Cooler Master makes a lot of keyboards for a company known primarily for its PC cases, cooling solutions, and support components like extension cables and power supplies. That doesn’t stop them from making no fewer than 57 different keyboards right now.
One of the most popular formats is 65%, of which the CK720 is, but it has a few other tricks as well. While most companies that don’t normally deal with peripherals such as mice and keyboards usually just rebrand existing models from OEM factories, Cooler Master has decided to use fully lubricated Kailh Box V2 White switches, which means they are heat-safe Pluggable, and, in our opinion, better than the standard MX Cherry switches most competitors use. It also means that you can switch some or all of the switches to other switches to have a different sound or feel to specific buttons.
It also comes with a fancy spiral cable with a metal-clad interlocking mechanism, as many DIY keyboard enthusiasts know from Keychron et al. There are also eight Cherry MX Green switches in the box, which are noticeably different in feel and sound from the Kailh switches, just to get you started.
This hardware does require a little more attention than the standard setup; lubricated new stabilizers, stronger chassis construction, and sandwiched in silicone damping pads to ensure an inert platform for switches and a removable aluminum top plate when needed When cleaning or customizing. However, the keyboard is virtually screwless.
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As you’d expect from a more premium keyboard it comes with white or black PBT keycaps but while it’s mostly a neat party trick I’m actually more impressed with the rattle-less control dial on the top it’s ok As a built-in control center for media playback and eight different RGB modes. The stand is stable, sturdy, and comes in two styles, but I do like the natural five-degree tilt it offers.
For those who love software, the MasterPlus+ driver suite is the answer, I actually like the visuals, and it’s only a little over 300 MB, while others need more than 1 GB of limited and precious storage space is a big Advantage. The only thing it’s missing, as it even comes with a very fancy tool to remove the keys, is a wrist rest – because once you get down that road, there’s no turning back.
While the switches and keys are toggleable and intended to be changed, I must add that this keyboard is really good, with a quick and strong mechanical feel, and the switches reset to their starting positions very quickly. I’d even go so far as to say that I’ll actually continue to use the keyboard without any changes, which is fine.
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While paying £100 isn’t cheap, it’s also not expensive for this level of build quality, flexibility, and quick and precise switches. I’m actually very impressed, it’s quite rare for a general hardware manufacturer to make such a good keyboard.
