MelGeek CYBER01 Magnetic Switch Rapid Trigger Gaming Keyboard (Hardware)
Official GBAtemp Review
Product Information:
- Official Store: https://www.melgeek.com/products/melgeek-cyber01
”Fuckin' magnets, how do they work?” It’s the immortal words sung by the Insane Clown Posse in their 2009 meme of a song, Miracles, that have stuck with the internet to this day. It’s a lyric that I don’t particularly spend much time paying heed to, but one that I couldn’t help but bring to mind with today’s subject for review; the MelGeek CYBER01, a magnetic switch gaming keyboard that touts a smooth, customizable, and superior experience to your standard mechanical keyboard. A new type of product for me, I quickly had to learn just how magnets work in this scenario, and as a result my Spotify algorithm thinks I’m an ICP superfan. Was this board worth that? Let’s dive in, and find out together.
Tech Specs
Out of the Box
Cracking the keyboard out of the box, the first thing I noticed was just how well packaged everything here is. The CYBER01 lives up to its namesake by going with a cyberpunk aesthetic across the entire keyboard, and this is kept going through the box as well; looking like a case built specifically around this aesthetic and keyboard, rather than just a package to hold a product. Once the keyboard was set up, I was immediately struck by just how cool the application of the aesthetic was; the default yellow-green lights really make the transparent keycaps pop, and match the printing on the keys perfectly. The designers clearly had a vision for this keyboard, and it’s absolutely shining here… especially with the specialty symbols put on specific keys, such as a biohazard for escape, the uploading bar for shifting, and a stylized caps lock and enter key.
Coming in so strong on the presentation, the CYBER01 has definitely made a quality first impression, but how does that translate to the actual build of the keyboard? The thing is definitely bulky, so those looking for a low profile may be disappointed (though I suspect someone in the market for a low profile keyboard was never going to get something this stylized, anyway). With that bulk comes plenty of heft, and a sturdy quality that helps me remain confident of the quality behind the board. The lack of a 10-key pad is noticeable, and in my instance, very missed, But it doesn’t feel any more cramped or condensed than any other keyboard that forgoes the extra numericals. Overall, a beautifully designed board that doesn’t skimp on the quality.
Keys, Magnets, and Fun
The primary “gimmick” of the CYBER01, as we’ve discussed previously, is the use of magnetic switches instead of your typical mechanical or membrane switches. This was my first time using a magnetic switch on a keyboard, so I definitely had a bit of a learning curve when first utilizing the keyboard. The magnetic switches have a much different feel to the loud and satisfying clickiness of their mechanical cousins; along with this, a much quieter experience when typing, but one that still feels satisfying in practice. Practically, this means a theoretically quicker time between keypresses, a longer lasting keyboard, and more customization options that your mechanical board may not be able to offer.
As, it seems, is becoming more common these days, MelGeek offers a proprietary software to make maximizing the customization of your keyboard the most convenient that it can be. Through MelGeek’s Hive software, you can do everything you’d expect when it comes to customizing your board; changing lighting and patterns, editing your layout, keeping your firmware up to date, and changing up your hotkeys. What comes specific to the magnetic switch keyboard is the tools to set your actuation point, key-by-key. You can choose any point between 0.1 and 4.0mm, though each key will default to a very reasonable, and standard, 1.5mm. The customization options are definitely nice to have, and while the software isn’t anything to brag about, it’s a very user friendly interface that gets you going in no time at all. On top of that, the ability to change actuation points gives this a proper “advantage” over your standard mechanical keyboard, at least in terms of features available.
So with all that in mind, only one question remains; how does the keyboard fare in practice? On the typing end of things, the Cyber01 offers one of the smoothest typing experiences I’ve had, with the minimal resistance from the magnetic switches keeping each keystroke fluidly in motion. Comparing typing times, I didn’t notice any real difference between time it took to type out on my mechanical keyboard vs this magnetic board, even when playing with different actuation points, but I can’t deny that everything did feel smoother. In this case it’s tough to say whether one is better than the other; they’re each different, and have their own advantages and disadvantages. On the gaming side of the spectrum, I can’t deny that the smoothness of transition between strokes definitely helped make gameplay feel much more fluid and immersive, especially in FPS games; this is where those adjustable actuation points really shine, allowing for a rapid trigger effect on keys without having to deal with the fixed actuation point of a mechanical board. While I’m not the most competitive gamer in the world, I can definitely see where this would be a valuable tool in that sphere; and even in a more casual environment, the board is still just a delight to use from start to finish.
Overall, it’s hard for me not to enjoy this keyboard; It takes a well built body with a winning aesthetic, adds a new and interesting (to me) flair to help it stand out, and manages to perform to standards without issue. Is it necessarily “better” than a mechanical keyboard? I don’t think so; at least not better than any that I’ve used. It’s just different, and offers a different experience and options. At $150, it’s definitely on the higher end of the price point when compared to the mechanical options. But in my opinion, the customizability, quality, and performance of the Cyber01 make it worth every penny.
Verdict
- High performance switches
- Easily customizable from lighting to actuation point
- Quality build
- Great aesthetic
- No 10-key
- Learning curve for different switch type
