Our Verdict
Customizable from an entry degree all-plastic, wired possibility, all the way in which as much as a metal-bodied, wi-fi unit, the Superb GMMK 3 is meant to be the one keyboard to rule all of them, with a complete of over a billion customization choices. It largely delivers on its promise. Nonetheless, the entry degree plastic model is a bit flimsy, and the very best finish variations get a bit expensive. In between is a wealth of incredible tinkering enjoyable, with essential gaming options reminiscent of analog-capable Corridor Impact switches and extra.
- Close to endlessly customizable
- Implausible construct high quality and design
- Low value of entry
- Analog-capable because of Corridor Impact switches
- Full {custom} items are costly
- Entry-level plastic possibility is flimsy
- Cable is nearly too chunky
- Cannot improve wired model to wi-fi
The Superb GMMK 3 is the third iteration of the corporate’s keyboard lineup, and it replaces each the second-gen GMMK 2 and first-gen GMMK Professional with a single, unified design starting from entry-level wired, plastic choices to high-end aluminum and brass wi-fi items. This implies you’ll be able to chop and alter virtually each side of the board, from its case to its keycaps and most facets in between. There are a number of limitations however, general, Superb can moderately declare that is essentially the most customizable gaming keyboard round.
Vying for a spot on the most effective gaming keyboard lists of the world, the Superb GMMK 3 vary is offered in 100%, 75%, and 65% layouts in each Professional and non-Professional configurations, with wired and wi-fi choices accessible. Costs differ significantly relying on measurement, and whether or not you go for an entry-level model or a totally custom-built unit with a steel body, wi-fi innards, and premium further choices. With costs beginning at simply $119.99, although, you can begin your journey into the GMMK3 ecosystem for a comparatively modest price.
Specs
Dimensions (mm) | 333 x 146 x 32.6 (W x D x H) |
Weight | Assorted, 2042g (overview pattern) |
Format | 65%, 75%, 100% |
Connection | USB-C or USB-C with 2.4GHz wi-fi and Bluetooth 5 |
Change sort | Cherry MX sort or Superb Corridor Impact sort |
Change life | Not acknowledged |
Backlighting | Sure |
Extras | Keycap puller, key swap puller, USB-A to USB-C cable, spare keycaps |
Options
As an overarching vary, the headline options that the GMMK 3 and GMMK Professional assist are: the usage of Cherry MX or Corridor Impact switches (with analog, Fast Set off, and Snap Faucet equal modes), wired or wi-fi (with Bluetooth and wired) connections, plastic or steel casings, adjustable gasket mounts, and swappable swap plates. Plus, you’ll be able to after all swap the switches and keycaps.
This universality of design makes the Superb GMMK 3 lineup concurrently easy and fairly convoluted. That’s as a result of, whereas almost all facets of the keyboard will be interchanged and upgraded, there are some onerous stops.
The primary of those stops, after all, is the shape issue of every keyboard. Keycaps, switches, and gasket mount pads will be modified between the 65%, 75%, and 100% sizes, however the board’s structure constrains every thing else.
Past that, the following onerous cease is you can’t improve a wired-only, GMMK 3 (non-Professional) unit to a wi-fi GMMK 3 Professional one. This can be a disgrace, because the non-Professional possibility is what gives the actually low entry value to the system, with the Professional choices instantly demanding over $100 extra. The improve scenario is similar the opposite means spherical however, on condition that the wi-fi items will also be wired, there needs to be no purpose you’d wish to downgrade.
One other no-go is upgrading from customary Cherry MX-type switches to Corridor Impact switches. The GMMK 3 HE fashions assist Superb’ personal Corridor Impact switches, which then can present analog enter and the much-publicized quick repress and on the spot counter-strafing features (reminiscent of Razer Snap Faucet) of different analog keyboards. You may drop Cherry MX switches into the HE board (which can lose the analog perform), however you’ll be able to’t drop HE switches into a normal non-HE board. You may as well combine MX and HE switches in HE boards.
With all that out the way in which, we will look extra carefully on the precise {hardware} choices themselves, essentially the most visually placing of which is the selection of circumstances. You may go for a wide range of totally different coloured plastic circumstances, in addition to a spread of strong aluminum circumstances with anodized coloured finishes, such because the inexperienced shade of our overview unit. You may utterly chop and alter case tops and bottoms, mixing plastic and steel as you please.
Subsequent up is the selection of swap plate. That is the plate onto which the switches are mounted, with the switches then connecting electronically to the PCB under this part. The swap plate is the half that’s seen beneath your keycaps, so it contributes so much to the look. Plus, given the big variety of construct supplies, it might probably additionally contribute so much to the burden and really feel of the keyboard. Choices embrace plastic, brass (as used right here), and carbon fiber.
