[2022 Installed Goods Ⅲ] irocks K86R hands-on play: dual-mode, hot-swappable 100-key RGB mechanical keyboard

Mechanical keyboards have been popular for many years. There are no keyboards with mechanical switches these days. I am ashamed to say that I am a gaming keyboard. iRocks, which has been cultivating the keyboard market for many years, has launched special products such as its own switches and building block keyboards in the past few years. Launched the new mechanical keyboard K86R that supports hot-swappable shafts.

Before introducing this keyboard in depth, let’s quickly sort out its features: 100-key compact configuration, retaining the numeric keypad and still having fairly complete operability, hot-swappable Gateron (Jia Dalong) RGB mechanical Switches, PBT double-shot keycaps, dual-mode wireless 2.4GHz, 3750mAh high-capacity battery, multi-level noise reduction of the silicone sandwich pad and the bottom layer of noise-absorbing cotton, the separation design of the key wire, and can be operated and set intuitively using iRocks exclusive control software .

In terms of main features, iRocks K86R has good specifications, and the dual-mode connection mode can be used without "wires" and is more flexible. Next, follow the editor to learn more about the details of this keyboard.

The K86R uses a compact 100-key configuration with a moderately wide outer frame. Although there are RGB lights, it uses opaque two-color shaped PBT keycaps. The keycap surface is engraved in English, and the volume, multimedia, lighting control and other logos are presented in the form of side engraving, which makes the front of the keycap look much more elegant.

In addition to the included accessories, the quick installation manual, the detachable Type C cable, the 2.4GHz wireless receiver is stored at the bottom of the keyboard, and a set of multi-functional key pullers are attached.

One end of the multifunctional shaft and key puller is a long clip for pulling out keycaps, and the other end is a jig for pulling out shafts.

It is worth mentioning that the keycaps of the K86R are dark brown for numbers, English, F1-F4, and F9-F12, and the rest of the keycaps are dark gray. The ESC and Enter keys are decorated with red and black The multi-level color matching of the plastic frame is attractive and textured.

In the keyboard configuration part, there are standard Ctrl, Win, Alt, space bar and Enter key, the arrow keys of the editing keypad are moved down, and the number keypad on the right can be close to the main keyboard area by reducing the keycap width of the number key 0 and arrow keys to further reduce the width of the keyboard.

The keys on the upper half of the original editing keypad are dismantled and arranged on the right side of the function keypad (F1 ~ F12) and above the numeric keypad, and the keyboard status indicator is arranged vertically between the main keyboard and the numeric keys. Between the zones, from top to bottom are number key lock, caps lock, and scroll lock. The color and lighting mode can understand the current battery status of the keyboard.

If the red light of the Windows Lock key is blinking, it means that the battery of the keyboard is in low voltage, reminding the user to charge it or switch to wired use. In the charging state, the red light is always on, and when the charging is complete, the light will go out. If the Windows key lock function is turned on at the same time and it is charging, you will find that the light is pink.

Using the included 2-in-1 key puller and shaft puller, the three-legged Gateron shaft can be seen after the keycap is removed, and the user can choose the shaft body with the same pin position to replace. The version tested by the editor this time is the Gateron RGB brown switch, and the original factory also provides red and green switch options.

The total stroke of the Gateron brown switch is 4mm, the trigger stroke is about 2mm (the trigger point is 1.25mm), and the pressing force is 55g.

I originally thought that the K86R's Gateron switch would be very close to the Cherry MX brown switch's segmental feel, but the original factory adjusted the key switch's pressing feel and sound by adding a silicone cushion between the positioning board and the circuit board. As well as the sound-absorbing cotton between the circuit board and the bottom cover, the paragraph feeling of the Gateron brown switch is quite slight, and it is closer to the linear feel that is slightly heavier than the red switch. At the same time, the pressing and tapping are quieter, and the pressing feedback feels good. And stable.

The long shaft part is matched with the satellite shaft design, but in the satellite shaft part, you can feel the difference from the Gateron mechanical shaft. Compared with the Gateron tea shaft, although the pressing is slightly more fleshy, the stability is quite consistent. It is equipped with PBT keycaps It is not easy to oil and has moderate hardness. Overall, the keycap feels light and satisfying.

The design of hot-swappable switch allows players to configure switches with different feel according to the key area. For example, the number keypad on the right is replaced with a green switch with clear paragraphs and a crisp sound to increase the percussion feel. The most commonly used W button for shooting game players , A, S, D, you can consider replacing it with a red axis that has no paragraphs and responds quickly.

The three-pin Gateron shaft is used, and the user can choose to replace the shaft body with the same pin position.

The RGB light is reflected through the white positioning plate, in addition to presenting a uniform colorful light effect, the brightness performance is also better. Users who like more fancy can also consider replacing the light-transmitting keycaps by themselves.

The white positioning board has good reflective efficiency and better brightness performance.

The K86R supports 2.4GHz wireless connection and detachable USB Type-C wired connection, with a USB wireless receiver storage slot hidden at the bottom of the keyboard, and a wireless/wired mode switch lever. With a 3750 mAh high-capacity battery, it can be used for about 180 hours in wireless mode with the backlight off, and about 40 hours of continuous use when the backlight is at its brightest.

The tripod at the bottom of the keyboard adopts a two-stage design, providing three adjustable angles of 0°, 6° and 8° respectively. There are also non-slip rubber strips at the four corners of the bottom.

Three-section height-adjustable keyboard feet provide 0°, 6° and 8° angle adjustment respectively.

The dedicated control software provides common functions such as custom keyboard keys, backlight mode control, game mode settings, and custom macros, and supports storing multiple sets of Profile configuration files. Individual keys can be set as general keyboard function, simulated mouse, macro assignment, double click, start program, multimedia function, Windows shortcut function and disable.

The backlight mode provides color customization or full-color illumination, light change speed and brightness adjustment, and 19 preset light modes. Game Mode's Windows Key Lock, Disable Alt + Tab, or F4 can also be assigned to disable or set a one-key quick switch respectively.

When using it, I found that the iRocks exclusive control software of the K86R does not have the power display function. After inquiry, the original factory replied that there is currently no plan to add the power display. Although it does not have much impact on use, if the power display function can be added, users can better grasp the remaining power of the keyboard.

As its first dual-mode wireless mechanical keyboard with hot-swappable switchable switches, iRocks K86R has a pretty good user experience. There are three distinct styles of red and green switches, and the choice of switches takes into account office, game and other usage scenarios. The 100-key compact configuration that retains the numeric keypad meets most user needs.

This keyboard supports hot-swappable and standard keycap design, and users can replace the keycaps and shaft configurations to extend the life or obtain a tapping experience with different shafts. I hope that there will be an opportunity to add power display in the software in the future. If you can upgrade the model to use a metal frame, or 80% of the configuration, or use an island-style keycap to make the light transmission brighter, it is a good direction. Overall, this is a good direction. This keyboard is worth a try for players, and it also makes people expect that iRocks will launch more diverse hot-swappable keyboards in the future.

The iRocks K86R is currently on sale, with a suggested price of 709 yuan and a one-year warranty. With this specification, the mechanical keyboard with interchangeable switches is quite a value, and interested players can start as soon as possible.