INTRODUCTION

   We really enjoy testing keyboards here at NikKTech so out of curiosity we performed a closed circle "poll" recently with friends and relatives to see what others look for most when out to get a new keyboard. As expected since most of the people we asked are over 30 years old (some are even over 40) RGB backlight (one of the most important features among young gamers) took 3rd place right after type/brand of switches used (not surprising Cherry MX ones were mentioned most) and overall keyboard quality (people seem to prefer aluminum top covers). Other features like a USB passthrough and software control were also mentioned but only from a couple of the people we ended up asking. Still even though the people we asked didn't care enough about RGB backlighting the fact is that it has taken the market by storm and so today on our test bench we have yet another such keyboard the Ghostwriter Prism by RIOTORO.

   Founded in 2014, Formed by Enthusiasts, for Enthusiasts, RIOTORO manufactures the best Performance PC hardware, peripherals, and accessories in the industry with a goal of providing complete satisfaction for high performance seekers who build their own personal computers.

   RIOTORO may not be one of the well-established manufacturers in the market (4 years is not nearly enough for that to happen after all) but even so instead of going for one of the lower-cost mechanical switches (like Gateron, Kailh or Outemu) they chose to equip the Ghostwriter Prism Mechanical Gaming Keyboard with Cherry MX RGB switches (black/brown/red/blue). Yes there's a sea of mechanical gaming keyboards that feature Cherry MX RGB switches currently in the market but for the most part new manufacturers try to keep costs to a minimum by using clones like the ones mentioned earlier. The software-free Ghostwriter Prism also features an exterior housing made out of ABS plastic, brushed aluminum top plate, per-key RGB lighting (4 brightness levels with 10 effects), 5 onboard profiles, NKRO with full anti-ghosting, dual USB 2.0 passthrough ports, dedicated media controls with aluminum volume control roller, detachable palm-rest and tangle-free braided cables.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

A large product picture is located at the front of the box right over the main product features and behind a piece of cardboard showcasing the type of Cherry MX RGB switches used in that particular keyboard.

Both the contents of the bundle and the system requirements are printed at the base of the keyboard in 4 languages.

At the rear of the box we find yet another large product picture alongside several smaller ones all of which are used to showcase its features (the piece of cardboard extends all the way to the rear and contains the specifications of the Cherry MX RGB switches used).

The keyboard is wrapped inside a plastic bag and placed between several pieces of foam.

RIOTORO bundles just an orange keycap puller and a quick start guide with the Ghostwriter Prism.

THE GHOSTWRITER PRISM

Without the palm-rest the Ghostwriter Prism measures 463.5mm in length, 173mm in width and 30.2mm in height.

Floating keys is nothing new in the keyboard market but it's always nice to see them.

The dedicated media keys (previous/stop/play-pause/next/mute audio) with the aluminum roller are located on the top right corner of the keyboard.

RIOTORO has placed their name on both sides of the keyboard.

With the F1 through F5 keys you can switch between the 5 available onboard profiles.

From the insert, home, delete, end, page up and page down keys you can switch between lighting effects, adjust their speed, increase/decrease brightness levels, change color and enable per-key illumination.

Via the arrow keys you can also change the direction of some of the effects.

Both USB 2.0 passthrough ports are located at the front of the keyboard.

RIOTORO has placed a red ABS plastic plate at the belly of the Ghostwriter Prism that has two height adjusters and 5 rubber feet.

These height adjusters raise the top end of the keyboard 12mm from the desk.

Here we see the Cherry MX RGB brown mechanical switches.

With the magnetic palm rest attached the width of the keyboard increases to 211.6mm.

The 1.5 meter long braided cable has two gold plated USB plugs at the end.

In the above pictures you can see the Keyboard's min and max brightness levels.

We also placed pictures of some of the colors and effects one can use with the Ghostwriter Prism.

AUDIBLE FEEDBACK

Many ask our opinion on what keyboard they should get for their needs. Some want a “silent” model for use in their living room or even in their bedroom while others ask for a model with good audible feedback for use in the office or for gaming. Because of this I decided to test keyboards by placing our ExTech HD600 vertically over each keyboard (5cm distance) and typing NikKTech a total of 6 times with each (after that the max recorded number - max hold - is placed in the graph). I have to admit that this may not be 100% accurate but it does give a good idea on what you can expect from each model since aside the type of switches used keycaps and keyboard material also matter.

CONCLUSION

   The Ghostwriter Prism is RIOTORO’s flagship product and although it’s far from perfect we all like what they’ve done with it. Build quality is high thanks to both the Cherry MX RGB switches and the top aluminum plate (the ABS plastic doesn’t feel very sturdy but it’s acceptable), because of the available effects and brightness levels (although not the brightest ones we’ve seen to date) RGB lighting looks great, the dual USB 2.0 ports can come in handy (and it’s not something we see a lot since most models that do have that feature only have one) and the detachable palm-rest is very easy to attach and remove. We would had liked a longer braided cable (1.5 meters is barely enough for some setups) and also to have a software from where to control the RGB lighting, program the keys and even create macros but at least for now that’s not possible.

   Right now the Ghostwriter Prism Mechanical Gaming Keyboard by RIOTORO retails for USD135.99 inside the USA (Amazon) and for 100Euros inside the EU (Amazon UK) a price tag which at least in our side of the Atlantic is very balanced (US price needs some work). The lack of control software and the somewhat short braided cable are two things that deduct several points from the Ghostwriter Prism (well not really due to the short braided cable since this has been the case with numerous models in the past) but not nearly enough for us to deny it our Golden Award.

PROS

- Build Quality (Metal Alloy Top)
- Cherry MX RGB Switches (50 Million Actuations)
- 100% Anti Ghosting With NKey Rollover
- Dedicated Media And Lighting Buttons
- 10 Illumination Effects With 4 Brightness Levels
- Two USB 2.0 Pass Through Ports
- Detachable Magnetic Wrist Rest
- Price (EU)

CONS

- No Dedicated Macro Keys
- Price (USA)
- Lack Of Software (Can’t Program Keys / Create Macros)