A setup of a PC Gamer It cannot be defined complete without an excellent keyboard but at this juncture the market is so saturated that choosing the one that best suits your needs is really difficult. We can find all kinds of keyboards: membrane, hybrid and mechanical. Among the latter, the panorama becomes even wider because there are many types of switches that differ in terms of pressure to be exerted to operate the command and tactile feedback.
MSI has also decided to enter the jungle of mechanical keyboards by presenting its product line and today we are here to review MSI Vigor GK80, top of the range keyboard equipped with RGB lighting and switches Cherry MX Silver.
As is now customary, let's start by talking about the MSI Vigor GK80 packaging. On the front, on a black background, we find an attractive image of the keyboard, its name and a logo that indicates the presence of the original Cherry MX switches.
On the back we find all the main features, such as the presence of RGB backlighting, the presence of dedicated multimedia keys and many other features.
The bundle is really complete: in addition to MSI Vigor GK80 we find the magnetic wrist rest black, where in the center we find the MSI dragon, an instruction manual and the one relating to the warranty and finally, the extra keycaps to better customize our keyboard and recognize the keys without having to look down to look at it.
The MSI Vigor GK80 frame is made entirely of well-made plastic, except for the top, here we find a satin aluminum coating which gives it elegance and strength at the same time. The design is highly sought after and will almost certainly match any gaming station. The keycaps are of the high profile type, or the classics that we find on the majority of mechanical keyboards.
They are all removable and we can go to replace them or with those that we find supplied or we can buy others. Below them we find the Cherry MX Silver mechanical switch and the RGB LED. Each light diode will be individually controllable.
Among the many layouts available during the purchase, there is also that. MSI Vigor GK80 is a full key keyboard, then equipped with 108 keys and numeric keypad. Above the keys we find a red plastic border where the four multimedia keys, in order to have direct control of the volume and audio sources being played.
Above the numeric keypad, in addition to the MSI logo, there are also three LEDs that indicate whether the Caps Lock, the scroll lock and the numeric keypad are active. In the front we find a practical USB 2.0 port, extremely convenient if we had a wireless mouse and we need to recharge it or we need to connect other peripherals.
In the lower part of the keyboard we find nothing, except for the notches where we can pass the Vigor GK80 cable in order to have our station as tidy as possible. Here we also find two feet that will allow us to raise the keyboard in order to have greater comfort.
As explained a few lines above, the LEDs on the keyboard are completely customizable. We can modify them using the function keys present, slow and cumbersome operation, or using the software MSI Mystic Light which we have already told you about in other reviews. Each single LED can be customized to our liking in order to make MSI Vigor GK80 extremely personal. Inside the software there are several pre-set effects that we can obviously modify according to our tastes, alternatively we could proceed with a setup from scratch.
The keyboard is wired and therefore equipped with a USB 2.0 cable. It is covered with woven nylon in order to give strength and prevent it from being damaged over time. At the end of the cable we find two gold-plated USB 2.0: one will be used to connect the keyboard to the PC, while the other is a mere extension of the port on Vigor GK80.
On the keyboard we find the Cherry MX Silver or Speed switches. They are the latest born from the German company and are the fastest switches ever created, making them great for both gamers and writers. According to the company, the MX Silver are 40% faster compared to all other products in the Cherry MX line. His actuation point is set at about 1,2mm, very close to the resting point.
The required actuation force is 45 cN and the company has used gold-plated touchpoints, so users can benefit from very short response times of around a millisecond. The switches are linear and have a maximum travel of 3,4 mm, all without emitting the click typical of other mechanical keys which, when playing online with other friends, is more annoying because it is often captured by headphones. Like all Cherry-developed switches, the MX Silver are guaranteed for over 50 million clicks.
On balance how does the MSI Vigor GK80 behave in everyday life? We have nothing inconvenient to report, the keyboard performs very well in every area, both in the playful and in writing. In the latter situation we have to specs that we found ourselves extremely well, the MX Silver switches are really excellent and together with the Browns, they are among the best in this area. Despite the very low level of implementation, we will hardly find ourselves clicking two buttons at the same time as is generally the case when using switches designed only for the playful world, such as the MX Reds. Here thanks to the speed of the MX Silver and the extremely short response times we will always be ready for action.
Even after long gaming sessions, also thanks to the supplied wrist rest, we hardly found ourselves with a sore hand and wrist, despite the fact that the keyboard is very high, especially if we set the maximum height level.
MSI Vigor GK80 turned out to be a really good keyboard, robust and with an attractive and refined design. The Cherry MX Silver switches have proved to be really excellent and versatile, adapting very well to any field, even in that of writing. The response times, extremely low, allow us to play quickly, precisely and without any compromise. The RGB LED lighting allows us to customize the keyboard to our liking and makes the keys visible even in the dark or in poor lighting conditions. Within the bundle there are also additional Key Caps, in order to make our experience even more personal.
If you are looking for a great mechanical keyboard with RGB lighting and extremely versatile you can buy MSI Vigor GK80 at a price of about 150 €.
