If you’re a gamer who’s on a budget, finding a good keyboard can be pretty difficult. With Rii’s RK100, there’s new hope for gamers looking for a decent gaming keyboard.
You might be wondering, how good is the RK100 gaming keyboard by the popular computer peripheral brand Rii? Well, that’s exactly what I’m here to tell you.
In this article, I’m going to talk about the RK100, the features, specs, design, quality, and everything in between. I’m going to review the keyboard completely so you can make your buying decision based on the pros and cons.
In a hurry? Get the Rii RK100 on Amazon!
Table of Contents
Minimalistic Design and Build Quality
The RK100 is an entry-level keyboard. It comes for a very small price and offers a bunch of features. The design is fairly decent, minimalistic, and offers whatever you require from a keyboard in terms of functionality and programmability. However, the printing could’ve been a little more finished.
When we talk about the build quality, there is little to no flex in this keyboard and the frame is high-quality and strong, able to last you quite a while which makes this keyboard a great choice for beginners who’re looking to get a solid keyboard that lasts for a long while on a budget.
Smooth Keycaps and 3-Color Backlighting
The keycaps on this keyboard are pretty high-quality if you ask me. You usually don’t see keycaps as smooth as the RK100’s keycaps in this price range however, the legend printing isn’t that great. The feel of the keycap is smooth and satisfying though.
When we take into account the RGB backlighting, there are 3 different color backlights available in the RK100, and the different colors can be changed depending upon your choice and liking. The color-changing is only a single press which is good but the quality of the lighting isn’t as great as some of the higher-end keyboards.
Overall, however, this keyboard is better than many of the keyboards by popular brands in this price range. It can work as a great starting keyboard or a budget gaming keyboard and will look pretty good with your gaming setup.
Quiet and Easy to Press Rubber Dome Switches
The keyboard comes with a mechanical feel to it. However, it doesn’t actually feature mechanical switches, which could be a demerit but at this price range, it is definitely justified.
The key switches are Rubber dome which are quiet and have fairly decent feedback and tactility. They’re easy to press and are almost identical to silent keys. The press is pretty decent, the actuation is high and you can experience the mechanical feel with this keyboard.
This could be great for people who’re looking for a keyboard that can be used without causing any noise disturbances which is a definite trait in mechanical switches. However, if you’re looking for that clicky sound in your key switches, I’m afraid you’re going to have to spend a bit extra on that.
Rii RK100 Audio Test
High-Quality Insulated Power Cable
The power cable of the Rii RK100 is a standard USB cable. The good thing about this cable is the insulation and quality. It is durable and strong and will hold for quite a while as long as used appropriately.
The length of the cable is around 6 feet which is pretty great and you can adjust the keyboard even from a far distance in order to sit ergonomically and play your favorite games without any tugging or pulling on the keyboard cable.
Great Features of the Rii RK100
You might be wondering, what features are offered in the Rii RK100 gaming keyboard? Well, without taking any further time, I’ve created a list of the best features I found in the RK100 that will make you want to buy this cheap and affordable gaming keyboard.
- Smooth and Quiet Keys – The keycaps are smooth to press and the rubber dome key switches make the overall keypress very quiet almost like a silent key. This could prove very beneficial if you’re someone who games with people around and doesn’t want to annoy or disturb anyone with a mechanical sound.
- LED backlighting – Normally in such a low price range, you see standard keyboards but Rii has changed the game with the RK100 as it is one of the few full-featured gaming keyboards with LED backlighting. You can change the color and pattern of the lighting using the Light button located next to the spacebar key on the keyboard.
- Low Price Point – One of the best things about this keyboard hands down is the low price point. I believe that in this price range, gamers usually end up going with a standard layout keyboard but Rii gives gamers something to cherish in the form of the RK100.
- Full-Sized Keyboard – This keyboard isn’t a smaller sized one either. It features all the 104 keys you’d expect in a full-sized gaming keyboard with multimedia keys setup on the function keys available on the top of the gaming keyboard.
- Ergonomic Design – The overall design of the keyboard is quite ergonomic. The reason for this is that the rubber feet hold the keyboard in place and the elevated feet allow you to position the keyboard exactly the way you want so that you can ergonomically play games on this gaming keyboard.
