Max Mechanical keyboard nighthawk x8 & x9

downlinx · Aug 7, 2012

Has anyone heard of/or own one of these keyboards?

Alias · Aug 7, 2012

I placed an order for the Nighthawk X8 yesterday after searching for a Brown MX keyboard with backlit.

There are a few members on the forum who seem to have the keyboard and is having good feedback for it. Hopefully one of them can pitch in and give more details. The reviews on Amazon for the keyboard seem to be pretty good also.

I did mail Jerry from Max keyboards on how Nighthawk X8 is different from the XArmor U9BL and got a prompt reply with the following information.
Quote:

Here I will take the opportunity to write out the comparison for you:
Xarmor U9BL - (No) onboard memory, (No) software, (No) braided cables, (No) resistor on all leds, (No) full usb nkey roller, 2 usb cables instead.

Max Keyboard - Onboard memory (yes), Software to program macro (yes), braided cables (yes), resistor on all leds (yes), USB full nkey roller (yes), memory form wrist pad (yes), only 1 USB to power everything, customize Leds (yes)

Ps: Xarmor uses green color Printed circuit board, Max Keyboard uses red color Printed circuit board (double layer)

* You can clearly see it is not a re-brand, Only the enclosure looks identical. All internal parts and features are way too different from XArmor.

Hope that helps.

downlinx · Aug 7, 2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alias

I placed an order for the Nighthawk X8 yesterday after searching for a Brown MX keyboard with backlit.
There are a few members on the forum who seem to have the keyboard and is having good feedback for it. Hopefully one of them can pitch in and give more details. The reviews on Amazon for the keyboard seem to be pretty good also.
I did mail Jerry from Max keyboards on how Nighthawk X8 is different from the XArmor U9BL and got a prompt reply with the following information.
Hope that helps.

it does help some, thank you.

lboregard · Aug 7, 2012

i own a max x8 ... awesome keyboard, it's hands down the best i've had

some pics here

and some more details here

TheNephilim · Aug 8, 2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by lboregard

i own a max x8 ... awesome keyboard, it's hands down the best i've had
some pics here
and some more details here

Thanks! It might become my first mechanical keyboard, replacing my Logitech G15v2! ^^ It's a lot of money though, so I hope it's worth it XD

Alias · Aug 8, 2012

Seems like as per the discussion in some threads the Nighthawk X8 is basically the QPAD MK-85. Probably someone could provide more details on it.

In that case, here is a good review of the QPAD MK-85 (Cherry MX Red switches) which should give some insight into the Nighthawk X8.

http://www.vortez.net/articles_pages/qpad_mk85_mechanical_gaming_keyboard,1.html

ranviper · Aug 8, 2012

Not for nothing, but I have the same keyboard when it was labeled Xarmour U9BL and it has turned out to really piss me off. Got it with 4 burnt out LED's. RMA'ed it, and not 2 months later 3 more LED's burnt out. Now they are slow to respond. I'll be very unhappy if they don't fix it again.

InspectrButters · Aug 8, 2012

You wont regret upgrading to a mechanical keyboard. I recently bought a Nighthawk X8 (my first mechanical keyboard) to replace a Logitech keyboard and the difference in price is worth it. It has become irritating to type on regular keyboards elsewhere after getting used to the lightness of mechanical switches.

GnarlyCharlie · Aug 8, 2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by ranviper

Not for nothing, but I have the same keyboard when it was labeled Xarmour U9BL and it has turned out to really piss me off. Got it with 4 burnt out LED's. RMA'ed it, and not 2 months later 3 more LED's burnt out. Now they are slow to respond. I'll be very unhappy if they don't fix it again.

And yet as stated in post #2, it appears that this keyboard is not an Xarmour U9BL.

Alias · Aug 8, 2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by GnarlyCharlie

And yet as stated in post #2, it appears that this keyboard is not an Xarmour U9BL.

Yup, it doesnt seem to be a rebranded Xarmour U9BL though like i posted above it seems closer to the QPAD MK-85.

So not sure if lumping the Xarmour QC issues with this board is a good idea. The reviews seem to be pointing to a good quality keyboard with even back-lighting.

ranviper · Aug 8, 2012

They two boards look absolutely identical. Even the space bar. Here is my xarmor. But yeah, I guess looking at the specs there seem to be a lot of difference beyond that.

ranviper · Aug 9, 2012

Well, I need to give credit where credit is due. Finally got an email back from iOne and they said even though the keyboard is out of warranty, they will fix it for the price of my shipping it to them with a return label.

downlinx · Aug 9, 2012

thanks guys, from what i have seen, i really like these keyboards

Symiir · Aug 9, 2012

You can get these keyboards for around 30 bucks cheaper if you check out this group buy thread
http://www.overclock.net/t/1291381/max-mechanical-keyboard-nighthawk-x8-x9/10

Alias · Aug 9, 2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by Symiir

You can get these keyboards for around 30 bucks cheaper if you check out this group buy thread
http://www.overclock.net/t/1291381/max-mechanical-keyboard-nighthawk-x8-x9/10

You seem to have linked to this same thread?

