Hardware CM Storm Trigger Z Review

It'll be good quality board, as CM boards tend to be and I don't think the branding is as big and brash as it used to be.

I do wish they'd change that god-awful legend font though - why go to all that trouble to create a new board and then beat it with an ugly stick by throwing those caps on it?

 

Agreed. I know its their image and all, but it'd be lovely to see CM boards offered without any logos and a classic font as an option.

 

I am using the Trigger Z for about three quarters of a year now following a recommendation by members of this very board, and couldn't be happier. It's the best keyboard I have owned so far.

 

It may be great but for me it certainly isn't a looker. It just seems to look somehow... clunky. I believe that every time I looked down upon that on my desk I would feel more than a little disappointed.

 

yay, yet another mechanical keyboard I'll tell you what is a brilliant gaming keyboard - the Cherry Strait, very silent, great build quality and the keys are super-stable and actuate like a boss.

 

Worst typography I've ever seen on the user interface. I never knew using every layer effect on really bad typefaces was a prerequisite to being a GUI designer.

 

Notwithstanding the aforementioned ugly stick issues, if I were looking for a new keyboard, with the brown switches that are my preference, I would certainly consider this one at this price. My Q-Pad MK-85 is not about to wear out soon though.

 

CM also make the Rapid-i, which is this, but TKL and not hideous. Well, the font still sucks, but keycaps are easily changed. Same/similar price.

Best thing about both of these boards from CM is the inexplicably rare standard layout they have. You can actually replace that spacebar, unlike the vast majority of 'gamer' oriented boards. Can't think of a cheaper new board to have a standard layout since the QFR. Still annoyed the stealth version of the QFR never made it over here...

Backlighting is great too, the matching plate makes for a great underglow effect,the kind of thing you only usually see on super-expensive custom boards with shiny stainless steel plates.

 

These keyboards are great. Though, while the layout is standard it has a funny space bar, which means it's not 100% compatible.

but the board is 100% programmable save buttons 1 - 5 which are used to change between the 5 presets, which is awesome. 5 whole keymaps. Which pretty much makes it the best full size keyboard you can get - get a ducky backlight set, use a bit of bluetac on the space bar, and you have a handsome powerful keyboard.

The PCB is also awesome, this and the CM MECH and the i-Rapid have undoubtebtly some of the nicest pcb's that you can get in a retail board, nice quality double sided pcb.

 

Sorry, I have to dissent. I have had the CmStorm trigger on my desk for a while now, and this suffers from exactly the same design flaw as the one reviewed - inconsistent legending. The top level numeric keys have the unshifted at the top and shifted below (so the numbers stay illuminated). But the lower keys (,./ etc) have the unshifted at the bottom and the shifted above like a normal keybaord, so the unshifted characters stay resolutely dark. This is a recipe for frequent typing mistakes, unless you're a fluent touch typist.

It's a terrible design flaw, made no better by the fact that it's Cherry's fault for a stupid key design. And I haven't even touched on how bad Cooler Master's software is. Or the lack of a Windows key out of the box. I'm still waiting for someone to make decent mechanical keybaord. Better yet, a mechanical ergo design that doesn't cost the same as a small planetoid.

 

Cherry didn't make the keys, they made the switches, and the switch design isn't the issue - it was designed to support an LED for the likes of windowed lock buttons, not fully illuminated boards with keys sporting multiple legends; although they do lend themselves to that reasonably well.

 

Truth. It's entitrely down the the fact that CM decided to put the legends where they did. The Ducky Shine I'm typing on does not exhibit this problem.

 

dae get annoyed with the f keys on this board? i have a quickfire that i had to demote by taking it to work and then bought a g910 for home. i was always distracted by the amount of light coming out of the f keys while doing anything in the dark. not to mention the amount of bleed from the bottom of the keys. much happier with my g board with zero light bleed.

 

The problem with that is you have to look at a G910. **shudders**

 

hehe, you obviously know of very few keyboards.

PS. you're wrong about CM software. the CM software for the TriggerZ is nice, fast, easy to use. Infact, infinitely easier than custom boards, which are pretty much the only other keyboards you can get that offer the same level of programmability.

 

I check every review, always on the lookout for a new keyboard...and cannot for the life of me find anything that makes me want to replace my trusty (and 9 year old) Raptor Gaming K1.

All I want is: USB pass-through, Cherry switches, no media/macro keys and something that'll last....

Any suggestions?

 

Have a look at the DAS Ultimate

 

i have a tk and the g910 is better.

 

I always did fancy one of those