Cherry K5V2 RGB Compact 65 Wired Gaming Mechanical Keyboard - Black

My serious gamer was tired of the clickety gaming keyboards that dominate that market and is so happy to have this much quieter and smoother option.

This K5V2 compact keyboard is absolutely gorgeous with the RGB shining through the keycaps and top plate, it’s one of the most striking implementations of RGB lighting I have ever seen on a mechanical keyboard. The whole entire keyboard is a foggy white plastic, which acts as a diffuser for the LEDs underneath. It’s truly stunning, and this is coming from someone who has owned over a dozen mechanical keyboards with RGB lighting. The design itself is a high point and will be appreciated be even people who aren’t into keyboards with multicolor backlights. The keycaps feel very pleasant to the touch, typing on them, combined with the MX2A Switches is really a treat, the ones on my board are red/linear and super smooth with just the right amount of resistance. Everything about the shape and construction of this board just leads to a very accurate typing experience, I can reach as high as 70 words per minute (up from a normal 50-55) because I just don’t make any mistakes like on other keyboards with profiles that are too high or keycap materials that feel slick to type on. After about 5 minutes of using this, I knew it was replacing my Roccat Vulcan II mini as my everyday keyboard. The one thing about it that I don’t love (for the price charged) is that it’s wired only, I would have liked to have had the option to use a 2.4GHz adapter for $130. The other thing which could be viewed as either a negative or a positive feature is that there is no dedicated software for this. Cherry Utility does not support this keyboard, it is designed so that everything can be adjusted using various key combinations and shortcuts using the Fn key with other keys. But everything is intuitively marked with front-facing legends on the keycaps. So this might not be one that you would want to swap out for alternative keycaps, because some of the keys’ secondary functions are unlikely to be found on a third party set of keycaps. It’s possible that you could get this to work with various unofficial keyboard customization software, but just know that Cherry designed it to be controlled physically, not via software. I’m someone who most just uses keyboards for standard windows operation and gaming, I’m not sure how crazy you can go with programming multiple levels of macros and tertiary functions to this board because I haven’t tried it and don’t use those options on boards I have that do support the option. I think this keyboard is for people who appreciate Cherry’s premium build quality and want one of their higher-end products. It’s of course, meant for PC gamers who love RGB and want a keyboard that matches their desktop build (while also still getting an excellent typing experience and responsive gaming experience). I played Doom Eternal, Dusk, Nier Automata, and Cyberpunk using this board and the keyboard had excellent responsiveness and precision. I noticed no input latency or lag, it performed as well if not better than more “Gamer”-focused brands (without needing the companion software that ends up being one more application taking up resources in the background).

Pretty lightweight and quiet keycaps really small build so keep that in mind its stable on the desk when gaming it’s a good quality keyboard but the keycaps aren’t as good as they should be so they can get scratched if not careful when taking them off I grabbed this when it was on sale for half price so I feel I got an ok deal but for 140 or however much the original price is it’s definitely not worth as you could get another keyboard with more features and a better quality build.

This key board is extremely customizable. It comes with the more quiet red switches which do not have that clicky sound like the Blue which my old keyboard has. I like these red ones since I stay up late at times and want to be more considerate which others who may hear me typing. The 65% size is what I needed. I usually have too many things on my desk. This smaller keyboard helps free up space and place it in a better position. You have many options with programming keys, RGB etc. The best place to go for navigating these options is their website and get the manual. The keyboard comes with a quick setup guide and not enough info to see all which you can do. The only criticism is the USB -C port location which is on the upper left hand side. I like when the cable is underneath and you have the option to either have cable exit to the side or top. Razor keyboards also exit in the top so it’s no big deal but in my setup it’s a cleaner install to have cable come out the side. No biggie, a 90 degree USB-C cable or adaptor will fix this. With my Razor keyboard this is not possible since cable is hard wired. Another consideration is to program your keyboard it’s done at the keyboard and not using an APP. This is fine but time will be required to learn all the keystrokes. I am very impressed with the performance, customization and build quality of this keyboard. For a keyboard which has nice Cherry switches and all the other features it is worth taking a look at it. This has become my full time use keyboard. Thank you for taking the time to read my review and photos of this product. I hope it has been helpful in providing you with more information.

