Rusty Shackleford—January 24, 2023
I’m an old school mechanical keyboard user. Like, I was around back in the day when IBM Model M and Leading Edge keyboards were the norm, not the exception. Also, they cost a few hundred dollars, adjusted for inflation. The CIY isn’t a tank you can use to beat off home intruders. However, it’s surprisingly solid for the money. Heavier than a full size membrane. It doesn’t look tacky or gaudy. I like the removable frame feature. I found replacement frames in different colors on a prominent “buy cheap stuff from across the Pacific” site. Stabilizer keys (space, return, shift) have zero rattle. Like, none. The best of any Cherry MX-based keyboard I own. I got the version with blue switches. I like clicky switches, and the stock blues are perfectly fine; no worse than plain Cherry blues. Unmodded, the board can sound a bit hollow when typing, and the blues could be a nuisance in an office setting. Probably like most people who bought this keyboard, I made some mods. Tactile switches (cheap Ajazz blue something), Akko PBT keycaps (the ABS keycaps that come with the keyboard are about what you’d expect for a US$40 keyboard), and a thin layer (1/4” or 6 mm) of foam liner inside. No switch or stabilizer lubing, no tape, nothing else. Post-mod, the result is a really pleasant medium-pitch thocky sound when typing, with no hollowness. It’s quiet enough to use in an open office or cubicle without bothering anybody, too. I turned off the KeWL xTREeM GaMeR lighting. For what it’s worth, lighting is full RGB; not a fixed rainbow pattern. (I think the Ajazz version of this keyboard has the fixed rainbow LEDs.) I don’t use the driver software. At work, I use the keyboard with a Windows-based PC. It works fine with my MacBook Pro M1, too. I bought this keyboard to make use of some spare parts I had lying around, but I actually use it full time at work now; it’s that good. My work endgame is a Keychron Q-something, but for now, the modded CIY more than meets my needs. Read more
Lana Meyers—November 3, 2021
The media could not be loaded. I'm going to be completely honest, I didn't have high hopes for this keyboard when I first bought it but I was pleasantly surprised at the product when I received it! It comes with a decently sizeable USB-C to USB-A cable, a keycap puller, a switch puller, and a manual. The PCB on the board is hotswappable to fit any other switches of your preference so it's a great board to start on and upgrade later! The case and keycaps feel very solid and it isn't hollow or echoey at all. The keycaps are double shot and feel great to type on. The letters are very legible and are perfectly cut. I got the red switches and they sound great in this keyboard. The spacebar is very deep and "thoccy". The red switches have the perfect amount of spring tension for good response when gaming and typing. The RGB is controlled with the FN key and other keys labelled on the board. It has 14 different patterns that can be sped up, slowed, and you can change the colors. I'm very happy with the RGB on the white board as it looks very pretty in a dark setting and it impresses my friends. Overall I'd say it's an incredible value considering what other keyboards cost with RGB, hotswap sockets, choice of switch, and double shot keycaps! Definitely will recommend to anyone of my friends that are in the market for a keyboard! Read more
Omar Abdelmeguid—November 27, 2021
The media could not be loaded. Wow, Just WOW! This keyboard was excellent. I bought this on a whim, and I was confused. At an already low price, I wondered how good it could be. I mean, it promised hot-swap and a removable USB. So I decided to buy one and test it out. The initial sound of the board was not bad, much of what I would typically expect. The stabs were very GOOD stock. I mean, they didn't feel bad at all and had no rattle. That was an excellent surprise. The looks were all right as well, nothing to write home about, however. After hearing and feeling it, I decided to take it apart, which is when the fun started. The first thing I noticed when taking the board apart was how it offered a real hot swap. Usually, budget boards offer a hot-swap limited with the switch type. This board did not. I could switch in a more excellent pair of switches to see this board's real potential. Along the way, I noticed a daughterboard, which to me was another great surprise. This would mean I could potentially change up the mounting style and have more fun with modding it. After switching some things out, I was pretty excited about how it turned out. In the review, I added a good test of the after, and after listening to it, I can say I am pretty excited about the outcome. Read more
