By Austin Downing
Manufacturer: Cooler Master Co. Ltd.
Product Name: Quickfire Rapid Stealth
Model Number: SGK-4000-GKCL2
UPC: 884102020650
Price As Tested: $89.99 (Newegg|Amazon)
Full Disclosure: The product sample used in this article has been provided by Cooler Master.
Cooler Master has been building mechanical keyboards under its CM Storm line for the last couple of years. They started with the small Quickfire Rapid, and moved over time to larger designs, but Cooler Master’s newest design harkens back to the original Quickfire Rapid, bring improvements on its design and giving it sleek exterior with no markings on the tops of its keys. The question that Benchmark Reviews aims to answer though is whether Cooler Master improved enough to justify the extra cost or are users better off going with the original Quickfire Rapid.
Cooler Master brought out the Quickfire Stealth as a variation on its popular Quickfire Rapid mechanical keyboard series, without any markings on the top of its keys, and a repeat rate that can be altered as along as the Stealth is plugged in via PS/2. For users looking for a sleek simplistic look this may be the perfect keyboard, as it provides a great platform to type on and a look great on a desk.
As with any other peripheral it is important look at the Quickfire Stealth from a well-rounded standpoint, this means using it in a various situations including gaming, and from a typist standpoint.
- Mechanical CHERRY MX switches with a guaranteed lifespan of 50 million keystrokes
- Extremely compact size with standard arrow and command key blocks
- Stealthy rubber coated Keyboard body
- Covert keycaps – fonts printed on the keycap sides
- Integrated steel plate for maximum durability
- Command rate speed adjustments via key-combo (PS/2)
- Windows Keys can be disabled via key-combo
- Multimedia shortcut keys
- Removable braided USB cable with cable routing groves
| Model | SGK-4000-GKCL2 |
| Key Switch | CHEERY Blue |
| N Key Rollover | N key in PS/2 Mode |
| Repeat Rate | 4 levels (PS/2 mode only) |
| Interface | USB/PS2 |
| Extra Keys | 6 PCS |
| Keycap Puller | Yes |
| USB Cable | Removable |
| Dimensions | 355(L)x135(W)x35(H) mm 14(L)x5.3(W)x1.4(H) inch |
| Weight | 940 g / 2.1 lbs |
| Warranty | 2 Years |
A beautiful keyboard can be the centerpiece of an enthusiasts computer desk. The Cooler Master Quickfire Stealth will look great on a user’s desk and will easily blend in with many different desk configurations.
From this angle, you can see the Cooler Master has put the lettering on the side of the each key. This means that in a pinch, a non-touch typist can use this keyboard but they still might find it difficult to use. Cooler Master has included many secondary functions on its f-keys, F1-F4 control the repeat rate when using the included USB to PS/2 adapter, F5-F8 control media functions, and F10-F12 allow the user to control their systems volume. Cooler Master has setup the F9 key to allow an enthusiast to toggle their Windows Key on and off ensuring that a gamer does not accidently activate their Windows key while in game.
On the bottom we have the four rubber feet that help keep the Stealth from moving around, and for users who prefer their keyboards to be at a higher angle Cooler Master has included two risers that help give the Stealth some more height in the rear.
Like all of their designs, Cooler Master uses a Micro-USB port to connect the Stealth to braided cable that it exits the Stealth in one of three positions depending on how a user’s desk is configured. Because of the standard Micro-USB cable used, an enthusiast can also attach a shorter or longer cable depending on their needs, or replace a cable that may be damaged or lost.
This version of the Quickfire Stealth uses Cherry MX Blue switches. These are “soft” tactile switches which require 65g of force to activate, and that provide an audible click when they activate. They have a tactile force profile with an increase in force that can be felt right before they activate. For many typists this is the preferred style of key although the people around them may not appreciate the substantial noise that the Cherry MX Blue switch creates.
Testing peripherals like the Quickfire Stealth are quite simply a matter of using them in the real world for an extended amount of time. Unfortunately, due to the nature of the product they are no standardized test that can be done but rather it is a matter of personal opinion from the time spent using the product. In order to analyze the qualities of the Quickfire Stealth I focused on looking at the many different realms of work and play that the Quickfire Stealth is expected to be subjected to. This means looking at both its qualities as a gaming keyboard, but more importantly its qualities as a method of input for work related projects.
