Page 2 - A Closer Look - Hardware and Software
On first glance, the Macaron edition of the Cooler Master MK770 is truly a splash of color. In a world of all-black or all-white keyboards, it is about time we finally see something else. On the other hand, there are some interesting choices to the colors. The surrounding body of the MK770 is in teal, although there is a darker shade at the top and a lighter shade underneath. Around the body, we have some pink accents on the sides, volume knob, and on the keycaps. Finally, the inner alphanumeric keys are marked with a tan color. I think Cooler Master could have made the color themes a bit more unified, but I guess for those that like all of these three colors, this fulfills the job. The design of the MK770 follows a more traditional look with its plastic frame that surrounds the keys and their switches. Cooler Master branding is generally kept to a minimum, although we can see the Cooler Master outline on the function key and the name on both sides of the MK770.
In terms of physical size, the Cooler Master MK770 has measurements of 380.89mm in width, 140.42mm in depth, and 38.74mm in height. This height changes to 42.9mm and 45.51mm with the first and second feet extended. It definitely sits between the 104-key and tenkeyless keyboards in size. In terms of mass, it tips the scales at 1052g without the cable attached. Unfortunately, this hefty weight does not translate into a solid build. The Cooler Master MK770 has quite a bit of flex in the middle. The ABS plastic frame is not very rigid, as the entire body has a lot of torquing and can be easily twisted. Furthermore, there is quite a bit of deck flex when we press down the keys in the middle with extra travel past the bottoming out point. We also do not have a wrist rest included with the Cooler Master MK770, which would have been good to see for this form factor.
I have to admit, the Cooler Master MK770 is one of the first near-full size keyboard I have reviewed in a long time. I only say "near" because we are missing the middle set of six keys that usually exist over the arrow keys. Instead, this 95% form factor squishes the arrow keys with the right-side and number pad. This compresses the bottom two rows together, with a shorter "0" number pad key and compressed right-side Alt, Ctrl, and Shift keys. These are all 1U in sizing. The right side also shows non-standard positions of Delete, Insert, Page Up and Page Down. Other missing keys you would have at the top here have been moved to secondary functions on the number row. Finally, we have no separate indicator LEDs, as the Caps Lock and Number Lock glows white when it is active. As such, if you turn off the backlight, you will also not see any sort of white glow when you press either of these lock keys, which seems like an oversight. In the place of these indicator lights is a notched volume scroll wheel that can be clicked for mute. The scroll is nice and smooth, but this makes it trickier to press, since you may accidentally also scroll the wheel. By default, it is just for volume, but if you select a different profile, you can make it do other things like media or lighting control. In total, we have ninety-eight keys on this US ANSI layout.
Despite this mostly being a full-sized keyboard, there are still quite a few secondary functions. All of the combinations can be executed by pressing the Fn key followed by another key. Pressing the Fn key will also illuminate a few other keys to show the current RGB LED levels, current profile, current configured OS layout, and the wireless connection. Starting from the left side, we can choose between four profiles using the number row 1 to 4. The keys Z, X, and C can be used to choose between three remembered Bluetooth connections. F9 can be used for enabling and disabling Windows lock. When it is enabled, the F9 key will glow red. Number row keys 8 to "=/+" are used for Print Screen, Scroll Lock, Pause, Home, and End. The Enter key is used to enter pairing mode with the USB receiver, while the Right Shift is used to choose between Mac and Windows layout. Since the MK770 works with both operating systems, the Windows key and Alt keys are marked with the Command and Option symbols as well. The bottom row of the arrow keys is where you will find the media keys. Left and Right is used for Previous and Next, respectively, while Down is used for Play/Pause. The rest of the top function row is used for lighting, but I will explore these functions later in our review. Finally, if you want to reset any changes you have made, you can press and hold Fn + Left Shift + A to reset everything or Fn + Left Shift + S to reset the current profile.
The keycaps on the Cooler Master MK770 are made out of PBT, or polybutylene terephthalate, plastic. I prefer these keycaps over ABS, as they are harder, keep their color better, and do not shine or look greasy even after prolonged use. The font is also made of double-shot injection molding, which ensures the font stays sharp and clear. It should be noted this molding and the use of PBT is specific for North America and traditional Chinese keyboards, as other region variants of the MK770 use ABS keycaps with laser etching. The front legends are laser-printed, but this should be acceptable, given users will rarely make contact here. The keycaps on the MK770 follow an OEM profile, with a bit of a concavity in the middle to keep users' fingers in the middle of the key. Underneath, they are held to the switch with standard MX stems, so if you want to find aftermarket keycap replacements, you can.
