Cherry MX Board 3.0 S, schwarz, MX SILENT RGB RED, USB, DE

The Cherry MX 3.02S Wireless RGB may not be among the latest models released by Cherry but it’s a solid keyboard that looks great and should last for a very long time. Yes, the side plastic pieces may not tie with the rest of the aluminum housing and the somewhat short feet may require getting used to but other than that this is clearly a mechanical keyboard designed for all segments of the market. Having to use two software suites in order to use all aspects of the Cherry MX 3.0S Wireless RGB is probably the sole thing I didn’t like about it (Cherry should join both into one). As for battery life you can expect almost a full day of use with the RGB lights at full brightness whereas regarding signal strength the 2.4GHz RF dongle allowed for use even from 8 meters away with a wooden wall in between.

The MX Board 3.0 is from a time when Cherry MX switch clones were barely a thing and Cherry reigned supreme over them in terms of both yields and switch quality. It was a very good time for Cherry, and they had a world-exclusive on the gold crosspoint contacts in the MX switches that were used in this very keyboard - something we now take for granted because it helps reduce oxidation of the metal contact surfaces in most mechanical switches. This is a keyboard that was unashamedly targeted at end users in a professional office environment, with features such as NKRO they hoped would appeal to gamers at the time. The gaming keyboard market was beginning to take off then, and there were even Cherry's own customers with products that had backlighting, flashier aesthetics, and more. How did the MX Board 3.0 do then and, more importantly, how does it fare now given it is still being manufactured and sold? Let us begin our review with a look at the specifications below.

The Cherry MX Board 3.0 S does what it’s supposed to do: lets you type on a mechanical keyboard without bothering the person sitting next to you. It even adds customizable RGB and a nice aluminum case for flair. Unfortunately, a mediocre typing experience and an annoying amount of ping leave us feeling lukewarm.