MIKIT is a sister brand to iQunix, a maker of some of the best pre-built mechanical keyboards you can buy today. Its ethos is to deliver unique keyboards with top-tier build quality at affordable prices. The M65 is a compact, 65% mechanical keyboard with a unique evergreen color scheme, a wide right bezel with a dedicated knob, and tri-mode wireless with fast, 2.4GHz wireless for low latency gaming. At only $99, it’s a decent value but has some important trade-offs you should know.
Specifications
- Current Price: $99-109 Depending on Backlight and Switches (MIKIT)
- Key Features
- Minimalist Design - Refreshing and Calming
- Gasket Mount - For the Crisp Typing Experience
- Multimedia Knobs - Volume Control (Clockwise for Vol+, Counterclockwise for Vol-) / Play/Pause (Push)
- Tri-Mode Connection - Bluetooth 5.1 / 2.4GHz / Wired
- Wireless 2.4GHz - Lower Latency & Consumption
- Bluetooth 5.1 - 3-Device Connectivity
- macOS Compatible - Function Keys Fully Compatible
- 2800mAh Battery - Longer Endurance for Lasting Inspiration
- Long-Lasting Battery Life - Endurance of 25 Days
- (8 hours of use per day under Bluetooth connection with Backlit off)
- PBT Double-Shot Keycaps - Shiny-Look-Proof, Tactile and Tough
- 65% Layout - Extra Desk Space Thanks to Compact Composition
- Considered Slant - Slight Slope for Huge Comfort
- RGB Backlit - Built-in 16-Million-Color RGB Effects (RGB Version)
- N-Key Rollover - Unlimited Key Press
- Detachable Cable - Separated Keyboard and Cable Management
- Programmable Software Release Date: Q3, 2023
- Model: M65
- Layout: 65% | ANSI
- Type: Mechanical Keyboard
- Warranty: 12 Months Limited Hardware Warranty
- Case Material: ABS
- Dimensions: 372 x 117 x 39 mm
- Weight: Approx. 765g
- Key Count: 67
- Switches: Gateron / TTC
- Keycaps Material: PBT
- Keycaps Profile: Cherry
- Legends Printing: Double-shot
- Larger Keys Style: Cherry Plate-Mount Stabilizer
- RGB Backlit: 16-Million-Color Modules (RGB Variants)
- Connection: Bluetooth 5.1 / 2.4GHz / USB-C *(Connect to 3 devices at once)
- N-Key Rollover: Support
- Hotswap: No
- Response Time: 1ms (Wired & 2.4GHz) / 8ms (Bluetooth)
- Polling Rate: 1000Hz (Wired & 2.4GHz) / 125Hz (Bluetooth)
- Interface: USB Type-C
- Battery Capacity: 2800mAh
- Battery Type: Li-ion Polymer Batteries
- Rated Input Power: 5V?1A
- Compatible OS: Windows / macOS / iOS / Android
MIKIT M65 - What Is It?
A new brand, MIKIT launched earlier this year, spinning off from its parent company, iQunix. iQunix has developed a stellar reputation for itself, delivering some of the very best pre-built keyboards available today. It’s one of the key brands to look at if you want custom keyboard quality without needing to build one for yourself. When one of their representatives shared with us that it planned to launch a new brand to bring its unique designs to more accessible price points, we were excited and quite impressed when we saw the result for ourselves with the DK65. iQunix knows how to make a great keyboard that doesn’t require modding. Bringing that within reach of gamers on a budget? Yes, please!
The M65 is the second keyboard we’ve looked at from the company and follows some of the same design principles we observed from the DK65. It’s unique, featuring a bright green “evergreen” colorway. It’s compact, using a 65% design that does away with the function row and numpad but keeps dedicated arrow keys and a column of navigation and editing buttons. Yet, even though it’s compact and minimalist, there’s a bit of flourish here with a wide right side that’s home only to a volume wheel and MIKIT logo. It begs for a sticker or some other personal embellishment.
The 65% layout is a popular choice for gamers as its compact layout usually allows more mousing space. That's less so here with this design as the M65 takes up nearly the same amount of space as a tenkeyless keyboard. Whether this matters to you will depend on how you actually play, but if sheer compactness is your goal, then this probably isn't the keyboard for you (MIKIT's MK72 offers the smallest footprint in its catalog currently). The design here is as much about aesthetics as it is about true compactness).
And the M65 is nothing if it's not unique. It's the only keyboard I've ever seen that's this green, and the shade MIKIT has gone with is also unique. The big bezels also have a retro look to it. The per-key RGB backlighting adds a bit of modern sensibility to its design, but I honestly think that the keyboard looks better with the backlighting turned off. The design team at MIKIT made sure it would be eye-catching even without RGB, and it's much more effective because of it.
