Superb GMMK 3 Professional HE overview: The {custom} keyboard to rule all of them

The Superb GMMK 3 is the third iteration of the corporate’s keyboard lineup, and it replaces each the second-gen GMMK 2 and first-gen GMMK Professional with a single, unified design starting from entry-level wired, plastic choices to high-end aluminum and brass wi-fi models. This implies you may chop and alter nearly each facet of the board, from its case to its keycaps and most features in between. There are just a few limitations however, general, Superb can moderately declare that is probably the most customizable gaming keyboard round.

Vying for a spot on the perfect gaming keyboard lists of the world, the Superb GMMK 3 vary is offered in 100%, 75%, and 65% layouts in each Professional and non-Professional configurations, with wired and wi-fi choices accessible. Costs fluctuate significantly relying on dimension, and whether or not you go for an entry-level model or a totally custom-built unit with a steel body, wi-fi innards, and premium further choices. With costs beginning at simply $119.99, although, you can begin your journey into the GMMK3 ecosystem for a comparatively modest price.

Specs

Options

As an overarching vary, the headline options that the GMMK 3 and GMMK Professional help are: the usage of Cherry MX or Corridor Impact switches (with analog, Speedy Set off, and Snap Faucet equal modes), wired or wi-fi (with Bluetooth and wired) connections, plastic or steel casings, adjustable gasket mounts, and swappable swap plates. Plus, you may in fact swap the switches and keycaps.

This universality of design makes the Superb GMMK 3 lineup concurrently easy and fairly convoluted. That’s as a result of, whereas almost all features of the keyboard could be interchanged and upgraded, there are some laborious stops.

The primary of those stops, in fact, is the shape issue of every keyboard. Keycaps, switches, and gasket mount pads could be modified between the 65%, 75%, and 100% sizes, however the board’s structure constrains all the things else.

Past that, the following laborious cease is that you may’t improve a wired-only, GMMK 3 (non-Professional) unit to a wi-fi GMMK 3 Professional one. This can be a disgrace, because the non-Professional choice is what supplies the actually low entry value to the system, with the Professional choices instantly demanding over $100 extra. The improve scenario is similar the opposite means spherical however, on condition that the wi-fi models will also be wired, there needs to be no cause you’d need to downgrade.

One other no-go is upgrading from commonplace Cherry MX-type switches to Corridor Impact switches. The GMMK 3 HE fashions help Superb’ personal Corridor Impact switches, which then can present analog enter and the much-publicized quick repress and immediate counter-strafing capabilities (equivalent to Razer Snap Faucet) of different analog keyboards. You’ll be able to drop Cherry MX switches into the HE board (which is able to lose the analog perform), however you may’t drop HE switches into an ordinary non-HE board. You too can combine MX and HE switches in HE boards.

With all that out the way in which, we will look extra intently on the precise {hardware} choices themselves, probably the most visually hanging of which is the selection of circumstances. You’ll be able to go for a wide range of totally different coloured plastic circumstances, in addition to a variety of stable aluminum circumstances with anodized coloured finishes, such because the inexperienced colour of our overview unit. You’ll be able to fully chop and alter case tops and bottoms, mixing plastic and steel as you please.

Subsequent up is the selection of swap plate. That is the plate onto which the switches are mounted, with the switches then connecting electronically to the PCB under this part. The swap plate is the half that’s seen beneath your keycaps, so it contributes quite a bit to the look. Plus, given the wide range of construct supplies, it might additionally contribute quite a bit to the load and really feel of the keyboard. Choices embody plastic, brass (as used right here), and carbon fiber.

Subsequent on the choices record is your alternative of swap, with Superb providing eight totally different Cherry MX-style switches and 6 totally different HE-type switches. You too can drop in any of your most well-liked MX-style switches for those who select to purchase a barebones unit of the GMMK 3, or for those who fancy a change from the preliminary ones you got.

Keycaps come subsequent, and Superb presents a variety in a enjoyable collection of colours, plus you may, in fact, match any of the 1000’s of other Cherry MX cross-compatible keycaps accessible elsewhere. Superb’ most important choice features a handful of stable colour caps, a handful of gradient colours equivalent to our overview board, a translucent rainbow set, and black caps with RGB shine-through legends, together with some limited-edition choices. Most of them don’t provide shine-through legends.

