Cooler Master CK550 V2 RGB Mechanical Gaming Keyboard - Blue Switches
Polling Rate: 1000Hz
On Board Memory: 512KB
FN Multimedia Keys
Full Sized Gaming Keyboard
Wrist Rest - Brushed Aluminium Design
RGB Backlighting - On-the-Fly Controls
Hybrid Key Rollover (6KRO/NKRO)
Standard Layout
Fixed Rubberized 1.8 Metre Cable
USB 2.0 Connection
I sold my almost new cherry blue keyboard , way too loud !!!
Looks like they switched from Cherry to Gateron switches, and switched from detachable micro-USB to fixed cable vs older versions. Still, it has a standard bottom row layout which is nice
Their website says they're TTC switches…
https://www.coolermaster.com/catalog/peripheral/keyboards/ck…
Could be this one. http://en.ttc9.com/product/122.html
Just a warning to anyone who hasn't owned a mechanical keyboard before:
I was new to mechanical keyboards when I bought my first board. I didn't know much about how different the switches were but ended up buying a blue switch keyboard on a good deal. The deal is what really stood out to me, but within a month, I realized I made a big mistake.
The RGB + Macros + Clicky sounding keys were EXCELLENT for gaming…
… but the keyboard was so loud, doing anything else on it was just too much for me. I realized blue switches were definitely not the correct choice for me, plus, I also found that low-profile keys were my best option (as I've primarily used laptop keyboards).
As awesome as the keyboard looked and as fun as it was to game on, I ended up selling the keyboard. I realized typing was the primary use for the keyboard, so I ended up pulling an old Apple Magic Keyboard out, and have been using it ever since. It's a pleasure to type on and much better than the blue switches I had on the mech board.
Typing Speed Stats:
Laptop Keyboard - 110wpm
Apple Magic Keyboard - 121wpm
Blue Switch Mech - 78wpm
This definitely isn't going to relate for everyone, but to the few beginners out there looking at buying a board, make sure you take this into consideration and do your research!!
My first mechanical was red, full height - it was too soft, mistakes everywhere.
Next was brown, I liked it but somehow, my typing style destroyed the keyboard super fast. The brown switches on 2 of them started dying at 6 months.
I then moved to black keys again all full height and loved it for years, until I tried at work and they didn't like the noise.
I got a low profile, blue Havit which is a masterpiece of a keyboard, but also too noisy for work and finally after all that, I started using the K800 Logitech rubber domes which a colleague put me on to. I hated it at first but now I love them (and thanks to that, I'll never buy a corded keyboard again sadly)
Now I'm considering low profile but not blue switches, no idea where to start.
/
How did you find using a non mechanical logitech keyboard after using mechanicals for so long?
I was forced off mechanical at work to keep my coworkers sane.
I worked in a place where the typists must be as quiet as possible, so there was a lot of Logitech K800s around.
Honestly because of my hard typing style, I'm pretty happy with this K800. The low profile blue is a nicer feel but only just. I can still hammer out words on this K800 - and it's so low profile, even lower than an LP mechanical - it's a pretty legit keyboard.
Have you tried using O-rings? Those help reduce the noise some.
I have, totally messed up how typing feels - does reduce the noise though.
I had the opposite experience. My typing was quicker on the blue switch. But I have shown my keyboard to other people and they didn't like it.
My favourite is the springy old IBM keyboards, but my fingers get tired if I type on it all day.
I find myself being drawn to the ThinkPad keyboards…
Unfortunately I just upgraded from my ThinkPad and my new laptop is better in every way - expect for the keyboard :(
I had a similar experience. My old $39 membrane Kogan keyboard that I had for years was slowly starting to die, so I decided to take a step into the world of mechanical keyboards, because everyone I knew told me how great they were. I went to JB, where they had a little tester on display consisting of 5/6 mechanical switches so you could feel them and see which ones you liked the most. One thing for me was I wanted a silent keyboard, so knew to stay away from blue switches, and ended up on Speed/Silver switches. Found a keyboard that had it and got it, and while the switches themselves were quiet enough, the sound of the keys bottoming out was super loud.
