General Usage
Like all mechanical keyboards, they take some getting used to the first few times you use them. The CM Strom Trigger is no different and is perhaps a little more difficult than other mechanical keyboards thanks to the Cherry MX Black switches. This type of key switch is the stiffest of all MX switches so may feel a little strange if you are coming from a keyboard with a soft, traditional rubber domed affair. Regardless, after a few hours use you will begin to wonder why you never made the switch (excuse the pun) to a mechanical keyboard before. They just feel 'right'; robust yet satisfying to use.
The MX blacks on the CM Storm Trigger, like all MX blacks are designed for gaming use and thus this keyboard may not be the best choice for typing long amounts of text. The switches are designed to be responsive, accurate and durable thanks to the linear nature and while they do not have the tactile clicky feel of MX blue switches it is still a very useable piece of equipment for everyday tasks. The backlighting can be turned off and the media keys certainly come in handy.
Gaming
Cherry MX Black key switches coupled with backlighting and macro keys means the CM Storm Trigger was an absolute pleasure to use while gaming. I must confess I do not usually make use of Macro keys but I can certainly see where they would appeal to some gamers. The Cherry MX Blacks, while being slightly stiffer than may personal favourite Red switches were still delightful to use and felt as though they would out last many of my other peripherals, such is the robust feel of the keyboard. Indeed, Cherry MX warrant their key switches for some 50 million key presses so you can be assured this keyboard will take quite a beating but still come back for more. I was initially worried about the material used on the keyboard as the matt rubber texture may start to shine after a while but after a months use I am happy to report that at present, the keyboard looks as good now as it did when I removed it from it packaging.
Battlefield 3
The FPS of 2011 was a pleasure to play with the CM Storm Trigger. Thanks to the linear motion of the Cherry MX black switches, straffing and crouching etc was very precise and responsive and because of the low actuation point of the keys, each motion was performed milliseconds quicker. While this did not have an affect on my stats, it did feel slightly more fluid. I must point out though that using mechanical switches is generally noisier than using rubber domed keys. The MX Blacks are not tactile so you do not get the 'clicky' sounds but you still get the 'clunk' sounds when the keys bottom out. Whether this interferes with your audio experience or not will depend on whether you use a quality headset.
Company of Heroes/RIFT/SKYRIM
I made use of a couple of Macro's in these games which while not wholly necessary, did make the game more enjoyable and made some actions quicker and simpler to use. I can see people who favour MMO games make good use of the macro capabilities of this keyboard and while 5 macro keys may not be sufficient for every spell or action available, it will suffice for the more common activities.
Overall then, the Cooler Master Storm Trigger is a fantastic keyboard to use, especially when gaming for which it is clearly designed.
Like all mechanical keyboards, they take some getting used to the first few times you use them. The CM Strom Trigger is no different and is perhaps a little more difficult than other mechanical keyboards thanks to the Cherry MX Black switches. This type of key switch is the stiffest of all MX switches so may feel a little strange if you are coming from a keyboard with a soft, traditional rubber domed affair. Regardless, after a few hours use you will begin to wonder why you never made the switch (excuse the pun) to a mechanical keyboard before. They just feel 'right'; robust yet satisfying to use.
The MX blacks on the CM Storm Trigger, like all MX blacks are designed for gaming use and thus this keyboard may not be the best choice for typing long amounts of text. The switches are designed to be responsive, accurate and durable thanks to the linear nature and while they do not have the tactile clicky feel of MX blue switches it is still a very useable piece of equipment for everyday tasks. The backlighting can be turned off and the media keys certainly come in handy.
Gaming
Cherry MX Black key switches coupled with backlighting and macro keys means the CM Storm Trigger was an absolute pleasure to use while gaming. I must confess I do not usually make use of Macro keys but I can certainly see where they would appeal to some gamers. The Cherry MX Blacks, while being slightly stiffer than may personal favourite Red switches were still delightful to use and felt as though they would out last many of my other peripherals, such is the robust feel of the keyboard. Indeed, Cherry MX warrant their key switches for some 50 million key presses so you can be assured this keyboard will take quite a beating but still come back for more. I was initially worried about the material used on the keyboard as the matt rubber texture may start to shine after a while but after a months use I am happy to report that at present, the keyboard looks as good now as it did when I removed it from it packaging.
Battlefield 3
The FPS of 2011 was a pleasure to play with the CM Storm Trigger. Thanks to the linear motion of the Cherry MX black switches, straffing and crouching etc was very precise and responsive and because of the low actuation point of the keys, each motion was performed milliseconds quicker. While this did not have an affect on my stats, it did feel slightly more fluid. I must point out though that using mechanical switches is generally noisier than using rubber domed keys. The MX Blacks are not tactile so you do not get the 'clicky' sounds but you still get the 'clunk' sounds when the keys bottom out. Whether this interferes with your audio experience or not will depend on whether you use a quality headset.
Company of Heroes/RIFT/SKYRIM
I made use of a couple of Macro's in these games which while not wholly necessary, did make the game more enjoyable and made some actions quicker and simpler to use. I can see people who favour MMO games make good use of the macro capabilities of this keyboard and while 5 macro keys may not be sufficient for every spell or action available, it will suffice for the more common activities.
Overall then, the Cooler Master Storm Trigger is a fantastic keyboard to use, especially when gaming for which it is clearly designed.
