Cooler Master MasterSet MS120 Keyboard/Mouse Combo Review

With gaming mice and keyboards seemingly getting more and more expensive, it is refreshing to look at something like the Cooler Master MasterSet MS120 - a £77.99 keyboard/mouse combo set that isn't short on features. With things like RGB lighting, tactile 'mem-chanical' switches and an ergonomic mouse design, the MS120 combo set looks like a good deal for gamers on a budget. Can it deliver? The MasterSet MS120 isn't the first keyboard/mouse combo we've seen from Cooler Master, as we previously looked at the MasterKeys Lite about a year ago. The MS120 is a bit more expensive, though, so can we expect even better quality? Let's find out. Specification: Mouse: Interface: USB 2.0 DPI: 4 levels (500, 750, 1500, 3500) LED backlight: RGB Lighting mode: Three Zones, Single Colour or Pulsating Effects Dimension: 118 (L) x 78.5 (W) x 39.5 (H) mm Weight: 105g Keyboard Switch Type: Mem-chanical clicky Switch Lifespan: 50M+ Material: Plastic Colour: Black LED Colour: RGB Lighting Mode: Per-key full backlight, multiple modes and reactive effects. Controllable through FN key combo. FW Updates: Yes, online updates for LED modes Polling Rate: 125 Hz On board Memory: 32KB Multimedia: Through FN Connector: Cable USB 1.1 Dimension: 441 (L) x 132.5 (W) x 38 (H) mm Weight: 1041.5 g The Cooler Master MasterSet MS120 ships in a dark box, though the colourful product photos on the front definitely let you know that these are RGB products. Inside, the only accessory is a small quick-start guide. Keyboard Starting with the keyboard, it looks very similar to the MasterKeys Lite bundle we reviewed last year. However, that is no bad thing - it is a compact 100% board and has no 'gamer-y' flair about it, so it is quite simple-looking and minimalistic. As with other Cooler Master keyboards I have used previously, the MS120 keyboard includes a lot of extra functionality on the F-key row. For example, you can configure the RGB LEDs here, as well as set the repeat rate and disable the Windows button. The INS/HOME/PAGE UP keys are also home to the multimedia keys as there are no dedicated media buttons. Elsewhere, the keyboards 'switches' are interesting - and I use quote marks deliberately, as the MS120 keyboard does not actually use mechanical switches from the likes of Cherry or Kailh. Instead, Cooler Master calls the switches 'mem-chanical', meaning they still use plunger switches but there should be an audible click and some tactile feedback, giving a mechanical-like feel. On the underside of the board we find two anti-slip feet as well as the usual height-adjustment stands. Lastly, the MS120's cable is 1.8m and is made of plain rubber. Mouse Moving onto the mouse and it is immediately clear that the MS120 mouse is designed for right-handed use only, so left-handers need not apply. The large, ergonomic design may also be off-putting to those with smaller hands. On the left-hand side of the mouse we find two side buttons, but no textured rubber to help your grip. The right-hand side of the mouse sports a large groove for your fourth-finger to rest in, but there is also no rubber here - just hard plastic. Moving on, Cooler Master has placed a small LED strip at the bottom of the mouse which acts as one of the three RGB lighting zones. The scroll wheel is the second of these zones (with the Cooler Master logo being the third), while there is a single DPI cycle button just below the wheel. On the underside of the mouse we get a look at the three PTFE glide pads, as well as the optical sensor - here, it is the PMW 3050. Lastly, the mouse's cable is again not braided and measures 1.8m.To test the MS120 combo set, I used both the keyboard and the mouse together as my daily drivers. During this time, I played games, edited photos and generally used my PC as normal. I'll break up my thoughts into dedicated sections for extra clarity. Both components ship software free. Keyboard I've seen a few keyboards from Cooler Master over the last year or so, though they have all been proper mechanical boards with Cherry MX switches. The MS120 is a 'mem-chanical' board which essentially means Cooler Master has tried to make the plunger switches feel like you are using an actual mechanical board - so none of the mushy feedback from a membrane board - without physically using mechanical switches. In practice, if you have experience with mechanical keyboards, you will not be fooled. These plunger switches don't have quite the same feel as their authentic counterparts as they are just slightly less rigid and overall less sturdy. However, of the many 'mem-chanical' boards I have used, the MS120 keyboard is undoubtedly the best feeling. There is definite tactile feedback and an audible click, though the latter feature may well split opinion. So, overall, the switches aren't as good as proper mechanical switches - I would never expect them to be. However, for a combo at this price, the switches feel surprisingly good and are satisfying to type with. They are definitely on the heavy side, though, as they feel like MX Blue switches. In my opinion, this is not ideal for gaming as the heavier switches slow you down somewhat as each press simply requires more force. However, this is subjective and some people do like to game with heavier switches, but it is definitely worth noting. Elsewhere, the on-board controls work very well. Using F1-F4 allows you to