Mechanical Keyboard Final Thoughts

This keyboard will be replacing my good ol’ Hermes P1 I have been using for more than a year. That says a lot… but in more detail, I enjoy these low-profile mechanical blue switches as they enhance the typing and gaming experience. The Hermes M3 is small, compact, and durable at the same time. With that, the keyboard stores all your lighting profiles in its memory, meaning the software does not have to run to get your lighting animations working. At least for me, this is a huge bonus and one of the main reasons why I stuck with Gamdias products. The lighting is very bright with nearly spot on accuracy, and the low-profile switches are something I hope to see more of in the future.

Gamdias Hermes M3 RGB Conclusion

The low-profile key switches perform very well. Although these switches have been introduced in other keyboards before, there is not much information on how long they will last in the real world. These switches have a 60 million keystroke life cycle, so I hope to see them last a good long while. But just talking about how they work, they feel very responsive, very tactile, and are fun to type and game on especially for their low-profile design and short travel distance.

In terms of appearance, I have no major complaints. The keyboard looks great with its aluminum back plating, and the RGB color accuracy is nearly sport on. It does have a silver, chrome-like design that goes around the perimeter, which does give it a premium look. I am also happy to see the simple and legible key fonts on the key caps, similar to what is on the Hermes RGB and Hermes P2 mechanical keyboards.

With the aluminum back plating, this gives the Hermes M3 a very solid backbone. The only real concern is how the key caps mount onto the key switches. The small plastic hooks look very delicate, which makes them hard to remove without breaking something. Now because these switches and key caps do not share the same stem as a standard Cherry switch, finding a replacement part may be difficult.

As for functionality, the Hermes M3 works great as a gaming keyboard and a normal desktop keyboard. Of course with the absence of the number pad, you lose those extra keys to make more space for something like a mouse. The Hera software works well and applies the changes on-the-fly. Because the lighting effects, macro functions, and profiles do not depend on the software, the keyboard keeps all that information making it suitable for a gaming keyboard to take to LAN.

As of November 2017, the Gamdias Hermes M3 RGB Low-Profile gaming keyboard is available online for $139.99 (Newegg). This is a pretty steep asking price, but with its low-profile design and functionality, it does make more sense. Personally, I would like to see some more budget oriented products from Gamdias, as a keyboard in this price category may not get very much attention from people on tighter budgets. But if you have a few extra bucks to spend and want the first 87-key low-profile RGB keyboard, the Hermes M3 is the keyboard for you.

Pros:

+ Great build quality
+ Great RGB color accuracy
+ Simple and elegant design
+ Low-profile mechanical keys
+ Macro and lighting effects are stored on the keyboard

Cons:

– Key caps may break if not removed correctly
– Key caps/switches may be hard to find and replace if they do break

Ratings:

• Performance: 9.00
• Appearance: 9.50
• Construction: 9.00
• Functionality: 9.00
• Value: 8.50

Final Score: 9.00 out of 10.0.

Quality Recognition: Benchmark Reviews Golden Tachometer Award.