The ultimate two little prospers are the rotary encoder knob, which is offered in brass, aluminum, and numerous shades of anodized aluminum. Plus there are the little badges, that are magnetically hooked up little tabs with clear home windows to point out the RGB indicator under.

We’re almost there… The ultimate few bits to decide on are the coiled cable colour (or you may keep on with the usual non-coiled black cable) and gasket mounts. The latter are small sections of silicone or a silicone-and-PORON combine, that are used to mount the swap plate to the case. These present a little bit little bit of cushioning for the plate, and relying on whether or not you select the pure silicone (tougher) or PORON combine (softer), you may fluctuate the give of the board once you kind.

Exterior all these variations, the board presents little in the way in which of true further options, aside from the Corridor Impact analog gaming options. You’ll be able to, in fact, customise all the important thing capabilities in software program, however there aren’t any bodily further gaming keys, no USB hub, and no further screens or buttons.

Design

Magnificence is in fact within the eye of the beholder however there’s a robust case to be made that the GMMK 3 is among the finest-looking keyboards accessible. It follows in a well-established custom – notably within the 75% type issue of our overview pattern – with the likes of the Monsgeek M1W and Drop CSTM80 arguably being even sharper in their designs, however that is nonetheless a great-looking board.

Crucially, our statement isn’t simply primarily based on the inexperienced and gold/brass combo right here. You’ll be able to fully swap up the appears to be like nevertheless you want, going for a slick black and purple scheme, making an all-aluminum and silver board, or simply mixing up all kinds of colours for a glance that actually matches the respiration rainbow results you may assign to the RGB backlighting. We noticed and skilled a bunch of various combos on the launch occasion for the keyboard, and there have been masses that actually caught our eye, together with the purple and silver choices with white keys under.

The place this lineup is barely much less spectacular is within the look and construct of the entry-level model of the board, which is the black model proven on the prime of the web page and under. It appears to be like okay from the highest, and the orange beneath is enjoyable sufficient, however the plastic does really feel a bit too versatile for our liking. All it could take to stiffen up this design significantly is the addition of a swap plate materials that’s extra inflexible, equivalent to brass or carbon fiber, or upgrading to a minimum of an aluminum backside case, however these instantly bump up the worth fairly a bit.

You should purchase the GMMK 3 in a wide range of commonplace configurations, or totally customise your unit utilizing the corporate’s Boardsmith utility on its web site. You’ll be able to experiment to your coronary heart’s content material with colour combos to search out simply the look you need, however for those who don’t fairly get it proper, you may at all times simply swap different elements later.

One issue to notice is that, for those who do go for the aluminum case and a weighty swap plate materials equivalent to brass, these boards do find yourself being fairly heavy and thus tough to select up – this board weighs 2,042g or 4.5lbs. That’s nice for stability, however not probably the most handy for those who’re repeatedly swapping boards round or shifting your keyboard out of the way in which for different desk actions, particularly as the perimeters of this design are fairly clean – it’s much more tough to select up than the Monsgeek M1W.

Upgradability

As for the upgrading course of, we have been hoping to obtain a baseline plastic model of the keyboard, together with our {custom} one, to experiment with swapping round elements, however this sadly didn’t flip up on time. Nevertheless, we nonetheless dismantled our overview unit considerably, and the method of doing that is as simple as you’d hope for a keyboard that places a lot emphasis on customization.

On the underside of the board are 4 rubber toes, which simply pull out of their holes to disclose 4 screws (notably, there aren’t any adjustable toes for peak/angle adjustment). Undo these screws and the case comes aside, with the highest part simply lifting off cleanly. From right here on, it’s a must to be a bit cautious in regards to the wiring of the board’s PCB resulting in the USB socket on the again edge.

You’ll be able to carry up the PCB to entry the gasket mounts (the black and yellow items spherical the sides) and swap out the froth for sound-deadening materials, however something past that is a little more concerned. In truth, you’ll in all probability need to use the included keycap and swap removing instruments to drag out all these options earlier than dismantling the case, because the case acts as a help, in opposition to which the entire meeting pulls.

Finally, a full customization job of swapping the swap plate particularly is just not for the faint-hearted and undoubtedly veers into fanatic/tinkerer territory, however Superb has made it about as simple as potential.

