CONCLUSION

   Although this is pretty much the first attempt by COUGAR to enter the highly competitive gaming peripherals market we are really impressed since we feel they've done a terrific job first with the 700M gaming mouse and now with the 700K mechanical gaming keyboard. Quality in both cases is excellent and in terms of design and features well you can easily tell that they don't have much competition in that area. So is the 700K on par with the 700M? Overall just like the 700M the 700K is a very good product not only because of the high quality Cherry MX mechanical switches used, the advanced backlight illumination system which also allows you to illuminate individual keys, the powered USB port and its durable aluminum frame but also thanks to the repeat rate feature (we actually found it very useful a couple of times) and the UIX software which gives you control over pretty much every single feature and even allows you to program any button on the keyboard. Of course our sample arrived with my favorite Cherry MX Red mechanical switches which i consider ideal for gamers (although i would like them to be slightly less audible) since they provide the ideal feedback. My only slight concern is the short pull out feet of the keyboard which may not provide sufficient angle for your hands (we had no problems with that during testing but some people might).

   Just like with most mechanical gaming keyboards the price of the 700K by COUGAR largely depends on the Cherry MX switches used (the difference in price between models is not much however) so currently the Cherry MX Red version retails for USD149.99 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for 149Euros inside the EU (Amazon.co.uk). Of course we're well aware that COUGAR asks quite a bit for the 700K especially since you can find much cheaper mechanical keyboards in the market but taking into account all its features we don't really think it's expensive. Certainly at the end of the day it all comes down to what you want/need from a keyboard and just how much you're willing to pay but we do think that the 700K is priced more or less right and that's also why it gets our Golden Award.

PROS

- Excellent Build Quality
- Design
- 5-Step Backlight Illumination (Individual Key Illumination Supported)
- Cherry MX Red Mechanical Switches
- 6-Key/N-Key Rollover
- Aluminum Frame
- Repeat Rate Adjustment
- UIX Software
- Powered USB Port
- Headphones And Microphone Mini Jacks
- Braided Cable / Gold Plated Plugs
 

CONS

- Price (For Some)
- Short Pull-Out Feet (For Some)