Overall and Final Verdict
The last time I had a compact Cooler Master keyboard in the office I wasn’t all that impressed with it which was a big change from my past Cooler Master experiences given that I have been exclusively using their MasterKeys Pro L for my main keyboard on my PC and a few others as well. The MK721 on the other hand reminds me a lot of my first experiences with their Quickfire and later the MasterKeys Pro L. I love that Cooler Master has been listening to the enthusiast community and offering options that stand above the “standard” keyboard that also don’t end up costing the crazy prices that the custom keyboards that the community brings. I’m not saying that the MK721 is on the same level as some of those custom options, but Cooler Master does strike a nice balance between them. The MK721 has a 65% key layout that keeps it compact but still allows you to have a direction pad and a few additional keys. It sits its overall feel up over your standard keyboards with the thick aluminum top cover but where it does lack compared to the custom options is the bottom half being plastic. The Kailh Box V2 Mechanical Switchs feel great and I was extremely happy to see a tactile keyswitch option again, most of the time these days we just get linear or clicky options and that is it.
Aesthetically the custom finish that they gave the 30th Anniversary Edition looks great and the 30th logo additions to the dial and wrist rest are nice. The wrist rest in general is a nice addition and fits the MK721 perfectly, be warned that foam wrist rests like this do get dirty and wear and look bad over time. But they are also addictive for how comfortable they are as well. Cooler Master made sure to include PBT doubleshot keycaps with both the main keycaps and also the turquoise extra keys but I do wish they would have included a second spacebar because the hydro-dipped design on this one is going to be the first to wear. Overall the quality of the MK721 is a step above what you find from most mainstream offerings. I’m also a big fan of the three different connection options with the artisan-like aviator cable for using the MK721 wired, the wireless dongle for traditional wireless, and Bluetooth as well where you can connect and use the KM721 on three different devices switching between them on the fly.
You know I like the MK721 because not only do I have a long list of things I like about the keyboard, but I’m also critical of its faults. The biggest of which to me is the overall battery life unless you plan on running without the backlighting on. The dial, while awesome is a little spongy when it comes to the tactile feel when you turn it. I also wish that the sunken-in Type-C charging connection was larger so that you could use a standard Type-C cable when needed. I know it is designed that way to support the connection when running in wired mode, but being able to use my phone charger when running in wireless mode would make life easier. I also had a few issues with the software, namely it wanting to run in a full screen-like size, the MK721 coming up as the CK721 in the software, and not being able to key map things to the function layer. The software is otherwise great, but I did have those issues.
My only other request to Cooler Master if they are listening, please bring out a full-sized version of this with the hybrid connections, precision dial wheel, aluminum top, and everything else. Even with the faults, I love the MK721 and it will be swapped out with the current keyboard for our test bench. But if they had a full-sized model just like this I could drop the need for a second keyboard on my desk altogether. I seriously considered using this full-time on my main PC, but with inputting testing numbers in Excel and everything else I can’t afford to lose the number pad. As for pricing, the MK721 can be picked up for $119.99, sadly the other MK721 options don’t seem to be available anywhere. Then the CK721 which doesn’t have the same switches or cable is $88-$98 depending on the color.
Live Pricing: HERE