I started looking into all the ways to fix it - use orings, get a foam pad and desolder the switches and replace them, type softer (I've learned to type on membrane keyboards my whole life - I can't just teach myself to type at the same speed while pressing down only 10% of the distance I'm used to), and all these other 'fixes' which all felt like it was just way too much time, effort or money to deal with. After a couple of days I took the keyboard back and swapped it for a membrane keyboard. So much quieter, and definitely glad I did. Some people say that there's a mechanical keyboard for everyone, but I ain't taking the time to find the right key and switch and taking a gamble on it to maybe just go back to membrane.
Don't feel bad about your opinion, I had similar experience in my post up above and I forgot (and you're right!) the o'rings, trying to silence my red - it just made typing on the keyboard a misery.
I've learnt on rubber domes my whole life. Infact the keyboard I'm using is specifically sold for it's quietness and I still manage to make the thign quite noisy, simply from my typing style :(
Yeah, I had so many people trying to tell me that the mechanical was better and that the louder it click clacked, the better and I should just get used to it and whatnot. It's like, sure, you may like it, and I respect that, but it's not for me. I don't want to spend ages trying to fix things when I could get a cheaper keyboard that feels better for me and works better for me.
Ah well, there's dozens of us who prefer membrane keyboards! Dozens!
Yeah, I had so many people trying to tell me that the mechanical was better and that the louder it click clacked, the better and I should just get used to it and whatnot.
Terrible advice, lol. So many different types of switches out there, not all of them are obnoxiously loud and annoying.
@CrispyChrispy: True, but the switches I personally had were speed ones, which themselves weren't loud. However the bottom out sound of the keyboard was loud, and there were quite a few people on various forums I found when looking up fixes who were saying that the click clack is part of what makes it great, and if you get rid of that you may as well just not own a mechanical keyboard :P
I guess some people REALLY love their clickity clackity sound :P
Wow!! It's actually scary how similar this story is to mine. You just had a few more details which I actually forgot:
Everyone was telling me to buy mechanical keyboards because they were apparently superior to membrane keyboards.
THE FIXESSS omg. These felt like way too much hassle and most of all made me feel like I wouldn't be getting the correct mechanical experience if I bought this keyboard to just dampen the sounds with o-rings.
I do believe there is a mechanical keyboard for everyone, but just like you, it would take too much time and money to find the keyboard considering you're only going to realize which is perfect for you once you use it daily for some time.
I'm happy with my membrane.
Yes!! I forgot about how everyone said it was better than membrane by far and that it was no comparison at all. Then those people in various posts around who had the same issue with loudness and were asking about orings and whatnot, and the community coming in and saying things like "don't put orings on your keyboard, it'll ruin the feel and you may as well just use a membrane instead", or things like that. I know it's a tiny minority of the community as a whole, but man a lot of elitists in the mechanical keyboard world like to make their opinions known about your preferences!
Between that and all the fixes, it just absolutely wasn't worth it for me to stick with it. I'll be happy if someone can ever find a mechanical keyboard that I like, but for now, like you, I'm happy with my membrane. Maybe in 5-10 years when this starts to die I'll have a closer look for a completely silent mechanical. Or get another membrane - we'll see!
I love the blue switches!
But i'm going to have to wait til I live on a remote mountain cabin before I can buy one. End up getting a keyboard with brown switches as a compromise for those who I share house with.
I couldn't stand the sound of the switches bottoming out. Honestly, it wasn't even just about disturbing others, but also me not finding the sound anything that cool (when typing).
When gaming, the switches felt like a whole different board tho
To be honest, I haven't had a chance to live with a keyboard with blue switches. I'm basing it from memories of using old apple keyboards from the 80s, which were clicky.
