Choices, choices. See, it's not really a matter of which compact enthusiast gaming keyboard you buy, at least when it comes to the model itself. There are plenty of options of course, but our top pick is the Mountain Everest 60—so you should buy that one then, obviously. But when it comes to the switches, and color variations? That's all up to you.
Luckily, you can find an absolute riot of combinations at Amazon right now for a mere $50. No matter which you pick, however, you'll be getting a keyboard that our very own hardware overlord, Dave James, gave a 93% in his review. And believe me when I say—Dave is very, very fussy when it comes to his keebs. This one earned itself a mega score, and if you'll hang around just a second I'll tell you why.
For a start, let's talk switches. The most important part of any good keeb, our review model made use of Mountain Tactile 55s. Dave's the sort of person to swap out keyboard switches just for a good time (and they're completely hot-swappable here), but the pre-lubed Tactile 55 set impressed us so much, that in they stayed.
If tactile isn't your thing, there's also the Linear 45 and Linear 45 Speed to choose from, which are closer to Cherry Red and Cherry Speed switches. Fancy a change? The Everest 60 has you covered, as it accepts all other 3-pin plate-mounted or 5-pin PCB mounted switches.
But it's not just switches alone you should be concerned about. When it comes to build quality, the Mountain Everest 60 is as solid as its name suggests—which means it should last you through multiple setups, and have no problem being shoved in a backpack to take to the office. That compact form factor is ideal for it, in fact.
Then there's sound. Many keyboards now come with sound dampening layers, but here you get two layers of foam and a layer of silicone to offer a dampened, quiet typing experience that's every bit as premium-feeling (and sounding) as a proper enthusiast board should be. Except, of course, this one's now cheaper than just about anything else we could recommend in its category.
So what might put you off? Well, it's a 60% board, and that's no bueno for many. That being said, you can buy a remarkably convenient modular numpad add-on (currently available for $25) that can be attached to either side. Oh, and the software is fine, just about.
Those niggles aside, the Mountain Everest 60 is one of the best keyboards we've ever tested, and a fabulous addition to any rig. And for $50, what more can you ask than that?
