Closer Examination

At its core, we get a TKL form factor keyboard that by itself is not much to talk about when looking at it straight on. I mentioned before how the Mountain Everest comes in two color options, and I have the newer Midnight Black version here. The keyboard also comes in several language options, which will interest those always looking for something other than US ANSI, although I prefer this layout and was happy to get it as well. As such, we get an 87-key unit that loses the numpad. It is quite-clean looking with a subtle Mountain logo in the top center of the aluminium plate with a similar brushed finish as on the numpad we saw before. The bezel on top is on the larger side, though, but there is a good reason for it since it has to host a few extra connectivity items which make the Everest a modular keyboard. The other three bezels are averagely sized, and moving inward, we see a plate material/finish distinctly different from the outer one, both of which are CNC milled. The color difference is fairly obvious close up, so you will notice it when typing, rather than others who probably wouldn't care until the media dock is added.

The reason for this two-piece plate design is mostly aesthetic, but it also allows Mountain to add a light strip underneath the outer plate that goes all around the keyboard for ambient lighting. The generally clean design extends to the keycaps with no keyboard-specific secondary legends anywhere. Instead, we only get the standard ones on the number key row and others, where the secondary legends are placed above the primary ones. Single legend placement is in the top center, which also points towards north-facing LEDs for backlighting. The typeface is minimalist, and this keyboard will look absolutely fine in a shared office space as much as at work. The only major color change, and I use major in an exaggerated manner, is the stock Esc keycap with the gunmetal gray finish, but you can obviously replace it with the other one included in the packaging.


Flipping the keyboard around, we see the usual certification sticker in the middle. Three large rubber pads at the bottom and two circular pads on the feet add friction against the resting surface and help prevent scratches to the back, which is unlike any other with all those cutout channels all around for not one, but two separate types of cable routing with thin and thick channels. The Mountain logo and Everest product name are seen as well, which is absolutely fine with me. It is with the feet that things get interesting, and begin by pulling off the stock feet using the knurled finish on the side for grip to expose the magnets. You can now simply add the provided magnets from the accessories box, of which there are not enough for the keyboard and the numpad, though for a very silly elevation as seen above. The side views show all the extra ports here, which, again, help with the modular concept.


So let's get on with it, shall we? The numpad is the easiest to demonstrate first, one more people will use when a TKL keyboard simply won't do. Simply slide the connectors out on the side you want the numpad and clip it in. This is a simpler, but less elegant mechanism than for the ROG Claymore II and its slider mechanism and means there is a larger chance for the two pieces to separate with any height difference in between; say, with the feet on the back. If they are level and used on a flat desk, it is not really an issue. There are also no side covers on the keyboard, so you will have exposed ports all around, which is where the ROG offering does have a leg up if you liked those. The Mountain Everest has the option of having a left-handed numpad as well, so this has the added ergonomic benefits of having the mouse closer to the keyboard for right-handed users.


The Media Dock clips in at the top, and there are once again two options courtesy two extra USB Type-C ports, for a total of four on the keyboard. The cutout in the plastic casing of the dock goes over the case snugly, so it does feel more secure combined with the Type-C port and two small magnetic supports, and may be placed on the left or right. It allows for a lot of combinations in play, but one thing that does irk me somewhat is that the plate on the numpad is a slightly lighter color than the keyboard plate itself, with the plastic on the media dock color-matching the keyboard better—not enough to be a dealbreaker, you will keep noticing this once aware of it.


Attaching the wrist rest is as simple as using magnets again, which is a clear theme on the keyboard that has magnets on all four sides. Note that the wrist rest is TKL-sized, which is different from the full-sized version that shipped with the ROG Claymore II. I like this implementation more because the detachable numpad means people are more likely to have it when they need it instead of what ASUS does by expecting you to have it installed but claiming otherwise in its marketing spiel.


As if those extra Type-C ports were not enough, Mountain has squeezed in a spare USB Type-A port as well. All this comes from a single Type-C port, which is heavily inset into the case, and no doubt a good USB hub controller manages it all. Now you know why there are two separate sets of cable-routing options in the back, with the thicker ones for the thicker cable and the thinner ones for whatever device is connected—say, a mouse. A provided adapter cable may also be used to go from the inset port to a more accessible space, especially if you wanted to use an aftermarket coiled cable. USB 3.2 Gen 1 is absolutely necessary thus, with a 900 mA current draw needed to power everything.


The side profile shows some built-in elevation even before the extra magnets come into play. The keycaps have an OEM profile, and the various rows are sculpted accordingly. They are of the floating type because the ABS plastic bottom panel has been paired with nothing but the aluminium frame, and the included keycap puller works nicely for removing 1–3 keycaps before emptying it. Removing some confirms that the stock keycaps are identical to the replacement Esc keycap, being thin ABS plastic (average wall thickness 0.92 mm) with laser-etched legends. These are going to wear out sooner rather than later, and develop a shine with finger oils, too. Mountain does have a PBT keycap option for US ANSI, but for a slight price increase. There is backlighting support, and as expected, the legends above will be more uniformly backlit than those below.


There are five Cherry MX switch options with the Mountain Everest, and my sample uses the popular MX Red switches. These are the RGB version, with the clear top and SMD LEDs underneath that shine through for what is no doubt a lot of color options and lighting effects. The stem is red, and these are the newer 100 M rated actuation lifetime switches built using an updated mold that promises to be smoother than before. The LEDs are north-facing, so legends at the bottom will indeed not be backlit as well. The larger keycaps use Cherry stabilizers, and there is actually some manually applied lubrication. Not only that, Mountain is using Krytox GPL 205g0, the enthusiast's choice of lube. It will help mitigate some of the rattly sounds and mushy feedback of these, especially for the larger space bar key. More interestingly, the space bar stabilizers are clipped out of the box, which is a first for me on a pre-built keyboard. This is definitely an enthusiast mod that reduces keycap wobble, but also softens the impact of the downstroke on the plate/PCB to further mitigate that mushy feedback associated with these.


Remember that keycap puller which has a switch remover on the other side? Mountain has further appealed to the enthusiast keyboard community by adopting hot-swappable switches, which in turn makes this more user-friendly for novice users who may want to try out different switches over time as well. These mods, combined with the universal keycap design and spacing, make the Everest more pleasing to a larger user base than the ROG Claymore II, even if I personally think the ROG RX Optical switches and keycap design are really nice. Removing one of the switches reveals the contact points further, showing the use of 3-pin switch compatibility and the north-facing RGB LED. This also allows for a closer look at the Cherry MX Red RGB switch, which is also a 3-pin mechanical switch with a small cutout for the LED light going through the housing.


Finally, here is a look at the two Esc keycaps next to each other should you want to replace the stock keycap with one that will better match the rest of the keycaps and have better backlighting support. I would personally swap over, but am also more likely to replace all the keycaps with a custom PBT set instead.