New Rosewill 9100 - Initial impressions

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TechJeff

Limp Gawd
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Mar 25, 2009
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This is a short mini review I will be expanding upon later. I recently got a new Rosewill mechanical 9100 keyboard with cherry brown switches. These have just started shipping and there will be more color choices for backlighting later: red and white colors are coming, mine is blue lights. My initial impressions are:

Improved build quality - the keyboard feels quite solid and well constructed throughout. Gone are the red letters and back plate. All keys are a nice black with white letters that seem easy to read even when not light. Also of important note is the USB connection is now much improved in that it is a solid connection, very snug, that is now part of the keyboard and non-removable. Gone is the PS2 connection and you will need 2 USB ports for the backlighting and function.

The keys are all blue and there appears to be no bleed through. There is a slight blue glow between the keys at the bottom of the keyboard, but it is nice. It has 3 modes, full, WSAD with arrows and all light minus the keypad. There are 4 modes of backlight from full to low.

Now for the bad:

The keys only light for the top row of numbers, function keys, etc. The keys that have characters/symbols used with shift are not light at all. Also, while I don't have a 9000 model to compare to, the keys seem a bit slick with little or no texture to them.

While this is a personal choice, the keys seem too small and very tightly spaced. When compared to the Cooler Master Storm Trigger (also brown switches), it is quite obvious. I have used the CM Trigger for a while now and feel the keys are better overall at this time. Also, the space bar on the 9100 is smaller than most keyboards. Can't say how much, but you can visually see that it is.

While they say it has media keys, it does, but they are NOT programmable at all. It's just the function key along with the standard volume, mail, play/pause, etc. Not impressed with this at all, so think of it as mainly a backlight keyboard with a few modes for the lights, NO programming at all.

After typing on it for most of the past 2 days, my hands seem to be getting sore. They feel quite cramped due to the size of the keys and the short spacing. I would say I have average hands with longer, slender fingers. If your finger tips are large, I don't think they would be of use at all. Compared to the CM Trigger, my hands can span better and not be so cramped or confined.

I will be comparing the two more in the coming days, but those are my initial thoughts.
 
I have had this keyboard for nearly a week now and am posting this update.

Doing a comparison between the Cooler Master Storm Trigger Pro with Brown switches and the Rosewill 9100 I found the following:

1. The printed keys on the Rosewill 9100 are much more clear and easier to read with nice white letters. While the CM Trigger has very poor clarity when not light. Print on that keyboard seems much less distinguishable and even slightly smudged where you can see the print is not complete. This is clear in a direct comparison with the Rosewill 9100. Clarity of the keys when not light is certainly better with the Rosewill 9100.

2. My thoughts above about the CM Trigger is most likely due to whom makes the keyboard each of these is based upon, see below for more. When I compared the two more closely, there isn't that much difference, if any, between the key spacing and size of each key. In fact, they are quite close, with the CM Trigger being longer of course due to the programmable macro keys on the left. Perhaps this threw off my perception at first of the key layout.

3. While they are both Brown switches, they don't feel the same. My initial impressions of the keys seems to be due to the company each of these keyboards are based on. I have been unable to determine the OEM of each, but they do seem to be different when you get hands-on with them. The Rosewill has a more soft, less tactile or click type of feel as opposed to the CM Trigger. You can feel the lighter key travel on each stroke and it seems a bit more spongy/soft as opposed to the bit more firm click with the CM Trigger. I am guessing this is because of what each company has used as their base for the keyboard and they are different. Otherwise, they are both Brown switches.

I will post a final comment a bit later, but for now this is how they stack up. Each has some pluses and minuses as you can tell.
 
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IIRC, the RK9100 is made by iRocks while the Storm Trigger is Costar.

Is the backplate on the RK9100 metal (if so, is it steel)? This may be why the keys feel differently.
 
Skull_Angel said:
IIRC, the RK9100 is made by iRocks while the Storm Trigger is Costar.

Is the backplate on the RK9100 metal (if so, is it steel)? This may be why the keys feel differently.
Click to expand...

