Technology X Tomorrow's Technology Today!
FINAL WORDS AND CONCLUSION
After about six months from when Technology X originally saw it at CES 2013, Cooler Master finally released the QuickFire Stealth with the intriguing Cherry MX Green flavour. We reviewed the Blue-switched version instead, and it performed admirably well. A sleek, stylish design with slanted phantom keycaps, turbo tweaking modes, tenkeyless layout, and a very low-profile, “Stealthy” design; well, as close as it gets with Cherry MX blue switches.
There is not much going against the Stealth aside from subjective preferences. The price is definitely a tad steep at $90, and we feel $20 less would be the sweet-spot. Furthermore, while the Cherry MX Blue switches are excellent for typing and great for gaming, the phantom keycaps may hinder those who prefer them on the top. Since they are not laste-etched, and considering there is no backlighting (or lighting in general), it may be difficult for those who have not memorized a standard keyboard layout and need to see the keyboard in darker environments. The lack of a numpad may also deter those who prefer a full keyboard layout, rather than a compact tenkeyless design.
Overall however, for $89.99, the Cooler Master Storm Quickfire Stealth Cherry MX Blue mechanical keyboard is a no-brainer if you are ready to make the jump from large membrane keyboards to a smaller, more tactilely precise and clicky keyboard thanks to the Cherry MX Blue switches. Along with the generous amount of goodies and the polished minimalistic aesthetics, the CM Storm QuickFire Stealth is completely worth the investment. The durability, longevity, and overall enjoyment of typing on a mechanical keyboard will make you question as to why you did not jump to mechanical keyboards in the first place – oh, and your fingers will love you as well!