Nighthawk-X8 Blue LED Backlit Mechanical Keyboard (Brown Cherry MX)

Last week I bought my first mechanical keyboard. I thought I could write a review from the perspective of a mechanical keyboard noob. I have wanted one for a long time. When I was growing up, my dad had an IBM Model M in the house, and I had completely forgotten how great that keyboard was until now.I come from a history of gaming keyboards. Initially, I had a Razer Lycosa. While it looked pretty, that keyboard was way more trouble than it was worth. It had a strange problem were it would get stuck sending a key’s signal to the computer, even though no keys were being pressed. The only fix for that was to unplug and re-plug into the machine. This happened multiple times a week. It was so frustrating that, after I ditched that keyboard, I swore off Razer products for good. I replaced the Lycosa with a Logitech G110, which was fine. It’s a gaming keyboard with backlighting, and dedicated macro and multimedia keys. I never really used the macros as much as I thought I would. Eventually I came to realize that simpler is better. It seems like all the fancy “gaming” stuff they put on those keyboard is just a way of making a cheap keyboard more expensive.I had a set of criteria when starting to look for a mechanical:• Full size board• Blue switches (for my first mechanical I wanted the FULL clicky clacky experience)• White backlighting (I need to wean myself off the gamer keyboard crap. I figure white, instead of some gaudy colored backlighting, is a step in the right direcion)• Minimalist designOk, review time. The Max Keyboard Nighthawk is very sleek and solid. When holding it from both ends and twisting, there is very little play or flexibility in the construction. I compared this to my old Logitech G110, and the Logitech creaked and twisted much more. If the Nighthawk was twisting, it was almost imperceptible. The whole board, keycaps included, has this smooth, matte, almost velvety texture to it. Time will tell how it will wear. The letters on the keys are etched into this texture, revealing white plastic beneath so the backlight can show through. Running a finger over this lettering has a slight tactile feeling, like you can feel the depression where the letter was etched out of the coating.I appreciate that each key has its own backlight. This is something that I suspect my previous backlit, non-mechanical keyboards did not have. Not only does this mean that every key is evenly lit across the board, but also that the whole thing can get very bright. I would guess that the Max Keyboard Nighthawk is at least twice as bright as my old Logitech. The backlighting has three levels of brightness, plus it can be put into a pulsating mode (have not found use for this), and it can be turned completely off. So far, I've just left it on maximum brightness.The naming scheme on the Max Keyboard Nighthawk line is kind of weird. There’s a Nighthawk x7, Nighthawk x8, and Nighthawk x9. The numbering implies that with the higher number, you’ll be getting more features or quality. This is not the case. The only difference between the 7, 8, and 9 models are the Cherry switches used and the back lighting’s color. So by going with the x7, I got blue switches and white backlight. However, in all other ways, it’s identical to the 8 and 9 models. Also, Max Keyboard gives you the option to completely customize your LED color layout and switch type. But the x7 was already exactly what I wanted, so that’s what I got.Technically, these Max Keyboard Nighthawks are still branded as “gaming” keyboards. But the gaming features it offers are so subtle and out of the way that they could be completely ignored. The function key row doubles as the multimedia and gaming key row. F1 tough F6 are the standard media keys (volume, play, pause, etc.). F7 through F11 allow you to pick different macro profiles. And F12 turns on “gaming” mode, which basically just disables the Windows key. I've never had any trouble avoiding the Windows key while playing games. Both my Razer and Logitech keyboards had this feature, and I never used it. Unless you’re a complete spaz and have little control of your hands, I don’t know why this feature continues to exist. To use these media/profile keys, there’s a Function key where the right-side Windows key would traditionally be. So there’s only one Windows key on the Max Keyboard Nighthawk. That’s not a huge deal for me, since the left Windows key is the one I mainly use anyway.The macro profiles are programmed with software that can be downloaded from the Max Keyboard website. I haven’t done this, and I’m not sure if I’m going to. Fortunately, using this software is completely optional, and the keyboard works just fine out of the box. After many years using Windows