As for the different characteristics for gaming, I guess this one of the reasons why keeb enthusiasts get multiple keyboards for different activities.
@huggsymersh: That's spot on. I know a few keyboard fanatics and it's funny to see how crazy they get over building their own keyboards and purchasing parts for them.
I on the other hand would rather work on improving my typing speed on a single keyboard and improving my productivity when doing literally anything nowadays!!
@Zackeroo: It is treated as a hobby by many people. People can spend ~$1000 for their end game custom mech keyboard, just as someone who's very into a certain game or bikes for example may spend lots of money on that as well.
@Zackeroo: Yeah i'm in the same boat. Can't be bothered doing custom myself. Keyboard is a tool for me, although may as well spend a bit on getting something nice and fun to use.
But I do appreciate how wacky and fun some of the custom boards can get.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ue-iQ6-ZgYA
I appreciate how the custom scene feeds into mainstream products as well , i.e. stuff that Ducky and other smaller brands produce: https://www.duckychannel.com.tw/en/Keyboards
@huggsymersh: Good points. I appreciate the mechanical keyboard scene in general, but I really don't think it's for me. I managed 160wpm on a 15 second burst test the other day using my laptop keyboard. I'm happy with my membrane keybaords and I don't think I have any real reason to switch unless I have money sitting around and I suddenly get really curious about custom boards haha.
@huggsymersh: I think early Apple keyboards were using Alps switches, and they are different from Cherry MX Blues or MX Browns in how they sound and feel.
I guess what I am trying to say is, they are fairly different. I think Alps switches would be louder and that'd be amplified with how big keyboard chassis were back then.
@iridiumstem: Good point about the keyboard enclosure amplifying the acoustics.
I am thinking back almost 40 years now to a 10 year old me banging away at an Apple IIe with those keyboards. Yes I agree they feel different from modern keys, although I'm relying on some pretty old memories for comparison. They were heavier and clunkier than modern keyboards. The switches are a lot lighter in timbre, but the clickiness makes me remember the apples.
Jeez, all this keyboard talk is making me want to get a blue switch 60% just to whip out for funsies every now and then!
@huggsymersh: Oh wow, that is going beyond what I was thinking. I am kinda jealous since that’s kinda when keyboards would've been "fun" with many different switch designs.
As with playing with keyboards. Eh. It'd be fun. There are different clicky switch designs too nowadays (snap spring, click bar etc etc). You can get a hotswappable 60% board and switch the switches around.
Complete noob here, what's the main advantage with mechanical keyboards if they're so loud?
Is it purely tactile feel?
Switches with dampeners inside are fairly quiet. I think if you are looking for a quiet keyboard though, there are other options as well.
As with what makes mechanical keyboards good, you can have more options. More options I think kinda goes into taste too much, since it goes into the switches, plate material, case so on and so forth. There are quieter switches as well if that is what you want.
A difference that many people including me likes is that unlike most rubber dome membrane keyboards, mechanical keyboards keys register before hitting the bottom. You don't have to make sure that the keys are pressed all the way down. I find that overtravel gives me a less clunky experience, I don't feel like I have to hit every keys hard or make sure that they were pressed in all the way down for them to register.
NKRO might be something that membrane keyboards lack, but I don't think it matters too much? That goes into a messy talk about keyboard grids so I am going just leave a link. Long story short, there are limitations with membrane keyboards that cannot guarantee above certain number of key presses to be registered at once. The manufacturers normally make sure that these limitations do not affect key combinations that are important (i.e. CTRL+ALT+DEL), but the limitation still is there.
Some people might talk about quality, how long the keyboards last, etc etc. I think that's more to do with the price range differences. I guess rubber domes and membranes could deterioriate before a mechanical switch, but, eh, I think that's much of a muchness given how long the keyboards normally last anyways.
I don't think having a rubber dome necessarily makes a keyboard worse, Torpe uses rubber dome for the return force and tactility (it does actuate before bottoming out though).