As for key rollover, the Cooler Master MK770 offers NKRO over USB. NKRO is abbreviated for N-key rollover, which refers to the number of keys independently scanned by the hardware. This fixes issues of ghosting found on cheaper keyboards. While ghosting is a marketing term, there are cases where it will not be able to recognize more than one keystroke at a time, causing missed keys. This can be frustrating when you are playing games or even if you are just a very fast typist. On an aside, the original usage of ghosting actually referred to a third key being registered when two other keys were pressed, which thankfully is not a modern-day problem anymore.
Before continuing on, one of the selling points of the Cooler Master MK770 is the key switches. There are three main types of keyboards in the market today. The cheapest but most common is the membrane keyboard, which is the easiest to make, but also has poor typing feel and response due to squishy keys. Next is a scissor switch keyboard. This can be thought of as an enhanced rubber dome with two extra interlocking plastic pieces connected to the key and the keyboard. This creates a better tactile response and typing experience in comparison to the aforementioned membrane. Mechanical keyboards cost the most, because each key switch is an independent part. These switches are generally composed of a base, stem, and spring with varying degrees of tactile and audible feedback.
Our unit of the Cooler Master MK770 comes with Kailh Box V2 red switches. This has a linear travel with a relatively light pressure required to push the switch. This switch has an initial actuation distance of 1.8mm and an overall travel distance of 3.6mm. The switch actuates at around 40g of force. This makes it slightly lighter than typical Cherry Red switches. They also have an expected lifespan of 80 million actuations. All of the switches come pre-lubed from the factory for a smoother, quieter operation. Longer keys like the spacebar and Enter have Cherry stabilizers to prevent them from wobbling about. The other neat thing is that all of the switches are hot-swappable. This is something we have seen more recently from the big brands, but is a common feature of custom mechanical keyboards. The sockets have provisions for both three- and five-hole mounts, which means they should be compatible with most enthusiast switches. As such, the RGB LEDs are surface mounted on the PCB and are north facing. The included switches have a translucent shell to help spread the light more.
Moving to the back, you can see what makes the Cooler Master MK770 a hybrid keyboard. The true hybrid portion comes from the fact we have multiple ways of connecting it for use. First is a wired connection by plugging it in. The USB Type-C port is located next to the switch. Moving the switch to the side with the wireless logo, the MK770 will start pairing with the computer with the USB wireless receiver. Finally, the other side has a Bluetooth logo, and entering this mode will cause the MK770 to pair to the last remembered device. As mentioned previously, it will remember the last three devices, and you can pair them using Fn + Z, X, and C.
As for its wireless capabilities, Cooler Master says there is a 4000mAh battery inside to power the MK770 while operating wirelessly. In order to extend the battery life, Cooler Master has included automatic sleep options, which you can change in the software utility. When it is sleeping, the lights will turn off. However, once you press any key, it will automatically wake back up from sleep. In our testing, the Cooler Master MK770 lasted just over two days of on and off usage with lighting turned on full brightness. This was not continuous use, and each day varied in amount of use. I did leave it on overnight, but it automatically goes to sleep when it detects the computer is turned off. On the other hand, with the lights turned off, the keyboard functioned for around ten days before needing a recharge. While this is longer, I think the overall battery situation is short with the MK770.
There was no notable latency while connected via USB receiver. However, over Bluetooth, there was a bit of lag. This is partly because the report rate of the keyboard is 1000Hz over the wireless USB receiver and only 125Hz over Bluetooth 5.1.
On the flip side of the Cooler Master MK770, we have a label to mark the serial number. At the bottom, we also have some certifications printed on the plastic directly. At each corner, we have rubber pads to provide grip between the keyboard and the surface it sits upon. At the back, we have a pair of feet on both sides that extends fully out. These feet are of different heights, so you can raise the keyboard halfway up. The feet are also finished with a rubber end to keep the whole board in place without any concern. One other neat thing is that they put a rectangular slot under the left side foot for you to store the USB receiver when it is not in use.
