Unicomp New Model M keyboard on a countertop
88

Unicomp New Model M review

A modern take on a computing classic.

(Image: © Future)

Our Verdict

An incredible piece of engineering, helped along by its classic looks and remarkable sturdiness. The real standout of buckling spring switches doesn’t disappoint either, providing the best typing experience available on the market, but not much of one for gaming. It's also a great option for those looking to wind the clock back to 1985 and whack on some Phil Collins, and I totally didn’t do that when writing this review, promise.

For

  • Incredible build quality
  • Satisfying clicky typing experience
  • Built like a tank

Against

  • No RGB (if you're into that)
  • Lack of physical customisation may displease some

PC Gamer's got your back Our experienced team dedicates many hours to every review, to really get to the heart of what matters most to you. Find out more about how we evaluate games and hardware.

Are you old enough to remember the eighties? Well, truth be told, I’m not. But, what if you yearn to experience the heyday of mechanical keyboards, just with some modern flourishes? Surely that can’t be done. Well, the New Model M from Unicomp may well just challenge that perception, providing a classic typing experience with the usual creature comforts of lock lights and Windows keys.

Alright, things aren’t actually quite as simple as they seem. Unicomp aren’t just some whipper-snapping start-up who make revised editions of old keyboards. Oh no. They’re actually a bunch of old IBM and Lexmark employees who for the last fifteen years and over have been making modernised IBM Model M boards with pretty much identical tooling to the originals in Lexington, Kentucky. 

So, this isn’t just any modernised keyboard; it’s a faithful sequel to the original IBM Model M that was their companion to their PCs from the mid eighties to late nineties. And that means it’s got buckling springs inside! For those unfamiliar, a bucking spring switch is exactly what it says: a user pushes a spring down that then buckles, causing an input to be sent through the wires to the computer. This takes the meaning of mechanical to a whole other level. 

Unicomp New Model M keyboard on a countertop

(Image credit: Future)
New Model M specs

Switches: Buckling Springs
Layout: ANSI/ISO
Backlight: None (apart from locklights)
Rollover: None
Polling rate: N/A
Keycaps: PBT Dye-sub
Connection: Wired USB Type-A
Discrete media controls: No
Price: $104 (£130)

What it leads to though is pure typing heaven. 

I’ve had my fair share of gaming boards on my desk for years with their Cherry MX clones and flashing lights, but none feel quite so incredible as the New M does. The keypress has this incredible heft to it that could only be the sign of a well-made product, and its associated click is the stuff of dreams. Yes, it is a heavy keypress and that can lead to finger fatigue after some prolonged use, but it’s worth fighting through the initial adjustment pains as you’ll be bestowed with the best typing experience money can buy.

The New M is made of this incredibly strong black plastic frame, helped along by dye sublimated PBT keycaps that are the best on offer today. IBM purists may argue that as they aren’t two-piece caps like some of the original models that the this Unicomp model is unfaithful, but in the grand scheme of things, it’s the least of my worries. 

Inside, you’ll find a stonkingly massive piece of riveted steel that holds the New M together, giving it this ludicrous weightiness that means it isn’t going anywhere once you plonk it down on your desk.

Cut the cord...

(Image credit: Steelseries)

Best wireless gaming mouse: ideal cable-free rodents
Best wireless gaming keyboard: no wires, no worries
Best wireless gaming headset: top untethered audio

On the underside, you’ll find some handy flip-out feet that help to raise the board up for a more comfortable typing angle. Unicomp has taken the care to make these as thick as the keyboard itself, but do note that, if you want to move the New M, you will have to hold the feet as they don’t click into place that easily. 

My only real issue with the design of the New M is the Unicomp logo in the top right corner which does cheapen the looks a little, especially in comparison to the older square label Ms that placed their logo in the top left to look business class. After all, IBM does stand for ‘International Business Machines’.

Truth be told though, the entire package feels like it’s worth the $104 (£130) or so asking price. The original Model Ms and indeed their predecessors, the Model F, were renowned for having some of the best construction on offer at the time, and this has been consistently reappraised in the intervening years. These keyboards came at a time when owning a PC wasn’t simply going down to a shop and buying what was cheapest. It comes from a time when manufacturers would take care with every element of the manufacturing process, right down to the accompanying peripherals that these days are flimsy and get put in the nearest bin within ten minutes. 

