It looks like every manufacturer is trying to hit the popular compact-semi-custom-keyboard-with-a-rotary-dial specific niche these days, from the excessive Asus ROG Azoth to the practical G.Skill KM250. Cooler Master’s CK721 has been around longer than both of them, but hits a solid medium in between the ultra-budget and the mad-money high-end. This compact but highly practical keyboard will not blow away anyone with its function list, however its cordless efficiency and type-friendly setup make it worthwhile of consideration.
More reading: See our roundup of the best wireless keyboards to find out about competing items.
As a brand Cooler Master has a bit of a gamer leaning, but the CK721 is a little bit more buttoned-down than the normal fare. It makes up for a lack of bombast with a focus on performance.
As a brand Cooler Master has a little bit of a gamer leaning, but the CK721 is a bit more buttoned-down than the usual fare.
While lacking in the more intricate choices seen in much of the competitors, Cooler Master’s offering is serviceable, and might attract those who desire a strong cordless choice with no distractions.
Cooler Master CK721 style and specifications
At a glance, the CK721 may appear like it’s going for the ultra-custom angle, something like the Keychron Q1 at a lower price. Unfortunately, no: Cooler Master went with some rather low-rent parts in this board, like TTC switches (clicky Blue, smooth Red, or tactile Brown) that are a little wobbly and chattery. In terms of typing it’s in fact respectable if you like a lot of noise and feedback in your secrets … however if you don’t, you’re out of luck, since this board does not feature hot-swap switches.
That’s a ding versus it at this cost point, while cheaper boards are offering real PBT keycaps. Cooler Master does use PBT caps on the nearly-identical MK721 … but because that and a fancy coiled cable are the only distinctions between them, I do not believe it’s really worth the $40 upgrade.
On the other hand, the sandblasted aluminum faceplate is rather fetching, as is the matching rotary dial. Both of them are offered in a darker “area grey” with matching black keycaps if you prefer. The 2.4 GHz cordless dongle tucks away in an unique hollow on the left side, opposite the unobtrusive Bluetooth/dongle/USB switch on the right. And there’s a matching white braided USB-C cable, which you’ll wish to hang on to, since the opening around the charging/data port on top is so narrow and slim that your other USB-C cable televisions most likely won’t fit it. Annoying.
Focus on productivity
What the CK721 does not have in improvement it makes up for in efficiency. I constantly like to see a choice of Bluetooth and dongle-based wireless, though the product packaging and manual make no reference of super-low latency for players. The keyboard is definitely loaded with functions and sub-functions on almost every single key, with the option to change between Windows and Mac layouts on the fly, or four different user profiles. You can even set lighting patterns and macros without requiring to boot up the Master+ software application package.
That does make things a little complicated if you’re using several designs or makers. In the standard Windows mode, controls for Mute, Volume Down, and Volume Up are FN-,, FN-. Press Fn-Right Shift to change to Mac mode, and they’re now Fn-0, Fb–, and Fn-+ to match Apple’s basic layout … in addition to still being mapped to the comma, duration, and question mark.
An abundance of alternatives is not a bad thing, and you’ll get the hang of in fact utilizing the board after a few weeks. Such is typically the case, no matter what kind of cordless you’re using.
How is the Cooler Master CK721 for typing?
I’m thankful to see Cooler Master consist of a wrist rest with this keyboard, which truly ought to be basic on anything at the $100 mark or higher. It’s a bit standard, just black fabric over foam, but it matches the size and spacing of the board and my RSI values it. Ditto for the rotary dial, constantly a plus for anybody who’s constantly playing media.
I wish I might say the exact same for the switches. When even the most inexpensive boards out there are using quality switches from Kailh with stabilizing braces on the stems for smoother action, it’s difficult to get thrilled about TTC switches, which are chattery and unsteady. They finish the job, sure enough, there’s just nothing to get delighted about here. (Yes, I get excited about switch stems, sue me.).
Should you buy the Cooler Master CK721?
“absolutely nothing exciting” amounts up the board quite well. For each peak, I can find an equivalent low point that practically evens it out. The aluminum face plate can be eliminated and replaced … however the only other alternative is the black color, and Cooler Master doesn’t sell it independently, so all the additional style work seems to be for nothing. The excellent software-free options are counter-balanced by the MasterPlus software application itself, which constantly hung and crashed when I attempted to use it to update the keyboard and program custom-made designs quicker.
In terms of value, the CK721 is roughly average, with points both for (consisted of wrist rest, dual-mode wireless) and against it (ABS keycaps, low-cost switches). And that makes it rather tiring to check out about, if not always use.
