Flat keyboards are more than frowned upon in the gaming community because they are often so-called chiclet keyboards. Reason enough for Cooler Master to turn this fact upside down. And indeed: the Taiwanese manufacturer of peripherals has immediately stirred up the market with a whole three-part series.
The smallest (SK621) as well as the largest (SK650) of these we have already had in test and were convinced by quality, good workmanship and innovation. Now we’re curious to see if the middle-sized keyboard sibling will be of the same caliber – although we strongly assume that it will be, since the same design awaits us, only it has a more limited keyboard field than the SK650, but a larger one than the SK621.
We have the white model, with light grey brushed aluminium, available for testing, but the Cooler Master SK630 is also available in black. Let’s see what this little one can do!
Technical data
| Keyboard type | mechanical |
| Key switch type | Cherry MX RGB Low Profile |
| Material | aluminum, plastic |
| Scanning rate | 1000 Hz |
| Microcontroller | 32-bit ARM Cortex M3 |
| Onboard memory | 512 kB |
| On-the-Fly-System | For multimedia, macro recording and RGB control |
| Cable connection | USB Type C |
| Cable length | 1.8 m, braided |
| Multimedia buttons | With FN key |
| Rollover technology | 6-button rollover, anti-ghosting |
| Dimension | 353 x 125.5 x 29.8 mm |
| Weight | 840 g |
| Colors | Gunmetal Black, Silver White |
| Price | € 97.54 * |
Outside appearance vs. size comparison to the other SK keyboards
The SK630 dispenses with the Num-Block, in keeping with the tenkeyless approach. Thus, Enter, Plus, Minus, Mal, Split, Comma and the Num numbers are omitted. For most gamers this is not relevant, because most of the finger work is done around the keys W, A, S and D.
However, if you would like to use the SK630 in the office, you should determine beforehand to what extent the Num-Block is necessary for your daily work. Bookkeepers* and bankers* should rather keep their hands off this model and fall back on the larger Cooler Master SK650. Regardless of this, Cooler Master advertises the fact that the SK630 is designed for both gaming and the office.
This statement mainly refers to the keyboard’s appearance, since it doesn’t look like the typical gaming keyboards. Large, curved keycaps, separate media and G keys, ergonomic palm rests, as well as a lot of space between the individual keys are not to be found on the SK630. But that’s exactly why it’s suitable for the office, as it doesn’t look too ostentatious, but elegant throughout.
The brushed aluminum surface in dark gray and the flat double-shot key caps ensure this. The icing on the cake is the RGB lighting, but we’ll get to that later in our review.
What particularly appeals to us, and we already had that with the SK621, is the compact and above all flat design. So it’s a keyboard that you can quickly pack away if you want to go to the next LAN party or to the office mentioned several times.
All in all, the SK630 (or rather the whole series) is really something. It radiates a noble charm, so that the keyboard is a real eye-catcher in every setup despite its size. From our point of view, Cooler Master has already succeeded in the design and construction part very well.
By the way, the keyboard is connected via a detachable USB cable, which is connected to USB-C on the keyboard. Very commendable.
Low, lower, Cherry MX Low Profile Switch
The MX RGB Low Profile switches from Cherry are hidden under the smooth key caps. The low in the name has been made the technical centerpiece of the Cooler Master SK630, and the forward travel has been reduced from the typical 1.2 mm to 0.8 mm for the SK series. Accordingly, less attention was paid to the volume of the switch actuation. There is no audible click, but the MX Silent is not installed.
In general, we find that the volume aspect of the keys does not have to play a role with the SK630. After all, speed and compactness are in focus. Furthermore, Cooler Master focuses on durability. This is a challenge that Cherry switches master with the left hand.
RGB round off the look
And because aluminum and fast switches are not yet enough to dare to enter the accessories market as a mechanical gaming keyboard, the SK630 – just like the other SK models – was equipped with extensive RGB lighting. Anyone who paid attention in the chapter on key switches will already have noticed that each individual key can be individually controlled, thanks to Cherry MX RGB switches.
The 17 effects and 16.7 million colors can be controlled via the Cooler Master software or via the On-the-Fly system, which we will be discussing in the next part.
Before we start, it should be mentioned that the RGB lighting gives the small but nice keyboard a really nice finish – which is of course a matter of taste. From a technical point of view, there are no contra points to mention.
Onboard memory is quite busy, despite the small size
The on-the-fly system is driven by a 32-bit ARM Cortex MCU. Together with an onboard memory of 512 kB there is enough potential to manage multimedia and macro recordings as well as RGB control even without software.
With the circle button (FN), effects can be changed, lighting types can be recorded or the media player can be controlled from the SK630.
For a small keyboard, the SK630 is also very useful in this respect.
Conclusion
The SK630 is designed for certain tasks and is not intended to compete with the large gaming keyboards. Cooler Master’s idea behind the SK series was to make chiclet keyboards presentable in a mechanical way. With all three models, the manufacturer has succeeded in our opinion.
The SK630 thus impresses with its slim and compact appearance, is adorned with RGB lighting, has fast key switches for gaming and can also be controlled in many ways onboard. In our eyes, this makes the Cooler Master SK630 a good peripheral partner for gaming, home office or office.
Cooler Master SK630
Workmanship
Features
Ergonomics
Software
Value for money
90/100
The Cooler Master SK630 does not offer many extras, but the existing ones are convincing. Especially the quality is outstanding.
