Performance

The i-Rocks K71M supports N-key rollover USB out of the box, which tested successfully using Aqua's test. You can switch to 6KRO using onboard controls if needed as well. Switch Hitter confirmed no chatter with these keys either, and as with most modern keyboards, an Fn key replaces the right Win key.

When first powered on and running, the keyboard lights up in what I can best describe as a rainbow wave for backlighting and a spiral rainbow for the side lighting. So even the stock lighting effect is not synchronized. That said, it still looks cool.


I then manually set all the keys to white using the software driver to test for color fidelity since RGB LEDs have a hard time depicting white, and it was one of the better looking whites thus far, though there is some minor inconsistency here some keycaps backlit in a white with a light pink hue. In a separate test via one of the preset multi-color options, I tested for light bleed, and it is minimal. Indeed, the light show from all the RGB LEDs underneath the keys makes for a bigger attention grab anyway, and the white steel plate helps further. Finally, you can see how the light bar looks when powered on, with the various individual LEDs still somewhat discernible in multi-color effects on three sides where the diffusing effect is not as strong as on top.

Here are some more of the lighting effects demonstrated, and you can see the potential issues with the mismatched (or rather impossible to match) backlighting and side lighting. Even the same colors will have different fading effects unless you go with static lighting on at least one, or do as I have done in the last video above by going with an RGB rainbow effect on both that is similar enough.


For those who would rather not use the software driver a lot, the onboard functionality comes in quite handy. Indeed, most of the lighting effects are already stored onboard, so you can toggle through the lighting presets as described in the user manual in addition to changing effect speed and direction. This is true for both backlighting and side lighting, but controls on the colors in particular are finer in the software. There are also several pre-programmed functions here, including multimedia controls and Windows OS shortcuts, which adds to the user experience.


In my opinion at least, the wheel in the top-right corner is the biggest distinguishing feature compared to the average gaming keyboard. Three buttons alongside are used to configure the functionality of the smart wheel, which ranges from a rotational volume control mode for volume decreases/increases and pressing toggles for muting/unmuting, a task switcher mode to go through open applications, and a Windows 10-specific smart wheel mode. As the name suggests, you need to be on Windows 10 to make use of this third mode, which in turn provides a slightly cut-down version of the excellent customization Logitech provided with the CRAFT using first-party software. Indeed, it is recognized as a wheel device similar to the Surface Dial and allows users to add custom tools and actions associated with programs, including browsers, photo/video editing software, and graphics creation tools. For example, you can use the wheel to increase the brush size in Paint 3D or change tabs in Chrome. Some of this functionality depends on the programs themselves and whether there is wheel support, but there are also some basic preset options to choose from depending on the rotational direction and clicking of the wheel itself. This is only the third such implementation, all different thus far, that I have seen, with the third being the iCUE Control Wheel of the CORSAIR K100.

Between the pre-programmed functions and smart wheel, i-Rocks also provided a nice keyboard to use here. The 104-key standard form factor will make it very easy to get used to for most people, and the additional functions with the software allow for further customization, including key mapping to change the typing layout from QWERTY to Dvorak, for example. Macros come in handy too, although there are no dedicated macro keys, with profiles that can be used to further add layers to the keyboard. The lighting options are all for aesthetics and not even associated with profile changes, so the software remains the venue that can be most improved here.


Outemu switches are often used when a keyboard manufacturer has to hit a certain price point, and these are typically the most recognized of the budget brands, too. Despite all this, I had to search hard for when I last had my hands on a keyboard using the Outemu Brown switches (nearly four years ago!) since the Outemu Blue tends to be more common. There have been more recent keyboards I have tested, including the Redragon K585 Diti, which offers the same switch options, and somehow again the samples sent out tend to have the Outemu Blue switches. There is nothing really wrong with the Outemu Brown, but the example test graph from Input Club above shows why they are also not anyone's favorite. The switch is designed to target the Cherry MX Brown, albeit with actuation a touch past 2 mm travel, which means you need ~50 cN to register the keystroke as opposed to the 45 cN for Cherry MX Brown switches. But aside from that, they were fairly smooth and had a more tactile bump than the Cherry offering. In a blind test, I probably would not be able to easily tell the two apart, but it is easier to differentiate with the stabilizers which come factory lubed and are much smoother than the average non-lubed, rattly stock stabilizer.


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 i-Rocks K71M sample at ~100 WPM as it comes out of the box with the Outemu Brown RGB switches. For context, you can find sound clips from other keyboards here, including those with tactile switches. I did bottom out more often than not, although you can train yourself to feel the tactile bump and stop slightly past that point. The sound-absorbing pad helps somewhat, but not in a manner that is picked up by the microphone. It is more useful in mitigating any reverberations from the downstroke ping onto the steel plate, which in itself is still the loudest part of the typing experience on the i-Rocks K71M.