INTRODUCTION

   When the very first consumer oriented mechanical gaming keyboards found their way into my hands almost a decade ago boy was i excited. It's not that membrane based keyboards weren't good enough but right from the get go mechanical keyboards introduced two things to the consumer market, increased reliability (at least on paper) and improved feedback (audible and tactile). Even though however mechanical keyboards practically brought RGB lighting into our homes there was one thing i always wanted to see (and asked in several of my reviews) since the early days, the ability to swap mechanical switches. Not only would that allow consumers to replace problematic switches but it would also allow them to install/mount different types in the same keyboard. Well it took a while but eventually some brands did exactly that and GLORIOUS is among them so today with me i have their GMMK Barebone DIY Edition.

   Glorious PC Gaming Race creates and distributes hardware & accessories engineered for elite-level performance, premium quality, and everyman affordability. Born out of a community of passionate gamers who demanded the best, GPCGR has been challenging the traditional PC gaming hardware industry since inception in 2014. All GPCGR products are built to fill the needs of serious players who want more than anybody else has to offer.

   Glorious currently has 4 different product offerings under the GMMK name, the full, tenkeyless and compact USA models and two Barebone DIY editions in different layouts (USA & ISO). As expected, the Barebone DIY models need to be paired with 3-pin Cherry, Gateron or Kailh mechanical switches (you can get Gateron and Kailh switches directly from Glorious) and of course MX compatible keycaps (again you can get ABS and/or PBT double-shot keycaps directly from Glorious). The Barebone DIY model which is with us today follows the standard 105 Keys International (ISO) layout and features the usual floating keys design, sandblasted aluminum top plate, per-key RGB lighting (19 modes/effects), 100% Anti-Ghosting with NKRO (N-Key rollover), 1000Hz polling rate and a 2 meter long braided cable.