K4V2 TKL, Wired Gaming Keyboard without Numpad, UK-Layout (QWERTY), Customisable RGB Lighting, Mechanical MX2A RED Switches, White

Keyboard easy to use and great

I love everyone In family love thisIt’s soo smooth feels amazingDoesn’t even feel like a keyboardGood for the pricePerfect for gaming

The media could not be loaded. Cherry were making mechanical keyboards before it was cool and their red switches were probably the most popular variety back when there were so few colours you could count them on one hand. Nowadays there are a plethora of companies in this space and an insane number of switches and other modifications to choose from. How does the OG manufacturer compare to the upstarts nowadays?My first impression of the keyboard was positive. It looks great, like if Nintendo designed a keyboard in the SNES era, which is what I imagine they were going for. It reminds me a bit of the 8bitdo keyboard. The keycaps are laser cut with transparent glyphs so the LEDs shine through brightly, making them legible in every lighting condition.The updated red switches offer satisfying feedback, with a clear actuation sound and pretty smooth travel. The activation point is ideal for both typing and gaming. The mechanism is slightly 'scratchier' and wobblier than my Epomaker keyboard, and I think the keys lack the same dampening material, so it's overall a tinnier and less 'thwocky' experience. However, I can imagine some folk might prefer this.The lighting controls are simple, involving the fn key and the home row. I'm a bit surprised that the keyboard doesn't seem to remember the colour I'd selected, so I need to change it every time I turn the computer back on. Perhaps there's a way to set the program to default, but I would've expected this to Just work.The other thing I miss is a volume knob. I hadn't realised how often I used it until I noticed the lack of it on this keyboard.The base is plastic, making the keyboard fairly lightweight relative to the metal-based keyboards I've tried out recently. I don't really see this as a disadvantage since it's still solid and heavy enough to stay put in normal use. Rubber feet can be extended to change the angle of the keyboard.Overall, it's a good effort from Cherry, but I think you may get a more satisfying and full featured keyboard from one of the upstarts like Epomaker.

This is an absolutely fantastic keyboard! I hate membrane and butterfly switch keyboards that are installed on all laptops these days. I hate the squishiness of the keys and that they don't make any noise. I started my programming career back in the early 1980s and loved working on REAL keyboards. There is something so satisfying about the mechanical 'click-clack' of a real keyboard. So the keyboard on my HP Spectre laptop has seen its best days and I decided to replace it with a proper mechanical keyboard. I'd been looking around for one when this popped up. I loved the retro look of it and thought I would give it a shot, and I am so glad I did. This keyboard has an absolutely beautiful action, with a lovely THOCK sound to the keys. It feels wonderful to type on. I type very fast, and it is so much easier to do that on a real keyboard than some thin, no-action, butterfly switch keyboard. The icing on the cake with this keyboard is the gorgeous RGB lighting effects, which glow under the keys and come up through the keycap idents, so it's perfect to work on in the dark. My only issue was with some connectivity problems. I tried plugging it into the USB-C port of my laptop with an adapter and got nothing. I tried three different adapters, still nothing. In the end, I had to use a USB hub which had several USB-A ports, with that plugged into the USB-C port on the laptop, and that worked, with the keyboard lighting up and being recognized. This, unfortunately, means that I have the heavy USB cable and a rather bulky hub hanging off the back of my lap desk, which can be annoying as it has a tendency to slip over the back edge and drag the keyboard cable with it. I may have to tape them down.But, all in all, a beautiful retro style keyboard with a gorgeous THOCKY action.

The media could not be loaded. There is a good solid weight and build quality to this keyboard. Yet it also has more subtle touches, such as silicone feet and silicone on the risers.A very good selection of light displays available. These can be changed with a press of the FN key and the required option.The keys are a delight to use. They are very responsive and feel pleasant to work with. The laser etching has made them really clear to see.This keyboard has a fixed USB cable with a USB-A connector. The compact K5V2 keyboard has a removable cable. Not exactly an upgrade because the keys differ between each model.I am unsure whether it will be available with different switches or not in the future.You can tell the model number of the keyboard because the Enter key states K4 on it.I am really pleased to have opted for the retro version because it looks great. Lots of computer products are usually in black or white. I thought a change would be fun. I do like how the USB cable matches the red of the ESC and Enter keys by having some red on it. With the cable and cable hook and loop tie even matching the other colours of the keyboard. It shows careful thought has gone in to this product. Having a fixed cable could bother some people. I am so used to them being fixed, it doesn't matter to me. Not having a wireless option built in may put some people off. Especially as it is a TKL and fairly compact product. The bottom line is it's a well made wired TKL keyboard from a legendary keyboard company, which is well built and performs exceptionally well. It does seem expensive at £119 but it should last for years. 4.5/5