Specifications, Availability and Pricing

As you can see right away with the specs chart above there are four models of this keyboard being offered. While it does state there will be some regional dispersal of specific key sets, it shows that the QuickFire Pro can be had with Cherry MX Black, Blue, Brown or Red switches to accommodate for users particular preference to the way the keys react. When I was asked about looking at this keyboard, I don't recall a discussion of the keys, but none the less, the version I received came with Cherry MX Brown switches that have a force feedback "bump" in the travel and have medium resistance to initial pressure.

The keyboard also offers full N-Key Rollover, in basic terms this means if you press multiple keys at the same time, they all register. You also get 1000 Hertz or 1 millisecond polling rate, so there should be no lag between you pressing the key or keys and them registering to the computer. The QuickFire Pro has options on lighting - in one mode you have W, A, S, D, the arrow keys and the CM Storm logo lit. A second mode illuminates twenty-one keys and the space bar, along with the arrow keys and logo. A third mode allows for a breathing mode of the second set of illuminated keys and of course, you can turn them all off as well. The board offers a Windows Lockout under the F12 key and offers multimedia functionality with use of the function lock key.

The QuickFire Pro is a thick keyboard and it elevated a bit more that what I am typically used to for use. The chunky plastic housing is 454mm from left to right; 155mm from front to back and from the desk to the top of the spacebar is 31mm in height and gets slightly taller as you go to the back of the QuickFire Pro. Underneath, near the product sticker is where you can attach the full speed USB 2.0 cable that CM provides. I have read that you should only use this cord as others will not allow full functionality, or you can type, but don't have lights - that sort of issue. You will also find that the board offers three routing choices for this cable to leave your workspace clean and as wire contained as possible.

Looking around I see that pricing is sort of all over the place for the forty or so hits that come up in a Google search. The lowest of the group was a $92.83 listing, while at the other end of the spectrum you can see listings very near $130. Buyers definitely beware when looking for this keyboard; it seems the frugal shopper can save quite a bit of money if you do a bit of comparing. For the purposes of comparing this to the others I have seen, I am going to split the pile and go with a pricing of around $110 as the reference price.

Now that we know what it has in it and how much it is going to set you back to obtain one, let's get into it and have a closer look at things.