iBuyPower is mostly known for its pre-built systems and is one of the most popular system integrators in the world. The company has recently started diving into peripherals as well, and has a couple of gaming peripherals in its arsenal, including mice and keyboards, officially announcing its entry into the peripheral market.
However, there are currently three keyboards available on the official iBuyPower store: MEK 4, MK9 RGB, and the MK9 Pro RGB. The MK9 Pro RGB is its latest offering, delivering a 96% form-factor and positioned in the budget segment. I have been using it for a couple of days, and since you might be wondering how the iBuyPower's offering does for its price point, you will find the answer here.
Box Contents
The box includes the MK9 Pro RGB keyboard, a USB-C to USB-A cable, a metal keycap puller, and a user manual. You won't receive any additional keycaps or switches, but the MK9 Pro RGB does offer Hot-Swappable functionality. It would have been wonderful if the company also offered a few additional switches or at least some key caps for swapping, something you get with a lot of budget mechanical keyboards.
Technical Specifications
- Key Switches: Linear Switches
- Hot-Swappable: Yes
- Color: Black
- Software: HYTE Nexus Software
- Keyboard Backlighting: Per-Key RGB
- Keyboard Connectivity: Wired
- Keyboard Weight: 0.76 kg
- Cable Type: Detachable USB-C Cable
- Size: 96%, 98 Keys
- Dimensions: 392mm x 145mm x 38mm
Connectivity and Build Quality
The MK9 Pro RGB only supports wired connectivity, and unfortunately, you won't have either 2.4 GHz or Bluetooth modes for wireless connections. I think that's not a big problem, but many manufacturers have transitioned to tri-mode connectivity on budget and mid-range keyboards. So, wireless connectivity is something that's handy, but I wouldn't necessarily consider only one type of connectivity as a con.
The cable is detachable and offers a USB Type-C to Type-A connectivity. The cable isn't braided, making it prone to wear and tear. Now, as far as the build quality is concerned, I don't think it's the best in the budget segment, but it's satisfactory. The upper chassis is made of translucent plastic (polycarbonate), which is slightly flexible, which is why when I pressed the keys a bit harder, the frame flexed. This chassis or frame is mounted on a rigid plastic frame, and the different material for the top frame is likely for aesthetics.
iBuyPower didn't mention the type of keycaps it used, but they just confirmed that these are doubleshot ABS. So, we don't have that premium PBT build quality for the keycaps, which would have made a big difference. The keycaps still feel decent and don't wobble. MK9 Pro RGB currently offers only linear switches, but these are hot swappable and will allow you to swap them with your favorite switches.
The MK9 Pro RGB offers dual adjustable kickstands underneath, allowing you to have two different height levels for better ergonomics. This provides an additional ~1 cm of height adjustment, letting you set a steeper typing angle for work or gaming.
Layout and Performance
The MK9 Pro RGB offers a 96% layout that provides you with 98 keys. This form-factor basically skips the Navigation section and distributes those keys to different sections. You will find the Ins, PgUp, and PgDn keys on top of the numpad, and the Home, End, and PrtSc keys are added to a second/third layer of the "P", "[/{", and ";/:" keys.
You get a full numpad, arrow keys, a full Function row on the top, and a dedicated Volume Knob on the top-right. With the Volume Knob, you can increase or decrease the volume, and with a single press, you can mute or unmute your audio device. The volume knob isn't very smooth, but maybe I am having too many expectations from a $59 keyboard after having used the Lemokey L5 HE 8K keyboard for months.
As far as the performance goes, the MK9 Pro RGB lives up to expectations. It offers a silent experience, and the key presses are really smooth. As I mentioned earlier, the keys don't wobble much, and switches don't require a lot of force for actuation. To me and for most, performance matters the most, and I am going to choose a smoother typing experience over fancy functionalities any day.
I also liked how keys don't actuate from accidental wiggling, while still offering a short actuation point, allowing you to register your inputs as quickly as possible, making it perfect for fast-paced gaming. Basically, it's ideal for both gaming and general productivity workloads, particularly for the latter since it already offers a full numpad, an additional layer for multimedia functions in the Function row, and a volume knob as stated previously.
Customizability
The MK9 Pro RGB offers hot swappability, as I talked earlier, and apart from that, you can customize the RGB lighting effects on it. There are two ways to do it: key combination on the keyboard itself and through HYTE Nexus software. Unfortunately, for me, the latter didn't work for some unknown reason, but I am not a big fan of RGB. I do like it, but even some basic lighting modes are sufficient for me.
By pressing the FN+Alt on the keyboard, I could cycle through various lighting modes, and the arrow keys helped change the speed and brightness of the lighting. As you can see, the lighting is adequately bright, and you can finally see how the translucent chassis plays a good role in improving its aesthetics.
The Verdict
The MK9 Pro RGB keyboard feels satisfactory in most areas. The typing experience is particularly outstanding, but given its price tag of $59, it's not necessarily the best option out there. MK9 Pro RGB is surely a good start by iBuyPower, and I think with more launches, the company will soon up its game in the peripherals as well. Right now, MK9 Pro RGB appears decent for its price point, but lackluster software support, fewer customizations, and average build quality are some areas where the keyboard appears to lag behind its competitors.
However, these aren't really major cons, and for $59, there aren't many 96% form-factor keyboards that offer everything right from the start. MK9 Pro RGB may not be the perfect keyboard you are looking for, but it's up to the mark, ideal for both gaming and work on a budget.
Check out the iBuyPower MK9 Pro RGB keyboard on the official website.
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