MSI GK-601 Cherry Red mechanical keyboard review

1. Introduction and Packaging2. The Bundle3. The Keyboard4. Performance and Closing Thoughts5. View All Pages

To put the MSI GK-601 through it's paces, I used it over a period of a week for all my daily typing – which as you can imagine working here, gets quite extensive – as well as my nightly gaming sessions which as of late, have involved a lot of Just Cause 2 Multiplayer.

There were a few other titles too though and I had the GK-601 run through several different genres and types of games to really see what it could do.

Typing wise, I found this keyboard right up there with some of my favourites. The Red Switches are very responsive and only need to be about half depressed to be activated, which has the potential for slight speed boosts to your typing speed.

However, be aware that because of the lack of force required, you can occasionally find yourself not quite depressing a key far enough – especially if you're trying to type as fast as possible.

In my case, I'm able to tap away at around 120 words per minute, faster if I am coming up with all the words myself. With this keyboard I was able to hit about the same as my usual black switch keyboard, but I can see there being the potential for me to improve a little more if I gave myself some more time to get used to the lighter touch. However in practice, when trying to increase my speed by a fraction, I found myself missing letters as I tried to move on from a key too fast.

This isn't a downfall of the Red Switches in reality, more of a case of getting used to them.

In terms of the keyboard's ease of use, it's a very standard layout so there isn't a lot to say – it works. However, I will note that as a personal preference, I prefer the function key to replace the left hand windows key, rather than the right. I use the media controls a lot more than I do any windows+[insert key] functions, so being able to do that with one hand is preferable to being able to do the other with one hand.

As it stands, if I want to adjust the volume of a game, I have to take my hand off the mouse and hold the function key, while adjusting the volume with my left hand. It's a small thing, but it's noticeable.

Likewise, I'm not a big fan of the single height enter key. Instead of having the double sized one like my usual keyboard does, I have a “#” and “~” key. While I understand that hash tags are far more commonly used now than they used to be, it doesn't warrant taking up half of my enter key space. As you may have ascertained, we received an early US sample. Good news is that when the UK and European models hit sale in Q2 2014, they will have a double height return key. We don't know why the American audience seem to like single height return keys, but we certainly don't.

Gaming wise, as you would expect the GK-601 does really well. The Red switches are beautifully responsive and it's perfectly comfortable in long sessions. Some may like to see a wrist rest of some kind on their board, but due to the angling of this one after a while I didn't find it necessary. However, if you don't have an arm rest on your chair, you are going to notice more than those that do.

I must admit I was initially concerned that with the lack of PS/2 connector on this keyboard, we might have problems with multiple key presses, but thanks to what MSI calls its “N-Key Rollover and anti-ghosting technology,” there is no issue with hitting as many keys as you want, so don't worry about mashing the keys during frantic sessions.

However if you don't want to take that risk, you can always let the software handle it for you with the inbuilt macro functions, which is nice to see on a mechanical board. In-fact you can macro or remap every key on the entire board which is impressive. The software isn't the most intuitive, but with a bit of a play you can figure it out easily enough .

There's no options in the software for adjusting the backlighting, but the operation of that can all be handled by the num keys, which allow for adjusting its brightness, as well as whether it's on all the time, or “breathes” in and out.

Ultimately, this is quite an attention grabbing keyboard with a unique look and keys/switches that are great for typing and gaming in equal measure. However, if you are used to heavier switches it will take you some time to get used to the GK-601, as will those that have been using a full size enter key for some time.

It's priced pretty fairly too, and it's got a solid build, with nicely braided cabling and acts as its own USB hub for added accessories, though the software can get a bit fiddly at times.

Bottom line, this isn't the best keyboard I've ever used, but it's nipping at the heels of my favourites, which is high praise. This is a solid keyboard for those that love yellow and Cherry Red switches.

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Availability and Pricing

Unfortunately you won't be able to get a hold of the GK-601 in the UK until Q2 this year, but when it is released, it'll cost £69.99.

Pros

• Lovely to type on.
• Fast response keys are great for gaming.
• Anti-ghosting means you can multi-press as many keys are you like.
• Backlighting for those that game in the dark.
• Feels sturdy and well built.
• Key remapping and macro recording software.
• Braided cabling.

Cons

• Software can be a bit fiddly.
• Ugly lock indicator lets down the good looks.
• Would like to have seen the function key on the left rather than the right.
• No wrist rest seems a shame.

Kitguru Says: A quality keyboard, around a standard mechanical price range. There are a few things we would change, but it's a very nice product.

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