Five Mechanical-Switch Keyboards: Only The Best For Your Hands

Ione X-Armor U9BL: Test

Detailed test results

Single Key:

Cherry MX Blue

- Cylindrical key design- Good traction against slippage- Coated, laser-cut- Blue illumination

Distance to actuation point:- 2 mm from starting position- 4 mm HubOperating force:- 50 g to overcome spring resistance- Approximately 60 g top value to exceed to the actuation pointCharacteristics:- Tactile switches- Click triggersOverview of test results

Assessment:This keyboard is as good as it is loud. If you only play first-person shooter games, keyboards with MX Brown switches tend to narrowly win out, but they can also score points when it comes to word processing and arcade racing games. The illuminated X-Armour is also easy on the eyes, and just as practical as it is attractive. Like the Razor unit that shows up later in this story, it's good for use in the dark. Because the keys are illuminated, you get high contrast and crisp lettering without the annoying halo effect of light emanating from the spaces between the keys, which you get from cheap backlit keyboards.Comparison:AdvantagesDisadvantages- Good for office use- Good for gaming- Very precise, clicky, tactile keys- Solid appearance, no slippage- No extra drivers needed- Connectable via PS/2 and USB - Built-in USB Hub x2 - Headphones/microphone connectable- Relatively loud (function of the design)- Deep, hard-to-clean inter-key spaces- No additional function or macro keys- PS/2 mode a problem with some keyboards- Very thick and stiff connecting cableOverall rating:Excellent174 of 200 PointsWe withheld our Approved Badge for two reasons:1. Problems with the PS/2 Mode with some keyboards2. Lack of wide availability in Germany (this isn't as big of a problem in the U.S., where we see it available online)

_{(Diagram Source: Cherry)}