Has anyone used these keys or keyboards?
https://www.keychron.com/products/keychron-k5-ultra-slim-wir…
I've used a low profile blue keyboard which I quite enjoyed using but a buddy just bought a keyboard and I have the itch now. I want a slim one, wireless, low profile but quality - I have no idea which keys to get, anyone used this companies stuff?
Keychron is very popular, for good reason. They make very decent boards that cover a wide audience, eg. wireless, full sized, TKL, etc.
The type of switch you get is entirely dependent on you and your preferences; some people like clicky switches, some like linears, some like tactiles. Linears and tactiles can be much quieter than clickies, linears generally being the quietest.
I think I need to find a place, which will let me test some linear, tactile, low profile.
I've never even heard of Gateron until 3 days ago, nor optical!
I'd be fascinated to try LP brown / red.
Also love the look of their keyboards I HATE keyboards with extra 'stupid crap' around the keyboard. - extra function keys, or stuff in illogical places (where my left little finger rests, hello Logitech gaming keyboards)
lots of youtube reviewers out there but I gravitated towards Betty's reviews on Switch and Click. I've linked to one keychron but I'm pretty sure she does quite a few of the range:
The one thing keychron get criticism for is the height of the keyboard. Not all of them are high. But for those with height, some people get wrist rests, but some people don't need them. For feature set and price, and minimal aesthetics they're pretty compelling.
I didn't get one in the end myself because I wanted something with PBT keycaps - a plastic less prone to wear and shine. Keychron use ABS plastic.
I didn't get one in the end myself because I wanted something with PBT keycaps - a plastic less prone to wear and shine. Keychron use ABS plastic.
Can find good quality PBT keycaps on AliExpress for a good price. 99% sure all/most Keychron boards would use the standard ANSI layout, so most aftermarket keycap sets will fit perfectly fine.
Yep no doubt. I got a Leopold in the end as it was my first mech in decades. Wanted an out of the box solution. But yes, Keychrons are great.
I just did this, swapped out the core keys on my K10 for a set of PBTs I bought on AliExpress for <$45. Has added a bit of bling to things. I also added a wooden wrist rest as it's the tallest board I've used. Will probably swap all save the fn keys.
I'm using Browns on it, and use Cherry Blues at work (as do my workmates, so I'm not alone!). It's a really well made bit of kit.
I have this keyboard. I freaking love this keyboard. I have the red switches. It's amazing to use and type in and game on!
Looking for mechanical keyboard, can't be "too loud", no RGB, hopefully not more than $70. Will use primarily for work.
Don't get any "blue"-like switches then :)
Brown is quite nice and subdued. I used Brown-like Switch (Orange because from Razer) at work and it is acceptable. It will feel loud in the beginning but you will get used to it. And it is not as loud as you think as your team mates would tend to be considerably further away from you.
I got my next keyboard (for home) which has Razer Green (which is blue-like) - loud and clicky. I don't need to bottom out the keys and it will still click. Then again - it is at home and I'll keep this until my family decided to bin it due to too loud :P
I genuinely cannot think of one that'd not be loud, especially if you hit the bottom of the switch with a lot of force. Switches with dampeners are better with this kind of noise but they tend to be pricier.
People will recommend linears, but I can assure you, they can make a lot of noises.
Unless the switch has dampeners inside, the switches would make a lot of noise when you hit the bottom. You are hitting plastic on plastic, the noise then gets amplified with the keycap and the chassis of the keyboard.
Maybe wait till Ducky One 3 comes out with a "MX Silent Red" or a "MX Silent Black" (both have silicone dampeners inside which makes them quieter). It looked like they'd include foams inside One 3 as well, which would reduce the noise as well. It'd be above $100 easy though.
You can kinda reduce the noise on the mechanical keyboard by typing lighter. With mechanical keyboards, you don't need to hit the bottom to acutate, so take that into account and don't hit the keys hard basically. I make less noise with my keyboard because of that.
Hand rest included?
