I mainly bought this for the case customizability and it does that very well, though this keyboard delivers on many fronts. The cases are easy to replace and they are held on very securely with no shaking or rattling. The keyboard seems to be built very well. I've been transporting it in a soft case to and from work for weeks and it still looks and feels brand new. The gasket implementation is flexible and the sound is muted with very little to no hollowness. I've been satisfied with the performance out of the box and haven't felt any need to open up the case for further customization. If Drop ever decides to make this wireless, it would be my 24/7 go-to board
Much of the fun of custom mech keyboards are of course the customization. And just like its big brother, the CSTM65 gives you plenty of options: on top of the typical switches and keycaps of your choicse, you can swap out the color of the top case, a few plate options, and even add havier weights to the bottom. It is not the most premium finish, but you don't expect it at this price point. All in all a solid choice, espcially if you can pick one up with Keyboard Club discount.
I have been using this keyboard for about 1 month now and I can very much say "I like it!". But there are some things that I want to mention for anyone considering it.
Firstly, the browns are slightly off from stock Gateron browns, and personally I don't like it. With that said, I think they are perfectly solid switches! I planned on swapping them out anyways, but I wanted to mention it.
The build is really solid, having stabilizers come with the full kit version is a really nice value add. I personally love the stock key cap set. I will try others, but these are quite nice and I love the style of the front facing shine through caps and see myself keeping these on for a good while.
I personally switched the firmware to the VIA compatible one using Drop's flashing tool, it was quick and easy. I followed Drop's guide here to do so, even though the page did not mention CSTM65 anywhere, it was an option available for flashing after downloading the tool.
I also think the best value for this keyboard is when its on sale (like most drop products), and would suggest waiting for a sale to bring the cost at or under $100.
This is also my first 65% keyboard, and I love it! Getting used to macros is a bit weird, but you can always customize it to better fit your needs. But having the smaller desk footprint & being easier to take around is super nice and more than makes up for any downsides!
The keeb is very well made. I love the switches and the feel of the key caps as well. I was hesitant at first with the price of the board but definitely well worth the money. I went ahead and got a wriest rest which helps a lot to be more on top of the keys but excellent board.
Love the customizability and it sounds good.
It could just be a placebo effect but when I just started typing on the board it didn't sound that great.
After about an hour or so that changed.
Looking forward to the cstm75.
I built out a barebones CSTM80 for my wife with the Overgrowth case and she loves it. As I usually prefer 65% boards I was really curious about this one. When got my monthly discount I decided to pick it up as the prebuilt and I'm very please I did.
The front shine through keycaps look amazing on the all black board. The stabilizers were lubed and tuned upon arrival and the dampening is excellent but not overdone. Don't get me wrong it's a deep sounding board but I put some poppier tactile switches in it and the damping didn't drown them out.
It's a little on the stiffer size but I haven't had a chance to pull it apart yet but plan to eventually and remove a little of the foam which should make a difference. It's so much more than I expected when I ordered. I have quite a few keyboards and wanted to add this to my collection but once I got it I've found myself using it quite a bit over some of my more expensive custom boards. Good job on this one Drop!
If you are looking for a nice 65% this one is should definitely be on your short list and that doesn't take into account all the customization options at your fingertips!
Definitely recommend!
One thing to note which I'm getting use to, the keycaps are quite slick in my opinion, especially when compared to the DROP DCX line or GMK caps. They feel great and are nice and thick, they just don't have a lot of texture.
Bought it as I needed a replacement for a magicforce keyboard with tactile switches. As I wanted a more silent typing experience I went for the yellow switches: the feeling is great and typing is a pleasure.
I would definitely recommend it.