The Cooler Master Master Keys Pro L White Mechanical Keyboard Review
by E. Fylladitakis on October 21, 2016 8:00 AM ESTConclusion
I always try to use every keyboard that we review as my personal keyboard for at least a week. My typical weekly usage includes a lot of typing (about 100-150 pages), a few hours of gaming and some casual usage, such as internet browsing and messaging. I personally prefer Cherry MX Brown or similar (tactile) switches for such tasks, so the Master Keys Pro L White was a nearly perfect match for my preferences. The Cherry MX Brown switches are the least fatiguing for long typing sessions and similar professional usage, providing subtle tactile feedback without stressing the tendons. They are also relatively quiet, making them a little more comfortable for the user and a lot less aggravating for everyone else in the vicinity. The lack of a palm rest on a keyboard this tall however is problematic for professional use and it is very likely that most professionals will be using aftermarket palm rests and/or cushions.
As for gaming, the Master Keys Pro L White is comfortable for long gaming sessions, feels very solid and is very precise. It is ideal for FPS/TPS games and other action or casual genres, where speed and precision are vital. However, we would not really recommend it for RPG/MMO/MOBA gaming, as it features only basic hardware-based macro programming that can execute only relatively simplistic keystroke commands. Advanced macros are a necessity in such games and most advanced gamers will find the simplicity of the Master Keys Pro L White to be insufficient.
Cooler Master has been very straightforward with the design of the Master Keys Pro L White. They wanted the keyboard to be aesthetically and practically simple, yet of exceptional quality. Its aesthetic design is truly minimalistic, perhaps even overly so for some people that would rather have a keyboard that does stand out on a desktop for that kind of money. The quality however is indisputably topnotch, with a solid construction and some of the best consumer mechanical switches available nowadays.
Meanwhile advanced users may find that the Master Keys Pro L White is too simple for a keyboard that sells for $110. It does support macro programming and up to four different profiles, as well as the programming of lighting effects, but everything is hardware-based. This hardware-based programming may be convenient in some cases, yet it is severely limiting, essentially allowing only for simple keystroke commands and remapping. It can also be confounding to program, particularly in comparison to the easiness that a well-written software utility can offer.
In summary, the Master Keys Pro L White is a very solid, high quality mechanical keyboard that will not leave professionals and gamers who prefer action-based games disappointed. However its current retail price of $110 seems excessively high, particularly given the crowded market for mechanical keyboards. Cooler Master’s competitors are currently offering software programmable keyboards with Cherry MX Brown switches at significantly lower prices, which leaves the Master Keys Pro L White at a disproportionate disadvantage in terms of value.
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versesuvius - Friday, October 21, 2016 - link
Cooler Master products are always mediocre devices with the highest possible prices. The quality of their products is just about average and for the asking prices there is invariably a better product in the market. So, just look at the price and start looking for something better at that price. There is a 100% chance that you will find the ideal product at that price or even lower. The same is true about Logitech as well.Inteli - Friday, October 21, 2016 - link
The Quickfire Rapids were always the best deals on mechanical keyboards, and were available for very reasonable prices. From the looks of it, the Pro S with white LEDs runs $100 on Amazon, which is still very reasonable. Maybe their MSRP is unreasonable, but market prices are generally very good. That also goes for Logitech (or at least the only Logitech products I care about)b4bblefish - Friday, October 21, 2016 - link
Well.. MSRP is always a joke, but the CM keyboards are great on sale. I got a TKL quickfire for $60 and a logitech G303 for $24.99. Definitely not complainingJoeyJoJo123 - Friday, October 21, 2016 - link
Both are good buys, and it's nice you got a flawless sensor above anything else here. Too many people fall for the "gaming mouse" advertising but don't investigate as to whether the mouse sensor is flawless from acceleration, angle-snapping and other such things.Omega215D - Friday, October 21, 2016 - link
Yeah it's a shame but it sells. The good thing is that Razer, CM and Logitech use good sensors in their mice (well now they do thanks to more enthusiasts especially those at Overclock.net) and Logitech heard the feedback and took it to heart this time around.3ogdy - Sunday, October 23, 2016 - link
I was going to agree with your comment...until I read your last sentence. That's where I completely disagree. I've owned a lot of Logitech products in my life from mice to keyboards, speakers, remotes, adapters, webcams, headsets...and what not. The quality of their products is top-notch. Full stop. If that's your opinion on Logitech, you're probably wrong about Cooler Master as well.hughlle - Tuesday, October 25, 2016 - link
So you never came across any stories of the abysmal failure rates of mice like the G5 or G7 (regarding the mouse buttons executing a double click for a single click due to poorly designed mechanisms within), or perhaps the dodgy mouse cables that fray and fail, or perhaps their "flasgship" keyboard, the dinovo edge, costing well over £100 which can't even hold a bluetooth connection for 5 minutes without requiring you to unplug and re-plug the dongle?Logitech certainly make some good products, and have certainly improved, but they have a far from top-notch track record. And it is not like we're talking about budget peripherals, we're talking about their top of the line models.
Silma - Wednesday, October 26, 2016 - link
I beg to differ.I've been using -daily and for the entire day - a Quickfire Pro for a few years, and it's a fantastic keyboard, whose sole inconvenient is that not all keys are backlighted.
At the time of the purchase, it was by far the best price for a mechanical keyboard in my region
Wwhat - Sunday, October 30, 2016 - link
Logitech prices are always twice as high as cooler master though.Grimmm - Friday, October 21, 2016 - link
Wow, the design is extremely reminiscent of my CODE keyboard (which in turn is based on a WASD keyboards design). Seems like they took the minimalist design of the CODE, dropped the backplate, swapped the Cherry clears for browns, and added some basic macro functionality. All in all it seems like a decent drop in price for folks not interested in the $150 range CODE/Ducky/Das models.