Gaming peripherals are a way of life for players of all ages, and Cougar has taken full advantage of its experience with the Vantar MX mechanical keyboard. With an MSRP of only $109, a brushed aluminum face, full programmability, and programmable RGB, is this the right keyboard for you? Read on for our full review.
Specifications
- Price: $64.90 USD
- Switches: Mechanical (Red, Black, Brown, Blue) Red Reviewed
- N-Key Rollover: Yes
- Polling Rate: 1000Hz / 1ms
- Backlight: 14 Backlight Effects
- Interface: USB Plug
- Cable Length: 1.8m
- Material: Aluminum/Plastic
- Software: Cougar UIX System
- Dimension: 130(L) x 440(W) x 35(H) mm
- Weight: 850g
Cougar has quite a few entries into the world of gaming peripherals, and the Vantar MX joins that group. It’s a keyboard that is not only low-profile but comfortable as well. I have used a few low-profile keyboards previously and this one is fairly nice with a low enough frame to properly use generic wrist rests. It still uses full-size switches, however, and makes its low profile “claim to fame” based off of a trim case a low height keycaps. So, in reality, the Vantar MX is indeed lower profile but falls somewhere in the middle between a full-height keyboard and the chiclet style keys of something like the KeyChron K1.
Mechanical switches can make or break your gaming experience, and with all of the different types out there, you will want to find the one that works best for you. In this case we were provided with Cougar’s Mechanical Switch-M Red Linear switches, which is similar to Cherry MX Red. When typing, or playing games, you barely have to push the key for it to translate to the screen. With a travel distance of 3.5mm and the actuation point set to 1.8mm, it’s about 10% faster than a traditional Cherry MX key switch, and the linear, click-free travel makes for a smoother activation of the keys. The keys only requires 45g of actuation force, so it’s lightweight to press. It is important to note that this board also has n-key rollover which ensures that every keystroke is recorded, even when pressing multiple keys at once.
RGB is a feature that many of us love – unless you don’t like rainbows, and then you can just change it -- and the Vantar MX continues with this tradition. There are thirteen different color combinations that are preset with the Cougar UIX system and one that you can customize yourself. You can choose from solid colors to raindrops, rainbow waves, and more. Each key is also able to have specific assignments made for media actions, macros, and even just assigning different functions such as making your V key act like your enter key. Out of the different RGB systems I have used from Cooler Master, ADATA, and the like, this one is fairly simple to use and learn. I like the simplicity of it, though the customization is certainly more limited than brands like Logitech, Razer, and Corsair.
The lighting looks good. It’s bright and vibrant. The keycaps allow lots of light to shine through and with backlit legends, you won’t have to worry about not being able to see your keys in the dark. The keycaps are a double-edged sword, however, since they’re fairly thin ABS plastic and will shine before long. Still, for sheer RGB brightness, it’s had to beat this keycap design.
People who like media options will also like the Vantar MX. It includes dedicated multimedia keys for volume and mute. Other media controls have also been assigned with the function key combos. There are no separate macro keys on the keyboard, however, you can use the UIX software to add these functions elsewhere if you choose to do so. Simple things like these go a long way in usability, especially if you’re coming from a keyboard that already has it.
The software allows you to perform the expected programming, so your macros will be safe and sound. I would have like to have seen dedicated macro keys, but at the same time that would have increased the overall footprint. Instead, you can map macros to the number pad (or any unused key) so you don’t lose functionality.
Final Thoughts
The Cougar Vantar MX works exactly the way you expect it to, straight out of the box. I had very few expectations going in having never seen this keyboard before, but was impressed with how easy it was to get up and running. With how sturdy the keyboard is, its responsiveness, the RGB software and programmability, Cougar hits the mark.
The product described in this review was provided by the manufacturer for evaluation purposes.