By Meng Vang
Manufacturer: Fnatic PTY Ltd.
Product Name: miniSTREAK RGB Tenkeyless Mechanical Keyboard
Model Number: FG-KB-5060455782086
EAN: 5060455782086
Price As Tested: $99.99 (Best Buy)Full Disclosure: The product sample used in this article has been provided by Fnatic PTY Ltd.
The eSports team company, Fnatic PTY Ltd, have released a few new mice and keyboards to their product line. One of those products is the miniSTREAK RGB Tenkeyless mechanical keyboard with Cherry MX switches. It features full RGB illumination, onboard macro recording, competition mode, and the Fnatic OP software for further customization. It is also price competitive especially with the choice of genuine Cherry MX Red, Red Silent, Blue, and Brown switches. The company has sent Benchmark Reviews the miniSTREAK with Cherry MX Brown switches for this review.
- Delete all distractions and enable competition mode. With a dedicated key.
- Quickly control your music, videos and more with dedicated media keys.
- Simple lock mechanism to make your F keys default to their FN Key version.
- Detachable USB-C interface designed for convenience in portability.
- Not needing to install software to have full control over your keyboard, makes the most sense to us.
- Out of the box it defaults to F1 – F6, but with OP Software you can remap these to anything you want.
- Rubber rests, as well as large side flip-able feet, making sure STREAK only moves when you say so.
- Everything just works – no drivers need to be installed. Or you can power up your customization with Fnatic OP software.
Layout: US
Type: Mechanical
Switch type: Cherry MX-RGB-Brown
Lighting: Multi-Color (RGB), each button individually
Key Height: High
Key Shape: Concave
Block Number: N / A
Cursor Block: Standard
Control Keys: Standard
Enter: Shortened
Delete Key: Standard
Status Display: Caps lock, scroll lock
Palm Rest: Modular
Housing: Metal
Wired Connection: (1.8m), USB 2.0
Power: USB
Dimensions (WxHxD): 360x36x194.5mm
Weight: 704g
Special features: FN button, 4 multimedia keys, USB cable detachable (USB-C)
Warranty: 2 years
Cherry MX switches have been around for many years, so they had plenty of time to perfect these switches for long-term usage. I am very glad to see them on the miniSTREAK especially at this price range. We received the one with Cherry MX Brown switches, but the company does offer this keyboard with Cherry MX Red, MX Red Silent, and MX Blue variants.
When it comes to appearance, the miniSTREAK looks very simple and elegant with its sand-like metal plate and vibrant RGB lighting effects. The key cap fonts are very legible, and I think the company made the right choice of reversing some of the key switches to allow light to pass through the secondary key functions. The signature plate on the back is a nice touch, but not many people would notice it since it is not in the most visible area.
The Cherry MX Brown switches are very well built and have a 50 million click life cycle. This is pretty standard among mechanical gaming keyboards, so they should last until your next upgrade. The body construction is very solid with no flexing of the body thanks to the anodized aluminium and polycarbonate materials. Even though the keyboard weighs in at 704 grams, it should still maintain a good grip on the surface without moving around while gaming or typing.
Functionality wise, the miniSTREAK works well as a gaming keyboard. Depending on your switch preference, whether you prefer one switch over another, your gaming experience may be different. Most people prefer red switches as they are lighter and have a linear design. This makes them easier to press without causing fatigue to the fingers. I did not find any major bugs to the OP software, but I am looking forward to the completed version in the near future.
As of August 2018, the Fnatic miniSTREAK gaming keyboard with Cherry MX Brown Switches sells online for $99.99 (Best Buy). Like I mentioned earlier, this is a very affordable price considering the TKL design with RGB illumination and genuine Cherry MX switches. With that said, I would highly recommend the miniSTREAK for anyone in the market right now who is looking for an affordable Cherry MX based TKL gaming keyboard.
+ Good value
+ Great build quality
+ Genuine Cherry MX switches
+ Available in MX Red, Red Silent, Blue, and Brown switches
– Signature plate is not in the most visible area
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Performance: 9.75
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Appearance: 9.25
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Construction: 9.25
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Functionality: 9.00
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Value: 9.00
