CoolerMaster’s CM Storm division has been cooking up some awesome products over the last year. Taking a look at the product line shows a company that is focusing on a select range of very different products, each tuned to a particular gamer’s habits and requirements. But unlike other manufacturers, CM Storm hasn’t diversified the line to the point where one product is only slightly different from the next. Today we’re looking at their flagship keyboard for gamers called the CM Storm Trigger.
Does it live up to its promises? And will it stand tall among the many gaming keyboards available out there? We discovered a few neat features unique to the Trigger that might get you excited.
Features and Specifications
At this year’s 2012 International CES we got a sneak peak at new CM Storm products coming out this year and the Trigger, their top-of-the-line gaming keyboard, was one of them. The Trigger is positioned above two other keyboards (the Quick Fire Pro – full size with no frills, and the Quick Fire Rapid – my favorite because of its small LAN-friendly “tenkeyless” design) and is priced at a MSRP of $120.
The Trigger is a full-size product, but forgoes the multitude of extra buttons provided by its competitors – media and illumination keys are integrated with the F-keys. These design choices result in a feature packed keyboard that’s also not going to hog your desktop space. This is important when in the confines of a tight LAN event as well.
Most keyboards with USB hubs are restricted to low-power devices like mice and card readers, but the Trigger has a 5-volt auxiliary plug so that you can turn it in to a powered hub for cell phone charging, external 2.5” hard drives and more. It would have been nice to have seen an included inline power connector at the PC end of the USB cable since adding yet another wire to our desks is something most of us don’t want to do.
The biggest feature of this keyboard of course is the fact that it is mechanical in nature.
Almost every notable gaming keyboard out there uses Cherry switches. (CM Storm and some retailers have oddly indicated that different key types will be available based on the region and store, so make sure you check the box or description before you buy one.) This particular CM Storm Trigger uses Cherry MX Brown switches, which register the key stroke without a harsh “click” after about 2mm. They don’t require a lot of force – quick, frantic key presses during gaming will get registered – and are comfortable when gaming.
Compared to my Logitech G15 (which doesn’t use mechanical switches) you’ll find less resistance and a better overall feeling. Other Cherry switches include MX Black (virtually undetectable “bump” when being pressed), MX Blue (tactile, discernable “click” when pressed) and variations between those (such as Clear and Red – the latter of which is reputed to give less than stellar typing performance but excels in gaming situations).
What’s In The Box?
The keyboard comes well packaged and includes a generously sized palm rest, detachable mini-USB cable, and instructions but no driver disc – it’s always better to download the latest software, and an included note from CM instructs you to do so. Being able to detach the cable does help with transport, and reduces the strain that a backpack could put on a permanently attached cable. Even though mini-USB cables are easy to replace if lost, I would have rather seen a proprietary locking cable design since mini-USB jacks tend to get loose with time. A loose cable isn’t something you want when you’re in the middle of an intense gaming session.
Unfortunately the aforementioned 5V USB adapter is indeed not included. But even worse, it isn’t even available from CoolerMaster, leaving you on your own to find this part if you want to take advantage of the powered USB feature.
Time to get jacked in
Setup is easy – plug and play on Windows 7 worked just fine, and the USB hub (two ports are included on board) worked with my CM Storm Sentinel, but not my USB headset – this is where you would really want that 5-volt boost. The software was quick to install and quick to set up. The keyboard performs well without applications installed, and even stores your macros internally so you can use another PC and retain your key settings. This is a feature I have really enjoyed on my Sentinel Advance mouse. In fact, I’ve reformatted a few times and never had to install the software again. Once you get the settings you like, you may never have to touch the software again except to re-program macros for a new game.
The level of configuration possible with the software is astonishing. You can assign almost every key to a specific function – from macros to program launching – and this includes letters, numbers, Windows key, CTRL, ALT, the numpad and the five included macro keys. I immediately programmed a key for the Windows Calculator app, something I have a habit of using a lot on my PC. CM Storm features internal profile storage on a lot of their gaming peripherals, and I’m a huge fan of that – no more worrying about lost settings after a reformat.
Getting all touchy-feely
The Trigger has a nice feel to it. CM Storm product designers obviously spent a lot of time finding the right plastics and surfaces to use. The palm rest and keys are a nice matte finish and the frame around the keys is soft-touch plastic (almost feeling rubberized). I’m a huge fan of matte and soft-touch finishes, and it’s apparent that anything glossy is passé in the world of computer peripherals now. Why open up a nice new toy only to see it get scratches on it right away? And after a month of typing on this model, I haven’t seen any sign that the key tops will wear out soon – each key is made of translucent plastic with a black coating over the top. While the key coating seems durable, the soft-touch plastic around the frame appears to be wearing off, so you might want to take care of this keyboard if you want to maintain its looks. Unfortunately this is something that plagues most products with matte finishes.
