MSI FORGE GK600 TKL Wireless Gaming Keyboard Review - MSI's Best Pure Gaming Keyboard

TweakTown Rating: 90%

Our Verdict

MSI has delivered what could very well be its best keyboard to date: the wireless, compact MSI FORGE GK600 TKL. From the build quality to the fantastic mechanical switches to the hot-swappable customization, it's delivers the sort of gaming performance that stands out from the pack.

Pros

• Fast and responsive linear switches
• Robust build quality delivers a smooth, rattle-free typing experience
• Hot-swappable switches and multiple dampening layers
• Compact TKL keyboard that feels premium

Cons

• The battery drains with full brightness RGB lighting
• Lacks software customization and remapping features
• Weird Delete key placement

Should you buy it?

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Buy at Amazon for $80.82 USD

Buy at Amazon for $89.99 CAD

Introduction & Specification Details and Close-up

If you're looking for a quick way to see if a gaming keyboard is worth checking out, try pressing the spacebar at different points while listening for rattle, pings, or echoes. The reason this is important for gaming is that PC gamers using the traditional WASD keys for movement might place their Spacebar thumb anywhere along the big rectangular key, which makes consistency, well, a key metric. The MSI FORGE GK600 TKL Wireless Gaming Keyboard nails this, with a fantastic, robust, snappy, and smooth Spacebar that feels the same to press on either side as well as the 'sweet spot' middle. This is a great starting point for diving into what might be MSI's best pure gaming keyboard to date.

The MSI FORGE GK600 TKL Wireless Gaming Keyboard, available in several colorways, is a tri-mode board that feels like the most modern and forward-thinking keyboard from the hardware maker so far. With wired, Bluetooth, and wired connectivity options, you're looking at a compact keyboard that is also all about physical customization, as well as messing around with all of the different RGB settings. This means you've got hot-swappable switches alongside replaceable keycaps on a wireless gaming keyboard that can be picked up for under $100 USD. In fact, while using the MSI FORGE GK600 TKL, we found quite a few deals for the keyboard in the $60 to $80 range.

With so many gaming keyboard options out there, it's great to see MSI deliver an affordable wireless offering that delivers where it counts - from performance to the feel of the switches to the keycap materials and overall build quality. Interestingly, the MSI FORGE GK600 TKL is also an all-in-one keyboard with an integrated display used for customization, so there's no software support. Let's dig in.

Specifications & Close Up

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Design & Software

Design

With a compact form factor in the 75% size region, the MSI FORGE GK600 follows a general size and TKL layout that will look and feel familiar to anyone who has used a mechanical gaming keyboard released in the last couple of years. That said, we do have one notable criticism of the key placement: the Del (Delete) key is positioned in the middle of the system keys on the right-hand side, above the Page Up key. For those who use the Delete key for productivity or even as a shortcut for deleting files, it's certainly annoying that it's not positioned at the bottom of the row, and it's worth highlighting as it's a strange choice that you don't usually find on a keyboard like this.

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The MSI FORGE GK600 TKL Wireless Gaming Keyboard ships with pre-installed linear mechanical switches, which are fantastic for the price. For both gaming and typing, the snappy response and smooth actuation are felt across the entire keyboard, from the WASD keys to the larger keys like Enter and the aforementioned Spacebar. Although they're not shinethrough, the dye-sublimated PBT keycaps also have a premium feel that is on par with keyboards that cost much more than the MSI FORGE GK600.

With hot-swappable switches and support for all third-party 5-pin options, it's underneath the hood where the MSI FORGE GK600 impressed us the most. Having a great switch is only one part of the story; the underlying construction, mounting, and dampening also play a role in the final result. For the MSI FORGE GK600, you've got a silicone gasket, mounting plate, IXPE sound-absorbing foam, switch foam, and additional sound-damping layers. The only compromise we can see is the lack of metal in the casing and top cover, a design choice likely made to keep the overall price below the $100 barrier.

