Performance

There is full N-key rollover USB here once enabled in the driver, as Aqua's test confirms. Out of the box, the Mionix Wei supports 6KRO instead. No key chatter was detected on the keys using Switch Hitter.

When first connected to the keyboard, regardless of whether the software driver is installed or even running, the keyboard lights up in the Rainbow lighting effect set to full brightness. This RGB wave moves from left to right, and I will mention right away that the actual colors are lighter than what my camera captured, which goes with the lighter colors we have seen everywhere else.


The first image above is to show how the gradient mode created in the driver as shown on the previous page looks on the keyboard. Next, in order to determine the color fidelity of the LEDs and backlighting here, I used the driver to set a static white to all the keys. As with just about any RGB-backlit device, the white is not a true white here, and we have a light pink hue that is apparent even at full brightness. That said, considering the floating keycaps, light bleed wasn't bad when I used the per-key static lighting options available for subsequent tests. The backlighting barely reflects off the aluminum plate here, which makes for controlled and subdued lighting, and the typeface used for the legends also matters.



I have here some more examples of the other lighting effects possible through the driver. As mentioned before, there is not an extensive list here, so what you see is what you get. I do wish the transition animation in the breathing and reactive typing modes would be better, but I have seen worse too, so let's call this average then.


The DCS profile keycaps along with the key-assignment options allow for users to also go with layouts other than QWERTY, and here, I used the source code from my an older keyboard review in a layout tester (courtesy of Patrick Gillespie). The results above indicate how QWERTY is not even close to the most efficient layout for me, and very likely you as well. If you are willing, try out Colemak or Dvorak as they will result in lower finger travel and fatigue overall. As such, the driver offers a significant functional tool if you are willing to devote some time to adopting either Colemak or Dvorak. Here is the link to the full results if you are interested, including a detailed analysis on key presses and distances moved.



The switches themselves are not new to me, having had experience with multiple keyboards that employ the Cherry MX RGB Red switches before. These are functionally similar to the Cherry MX Red, but have a clear housing, and as of nearly a year ago, Cherry has updated their molds and manufacturing process to allow for a smoother travel of the switches, which was evident here relative to some older switches. The Cherry MX RGB Red is a linear switch that actuates at 45 cN with 2.0 mm pre-travel and a total travel distance of 4.0 mm. There are no tactile bumps or audible clicks here, and it is fairly easy to bottom out in heavy use unless you practice touch typing and have a light touch. In practice, these were excellent switches with low variation in actuation force as measured by a tension gauge - an average value of 44.92 cN (converted from gram-force) across twenty random keys. Bottoming-out felt normal as well, and I ran into no other issues anywhere else either.


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 Mionix Wei sample at ~110 WPM. For context, you can find sound clips from other keyboards here, including those with linear switches. I did bottom out here, which is often the case with such light linear switches. A light ping occurs as the aluminum plate is touched, but it is not enough for it to be a distraction even in heavy use.