T
heCoolerMasterMS110arguably
offersthebestvalueinthisLabs.
Whileotherkeyboardsarecheaper,
thisdeviceincludesa gamingmousetoo.
TheMS110alsofeaturesa bolddesign.The
keyboarditselfisn’ttoowild,physically– its
bodyhasneat,flaredsidesthatbarelyextend
pastthebuttons– butCoolerMasterhas
addedloadsoflighting.
There’sa ringofRGBLEDsaroundthree
sidesoftheunitwithanilluminatedCooler
Masterlogoatthefront,andthekeys
themselvesfloatabovethemembrane
material,whichislitinsixzones.
Atfirstglance,it lookssuperb,withthe
matteplastickeycapshoveringabovea seaof
light,butcloserinspectionrevealssuperficial
problems.Thelightingunderneaththe
buttonsisa littleinconsistent,andit’sworse
onthekeycapsthemselves:onlyhalfofthe
keystendtobeilluminated,whichleaveslots
ofsymbolsbarelylitatall.
Nosoftwareisrequiredforthiskeyboard,
withcoloursandpatternsinsteadalteredwith
shortcutsonthefunctionrow.It saveshaving
COOLER MASTER
MS110 /£53 inc VAT
SUPPLIER scan.co.uk
yet another piece of software installed, but
it’s a clunky system. The MS110’s minimal
physical design also means no extra buttons,
with macro and media duties also relegated
to secondary functionality. There’s also no
USB pass-through and no wrist rest.
If you’re after a membrane keyboard with
a better feature set, the Corsair is a stand-
out option: it has a wrist rest, loads of extra
buttons, and more intuitive software options,
albeit with a lower key rollover figure.
On the inside, the MS110 serves up 26-key
rollover and a membrane keyswitch design
that’s supposed to mimic mechanical
hardware. In practice, the Cooler Master’s
buttons are likely to be divisive and offer
a wildly different experience to most
mechanical units.
The buttons are solid and consistent,
and their soft-touch finish means they’re
comfortable. Get typing, though, and they’re too
bouncy: the buttons seem to rebound back up
before they’ve even bottomed out. It feels like
the MS110 is encouraging you to dance across
the keys rather than hammer them down.
It’s no surprise when the stats are
considered: the MS110’s reasonable 3.6mm
travel distance is paired with a short 1.2mm
actuation point and a 45g actuation force.
This elastic typing makes the MS110 feel
floaty – it’s like typing on a trampoline. Some
people will prefer that, especially if you want a
keyboard that can handle lots of typing while
remaining light and comfortable – but the
MS110 is not close to a mechanical unit at all.The Corsair and Razer Cynosa Lite both
offer more traditional experiences: the
Corsair buttons are firm and weighty with a
noticeable bump, while the Razer keys are a
little softer and lighter. Neither have that off-
putting bounce.
The included mouse is a right-handed,
six-button unit with three RGB LED zones,
an optical sensor, and a 3,200 DPI sensitivity
level. That latter figure won’t sate keen
esports or FPS players, but it’s high enough
for mainstream gaming. The buttons are fast,
shallow, and responsive – perhaps a tad too
bouncy, if we’re being picky.Conclusion
The Cooler Master MS110 offers good value- it’s the only keyboard here that also comes
with a mouse, and that extra peripheral is easily
good enough to handle mainstream gaming.
The MS110 keyboard looks fantastic,
but it doesn’t have many features, and its
typing action is divisive – it’s comfortable
but very springy.
If you prefer a floatier typing action and
want to save some cash, this set is decent –
but look elsewhere if you want a weightier
and more conventional experience.
RDICT
a good value set, but the bouncy typing
oncan be irritating.BOILING
+ Lots of RGB LEDs
+ Includes a
gaming mouse
+ 26-key rolloverFREEZING- Bouncy typing action
- Underwhelming
lighting - Few extra features
LABS TEST / KEYBOARDS
SPEC
Connection Wired, USB
Cable 1.8m, unbraided
Material Plastic , aluminium
Switch type Membrane
Backlighting 6-zone RGB
Extras Gaming mouse includedDESIGN
26 / 40FEATURES
26 / 35OVERALLSCORE
74 %
VALUE
22 / 25VER
It’sa
actio2