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When you add up all of the layers, the MSI FORGE GK600 delivers a satisfying sound that's free from rattle or echo. Rounding out the physical design is a small 1.06-inch color display on the top right of the keyboard, used for customization and to provide a real-time view of battery life and other settings. On the underside of the keyboard, you'll find dedicated cable routing, rubberized grips, a slot for the USB dongle, and dedicated switches for Windows or Mac, as well as switching between wired, wireless, and Bluetooth. It's not the ideal placement for the latter, but it makes sense given the limited physical real estate. On that note, one thing we did miss with the design is the lack of a control know or dial for volume - something that can be make or break for some.

Software

The MSI FORGE GK600 TKL Wireless Gaming Keyboard isn't compatible with any software, including MSI Center, so all customization is handled via the small display and the Function and arrow keys to navigate the different options. This isn't a bad thing per se, but with most of the customization limited to messing around with the various RGB lighting presets, there's no real option for remapping keys or making changes to the various secondary functions. That includes being able to swap out and remap the Del key.

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As for the lighting, you've got 20 presets to choose from, with controls over brightness, speed, and color for presets that use a single static color. The choices you've got aren't endless, but there's enough to please the RGB fans out there. Unfortunately, as mentioned earlier, the PBT keycaps aren't shinethrough so the overall lighting experience has an underglow effect that can be distracting at full brightness. Although the screen is small, navigating the on-board customization is intuitive and straightforward, albeit limited. Outside of this, you're limited to the pre-programmed secondary functions that let you turn the Windows key on or off when gaming, alongside media controls and quick access to screenshots and other basic functionality.

Gaming Performance and Productivity

Gaming Performance

With its impressive linear switches, multiple dampening layers, robust mounting, N-key rollover anti-ghosting, and versatile wired or wireless connectivity, the MSI FORGE GK600 TKL Wireless Gaming Keyboard lives up to its namesake. Playing through a few rounds of Battlefield 6, the single-player campaign of DOOM: The Dark Ages, and other non-shooters like Diablo 4 and Age of Mythology, the MSI FORGE GK600 TKL felt fantastic and tuned to deliver fast and responsive gaming performance. Sure, it lacks Hall-effect features like Rapid Trigger, but it excels as an affordable mechanical alternative.

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The compact size and tri-mode connectivity also make it a fantastic option for those with limited desk space or who want a gaming keyboard to pair with a capable laptop. On that note, the 943-gram weight is hefty for travel, but the general rule of thumb is that you want your gaming keyboard to be heavy and your gaming mouse to be ultralight. After several days of gaming with the MSI FORGE GK600 TKL, we noticed that the display and RGB lighting drained the battery much faster than expected. For multiple weeks of uninterrupted wireless performance, you'll need to turn off all lighting.

Productivity

Compact TKL keyboards without a control dial or dedicated media keys or buttons will always feel a step or two behind keyboards that have these features, and that's certainly the case for the MSI FORGE GK600 TKL. However, when it comes to switches, keycaps, acoustics, and overall type feel, the MSI FORGE GK600 is as smooth and responsive as they come for day-to-day tasks like typing up emails or writing in-depth reviews (like this one).

Keyboard Click Sound Level

To test a keyboard's overall sound level, we use the Ozito Digital Sound Level Meter, capturing the sentence "the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" multiple times and recording the maximum dB level. This indicates how "loud" the switches used are for everyday usage. The following chart showcases where the MSI FORGE GK600 TKL Wireless Gaming Keyboard sits.

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Final Thoughts

The MSI FORGE GK600 TKL Wireless Gaming Keyboard isn't perfect, but its shortcomings are minor and take a back seat to what it does so well. A compact, versatile, wireless gaming keyboard that is not only affordable but delivers a fantastic gaming and typing experience. From the excellent linear mechanical switches to the multiple dampening layers, premium feeling keycaps, and the robust construction that includes multiple dampening layers and hot-swappable switches, it's arguably MSI's best gaming keyboard to date, and one worth picking up if the price is right.

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When it comes to the downsides, which include a battery that drains relatively quickly with full RGB brightness, the lack of dedicated software customization support, and the weird placement of the Delete key, these aren't deal breakers when you view the MSI FORGE GK600 TKL as a plug-and-play keyboard that will deliver what you're after the moment it fires up. Throw in a stylish design that comes in different colors, and it's clear that MSI has stepped up its keyboard game by delivering an affordable option that can stand toe to toe with pretty much any keyboard in its price range.