G80-3800



Out of the box, immediately you will notice the keyboards is very light compared to the other mechanical keyboards due to the lack of the metal-plate that is often marketed as rage-proof by other gaming brands. Not being plate-mount does have it's perks. You can easily mod the keyboard with different switches without the need of soldering as shown in the video.


The other thing you will also notice it the LED indicators are missing from the typical top-right corner. The led indicators are now integrated into the each key respectively which leaves an empty void in the corner.



The G80-3800 made in China instead of Germany/Czech Republic.



Like other brands, Cherry has follow suit with the over branding their keyboard. Another thing to note is that this keyboard is not designed by Cherry.



The new feet are poorly designed and provide next to no grip when extended. They are also very thin and fragile. The feet are secure in position using a snap-lock system which I personally feel will not last long.



The keyboard now uses a special screw instead of standard phillips screw which aren't favourable to users who love to mod their keyboards.



The biggest change is it's keycap profiling. All the keys are using the same profile cap to give the keyboard a very flat look similar to modern-day keyboards. But getting this flat look comes with a fatal flaw, customizing the keyboard with funky keyboard would be as aesthetically pleasing as other keyboards as fancy keycaps on the market are currently using the standard profile keycaps. Next is the printing method, Cherry continue to use lasered keycaps for this keyboard but now the printing is in the center of the keycap instead of the typical top-left offset.



Immediately, you can see that a significant less material is use to make stem and even the support structures are no longer existent.

Conclusion:
The G80-3800 is clearly an entry-level mechanical keyboards. This no frills and gimmicks keyboard will work great as a office keyboard without looking too geeky. Personally, I wouldn't pay anything more than it's MSRP of SGD$80 as it has nothing that makes it stand out nor competitive features. If you are planning on using it as a simple workhorse, it's a great keyboard but you are expected more from it, I'd rather you pay more to get something else.
- Build : Cheap and filmsy
- Quality : Mid-Tier
- Plate-Mounted : No
- Outlook : Modern
- Multimedia Function : No
- Special Functions : No
- NKRO : 6-KRO via USB
- Keycap Customizability : Difficult due to the low-profile keys.
Comments : Very comfortable to use due the low overall height
Rating : (7/10)