CM Storm Ultimate QuickFire Mechanical Keyboard – Cherry MX Brown Review

Arriving from Cooler Master and described as being the most potent and complete mechanical keyboard in their QuickFire range, this piece of kit certainly has expectations to live up to. Designed to work nicely as a gaming peripheral, this keyboard includes certain feature sets that accommodate well for this purpose, as well as offering a set of responsive keys with great feedback.

Following the trend of most high-end gaming keyboards, the QuickFire Ultimate goes out of its way to look appealing on the eye. Without being plugged in, the keyboard looks plain, featuring nothing more than a black appearance all over. When it is all plugged in however, the LED backlight kicks in and the whole thing lights up like a Christmas tree. The keyboard comes in three different variants, all with their own set LED colour, but regardless of choice the keyboard looks fantastic when lit up. Each letter, number, function and piece of punctuation bleed out with a bright glow, and though it’s simple, it looks nice and is very practical. The lights can be customised too thanks to a host of functionality keys added to the keyboard, with the ability to brighten or dim the lights, change the lighting mode (make them pulse, make them only light the WASD keys, or turn them off completely), and toggle the lights on and off with a swift button press.

Other functionalities that also appear on the keyboard are ones that allow you to control music and volume. It can all be done extremely easily thanks to a selection of playback functions that include play/pause, stop, previous, next, volume up, volume down, and mute. These functionalities are obvious to the user thanks to clear use of symbols, and with all added functionalities sitting upon the ‘F’ keys at the top of the keyboard, space is saved and they are very easy to find. All these functions are triggered by holding down the ‘FN’ key, and because this system isn’t alien to keyboards, it all feels easy and pain-free becoming instinctive very quickly. If it happens to cause you any grief, you can hold down the ‘FN’ key for a few seconds and it will lock all the ‘F’ keys to their alternative functions, making for a simplified experience.

In addition to all these added features, everything that you would expect from a keyboard is included here. The standard QWERTY keyboard setup is in place, there is a set of directional keys, and a num pad is also attached to the end. Despite including everything, the actual size of the device is pretty good, with keys being nicely compact, and the body of the keyboard aligning with the edge of the outer keys. This is not just a well-crafted piece of kit however, as it is also very well built too, feeling like it’s made from very high quality materials that feel extremely durable. It has a nice amount of weight to it too, feeling nice and solid, and weighted down on its surface. When in use the keyboard won’t move around and will sit firmly in place no matter what pressure it is put under by the user, and this is all thanks to some surprisingly grippy rubber feet that are located in each corner of the device.

Using a set of Cherry MX Brown keys throughout this particular peripheral model, keys feel very responsive and offer a nice feeling of feedback. Each key strikes down with a pleasant sounding hit, offering a nice amount of resistance. Keys can be accidently hit if you happen to type a little sloppy, but as you spend more time with this device, you will become more accustomed to the positioning of each key, and your ability will naturally become tuned.

Typing on this keyboard is a dream thanks to the responsive keys and great feedback, and it feels equally as good to game on this device too. With the medium amount of resistance, it never feels like a task to press down on anything. Because the keys aren’t really loose either, it makes it more difficult to accidently trigger another button press instead of the one that you want during the heat of the moment. The audio feedback you get does aid the feeling of great input too, heightening the sense that the button is being pressed. Pressing down on the keys is as comfortable as it can be too, with the keys being packed tightly together making it less strenuous to move your hand/fingers to press something else. Perhaps the only downside to this device is its lack of a wrist support or form of cushioning, making use of the keyboard a little painful and uncomfortable after extended use. This feeling can be a little alleviated thanks to some flip stands at the back of the device, though you will still suffer the same fate after a long period of use.

Specifications

• Key Switch Type – CHERRY MX Blue, Brown, Red
• Backlight – Blue LED on GKCL2 model
• White LED on GKCM2 model
• Red LED on GKCL1, GKCM1, and GKCR1 models
• All keys
• 5 brightness levels
• 3 lighting modes
• Interface – USB 2.0
• Key Rollover – N-Key
• Polling Rate – 1000 Hz / 1ms
• Keycaps – ABS, Grip Coated
• Media Keys – F-Key Media Control
• Windows Key Lock – Yes
• Connector Cable – Removable USB 2.0
• Braided 1.8 m / 70.9 inch
• Dimensions L x W x H –   454 x 155 x 31 mm 17.9 x 6.1 x 1.2 in
• Weight – 1380 g / 3.04 lbs
• Warranty – 2 years
• Accessories – Keycap Puller

 

Verdict

Living up to expectations and delivering upon a responsive, robust, and well-crafted gaming keyboard, the QuickFire Ultimate does deliver on a great user experience. The mechanical keys are nicely responsive with spot-on resistance, and the whole package feels well made to the touch. The addition of extra functionalities are welcomed and are incredibly useful, and the simply yet effective appearance with coloured LED’s makes it very appealing to have on your desk. While using the keys themselves is comfortable, using the keyboard as a whole is a little uncomfortable due to the lack of a wrist support, something that makes extended periods of typing and gaming a little painful.

Disclaimer:All scores given within our reviews are based on the artist’s personal opinion; this should in no way impede your decision to purchase the game.