Cooler Master SK650 Keyboard Review – Low Profile is the New Cool
Peter Donnell / 6 years ago
Final Thoughts
How Much Does it Cost?
The Cooler Master SK650 Keyboard clocks in at around or just a little over £150 at most retailers. That is pretty expensive, but it’s on par with the competition when it comes to the build quality, features, and more. That’s still a lot of money though, so maybe only of much interest to the PC enthusiast that wants a really slick looking keyboard.
Overview
So, so keep on tabs with that pricing for a moment. Let’s take a look at what you get for your money. It’s fully mechanical despite the low-profile design. A full Cherry MX switch equipped keyboard typically comes in at a higher price anyway. However, these are also their latest low-profile switch design. You get their custom keycap design, the aluminium design, USB Type-C, and some very powerful onboard processing. That’s what you would expect from any flagship gaming keyboard, and they’re typically all £150 too, so it doesn’t seem too bad in that respect.
Gaming
I’m sure many gamers like their full-travel MX switches. However, I am slowly warming towards these low actuation switches. They’re lighter to use, the return rate is faster, they require less movement to trigger a keystroke. Overall, everything about them means faster gaming performance and less effort. Furthermore, that also results in less overall strain on your hands by the end of the day. For gaming, I think they’re every bit as good, if not better than standard MX switches.
In The Office
Many gaming keyboards look exactly like you would think. They can be bright, garish, and a little “extreme” looking. Basically, you would look like a bit out of place with on in the office. However, Cooler Master has tempered their keyboard styling down quite a bit here. The SK650 has a sleek, professional and very refined look about it. You would be proud to have this in a high-end office, and just as happy to have it at home, or even at the next eSports championship.
Build Quality
From the Cherry MX switches, through to the fantastic aluminium top panel, and the USB Type-C braided cable. Cooler Master has put a lot of effort into creating a product that looks, feels, and performs as a premium product should. Their efforts go a long way to justifying the price tag too. However, why there are no kickstands to increasing the angle is confusing me. It’s not a bad thing, but don’t get this keyboard unless you’re happy with it having a completely flat profile.