Making up those layers of green are doubleshot PBT keycaps. iQunix clearly put time and money into developing its keycap process and the results of that carry through here. The keycaps are thick, with crisp, consistent legends. The colors are nuanced, shading between light and dark green, and are saturated in a way that's usually reservered for ABS keycaps. They are exceptionally well done.
Humorously, two of our arrow keys were swapped out of the box. We had all of the required keys, but up and down were in the wrong place — and we didn't notice until after our pictures were done! So, an easy fix (especially since they include the keycap pulled in the box) but that's not something we've ever had happen on the hundreds of keyboards we've reviewed here at MMORPG.com.
Beneath the caps, you have your choice of TTC or Gateron Pro switches. You can choose between Box Red, Speed Silver, or Gold Pink for TTC and Gateron Pro 2.0 in red, brown, blue, and yellow. All of these switches are pre-lubed. My unit was sent with linear box red switches and they're much better than their Cherry MX counterpart in smoothness and sound profile. Having used all of those switches except for G Pro Blue 2.0s, I can confidently say that all of them will outperform Cherry in sound and feel at this point, while also helping to keep the cost low.
Choose your switches carefully, however, as they're not hot-swappable. Not everyone wants or needs hot-swappable switches but it is very unusual to see a keyboard at this price not offer the ability to quickly change out the switches — especially since the similarly priced DK65 did offer hot-swapping.
Another oddity is that the keyboard doesn't allow you to change your typing angle with the typical pair of tilt feet. It has a locked angle, which I found to be a little bit flat. It's another design decision that seems directly driven by aesthetics, but I wish that MIKIT had offered a little more customization here. Magnetic feet of different heights, perhaps?
Internally, we see a similar attention to acoustics as other MIKIT and iQunix keyboards, though the M65 doesn't quite hit the same satisfying acoustics as some of its other options. It includes a layer of foam between the plate and PCB and another inside the case, so it doesn't sound very hollow. The choice of foam doesn't completely fill up the sense of depth in the case, though, so you still get a bit of resonance from the spacebar in particular. It's not bad, but there are other keyboards around this price (I'm testing one from Womier right now that's actually $20-30 less) that do this better. A layer of PE foam beneath the switches would also have helped add a bit of depth to the sound, which is a bit thin currently.
The stabilizers (plate mount, Cherry style) come pre-lubed but the quality is more inconsistent than on iQunix's boards. Most of the stabilized keys were rattle-free but the Backspace required a bit of extra lube to smooth out the sound.
All of these are enthusiast-level considerations that most users won't notice. I would say take them with a grain of salt, but they're worth noting because the DK65 was a bit more consistent and offered features the M65 lacks.
Typing on the keyboard is fine, if a bit generic. That small bit of rattle aside, there's not arguing that MIKIT and iQunix knows its stuff when it comes to designing a satisfying, high quality keyboard. The pre-lubed switches and stabilizers lead to a smooth typing experience that's better than the majority of gaming keyboards you'll find at this price. At the same time, it doesn't reach quite as high as the DK65 in sound and feel and isn't instantly better than other keyboards you'll find at this price. It's good, but compared to the DK65 or boards like the Womier G75, there's still room to grow.
The larger right bezel also creates an unexpected learning curve. I found myself reaching too far for my right arrow key and navigation and editing buttons simply because of the extra room.
The final key feature the M65 brings to the table is tri-mode connectivity. It's able to connect to three different devices over Bluetooth 5.1 and can swap between them on the fly with a quick Fn key combination. It can also connect over 2.4GHz wireless using the included USB dongle for high-speed, gaming-grade wireless. This dongle allows you to connect with 1ms or connectivity (1,000Hz polling rate), which is equivalent to many wired gaming keyboards. You can also connect over a normal USB connection, which will also recharge the 2,800 mAh battery as you play.
Final Thoughts
The MIKIT M65 is a very good keyboard, but it's one to choose primarily based on looks. It offers a satisfying typing experience, reliable wireless connectivity, and a great set of keycaps. It's acoustics aren't quite as finely-tuned as some other keyboards in MIKIT and iQunix's line-up, and you don't have the ability to quickly change switches with hot-swappable sockets. Instead, it offers a unique appearance that could tie together a setup in a way very few other keyboards on the market could. If you're evergreen, than the M65 is the way to go. Otherwise, it may have a few too many trade-offs to make it a top choice even in MIKIT's growing line-up.
The product described in this article was provided by the manufacturer for evaluation purposes.
