G.Skill KM780R RGB Mechanical Keyboard Review

The G.Skill logo on the top of the keyboard

Introduction

You’d be hard pressed to find an enthusiast these days without a mechanical keyboard. With so many companies producing peripherals these days, they seem to be everywhere. That being said, any company can hire a Chinese manufacturer to slap their name on a cheapo plastic keyboard with generic switches. At first, it’s great. However, will it stand the test of time? Probably not. To get a well built, sturdy keyboard that’ll last, you need a good name, a name you trust. One of the most trustworthy names in the industry has to be G.Skill. Known for making of some of, if not the best ram on the market, G.Skill has been a fan favorite for years. Now they have stepped into the peripheral market with their KM780R RGB mechanical keyboard. But can a company best known for ram and storage devices produce a keyboard that can live up to their name? I’d like to that the good people at G.Skill for providing Pro Clockers with the KM780R and allowing this review to happen. Now, let’s see how the KM780R stands up to the competition.

About G-Skill

Based in Taiwan, G.Skill corporation was established in 1989 by a group of computer enthusiasts. In 2003, the company debuted as a maker of computer memory. The company currently operates through several distributors and resellers in North America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. G.Skill is known for its range of DDR, DDR2, DDR3 and DDR4 computer memory. RAM is available in single channel, dual channel, triple channel and quad channel packs for desktops, workstations, HTPC, as well as netbooks and laptops.

G. Skill was shown to be the only DDR4 manufacturer not vulnerable to Rowhammer. Rowhammer is an unintended side effect in dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) that causes memory cells to leak their charges and interact electrically between themselves, possibly altering the contents of nearby memory rows that were not addressed in the original memory access

Specifications

Series: KM780R Mechanical Gaming Keyboard
Keyboard Type: Mechanical
Key switch: Cherry MX RGB Brown
Backlighting: RGB
Anti-Ghosting: Yes
Full n-Key Rollover: Yes
Gaming Mode Option: Yes
On-board Profile: 3
Additional Macro Keys: 6
Dedicated Media Control Panel: Yes
Line-Out and Mic-In: Yes
USB Pass-through: Yes
Mouse Cable Holder: Yes
Detachable Palm Rest: Yes
Dimensions: 518 x 172 x 48 mm
Dimensions w/ Palm Rest: 518 x 228 x 48 mm
Weight: 1.36 kg
Weight w/ Palm Rest: 1.54 kg
Warranty: 2-Year Limited Warranty

Packaging

The front of the KM780R package

The rear of the box has a depiction of the main features of the KM780R

Here is the top of the KM780R package

Here you see the left side of the KM780R packaging

Here is the right side of the KM780R packaging

The bottom displays the technical specs, system requirements and package contents

The front of the KN780R box has the G.Skill name and KN780R product branding on the left side. Next to that there is as depiction of the actual KM780R. Above the picture of the keyboard to the left is an RGB logo and to the right is the Cherry MX Brown sticker with a small picture of a brown switch. Below the keyboard you find the G.Skill Ripjaws logo and a list of the main features of the KM780R. The rear of the box has an angled picture of the KM780R with a diagram of the 10 most prominent features of the keyboard. Below that is a list of features in a number of different languages. The Top of the box has the G.Skill logo and the KM780R product branding. The left side of the box has a small depiction of the KM780R as well as the G.Skill logo and product branding, and the right side simply has the G.Skill Ripjaws logo. The bottom of the box has the UPC and serial number as well as technical specs, system requirements and package contents. When opened, you’ll find a plain brown box with the keyboard inside. The G.Skill KM780R comes wrapped in plastic and packed with the warranty guide, and removable, soft touch wrist rest.

The internal packaging is a simple, plain brown box

Here is how the KM780R looks when the box is first opened

The braided cable comes wrapped in plastic and packed in cardboard for protection. The wrist rest is also wrapped in plastic and packed underneath the keyboard

Here are the package contents. They include a warranty guide, the soft touch wrist rest and the KM780R keyboard.

A Closer Look

The KM780R is full RGB backlit

The KM780R comes with an optional, but highly recommended soft-touch wrist rest

The wrist rest has rubber feet to prevent it from sliding and connects to the KM780R using these clips

The wrist rest attaches to the under-side of the keyboard like so.

Along with adjustable feet, the KM780R also has a mouse cord holder.

When not in use, the mouse cord holder sits flush with the underside of the keyboard.

