Cherry MX-Board 3.0 Keyboard Review

Rating: 7.0.

Cherry are famed for their legendary keyboard switches, but they are less well known for producing their own keyboards. They have recently entered the market, however, and we have already analysed the Cherry MX 6.0 keyboard. The MX-Board 3.0 is an entirely different beast, though.

Priced at under £55, it is one of the cheapest mechanical keyboards on the market that uses Cherry MX switches. Due to the low price, though, it does have a reduced feature set, so we will assess whether the MX-Board 3.0 is worth buying.

Features

• Original CHERRY MX modules “made in Germany”.
• CHERRY Gold Crosspoint technology.
• Four different keyswitches available: black, red, brown, blue.
• 50 million+ operations for each key.
• N-key rollover: Simultaneous operations of up to 14 keys without any key ghosting effects.
• in-Key lock: Windows buttons can be disabled.
• The integrated metal plate and anti-slip protection ensure it remains robust.
• Detachable cable, 1.8m.

The Cherry MX-Board 3.0 ships in a reasonably compact box, with an eye-catching picture of the MX-Board 3.0 alongside the Cherry logo on the front.

On the back you can see key features in multiple languages.

Inside, Cherry have included the 1.8m detachable USB cable, as well as some adhesive rubber pads to provide extra grip for those who want it.

There is also a solitary product booklet.

The keyboard itself is as plain as they come. All-black plastic, low-profile keys and no dedicated gaming features add up to mean this keyboard looks just like any other generic office keyboard.

It does have sharp, square edges and the iconic Cherry logo is present at the top of the board – but this is not enough to make it stand out from the hordes of basic keyboards on the market.

Underneath the key caps we find the Cherry MX red switches – a linear switch ideal for gamers. There is also the choice of black, brown and blue switches with the MX-Board 3.0.

There is some very basic software that comes with the MX-Board 3.0, although Cherry does not highlight it very much – meaning it would be very easy to buy the MX-Board 3.0 without knowing there was any software at all.

Above you can see the only page of the so-called KeyMan software. As I said, it is very basic indeed, allowing just the mapping of some functions to the F keys at the top of the board. However, this functionality is better than not having it at all.

So, software aside, we will now move on to physically using the keyboard.

For starters, the MX-Board 3.0 uses low-profile keys which can make for a tricky typing experience. Perhaps calling it ‘tricky' is unfair, but it is certainly not hugely satisfying to type emails or documents using the low-profile caps. I would much rather have deeper keys with greater travel than these key caps.

While the shorter travel distance may result in faster reactions for gamers, I cannot imagine a gamer who would be satisfied using the MX-Board 3.0 as it is very much lacking any gaming-specific features. There is a Windows-lock function but that is it.

Furthermore, the MX-Board 3.0 is very compact which can make for a difficult transition period. I frequently found myself hitting two keys at the same when first using the board – but after a few days I did adjust to the key spacing. The small physical size of the board also means the enter button is half-height – meaning it occupies one line, not two. This may not be a problem for everyone but it certainly takes some getting used to.

Finally, it is worth mentioning you are probably better off getting the brown or blue-switch models of the MX-Board 3.0 if you are a typist. This is of course subjective, but I prefer tactile feedback when typing and the red switches cannot offer you that. Given that you are unlikely to be gaming with the MX-Board 3.0 – which is where the red switches excel – the browns or blues are probably a safer bet.Cherry are best known for their mechanical key switches but have recently started manufacturing full keyboards – and the MX-Board 3.0 is one such example.

It has a very basic design – which unfortunately leaves a fair bit to be desired. While I am fan of understated keyboards, there is a fine line between understated and boring, and the MX-Board 3.0 falls on the wrong side of the line.

The accompanying software package is little more than a tool allowing you to map some simple functions to the F keys – which seems very basic, but perhaps it is worth remembering most keyboards at a similar price lack software altogether, so it is better to have this basic software than nothing at all.

I found using the MX-Board 3.0 on a day-to-day basis disappointing. This is mostly due to the low-profile key caps which are unsatisfying to type with. They may give faster reactions when gaming, but you are unlikely to be gaming with such a basic keyboard as the MX-Board 3.0 anyway.

It is this which makes me question the board's appeal. While gamers may prefer red switches, the rest of board is completely devoid of any gaming features which means it is not exactly gamer-friendly. And on the other hand, typists will likely be disappointed by the low-profile key caps and linear switches.

As such, it becomes hard to justify at its £55 price since I can't really think of anyone who would be truly happy with this board. For most of our readers, I would suggest looking at some proper gaming keyboards which you can pick up for not much more – although these do use Kailh's cheaper switches.

You can currently get the MX-Board 3.0 from Ebuyer for £54.99 HERE.

Discuss on our Facebook page, over HERE.

Pros

• Cherry MX switches.
• One of the cheapest keyboards to use MX switches.
• Some – very basic – software.

Cons

• Lacks any extra features.
• Uninspired appearance.
• Low-profile key caps are unsatisfying to type with.
• Expensive for what it is.

KitGuru says: The MX-Board 3.0 can certainly do a job – just a very basic one. Sadly it is just lacking many features gamers desire with a mechanical keyboard.

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