Subsequent on the choices checklist is your alternative of swap, with Superb providing eight totally different Cherry MX-style switches and 6 totally different HE-type switches. You may as well drop in any of your most popular MX-style switches in case you select to purchase a barebones unit of the GMMK 3, or in case you fancy a change from the preliminary ones you purchased.
Keycaps come subsequent, and Superb gives a variety in a enjoyable number of colours, plus you’ll be able to, after all, match any of the 1000’s of different Cherry MX cross-compatible keycaps accessible elsewhere. Superb’ most important choice features a handful of strong shade caps, a handful of gradient colours reminiscent of our overview board, a translucent rainbow set, and black caps with RGB shine-through legends, together with some limited-edition choices. Most of them don’t supply shine-through legends.
The ultimate two little prospers are the rotary encoder knob, which is offered in brass, aluminum, and numerous shades of anodized aluminum. Plus there are the little badges, that are magnetically hooked up little tabs with clear home windows to indicate the RGB indicator under.
We’re almost there… The ultimate few bits to decide on are the coiled cable shade (or you’ll be able to persist with the usual non-coiled black cable) and gasket mounts. The latter are small sections of silicone or a silicone-and-PORON combine, that are used to mount the swap plate to the case. These present slightly little bit of cushioning for the plate, and relying on whether or not you select the pure silicone (tougher) or PORON combine (softer), you’ll be able to differ the give of the board while you sort.
Exterior all these variations, the board gives little in the way in which of true further options, apart from the Corridor Impact analog gaming options. You may, after all, customise all the important thing features in software program, however there are not any bodily further gaming keys, no USB hub, and no further screens or buttons.
Design
Magnificence is after all within the eye of the beholder however there’s a robust case to be made that the GMMK 3 is without doubt one of the finest-looking keyboards accessible. It follows in a well-established custom – significantly within the 75% type issue of our overview pattern – with the likes of the Monsgeek M1W and Drop CSTM80 arguably being even sharper in their designs, however that is nonetheless a great-looking board.
Crucially, our commentary isn’t simply based mostly on the inexperienced and gold/brass combo right here. You may utterly swap up the appears nonetheless you want, going for a slick black and crimson scheme, making an all-aluminum and silver board, or simply mixing up all kinds of colours for a glance that really matches the respiratory rainbow results you’ll be able to assign to the RGB backlighting. We noticed and skilled a number of various mixtures on the launch occasion for the keyboard, and there have been hundreds that actually caught our eye, together with the crimson and silver choices with white keys under.
The place this lineup is barely much less spectacular is within the look and construct of the entry-level model of the board, which is the black model proven on the prime of the web page and under. It appears okay from the highest, and the orange beneath is enjoyable sufficient, however the plastic does really feel a bit too versatile for our liking. All it could take to stiffen up this design significantly is the addition of a swap plate materials that’s extra inflexible, reminiscent of brass or carbon fiber, or upgrading to a minimum of an aluminum backside case, however these instantly bump up the worth fairly a bit.
You should purchase the GMMK 3 in a wide range of customary configurations, or absolutely customise your unit utilizing the corporate’s Boardsmith utility on its web site. You may experiment to your coronary heart’s content material with shade mixtures to search out simply the look you need, however in case you don’t fairly get it proper, you’ll be able to all the time simply swap different components later.
One issue to notice is that, in case you do go for the aluminum case and a weighty swap plate materials reminiscent of brass, these boards do find yourself being fairly heavy and thus troublesome to choose up – this board weighs 2,042g or 4.5lbs. That’s nice for stability, however not essentially the most handy in case you’re usually swapping boards round or transferring your keyboard out of the way in which for different desk actions, particularly as the perimeters of this design are fairly clean – it’s much more troublesome to choose up than the Monsgeek M1W.
Upgradability
As for the upgrading course of, we had been hoping to obtain a baseline plastic model of the keyboard, together with our {custom} one, to experiment with swapping round components, however this sadly didn’t flip up on time. Nonetheless, we nonetheless dismantled our overview unit considerably, and the method of doing that is as simple as you’d hope for a keyboard that places a lot emphasis on customization.
On the underside of the board are 4 rubber toes, which simply pull out of their holes to disclose 4 screws (notably, there are not any adjustable toes for peak/angle adjustment). Undo these screws and the case comes aside, with the highest part simply lifting off cleanly. From right here on, it’s important to be a bit cautious in regards to the wiring of the board’s PCB resulting in the USB socket on the again edge.
