As you may or may not know, I am officially onboard with the mechanical gaming keyboard craze. I like to keep an eye on what’s coming out, to see what new and interesting things peripheral manufacturers are going to come up with. Cooler Master is just such a company, and this is a product we first previewed at CES 2014. The QuickFire Rapid-i is now ready for primetime.

The QuickFire Rapid-i is Cooler Master’s latest entry to drop into the mechanical keyboard arena and it brings with it some new features. Thanks to a 32-bit ARM processor and something Cooler Master is calling ActivLite Technology, this fully backlit keyboard incorporates 5 lighting modes with 5 brightness levels. These modes incorporate such cool tricks as a lighting up only on a key press, and fading when you move to the next key. You can also program your own options for gaming, and save those profiles.

There’s no information on whether the QuickFire Rapid-i is using a Cherry MX switch, and pricing and availability have yet to be announced. If you want to keep up to date, check out the press release below, and check back on Futurelooks for a review.
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Introducing the Cooler Master QuickFire Rapid-i

Fully Backlit Mechanical Gaming Keyboard with ActivLite Technology

Chino, CA – 4/2/2014 – Cooler Master, a leading creator, innovator and manufacturer of desktop components, mobile accessories, and gaming peripherals, today announced the much requested QuickFire Rapid-i, a fully featured and backlit mechanical keyboard. QuickFire Rapid-i builds upon its predecessor’s legacy with full keyboard illumination and unique lighting effects through its new ActivLite technology.

Information on the new QuickFire Rapid-I, including features and notification of availability can be found at a unique, brand new micro-site here.

Stylistic Illumination

Powered by a 32-bit ARM processor, Rapid-i's ActivLite Technology incorporates 5 lighting modes with 5 brightness levels. Using ActivLite, users find themselves adding a richer aesthetic to their space. One such mode enables the backlighting to brightly illuminate upon each key press and fade softly as your fingers move on to the next key. The effect is a deeply satisfying visual trail to bring a unique effect to your typing experience. ActivLite also allows users to individually program keys for unique game and application uses, while the onboard memory makes it possible to save profiles that store up to four different presets.

Sleek & Feature Rich

Featuring a smooth and clean aesthetic, QuickFire Rapid-i includes laser-marked keycaps and a non-glossy matte finish over tactile and quiet mechanical switches. A response time of 1ms, in USB mode, offers gamers a necessary consistency to respond quickly in the latest games. Multimedia shortcuts are available to ensure that media can be controlled with ease. With N Key Rollover (NKRO), users deploying the QuickFire Rapid-i in either USB or PS/2 mode can activate many keys on the keyboard simultaneously.

Ergonomic Size with Hassle-free Travel

Travel with ease by simply removing the included braided USB cable and storing it. At all times, the QuickFire Rapid-i makes itself a more journey-ready partner with its super-slim body. It allows the keyboard to be more ergonomically-friendly while being easier to transport than most full-sized mechanical keyboards.

Availability

Sign up to be notified of the QuickFire Rapid-I's availability at here. Price and availability may vary based on region. This release is meant for North America region only. Please consult your local Cooler Master Representative for more information.

About Cooler Master

Cooler Master was founded to provide the best thermal solutions to our customers worldwide. Since its establishment more than two decades ago, we continue to invest in product development in order to provide leading-edge innovations to people and businesses. Cooler Master's enclosure technology line-up includes heat sinks and fans, chassis, power supplies, function panels and accessories. Cooler Master has its headquarters in Taipei, Taiwan, with global branch offices located in Europe, America and APAC, so that we can offer to our customers the best service in time. For more information on Cooler Master, please visit www.coolermaster.com.

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