Even if these boards were ever on sale for those prices I still wouldn't recommend to anyone, lackluster, unfinished, cheap, attention to detail lacking - some things that come to mind. You're paying for the name basically. Insta return. I'm not a hater but the scene adn quality for your dollar has drastically changed within the last 3 years there's easily 10-15+ keyboards that demolish this in every way possible for $100-150 or less. Problems I noticed out of the box and during teardown: 1) Keycaps look like they were placed on a piece of cardboard and spray painted. The caps aren't fully coated white / black on all four sides - literally every keycap. You can visually see this as the board sits. 2) Font location on the keycaps is weird and inconsistent. Every key has the letter on the top RIGHT side instead of the top LEFT and some are dead in the middle of the keycap. I believe this to be a QC issue along with the paint as mentioned above. all of the modifies the logo is in the middle. Overall just inconsistent keycaps. 3) The "Cherry XTRFY" logo / badge above the arrow keys is magnetic....barely. They didn't add any sort of provision to make the logo piece sit in place so no matter what the logo will always become tilted or just sit crooked with the lightest touch or accidental bump. 4) 3-pin switches. MX2A or not, there's just no benefit even with them being MX2A. Their so called "changes" to the molds and switches isn't noticeable at all. They changed the springs and massively donut dipped them, that's it. Buy original switches and a break in machine. 5) I'm shocked the has PCB mounted stabilizers, that being said they use INTENSE amounts of weird thick lube in them. The most sluggish stab keys I've felt from a board pre-lubed. 6) It's very easy to open the keyboard but there's not much to do. Daughterboard from the early 2000's, most thin piece of cheap foam at the bottom of the board, same matching pcb foam. 7) Tray mounted, rigid.

This is the best keyboard I have ever used. The ARGB is off the hook. It allow SO much flexibility with colors and the keyboard chassis is part of the color show too. The key switches are the newest Cherry MX ver. 2 switching and they are SO smooth. They're quiet, easy to press, and best of all this keyboard lets you change the response time of the switches so you can set them to react fast or slow depending on if you're gaming or typing (respectively). The keyboard comes with an 80" USB-A to USB-C cable that's exceptionally well made with a thick woven cover and bend protectors on the ends. It comes with your standard keycap/switch puller and it even has two extra red switches. It's a 65% keyboard so it has 67 keys. The keycaps keys are double shot ABS (wish they were PBT) so the symbols on the tops and sides are part of the keycap. And that's important because those side printings are hugely important and why this keyboard is so good. I can't tell you how many 60%-65% keyboards I have where I need to take a college course on how to use the thing, so many different key combinations and modes. Not with this keyboard. Everything extra is done with the FN key. And those extra functions are clearly labeled on the sides of the keys so you will always know how to do what. This is easily the best keyboard I've ever owned. Watch the video for an in-depth demonstration of all the features of this amazing keyboard.

At $150, this is priced at the high-end of the prebuilt keyboard market. The only keyboards more expensive than this one are those equipped with Topre/Hall switches which can have their actuation points adjusted to provide a more customizable experience and also allow for more controlled input, which is helpful for driving simulators, etc. This keyboard lacks those types of switches and use the more traditional mechanical switches. The switches are from Cherry themselves so they are one of the more premium ones, which should contribute to lifespan. However, the feel isn't much different from Outemu/Gateron/Kailh red switches. I also found that some of the keys on this keyboard are much more lubricated or dampened compared to others, specifically the large keys such as Enter, Space, and Backspace. This can be weird if you are not used to it but I acclimated quickly so your mileage may vary. Other than that, I like that it still has arrow keys despite being a 65% keyboard which most budget 65% keyboards skip over and instead, force you to use FN + some other key to get arrow key movements. This is very helpful when typing up papers, etc. The RGB lighting is probably the nicest part of this keyboard as I got the version with the translucent backing and it shines through quite nicely, especially at night. Nevertheless, at this price point, there are a lot of things lacking that I would have liked to see and would have helped to justify such a high price. Making it wireless would be one thing as other keyboards in this price range typically have wireless functionality as well. Including better keycaps, such as the jelly ones, would also help to improve the feel of the keyboard and make the lighting shine through. I do like that the keys are hotswappable, however, and there are many macros/functions that you can achieve using the FN key. Overall though, this is a pretty overpriced keyboard and I feel like it would be more worth it around the $80-$100 range. You are essentially paying for the name brand Cherry and there are some better options that you can find at the same price or even lower if you know what you are looking for. You could also potentially build a keyboard around the same price as this one which would provide more flexibility and customization.

If keyboards were superheroes, the Xtrfy Cherry K5V2 would be the one wearing a cape and flying around saving the day. This keyboard is the Clark Kent of the tech world - unassuming in its transparent white attire, but underneath that exterior lies a beast waiting to unleash its power. The 65% format is like the perfect cup of coffee - not too big, not too small, just right. It's compact enough to fit on a postage stamp (okay, maybe a large one), yet it packs in all the functionality you need. It's like they've taken a regular keyboard, put it in a gym for a year, and this is the result - lean, mean, and super fit. The Cherry MX2A RED switches are the cherry on top (pun absolutely intended). They're smoother than a jazz musician's pick-up line and have a satisfying click that's music to my ears. It's like every keystroke is a symphony being played just for me. The hot-swappable ability is the icing on the cake. It's like having a wardrobe of switches at your disposal. Feeling tactile today? Swap them out. Want a linear day? Swap them in. It's like being a kid in a candy store.