configure the RGB lighting, and overall it is very successful. There are plenty of effects to choose from - including rainbow, reactive and static modes - and it is very easy to get your desired colour using the on-board red, green and blue modifiers. My only gripe with the lighting is the lack of a backlight brightness setting. The only way to turn off the backlight is to cycle through the different modes - there is no master brightness setting, and personally I just find that very annoying. I don't want to lose my current setting just to quickly dim, or turn off, the backlight, but Cooler Master makes you do that. Lastly, it is worth touching on overall build quality. This is one area where I think Cooler Master does very well as their MasterKeys Pro boards are some of the toughest on the market. The MS120's board is still very rigid - for a board of this price at least - and there is only minimal flex to it. Cooler Master has again used a metal internal frame and this clearly pays dividends as the board is actually sturdier than many of its more expensive counterparts. Mouse Moving onto the MS120's mouse, I'll first start with the shape. It is certainly a wide and ergonomic design that may be off-putting to those with smaller hands. However, the design is overall quite clever as it allows both a palm grip and a claw grip to be used with ease - something which is vital for a bundle as the products have to be quite versatile to cater to everybody. Personally speaking, I prefer a claw grip and was more than happy using the MS120 mouse like that. Like I said, though, a palm grip is equally comfortable, it is just not my preference. I do wish there was some textured rubber on the right-hand side of the mouse, though, as that would've definitely helped overall grip retention. At the minute, there is just some hard plastic for your thumb to rest against and that is not ideal. Another area worth noting is the choice of optical sensor. Cooler Master has gone with the PixArt PMW 3050 optical sensor, with a maximum DPI of 3500. Now, the PMW 3050 is far from class-leading but overall I was very happy using it. For gaming (I typically game at around 1500 DPI) I didn't notice any issues with accuracy or acceleration, so the experience was definitely positive. The only slight issue I had was when photo editing. In my experience, I noticed just a hint of jitter from the sensor when I was cropped in extra close for ultra-fine editing. At this extreme low-level, the accuracy just wasn't quite what I am used to from other mice based on the PMW 3360 sensor, for instance. However, this is to be expected as the PMW 3360 is a class-leading optical sensor, and the PMW 3050 is a much more budget-minded offering. In every other use case I had no issues with it, either, so overall - considering the price of the MS120 - it is certainly capable. Lastly, the mouse's RGB lighting. All of the lighting is set using the mouse's buttons - for example, pressing the forward button with the DPI switch will change the static colour - and overall I think it is successful. The LEDs aren't the brightest on the market, but in a darkened room the colours still look good so I cannot complain too much.The Cooler Master MasterSet MS120 is an effective-yet-affordable keyboard/mouse combo set. Given the price of just £77.99 (UK MSRP) for the bundle, you would've been forgiven for thinking that neither peripheral would be of good quality. However, I enjoyed my time with the MS120 for a number of reasons. For one, the 'mem-chanical' keyboard switches, while still not as good as proper Cherry MX switches, are definitely the best mechanical-feel plunger-type switches I have used. There is some definite tactile feedback, as well as an audible click at the point of actuation. The mouse, too, is comfortable for those who use either a claw or palm grip, and I found its performance to be very good considering the bundle's price tag. The only issues I had were quite minor: I found it annoying that there is no master backlight brightness setting for the keyboard, while I also noticed some slight jitter from the mouse when editing photos at an ultra-fine level. For anyone worried about the second issue, I found the mouse to perform very well in other situations, including gaming, it was just on a pixel-to-pixel scale where I noticed the slight jitter. So, on the whole, The Cooler Master MasterSet MS120 is well-worth buying. Both peripherals perform well and also look great thanks to the RGB lighting. They aren't the best peripherals I've ever used, but for the price-tag this bundle definitely represents good value for anyone looking to get into PC gaming. The MS120 has just launched today with a UK MSRP of £77.99. We will update the review with a buy link when we have one. Discuss on our Facebook page over HERE. Pros Affordable. Mem-chanical switches are actually pretty good. Keyboard is very solid. Mouse is comfortable and pretty accurate. RGB lighting looks good on both. Cons No master brightness setting for the keyboard. I noticed just some slight jitter when doing low-level photo editing. KitGuru says: For the money, you could do a lot worse than the Cooler Master MasterSet MS120. The peripherals look good, work well and don't cost the earth.

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Cooler Master MasterSet MS120 Keyboard/Mouse Combo Review

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