Instead of just getting a keyboard, the CK550 V2 also comes with a soft, cloth wrist rest. The included wrist rest will ensure you stay comfortable during long gaming sessions, and help you to stay focused for longer.
Looks to be detachable.
Thanks, miss that.
I am still using the Kogan one.
Good price. Just bought a G512 Carbon Brown for my little guy. Paid $95. Would have gone for the $49 option here if I hadn't 😂
Honestly, I never understood why blue switches were so heavily marketed for gaming. They feel really satisfying for typing, but when it comes to gaming, especially when precise movements are needed (like jumping puzzles) I found them absolutely terrible compared to linear switches (thought it won't necessarily impact all games). The high amount of force required to actuate and reset is annoying when you need to do it constantly.
For this price though, it might be worth trying out
The high amount of force required to actuate and reset is annoying when you need to do it constantly.
You can spring swap switches in order to reduce the actuation force needed; probably won't be able to do it easily with this keyboard specifically (switches most likely soldered in), but you can customise switches really easily, eg. lube them, film them, etc.
There will be clicky switches out there that will cater towards people who want a lower actuation force, though obviously they'll be sold as just switches, no keyboard. The custom mech realm is a whole other level.
The custom mech realm is a whole other level.
Sounds like a rabbit hole I don't want to go down (my wallet at least). I'll just try and be content with my mx silvers.
Back when I was experimenting with mx reds/brown/blue I felt that I was already wasting too much money, now you're telling me custom mech is a thing oO
and for voice chatting with gaming…. the blue switches are so annoying!
How else are you going to know that I've got a mechanical keyboard :)
My understanding was that linear switches were preferred for gaming due to faster actuation?
https://switchandclick.com/linear-vs-tactile-vs-clicky-switc…
Evga z15 is the better board.
Hotswap and 0.9ms latency.
But its $70, not $50.
Fitted mine out with ajazz banana switches.
Amazing$
Where did you get them and how much? Interested on your thoughts. Seems to be clicks so blue equivalent?
No, they're tactiles.
I got them from amazon.
$20 for 45.
Great short travel tactiles.
I agree with this review;
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dJRYTrl7GPI
I purchased before he made it, hes part of the hipyotech discord.
They look good - a dumb question but how many 45 switch packets would I need.
@blues99: That depends on the size of your keyboard.
You need 1 for each key.
And even then, it depends on how much of they keyboard you use to type on.
For example, I didn't replace my F1-F12 row.
And I replaced my numberpad with some old clicky switches I had lying around.
@blues99: There's nothing WRONG with the switches that come with it, they're just touchy.
I'd get 2 packs, and leave the numpad, F keys and arrow keys the Silvers.
@MasterScythe: 2 packs on the way thanks - looking forward to hopefully upgrading underwhelming cherry browns
@blues99: Oh you'll LOVE them compared.
I came from an old board with Outemu Browns, which are objectively better than Cherry browns.
These Banana switches are like their non mushy cousins.
There's almost zero travel before the resistance of the bump, and you get no registration of the key until after the bump has ended; but EXACTLY where the bump has ended.
It's honestly quite amazing.
@blues99: The logo is a machined block of metal, and can unscrew from the inside.
Once it's off, you'll just need to fill it with some putty or bog, sand it flat, and put any sticker or logo you want (or, paint it black I guess).
@MasterScythe: the keyboard arrived and with some foam, the banana switches, and some blue samurai keycaps its really great thanks.
My top keyboard is Topre Type Heaven.
Isn't this a bit like coming into a thread about Toyota 86s and saying "my top car's a Nissan GT-R"?
Nah, more like a Juke-R.
I'm sure it performs really well, but Topre are oddball feeling switches.
Like the R35 Juke, it's all about if you like the oddity.
Blue Switch = RIP marriage
My wife was very upset about my clicky switches when I was using them at night in bed. I don't think she understands how important it is to have clicky switches :'(
Wow, that sold out relatively quickly.