Of course, this is first and foremost a typist’s board. You could indulge in gaming with this American behemoth if you wanted, but I wouldn’t recommend it. Key presses are just a little bit too heavy for the snappy response times demanded in fast-paced games, and you'd be better off with switches that nearly halve the actuation force of buckling springs. Nor is it the best for customisation geeks either. Unicomp do sell some different keycaps on their store that were custom done for the Geekhack forum, but other than that, you’ll be left scratching your head. 

As a hardware reviewer, you know when you’ve found a great product, as it doesn’t instantly get unplugged, boxed up and forgotten about in a cupboard the minute you finish typing. The Unicomp New Model M is a board that’s been on my desk for the best part of a month, and will be staying there for the foreseeable future. 

The Verdict
Unicomp New Model M

An incredible piece of engineering, helped along by its classic looks and remarkable sturdiness. The real standout of buckling spring switches doesn’t disappoint either, providing the best typing experience available on the market, but not much of one for gaming. It's also a great option for those looking to wind the clock back to 1985 and whack on some Phil Collins, and I totally didn’t do that when writing this review, promise.

Reece Bithrey
Contributor

Reece Bithrey is a freelance journalist with credits in Trusted Reviews, Digital Foundry, PC Gamer, TechRadar, PCGamesN, and Custom PC magazine reviewing all sorts of computing gubbins, including keyboards, mice, laptops, and more. He also has his own blog, UNTITLED, has bylines for WatchGecko's online magazine, and graduated from the University of Leeds with a degree in International History and Politics in 2023. When not writing, you'll usually find him bellowing at virtual footballers on Football Manager or tinkering with mechanical keyboards.

Read more
8BitDo Retro Mechanical Keyboard (C64 Edition
8BitDo Retro Mechanical Keyboard review (C64 Edition)
Lemokey L5 HE 8K gaming keyboard with RGB enabled on a desk.
Lemokey L5 HE 8K keyboard review
The Corsair K70 Pro TKL gaming keyboard seen from above, with the wrist rest attached, on a well-lit desk. Game mode has been activated, bathing every key in red light.
Corsair K70 Pro TKL review
Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro 75% keyboard from various angles on a light blue background
Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro 75% review
The Cherry Xtrfy K4V2 TKL gaming keyboard on top of a mouse pad depicting a nebula. The keyboard is grey with red accent keys, a grey braided wire, and the bright RGB lights switched on.
Cherry Xtrfy K4V2 TKL review
NZXT Function Elite MiniTKL with RGB lighting enabled on a desk.
NZXT Function Elite MiniTKL review
Latest in Gaming Keyboards
The Cherry Xtrfy K4V2 TKL gaming keyboard on top of a mouse pad depicting a nebula. The keyboard is grey with red accent keys, a grey braided wire, and the bright RGB lights switched on.
Cherry Xtrfy K4V2 TKL review
The Corsair K70 Pro TKL gaming keyboard seen from above, with the wrist rest attached, on a well-lit desk. Game mode has been activated, bathing every key in red light.
Corsair K70 Pro TKL review
DirkMcGirk's mechanical cheeseboard on a platter of fruits and crackers
I've never wanted a keyboard with cheese keycaps and a little mouse on it until I saw this one
A close up image of the Drop + The Lord of the Rings Gondor CSTM80 gaming keyboard
Forget Gondor, Drop's latest LOTR-themed keyboard has my approval because it's got a tiny little sword on the Enter key
Wooting 80HE on a desk and controlled by the Wootility.
There's one reason I come back to this one rapid trigger gaming keyboard over the rest, and that's great software
8BitDo Retro Mechanical Keyboard (C64 Edition
8BitDo Retro Mechanical Keyboard review (C64 Edition)
Latest in Reviews
The Cherry Xtrfy K4V2 TKL gaming keyboard on top of a mouse pad depicting a nebula. The keyboard is grey with red accent keys, a grey braided wire, and the bright RGB lights switched on.
Cherry Xtrfy K4V2 TKL review
MSI RTX 5090 Suprim SOC graphics card on a grey background with a gradient
MSI RTX 5090 Suprim SOC review
Fragpunk FPS
Fragpunk review
Rise of the Ronin review
Rise of the Ronin review
SteelSeries QcK Performance mouse pads overlapping on a desk
SteelSeries QcK Performance mouse pad review
Soundcore Liberty 4 Pro earbuds on a black desk with various handheld gaming PCs.
Soundcore Liberty 4 Pro review