You can spend how much?

You can spend how much?>

Keyboards are, whichever you wish to cut the issue, still the most efficient and best way to interact with a computer in 2018, despite the massive advancements in touch screens and alternative methods (e.g. voice, facial recognition, etc). That said, paying 160 USD for a keyboard might be an utterly alien and bizarre use of money to someone either not in the PC gaming/PC scene, or who is just entering it. Who can possibly justify spending such money on a keyboard? Well, there are a few groups who might. The first, and most obvious, are the professionals. Developers, IT staff, designers, and so on. When you consider that these people may spend the better part of their working day using a keyboard, then getting one that is both responsive, comfortable, and also offers a good typing experience and/or feel can be a valuable investment that may well pay for itself many times over. The sheer amount of custom keycaps, designs, switches (Cherry are but one player in the mechanical switch game), and form factors mean that the possibilities for building a board that suits you are nearly endless. In fact, it is something I have done myself. Pro consumers of custom boards can pay upward of 250-300 USD, and that is on the lower end of things. Suffice to say, then, that having a good feeling keyboard can make or break someone's working life, if that's what they absolutely rely on. Now, I also hear you say that using a keyboard for their working life is what 99% of office workers do every day... so why do some invest heavy cash into keyboards? Well, there is also an element of community around the whole thing. The enthusiasm of this community is boundless, and I fell for it in a big way. If you need evidence of this, go onto Reddit and look at /r/mechanical keyboards, which I'll link here for anybody curious enough. A small word of caution. If you lack willpower, stay away.

The burning question

So, what about the everyman? The gamer or PC enthusiast who wants to have a nice keyboard, but also doesn't want to spend north of 200 USD, or even put it together themselves. Well, that is where the big brands come in to save the day. Asus, Corsair, Ducky, Razer, Steelseries, CoolerMaster, and so on. Each company produces a range of dedicated gaming orientated keyboards with a huge array of features, switch types, keycaps, RGB... the list could go on, with each putting a twist over what is now a fairly tested and true formula. Are they worth it? Honestly, to me, yes. I will say that I would recommend a quality gaming mouse over a keyboard if you are just starting out. A good mouse will help you in game much more than a good keyboard. You could, at the end of the day, play Battlefield 1 with a cheap membrane keyboard. However, the experience would be a little sub-par, for me, hence my hearty recommendation of a solid gaming keyboard with proper mechanical switches. Making a high-end keyboard is somewhat of a big affair nowadays, with the very best such as Asus' ROG Claymore and Corsair's K95 Platinum coming very close to bridging the 'gamer' and 'enthusiast' barrier. MSI has targeted the straight high end with the GK80, loading it with features that will not leave anybody wanting. Media keys, anti-ghosting, rollover, RGB, genuine MX switches... it's all there. Ultimately, spending up to 160-200 USD on a premium gaming keyboard is up to you. There are excellent offerings in the cheaper end of things, but know that those will likely lack certain snippets that make the products at this end of the price spectrum at least somewhat justify their higher dollar tag.

How does she type?

In a word, well. In several, I was very pleasantly surprised by the experience on this keyboard. It features several things that would - normally - immediately turn me away from a keyboard that I would be seeking out for a good typing experience. First up, the MX Red keys. With no feedback, this would normally be strike one. Secondly, the layout is fairly 'busy,' with a lot of buttons crammed onto what is actually a fairly compact board for a full sized product (i.e. not TKL or 'plank' style). However, it would seem that MSI has done their homework here, and despite me being very used to both my Topre Realforce and Coolermaster Masterkeys Pro M, I quickly found myself up to speed on this keyboard. Naturally, I did make some errors where I wasn't used to the softness/linear nature of the Red switches, but they were actually fairly minimal, given how much I type each day in my job as IT Support. Overall, this is perhaps the most subjective bit of this review, so I will keep it brief. However, for gaming, the keyboard also held up well. N-Key rollover was perfect in Battlefield 1 (a game which often has me scrambling around on the keyboard), and each key fell easily to hand. I also happen to have big hands, so my good words about the GK80 from a typing/gaming (especially the former) are surprising for me. I was very ready to dismiss this keyboard as 'for gamers,' and tell typists to get something else. Now, to be clear, I would still - in all likelihood - tell pure typists to get something else. The experience didn't match up to my preferred day to day boards, or experiences on Otemu Blue/Gateron Brown equipped keyboards (or equally those sporting electrostatic switches like Topre or HHKB). It did, however, provide a good enough experience that I didn't stop using it all week at work, and I daresay the gaming experience on gamer orientated MX Reds was better than on switches with a definitive actuation point, or electrostatic switches with little feedback beyond their characteristic 'spring'.

So, overall? Typing? Very good. Not my favorite, but good enough that I used it for a week, and did so happily. Gaming? Excellent. The board's relatively small footprint (which is what I am starting to think MSI were going for) means that all relevant and regularly used keys (WASD, Shift, Ctrl, Z, etc) fall easily to hand, and I never once fumbled for anything. I should put in a small bit about the included wrist rest. It's 'fine,' but that is it. It's relatively small, and doesn't actually attach to the board itself. I actually use a standalone Filco wooden rest anyway, but for 160 USD I would expect a clip on/magnetic rest. It is not a major issue, however, as the board also sits relatively squat to the surface, even with the feet deployed.

How does it feel?

Whilst 'crowded' is a word that some could well use to describe the GK80 keyboard (I had no issues with it, but I know others did), it's not an adjective one could level against the GM70. For a premium product, the mouse is actually fairly light on programmable buttons. There are four located within easy reach of your fingers, mounted on the sides of the mouse. The DPI change button can also be re-programmed, and - to be honest - unless you're the kind of person to want to change their DPU on the fly, you may as well change what this does once you've found your happy medium. For me, on a 23.8'' 1080p monitor, I use 850 DPI. Going back to the number of buttons, however... well, whether 4 (or 5) is enough for you will likely depend on your use case? FPS games are ones that usually need a max of 3-4 on mouse functions. I actually play my FPS titles with just right/left click, and all other controls still using the keyboard. I said 3-4 to accommodate for the types that also map controls like use item, crouch, sprint, and the 'sniper' button (which is normally a 'push to lower DPI' function). Whether the 'lack' (when compared to some mice, to be fair) of these buttons is a problem to you is a matter of opinion and personal preference.

The majority of the mouse's surface is made of a hard touch and slightly textured black plastic. I am not a massive fan of this. These mice are designed to be thrown around during gaming, and - for that - you want something you can keep a firm grip on. Whilst the attachable wings are coated with a softer touch and grippier material, the top of the product remains smoother. Whilst I really didn't encounter any issues during my testing of the mouse (i.e. losing grip), I would have appreciated a softer touch plastic/material for the top of the GM70, if only to enhance the premium feel and further justify the 100+ USD/EUR price tag. As a small but very important point, yes, this mouse is entirely ambidextrous. On the bottom of the product, we see an on/off switch, as well as a wireless pairing button. Next, we shall move to the other side of this review equation. MSI's new Clutch GM70, a modular and wireless gaming mouse. Yes, there is RGB. Yes, there is software.