Lighting and Performance

The Mad Catz STRIKE 13 keyboard supports N-key rollover USB out of the box, which tested successfully using Aqua's test. Switch Hitter confirmed no chatter with these keys. As per usual, the R. Win key is replaced by an Fn key. Above, you can also see all the functions that get dedicated keys on the base layer of the keyboard.

When first connected, regardless of whether the software is running or not, the keyboard lights up in a rainbow wave lighting effect. The transition animation is smooth and a good demo to ensure the keyboard is powered on and working properly.


There are plenty of onboard lighting effects to choose from, so much so that the software drivers are really only for finer backlighting control. This includes static lighting with some pre-selected colors as well as a multi-color mode that is great to test for color bleed. There is some of that here courtesy the floating keycaps, and I then switched over to software control to set all the LEDs to white to test for color fidelity since RGB LEDs can have a hard time pulling off a true white with 255/255/255 for the R/G/B/ channels. As it turns out, it ends up being a white with pink hues, so users wanting to just set the keyboard to white may not appreciate this implementation much.

Here are some more of the lighting effects demonstrated, and as we saw before, there are a fair few to choose from. The names used are not the most logical, but the effects are easy enough to distinguish, and there is enough choice for pretty much everyone looking for a light show. What is interesting, however, is that the actual brightness of the backlighting is on the lower side of average. The thicker keycaps and thinner legends no doubt contribute to this, but it could also be due to the lack of any hardware LED drivers.

In addition to onboard control over the backlighting, most of the software options can be found aboard the keyboard. This was evident when I found out that the software drivers released after launch, and the STRIKE 13 has quite a few pre-programmed functions, including volume and multimedia playback control. Using the software is easier for a lot of things, especially macro recording and assignment, but the biggest pre-programmed feature is no doubt the integration of more functions than usual with the numpad to make this 96-key unit fully functional. Indeed, having a dedicated toggle key for this came in more handy than I thought. The layout is also pretty natural since toggling basically makes this a TKL keyboard with more keys between the arrow keys and Ins-Pg Dn, with these functions tied to keys that are placed where you would expect them. This is also why we see the zero-key of the numpad split into two, which makes for left and down arrow functionality. The OEM keycap profile is not very conducive for switching typing layouts should QWERTY not be for you, but the software-based key mapping allows for the use of other, potentially more efficient layouts, such as Dvorak and Colemak.


As we saw before, the STRIKE 13 comes in a single switch option. We get the venerable MX Red here, and in its latest iteration of a lifetime of 100 M keystrokes before a drop in specified actuation travel and force performance. This switch is rated for an actuation of 2.0 mm with 45 cN and 4.00 mm total travel, and it has quickly become the most popular mechanical switch in use today, which can be attributed at least partially to the many marketed "gaming keyboards" using linear mechanical switches instead of tactile or clicky switches. Actuation and peak forces were well within rated values based on my testing of twenty random switches with a tension gauge.


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 Mad Catz STRIKE 13 sample at ~95 WPM as it comes out of the box with the Cherry MX Red RGB switches. For context, you can find sound clips from other keyboards here, including those with linear switches. I did bottom out more often than not owing to the relatively lighter actuation switches this keyboard employs compared to my preference, but I also did so on purpose some of the time to show you that it is quieter than usual here. Indeed, my basic audio recorder (my phone, at least for now) slightly turned up the gain automatically to where you can probably hear some of the background noise. The sound-absorbing foam and lightly lubed stabilizers helps even if the switches themselves are not much to write home about.