Dark Matter Collider by Monoprice Mechanical Gaming Keyboard Review: True Value Purchase
Purchase Price: $42.99
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Everybody wants to have something amazing without backing up a truck of cash to obtain it. We’re always on the hunt for value deals and Monoprice is a company that often delivers when it comes to value to price ratio. I purchased the Dark Matter Collider mechanical gaming keyboard from Monoprice for $42.99 and at this price point, it absolutely has qualified as one of the best value purchases I’ve made in quite a long time.
Initial Reactions
The Dark Matter option I have is wired with Cherry MX Red keys. What can I say about Cherry MX keys that you haven’t heard before? This is probably the most popular keyboard switch for gamers and for good reason. The Cherry MX Red keys on this Collider mechanical keyboard gives off an ample clickiness sound without being too obnoxious. The tactile reaction is quick and just feels good to type on. Monoprice says these switches provide an actuation point of 2mm with a total travel distance of 4mm.
The great thing about Monoprice is that their products are rarely if ever sold at full price. This is the true factor of why we value Monoprice as a brand.
On top of actually handling the key traction well, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed the build quality of the Dark Matter too. While the majority of the keyboard itself is made of plastic material, the switches are mounted on a steel plate. The keycaps satisfy the pores on your fingertips as you type thanks to a matte-like texture that helps distinguish the keys from cheaper typing options. Keep in mind the MSRP of this keyboard was originally north of $100, so this is definitely built like a premium board. The great thing about Monoprice is that their products are rarely if ever sold at full price. This is the true factor of why we value Monoprice as a brand.
The Aesthetics
For a full sized keyboard, the Dark Matter Collider sure is compact in it’s actual structure. It measures at a short 13mm in width which is pretty compact by my account. This is because there really isn’t any border or bezels around the keys. It’s an extremely clean and aesthetically pleasing look. There is an un-detachable braided USB A cable that gives plenty of slack for just about any type of setup. On the bottom of the keyboard is a diagonally striped plastic housing with rubber feet and two adjustable angles to configure. They’re both at reasonable distances off the surface and provide good angles for comfortable typing.
While gamers are the target audience, Monoprice has created a healthy niche reputation in the office setting over the years. I love this particular keyboard as my office keyboard simply due to the fact that it looks non-intrusive and performs better than others I could have purchased at the price I purchased it for. If you weren’t looking for it, you would most likely miss the Dark Matter branding above the arrow keys. The black text on top of the matte black body makes this a piece that can effortlessly adapt to any desk setup.
Add in the flexible yet vast customization for RGB options and this keyboard really does manage to blend into any environment. Every single individual key can be programmed using key commands. Per-key RGB, while not a revolutionary feature, is an extraordinary luxury for me at this price point. I keep referring to this price point ($43) due to the fact that I commonly see these keyboards on sale and if I can obtain one at this price so easily, I don’t see why others can’t. I love the RGB options on this mechanical keyboard and I dare say it is one of my favorite basic setups that I’ve used to date. Without needing to go too deep into programming the keys with a software program, the RGB customizations here are simple and easy to do. I actually like the pre-programmed options as well here. They radiate a certain charm that isn’t too obnoxious for my tastes.
Speaking of programming, the Collider allows programming of free macro keys without software. The Y, U, I, O and P keys are available for what they call “on-the-fly” custom combo setting. I can think of a handful of games that would benefit from something like this when the need to chain combinations are rampant in modern online games.
Final Thoughts
If you couldn’t tell, I’m quite smitten with the Dark Matter keyboard. I love the chamfering symmetrical design and most of all, the typing experience on here. Gaming on games like Black Desert Online and Tomb Raider reinforce the positive feelings I have when using this. It just feels comfortable. I would love to see Monoprice permanently mark this keyboard down to $50 to make it more accessible to the masses as they put them on sale often anyway. Other than that, I’m a fan of Monoprice and this should be on the short list for your Slickdeals shopping cart.
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Alex
Caught in between the conundrum of his fascination with retro and the future, Alex has a very unique taste in technology. Never one to follow trends like his millennial peers yet constantly desiring to get ahead of the curve, he sees technology like he does his other love: comic books. Always looking for the best value or a hidden gem, his collector mindset reflects on some of his favorite gadgets: the Moto X (2015), HTC U11 and the Google Pixelbook. If there’s a good tech deal out there, Alex is on the hunt!