Summary
There is a very specific audience for theCyberPowerPC CK60keyboard, and it’s gamers who use their PC for nothing but gaming. I use my PC for virtually everything, and this keyboard lacks fundamental components I use often—designated directional keys, volume control, function keys, and a delete key. At 60%, the board sacrificed more than I wanted it to, and it’s jarring after using theRazer BlackWidow V4 75%board, which broadens its audience with more accessible controls and a full row of function keys.
A Good Click for Gamers
One of the most important aspects of a gaming keyboard happens to be where the CK60 excels. The standard Gateron Red linear switches are soft to the touch and produce a surprisingly gentle clack.
Thelinear switch’slack of tactile feedback isn’t a detriment to the overall experience, but if you do need that, the red switch pulls out easily to be replaced by CyberPowerPC’s Gateron Brown. For a more aggressive click, Gateron Blue is as loud as the extensive selection of switches gets.
CyberPowerPC offers nine switches including the standard linear red, so you can better customize your time with the board. I would have loved a chance to install theGateronAliaz Silent, just to see how quiet of a click it can produce.
Overall Construction
CyberPowerPC spared no expense with the full CNC aluminum case. Though it may add quite a bit of heft, it also ensures ample durability that can withstand even the most intense gaming sessions. Since it is on the heavier side, the keyboard also doesn’t slip, giving you a sturdiness that lighter boards don’t quite have.
The problem is, at 60% the size of a normal keyboard, the CK60 should be portable. However, you’re not going to want to be lugging around the weighty board. It may only be 3 pounds, which is lighter than the BlackWidow V4 75%, but CyberPowerPC had the opportunity to develop a lighter, more compact, comfortable tournament-friendly keyboard. Instead, it simply created another home model and stripped it of features that don’t even take up much room. EvenThe Shrimp Mechanical Gaming Keyboard,which is a 25-key board designed specifically for gamers, includes designated volume control.
The CK60 does feature high-end, user-friendly construction, with tray mounting to stabilize typing. Keys like shift and spacebar were pretty stiff and sturdy, at least compared to theDrop Sense75I was using before this review. That’s great for typists like myself and does offer stability while gaming, but it’s arguably less important than the CK60’s 1,000Hz polling rate that minimizes input delays. Being a keyboard made for gamers, it’s surprising that there’s no mention of anti-ghosting orn-key rolloverin any of the manuals or online materials.
As a writer, I love a loose key that doesn’t need to be coaxed into registering, and the CK60 has very sensitive keys that my fingers could practically dance over. While gaming, I did run into a few instances of accidental input, which required me to be very mindful of where I hovered my fingers.
RGB Lighting & the CyberPowerPC Desktop Program
Like most gaming keyboards, the CK60 features RGB backlighting, which radiates from beneath the switches. If you’ve used a gaming keyboard with RGB lighting, then you’ll be very familiar with the CK60’s glow. Using the CyberPowerPCdesktop program(available only on Windows), you can change the color, run a preset scene, or turn the lighting off completely. It’s a fairly standard feature that doesn’t bring anything new to the table.
The same can be said about the CyberPowerPC program. The application is fairly basic and standard. you’re able to assign keys, create macros, or build user and game profiles to swap between. I found the biggest benefit in the macros, as it allowed me to add media controls to the customizable function (FN) layer that encompasses the entire board.
Should You Buy CyberPowerPC’s CK60 Gaming Keyboard?
There is a bit I do like aboutCyberPowerPC’s CK60 Gaming Keyboard, though I’m not sure it outweighs the peculiar design choice. By the time I had completed this review, I must have reached for the arrows and the delete keys more than a dozen times. Those keys aren’t as pivotal when you’re knee-deep in a digital world, as the WASD format is more commonly used, but it does feel like an omission that will drive some users away.
What I can’t quite wrap my head around is the removal of the volume control dial. Yes, the board is pre-mapped with FN+Q and FN+W controls for volume, but I stumbled upon that accidentally. You can also remap the keys using the desktop editor, but you shouldn’t have to go out of your way to add a basic convenience to a gaming keyboard, especially when removing that function doesn‘t make the board any more portable than a 75% keyboard. I appreciate the simple dial that so many other gaming keyboards use.
The CK60 does offer a satisfying, muted click, which is always nice for multiplayer gaming or when gaming in a more public space. The keys are very sensitive and don’t require a lot of pressure to register, so your fingers can really fly across them. It did wonders for my typing speed, but I did have some accidental inputs because of their sensitivity while gaming. I’m not sure I’d say the CK60 caters to every gamer, but there must be a market out there for a bare-bones board that requires a bit of customization to fix what I felt to be glaring issues.
CyberPowerPC CK60 Gaming Keyboard
CyberPowerPC’s CK60 Gaming Keyboard is a 60% mechanical keyboard with Gateron Red Linear switches and customizable RGB lighting.
