Cooler Master CK552 Gaming Keyboard Review | BlizzardWares

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Cooler Master CK552 Gaming Keyboard Review

Cooler Master is still capable of surprising. Although it seems too few and far between, Cooler Master has managed to create a machine capable of satisfying most gamers and laypeople alike. Any keyboard made with Cherry or Gateron switches usually cost a lot due to deductions towards the manufacturer of the keyboard switches. It was smart of Cooler Master to use these switches because of how consistent and smooth these keys feel to type with. The brand essentially decided to shoot two birds with one stone: to make a budget keyboard according to higher standards without being too pricey at the same time.

I boldly vouch for Cooler Master and say that they coped with this task one hundred percent. The secret is simple: switching switches from Cherry to Gateron and some minor overhead that didn’t affect the final quality. For example, the lack of a stand.

In the review you are about to read, I will tell you about the Cooler Master CK552, an exciting gaming keyboard – above all – not too expensive.

Specifications

Product Name	Cooler Master CK-552
switch type	Gateron mechanical switch (red/blue/brown)
Materials	Plastic, aluminum
Keyboard keys	Asia/United States: double injection in ABS – Others: paint, ABS, and laser-engraved keys
Keyboard Polling Rate	1000Hz
Keyboard response rate	1ms/1000Hz
MCU	32-bit ARM Cortex M3
The memory integrated into the keyboard	512 KB
Keyboard cable	Fixed, rubberized, 1.8 m
Cable connector	USB2.0
Weight	850 g
Dimensions	460 x 135 x 41mm
Price	$64

Pros	Cons
Excellent value for money Well-made Gateron switches Simple, clean look RGB lighting	It lacks dedicated macro keys The USB pass-through port is missing No pack-in wrist rest

Build quality and design

The Cooler Master CK552 is a mechanical keyboard with a complete layout, that is, with the 104 keys and the Numpad that you find on the right. The keyboard does not have additional keys, but thanks to macros and additional profiles, it can be configured on the fly. And the broad keyboard capabilities allow you to create various complex combinations.

It means the measurements, therefore, follow the standard for models of this type: 460 x 135 x 41 mm, and the weight of about 850 grams. Compared to a keyboard in the same price range, such as the Logitech G413, you, therefore, it has slightly larger dimensions but a lower weight.

As for the materials, Cooler Master preferred to opt for:

— A hard plastic base with rubber pads that hold the keyboard firmly on the table.

— An upper part in brushed aluminum, resistant and elegant at the same time.

— The keys are slightly raised on the body, a feature that allows you to see the underlying LED lighting well but also to perform a quick cleaning.

In terms of layout, Cooler Master has always followed strict guidelines for a long time, so the CK552 has long shifts, a one-story enter, equal proportions of the bottom row keys, as well as a row of F-keys located above the number “2”. It is clear that the keyboard has RGB backlighting and in addition to powerful on-the-fly customization options.

The only drawback of this model, if you can say, is that it lacks a USB pass-through port. Present in similar alternatives, it is often useful for connecting a gaming mouse or even recharging a smartphone or smartwatch. And finally, on the back, you will find the 1.8-meter-long USB power cable.

Keycaps

Each keycap is made from ordinary ABS plastic, which is painted and engraved. The painting has a smooth and pleasant-to-the-touch coating so that the fingers on such a keyboard will not slip, and the prints on these keycaps are totally invisible. As a gamer myself, I can appreciate the quality of the product and can see myself using it in the future. In all honesty, the Gateron keys are not better than Cherry keys and do not last as long, but if you need something in a pinch, this keyboard is actually pretty fine. The best part of the entire thing, in my opinion, was the RGB backlight.

RGB backlight

But where the Cooler Master CK552 keyboard really differs from most of its counterparts is the absolutely gorgeous, juicy, and rich RGB backlight. Whatever one may say, the open case along with transparent switches do their job, but still, I think that this is one of the brightest keyboards that I have ever used. And that’s where Gaterons come in handy. The fact is that their transparent body is much cleaner and clearer, unlike the same Cherry switches, so the switches scatter light much better. This is a definite pro that the Gateron keys have over the Cherry keys. And a little secret lies in the fact that you have a keyboard with LEDs soldered directly into the switches, while all RGB keyboards built on Cherry switches use SMD wiring. That is, the LEDs are soldered on the printed circuit board, and they have more obstacles in their way, which obscures some of the final brightness of the keyboard. I remember that about the same bright and pleasant backlighting was found in the SteelSeries Apex M750 keyboard, but Cooler Master is in no way inferior to it in this.

Features

However, behind this backlight, there is plethora of different functions and capabilities, from which you can conclude that controlling the backlight on the keyboard is a separate art. For starters, the keyboard has a large number of very different functions, four built-in profiles, the ability to adjust the backlight on the fly, the ability to record macros on the fly, as well as advanced functions for repeating these same macros, and the completely immense possibilities of the backlight itself. Of course, the keyboard has an NKRO mode, in which you can press all the keys at the same time, but I did not find the settings to disable this mode (to transfer to 6 KRO). The keyboard also has very convenient multimedia features that allow you to control the media player with just one hand.

Conclusion

The Cooler Master CK552 promises to be an excellent alternative for users who are looking for a high-quality keyboard but do not want to pay the high prices that most models based on Cherry MX mechanisms have. As you can see in the course of the review, the Cooler Master CK552 is a great mechanical keyboard that finds its strength in its simplicity.

If you are looking for a gaming keyboard with good performance without breaking the bank, the Cooler Master CK552 is one of the best for its price range.