Cherry MX-Board 3.0 Keyboard Review

Performance

The first thing I always test on a keyboard these days is its acoustics, just how loud does it sound when you are typing? As you can see from the chart below, there is a big difference to be heard from each switch type. Despite each keyboard looking identical it’s the various switch types that really change the sound and the feel of the keys in a big way.

The MX Red switches are linear, they have no click and the keys don’t bottom out very hard when pressed so they’re easily the quietest, they’re actually quieter than the Corsair K40 which is surprising given that Corsairs offering is a membrane keyboard so this would be ideal for those who want a quieter keyboard.

The MX brown have a slight bump when typing and require a little more force to press than the reds, so they bottom out a little harder and as such they generate a little more noise than the red. Black switches bottom out the hardest as again they require a little more force to press, making them a little louder than the brown switch, albeit by a negligible amount. The loudest is certainly the blue as this switch has an audible “click” when the switch is pressed and a “clank” when the key bottoms out. It’s a satisfying sound while typing, but anyone sat next to you might get agitated after a while of listening to it.

Gaming

Spending half a day testing four keyboards might not sound like fun, but in reality it just meant I got to play a lot of games! The differences between the four switch types didn’t take long to present themselves and while for the most part they were mostly tactile rather than performance differences, they can make a big difference to your overall experience with the keyboard.

The red switches are noticeably faster and lighter to press, since there is no tactile click to the switches linear design. This allows for rapid tapping of the switch and works really well for games like StarCraft II and DOTA II.

Blue switches have a loud and tactile click to them when pressed, which lets you know exactly when a button press is triggered, so you know you’ve not missed the key or your move. When playing games like Battlefield 4 this tactile feedback is great for accurate movement around the battlefield, but the noise can be a bit much when things get frantic, certainly a keyboard for those who love to use a headset while gaming.

Black are easily my favourite, they’re sprung a little heavier which means they have a good return to them and they still offer a nice tactile clunk as the key bottoms out, without the extra noise of the blues. They’re very nice to game on as they offer the linear switch like the reds, but the extra weight required to trigger them makes accidental switch triggers a rarity.

Brown are one of the more unique switches in the range, they offer a “bump” that triggers before the switch is fully pressed. As the switch passes the bump the key then drops further and bottoms out. So you get the tactile bump then the tap of the key bottoming out; it’s quite similar to that of a high-end electric typewriter and combines aspects of the other three switch types. I’m not so sure this is the ideal switch for gaming compared to the other MX colours, but I guess that’s just my personal preference.

General tasks

Gaming is one thing, but it’s more than likely you’ll spend even more time working, browsing Facebook and trolling people in the comments sections of various websites than you will gaming. It’s in general day-to-day typing that the big advantages of mechanical keyboards really start to shine. Membrane keys often wear my fingers out after an hour or so, leaving my fingers aching and tired, but fast and light switch types such as the MX Red negate much of this. Blue switches are a joy to use overall, they may be noisy, but the tactile click and bump as you strike each key leaves you wanting to type a dissertation just so you can keep on tapping. The same can be said for MX Black and Brown, while all the switches are a joy to type on, it really is about finding the one that you love the most and I highly recommend you pick up a mechanical key switch tester prior to investing in your first board.

The keyboards do benefit from a super low profile, at least as far as mechanical keyboards are designed. The key caps are low-profile and sit slightly recessed into the chassis of the keyboard and whilst the keyboard is angled slightly forward due to its slight wedge shape, the key layout is pretty flat. This makes it really easy for your fingers to travel across the keys without catching on the sides of other switches and is not unlike the keys on a good quality notebook or ultra book and it’ll prove popular with those who generally touch type at higher speeds.