Software

With all functionality being hardware based, there are no software drivers for the G.Skill KM250 RGB keyboard. As such, I have chosen to combine this section with the performance section below.

Lighting and Performance

The KM250 RGB supports NKRO out of the box, which tested successfully using Aqua's test. Seen above is also what the base layer on the keyboard is programmed to as far as dedicated keys go. As with most keyboards these days, there is no right Windows key, as it has been substituted by an Fn key here which is far more important on a smaller form factor keyboard.


To explain why the Fn key is so important, here is a look at the Fn layer. This is accessible by simply holding the Fn key and now we see how G.Skill aims to bring back most of the missing functions compared to a TKL keyboard. These are mostly logically placed, such as the Fn key row on the number row, although I would have liked to see some more added for quality of life improvements in the form of media playback controls or even shortcuts to some default programs. This also shows the keyboard features dual OS support but I can only speak about my experience with Windows.


This is a change from all the recent few keyboards we've seen with opaque keycaps so of course I had to show off the lighting and backlighting on offer with the G.Skill KM250 RGB. The pudding keycaps add to this, as does the white plate, making for a bright and impressive light show. There's a good amount of light bleed between keycaps since they are quite reflective but it works out well with static and dynamic effects alike. While there is no software support for more extensive LED control, I was impressed by the sheer amount of lighting effects you could toggle through and then there is the option to change the speed, color, and direction of the effects. We also have brightness control in five steps so you can also easily turn off the LEDs if you so desire. I'll also give a shout out to the hardware LED drivers being programmed nicely since the keyboard was able to put out a fairly accurate white out of these RGB LEDs.


The Kailh Red mechanical switch used in the G.Skill KM250 RGB is the original design that Kailh made in response to the Cherry MX switch patent expiring. Those who have used mechanical keyboards, or have at least been interested enough in them, are aware of all the clone switches which popped up a few years ago. These brands then sold enough to invest in their own new designs that led to a world in 2023 where there are more switches than anyone could reasonably keep track of. Kailh, for example, has since put out the BOX Red and BOX V2 Red switch which aim to improve upon the base design of this Kailh Red switch, but it's still sold to customers such as G.Skill who want to offer a mechanical keyboard using reliable switches. This is thus very similar to the Cherry MX Red in functionality by having a rated actuation force of 45 gf at 2 mm and a peak force of ~70 gf at 4 mm, and can be classified as a medium force linear mechanical switch. It's a safe default switch for beginners who want an all rounder for gaming and typing before they wish to experiment further, and the hot-swappable sockets on the keyboard can help with that too. I will say that the spring being lubed at the bottom was a surprise in that it does mitigate the annoying ping and debounce feedback from older, unlubed switches. It's not the smoothest switch I have tried but will do here just fine.


As always, the sound of a keyboard is based on more than just the switch type. So when comparing sound clips, consider the keyboard as a whole. In this case, I have provided above an example sound clip of me typing on the G.Skill KM250 RGB keyboard sample at ~75 WPM as it comes out of the box with the Kailh Red switches. For context, you can find sound clips from other keyboards here, including those with linear switches. I did bottom out here and it helps test the effectiveness of the foam sheet-based damping system too, and it works.. okay. This is about average in terms of how loud it gets to type on as well as in retaining some higher frequencies sounds when the switches bottom out. This means there isn't a lot of damping going on but enough to at least tone down the higher pitched reverberations. Some of the stabilizers did sound worse than others though, as did some of the non-stabilized modifiers. This inconsistency is something G.Skill may want to look at improving.