
* Both options wired USB and Bluetooth 5.0.
* Sturdy and heavy built like this keyboard with steel back-plate but willing to compromise if it hinders thin profile.
* Media keys on top but without number keys on the right 87 keys (TKL) + Media Keys configuration.
* Priced under 2500 Rs
* No RGB or lighting of any sorts.
* 45–50 grams key press weight.
* Sleek profile on edges to save desk space.
I hope someone from both Cooler Master & Logitech reads this. I also hope Logitech comes with a good option for programmers as their service and pricing is pretty good.
Update after 2 weeks of daily use
I cannot go back to the old Logitech keyboard. It would have been a challenge crossing 50wpm barrier in that old one with my touch typing. Just to give a feeling for comparison think of getting a considerable amount of throttle on your last gear without the bike vibrating violently. Now hardware is not a limitation for my power typing sessions.
In the start I was even thinking of returning this keyboard due to the pain in my fingers and wrist. That pain was due to the new experience, long travel and springiness of the mechanical keys compared to my previous keyboard. Now, since I have got the hang of it the pain is reducing day by day. Typing is becoming more fun each day and the improvement in my typing speed has been phenomenal. I easily cross 50wpm in my typing tests which I couldn’t do earlier. I do touch typing without watching keyboard using F-J reference keys and want my typing speed to be more than 100wpm, now that goal seems achievable in shorter time period. It’s just so fun typing in full speed without the keys getting stuck. So glad I didn’t returned it, I hope the pain will completely go away in coming days.
Update after 1 year of daily usage
Every other keyboard feels cheap and horrible to type. No issues with this keyboard till now. I love my typing experience every day and my current typing speed is around 65 wpm. I have removed the wrist pad as it kept coming in my way but I don’t feel wrist pain that often. One of the best investments I made.
Update after 4 years of daily usage
April 2023, and typing this in the same keyboard. It’s my life now, still good as new. Wrote millions of hundred thousand lines, throughout these years
Cleaned it 3 times by taking out all the keys. Not one key malfunctioned. I paid a high price for this. All justified. Not a single complaint till date.
It also survived travel across multiple cities in my bag but with original packaging only.
