Page 4 - Conclusion
When General Motors announced their recalls of the Chevrolet Cobalt, as well as other cars for their ignition switch issues, I was quite shocked. For one, I was personally affected with our 2010 model. However, the bigger reason was the fact their "better" ignition switch was less than a dollar per part more expensive. To me, I was dumbfounded at why GM would cut costs in such a critical area. Even if they had to, they could have just raised the costs of the car by fifty dollars to recover costs, and still make a profit. Unfortunately, the entire scandal ended up with GM forking out almost a billion dollars in settlement. At the end of the day, there are areas where quality or features can be reduced if it betters the bottom line, but there are also key -- pun not intended -- areas that should not be touched. This is really my main issue with the GAMDIAS GKC1001 Mechanical Gaming Combo. Starting with the good, both the keyboard and mouse are both solid for build quality. The keyboard's frame offers zero flexing, and even though the mouse is completely plastic, it feels okay in the hands. Next, there are good features on the Hermes Lite, like NKRO, full backlighting, and macro keys. As for the mouse, the tactile feedback with Omron switches and whatever the side buttons use is decent. Finally, the HERA software is functional, and software additions, such as sound or timer activation, is interesting to say the least. However, all the positives of the GKC1001 are overcome by the downfall in the performance. The TTC switches in the keyboard are bad. These switches are the Hyundai Accents of switches; lacking in feedback and feel. Despite touting the fact it is mechanical, the Hermes Lite felt more membrane-like than some actual membrane keyboards. The Erebos Lite's performance is passable for such a small mouse, but there still are refinements to be made. Making the mouse easier to hold with a better surface will help users move the mouse better. Therefore, it is quite obvious where GAMDIAS felt the need to reduce in quality to keep the $70 USD price. It is not like I hate cheap keyboards and mice. In fact, the Cooler Master Storm Devastator combination felt better in performance overall, and came in at less than half the price. Personally, I think GAMDIAS has the right idea in making an affordable gaming mechanical keyboard. However, performance is the last place anyone should make cost-saving measures.
GAMDIAS provided this product to APH Networks for the purpose of evaluation.
APH Review Focus Summary:
5/10 means An average product with no real advantages; drawbacks and advantages just seem to cancel each other out.
4/10 means With disadvantages that slightly outweigh its advantages, you should not get this product unless there are no product alternatives that does its job.
-- Final APH Numeric Rating is 4.5/10
Please note that the APH Numeric Rating system is based off our proprietary guidelines in the Review Focus, and should not be compared to other sites.
While the price may be your jam, the GAMDIAS GKC1001 Mechanical Gaming Combo strikes a few too many wrong notes to be a showstopper.
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Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. A Closer Look - Hardware and Software
3. Subjective Performance Tests
4. Conclusion
