G.Skill KM250 keyboard review: Gold standard for the bargain bin

Best Prices Today: G.Skill KM250 RGB Keyboard

$39.99

If you’ve been following my keyboard evaluations recently, I’ve been lamenting the ever-increasing value of mainstream “gaming” boards that don’t appear to be in any means associated to their precise perform. I used to be looking around for good budget alternatives when abruptly G.Skill launched a brand new mechanical keyboard, priced at simply $55 on Amazon. How extremely fortuitous!

Of course, with a price range keyboard you quit sure luxuries like a rotary dial—oh, wait, the KM250 has one. Well, you’ll be able to’t anticipate to pay so little and likewise get respectable keycaps…huh, really, the KM250 has PBT “pudding” keycaps that complement the RGB lighting reasonably properly. But after all, with a price range board you get price range mechanical switches from [checks spec list] Kailh? What? Well there’s no means that the board consists of hot-swap swap sockets so you’ll be able to swap them out for higher ones…oh wait it does that too.

Michael Crider/Foundry

In truth, the G.Skill KM250 has a laundry checklist of options which might be stunning to see on a board at this value vary, omitting just a few which might be pretty cheap. As such, it will get a simple advice for anybody searching for a high-quality, entry-level board, particularly when you assume you would possibly wish to spend money on some upgraded switches or keycaps.

What are the G.Skill KM250 specs?

The KM250 is a reasonably normal wired mechanical keyboard within the more and more fashionable, and considerably nebulous, “65%” kind issue. That means all your main typing keys and an arrow cluster, the absence of a perform row, and some extra keys rounding it out: In this case, Delete, Page Up, and Page Down, plus a rotary dial.

That dial has change into a mainstay of premium keyboards—when you don’t have at the least one dial, don’t even hassle coming to the meetup—so it’s spectacular and welcome to see it on this price range construct. Though it’s as plastic as the remainder of the board, it does embody a “click” button while you press down, so it’s excellent for the usual quantity + mute performance.

Michael Crider/Foundry

Elsewhere you get a purposeful, if chunky, case with double-sectioned toes for 3 typing angles, a 6-foot removable braided USB-C cable, and a keycap/swap puller within the field. The keycaps are high-quality PBT, which another corporations make you pay additional for (Razer, I’ll stop calling you out for this while you cease doing it). The caps are of the considerably area of interest however interesting “pudding” type—that’s to say, stable black tops with translucent sides to make the RGB lighting shine even brighter. It’s lower than the dazzling normal of the Roccat Vulkan sequence, nevertheless it’s fairly good nonetheless.

Michael Crider/Foundry

Underneath are linear Red switches for quick, game-friendly key presses. As famous within the intro, the switches are from Kailh, a fairly enormous provider of switches each fancy (just like the “Blueberry Ice Cream Pro” ones within the Keydous NJ80-AP) and fundamental. These are fundamental Red switches, with none bolstered BOX stems or pre-lubed springs, however I recognize that G.Skill might have gone with a less expensive model and didn’t.

And lastly, the switches may be taken out of the plastic plate and changed with any MX-compatible different. Again, this can be a normal of dearer boards that by rights shouldn’t be in a single this low-cost—it wasn’t within the Havit KB487L, for instance, and that board is simply barely cheaper. The KM250 is an absolute marvel of mechanical keyboard worth.

Where is the G.Skill KM250 programmability?

G.Skill included just about every thing on this board, until you’re searching for wi-fi choices or unique building. But there’s one factor on the fundamental laundry checklist that isn’t right here: programmability. The KM250 is locked to the format you get out of the field, together with the perform layer and lighting controls—the one obtain you’ll see on the assist web page is a digital copy of the fast begin information you get within the field.

Michael Crider/Foundry

Not that the information is absolutely essential. The sub-functions of every key are printed on the keycaps, and simple sufficient to determine on their very own. With no lighting programming choices, you do get an admirable choice of gentle reveals: 18 totally different animation choices in varied colours, for which you’ll alter the velocity and course. I’m not likely a fan of RGB, so I set it to the static rainbow and left it there.

This is the place I’d put a screenshot of the programming software. But there isn’t one. Sorry about that.

Michael Crider/Foundry

So sure, there’s the KM250’s one weak point, if it’s truthful to name it a weak point in a keyboard this low-cost. That mentioned, an absence of programmability doesn’t actually matter for the said objective of PC gaming, since every recreation ought to assist you to re-bind key controls. Otherwise it’s all the way down to OS-level instruments, like my go-to, SharpKeys.

Typing and gaming on the G.Skill KM250

So the one factor left to ask is, is it an excellent keyboard to make use of? Plainly, sure. You don’t get the flowery really feel that comes from extra premium components—every thing right here is plastic to 1 diploma or one other. But it’s about pretty much as good as mass-produced plastic can get, and really a lot in step with G.Skill’s status for purposeful, low-priced {hardware}. (Love your RAM DIMMs, by the best way!)

Michael Crider/Foundry

The KM250 works equally properly as a full-time keyboard or as a secondary, extra transportable choice, due to its light-weight construct and full devoted arrow cluster. If you need one thing to carry alongside to a LAN celebration (or maybe extra well timed, simply hanging out at your pal’s place whilst you each play on-line), it’ll do this, albeit not fairly as stylishly as one thing low-profile just like the Razer DeathStalker or Keychron K series.

And when you simply need a cheap board to see what this mechanical craze is all about, it’ll do this, too. Just for the hell of it, I took the wonderful unique switches from the Keydous NJ80 and my favourite “Galaxy Class” DSA keycaps. I needed to simulate a bunch of cash poured into this low-cost board, and sure, a number of premium components goes a lot farther on this board than many others in its value vary. For instance, after I seen that there’s additionally sound-absorbing foam beneath the plastic plate, and even within the hole beneath the area bar, stopping the distinctive “space rattle.” MAN this board goes a lot tougher than it has to!

Michael Crider/Foundry

Should you purchase the G.Skill KM250?

The KM250 is an astonishingly good worth, and will get a simple advice until you merely should have the flexibility to program your keys and lighting. For everybody else it’s an absolute steal, setting a brand new gold normal for super-cheap, super-functional mechanical boards.