Setup, Design & Observations
Out the box, the Force K85 RGB has a fair bit of heft to it due to its compact size and its 1.1Kg mass. This makes it quite a powerful weapon if you had it on you in a bar fight. On the plus side, you know that it isn't likely to move anywhere or slide around on your desktop thanks to its large rubber pads on the underside. Needless to say, it is built like a tank from the keycaps to the base.
That level of robustness transfers over to the mechanical switches too, rated at 70m keystrokes. Kailh switches are a popular choice for their reliability as well as their affordability compared to CHERRY MX. The Force K85 RGB is available in the linear Red and clicky blue switches. As our version is the red switches we can only report our findings as such. It our experience, the Kailh blue switches tend to be a little more consistent in feel, as the linear red switches, in use, feel rather inconsistent in actuation force, and it can feel rather strange having a variation of forces while typing. Though the effect is subtle and nothing concerning, it can simply seem 'strange' and is simply different to CHERRY MX Red, on the plus side, the Kailh Red switches actually sound rather quiet, lacking the typical 'clack' one would normally expect. On the larger keys (shift, spacebar etc), rather than using a metal distribution bar GIGABYTE have opted to use dummy switches which help distribute the load and provide a more even key press. This means that the larger keycaps are easier to remove and maintain which is a nice little bonus.
The height of the keyboard is fine for the main, but I would prefer it to have been a little lower than its 40mm height, as it can be a bit of a strain over long periods without a wrist rest. I found while typing that my left wrist was at a more undesirable angle, while my right hand preferred to hover, of course both scenarios not ideal unless you want carpel tunnel or an RSI in your shoulder. There are plenty of third party wrist rests available, but a simply offering out the box would have gone down well here.
Performance
Putting the Force K85 RGB to test, we found that the switches gave a great level of control in game. The force and quietness of the switches proved to be great for feedback while moving in CS:GO, but also raised comments while in-game as some noticed that they couldn't hear any 'typing sounds'. The dedicated WinLK key added to the gaming experience due to being able to instantly enable/disable the Windows key, however it doesn't disable other combination keys like many 'gaming modes' tend to, such as 'alt + F4'. In general use, the switches were fine, but I wouldn't recommend the red version for those that spend a lot of time typing, useless you have a specific preference for the linear feel.
