MSI VIGOR GK50 Elite Box White Mechanical Keyboard Review

How Much Does it Cost?

The MSI VIGOR GK50 ELITE mechanical gaming keyboard is available right now from most major retailers. It’s on Amazon for £75, which is a fairly decent price. It’s not a bargain, but it’s not crazy money either. For the level of features you get, it’s competitive and it also has a unique design, which gives it a unique selling point.

Overview

I really do enjoy typing on this keyboard, but I also don’t think it’s the right keyboard for me. I type on a low-profile mechanical that’s virtually silent. I type a LOT every day and need something extremely easy going on my already tired hands. However, I’m in a profession that requires a lot more keyboard time than most so that’s fine. However, if you like that big click response, then it really is a joy to use and the keys feel great. My kids love clicking the switches too, albeit some may not see that as a positive aspect of the design.

Build Quality

It’s got great build quality where it matters, and they’ve cut costs where it doesn’t. The plastic housing for the keyboard doesn’t inspire me to be honest, it could be better. However, it’s plenty durable and gets the job done. They’ve given it an aluminium top cover, but it’s more for decoration than structure, which is fine, it looks great and feels great, so I’m not going to beat them up about it. If you want a more robust aluminium body design, expect to pay way over £100 for the keyboard.

Box White switches are fantastic, they’re a more durable mechanical switch, have a longer life, and better dust protection. Furthermore, they provide a much more stable key cap mount that doesn’t wobble.

The cable is braided, although it’s also hard-wired, and I would have preferred a removable USB cable. Plus you get good kickstands and rubber grips on the keyboard.

Gaming

This is where the GK50 Elite shines the brightest, well second brightest, as the RGB on this thing is pretty dazzling. However, for gaming, it’s a really great keyboard and those switches are more like the buttons on a quality arcade machine. The click response, the fast return rate, the very stable keycaps, it all adds up to an eSports worthy experience. It’s even better with headphones on, you can really feel the switch response, making up for the loss in hearing the switches.

Should I Buy One?

It’s not the keyboard for me, I work on a keyboard more than I game and I want something more stylish for the office. However, for all-out gaming thrills, features, and aesthetics, MSI has absolutely nailed it.