machines, I've come to learn that the less driver junk you install on your system, the better. I may play with it in the future, but for now I am happy to use the board without any macros.The main thing that bugs me about this board is the upper right section. While the design of this board is not too gaudy, the corner above the numpad slightly breaks my minimalist design criteria. There’s the standard Num Lock and Caps Lock lights, but in place of a Scroll Lock light, there’s a “G” light to indicate if the Windows key is disabled. Above these, on the back of the board, there are two USB ports, a headphone port and a microphone port. I have yet to use any of these, and am again not sure if I ever will. According to the documentation, the USB ports support up to 100 mA of power, and thus are not useful for charging any USB devices. I guess the main thing they should be used for is USB thumb drives, which is fine. The board’s cable is fairly think and braided, and splits off into a single USB connector and two connectors for the audio pass through functionality.But the weirdness in the upper right part of the board is easily overlooked, and doesn't detract too much from the rest of the keyboard. Like I said, I initially wanted to get the minimalism of a Ducky Shine, but now I am kind of happy I ended up with something that is slightly different. Everyone has a Ducky. It would be nice, though, to have both models side by side for comparison.This is the first mechanical keyboard I've used since I was a kid, and typing on it has been amazing. After half an hour of use when I first got it, I tried going back to my Logitech with rubber domes, for feel comparison. The contrast in feel is substantial. After using the blue switches, the rubber dome board felt mushy, and almost gross. Now I feel like I need to buy a second board to take into the office. I've also been evangelizing mechanical keyboards to all my friends and coworkers, who mostly think I’m insane for caring this much about a keyboard.Lastly, I really like what some guys with mechanical keyboards are doing with the custom keycaps. Some of the color layouts I've seen are really cool. That is one thing that makes me have second thoughts about a back lit keyboard. While I love having an illuminated keyboard in a dark room, the back lighted keys limit the amount of keycap customization available. Max Keyboard sells a set of four caps you can swap out with silly pictures on them, but finding good caps that work with backlight is pretty rare. I've seen guys with Ducky Shines who swap out their keys with non-backlit caps, and sometimes the keys illuminate nicely, but I suspect that depends on the kind of plastic and thickness of the cap.Well, I hope a review from a mechanical noob’s perspective was interesting. I got the impression that the Max Keyboard line was kind of looked down upon by serious mechanical guys for not being a serious keyboard. But coming from Razer and Logitech products, this keyboard feels very serious. In build quality, feel, and functionality, this is hands down the best keyboard I've ever owned.

I love the overall design of this keyboard. The backlight and color control is very cool. The USB and audio jacks are very convenient. The braided cable shows that they care. The Cherry MX Browns feel great and don't make too much noise. I have definitely noticed a speed increase in my typing with the tactile feedback.So, why just 3 stars? I have used this on Windows 7 and 8.1. In both cases, I get key-stick problems. About every 2 weeks, I press a key and get a stream of that key that won't quit until I press that key again. I'd give it 2 stars for that, but bumped to 3 because the MK customer support was very responsive in trying to find a solution. Note that they did not offer to replace the keyboard. They just went to great lengths to work with me to debug the problem.In the end, they said it was a Windows keyboard driver problem. I'm not sure I buy that since I don't have the problem with any other external keyboards (including a Code Keyboard Cherry Blue).Lately, I've been having a 2nd problem, dead keys. Every now and then, I hit a key and nothing happens. I have to repeat sometimes 2-3 times before it will take. It's odd that it is occasional. I have not worked with support on this, but this one does feel like it may be a problem in Windows or the Dell dock/laptop interface.I just acquired a Macbook Pro and will try the keyboard with it after I work the Macbook into my desktop workspace. If I go a month or so without problems on it, I'll post an update. For now, in summary, I really love this keyboard between the problem events. But, I sure wish it did not have as many problem events. A keyboard, especially a relatively high end one, should just work.

