The MONTECH MKEY PRO is a great sub-$100 keyboard. Its durability, smoothness, and quiet acoustics are great to have if you’re looking for a prebuilt mechanical keyboard with a refined aesthetic. The LED-encircled knob remains cool beyond all get out, too!
When I originally reviewed MONTECH’s MKEY TKL keyboard, I enjoyed its refined yet subtle aesthetic, uniquely designed knob and circle LED, and its durability for the price. My main quibble with the MKEY TKL was that it lacked more contemporary and premium elements, like newer switches and wirelessness. Imagine my surprise when I began reviewing the MKEY PRO only to find that it had everything the MKEY TKL lacked for a few extra bucks!
MONTECH is a PC part manufacturer, most known for their PC cases, coolers, fans, and other odds and ends that belong in a custom PC. They have very few keyboards in their library of products. Their MKEY line of keyboards is comprised of several layouts in two boards, the MKEY and MKEY PRO. I recently reviewed the MKEY TKL and enjoyed its aesthetic. Today, I’m covering the MKEY PRO.
Click here to check out the MKEY PRO on Amazon. (Non-affiliated URL)
As I previewed at the top of this review, the MKEY PRO is MONTECH’s higher-tier keyboard that includes many features that prebuilt keyboard users like myself often take for granted. You know, things like wirelessness, up-to-date switches, and VIA support. The MKEY PRO has all of these things while keeping things affordable and featuring the MONTECH MKEY design language.
Coming from the MKEY TKL, I see several features worth flagging right from the top. The MKEY PRO features tri connectivity, meaning I could switch between using the keyboard wired, wirelessly via Bluetooth 5.2, or wirelessly via 2.4GHz (which is perfect for gaming). Thanks to the keyboard’s battery, it’s rated for over 300 hours of use without lighting. It also comes with Gateron G-PRO 3.0 switches rather than the older 2.0 switches on the MKEY.
The PRO utilizes thew traditional MKEY form factor and design language of an ARGB-lit knob, two color variants (Darkness and Freedom), and a simple layout without any fills. I was sent the Darkness variant to review, which utilized the same black, red, and grey color scheme as the MKEY TKL’s Darkness variant.
Seeing as this was the PRO variant of the MKEY line, I was expecting a slightly more-premium use of materials and/or build quality. Here, the case was made of plastic. Not that there’s anything wrong with using plastic (plastic can be sturdy!), but I was hoping that MONTECH would have upgraded the casing to feature a premium finish in some capacity. Regardless, it still feels just as durable as the MKEY TKL – no issues of hollow sounds or flimsiness.
Unlike the MKEY TKL, though, the PRO features a little LED strip on the far left. I tried customizing it, but I wasn’t able to change the colors. I liked the small little aesthetic flair that was added by the bar, but it would have been nice to customize it to match the keyboard’s customizable south-facing LEDs.
The MKEY PRO’s keycaps use the same high-grade PBT found on the MKEY TKL, albeit in an OEM profile. The OEM profile is pretty widespread in the mechanical keyboard space. Some prefer a Cherry profile over an OEM profile, but I personally can’t tell the difference. The OEM profile keycaps on the MKEY PRO feel naturally ergonomic and feel solid to use. The keycaps are hotswappable, too, so if you don’t like the keycaps that come preinstalled on the PRO you can easily pull them off with the included keycap puller. Sadly, there are no artistic keycaps included with the PRO like there was with the MKEY TKL. I quite liked those little artsy keycaps!
Like the MKEY TKL, the MKEY PRO features an LED-encircled knob that can also control the keyboard’s functions beyond typical volume adjustments. Pressing it once switches to Zoom controls, and pressing it once more switches to an LED-adjustment mode that switches between the lighting modes. It’s cool to have a knob that does something else other than volume control, but it’s weird to get used to once you have it on your desk. I kept forgetting that I could do something else with the knob!
When I reviewed the MKEY TKL, I critiqued it for lacking the ability to customize the knob’s default functions, specifically the Zoom function. I rarely find a need to zoom in on a page, and even if I did I wouldn’t use the knob. I would opt into using my mouse’s wheel instead of using the knob. If you’re one to use an art program or something else that involves frequent zooming in/out, you may find a use for the Zoom function on-board the PRO’s knob; otherwise, there should be a way to swap out the function of the knob to be something more intuitive.
There are two switches that can come with the MKEY PRO – Gateron G-PRO 3.0 switches in either Yellow or Brown. Gateron’s switches are widely used and known for their stability and versatility. The major improvements of the 3.0 over the G-PRO 2.0 (on the MKEY TKL) are their durability (rated for more inputs), a stronger pin (improving stability), and a transparent housing which improves the diffusion of a keyboard’s LEDs. The Yellow switches were pre-installed on my review unit.
The MKEY PRO produces a light and poppy sound profile thanks to the combination of Yellow switches, the internal sound absorbing PORON foams, and PBT keycaps. The Yellow switches make a quieter yet airier sound profile than the G-PRO 2.0, but sound far more delicate. The LOFREE Flow’s acoustic profile comes to mind here – the MKEY PRO produces sounds that are similar to river stones or light ceramic. It’s quite pleasing on the ears.
The main difference between the G-PRO Yellow and Brown switches is their tactility. If you prefer a tactile switch while gaming, then the Brown switch is what you need; otherwise, the Yellow switch will easily fit your needs and feel great to use for office work and gaming. Either way, you’ll have a smooth switch with a strong operating force of over 50gf and a mid-range pre-travel of 2.0mm. Gateron switches are known for their smoothness and consistency, so you’ll be in good hands regardless of switch you choose.
MONTECH claims that the MKEY PRO features VIA support, but it requires the same .json workarounds that some of the prebuilt manufacturers have been incorporating into their newer keyboards. I won’t lie, seeing VIA support like this is great, but I want MONTECH’s keyboards to show up on the list of supported keyboards with their open-sourced repositories. It’s the thought that counts, though – I prefer VIA support over downloading and installing a driver!
One last thing – MONTECH has hidden the 2.4GHz dongle underneath the little MONTECH badge on the right-hand side of the keyboard. It’s such a smart place to hide the dongle – just slide the magnetic badge off the keyboard and the dongle pops up! I love it!
Which of the MONTECH keyboards should you choose? I won’t go so far as to say that you should opt for the MKEY PRO over the MKEY TKL, but it’s hard for me to not recommend the MKEY PRO unless you’re looking for a very specific feature: A larger form factor. The MKEY PRO comes in a single layout (75%), so if you want a slightly larger keyboard you won’t get it from the MKEY PRO. It’s a shame, really, since the MKEY PRO is built quite well and is comfortable to use. That said, if you don’t need a larger gaming keyboard, but you desire wirelessness and newer switches, then the MKEY PRO is the best option for you. The sub-$100 pricetag is icing on the proverbial cake, too.
The MONTECH MKEY PRO is a great sub-$100 keyboard. Its durability, smoothness, and quiet acoustics are great to have if you’re looking for a prebuilt mechanical keyboard with a refined aesthetic. The LED-encircled knob remains cool beyond all get out, too!
A MKEY PRO was provided by MONTECH for the sole purpose of this DigitalChumps review.
