Keyboard
Now Reading
ARMAGGEDDON MKA-11R RGB Raptor Review
Silver Pokdeward
4
Review

ARMAGGEDDON MKA-11R RGB Raptor Review

by May 31, 2016
Positives

+ Interesting packaging with a window to view the keyboard
+ Aluminium top plate is exposed and easy to clean
+ Kailh Blue switches are very tactile
+ RGB backlighting
+ Reasonable pricing

Negatives

- non-detachable cable
- Software needs to be improved

Pokde Scoreboard
Pokde Rating
Appearance
9.0
Features
8.0
Materials
7.0
Performance
7.0
Portability
9.0
Value
7.0
Bottom Line

The ARMAGGEDDON MKA-11R RGB Raptor is one stylish keyboard, and you don't have to rob a bank to get it.

7.8
Pokde Rating
You have rated this
What's your reaction?
Me Gusta
29%
WOW
71%
Potato
0%
Sad Reacc
0%
Angery
0%

As we should know by now, ARMAGGEDDON makes some pretty cool stuff and yet is still capable of pricing them affordable. The ARMAGGEDDON MKA-11R RGB Raptor we are look at here now follows this trend, and we aren’t surprised at all. Anyway, let’s get down into the review.

 

Unboxing

amaggeddon-MKA-11-r-06

The ARMAGGEDDON MKA-11R RGB Raptor comes in the standard black and yellow themed packaging, with the main features highlighted on the top panel of this box.

amaggeddon-MKA-11-r-07

Over on the bottom, there is more information as well as a comparison of the different mechanical switches.

amaggeddon-MKA-11-r-08

This is actually the first time I have seen a mechanical keyboard packaging with a flip open window. While a lot of mice have it, this is quite unique. Well, I do like getting a proper look at my purchase before handing over my moolah, so this is pretty great.

I am not sure if there are any other contents of the packaging, as I only received the keyboard itself.

 

Specifications

Body material Brushed aluminium top, plastic base
Keycap ABS keycaps
USB report rate 125/250/500/1000 Hz
Switch type Kailh Blue RGB
Microprocessor N/A
Cable 1.8m, non-detachable, sleeved, gold plated USB connector
Weight N/A
Included accessories N/A

Appearance

amaggeddon-MKA-11-r-01

The ARMAGGEDDON MKA-11R RGB Raptor looks pretty light and compact, a great job by ARMAGGEDDON utilizing all the space available and not wasting any on thick frames and bezels. The ARMAGGEDDON MKA-11R RGB Raptor features floating keys over a brushed aluminium backplate, similar to Corsair’s keyboards as well as the Tesoro Gram Spectrum. I prefer this design as it makes it a whole lot easier for me to clean my keyboard.

amaggeddon-MKA-11-r-02

The ARMAGGEDDON MKA-11R RGB Raptor features a nice braided cable, a gold plated USB connector and also the much needed cable routing channels that so many keyboard manufacturers seem to forget about. I do wish the cable was detachable though, but this is good enough.

amaggeddon-MKA-11-r-05

The ARMAGGEDDON MKA-11R RGB Raptor feature Kailh switches with RGB lighting. You can see that the lighting reflects off the brushed aluminium for a nice soft glow.

 

User Experience

While many “purist” hate on Kailh switches, I personally found that they aren’t as bad as they are made out to be. I find that the Kailh Blue switches has a tactile feel similar to Cherry MX Browns, except that they sound more clicky.

amaggeddon-MKA-11-r-03

As the ARMAGGEDDON MKA-11R RGB Raptor resembles the Corsair K95 that I usually use, I got used to using it very easily. Overall, I would say that the typing experience on the ARMAGGEDDON MKA-11R RGB Raptor with the Kailh Blue switches was better than expected.

amaggeddon-MKA-11-r-09

The driver installation CD was not included with my review sample, so I went to download it. It was a really tiny file, which was probably the reason why it didn’t come with a driver CD. The software allows you to choose up to 13 lighting effects, including off. However I prefer configuring the lighting modes on the keyboard itself, rather than using the software. For me, the software wasn’t really useful except the macro manager, but the fact that it cannot reprogram the multimedia keys left me a little disappointed.

The positioning of the multimedia keys are also a little off. It would have been better if the “music” key was replaced with a “next” key. These keys are also non-programmable, which was disappointing as I did not need them and they would have been a lot more useful if I could repurpose them.

While I don’t personally own a RGB backlit keyboard, I have had my fair share of trying them out at the last Cyberfusion LAN party. The ARMAGGEDDON MKA-11R RGB Raptor features great lighting and brightness levels, but is somewhat limited in terms of color options. I also broke the lighting effect as it suddenly stopped working after I tried to customize it. It scared me at first, but there is a reset option within the software manager. It is as if ARMAGGEDDON is aware of the issue and placed the reset option there to solve it.

 

Conclusion

amaggeddon-MKA-11-r-04

The ARMAGGEDDON MKA-11R RGB Raptor is really satisfying to type on. The clicky sound which may be annoying to some, was a non-issue to me, especially as I usually use my headphones. I usually say that Kailh switches are second class compared to Cherry switches, but after a few weeks with the ARMAGGEDDON MKA-11R RGB Raptor, I do find them pretty on par, actually. It finally boils down to a matter of personal preference. The Kailh Blue in the ARMAGGEDDON MKA-11R RGB Raptor here has more tactile feedback than Cherry MX Browns, while being slightly less noisy compared to Cherry MX Blues. I would highly recommend this keyboard to anyone looking for an entry-level mechanical gaming keyboard, as it is not only suited for gaming, but also extensive typing, like I did for this review. With a RRP of around RM450, the ARMAGGEDDON MKA-11R RGB Raptor is pretty great. I will give it a Silver Pokdeward for its good looks and nice Kailh switches, but the software does need some improvements.

Pokde-Silver

I would like to say thank you to ARMAGGEDDON Malaysia for giving us the opportunity to review this product.

About The Author
Muhammad Firdaus
I love technology, so I love AMD.
4 Comments
  • Wan Azril Syazrin
    May 31, 2016 at 7:27 pm

    I bought this keyboard 3months ago.. Still loving it

  • June 10, 2016 at 8:20 pm

    Woah! I’m really loving the template/theme of
    this site. It’s simple, yet effective. A lot of times it’s difficult to get that
    “perfect balance” between superb usability and visual appearance.

    I must say you have done a superb job with this.
    Additionally, the blog loads extremely quick for
    me on Internet explorer. Outstanding Blog!

Leave a Response