On my desk, it is clear Cooler Master made zero effort for the MK770 to blend in with other typical colors. The whole teal-pink-tan combination offers no mercy to stand out from other peripherals. In terms of layout, the Cooler Master MK770 did take some time getting used to. For one, the shorter right Shift key often meant I would accidentally hit the Up arrow, which would cause me to lose my place while typing. Also, putting an arrow key cluster in between here did not feel spaced out enough. Every time I wanted to put my fingers on the arrows, I always double checked to make sure I did not have them on some other keys. Finally, the shorter "0" on the number pad was also something to get used to. As I had come from 65% keyboards, it was nice to have a dedicated function row and a number pad, even if it meant the whole unit was larger. After a while, I did get used to these layout changes, but it is something you should be aware of when you first start using the MK770.
As for the typing experience, this is one of the best retail keyboards I have ever reviewed with its satisfying typing feel and sound. Out of the box, the Cooler Master MK770 delivers a satisfying "thock". This comes completely from the build of the MK770. While it definitely lacks in rigidity, it seems to be a conscious decision. For one, rather than a top plate made up of metal, we have a plastic plate to remove any metallic ping made when typing. Next, the pre-lubricated switches do their job for a smoother feel. Underneath the plate, we have thick silicone dampeners to further reduce any hollowness or resonance. This exists in between the plate and the PCB, as well as at the bottom of the keyboard to fill in the rest of the shell. Finally, the plate is gasket-mounted with rubber pieces to further reduce vibrations. Putting this together, you can hear how little rattle or echo we have on the MK770. There is also only a little keycap wobble, as the box head on the switch helps with stability. The longer keys still have a bit of rattle on the stabilizers, but it is relatively minimal. I did not encounter any issues like debouncing or chattering while testing the MK770.
As for the lighting on the Cooler Master MK770, we do have a full set of per-key RGB LED lighting, and it looks decent. I will say the colors of the keycaps do slightly affect the perceived accuracy of the colors, but I found the north-facing lights to shine through well. There are some keys with two rows of font, especially on the number pad, so the light does not shine through at all on the bottom legends. Otherwise, we do have a full RGB selection of colors for you to make it the way you want. The lights bleed through on the edges, but it generally keeps everything bright. I did notice the light under my F7 key seemed to be dimmer than the rest. I think this is a quality control issue, whether it is with this one or with the early batches of keyboards, and it is unfortunate to see this.
In order to change the lighting, you can use the MasterPlus+ software, or you can make most of the changes on-the-fly. Using the secondary functions, the entire top function row is where you can find all of the lighting keys. F1 is first used to quickly cycle between colors for any single-color lighting mode. F2 to F4 are used to manually increase the red, green, and blue levels. There is a total of 10 increments for each color, including off. F5 is used to cycle through the lighting modes. F6 and F7 are used to manually change foreground and background lighting effects for the lighting mode, while F8 can be used to cycle through the lighting brightness. Finally, F10 and F11 are used for increasing and decreasing the lighting effect, respectively, while F12 is used to switch the lighting effect direction.
The Cooler Master MK770 uses the company's MasterPlus+ software. The download size for this utility is 349MB as a compressed file. In general, using the software is a consistently positive experience with a few hiccups. I am using the latest firmware for both the mouse and dongle at the time of the review. I did find the firmware update process to be quite odd. For one, it forces users to plug in the wireless dongle and connect wirelessly, as it needs to update both the USB dongle and the mouse. Secondly, there is no way to get around the firmware update, as you must do so before you can use the utility. Once everything was up to date, MasterPlus+ functioned and immediately recognized the MK770.
As for the MasterPlus+ software, the program generally works well. Specific to the MK770, there is a total of five different configuration pages. The first tab is marked Wireless, where users can change the sleep timer and low power mode to reduce power usage when the battery is low. The next tab is marked Lighting, and it is where you adjust the lighting. This provides typical LED modes with both static and reactive options. There are also the standard rainbow options. You can also make your own custom lighting settings, or layer and zone multiple effects together. Finally, you can also change the keyboard to display CPU usage or as a visual equalizer. The third tab is marked Key Mapping, where you can set all of the keys and actions to different commands, including macros and mouse actions. Under the Macros tab, you can create and record macros to be assigned. Finally, you can save up to four different profiles and settings in the Profiles tab. Unfortunately, Cooler Master has still not addressed the scaling for the font, as I found the words to be too small with respect to the overall size of the window. This is just a minor gripe, as the rest of the utility is clean and easy-to-use.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. A Closer Look - Hardware and Software
3. Conclusion
