Qpad MK-90 review

Most gamers will tell you that mechanical key switches are a must when buying a gaming keyboard: they are more responsive, have a greater tactile feel and are more durable than cheaper membrane keyboards. Typically companies use key switches manufactured by Cherry for their mechanical boards, but QPad has opted to use Kailh switches for the MK-90 – specifically the MX Red versions.

These switches are linear, meaning there’s no loud click or bump when you press one down. It makes typing very smooth, and double-tapping keys is made slightly easier. Each switch only requires around 45-50cN of force to actuate too, meaning you don’t have to hit each key hard in order to register an input.

There’s virtually no difference between the Kailh and Cherry switches in terms of design or construction, and we certainly couldn’t spot any real differences between the MK-90 and a rival keyboard equipped with Cherrry Red MX keys. That means typing is fluid, with little noise to distract anyone else that might be in the room while you’re typing or gaming. Full N-Key rollover means every key press registers, even if you press multiple keys at once.

The MK-90 is refreshingly restrained for a gaming keyboard, with a fairly standard layout and no superfluous macro or multimedia keys. Instead, the Function keys double up as multimedia controls and profile toggles, using the Fn button in the bottom right. This is also how you control the RGB backlighting, which can be customised through QPad’s software suite.

Two USB ports and pass-through audio jacks on the back of the board are welcome inclusions, letting you hook up a headset or other peripherals without having to reach for your PC tower. It’s a shame the USB ports aren’t the faster USB3 versions though.

The optional wrist rest creates a comfortable typing position, and although it isn’t as padded as other gaming keyboards we’ve tried the soft-touch finish stops your palms getting sweaty and lets your hands glide over the keyboard. With the wrist rest in place, the MK-90 is still no larger than any other full-size gaming keyboard, meaning you should have no trouble fitting it on your desk.

At the time of writing the software suite was still in beta, with awkward fonts that made it difficult to read, but we were told an improved version is due shortly. All the features were present though, letting us experiment with the different lightning modes and the comprehensive macro editor. It’s very easy to set up complex combinations of keys, which should be great news for MMO gamers. You can set the keyboard to switch to a specific profile when launching a particular game or application too, so you don’t have to remember to enable your custom keys.

Beyond static lighting in any colour, you can set each key to illuminate as you type, trigger an explosion of lights emanating from each keypress, have the entire keyboard tray ‘breathe’ with fading light, illuminate in a random pattern or have a constant rainbow effect. You can also customise each key individually, if you have the time and patience. The key LEDs are easily bright enough to be seen in a brightly lit room, and the laser-etched key caps are all evenly lit, with no obvious gaps. You can dim them or disable them completely using the arrow keys in combination with the Fn key, and even with no light at all each key is perfectly legible.

It might not be overflowing with dedicated macro keys, and the lighting customisation might not be as comprehensive as Corsair’s K70 RGB, but the MK-90 is still a perfectly capable gaming keyboard. When the software suite gets an update we’ll revisit it to see if it’s any easier to customise the lighting effects, but right now it’s a tad clunky and there aren’t many user-created profiles doing the rounds online for anyone that can’t get the desired effect themselves. However, the price is right: at around £110, it’s cheaper than its RGB-backlit rivals and still has all the features we would expect from a top-end keyboard.