Kaldari · Aug 9, 2012

They're essentially rebranded XArmor keyboards. They have the same packaging and everything.

Find reviews of the U9BL-S for the browns, and I'm not sure what the red-switched one from XArmor was called, if they even had one.

It's a good keyboard. Certain LEDs have started to go out and then come back on from time to time after a while, but none have stayed off permanently.

Symiir · Aug 10, 2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alias

You seem to have linked to this same thread?

......please ignore this horrible fail >.< http://www.forums.custompcreview.com/f75/max-keyboard-group-buy-thread-8-a-1071/

MileHighSe7en · Aug 17, 2012

I just got the X9 in Cherry MX red. I had them fully customize it like this pic taken from MaxKeyboard.com except mine has the overclock fire as the ESC key.

Ive had it for about 2 days now and so far so good. It is heavy and feels like a tank.

I also installed O-ring suppressors and they make a huge difference as far as noise. I tested out the Corsair K60 prior to the X9 and can say that the X9 is definitely an upgrade.

Pros
-Feels sturdy
-Overall quality seems pretty high
-Fully customizable as far as LED's
-Evenly lit LED's
-You can choose any of the Cherry MX switches
-2 USB ports in the back
-Audio jack pass-through (which I wont be using)
-Onboard memory so you can take your settings on the go
-Customer service was helpful and responsive

Cons
-Although heavy, it still has the tendency to slide on my desk
-Customizing the LED's can get $$$
-Flat painted keys - This is probably more preference than a con or just me not being used to it. Either way I wish it would have came in a semi-gloss finish.

xxgamxx · Aug 17, 2012

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NateN34 · Aug 17, 2012

Looks kinda cheaply made..

xxgamxx · Aug 18, 2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by xxgamxx

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Wow, I was cleaning my keybaord while I had this page open, didn't even know I submitted it.

xentrox · Aug 24, 2012

Just got a QPAD MK-85 with Cherry Browns and I can't seem to find the difference between that and this Nighthawk X9.

miahallen · Oct 10, 2012

I have had my X9 U9BL for about a year now, and I also have 6 or 6 burnt out LEDs. What bothers me most is that they're probably dying pre-maturely because all the LEDs come on when I shut the computer off, and all the LEDs turn off when I turn the computer on

There's now apparent fix the for the problem in the manual, but I'd have to say that my KB has seen WAY more on time (on the LEDs) than it should have.

Is the Nighthawk X8/9 better for LED power management?

GnarlyCharlie · Dec 31, 2014

Zombie keyboard alert!

Earlier in the thread, and even towards the end of what's now a 2+ year old thread, there was speculation that the Max Nighthawk was just a QPAD MK-85 or XArmor. Burned out LEDs a common complaint on those two keyboards.

I haven't even logged onto the site in quite a while, haven't posted in over a year, not sure why I even thought about my keyboard.

It's the Max Nighthawk X8, bought it in June 2012. Never had a single LED go out, and it's lit up pretty much constantly for that time. Never had a bad switch, never had any issues.

I guess I thought a "satisfied customer" post was in order or something.

Happy New Year to OCN! I would have never even known of this keyboard if not for this site. I guess I have a subliminal rig upgrade-itis urge or something.

A great 2015 to all.

NRD · May 12, 2015

I know this thread is getting pretty old, but I wanted to add my experience with my Nighthawk X8 with cherry browns. I loved the keyboard when I first got it, but over the past 5-6 months I started experiencing an odd issue where if I was watching fullscreen HD video or in other situations, the keyboard would randomly disconnect and reconnect itself, I would see all the LED lights go out then come back on. It was a real pain when trying to type something while watching a video on my second monitor. I tested multiple keyboards and the MAX Keyboard was the only one that encountered this issue. Now just last night, she died on me. I ordered the keyboard in October of 2013, so it managed to outlive it's 1 year warranty by 7 months. I really thought, judging by the weight and what I thought was quality of the board, would last much longer than this. It's a shame, because when it worked, it really was a great keyboard.

Max Mechanical keyboard nighthawk x8 & x9

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