My Topre Realforce RGB keyboard came yesterday. I’ve been setting it up and customizing the RGB layout.
This is my first time typing on a Topre keyboard. I must say, I really do like it. I wasn’t sure how I’d feel with the keyboard since I really don’t care for rubber domes.
RGB Backlighting:The RGB backlighting is nice. I like backlit keyboards and a full 104 layout, so this keyboard fits for me. I’ve also had Ducky keyboards (lost those unfortunately) and a Cooler Master Masterkeys Pro L RGB Cherry MX Brown keyboard. The Realforce RGB lighting is duller and dimmer than the Masterkeys Pro. Plus, the RGB lighting doesn’t seem to really affect the key color until you’re over 128 (from 0-256) on the color scale. You also only get 3 profiles on the Realforce instead of 4 for the Masterkeys. The Caps Lock, Num Lock, and Scroll Lock all stay on whether activated or not. There are separate red LED indicators between the +4 keys and the numpad. That will probably take a little getting used to.
The Masterkey allows RGB customization per key direct from the keyboard – no software required (although it’s available). The Realforce cannot be customized without downloading the software from their website. Once installed, it will detect the keyboard and allow pretty much unlimited colors.
Topre switches:Although I’ve only been typing on this a couple of days now, I’m impressed. Topre switches have a very refined feel to them compared to the Cherry’s MX switches. The key have softer landing and quick upstroke. The Cherry MX brown Masterkeys is louder and doesn’t feel as nice as the Topre switches although I still like it. I’m wondering if Cherry MX Silent switches would compare better to the Topre?
You can customize the actuation points with the last +4 key in the top right. If you press the keys really softly, you can tell if it’s actuating higher and lower. The keyboard changes color temporarily when you do that. I really don’t type softly, so it doesn’t seem to affect my typing. I think the standard 2.2 mm actuation is just fine for most purposes.
Keycaps:Overall they feel very nice. They have a textured feel to them compared to the smooth Masterkeys Pro key caps. I do not know how long the texture will last though. I don’t really like the stencil look on some of the keys like the 8, 9, B, D, etc. Plus, the shift character is the same height next to the primary character which makes it look a little confusing and cluttered. I would have preferred the shift character to be dropped down or offset slightly. I will probably be in the market for some aftermarket keycaps for the Realforce.
Final thoughts:This will become my daily driver keyboard. It’s definitely a keeper, and Topre has done a good job with this. Cherry MX stems makes it worthwhile for easy key cap customization which I think a lot of people will look into. I will update later after using this keyboard for awhile.
Pictures:https://flic.kr/p/PNEiWDhttps://flic.kr/p/PNEjFVhttps://flic.kr/p/Pf2XZU