I had a CoolerMaster k70 MK2 red switch. My first mechanical. It's just too big and the keycaps were crap. The stems kept cracking and keys would come off when wiping the keyboard. I did change them later on. Next I bought skyloong optical gateron red and blue switch keyboards. Great quality and very solid case and keycaps. No nkey roll over in the models I bought which was a pity. Also bought an Akko red switch but the quality wasn't great. Bluetooth was defective The keycaps looked great though. Then bought Keychron k6. It felt really light and cheap compared to everything else. Was really disappointed and didn't use it. Just bought a Ducky mecha with brown kailh box switch. This keyboard is really solid and well made. The switches will take a while to get used to and probably need a lube. Also ended up ordering an Anne Pro 2 and Glorious barebones. Oh and also ordered a Drop Ctrl keyboard. Yep…Ive gone too far to stop now lol
I was warned by my mechanical-using friends that it's a slippery slope, you've certainly proven that! All part of the fun I guess
How do you typically cycle through your keyboards? I've slightly tempted to get a little 60% to have fun with blue switches but I honestly don't think I could be bothered swapping out my main one (a Leopold) which I love. Can't imagine having 5+!!!
2 computers at home, each with a different mini keyboard, and one with the full size behind it under the monitor. Almost a bit like how the musicians have multiple keyboards and then same at work. Got 2 keyboards there too. So one for typing one for gaming lol Although decided now to try and sell off both corsairs and the Keychron. Just ordered one of those switch holders and then I will attempt lubing the switches which I haven't tried yet.
ah i see how that could work quite well. I only have one PC and planned on only having one keyboard. So I got a Leopold TKL, no bling, RGB, bluetooth, features, but is well regarded for both typing and gaming. Makes it hard to justify another one, which was actually my strategy. Boo to me!
@huggsymersh: I can understand why people would just buy a barebones kit now (and one with good software) and just build up from there. At least you are only changing switches and keycaps. Works out a lot cheaper. Seems to be hard to find something top-end that has bluetooth though.
@Sammyboy: Ah see I prefer wired things, with no battery, which is why I think swapping a keyboard could be a hassle. Unplugging, plugging in, cord management etc.
Never occurred to me that if you have bluetooth keyboards the swapping out is pretty easy. DOH!
@huggsymersh: Well most of the specialised mechanical keyboards should have detachable usb c cable now at the frame end, so you can easily swap wired keyboards. Some people have really got into the coloured coiled cables aviation connectors. There's no way im paying $50+ for a fancy looking coiled cable though. I still like my cables discreet. Perhaps only the more commercial branded keyboards such as the corsair do not have detachable cables. The K70 I have cant be detached and it requires 2 usb ports which is really annoying.
As others above are saying, if you're cheesed you missed out on this, or were kinda interested but the clicky Blue switches are a problem, grab the EVGA Z15 from BPC's eBay page, $69 delivered (less if you have a code to apply from eBay Plus). Well reviewed, 4000Hz polling instead of 1000 and with Kailh Linear Speed switches; I'm typing on it now and I love it. My first mechanical, and I'm not finding it overly tricky compared to membrane despite the short actuation point (you breath on the keys and they register, but I guess I naturally rest very lightly)
I would def buy if had some clicky switches - I can't find the bronze model.
Yeah seems like the good price is only on the linear, but do what MasterScythe did: buy this and just swap them out immediately. Still probably be cheaper than trying to buy most boards with decent clicky already in there
Thanks, I'm taking the plunge on my first mechanical! EVGA make some great gear from what I've read.
just bought the EVGA Z15, will see how it turns out. It all on you now :)
You joke but I'm genuinely anxious now :P
Corsair mx cherry clear silent keys..
All these stories about this and that and noise and feel and moving back to membrain … just get a corsair mechanical mx cherry clear silent keyboard.. made like a tank.. lasts forever and great for everthing. They make almost no sound.
Great price. Bought :)