I assume you are referring to the backplate that is inside the keyboard, not the case itself. The case is a hard plastic, much like the CM Storm Trigger, it feels solid, but not metal.

As to the plate inside the keyboard, I don't know for sure and have seen no details on such specs anywhere. Is there a way to tell? The keys are certainly more firm in feel on the CM Storm Trigger than the Rosewill 9100. Having both keyboards plugged in at the same time, typing on them one after the other, you can tell they are different. I still would guess it's the difference between the OEM these boards are based on.
 
Easiest way to tell would be to pop off a keycap or few and take a look; with pcb mounted you'll see the whole switch and pcb, but with a backplate you won't (you'll only see half t he switch as well). I think they're both backplated any way so what you can do is tap or flick at the backplate to get a general comparison.

Careful if you do decide to pull off keycaps though, cherry switches are durable but not indestructible, lol. Just make sure to pull directly up gently, and if they're stubborn gently wiggle slightly. You can also compare the keycaps better taking them off, this can also be the factor that makes the keys feel differently.
 
For those wondering, the Rosewill 9100 has a metal backplate. It is 1.42"(H) compared to the CM Storm Trigger at 0.98"(H). This may account for some of the difference I found between them for comfort as well.

The Rosewill 9100 is fairly steep linear wise and my hands still cramp after a while using it. I am going to try it with a wrist rest and see how that feels and post back the results. At the price point Newegg is asking (nearly $130 for what I paid) it should come with a good quality wrist rest already as many others do.
 
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I now have a few wrist rests to test out with the Rosewill 9100 and will be comparing the comfort level know using it in flat and angled with feet out on the keyboard. Plan to give it a few days and also compare between the CM Storm Trigger with their wrist rest too. Once I know more I will update this thread with my findings.

Also, I found the Ducky Shine II is almost identical to this keyboard if you look at the screen shots of each one closely. The key spacing, style, key print, etc. is the same. There are a few keys added above the numpad on the Ducky II not there on the Rosewill 9100, otherwise, they are the same from what I can tell.
 
The may seem similar, but Ducky manufactures their keyboards while iRocks makes the RK9100 Rosewills (Costar makes the RK9000 line). I don't know all that much about iRocks QC, but an easy way to find out would be to disassemble the sucker (it's so much more fun that digging around the net for :D).

edit: it looks like iRocks's manufacturing plant is based in China so I wouldn't expect the QC to be as high as companies that are based in Taiwan.
 
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Skull_Angel said:
The may seem similar, but Ducky manufactures their keyboards while iRocks makes the RK9100 Rosewills (Costar makes the RK9000 line). I don't know all that much about iRocks QC, but an easy way to find out would be to disassemble the sucker (it's so much more fun that digging around the net for :D).

edit: it looks like iRocks's manufacturing plant is based in China so I wouldn't expect the QC to be as high as companies that are based in Taiwan.
Click to expand...

Well, that's good to know. I have been using a couple of different wrist rests for several hours now so not much else to state except I am still leaning to my initial findings.

Those are:

The CM Storm Trigger still seems to be the better quality board overall. Keys just seem more solid in feel where the Rosewill 9100 seems almost plastic in comparison, sort of cheap feeling. It's not bad, but if you compare the two, the keys are different despite the fact they are both Brown switches. There is just more of a firm feel on the CM Storm Trigger.

The Rosewill 9100 is a solid board, but it seems to be hard plastic where the CM Storm Trigger is mostly aluminum/metal for the case.

Backlighting on the Rosewill 9100 can't be faulted and seems a bit more even than the CM Storm Trigger. Not a huge difference mind you, but in comparison just a small amount. You can only get the CM Storm Trigger in Red color lights if that matters.

For typing, I have yet to give my final verdict. I do know that without a wrist rest the Rosewill is painful to use after a while but the CM Storm Trigger was not.

I will put the wrist rest on that one too so I can compare them on a more even level and post back.
 
Bit old thread, but I was hoping for an update... Did the wrist rest help in long-term usage?
Thx.
 
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