This is how the mouse cord holder looks when in use. It’s a unique and great feature

Next to the mouse holder, there are the audio and USB pass-throughs. There is also a switch from N-Key to 6-Key rollover.

The first thing I noticed when I first opened the packaging was the weight of the KM780R. The second thing I noticed was the beautiful, brushed aluminum backing with the G.Skill logo on the top, in the center of the keyboard. The KM780R is built and designed with premium anodized, military-grade aluminum back plate. On the outer edge, there is a solid steel frame in the form of a bar with a plastic mouse holder clip that runs the entire length of the keyboard. When not in use, the mouse cord holder flips under the keyboard and fits into a grove made especially for the cord holder. The KM780R comes with an optional, soft touch rubber wrist rest. I tried the keyboard both with and without the wrist rest. I’d personally recommend using it. It’s extremely comfortable. It clips on the underside of the keyboard. As you adjust the height of the keyboard using the adjustable feet, the wrist rest adjusts with it. The soft touch rubber makes it slip resistant, so your hands will not slide off while in use. The KM780R comes is 3 flavors. Cherry MX Red, Blue and Brown. The sample I received featured genuine Cherry MX Brown switches. Cherry MX Brown are probably the most popular type of tactile, non-clicky switches. The Brown switch was introduced in 1994 as a special ‘ergo soft’ switch, but quickly became one of the most popular switches. The Cherry MX switches are LED backlit and covered by contoured keycaps. The Contoured keys, paired with the wrist rest, allow you to position you’re your hands and fingers in a naturally comfortable position. Each of the five main rows are set at a different level. This allows you to type for longer periods of time without feeling fatigue.

The braided cable measures 2 meters in length and has 4 connections. 2 x 3.5 mm jacks for audio pass-through and 2 x USB. One for power and the other for the USB pass-through

Here are the 6 “G” keys for programming the MACROS

Here we see the “M” keys for each of the 3 profile the onboard memory can store. The “MR” key is for programming these profiles, M1, M2 and M3 store the profiles.

Here you see the Windows Lock key, the RGB LED Brightness key and the Timer Key.

The KM780R has dedicated Media Keys on the right side of the keyboard.

There is also an integrated volume control on the keyboard with an infinite scroll wheel

The sample I received has Cherry MX Brown Switches.

The Cherry MX Browns Switches are also RGB backlit

The KM780R has a laundry list of features. The most prominent of the features being the 6 dedicated MACRO keys and modes selection keys. The KM780R is capable of storing up to three complete profiles. These profiles include MACROS, as well as key and lighting configurations. The MACROS can be used for many different things. However, these MACROS were most useful for programs such as Photoshop and Premier Pro, at least for me. With the 3 separate profiles, I was able to set a profile for both Photoshop and Premier Pro. This made editing the pictures for this review much easier. Next to the M keys, or profiles keys, are the Windows lock, LED backlight and Timer Keys. The Windows lock key disables the Windows key. This is so you don’t accidentally interrupt your gaming by pressing the Windows key mid-game. There are also both a single USB and 2 x 3.5mm pass-through. The USB is designed for the mouse to be attached to the keyboard, thus the mouse cord holder attached to the KM780R. Then there is a 3.5mm pass-through for both a mic and a pair of headphones. These are both great features that all keyboards should have. However, due to the USB pass-through, the heavy duty, braided cable on the KM780R has 2 x 3.5mm plugs as well as 2 x USB adapters. One for power and the other for the pass-through. Next to the USB and 3.5mm jacks, there is a switch labeled G and S. This switch switxhes between N-key and 6-Key Rollover. Next to that is the LED lighting toggle switch. This scrolls through the different levels of brightness of the backlighting as well as shut it off. The last key is a great feature more keyboards should have; this is the Timer Key. How many times have you said “One more level then bed” Well, with the Timer Key, you can set a timer and get a notification using the KM780Rs RGB backlighting to remind yourself. On the opposite side of the keyboard are the dedicated media keys, an underestimated feature if I’ve ever seen one. The media keys include a Pause/Play button, stop button, Track forward and back buttons, Mute button and a volume wheel. The volume wheel is one of the most used features on the keyboard. The wheel is die-cast metal, has a textured feel, and features an infinite scroll. Under the media keys, there is an LED display that displays the current volume. No longer do I have to ALT-Tab out of a game to change the volume, or even pause it at that. The Volume wheel should be standard on every keyboard. Great feature G.Skill! Another great feature is full N-Key Rollover and 100% Anti-Ghosting. This means you can accurately register all your simultaneous key presses, so you can execute multiple actions at the same time. This feature helps out greatly while gaming, as does the ability to disable the Windows Key. Speaking of gaming, the KM780R provides an amazing gaming experience. Although I’m used to Cherry MX Reds while gaming, the Browns are growing on me, that’s for sure. Especially when it came to typing. For typing, I’ve always been a fan of Cherry MX Blues, or even the Kailh Blue switches as well. For me it’s always been reds for gaming, blues for typing. Well, I think I’ve found a replacement for both with the Cherry MX Browns in the KM780R. However, I feel it’s more the actual keyboard than just the switches. The contoured keys combined with the soft-touch wrist rest make for a very enjoyable typing and gaming experience.

