Gamdias Hermes RGB Mechanical Gaming Keyboard Review

So I have personally reviewed about half a dozen mechanical keyboards in 2016 and I will open this product review by saying this is my favorite mechanical keyboard that I have reviewed so far.  This keyboard which I am absolutely passionate about is the GAMDIAS Hermes RGB Mechanical Keyboard.

Check out my Unboxing Video

Just so you know this keyboard has it’s own 32bit ARM CortexTM-M3 Microprocessor to handle all of it’s lighting functions and it supports 16.7 million colors in it’s LED backlit keys.  That is not all, you have the ability to literally change every single key to be a different color if you want and it has some of the most amazing color pattern effects I have seen on any keyboard.

Specifications:

• Key Switch GAMDIAS certified mechanical switches
• Key Switch Type Blue
• GAMDIAS Element No
• Dimensions 440 x 170 x 37 mm
• Weight 1.16KG
• Built-in Memory 72KB
• Polling Rate 1000Hz
• Additional Macro Keys NA
• Programmable keys 2
• Multimedia Keys 6
• Switch Lifecycle 50 Million
• Backlit 16.8 million colors and 4 levels brightness
• N-Key Rollover N-Key rollover
• OTF Macro Record Yes (with HERA)
• Windows Key Disable Yes
• All-Keys Lock Yes
• Onboard Audio Jacks NA
• Onboard USB Port NA
• Cable Length 1.8m (Braided Cable with Gold-plated USB Connector)
• Graphical UI Yes (GAMDIAS HERA)
• Interface USB
• Number Of Profile 6
• WASD & Arrow keys Change Yes
• Consecutive Attack Mode Yes
• Customizable Lighting Effects Yes

This keyboard has everything you could want including the ability to use software to customize every single key to be a different color if you wish. The color patterns are just amazing and included a video showing some of the color pattern options, raindrops just looks so cool. The keyboard itself is has that fantastic tactile feel and I am able to hit 110WPM on this keyboard and I can’t hit that WPM on tenfastfingers with other keyboards, my fingers literally glide from key to key and the responsiveness of the keys is the best I have tested out of any keyboard.  Just check out my video below.

Typing on the Gamdias Hermes RGB Gaming Keyboard

The fact is that this is a TRUE GAMERS keyboard giving you full customization over macro’s is something other gaming keyboards don’t have often. The only problem I have with this keyboard is the Blue MX switches are so very loud, the clicks are so loud that my family in a room 10′ away can hear the keyboard and anyone with a 10′ radius is just so annoyed by the click volume it drives my family mad. Note the click volume is about the same with other Blue Switch keyboards so I had similar complaints with them.

 

I bought rubber dampening O’rings for this keyboard but they do not seem to work and dampen the click volume of the keys. This could be because they aren’t Cherry MX switches but another type of switch, had this keyboard used brown or black switches for a lower volume or switches that were compatible with a sound dampening O ring this is a 5-star keyboard if they keyboard click volume doesn’t bother you and this is my most recommended keyboard to date if you want full mechanical, macro and the best RGB lighting customization options in a keyboard.

Color Sampling Effects of the Gamdias Hermes RGB Keyboard

Gamdias Hera Software

The Gamdias Hera software lets you customize just about everything you can think of with the Hermes keyboard.  This includes custom macro’s that you can assign to your keys which can trigger complex multiple key combinations.  To even assigning sounds and timers to your keys.  The fact that the keyboard has profiles you can create and save so that you can just simply load a profile for your favorite game is just awesome.  Seriously the software alone is some of the best customization software I have ever seen for a keyboard or mouse.

The color choices and patterns are incredible, you literally choose a color palette with the full RGB wheel and can assign any color to any key, or groups of keys to a single color.  They change in real time showing you the color on the screen and on the keyboard itself.  The patterns by default are Breathing, Wave, Responsive Fade Out, Marquee, Ripple, Responsive Fade In, Neon, Colorful Marquees, Rainbow Drops, Ciruclar Marquees, Slide In and Rotation are just fun to play with.  Raindrops is one of my favorite but also ripple is just so cool seeing the keys shoot light waves out from each keystroke pressed.

 

As a side note, with the software it would be awesome if they had game profiles you can download and have keys pre-lit based on some popular games you play.  Obviously as a gaming keyboard, having some pre-configured “game” colorizations would be cool, like downloading a profile for various games and pre-highlighting the keyboard based on your favorite games and most frequently used keys. Like having only the Overwatch keys light up when playing Overwatch for example. This would simply be a software update to the Hera software however.  You can also find more about the Gamdias Hermes Keyboard from Gamdias Website for more information pictures and demo of the lighting effects.

For my personal preference I only wish they made a Black Switch version of this keyboard so that the keystrokes could have been lower and it would not have driven my family nuts using the keyboard when I type 110 Words per Minute.

• You can also get the Gamdias Hermes RGB Keyboard on Walmart for a great price right now!

Disclaimer: Gamdias provided me with the Hermes RGB Keyboard so I could do a thorough and accurate review. All opinions are 100% mine and mine alone.