I wanted a new keyboard with blue backlighting and cherry brown mechanical keys that would fit onto my small (11"X32") mouse/keyboard tray on my computer desk. Size was the limiting factor for me, as I play a lot of games and many mechanical gaming keyboards I considered were huge - adding more real estate to accommodate a bunch of macro keys I didn't really want. I looked at dozens of different brands and models for several months, and was quite close to buying a Razer Black Widow Ultimate Stealth 2013 to compliment my Razer Naga Epic mouse. However, after having a few issues with Razer drivers and firmware and reading countless reviews, the Nighthawk X-8 seemed like a superior alternative for me.My priorities were; cherry brown mechanical keys, non-flashy aesthetics, high build quality, choice of LED color, compact size, and the ability to run without special software. The X8 delivered in all respects.The keys are a real joy to use for typing and gaming alike, and the keyboard has a nice matte look that really compliments my all-black setup. The whole board is fingerprint resistant, and it's not covered in a bunch of garish logos and out of place colors. There is an understated elegence with the board, which is a relief after seeing some of the questionable design choices from other keyboard manufacturers. The keyboard doesn't look overly flashy aside from the illuminated keys, which is a big plus if you are sharing the PC with a non-gamer as I am. My wife loves typing on the X8 so far. The Windows key is a spiral instead of a Windows logo, but it's no big deal to me. One less logo to worry about.The keys feel so very wonderful. It makes typing and gaming a real pleasure. There's just the right amount of resistance so you can type without depressing the keys all the way down if you desire, and while it's definately louder than I am used to with a standard cheapo dome-keyboard, only slightly so. The clicking on browns is pronounced, yet pleasant, and from research I determined that MX brown keys are a recommended entry point for those new to mechanical keyboards. The braided cable is sturdy yet flexible, and the mic/auido passthrough is a nice bonus feature for headphone users (though I don't take advantage of it at present, leaving the pair of 3.5mm plugs unused.) The 2 USB 2.0 ports are another extra I don't plan on using as they have limited voltage and can't charge many devices, but it would be great for something like a tiny bluetooth dongle or perhaps a flash drive. On the plus side, you don't need 2 usb ports on your motherboard to use the Nighthawk hub, which is nice, but know that you won't be able to charge your phone or similar devices. There is a funcion key that allows you to use the F-Keys as multimedia controls and adjust backlighting, and all work fine without special software and don't clutter up the keyboard with superfluous switches.I was really put off by the limited backlighting choices on many of the cherry brown mechanical keyboards I considered. Logitech only offered white while Razer only offered green. Thankfully, the Nighthawk had numerous options, including my favorite - blue. It looks really vibrant and uniform, and I was able to set my Naga Epic mouse to the same shade. It really is a sight to behold at night. There are 3 brightness settings and a 'pulse' feature if you want to give it an animated quality.The size was just what I wanted... there are Filco and other mechanicals that lack a numpad and aren't as wide, but I love numpads for calculations, and wanted one. However, I needed a keyboard with a standard width, depth and height. I also only had 2" of height to work with so that my computer desk would allow the keyboard tray to work correctly, and many alternatives feature tall designs that would work for me. The nighthawk is compact, and will fit into all but the most restrictive of workstation environments.Finally, there's the fact that it works without special software. Sure, you can download the macro software that lets you reprogram any key an make them do whatever you want. You can also use the function key to switch profiles for numerous macro profiles. However, I'm not really into macros, so I didn't install the software and don't intend to. You can disable the Windows key without the software, which is a feature I appreciate.In short, I love this keyboard. It makes the Saitek keyboard I owned previously and the Dell I use at work seem like total junk. It's a pricey board, but if you are considering getting a mechanical keyboard and want something that has a beautiful simplicity and a magnificent feel, I highly recommend the X8 (or the X9 if you want Cherry Red keys.) The fact that it doesn't rely on custom drivers means it should remain relevant for years to come.