Here you can see the contour of the keyboard. This helps to cut down on fatigue while typing for extended periods of time.

The key caps are raised up off the brushed aluminum back-plate. This makes for easy removal of the key caps as well as easy cleaning of the keyboard.

The software that allows you to customize the keyboard is the G.Skill Unified Driver System. There was a major update that was released on July 1, 2016 to the software for the KM780 and KM780R RGB line up. The SW0.104/FW57 update made some serious improvements to what was already great software. For starters, the update expanded the already massive range of RGB combinations to a full range 16.8 million color backlighting. The second improvement was to the responsive lighting effects. More specifically the Ripple and the Reactive effects can now enable a second layer of customizable background per-key lighting. Other upgrades to the software include RGB control for the media keys and the M keys. They’ve also added an additional brightness level. Now there are 5 levels of brightness where before, there were only 4. Lastly, there are a number of optimizations to the lighting effects that improve on smoother color transitions. The software can be downloaded using the4 link at the end of this review.

This is how the G.Skill Ripjaws application will look when first opened

The application that accompanies the software is extremely user friendly. When first opened, you open to the “Customize” screen. Here you can set the different profiles that the onboard memory can store, and assign them to the individual M keys/ The next screen you can switch to is the settings menu. The settings menu gives you the option to adjust everything from the polling rate and repeat rate acceleration to either 6-key or full n-key rollover. Here is also where you can set up the timer and sleep settings for the keyboard. The next section in the menu is the lighting settings. In this section you can set the background lighting as well as the lighting effects. You can set the KM780R to do full backlighting or per key backlighting. With per key backlighting, you can literally set each individual key to a different color in the RGB spectrum. There are also a number of lighting profiles you can set up as well. With these profiles, you can customize each effect in the lighting menu. With the keyboard mode ALL, there are a number of effects available in the lighting menu. These effects include Wave, Breathing, Cycle, Ripple, Reactive, Changeling, and Checkpoint. You also have the ability to have all the lights on or off. My personal favorite is the Wave effect since it slowly scrolls throughout the entire RGB spectrum over the entire keyboard. As I mentioned earlier in the review, the KM780R has dedicated MACRO keys. In the G.Skill software, there is a section specifically for recording and assigning MACROS. MACROS can do many different things. The least of which is record shortcuts to cut down on typing time. Whether it’s to help with remembering passwords or creating shortcuts in applications such as Photoshop or Premier Pro, MACROS can be your most useful tool for a content creator or anyone who spends any amount of time on a keyboard. Be it for work or fun.

Here you can set things such as the polling rate and the timer.

This is the section where you can set custom lighting profiles.

Here is where you can set up custom lighting effects and colors. Up to 16.8 million colors using the RGB spectrum.

Here is the MACRO section in the G.Skill Software. This was the MACRO I recorded to Export a picture in Photoshop

Final Thought and Conclusion

My favorite effect was the Wave effect that slowly scrolls through the RGB spectrum from left to right across the keyboard.

The G.Skill KM780R is an amazing keyboard and would make a great addition to any enthusiasts desk. With the combination of the custom profiles, 6 dedicated MACROS and the RGB backlighting, you can truly customize the KM780R the way you want it. It’s not only beautiful, but also extremely well built and made to last. Right now, you can pick up the KM780R RGB keyboard at the excellent price of $119.99 0n Amazon at the time of this review. I feel you will not get a better deal on any mechanical RGB keyboard, let alone one of this quality. This would be a great long term investment for anyone looking for a great keyboard, not just an enthusiast or gamer. For all these reasons, I’m very happy to award the G.Skill KM780R Proclockers “Editors Choice Award.” If you’re in the market for a keyboard, do yourself a favor, pick up the G.Skill KM780R. I promise, you will not be disappointed.