COOLER MASTER Quick Fire Rapid

My initial thoughts as I removed it from the box:
The keyboard is smaller than I had expected it to be, this was actually very nice as it will take up a lot less real estate on my desk. There is a noticeable weight difference, a bit heavier than the Dell SK-3205 I have been using. The construction feels solid, not flimsy and cheap like a lot of other keyboards I have burned through.



The Cherry MX Red Switches where my personal preference and I must say they have an amazing feel, exactly what I was expecting. The key caps are light but do not feel cheap, you can feel the letters on each key which gives it a nice embossed textured feel. The replacement WASD key caps however do not have the embossed feeling, seeing as I would use them for gaming the most I don’t mind them feeling a bit different. Really enjoy the replacement keys with arrows on top and stealth letters printed on the side.





The key cap puller feels a little on the cheapish side for plastic and its pretty stiff, I am a little concerned it will not last for a prolonged period of time. However it was a nice tool to include in the package and it works for what it is. Removed and replaced WASD keys without issues using the key puller, in the long run if you plan on replacing all your keys I would invest in a better one.



When I first saw the keyboard online it looked very over branded and I was turned away from it at first. After a few weeks of research I came to the conclusion that this was going to be the best for price/performance. I decided to give the keyboard a few more glances and came to the conclusion I could deal with the branding and maybe just paint top plate later. After I placed my order on Amazon I noticed some pictures from the Mechanical Keyboard Club thread of a de-branded version of the same keyboard. Come to find out Cooler Master listened to their customers and changed the top plate and some keys to give it a smoother, clean look. This simple change has endeared Cooler Master to me and the next time I look for some products I will be sure to check out what they have to offer.



I work in an open office environment where sounds can echo a lot. I was a little concerned about the sound of the keys bottoming out getting on other peoples nerves. Over at WASD Keyboards I picked up two different types of O-Rings to try out to help reduce the sound. While the stock sound of bottoming out was not as loud as I was expecting, it still makes a distinct sound. I ordered the Red 40A-L rings and the Blue 40A-R rings; they are a bit pricey for just being o-rings however I do enjoy the reduced sound.



I placed the red rings on my WASD keys and the blues on my directional arrow keys. Rings are simple to add to the bottom of the keys, though you might need the use of some finger nails to get the blues on. I am not going to get into great detail over this as I will be making a YouTube video later on to compare the feeling and sound. What I have noticed right away between the two o-rings is a much reduced bottoming out noise. The red rings give more of a stiffer feeling to the keys which I am enjoying a lot, while the blues give a springier feel to the keys. The reds reduce the sound enough for the noise to not be a problem at work while only slightly changing the way the keys feel.

Conclusion:
This is my second mechanical keyboard; my first was a Razer BlackWidow Ultimate for my gaming rig. It is huge monster sized keyboard but I always thought it felt a little cheap in some areas but dismissed it. Now that I have had some time to play around with my Cooler Master QFR I understand what felt cheap about my first keyboard. Unfortunately I am not able to do a direct comparison at the moment. Overall I am very pleased with this keyboard and looking forward to using it till it just won’t work any longer.
Cooler Master Storm QuickFire Rapid comes in a variety different Cherry MX Switch, you can choose from Black/Brown/Blue or Red switches. However only the MX Red Switches come with a black faceplate and red under plate, the Cherry MX Red Switches where my personal preference.

I apologize for the poor image quality of my pictures, I don't have my digital camera with me and had to use my phone's camera.

Links:
QuickFire Rapid Site
WASD Keyboards
Mechanical Keyboard Club

As soon as I removed it from the shipping box, I noticed how small and heavy this keyboard is! It really does outweigh my full Compaq membrane keyboard pictured below.



The mechanical key switches are simply magical. I'll try to refrain reviewing those here however, as others with more knowledge of key switches have written more thorough reviews than I could. The LEDs are a little bright, but I consider that a plus as I normally wouldn't want these left on in the first place.

The function keys work just as one would expect per given operating system. As you may have read, the included cord is really stiff. The plating on the connectors should protect against corrosion, which is a plus.



I was expecting to get red replacement WASD keys, but Cooler Master chose to include WWSD for me instead. Not enough to return the whole keyboard, but enough to show the kind of quality control I would expect from a company that chooses to overly brand their products like they do.



The key puller included is likely made out of the cheapest plastics available. I would suggest getting another if you plan on changing keys out to any great extent.



Obligatory OCN keycap mod - An essential part of any OCN keyboard review.




Conclusion: I've never been very partial for any product that carries the name of Cooler Master, but with this I was willing to let it slide as the key switches are still Cherry and that is what is important. Would be a five flame keyboard if it wasn't so overly branded and the correct keys were included. This keyboard was recommended to me on http://deskthority.net/ and it is a great inexpensive mechanical keyboard for those looking to acquire a new addiction to mechanical key switches.

A high recommendation for those wanting to get into the mechanical scene but don't care for the costs

NOTE:
I would like to point out that this keyboard is available with alternate key switches, MX Blues were my choice but they don't have to be yours.

Further Reading:
Another OCNer's review
CM Quick Fire Storm Thread


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