My job as a software developer requires a lot of typing, so I was in the market for a mechanical keyboard. However, when I looked at keyboards from brands like Logitech and Microsoft, I was baffled to see the starting price of around 10,000₹.

So I sought to find a cheap yet durable and found this

This is a keyboard from a brand named Cosmic byte and you can get this keyboard for a price under 2000₹. This specific unit is GK-18 which offers RED switches, whereas the similar GK-16 offers BLUE switches while everything is entirely the same.

Now let’s talk if you should buy this or not?

BLUE PILL OR RED PILL?

Before getting all technical let’s first understand what is the difference between blue and red keys.

The Blue switches are tactile switches and the Red ones are linear switches, what that means is the blue switches are often considered the best switches for any job that involves a lot of typing, such as programming or writing. The way blue switches work is that, when pressing down on a key, once it registers, you’ll hear a click, accompanied by a tactile bump. You’ll be able to feel and hear the very moment a key registers on your computer. And the sound the keys make is actually quite unique and satisfying. The Red Outemmu Switches on the other hand is recommended for gamers that provide a silent and classy gaming experience while pressing keys. These don’t have a tactile feel, they just press down completely providing a faster keypress. The activation force of red keys is relatively very low in comparison to blue keys. If you have heavy hands, red keys sometimes get activated involuntarily just because of the weight of your fingers.

BUILD YEAH OR NAH ?

A fun fact, mechanical keyboards are well known for their durability and long life. Though this keyboard is made out of plastic but Its built quality is very impressive as it is made up of high-quality plastic. When you are typing on this keyboard there is no flex or squeeky noise coming from plastic parts, which is a good sign. The upper part of the keyboard is made up of metal so it gives a premium feel while holding the keyboard.

As discussed earlier this keyboard features Red Outemmu switches, now these are certainly not the best switches but they are considered above average. The estimated working life of these switches would be around 5-6 years. Some keyboards provide you with the functionality of changing the keys, that is are hot-swappable but unfortunately, this keyboard doesn’t provide that functionality.

The keycaps on this are double-shot plastic keycaps and have inner transparent layers that help in the backlighting of the keyboard. These caps are good quality With their standard mounting procedure, they can be easily replaced with customized keycaps.

As This Keyboard Identifies as a Gaming Keyboard, you get a lot of

RGB

It has 18 preset RGB configurations that are also customizable. The lights are well-illuminated and glow behind each key and produce a very attractive effect, especially in the dark.

You can download the software from the official website of Cosmic Byte as the keyboard box contains nothing except the keyboard, not even a single piece of paper. (talk about going green).

GHOST ON KEYBOARD!

In older keyboards there used to be an issue that when you press many keys at once, the commands of only a few keys were registered in the keyboard but in this keyboard, Cosmic Byte has done a splendid job of improving it. This keyboard has multi-function Hotkeys with 100% Anti Ghosting for a hassle-free gaming experience. It allows the user to press many keys at the same time and have them accurately reported. It ensures that commands given through each key are registered properly even when multiple keys are pressed simultaneously.

Also, folks who have used mechanical keyboards in the past might know that long keys like “Enter” or “Space” are prone to wobble over time with usage but even after 6-7 months of usage, I can affirm that there is not wobble at all in this keyboard. Now if you want to hear the sound of this keyboard you can watch the YouTube video here.

Lastly let’s talk about the choke or weak point in life of these wired keyboards, THE WIRE. Normally if your keyboard is going to last a long time, the wire is going to take a lot of damage. Fortunately for us, this keyboard comes with a 1.6-meter braided cable that increases the life span of this keyboard.

CONCLUSION


PS: If you plan to use this keyboard for long sessions, buy a wrist rest else you will develop pain in your wrist, also don’t buy the wrist rest offered by cosmic byte as the design of it is really bad and it doesn’t even support your wrist half of the time due to an abrupt design cut in it. I would recommend buying another cheap alternative from amazon.

So coming back to the main question should you buy this keyboard or not?

Yeah sure, go ahead. Buy it without any hesitation, just remember to buy the keys that feel more suitable to your work need.

Buy Them Here –

Buy CosmicByte GK 18 – https://amzn.to/3I2pZjR

Buy CosmicByte GK 16 – https://amzn.to/3ntz5OD

From Cosmic byte website – https://www.thecosmicbyte.com/product…