[section_title title=”Conclusion”]Conclusion
I would have liked to talk a fair bit more about the MSI GK601, but to be honest, I couldn’t really think about what more to say. It is pretty much just another mechanical keyboard, albeit styled more towards gaming than general use. It has the usual features, backlighting, Cherry MX red switches and WASD key caps, but overall I found the keyboard to be very underwhelming – but don’t take this as a negative point. It’s not often a new mechanical keyboard enters the market and just blows you away, and this is pretty much the case with the GK601. Sure it’s a good keyboard, it performs well, looks nice (although I personally think the bezel is too big), but it doesn’t have anything that makes it stand out from the crowd. It’s a safe bet for MSI, rather than throwing something new out there, they have opted to just release a mechanical keyboard that does what it says on the tin, but just look more interesting than the other options out there.
It’s not everyday a well established company takes a step in a new direction; sometimes it’s for good and sometimes it’s merely to test the water and see if they could make an impact on a usually crowded market. With the case of the GK601, I think it’s a great first step for MSI. It’s not excessively styled for gamers – in fact it’s a very basic design, with some premium features so think of it as a Ford Focus, with some racing stripes. The addition of a USB 2.0 hub I think it s a little outdated and unnecessary (USB 3.0 would have been better), but it’s a reasonable first attempt for MSI who are all about gaming.
At around £70, you get a fair bit of keyboard for your money, it has some premium features like backlighting and NKRO, even a nice quality braided cable. The GK601 is currently only available with Cherry MX red switches, which may be associated with gaming, switch type is very subjective, so it would have been good to see different flavours.
Overall I think it is a valiant first attempt for MSI. It’s a safe move, which if popular, could open up a whole new area for MSI, which hopefully brings along more much needed innovation. I think it’s safe to say that the GK601 will not be getting any awards, so think of this as a version 1, which could be a very decent keyboard with just a few minor touches (working software would be nice). It’s a reasonable price and has several premium features. Sure it may not look great to some, but to others it would make a great first mech.
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Performance
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Design
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Value
Summary
For a first attempt, the GK-601 is a keyboard that MSI can be proud of. They have ticked most of the boxes and brought a good overall package to the table, which if popular, could open up a lot of new doors for MSI. While the aesthetics may not be to everyones tastes, it will make a brilliant first time mechanical keyboard for people.