You may raise up the PCB to entry the gasket mounts (the black and yellow items spherical the perimeters) and swap out the froth for sound-deadening materials, however something past that is a little more concerned. In actual fact, you’ll most likely wish to use the included keycap and swap elimination instruments to tug out all these options earlier than dismantling the case, because the case acts as a assist, in opposition to which the entire meeting pulls.
In the end, a full customization job of swapping the swap plate specifically just isn’t for the faint-hearted and undoubtedly veers into fanatic/tinkerer territory, however Superb has made it about as simple as doable.
Efficiency
The general really feel of your GMMK 3 of alternative will differ massively relying on, primarily, the switches you’ve chosen, but in addition the gasket materials, the sound deadening system, the case materials, and even the shape issue – the 65% plastic board is barely stiffer than the full-size plastic board, as an example.
For our overview pattern, which makes use of an aluminum case, brass plate, and Fox HE linear switches (described as having a clean, linear really feel and creamy sound), the general key really feel may be very mild and clean, with the pre-lubed switches gliding effortlessly. The heavy body and sound deadening additionally make for one of many quietest boards I’ve ever examined, measuring solely round 48dB when measured from 20cm above the board.
As such, with the decent-quality PBT keycaps and their pretty customary profile, the typing expertise of this board is great. I usually favor a tactile really feel for typing, however this board did an honest job of convincing me of the deserves of lighter-feeling linear switches.
As for gaming, the general effectiveness of the GMMK 3 will once more be affected by your alternative of swap, each when it comes to its really feel and when it comes to whether or not you go for Corridor Impact switches or not. With customary switches, you get a “customary” gaming expertise, when it comes to there being no main further options to talk of – exterior the flexibility to program macros and different key responses through Superb’ Core software program.
Nonetheless, with HE switches, you’ll be able to unlock the flexibility to arrange the keys to supply an analog response, which will be helpful for video games reminiscent of racing and flight sims, the place a clean response is required. You may as well regulate the actuation level per key and allow a Fast Set off mode, so you’ll be able to re-press a key sooner than with regular switches.
Value
Pricing for the Superb GMMK 3 begins at simply $119.99 for the 65%, plastic, non-Professional model, rising to $139.99 for the full-size model of this mannequin. HE variations then begin at $189.99 whereas the Professional fashions begin at $239.99 and the vary tops out at $369.99 for a 75% Professional HE mannequin, though even that’s earlier than including premium extras reminiscent of a brass swap plate.
Our overview mannequin got here to a complete value of $493.99, making it clearly a really costly keyboard. For comparability, the equally aluminum-built Monsgeek M1W prices lower than a 3rd of the worth, and loads of different pretty high-end gaming keyboards value lower than half. Nonetheless, to all intents and functions, this can be a {custom} keyboard, constructed to order in Superb’ Texas manufacturing unit, and this value isn’t so unhealthy while you examine it to particular person {custom} keyboard builders that may typically cost 1000’s of {dollars}. In the meantime, a equally specced Drop CSTM80 with an additional brass swap plate, steel case cowl, and selection of keycaps prices $351, and that’s not a custom-built unit.
It’s only a disgrace that choosing the really entry-level variations of the GMMK 3 don’t enable a full improve path, as having the ability to spend $120 now, then steadily improve as you go alongside could be an effective way to unfold the fee and get a really feel for the path you would possibly wish to take with future upgrades.
Verdict
The Superb GMMK 3 is a really particular gaming keyboard that mixes an unimaginable quantity of customization choices with the flexibility to begin your {custom} keyboard journey with an off-the-shelf possibility. There merely aren’t every other keyboards that may fairly supply that very same mixture.
What’s extra, it’s a great-looking keyboard, with very good construct high quality and choices to tailor it to swimsuit nearly any fashion alternative. Gaming and typing efficiency can be wonderful and will be tuned to your preferences.
The place the scenario will get slightly difficult is with the excessive value of going straight for a custom-built keyboard and the complication of what upgrades you’ll be able to and may’t apply to totally different boards. Sure, you should buy a board for as little as $120 and improve it, however you’ll be able to solely improve a lot.
Options
Monsgeek M1W SP
In case you’re searching for a really related fashion of board with a heavy obligation aluminum construct, like our {custom} overview unit, the Monsgeek M1W SP is a good possibility. It appears superb – arguably even sharper than the GMMK3 – and is constructed like a tank. It’s additionally wi-fi, although it doesn’t supply HE swap choices, though that’s truthful when it solely prices $130.
Drop CSTM80
One other very similar-looking board to this 75% GMMK3 is the Drop CSTM80, which can be a customizable mannequin. For a $149 beginning value, you’ll be able to add new swap plates, case covers, base weight plates, and naturally swap switches and keycaps. Nonetheless, it doesn’t supply HE switches and is wired solely.