Cooler Master CM Storm Mech Aluminum Keyboard Review

A Closer Look

The keyboard features an oversized heavy-duty plastic frame that has a cutaway on the left, effectively giving it a large carry handle, while front section forms a wrist rest.

Etched lightly across the left side of the aluminium is the CM logo, which overruns onto the plastic front panel, although instead of laser etching like that found on the aluminium panel, the plastic uses a gloss finish against its softer matte texture.

Between the front edge of the keyboards aluminium top panel and the wrist rest is a gap, the wrist rest slopes down under the metal and has a glossy finish on that edge. This allows the LED lights for the num lock, caps lock and scroll lock to reflect off it, as the lights are set back so you don’t actually see the bulb of the LED.

Along the top we have a full set of F keys, all of which feature a 2nd level of functions via the Fn key. This allows you access to multimedia short cuts, as well as controls for the keyboards features such as the LED lighting.

The keyboard may be quite large in terms of how much desk space it uses, but it does features a nice low profile. The keys have a slight curve to their layout and this should help promote a good typing position in combination with the wrist rest. The keys are well spaced, with the switch set into the main body of the chassis so that the base of the key caps never raise above the aluminium panel.

Around the back we can see that the metal over hangs on the back left of the keyboard, not sure if this really provides any practical benefit, but it certainly looks rather cool.

Here we see (from left to right) the propitiatory USB connection for the keyboard, a micro USB port, 2 x USB 3.0 ports and audio ports, all of which can be used for things such as charging your devices, or hooking up your headset.

The base features four durable rubber strips that will help prevent the keyboard slipping about your desk, although I rarely find that to be an issue with mechanical keyboards due to their extra weight compared to membrane keyboards. There are two flip out plastic feet at the back, they’re not the most durable design ever but still above average in terms of construction.