MSI GK-701 Keyboard Review

MSI GK-701

MSI usually works with SteelSeries when it comes to their gaming-peripherals, but the GK-701marks the beginning of their own line of gaming-products. The keyboard stands out because of its matte finish using materials that we would call softouch plastic. The red dragon of the brand shows that this is a gaming keyboard, but aside from that it looks like a regular keyboard. Not necessarily a drawback.

This model uses the brown Cherry MX switches which makes for a pleasant typing experience. We did not notice any metallic sounds coming from the springs. The larger-than-usual front of the keyboard does not really add anything, we would have preferred to see a wrist rest, but it is more comfortable than having nothing at all. The Gk-701 has media keys as secondary functions of some of the function keys, but no other special functions are included. The red lighting can be set to three different levels, and with the mode-key you can change between three different lighting schemes. A gaming-key is present in order to disable the Windows-key and the GK-701 supports N-key rollover. In short: the fundamentals are there.

MSI’s asking price for this keyboard is 135 dollars which is not that expensive. Even so, it is difficult to recommend this keyboard because if you invest a bit more you can buy a model with a lot more functionality. If the price would be around 110 dollars this keyboard would be an excellent choice.