Low-profile mechanical keyboards, like this new MSI Vigor GK50, are a little bit of a revelation. I imply, you get that candy clicky expertise with out all of the chunk. Nonetheless, among the greatest full-size low-profile boards value a reasonably penny which is why the $99 GK50 is a very intriguing choice. My favourite board of all time, the Roccat Vulcan 120 AIMO prices at the very least 50% extra whereas the OG Logitech G915 can be double that. There are cheaper choices from the likes of Keychron however MSI has the benefit of being a a lot greater model.
However why would anybody need a low-profile mechanical keyboard? Properly, essentially the most rapid profit is improved ergonomics to stop you from ruining your treasured wrists. You see, conventional mechanical boards are fairly the chunky affairs with thick chassis, blocky keycaps designed to offer you that satisfying lengthy journey. At their highest level, they will stand 50mm which requires the usage of a wrist wrest.
The GK50 is a mere 34mm at its highest level, with a pleasant mild slope that enables your arms to work in a cushty place with none pressure. Yeah, it’s snug. After all, in shaving off all that peak, you do lose a few of that traditional depth and satisfaction when typing on conventional boards. In saying that, the GK50’s low-profile Kailh switches are surprisingly satisfying to press. They’re sharp and clicky in the way in which solely low-profiles will be however are a lot louder than I anticipated, so possibly assume twice earlier than shopping for this for a shared workplace house.
The switches are of a tactile nature and have a good pre-travel of 1.5mm and a complete of 3mm with a slight bump if you actuate them. They’re additionally fairly quick although not as easy as linear switches. I by no means had any points whereas gaming however there’s a little bit of an adjustment interval to get used to the marginally stiffer keys. Sitting on prime of the Kailhs are octagonal matte caps with clear legends which can be nice for RGB.
MSI Vigor GK50 specs
The caps are about half the peak of normal keycaps which helps hold issues actually low. The matte coating is meant to maintain them freed from fingerprints and smudges however on the time of penning this, my board is a disgusting assortment of smudges. Fortunately, they’re nonetheless grippy and the concave caps are fairly pleasurable to make use of. MSI additionally features a keycap puller within the field so you may, in concept, purchase some aftermarket low-profile caps to fulfill your liking.
In addition to, no person can see your smudges in the dead of night of your gaming cave the place you’ll revel within the glow of the Mystic Mild RGB. Refreshingly, MSI has added all of the controls for swapping lighting profiles onto the board. Utilizing the MSI key (learn Fn key), you may cycle presets, adjusting pace and brightness as you go. No want to leap into the advisable MSI Heart software program. This new common app surprisingly lacks plenty of keyboard customization options together with the RGB. Odd however there’s at all times the choice of the alternate MSI Dragon Heart software program which has a lot better management.
As a full-size board, the GK50 has a ton of keys to work with and so you could have plenty of capabilities out there to you without having to dive into the software program. You get media controls, recreation mode, hell you actually have a particular key perform to begin MSI Afterburner to observe your {hardware}.
When it comes to seems to be, the GK50 doesn’t impress an excessive amount of, with its uninspired utilitarian aesthetic. The GK50 is only a bit too uninteresting, even with its octagonal keys and brushed metallic deck. The highest proper of the board is a wasted alternative of empty house that would’ve been used for a quantity dial as an alternative of simply LED for caps and num lock.
The GK50 makes use of a single USB 2.0 cable that’s non-detachable which kinda sucks in the event you wished to make use of a customized cable. The board additionally has some flip stands for better slope if that’s your factor. I discovered the board to be steady on my desk so frantic avid gamers needn’t fear.
All mentioned and completed, the $99 MSI Vigor GK50 is a good low-profile mechanical keyboard that sticks to the fundamentals and delivers an inexpensive, if unexciting, total bundle. The Kailh switches are pretty to kind on, though avid gamers would most likely profit from one thing smoother. It is value noting that this board is commonly lowered and is down to simply over $41 on Amazon right now, that’s a good deal for a low-profile board.
