In the ever-evolving world of gaming peripherals, Cooler Master has once again stepped up to the plate with their latest release, the MK770 gaming keyboard. As avid gamers ourselves, we were excited to see brands we know and love step outside the box. From its build quality, customization options, and one of a kind color scheme, the MK770 keyboard from Cooler Master is ready to take 2024 in full color.
Right out of the box, the MK770 impresses with its overall build quality. While the chassis is constructed from plastic, it is remarkably robust and well-weighted, providing a sense of durability that gamers will appreciate. Being that the keys are not wobbly, this means we have quality standoffs implemented in the design, ensuring a stable and responsive feel.
Cushion Town
One standout feature of the MK770 is its well-insulated design, offering a satisfying lighthearted clicky sound upon each key press without being too noisy. This attention to detail enhances the overall gaming experience, immersing players in the tactile feedback that only a high-quality keyboard can provide.
Cable Consideration
With the sheer amount of bold design choices, color scheme matching, and customizability options the MK770 showcases, something as simple as the charging cable not color matching is bothersome. It just seems like a silly oversight from Cooler Master to have a cotton candy pastel board, yet dumb the wire down to such a simple color as white. It’s a miss on wow factor after shelling out over $100. I would have also liked to see this wire a bit more firm and solid to further match the robust structure of the MK770 itself.
Customization Made Easy
The inclusion of a hot-swappable PCB opens up a world of possibilities for customization enthusiasts. Cooler Master understands the growing trend of gamers wanting to tailor their peripherals to their preferences. The hot-swappable PCB not only allows for easy key switch replacements but also serves as an excellent introduction to the world of custom keyboards for those looking to explore further down the line.
Texture and Connectivity
The MK770 features high-quality PBT, or referred to as “double-shot,” plastic keycaps with a pleasing, finely soft texture. The keys never feel greasy, ensuring a comfortable and reliable grip. Also, the choice of PBT plastic ensures that the keycaps maintain their texture and resist wear even after extensive gaming sessions.
Kailh Box V2 Switches
Cooler Master has brought Kailh Box V2 key switches to the MK770. These switches bring a unique touch to the keyboard’s sound profile, offering a softer click compared to the more tactile clicks found in other mechanical keyboards on the market. This design choice caters to gamers who prefer a quieter, yet still satisfying experience such as a streamer who types a lot.
Wired, Wireless, Bluetooth
Diving into the realm of connectivity, the MK770 keyboard by Cooler Master offers a versatile experience for users with multi platform connectivity. Users can seamlessly switch between wired, 2.4GHz wireless, and Bluetooth connections, catering to various gaming setups and preferences.
I’d like to note that the keyboard is not true to hybrid features, only allowing one device to be controlled at once. You can’t seamlessly switch between Bluetooth, Wired, or Wireless without reaching over to the control switch.
However, what you can do is seamlessly switch between 3 Bluetooth devices at once using the on-board Cooler Master key, and one of the indicated Bluetooth keys located at the bottom left. This was a pleasant surprise if you are a mobile, casual, or office professional user, allowing the ability to bounce between typing on a PC via Bluetooth, and texting on a phone with a quick keyboard hotkey. I say it’s a more casual feature use-case, as Bluetooth has notable latency which may be way too slow for gamers.
It’s crucial to note that while the MK770 boasts an impressive low-latency 1ms response time via both wired and 2.4GHz wireless connections, the Bluetooth option presents a much lower response time, approximately 1/10th of the wired and wireless speeds. This discrepancy may introduce noticeable input lag for those who are accustomed to the lightning-fast response times.
While also supporting multiple connection types, the MK770 fully supports IOS, Mac, and Android.
The battery life on this product is not listed on Cooler Master’s specs, other than saying the MK770 has a 4000mAH battery capacity. After investigation, the battery lasted about 4-5 hours on both Bluetooth and Wireless, with RGB full brightness. Side note, the charge time was around 4-5 hours as well whilst plugged into a PC USB port.
While charging, the small front facing indicator LED shines red, and turns off when charging is complete. The MK770 indicator LED also shines blue when trying to connect to Bluetooth. Adding to this, when turning on the MK770, the indicator LED will shine red or green revealing relative battery.
May I state that the battery visual indicator on the Masterplus software doesn’t show percentages or numbers, so you are left guessing how much juice is left in the tank. It also makes me think there are true intentions behind making the battery life a bit ambiguous since the MK770 has lackluster battery life, even being a mobile product. They might be trying to hide the downsides here, but I’ll tell you the truth.
Finding The Right Buyer
Due to the weight of the keyboard, combined with the subpar battery life for such a gaming device, I find the mobile aspect of the MK770 rather convoluted. Nobody wants to lug around a pocket weight that doesn’t last more than approximately one gaming session. Because of this, I think the MK770 could have been better if it was just wired, and maybe cheaper. All of the hybrid features are unnecessary as the buyer of this most likely is not going anywhere with a hefty keyboard.
