Performance

Gaming

In terms of gaming performance the MK-50 performs just like any other Cherry MX Brown equipped full-size keyboard. The keys perform admirably and the non-soft-touch key finish allows your fingers to feel the keys are little better, but that is also has much to do with preferences. The construction of the keyboard is just as solid as that of the MK-80/85 which is nice, no binding keys or other oddities. The use of Cherry MX Browns on a gaming keyboard is not a new idea and generally these keyboards perform well. The extra bump allows you to easily feel when you have pressed the keys down enough. The only downside to the bump is that it makes double tapping a bit harder. For FPS gamers where double tapping is non-essential the MX Browns are super, the actuation force is similar to the Cherry MX Reds which keeps fatigue issues at a minimum.

Typing

The QPAD MK-50 is just as good for typing as its bigger brothers. Since you get the choice of what key mechanism you want you can tweak the keyboard for either pure gaming or typing performance or pretty much anything in between. With the Cherry MX Brown mechanisms in the MK-50 it is definitely a good compromise between gaming performance and typing efficiency. Compared to the MX Reds the Browns are a little harder around the actuation point and the feedback is non-linear. This is great for typing and for FPS games it is totally acceptable. For an everyday keyboard that sees just as much typing as gaming action these keys are preferable over the Red, Black and Blue key mechanisms.

Typing efficiency is high due to the tactile feedback at the actuation point and the actuation force is sufficiently low to not cause unwanted fatigue issues. The Brown keys are to these fingers just as good for typing as the Cherry MX Blues, but are far more quiet and provide a far more consistent feel.