- Dust-Resistant Design – The keys of the RK100 are slightly raised to provide that mechanical feel and the great thing about this raised design is that the keycaps are easy to clean. If any dust gets stuck within the keys, you can clean the keyboard without a problem.
Function and Multimedia Keys
Well, one fascinating and very important thing about the RK100 gaming keyboard is the inclusion of the multimedia buttons in the function keys. At this price, you wouldn’t usually expect multimedia keys.
But the RK100 gets this done. They have included the normal multimedia keys along with a few special keys making a total of 11 multimedia keys included with the function keys on the keyboard.
You can access these keys using the function button on the keyboard. These keys are incredibly useful when you’re playing a video or any other form of multimedia.
The keyboard doesn’t require any software to work. It can be easily set up and used the way you want it to. The backlighting although good is still minimal and doesn’t need software for customization.
A Few Demerits
Now that we’ve looked at most of the pros this keyboard comes with, you might be wondering about the demerits. Well, in order to provide you a clear view of the RK100, here’s a list of some of the missing features and problematic components in the RK100 gaming keyboard.
- Low Brightness – When we think about gaming keyboards, we think about brightly colored RGB heaven. With the RK100, you do get LED backlighting but you won’t get vividly bright colors if that’s what you’re looking for.
- No Mechanical Keys – While the rubber dome switches are definitely quieter and feel easier to press, as a gamer, the lack of mechanical keys definitely puts the keyboard a bit down in my opinion. The whole tactility and feel of the switches aren’t as great as you’d see in a keyboard with mechanical switches, but I guess the price is still justified.
- Not many colors – The LED backlighting supports only 3 colors. There are different color combinations available. The most standard RK100 – the one which I used had Red, Blue, and Purple colors available. This LED backlighting isn’t as great as RGB however which can prove quite a bummer if you as me.
Rii RK100 vs K09 vs K18+
While the RK100 is a great keyboard when you’re looking at it individually, a question that might be popping up in your mind is, how does it stack up against other Rii keyboards?
Well, in comparison to the K09 wireless rainbow keyboard, the build quality and overall features are somewhat comparable even though the K09 is priced higher than the RK100.
However, comparing it to other keyboards like the K18+, you’re going to see some major feature differences which put the RK100 behind by quite a margin. Other than that, if you are inclined towards buying the RK100, don’t hesitate because this keyboard is definitely on the better side of the keyboards that Rii manufactures.
Interested? Get the Rii RK100 available on Amazon
FAQs
What are RII Keyboards and are they any Good?
Riitek was founded in 2009 and has been manufacturing some of the best quality, cheap and affordable keyboards in the market. The Rii keyboards are great bang for the buck peripheral devices and all their devices including the RK100 and many others are great in terms of quality and superb in value as well for the price they come at.
How do you change the color of your RII keyboard?
If you want to change the color of the backlight of your Rii RK100 keyboard, you only need to press a single key. Press the light key next to the right CTRL and Fn key and you can switch between all the 3 different backlighting colors that your RK100 originally comes with.
How do I turn on RII keyboard?
The Rii RK100 is a plug and play USB keyboard. You won’t need to do anything special to get it up and running. All you need to do is connect the USB cable into the USB jack of your computer or laptop and turn it on. The keyboard will light up and will start working without a problem. You can then use it for gaming and other purposes fairly easily.
How do you put a RII keyboard in pairing mode?
In order to put the RII keyboard in pairing mode, you’d basically want to turn on the keyboard. For that, you’re going to basically take out the USB receiver from the back of the keyboard, plug it into the system and then turn on the keyboard. The blue LED will start flashing and your Rii keyboard will now be in pairing mode.
Conclusion
The million-dollar question arrives, is the Rii RK100 gaming keyboard worth it? Well, in my opinion, it certainly is. For the price that it comes, it is definitely a steal even with a few demerits that it offers.
From the LED backlighting to the mechanical feel switches, the smooth keycaps, and the high-quality ergonomic design, everything is above average when you take a look at the price tag of the keyboard.
So, I would definitely recommend you the RK100 if you’re on a tight budget, if however, you’ve got more money to spend, there are other great gaming keyboards in the market you can take a look at.
Video Review
You may also be interested in: Top 5 Best Membrane Keyboards