Cooler Master QuickFire Rapid

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Cooler Master QuickFire Rapid

Part number	(US ANSI Variations): SGK-4000-GKCL1-US (Blue), SGK-4000-GKCC1-US (Black), SGK-4000-GKCM1-US (Brown), SGK-4000-GKCR1-US (Red), SGK-4000-GKCG1-US (Green), SGK-4000-GKCM1-SP (ISO Spanish)
Branding	CM Storm QuickFire Rapid
Manufacturer	Cooler Master
Features	Detachable braided cable, tenkeyless design, Windows Lock gaming mode, media keys, extra keycaps with puller
Layouts	ANSI, ISO
Keyswitches	Cherry MX
Switch mount	Plate mount
Interface	USB and PS/2 (via included adapter)
Rollover	NKRO (PS/2), 6KRO (USB)
Price	$60 – $100

The CM Storm QuickFire Rapid is a tenkeyless keyboard from Cooler Master's CM Storm QuickFire line of mechanical keyboards. Its "Ninja" (side-printed keycaps) variant is called the CM Storm QuickFire Stealth.

The rest of the CM Storm QuickFire range is made up of the QuickFire Pro (full-size mechanical keyboard), QuickFire Trigger (full-size partially-lighted) and the QuickFire TK (tenkeyless variation with full backlighting).

Description

The Rapid has a minimalist tenkelyess design, similiar to Ducky's tenkeyless keyboards, with minimum overhangs that use Cherry MX switches mounted on a metal plate ("backplate"). The top surface of the keyboard is completely coated with a rubber-like textured grey finish, similar to German luxury automobiles. The bottom surface has three channels for cable management (back, left and right). When activated, the CAPS LOCK and SCR LK keys have red LED backlighing.

Media-wise, it has basic media keys (volume-up, down, mute, play/pause, forward, back and media stop), activaded as secondary funtions on the top row (F5 to F12) using the Alt key modifier.

for gamers, it has a "Windows Disable" key which lights red when activated in the same fashiong as the CAPS LOCK and SCR LK keys. This "lock" prevents accidental activation of the Windows Key when gaming (which would take you out to the Windows menu in the middle of a game). Since it is a tenkeless design, it lacks a NUM LOCK key.

Keycaps

The keycaps are made of black ABS plastic which are laser-etched in white with a futuristic font. It comes in both QWERTY ANSI (US) and ISO-standard layouts. The key switches are soldered on a sturdy metal plate which adds a total net weight of 2.1 lbs (factory quoted).

The keyboard includes:

• 4 red-colored WASD keys suitable for FPS gaming, with directional arrows etched on top and "WASD" letters etched of the front side.
• 2 black "Windows" keys with Cooler Master's "round logo", replacing plain "WIN" keys.
• A Ring Type keycap puller tool.
• A USB-to-PS/2 for NKRO and compatibility for motherboards that have this port.

2013 model

For 2013, Cooler Master removed most of the previous year's branding logos, except for a "CM STORM" which faces to the back of the keyboard, below the ESC key. The original rubber surface now comes with a black finish, replacing the original grey finish top cover (both can be obtained directly from Cooler Master as extra optionals).

Exclusive for the Cherry MX Red switch model, the backplate comes painted in red. All other keyswitch models have their metal backplate painted black.

The 'Rapid' comes standard with a braided, detachable, USB-to-mini-USB cable (about 6 feet long) with gold-plated connectors. The bottom has rear standoffs and four rubber feet.

Keyswitch Variants

The QuickFire Rapid is available in the most popular Cherry MX switch "colors", including Cherry MX Blue (clicky and tactile), Cherry MX Brown (light tactile), Cherry MX Red (light linear), Cherry MX Black (heavy linear) and more recently Cherry MX Green (clicky, tactile with heavier actuation force).