The only real issue we had with the KM780 RGB was its price. That said it wasn’t overly difficult to justify the $170 asking price, the issue was more with the fact that not all gamers can afford to dish out so much money for a keyboard. Thankfully, there is a cheaper alternative, the KM780 MX. Despite shaving almost 25% off the price the KM780 MX is essentially the same keyboard. The only absent feature is that funky RGB lighting, and if you are happy with plain old red like me, then the KM780 MX will fit the bill nicely. The KM780 MX comes with either Brown or Red Cherry MX switches and as I just mentioned is fully backlit using red LEDs. The keyboard measures 518mm long, 172mm deep and 48mm thick. With the wrist rest attached the keyboard is 228mm deep and weighs 1.54kg or 1.36kg without the wrist rest.
When taking the KM780 MX out of the box the first thing you will notice is this cool 4mm pipe that runs around the edge of the keyboard. Structurally it helps make the keyboard feel very solid, but we also really like the visual effect.
G.Skill has included a small keycap tool box that can be clipped onto the pipe for quick access to custom gaming key caps. These specially designed keycaps offer a unique feel allowing gamers to recognize them without looking away from their monitor. Personally, I don’t particularly like the look or feel of these custom key caps, but I am sure some gamers will prefer them. The good news is they are entirely optional so if you don’t like them you don’t have to use them.
In the top left corner of the KM780 MX there are a number of unique keys. First we have the MR (Macro Record) key, along with three mode or profile keys. Depending on which mode is selected just that key will be illuminated. Then we have the Windows lock button key, a brightness control key and a timer key.
In the adjacent corner we find the multi-media buttons, which includes a volume wheel and better yet a really cool LED volume level indicator.
Behind the multimedia keys on the back of the KM780 MX there is a USB pass-through and audio jacks. This convenient USB 2.0 hub allows gamers to connect their mouse or other USB devices quickly, while the audio jacks offer an easy to reach location for gaming headsets.
The detachable wrist rest is a great feature that makes the keyboard considerably more comfortable to use. The KM780 MX comes with a symmetrical wrist rest that supports both hands very well. Once attached the wrist rest can be removed in seconds which is handy for LAN-goers.
Another nice feature is the contoured keycaps, which feel very natural and allow your fingers to flow from one key to the next. There are five levels of contoured keycaps and this really makes a difference when typing.
Flipping the KM780 MX over reveals a basic underside with no real features other than two small feet. The keyboard can only be adjusted to a single height and although I would have appreciated a little more angle, it works well enough. There isn’t any room for routing cables under here unless you have the legs down, so you can’t hide that extra-long mouse cable easily. The ability to wrap excess mouse cord under the KM780 MX would have really complemented the mouse cable holder feature.
