A no-nonsense keyboard for those who want quality and durability
i-Rocks may sound like a relatively new company in the technology arena, but it has been in operation for at least 13 years, producing computer peripherals. With this experience behind it, the company is now introducing more affordable and interesting products to the peripheral market, in particular gaming products.
The i-Rocks Rock Series K10 USB Gaming Keyboard is one such peripheral. This keyboard has a lot going for it, such as 30-key anti-ghosting, a 100Hz polling rate, Windows key locks, 180cm cable length and a solid 1.2kg base that can take some punishment.
The key switches are constructed from polyoxymethyleneor (POM), also known as Delrin, which is an abrasion resistant, lowfriction plastic that provides a tough and durable switch onto which the PBT constructed keycaps are fitted. However, this isn’t a mechanical keyboard, interestingly; it’s just a membrane, but thanks to some clever design and construction, the K10 actually feels more like a keyboard with Cherry MX Red switches.
Call us old fashioned, but it’s how a keyboard feels when in use that proves its worth. We’ve tested many mechanical and membrane keyboards and everything else in between over the years, and while a mechanical keyboard still remains the holy grail of keyboards, the K10 has proved that there’s still something to offer from the membrane design.
There’s a good tactile feel to the keyboard; it’s also responsive, and your fingers flow over the key layout with ease too. The weight of the keyboard, as we mentioned, is heavy enough to stay put on a desk and to take the brunt of some keyboard mashing games and plenty of word processing without any feeling of it becoming too flimsy over time. There’s a high degree of quality here, that you can, again, feel from the moment you start to use it.
The layout of the K10 is simple. There are no extra macro keys to clutter up your view of the keyboard, and illumination is limited to just the Numlock, Caps Lock, Scroll lock and the aforementioned Windows Key lock LEDs. Optionally, the i-Rocks logo on the spacebar can be illuminated by pressing the PrtSc key for a few seconds.
Of course, this does mean it lacks some of the more desirable features of a professional gaming keyboard. The umpteen macro key selections, the individually illuminated key caps, the additional multimedia keys and the ability to plug in a headset directly to the keyboard or a USB device, for example, could leave gamers regarding this as more of a working keyboard rather than one that can be taken seriously in the gaming world. Realistically, i-Rocks could do away with the Gaming part of the title, since there’s little in the way of gaming enhancements, and instead opt for selling it as it is: a high quality keyboard.
That said, this is a keyboard that can be picked up for less than £20; £19.46 was the lowest we found one for online. So if you're after a more cost effective, durable and less flashy keyboard, then the i-Rocks K10 is certainly one you should seriously try out.
On the whole, the i-Rocks Rock Series K10 USB Gaming Keyboard is a great and well-priced peripheral. As we’ve already said, it feels good to use and it performs magnificently. What it lacks in bells and whistles, it more than makes up for in design quality and engineering. David Hayward
A great keyboard, at an exceptional price.
Specifications
Interface: Full speed USB.
Polling Rate: 1000Hz.
Key Number: 104 keys (by language).
Key Stroke: 3.8±0.5mm.
Key Force: 55±15g.
Switch Life: about 20 million life cycles.
Cable Length: 180cm.
Dimensions: 448 (L) x 148 (W) x 34(H) mm.
Product Weight: about 1.2kg.
N-key Rollover with 30-key trigger capability.
Membrane key-switches with plunged key structure.