Know Your Type: Five Mechanical Gaming Keyboards Compared

Cooler Master is no stranger to the keyboard market with well over a dozen models in its lineup, including three different "QuickFire" variants. The QuickFire Rapid-i is one of three "Rapid" models available with Cherry MX Blue, Brown, and Red key switches.

Key Switches

The model we have in for review uses Cherry MX Blue key switches, same as the Das Keyboard that we evaluated last year. They're also similar to Razer's Green switches. Cherry MX Blues give off an audible "click" sound along with linear feedback. According to Cherry, they're rated for up to 50 million keystrokes. And should you need to for any reason, Cooler Master includes a tool that makes it easy to remove the key caps.

Software and Performance

Normally we'd dedicate a section to the software, but there isn't any that comes with the QuickFire Rapid-i. As we already covered, all the functions -- which are mostly related to lighting effects -- are integrated into the keyboard.

As for performance, the Cherry MX Blue keys are springy and provide a satisfying click sound. For daily typing, it's an excellent option, save for the lack of a number pad -- that's a huge disadvantage if you work with numbers.

It's also a bit of a double-edged sword for gaming. We have no complaint with the click action, but outside of the backlight, there's not much in the way of dedicated features for game players. You won't find any macro keys or other fancy features to help you defeat opponents or crawl through a dungeon. The question is, do you need them? If not, this is fine board for everyday use. But if you rely on gaming amenities, there's little here to make a recommendation.