Capsule Review: Rosewill's RK-9000 Mechanical Keyboard
by Dustin Sklavos on January 26, 2012 12:40 AM EST- Posted in
- Keyboard
- Peripherals
- Rosewill
- Cherry MX
- Input Devices
The Rosewill RK-9000 in Action
While the Rosewill RK-9000 may not be much to look at, in practice it's something else entirely. We can break down the usage patterns a keyboard will see into two primary categories: gaming and word processing.
Before we get to that, though, there's an issue that bears mentioning. I've been using the RK-9000 for a touch over a month as my primary keyboard, and while it's a fantastic piece of kit that has made me enjoy working on these reviews for you that much more, I ran into one problem with it: the lettering fading.
It doesn't show quite as well as I would like in the photo, but take a look at the E, S, D, F, and C keys and you can see they're not as bright as the other keys. This isn't dirt, this is actual wear. And while I do beat my keyboards like they owe me money, this is a bit of a quality issue. Our rep assures me this shouldn't be happening with these keyboards and is sending me a replacement along with getting back to Rosewill's QC, but there's just no way to know if my sample has a problem or if this is going to be pervasive. I'd err on the side of pervasive, honestly, but this is a minor complaint. As long as the keyboard still works (and there's no reason not to think it won't for a long time), the lettering is an aesthetic issue as opposed to a practical one.
Gaming on the Rosewill RK-9000
The Rosewill RK-9000 uses Cherry MX Blue switches, and these switches are incredibly loud and incredibly tactile. Part of the experience is the sheer travel the keys have; if you have a tendency to royally beat up on your keyboard while typing, these switches are going to be fantastic. Unfortunately, during gaming I've found the RK-9000 to be less desirable than a high-end membrane-based keyboard.
The problem with the Cherry MX Blue switches is that everything that makes them fantastic for doing any kind of real writing with makes them poor for gaming. Key travel is pretty deep, making the RK-9000's base model a bad choice for any kind of game that requires multiple rapid keypresses, which is pretty much all of them. I've played many different kinds of games on the RK-9000, and while it hasn't had a drastically negative impact on the experience, it's definitely a step backward from the beat up Microsoft Reclusa I was using beforehand.
Typing noise can be an issue with these switches, too. While I personally love the sound of a good, clicky keyboard, it definitely detracts from the gaming experience. At certain points it may actually be difficult to hear the things you need to hear in a given game over the sound of the keyboard. This isn't a major issue, but it's noticeable.
Typing on the Rosewill RK-9000
While the RK-9000's Cherry MX Blue switches may be far from ideal for gaming, for regular typing they're the best experience I've had in a very long time. Since using the RK-9000, I've found I make far fewer typos than I did on my old Reclusa, and I suspect this is at least partly due to the increased key travel. You have to press the keys a little bit harder to register them than you would with a typical keyboard, which is fine if, like me, you brutalize your keyboards. Yet because of this travel, it's also much harder to fat finger the wrong keys. Spacing between the keycaps is generous yet the keys themselves never feel too small.
As for noise feedback, that's going to be a matter of taste, but personally I feel like I'm actually accomplishing things when I'm using the RK-9000. The clicking switches in the keys sound like work being done to me, in addition to just reminding me when keyboards used to be thick and heavy enough to be used as murder weapons and all the fun I had on my old computer when I was still just learning to be a geek.
Until I've tried the other mechanical switch types, I can say I'd very easily recommend the RK-9000 for anyone who's using their computer primarily or even almost exclusively for heavy duty typing. You might need to consider others near your work space as the clicky noise might be a distraction/annoyance, and there are bound to be some typists that prefer a lighter touch, but if you get a chance to try out a mechanical keyboard the majority of typists will like the experience.
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Sabresiberian - Thursday, January 26, 2012 - link
If you are happy with your $12 keyboard, that's absolutely fine and it would be silly for you to pay more.However, not everyone is YOU; I've never met a cheap keyboard that didn't feel cheap, and I won't put up with one. I'm going to use a keyboard I LIKE.
Considering a decent quality keyboard, regardless of types of switches, can last a decade or two, or longer, $100 or even twice that seems like a pretty low cost over its lifetime. (Considering what $100 is worth these days, it doesn't seem like it's all that much money in any case.)
The thing that puzzles me is why people refuse to understand that not everything has to do with them. If it's not good for them, it's either a waste or they can't understand it.