- Motherboard: MSI P67-GD65
- System Memory: G.Skill Ares 1866MHz 2 x 8GB kit
- Processor: Core i5 2500k 3.3GHz @ 4.7GHz
- Audio: Creative X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty
- Video: GTX 690
- Disk Drive 1: 240GB Mushkin Enhanced Chronos
- Optical Drive: DVD Drive
- Enclosure: Silverstone Raven RV02-EW
- PSU: Cooler Master SilentPro 1000w
- Monitor: Asus 27.5″ 1920 x 1200
- Operating System: Windows 8 x64 Profesional
- Torchlight 2
- Office work
Torchlight 2 is an action RPG requiring precise movement and quick reactions to overpower the hordes of enemies that want to kill you. Even though not ideal for gaming the Cherry MX Blue switches in the CM Storm Quickfire Stealth still performed much better than the rubber domed keyboard I was using before. I was able to efficiently, accurately hit the activation keys I needed, and the noise and bump provided by the blue switch let me know that my attack had been let loose upon the enemy before without even looking at my screen.
I setup the Quickfire Stealth as my primary keyboard at work in order to get a thorough idea of what it was like to use all day doing a variety of jobs. I found that as I wrote emails, scripts, and configured a multitude of devices, that the haptic and auditory feedback helped me type quickly and accurately. The small size of the Quickfire Stealth helped me recover some valuable desk space from my rather cramped desk. The clean design also looks great on my desk and looks professional unlike some of the “gamer” designs available from some others sources.
I will not lie; I was very excited about being able to review the Quickfire Stealth. I enjoy the small design of the ten keyless keyboards and since I am a touch typist, the lack of lettering let me have a beautiful keyboard that was sleek and minimalist. Even better since this was destined to become my primary work keyboard the I was glad to have the Cherry MX Blue switches which are wonderful to type on due to their auditory and haptic feedback. I cannot think of a single way in which I would improve the Quickfire Stealth. Cooler Master has produced superb keyboard that looks great, and is wonderful to type on.
Performance in a keyboard is about being able to type quickly and accurately, I found that with the Quickfire Stealth I was averaging around 76WPM with over 97% accuracy. This is a testament to how great the Cherry MX Blue switches are for typing.
The Quickfire Stealth with its blank keys, blank exterior, and matte black color, looks great. In my home and in my office I found that the Quickfire Stealth just fits in. I cannot think of a particular area where I could find the Quickfire Stealth not looking great.
With a two-year warranty Cooler Master stands behind the durability of its product, and after using the Quickfire Stealth I have no qualms that it will survive a very long time. With keys rated for 50 million keypresses and I would expect that the swichtes themselves will not die until well after this unit has been replaced. (If you pressed a single key 450 times a minute, 24 hours a day, that key would last on average a total of 77.16 days before it failed.)
Like much of the CM Storm line, the Quickfire Stealth is about providing a great keyboard for a reasonable price. It provides some niceties like media controls, but has no backlighting, and no advanced capabilities like some “gaming” keyboards may have. Overall, it is a great keyboard that does exactly what it is designed for and does it extremely well.
Available for $89.99 online (Newegg|Amazon), the Quickfire Stealth (model SGK-4000-GKCL2) is $10 more expensive than the standard Quickfire Rapid. For a keyboard as beautiful as the Quickfire Stealth, I feel the price is very reasonable.
I love the Quickfire Stealth, it may not have lots of the features of the larger “gaming” keyboards but it is a joy to type on, wonderful to look at, and has a great space saving design. Because of this, I am happy to recommend the CM Storm Quickfire Stealth and give it Benchmark Reviews Golden Tachometer award.
+ 2 year warranty
+ Switches rated for 50 million keypresses
+ Beautiful minimalist design
+ Blue switches are wonderful to type on
– No ten-key pad
– Blank keyboard may cause confusion for non-touch typists
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Performance: 9.50
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Appearance: 10.00
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Construction: 9.50
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Functionality: 8.50
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Value: 9.00
Excellence Achievement: Benchmark Reviews Golden Tachometer Award.
COMMENT QUESTION: What feature(s) do you demand from a keyboard?
