It was only last August when we first looked at the Melgeek Modern97 (review here), but the company is back again with two new colors to spice up the line-up, Slate and Nappa. We took Slate for a test drive and are here to share our thoughts on this killer wireless keyboard, but we won’t waste any time: for gaming and typing, this is an excellent, affordable option that offers a great typing experience, powerful software, and solid build quality. It’s a great value at its current asking price of $99 for Super Early Bird and $139 at retail. The keyboard is available on Kickstarter now.
Specifications
Current Price:
- Super Early Bird: $99 (Kickstarter)
- Retail: $139 (Kickstarter)
Melgeek Modern97 Slate - What Is It?
Melgeek got its start making custom keyboards. That’s where I first heard of them, anyway, and it wasn’t long after that time that it launched its first line of see-through keyboards to kickstarter with the Mojo68. A year later, it followed that up with the Mojo84, a larger form factor version of that keyboard. Both were excellent, bringing enthusiast-level features, typing, and gaming to accessible price points. The knowledge the team gained from working on the hardcore keyboard scene came back to benefit normal consumers who just want a great set of keys.
The Modern97 is its latest keyboard and it didn’t launch all that long ago. In fact, we reviewed it here back in August. At the time, I was impressed by the quality of the typing and gaming experience it offered. At $139, it offered a lot: near-full programmability with its Hive software, doubleshot PBT keys, great pre-lubed switches and stabilizers, tri-mode wireless connectivity with up to eight Bluetooth sources and fast 2.4GHz wireless for gaming, great battery life — it was a well-rounded keyboard if ever there was one.
The new Modern97 is an iteration on that, bringing two new colors to the field. There’s Slate, which we were sent, and Nappa. Slate uses a black, grey, and white color scheme similar to the retro colorway on the Mojo68. Nappa, on the other hand, is a mix of cream, brown, and orange. Both keyboards have matching cases to tie the look together.
Or should I say half cases, since the keyboard has a unique two-part design. The top half is an opaque, speckled plastic. The bottom is translucent. Flip it over and you’ll find a set of silicone icons that act as weights set into a frosted polycarbonate base. You can see a pattern of Xs behind the frost, giving it a really unique, appealing look.
Just like the original, the Slate features all of the same premium features. The keycaps are doubleshot PBT, so they’ll never chip, fade, or shine. Underneath those ‘caps are excellent Sonic53 switches. These are a prelubed linear switch that’s light to the touch for gaming but not overly sensitive and feel exceptionally smooth under the finger (and sound great too!).
Beneath that are layers of sound dampening foam. You have plate foam, to isolate the sound of the switches; switch foam to add crispness and pop to the typing experience; PCB foam to dampen keystrokes; and, a thin layer of case foam to help ward off any hollowness in the case. The bottom half of the case also uses honeycomb structural support and acoustic tuning, which shows how deep Melgeek’s consideration for sound and feel truly goes. As a result, there is no need for a silicone dampening pad.
The keyboard uses a gasket mount structure rather than a tray or top mount. Around the polycarbonate plate are tabs where silicone gasket strips fit into place. These are quite interesting because they’re long and rectangular but only a small tab actually touches the bottom case, giving the keyboard even more flex when typing.
The Modern97 supports tri-mode connectivity, including wired with its detachable USB Type-C cable, Bluetooth 5.1, and 2.4GHz wireless. For gaming, you’ll want to stick to the 2.4GHz wireless mode for wired-like connection speeds, but Bluetooth is nothing short of impressive with connectivity options that double every other keyboard I’ve ever reviewed. Virtually all bluetooth keyboards supports three devices at a time. The Modern97 supports eight and does so with 406 days of rated battery life.
This rating is contingent on leaving the RGB backlighting off, of course. With backlighting on, you’ll still need to recharge every week or two. The lighting looks great on this keyboard, offering a solid bed of light under the keys. The keycaps aren’t shinethrough, however, so you’ll need to be a touch typist to use it in the dark.
Finally, we have the Hive software. While I would always prefer to see VIA support on keyboards of this type, Hive gets the job done well. You can remap nearly any key, record macros and shortcuts, and change functionality settings, like the keyboard’s performance mode.
Melgeek Modern97 Slate - Typing and Gaming Impressions
Just like the original, the Modern97 offers an excellent use experience whether you’re typing or gaming. The Sonic53 switches, strangely named though they are, carry the experience in a big way. In combination with the structure of the keyboard and its foams, it offers a lighter, clackier typing experience that’s clean and refined.
This isn’t a typing experience that needs modification. In fact, I would advise against opening this keyboard up. The top case is mounted tightly and you’ll need special prying tools to get it off. I did and tried adding the tape mod, but all it did was make the keyboard sound muffled. It really is best in its stock form: no tape, no lube, nothing. Melgeek nailed it, right out of the gate.
For gaming, it’s just as responsive as you would hope. Over the 2.4GHz connection, it performs just as fast as my wired gaming keyboards. The Hive software is especially useful for creating secondary functions for keys and macros. The layout is also very nice for this because the numpad can double as a macro pad, which is perfect for MMORPGs.
The 98% layout is also very nice for productivity. It’s only about one row longer than a TKL but includes all of the number keys. If you’re also going to be using the keyboard for work, you won’t have to sacrifice functionality for compactness.
Whether you’re typing or gaming, the keyboard feels exceptionally nice to use. It’s soft and flexible, offering the slightest amount of give under your fingers when typing normally. It’s not the most flexible we’ve seen but accomplishes the biggest jobs a gasket mounted keyboard is supposed to: isolation, soft typing, and flex.
Final Thoughts
The Melgeek Modern97 Slate is a revision to the original Modern97, really just offering two new colors to choose from. If you already own the original, there’s no reason to go out and re-buy. If you were on the fence, this gives you another chance to pick it up in an interesting color. There’s a lot on offer for a very reasonable price. The Modern97 offers a great entry-level custom keyboard experience that you don’t have to build, mod, or tune yourself, and at $140, it’s a very good value.
Find out more on the Kickstarter campaign here.
The product described in this article was provided by the manufacturer for evaluation purposes. Some articles may contain affiliate links and purchases made through this will result in a small commission for the site. Commissions are not directed to the author or related to compensation in any way.
