Performance

The QPAD MK-80 keyboard's feel differs quite a bit from that of the other recently reviewed mechanical keyboards. Due to the use of the Cherry MX Blue key mechanisms this keyboard gives you two types of distinctive tactile feedback. One click when the keys reach actuation point and one slam when they hit the bottom. This makes the QPAD MK-80 the noisiest keyboard we have ever come across.

Once you get over the sometimes excessive noise the keyboard is a very solid performing one. The rubberized feel of the keys is certainly pleasant and the adjustable back lightning works like a charm. There is only one issue with the lighting control and that is the fact that it does not dim the num-lock, scroll-lock and caps-lock lights at the top right corner of the keyboard.

Gaming

In terms of gaming performance the Cherry MX Blue type key mechanism is not as bad as one might think. Sure the sound is obtrusive but the keys themselves work quite well for FPS gaming. The real issue is that the keys feel a bit slow going over the hump compared to how fast you can actually move your fingers. This will hamper performance of any competitive RTS or RPG gamer to some extent their double taps are crucial. The actuation force of the Blue keys is somewhere in the middle between the semi soft Browns and the hard Blacks.

Like the other gaming keyboards the QPAD MK-80 features full N-key roll-over when hooked up via the PS/2 port. On USB 2.0 this is limited to a 6 key roll-over. Whether this is a problem or not depends solely on the game you play and how you play it. A lot of gamers will never hit these limits.

Typing

For general typing tasks the QPAD MK-80 is good, although it feels slightly slower to type on than the Zowie Celeritas which features Cherry MX Brown keys. The extra tactile feedback from the Cherry MX Blue key mechanism is not essential at all if your typing style is relatively normal. At various speed typing tests the QPAD performed the same as the Zowie Celeritas, but it took a while to get used to the added feedback.

The use of Cherry MX Blue keys is controversial. The MX Blues feature a click mechanism and the usual tactile feedback. This doubles the noise the keyboard makes when typing because there are two sources. The actuation force is a little higher than that of the Cherry MX Browns which were featured on the Zowie mechanical keyboard, and a lot easier to press down than the Cherry MX Blacks of the Tt eSPORT Meka keyboard.