Light ’em up!
Key illumination is important on the Trigger, since it’s the only CM Storm keyboard to have this feature on all keys (other boards only have WASD and other important keys lit up). Key lighting is mostly even since each key is lit by its own LED, but keys with extra symbols on them are not completely illuminated due to where the LED is positioned under each key. The cool font used on the keys is accented by five levels of lighting. Only four levels are available unless you use a 5-volt power supply to boost the light (though the fourth level is so bright I’m not sure I need to see how much brighter it gets!) To round out the backlight features, the Trigger has three lighting modes – a gentle pulsing glow, the four levels, and a gaming mode which only illuminates the WASD, macro, and arrow keys.
Gaming Performance
Gaming is obviously the most important thing you’ll do with this product. After testing it for several weeks with some of the latest games out there, I can say that it’s definitely a winner in that department. Battlefield 3 was a joy to play. Not only were the keys extremely responsive, but the giant palm rest really helped to support my wrist during those long flying sessions, where precision and stamina in fingers are important! Next up was Skyrim, a favourite RPG of mine and a good test of keys beyond WASD. Having to quickly react to attacks with potions and magic is essential. Thankfully, the keys are spaced perfectly enough that you won’t fumble for the one you want.
Finally, I jumped back in to World of Warcraft for a few days. It’s been a while since I played it regularly, but I knew it would be a good test of nearly everything on this keyboard. WoW has a habit of forcing you to use extensive macros (or face total destruction) so I set up a few and fought my way through Azeroth. As in Skyrim, it was very easy to feel for the key you wanted without taking your eyes off the screen, and the macros were perfectly executed every time. Sometimes you need to just mash two or three spells and potions at once, and the Trigger had no issues with handling multiple simultaneous keystrokes.
It slices, it dices, it types essays!
Everyday typing is important – you might spend just as much time chatting or writing on your PC as you do gaming. The Trigger is comfortable to type on, and many people have recommended the MX Brown switches as the best balance between tactile gaming keys, and soft, fatigue-free typing keys. I didn’t have any trouble getting up to my usual high-WPM on it though, since the keys are a good size and are placed evenly. All of the shift, control and alt keys are well sized, too. I find that some keyboards throw a wrench in to your typing and gaming habits by giving you a smaller than average shift key, but not on the Trigger. The included palm rest is about four inches deep across the entire keyboard, making it very comfortable for your wrists.
Final Thoughts
There are many gaming keyboards out there (dozens, from almost every major peripheral manufacturer), so it’s tough to choose the right one. Other competitors to the Trigger are the Logitech G510 ($129, lots of features, LCD screen, great design, but poor key performance when gaming due to conventional non-mechanical keys), Corsair Vengeance K60 ($109, Cherry MX Red switches aren’t for everyone, but it has cool features for FPS gamers), and the Razer BlackWidow Ultimate ($129, mechanical keys, but with a tired design that leaves you wanting something more innovative). At $119 the Trigger is good value for anyone wanting to get in to the Cherry keyswitch world.
After using the CM Storm Trigger for a while now,I may not go back to my old reliable G15. Purpose-made key switches make a huge difference in typing and gaming, and the MX Brown keys met my requirements for comfort and playability. Ultimately personal preference and gameplay style will dictate what kind of switch works for you and it is strongly advised that you go out and try these out for yourself at your local brick and mortar.
A lot has changed in the last few years when it comes to gaming keyboards, so it’s tough for any company to come late to the game. But it appears CM Storm has carved themselves out a spot in spite of this. Thanks to a good balance of design, utility, convenience, and performance, they’ve come up with a solid competitor in the CM Storm Trigger that is easy to recommend to gamers shopping at or around this price point.
Pros
- Quality construction and materials
- Spacious palm rest
- Bright backlight with lots of brightness adjustment
- Fantastic software with complete control over keys
- Responsive high-quality Cherry MX Brown switches
- Detachable braided USB cable for safer transport
- Optional 5-volt input for juicing up hungry USB devices but…
Cons
- …no included or available first-party 5-volt adapter!
- Backlight doesn’t completely illuminate some special keys
- Detachable cable jack could become loose over time.
Overall Rating: 8.5 / 10.0
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