i-Rocks K10 USB Gaming keyboard Review

Mechanical keyboards aren't for everyone - some gamers are more than happy with a well built membrane keyboard. i-Rocks claims to have found the perfect middle ground with their K10, delivering the tactile feedback of a mechanical switch in a rubber dome design. How well does the keyboard hold up? Lets find out... The i-Rocks K10 comes equipped with POM key switches - which are designed to add an extra level of tactile feedback to each key press by using a special guide sleeve and "special rubber" over the membrane activation switch. In addition, this keyboard uses PBT reinforced key caps, which are rated to withstand millions of key strokes. Features and Specifications: 1000 Hz polling rate. Windows lock key. N-Key Rollover. POM guide sleeve. 3.8mm key stroke. PBT Key caps. 30 key simultaneous trigger. The i-Rocks K10 is an inexpensive keyboard and as a result, the packaging is actually quite modest. You get a slim, compact box, with a nice big logo printed on to it. As usual, the back of the box is where you'll find most of the product information, giving you a brief run down of what you can expect in terms of standout features. At first glance, the keyboard appears to be going with a green color scheme, which would be great if the design was consistent. The box has lots of green on it - the few lights on the keyboard are green- even the POM switches stick to the apparent color scheme. However, for some reason, there is a red trim going around the edge of the keyboard which does look a bit out of place. We would like to see a consistent color scheme on future product iterations. As you can see in the image above, there is a slight upwards curve to the keyboard, which should theoretically make typing more comfortable. The keyboard doesn't come with any audio inputs, extra USB slots or a braided cable. However, there is a cable management groove on the back of the keyboard along with a set of standard rubber feet. i-Rocks uses its own style of keyboard lettering, much like Razer does with its keyboards. The space key is the only one to be backlit as it has the company name on. The first thing I noticed about the i-Rocks K10, is how heavy it was- giving off the impression that it is a well built product as soon as you pick it up. While it is primarily made out of plastic, the keyboard feels very durable. Upon unboxing, it's clear that i-Rocks has put a lot of effort in to ensure that the K10's build quality is up to scratch. Now let's see how it performs... We like to get as close to 'real world testing' as we possibly can here at KitGuru, which is why the i-Rocks K10 has been my main keyboard of use for the last couple of weeks - putting it through every scenario that our regular readers may find useful. However, due to the subjective nature of peripheral reviews, we do recommend that you try before you buy, as long as you have the opportunity. Now with that out of the way, how does the i-Rocks K10 perform with its specially designed POM switches? Overall, the i-Rocks K10 is a nice keyboard, it's solidly built and has a slight upwards curve to the body, which made typing very comfortable. In addition, the keys are spaced out well- I was able to type up daily news here at KitGuru swiftly and accurately without feeling any discomfort over time. I also found the key spacing to be spot on, during my time with the K10 I didn't find myself mashing the wrong keys due to poor or abnormal spacing- everything was exactly where it was supposed to be. The POM switches included on the K10 are interesting. They are built to add an extra layer of tactile feedback compared to what you would find on a standard membrane keyboard and they certainly do their job. Gaming and typing on the i-Rocks K10 is a much better experience compared to standard, cheap membrane keyboards. However, each key press still requires a significant amount of force to actuate compared to a mechanical keyboard and the keys do tend to feel a little mushy while typing. This is very much a 'no nonsense' product, there is no software suite included and there is a distinct lack of media keys, backlighting and macros. However, we don't see this as a negative as the £20 price point puts the K10 in a strong position against competing products, such as the Corsair Raptor K40, which does come with some nice features but also comes in at double the price. I wasn't expecting the i-Rocks K10 gaming keyboard to impress me as much as it has over the last few weeks. I don't think many keyboards in the sub- £30 price bracket will match its durability or build quality. While the red trim around the edge of the keyboard clashes with the otherwise green color scheme, the target audience are unlikely be spending much time staring at the keyboard - so it's not huge problem. That said, we would like to see it changed in future product revisions. Typing was comfortable and the keyboard is solid enough to withstand some 'nerd rage'. I also appreciated the subtle curve on the K10 as it added to the comfort level. If you value media function keys, macros and fancy backlighting then the K10 might not be for you. However, if you want a cheap, reliable membrane keyboard for daily use, then you should definitely consider giving the K10 a shot. You can buy the i-Rocks K10 keyboard from Amazon for £22. We feel that it might just be the best choice for an inexpensive, basic membrane keyboard right now. Discuss on our Facebook page, over HERE. Pros: Solid build quality. POM switches. inexpensive. Subtle Curve. Comfortable to use. very competitive pricing. Cons: Inconsistent colour scheme. KitGuru Says: The i-Rocks K10 is the best option for a 'no frills' keyboard.

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i-Rocks K10 USB Gaming keyboard Review

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