Hello fellow hackers!
I’ve posted here once before, but I’m still getting my feet wet, so forgive me as I get to know the community. I was lucky enough recently to try out iKBC's MF108 RGB mechanical keyboard. I do hardware reviews for MMORPG.com, so you can go there to read the whole thing, but iKBC really values your community and asked if I would mind sharing my thoughts with you all.
First off, I should say that I received this product free of charge. That’s standard practice when it comes to most hardware reviews, but I wanted to be upfront about that. Okay, with that out of the way…
The MF108 is a full-size keyboard with a solid aluminum frame, double-shot PBT keycaps with translucent legends, full RGB customization including nine present modes, and a selection of genuine Cherry mechanical switches. You can swap between your three major layouts (QWERTY, COLEMAK, and DVORAK), as well as switch caps/control and alt/WIN. It’s a high-quality keyboard that currently retails for $199.
First impressions are very positive. I’ve only used one other keyboard featuring a solid metal frame, Mistel’s MD870 Sleeker. It’s hard not to be impressed when you pull such a heavy piece of kit out of the box. And is it ever heavy! This keyboard clocks in about five and a half pounds, which means it won’t move around on your desk and will double as a home defense weapon if you ever need to fight off an intruder.
The lighting isn’t as bright as some, but still looks great. This, I believe, has less to do with the LEDs and more to do with the double-shot PBT caps. My experience is limited, so that might be off base, but I’ve read other people levy similar complaints in dark tone keycaps of this type. Still, I’ve used more than a dozen RGB gaming keyboards, and though the MF108 is a touch dimmer, it would hold up against any of them, especially in low light where it’s most intended to be used.
You have your usual assortment of presets to apply with the lighting, all applied and customized on the keyboard itself, no software required. These include your usual spectrum wave, reactive typing, color pulses and the like. It also includes a couple of unique ones, like a snake that traces your line of keys.
Customizing your own effects is where things get really interesting, as this keyboard allows you to apply two layers (zones, in iKBC’s parlance) for backlighting and foreground lighting animations. This is a bit more limited as they have to be customized within existing effects. For example, you can select a backlighting layout under the ripple effect. When no key is pressed, the lights are off. When you begin to type, the lights ripple across the color layout you have underneath. Make sense? You can also select static color layouts, and I was impressed to see IKBC expand on the usual “red, green, blue” buttons found in other onboard RGB keyboards. Here, you can use a key combination to bring up a spectrum of colors across the keys. Choose the hue you want and tap which keys you want colored. Easy as pie.
There’s also a neat timer feature built into this keyboard. Using the number and function keys, you can set a timer for up to 129 minutes (function keys = 10 minutes, number keys = 1 minute). When you get to within one minute of the timer, your layout turns red and starts ticking down lights. When time’s up, it flashes white until you turn it off. No more burned dinners or kids saying they didn’t know their time was up!
All of the lighting neatness aside, this keyboard just feels great to type on. The denseness of the metal frame does a great job of deadening the key clacks, making the MF108 quieter than similar plastic framed models. I used Cherry Red switches, but it’s also available in Silent Red, Blue, Brown, or black. The keycaps have a nice texture on them and are standard profile, so feel natural and a bit grippier than the smooth caps found on gaming keyboards.
The only downside is that programming is a bit more limited than some keyboards it’s competing against. The main programmability here is definitely in the lighting, so don’t look to the MF108 for complete remapping, layering, or chain macros.
Overall, this is an excellent keyboard that more than lives up to its cost for what it offers. If the $199 price point is too much for you, there’s also a cheaper tenkeyless version, as well as identical plastic framed versions (the F108 is only $129.99). If you’re into the world of chain macros and remapping, you’ll want to look into a program like AutoHotKey, but still, it’s an easy recommendation to make, especially if the idea of a metal keyboard appeals to you. Out of the 25 mechanical keyboards I own, the MF108 is definitely one of the best.
