THE MYSTERY BEHIND THE LOGO
Overall impressions of the OLD RAKK Logo(the guy with a headset) were pretty negative. The users felt that it wasn’t gamer-y enough for their taste. Some of which, deferred their purchase because of the unappealing logo even though their lineup is one of the best for the budget. RAKK responded with a new logo alongside a release of a wave of products ranging from mechanical keyboards, fans and gaming chairs.
https://www.facebook.com/rakk.ph/videos/1938463516377413/
The Triple “H” logo that’s formed triangularly has a history to it. The “H” is actually Baybayin for letter “K.” Hence, the 3 H for KKK. As a quick Filipino history implies, it is the symbol for Katipunan. RAKK gives its own definition for KKK as “Kalidad. Kisig. Kasarinlan” meaning Quality, Elegance and Independence.
QUICK SWITCH GUIDE
Here’s a quick guide on mechanical switches. The top 3 popular switches that are included in the table are Gateron, Cherry and Outemu. Each switch has their own version of Clicky, Tactile and Linear switches which are repsented by a color. In this guide you can see that each color is an equivalent of the other and that they differ from the “actuation force.” Actuation force refers to the amount of force you need to exert when pressing down a key for it to register.
A tactile feedback is what you feel when you press the key downwards. The tactile feedback is an indicator that you’ve successfully registered a keystroke. Clicky refers to the audible feedback or the sound that you hear when you press a key. Linear means that you won’t feel any “click” or “bump” when registering a keystroke.
Blues are generally meant for typing and is a great switch for first time users of a mechanical keyboard. Browns have the same tactile feedback with blue but it generally requires a lower actuation force to register a keystroke and it does not have any audible feedback. Red switches does not have both the Tactile and Clicky feedback, instead it has a linear feel similar to membrane keys but with a more smooth and consistent feel, considering that membranes wear down overtime.
UNBOXING AND FIRST IMPRESSIONS
The RAKK Kimat and Kimat XT featured a brown recyclable box with plain prints on it. RAKK Definitely stepped up their game with the design of the XT.2. Featuring its new logo that represents its Rebranding.
The packaging only contains the keyboard itself and as you can see, there are no prints on the top keycaps. It’s because the keycaps are side printed or some say that these are “ninja-keycaps.”
The back of the keyboard features a honeycomb design with 3 cable routing groves. These groves helps in routing your keyboard for a better cable management and ofcourse, aesthetics. The left and right pathways however, does not hold cable securely as compared to the middle route. There are four rubber feet placed at every corner of the keyboard as well as 2 more for the flip stand.
The keyboard is fairly compact without having dedicated macro keys, volume buttons and a wrist rest to consume space. The corners of the keyboard have a torx screw that adds to its overall aesthetics. Presumably, these screws have to be taken out if you want to dissect the keyboard. Personally, I sometimes find these screws annoying as I tend to touch them when I rest my hands, try to spam escape or use the numpad’s enter key using my right thumb.
The flip stand helps to eleveate the angle a bit. The side of the keyboard sports a honey comb design which can be illuminated. The flip stand does the job of elevating the keyboard for additional comfort.
The RAKK Kimat XT.2 features a Gateron Blue Switch with 50G of actuation force. Its RGB LED is placed at the bottom for a better illumination of the side printed keycaps.
The keyboard has a minimalistic profile even if the LED lights are turn on thanks to it side printed keycaps. Additionally, the Function key’s secondary functions are also illuminated making it easier to look at in the dark. The keyboard also has an LED illumination area at the bottom edge of the keyboard.
At the dark, the strip at the bottom edge makes an underglow for the keyboard. The side honeycomb illumination also presents a nice underglow.
SOFTWARE
Rakk FineTuner Software is used to control the Kimat XT 2’s Macros and Lighting which can be downloaded at their website.
The software has a simple layout with the menu on the light and the picture of the keyboard on the right. clicking on the keys of the keyboard in the software will let you assign its individual function, macro and lighting. The lighting effects of the keyboard are discussed in the video below.
CONCLUSION
Let’s break it down:
Performance. So you have a mechanical keyboard that’s RGB, and has Gateron switches. RAKK includes all of the basic features you would want on a mechanical keyboard with some premiums added to it like aesthetics and RGB Lighting. The software is responsive and the UI is user friendly and
Build Quality. The Kimat XT2 build for its price is definitely top of its tier. The Aluminum top plate helps in making the keyboard sturdy. The Gateron switches are proven to be of better quality than Outemus which is a plus over the old iterations of the Kimat.
Functionality. Function wise this keyboard has the perfect balance for performance and RGB. The RGB lighting is the best of this price range. The side RGB lighting is also a plus considering its limited lighting customizability. The software allows you full control for macros as well as access lighting effects that isn’t covered by the FN + Del key.
Bundle. This keyboard is a great starter for gamers who want to up their game by investing in a mechanical keyboard. It sports features from premium mechanical keyboards such as Razer, Corsair, TTeSports etc.
Value. For an introductory price of Php 2,700, nothing beats this keyboard in terms of value. You get well built mechanical keyboard that has standard features and on top of it is a customizable RGB lighting. The RAKK software gives you access to more customizability.
With Rakk Gears baking this up with a one year EasyFix warranty. We give it our Editors Choice Award!
1 Comment
Does it work with a mac?