Cheap Chinese Cherry knockoff keyboard review (Gateron blue)

[chyros]

Finally, as was much-requested, a review on a keyboard that's completely modern. A backlit gaming TKL with Gaterons, in fact. Hope you enjoy the review!

[klennkellon]

Good review as usual.

Im glad this keyboard exists. I'd gladly recommend it to someone who wants to try out mechanical boards without shelling out too much.

Maybe this will be the board that leads them towards SKCM blue ALPS (or crippling debt)

[LiquidEvilGaming]

Just finished watching earlier myself, great video.  Curious to see when my review sample comes if i end up with gateron also ...can't say I'm too keen on the ISO enter key being marketed on Amazons US website however.  It's not as bad as non standard bottom rows are but in the states it's not exactly in huge demand either.  But at least they had the decency to include doubleshot keycaps,low quality as they may be.

You definitely make a point about not everything being "Cheap Chinese knockoff junk anymore"  I've had quite a few mouse review samples that for the money really shocked me how decent they were, and for the price thus far the Magiforce boards have been really decent boards.

[khronokrator]

I'm curiously intrigued by the "hybrid Cherry Alps" switch Chyros mentioned at the end of the video, myself.

A modern clone of the fabled Blue Alps would certainly be something to see, or even a decent White Alps clone would suffice, since Matias sadly went the route of copying Alps clones instead of the original design. And let's face it, there are vastly more keycap options these days for Cherry MX stems.

[chyros]

I'm curiously intrigued by the "hybrid Cherry Alps" switch Chyros mentioned at the end of the video, myself.

A modern clone of the fabled Blue Alps would certainly be something to see, or even a decent White Alps clone would suffice, since Matias sadly went the route of copying Alps clones instead of the original design. And let's face it, there are vastly more keycap options these days for Cherry MX stems.

Tbh the design appears to be based only very loosely on Alps, but that's not to say it's can't be good. I'm well intrigued by the design, I'd really like to give it a go .

[zisb]

Thanks for the review, awesome to see how with a bit of digging you can get a mech so cheap!

[LiquidEvilGaming]

A note of interest i just unboxed my review sample of this keyboard and while i won't be doing a review for at least one solid week (Unboxing video will go up today hopefully) my model is Black instead of white and came with Outemu Blue Switches not Gateron Blues like yours did.

[ThoughtArtist]

I just wonder if their collectivism stifles innovation to a degree that they'll always be known for mediocre products, despite being able to produce massive quantities and varieties of them.

[LiquidEvilGaming]

My Unboxing/preview

Did not feel a new thread was needed until i do an actual review after using it for a week or so.  Think it's rather odd it's the same board and Chryosan and i both got different brands of switches.

[LiquidEvilGaming]

My Unboxing/preview

Did not feel a new thread was needed until i do an actual review after using it for a week or so.  Think it's rather odd it's the same board and Chyros and i both got different brands of switches.

[xtrafrood]

Finally, as was much-requested, a review on a keyboard that's completely modern. A backlit gaming TKL with Gaterons, in fact. Hope you enjoy the review!

Holy guacamole that keyboard is bright! Thanks for mentioning the compatibility problem; I never would have thought that would be an issue

[klennkellon]

My Unboxing/preview

Did not feel a new thread was needed until i do an actual review after using it for a week or so.  Think it's rather odd it's the same board and Chryosan and i both got different brands of switches.

Is it possible that the white versions come with Gateron and the white version come with Oetemu? I may order one in a few weeks just to test this.

[LiquidEvilGaming]

I'd say it's more likely the sources we got them from.  Chryos bought his online where as mine was a freely provided review sample direct from the company.  Perhaps the website he bought it offered it with a different switch option?  I can't see two colors = two different switches.....BUT one never knows with lesser known brands like this.

[silk186]

Thanks for the review, i think I will pick  up one of these and  a few others the next  time I visit China.

[atarione]

what is the deal with the horrible font all these Chinese mechanical keyboards seem married to?

Do people in China like these fonts?... because I don't think I have ever heard of any westerner who likes this style of font.

I don't mind these cheap keyboards existing exactly,  I don't like them myself.. But I worry they will potentially drive out higher quality competition..   I really personally have no interest in being stuck with only these cheap Chinese boards as the only options.

It would be sad if all this low priced stuff from china started driving brands like Filco,ducky, leopold, WASD...etc out of the business. 

[leech]

My FILCO knockoff has Gateron blue switches and there is no compatibility problem with cherry MX switch keycaps and Razer green switch keycaps. I went to MEDIAMARKT with my Chinese mkb and removed keycaps from various Corsair and Razer mkb models and installed them on my Gateron Blues. I must say that they had a tighter fit on my gaterons than on the original switches : cherry mx and Razer MX compatibles.

I could easily install a Corsair or Razer keycap set on my Chinese mkb and have an even better tighter fit on my gaterons.

Original Cherry keycaps could still be another story. I only tested the fit of Razer keycaps and Corsair keycaps.

[SBJ]

I bought a board with Gat blues but they broke before a year had passed. I am hesitant in buying another gat board.

[LiquidEvilGaming]

My FILCO knockoff has Gateron blue switches and there is no compatibility problem with cherry MX switch keycaps and Razer green switch keycaps. I went to MEDIAMARKT with my Chinese mkb and removed keycaps from various Corsair and Razer mkb models and installed them on my Gateron Blues. I must say that they had a tighter fit on my gaterons than on the original switches : cherry mx and Razer MX compatibles.

I could easily install a Corsair or Razer keycap set on my Chinese mkb and have an even better tighter fit on my gaterons.

Original Cherry keycaps could still be another story. I only tested the fit of Razer keycaps and Corsair keycaps.

Razer/Corsair keycaps are just typical OEM height and a massive height difference between those and Cherry profile Keycaps hence the issue with them not actuating hitting that top metal first.  I can confirm Chryos findings as I reviewed the exact same board and had the exact same issues with trying Cherry Profile Keycaps.

[leech]

Yesyes, Chyros findings are valid .. the Lingbao board has that elevated top metal plate which causes the impression that MX Compatible keycaps are not a great fit on Lingbao's Gateron Blues.

Once you remove that Lingbao top metal plate, you'll see that Corsair, Razer, and all the other MX Compatible keycaps do have a great tight fit on the Lingbao's Gateron Blues; this should be true for original Cherry MX keycaps too. It is the elevated top metal plate which ruins the complete fitment and thus produces that impression of a lose fit.

My FILCO knockoff is not a Lingbao, so there is no top metal plate.

[LiquidEvilGaming]

Yeah it has nothing to do with the gateron switches themselves, I have used thick CHerry PBT keycaps on gateron blues before without issue.  It's just that annoying Top plate the keyboard uses.