The Package

CM Storm has replaced the overly flashy red/black theme with a more modern-looking silver/black one. The box is well padded on the inside, and it's is as small as possible since the NovaTouch TKL does not ship with a wrist rest.


CM Storm keeps it simple with the bundle. You get a cable for the board and some noise dampening O-rings you can install with the supplied key-top remover. The key-top remover works pretty efficiently, but removing all the keys to install the O-rings is still a hassle.

Closer Examination

CM Storm produced a lot of flashy and plain-looking keyboard designs. The NovaTouch falls into the latter category as it looks just like one of their former TKL keyboards. This is a good thing as the design is simple and honest and feels really sturdy from the ground up.


The keyboard's arrow section looks a bit odd at first because most are so used to fully sized keyboards.


The process of installing the O-rings is pretty simple. You use the supplied key-top remover to pull off the key-cap and install the O-ring around the stem of the key before reinserting it. Unlike normal Topre-manufactured switches, the ones featured on the NovaTouch TKL have a Cherry MX stem, so you can use all the accessories available for MX key tops on your NovaTouch TKL. This is a small stroke of brilliance on CM Storm's part as there are many good tops and dampeners for Cherry keys.


The noise dampening rings are just normal O-rings. People who want to reduce noise output caused by typing have been using these on Cherry MX switches for quite a while.


The CM Storm NovaTouch TKL is designed to look pretty simple. There is just one logo at the back, and the front is without any features. Unlike some of the recent and most extravagant keyboards to have come across my desk, this simple design is also easy to clean.


The stands on the back are sturdy, but only have one position.


CM Storm was one of the first companies to use a mini-USB to USB cable for their keyboards, and they are continuing to do so. This is great if you are unhappy with the stock cable solution as you can just hook up a different cable of your liking.