Efficiency

The general really feel of your GMMK 3 of alternative will fluctuate massively relying on, primarily, the switches you’ve chosen, but in addition the gasket materials, the sound deadening system, the case materials, and even the shape issue – the 65% plastic board is barely stiffer than the full-size plastic board, as an illustration.

For our overview pattern, which makes use of an aluminum case, brass plate, and Fox HE linear switches (described as having a clean, linear really feel and creamy sound), the general key really feel could be very mild and clean, with the pre-lubed switches gliding effortlessly. The heavy body and sound deadening additionally make for one of many quietest boards I’ve ever examined, measuring solely round 48dB when measured from 20cm above the board.

As such, with the decent-quality PBT keycaps and their pretty commonplace profile, the typing expertise of this board is great. I typically desire a tactile really feel for typing, however this board did an honest job of convincing me of the deserves of lighter-feeling linear switches.

As for gaming, the general effectiveness of the GMMK 3 will once more be affected by your alternative of swap, each by way of its really feel and by way of whether or not you go for Corridor Impact switches or not. With commonplace switches, you get a “commonplace” gaming expertise, by way of there being no main further options to talk of – exterior the power to program macros and different key responses through Superb’ Core software program.

Nevertheless, with HE switches, you may unlock the power to arrange the keys to offer an analog response, which could be helpful for video games equivalent to racing and flight sims, the place a clean response is required. You too can regulate the actuation level per key and allow a Speedy Set off mode, so you may re-press a key sooner than with regular switches.

Worth

Pricing for the Superb GMMK 3 begins at simply $119.99 for the 65%, plastic, non-Professional model, rising to $139.99 for the full-size model of this mannequin. HE variations then begin at $189.99 whereas the Professional fashions begin at $239.99 and the vary tops out at $369.99 for a 75% Professional HE mannequin, though even that’s earlier than including premium extras equivalent to a brass swap plate.

Our overview mannequin got here to a complete value of $493.99, making it clearly a really costly keyboard. For comparability, the equally aluminum-built Monsgeek M1W prices lower than a 3rd of the worth, and loads of different pretty high-end gaming keyboards value lower than half. Nevertheless, to all intents and functions, it is a {custom} keyboard, constructed to order in Superb’ Texas manufacturing facility, and this value isn’t so dangerous once you examine it to particular person {custom} keyboard builders that may generally cost 1000’s of {dollars}. In the meantime, a equally specced Drop CSTM80 with an additional brass swap plate, steel case cowl, and selection of keycaps prices $351, and that’s not a custom-built unit.

It’s only a disgrace that choosing the really entry-level variations of the GMMK 3 don’t permit a full improve path, as with the ability to spend $120 now, then steadily improve as you go alongside could be an effective way to unfold the fee and get a really feel for the route you would possibly need to take with future upgrades.

Verdict

The Superb GMMK 3 is a really particular gaming keyboard that mixes an unimaginable quantity of customization choices with the power to start out your {custom} keyboard journey with an off-the-shelf choice. There merely aren’t some other keyboards that may fairly provide that very same mixture.

What’s extra, it’s a great-looking keyboard, with excellent construct high quality and choices to tailor it to go well with nearly any type alternative. Gaming and typing efficiency can also be wonderful and could be tuned to your preferences.

The place the scenario will get a little bit difficult is with the excessive value of going straight for a custom-built keyboard and the complication of what upgrades you may and may’t apply to totally different boards. Sure, you should purchase a board for as little as $120 and improve it, however you may solely improve a lot.

Alternate options

Monsgeek M1W SP

In the event you’re searching for a really related type of board with a heavy obligation aluminum construct, like our {custom} overview unit, the Monsgeek M1W SP is a good choice. It appears to be like wonderful – arguably even sharper than the GMMK3 – and is constructed like a tank. It’s additionally wi-fi, although it doesn’t provide HE swap choices, though that’s truthful when it solely prices $130.

Drop CSTM80

One other very similar-looking board to this 75% GMMK3 is the Drop CSTM80, which can also be a customizable mannequin. For a $149 beginning value, you may add new swap plates, case covers, base weight plates, and naturally swap switches and keycaps. Nevertheless, it doesn’t provide HE switches and is wired solely.