CM Storm NovaTouch TKL Review

So why on earth is the keyboard so expensive then? Those that have been following its progress or are familiar with its switch type will know already, but the Hybrid Capacitve switches as CM Storm called them (Topre to everyone else, courtesy of Topre Corp in Japan) are extremely expensive. This is also why the vast majority of keyboards out there that use Topre switches are tenkeyless - a full keyset would likely make the keyboard tip the scales at over £200, with a predictable drop in sales to boot.


The key difference (see what we did there?) is that the actuation is achieved electrostatically, rather than using a mechanical action as you would in a Cherry switch. Like membrane keyboards, there's also a rubber dome, but Topre switches are far more refined, have a smoother feel and a longer life than membrane keyboards. Due to the lack of a mechanical action, they're also meant to be quieter than mechanical keyboards and are said to reduce key chatter, so anyone that's not got on with the latter for that reason but still enjoyed the tactile feedback should consider them. At least after having read the rest of this review of course.



The switches, or rather sliders, are coloured purple, which would indicate they're silent Topre switches, but we'd already heard that Cooler Master wasn't employing a silenced switch with the NovaTouch TKL. They're also compatible with Cherry MX key caps if you're into modding your keyboards. In all honesty, they feel a lot like a dampened black Cherry MX switch, except they are noticeably quieter. CM Storm includes both a key-puller and a pack of dampeners in the box, and the latter did offer some respite from what was actually a lot more bottoming out that we'd expected, perhaps due to the super-low operating point combined with smooth, light action.

In terms of noise, the bottoming out was certainly more discernible than several membrane keyboards we had to hand and the key chatter caused by the keys returning upwards was more noticeable too, although again it was less noticeable than with a Cherry MX switch. Membrane keyboards we had to hand were quieter, both in terms of bottoming out and also key return, where the NovaTouch TKL was often nearly as loud as a Cherry MX switch. The only way to make this quieter was to type slowly and softly, but we were a tad disappointed here as the switches definitely perform closer to Cherry MX switches in terms of noise than they do membrane keyboards.


The actual feel of the switch is much lighter than we'd been expecting too. A membrane switch feels like you're physically pushing the switch through a rubbery layer, but with the NovaTouch TKL, the movement is so smooth, that you begin to focus on the more aggressive bottoming out, which is certainly harsher on your fingers too compared to a membrane keyboard.

Conclusion

We were actually a little stuck when it came to writing the conclusion and giving a score. In terms of Cherry MX vs Topre, the latter is certainly smoother and quieter and is definitely going to be tempting for Cherry MX Black and Red switch users although Blue and Brown users will likely find them too different from the start.

However, it's the Topre vs membrane comparison that we were perhaps most surprised about. Membrane switches are noticeably quieter and easier on the finger joints than the Topre switches employed in the NovaTouch TKL, so sadly for membrane keyboard fans, if these are your main issues, the NovaTouch TKL doesn't quite bridge the gap far enough, at least from our perspective. In terms of price, the inclusion of the o-ring dampeners might add £10-15 or so, but the vast majority of the cost is down to the Topre switches.


As with all keyboard switch types, everyone has their own personal preference and it's extremely subjective but it's likely many out there will absolutely love these switches. As a keyboard is one of your primary input devices for your PC, in many cases the money will be well spent if it's a match made in heaven. The lack of other features and the fact the NovaTouch TKL is also tenkeyless is likely to make this an even more niche product than it otherwise might be but again, we've seen plenty of people that adore keyboards like this.

If the Topre switches are exactly what you've been looking for then you're unlikely to find anything much cheaper due to the cost of the switches themselves. As such, while the keyboard is extremely expensive compared even to some of the most extreme mechanical backlit devices we've seen, this shouldn't dissuade you from considering it if you still haven't settled on a particular Cherry MX switch colour.