Page 3 - Conclusion
As I have mentioned at the start of this review, I have been thinking a lot about space and how much I have. In the search for better space usage, the Cooler Master ControlPad has turned out to be a great candidate as a daily driver for me. The minimalist design compliments my 60% keyboard nicely and the linear switches suit my tastes perfectly. The smaller form factor and detachable wrist rest leave a ton of room on my desk. The braided detachable cable along with the brushed aluminum plate gives it a nice premium feel. There is some room for improvement, however. The magnets on the wrist rest are very weak. The ABS keycaps feel slippery and are not as strong or durable as PBT keycaps. As stated, the unit I am reviewing has Cherry MX switches. Cherry switches are widely used in mechanical keyboards, but they are not as smooth as Gateron switches. The scratchiness of the Cherry switches became a slight issue for me, especially with the slight friction in the switches. However, considering Cooler Master has the Gateron option, I am glad users are given the option between the two. All in all, the ControlPad is a very solid keypad. It is comfortable and is very customizable. The possibilities of key combinations are seemingly endless. The ControlPad rings in at about $90 USD, which is quite a bit of money for a keypad -- it costs more than many full-size mechanical keyboards -- but you are paying for Aimpad functions on every button. If you are looking for a decent keypad with analog controls, or even just a nice macro keypad for game streaming, the Cooler Master ControlPad is a worthy contender.
Cooler Master provided this product to APH Networks for the purpose of evaluation.
APH Networks Review Focus Summary:
7/10 means Great product with many advantages and certain insignificant drawbacks, but should be considered before purchasing.
-- Final APH Networks Numeric Rating is 7.0/10
Please note that the APH Networks Numeric Rating system is based off our proprietary guidelines in the Review Focus, and should not be compared to other publications.
The Cooler Master ControlPad is an RGB mechanical gaming keypad with pressure-sensitive Aimpad technology on your choice of Cherry MX Red or Gateron Red switches.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. A Closer Look - Hardware and Software
3. Conclusion