That does not deter me from enjoying the MK770 for what it is, as I most likely will use this wired at all times. Less latency, unlimited battery, so I’ll take this trade off.
This keyboard seems to speak for the less serious, less competition based gamer, as I found the MK770 more cushy and lacking quick, tactile input. You have to press with more force than other mechanical gaming keyboards, and for someone like myself who likes fast and immediate response when trying to beat my opponents, this keyboard seems to be slightly lacking in the speed category.
Modern Aesthetic
The keyboard smacks you in the face with one of a kind aesthetic on all fronts. The cuts and grooves have a very playful, yet bold design, taking full ownership of new ideas. Cooler Master certainly succeeds in giving gamers a reason to step outside of their brand loyalty to find a product that really speaks to them.
On top of the board’s unique design, there is something comfortable about the MK770 typing experience. Its pillow-like allure to the keys has me playing games for hours. Adding to this, the MK770 has some height to it, but this doesn’t seem to get in the way of wrist positioning or comfort over long sessions.
Other small talking points regarding the build. The exterior switch for Bluetooth, wired, or wireless is firm and well-made, as is most of this product. You can also find little hints of Cooler Master branding nested subtly within the pink shapes on the sides.
Next, Cooler Master thinks about the portable gamer, leaving an actual seat for the dongle under the keyboard’s leg. There is no excuse for losing this dongle with this seatbelt, and the brand’s creativity speaks loudly here. Cooler Master also considers every little piece that goes into the look and feel, even making sure the rubber feet on the bottom offer contrasting colors such as white which looks clean.
The Dimmest Glow: A Slight Setback
However, no product is without its flaws. One noticeable downside is the RGB lighting, which, in certain areas, appears a bit dim and unevenly distributed, especially around larger keys like Shift and Caps Lock. While it doesn’t impact the keyboard’s functionality, gamers who prioritize vibrant lighting setups may find this aspect a bit lacking.
Navigating the Function Keys: An Ergonomic Challenge
Another minor drawback is the recessed function keys, which can lead to slightly awkward ergonomics when searching for the Esc key or accessing other function keys. While this may not be a deal-breaker for many, users who heavily rely on these keys for in-game actions may find it takes some getting used to.
Software Safe Haven
Although I have had my fair share of experience with Cooler Master’s Masterplus software, the primary way to control all of your Cooler Master ecosystem, there seems to be way more features available given if you update the program. Other than typical macro keys, profiles, key mapping, and sleep timers for wireless, the RGB section got an abundant overhaul.
Not only are there way more RGB effects to choose from, such as Heartbeat, snowing, reactive punches, and more, we can also see the addition to multi layer or multi zone effects.
Multilayer is my favorite, allowing me to maintain a static color, but I can also use reactive punches or other effects without removing my static color. This allows me to fully mix, match, and customize how the MK770 responds to my typing.
Multizone is similar, but allows for different effects on specific keys, or sections of keys. You can even drag and highlight in the software window to make this process easier.
There are many on-board hotkeys, and macro controls for wireless or Bluetooth users, mac users, and mobile users. You can certainly customize many, to all keys, in the software, but the keyboard has pre-loaded controls for on-the-fly preferences. It is a bit overwhelming and adds a lot of visual clutter on the keys, but that’s a trade off of purchasing such a universal, and hybrid product.
Lastly, regarding the selling point of the 3 button wheel, in the key mapping window, you can change the intended control of spinning down, up, or clicking the wheel. I chose to make these settings next track, previous track, and pause/play for easy music management while playing full screen games. Side note, it’s quite challenging to click the wheel without accidently spinning it, so maybe I have to reconsider my settings.
Conclusion
The Cooler Master MK770 keyboard is a force to be reckoned with in 2024, catching anyone’s eyes. Although this product is a full sized keyboard, not offering any additional macro keys or independent media keys, this product stands tall at the price of over $100.
Yea, it may not come with a fancy wrist rest, but it is undeniably a powerhouse, combining exceptional build quality and aesthetic, customizable features, and a satisfying gaming experience. For gamers seeking a reliable and versatile companion for their gaming adventures, the MK770 stands as a commendable choice, offering a glimpse into the future of customizable gaming peripherals and design.
Cooler Master continues to be a key player in the gaming industry, providing products that cater to the evolving needs of their community. I am glad to see brands like Cooler Master get ballsy with their hardware and product releases because PC gear is a bit stale from time to time.
Noisy Pixel is giving the Cooler Master MK770 Gaming keyboard, an A-.
The RGB lighting and recessed function keys, and maybe battery life, are areas for improvement, but they hardly overshadow the keyboard’s overall performance, so I had to remain fair.
