CM Storm Quick Fire XTi Review
Category : Keyboards
Published by Luca Rocchi on 19.10.15
With the XTi, CM Storm adds yet another new gaming keyboard to their Quick Fire series. There is a standard layout and the keyboard comes with plain and simple looks. Since it is a product for gamers, the Quick Fire XTi features a backlight and apart from that you can buy it with different CherryMX mechanical switches.
On the following pages we're going to have a closer look at the CM Quick Fire XTi, which appears to be an interesting high-end mechanical keyboard.
| Page 1 - Introduction |
| Page 2 - Preview |
| Page 3 - Features |
| Page 4 - Closer look |
| Page 5 - Conclusion |
Preview
Delivery
Inside the box we find a manual, a keycap puller tool and the keyboard itself. Everything is well protected so nothing will be damaged during shipping.
| Page 1 - Introduction |
| Page 2 - Preview |
| Page 3 - Features |
| Page 4 - Closer look |
| Page 5 - Conclusion |
Features
| Model number | SGK-4060-KKCL1 (Blue switch) SGK-4060-KKCM1 (Brown switch) SGK-4060-KKCR1 (Red switch) |
| Keys | Cherry MX Brown |
| Keycaps | ABS, grip coated |
| Materials | ABS |
| Interface | USB 2.0 |
| Cable | 1.8 m |
| Dimensions | 440 mm x 130 mm x 41 mm |
| Weight | 1.14 Kg |
| Page 1 - Introduction |
| Page 2 - Preview |
| Page 3 - Features |
| Page 4 - Closer look |
| Page 5 - Conclusion |
Closer Look
With the Quick Fire XTi, CM Storm has created a gaming keyboard with standard layout. The advantage of this layout is that the keyboard features a normal size without extra macro keys or multimedia buttons and it does not take as much space on the desk as other high-end keyboard do. This is quite important and especially during LAN parties where it can be an advantage, since it is quite often the case that there is not enough space.
The Quick Fire XTi is a mechanical keyboard and it is available on the market with CherryMX Brown, Red and Blue switches. Our sample is based on CherryMX Brown switches which provide really good tactile feedback. The main feature of the Quick Fire XTi is its backlight. Unlike other models, the backlight on this keyboard is a mixable dual color blue and red LED. This way you can create up to 35 different colors per key which can be changed and customized on-board without any software. There are also different modes avaible if you want to have special effects like wave, breathing or responsiveness.
Back
If you lift up and rotate the CM Quick Fire XTi you will understand how robust this thing actually is. The build quality is on an extraordinarily high level. Even the hardcore gamer (famous for destroying one keyboard after another) will enjoy this this particular model for a long time. Regarding connectivity, Cooler Master decided to use a black USB 2.0 cable, removable and sleeved.
| Page 1 - Introduction |
| Page 2 - Preview |
| Page 3 - Features |
| Page 4 - Closer look |
| Page 5 - Conclusion |
Conclusion
| General | + | - | |
| Despite its compact dimensions and the lack of special features like macro keys, this is a well-designed and ergonomic keyboard. The coating on the individual keycaps is great and the CherryMX switches provide precise tactile feedback. We particularly enjoyed the presence of a keypuller inside the box. Despite being a rather basic and cheap piece of accessory it is a great help if you want to remove the individual keycaps. |
- Weight
- Bundle |
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| Manufacturing quality / Ergonomics | + | - | |
| From the ergonomics point of view, the keyboard is comfortable to use, but a wrist rest would be appreciated. The Quick Fire XTi gaming keyboard has a standard size and it is ideal for all those gamers who frequently visit LAN parties or do not wish the keyboard to take up to much space on their desk. Despite the fact that this is a gaming keyboard, the Quick Fire XTi doesn't offer any special button or macro keys, there are only a few buttons with two functions. The build quality and the materials used is simply excellent. Last but not least, we really like the grip and the coating of the individual keycaps. The design is a subjective aspect, but we think that the mixable dual color blue and red LED backlighting is an interesting choice since you can change the colors on the fly without any extra software. The backlight is clear and you can choose from different modes without and trouble. |
- Build quality
- Backlight - Switches |
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| Recommendation / Price | + | - | |
| The starting price of the Quick Fire XTi on Geizhals is about 145 euro excluding shipping costs. In terms of value, the keyboard is certainly a very good product with attractive features and mechanical switches but the price, however, is definitely steep. | - Price | ||
| Rating | |||
| We gave the Quick Fire XTi from CM Storm 4 out of 5 stars. | |||
| Page 1 - Introduction |
| Page 2 - Preview |
| Page 3 - Features |
| Page 4 - Closer look |
| Page 5 - Conclusion |