;)
Pylon757 - Thursday, January 26, 2012 - link
I guess if you try it, you'll notice the difference. It's simply...a lot better to type on. Precisely why tends to be vague. The difference is sort of hard to describe.E.g. take for example, notebook trackpads. I've used atrocious trackpads, and I've used some very good ones (e.g. Apple's Macbook ones for example). What's the difference between Apple's trackpad and say, a Dell one from 2003? Other than size the specifics are really vague, but the Apple one just feels better to use.
average buy - Thursday, January 26, 2012 - link
Size, amount of friction, responsiveness, configurable (with the help of third party software) multi-gestures, build quality are the major reasons why I'm a bit proponent of Apple's trackpads.What about mechanical keyboards though? I'll try one the next time I'm at Microcenter (as long as they have any on display), but up to this point all I keep hearing is essentially "I really like them, so should you".
_rob_ - Tuesday, January 31, 2012 - link
> What about mechanical keyboards though? I'll try one the next time I'm at Microcenter (as long as they have any on display), but up to this point all I keep hearing is essentially "I really like them, so should you".It's hard to describe something like how it feels to type on a keyboard. A lot of people find the experience more enjoyable and find that they can be more accurate with a good mechanical keyboard. More still find that once they've spent some time using a good mechanical keyboard that they like it's hard to go back to a rubber dome one that might have been "OK" before.
But you know what? That may not be the case for you. Hence why folks recommend you try one. Type on a couple different types of mechanical boards for a while and see if you like them. If you do, and if you think that $100 for a keyboard that you can use for the better part of a decade is a decent investment for the feel that you get, then go for it. If not, or if you don't like the various mechanical keyboards out there, then they're not a good choice for you.
It's not that "we like them, so should you". It's that we like them and think that you should at least try them before deciding they're not for you. :D
Midwayman - Thursday, January 26, 2012 - link
You could easily say the same thing about people who like mechanical watches. Digital watches are cheaper and keep better one. However there is something about owning something that just well crafted and mechanical that is appealing sometimes.Johnmcl7 - Thursday, January 26, 2012 - link
I also prefer the short travel keys rather than deep mechanical ones although there's frustratingly few about for desktop PCs. I did try the Apple keyboard but found it to a bit too flat and unfeeling compared to the Vaio keyboards so currently using a Microsoft Arc Touch which aside from a bizarrely reduced keyboard layout has a great feel and I find gives me a much better typing speed than the deeper keyboards.There was someone in our office that persisted with an old mechanical keyboard but eventually gave it in as the noise it made was irritating everyone in the office.
John
Shadowmaster625 - Thursday, January 26, 2012 - link
In my experience it is where the cord meets the keyboard that it always tends to break, especially if you move the keyboard at all.koshling - Thursday, January 26, 2012 - link
I switched to a DAS Keyboard (the non-hardcore one that DOES have markngs on the keys!) a little over a year ago. I'd never go back, but I'd love to see a comparative review.fishbits - Thursday, January 26, 2012 - link
On my second Cherry Blue keyboards (neither Rosewill) and love it. After the first died I really missed the feel of the keys and their precision. There are a few subjective statements in the article that could give some the wrong idea. Just because you can have long key travel if you bottom out when typing / gaming doesn't mean you have to. The point of tactile feedback is that you know when the key activated by the feel (and sound in Blues) without having to bottom out. Can make you use lighter, shorter and crisper inputs after being accustomed.These *rock* for games like Starcraft. I haven't had any real detriment when playing other genres, though the sound and feel might not be what a person is looking for in MMO, FPS, etc. Point is that they're still fine for gaming, and wonderful for RTS and typing.
I've heard reviewers overstate the noise of the Blues. They're clicky. By definition, they'll be much louder than a silent keyboard, but it's not like there are gunshots going off with every keypress. Still, quieter versions exist. If these items interest you, I'd recommend getting your hands on one to give it a try, or even take the plunge if this is affordable to you and something you're likely to enjoy.
Stuka87 - Thursday, January 26, 2012 - link
Well, not this model, but a Mechanical Keyboard made by Matias (The Tactile Pro). Its the best keyboard I have ever used. Unfortunately my Wife gets extremely aggravated if I use it due to how loud it is. Which is unfortunate because I can type so fast on it.