Introduction

With the exception of the Raptor K40 and a few HTPC options, all of the keyboard reviews we've posted this year are advanced to top-tier mechanical keyboards. Today we are going to look at something fundamentally different: a budget mechanical keyboard. Nixeus supplied us with a sample of the MODA, a tenkeyless USB keyboard that has been designed with simplicity and economy in mind. Even though the notion of calling a $70 keyboard a "budget" product appears rather controversial, the Nixeus MODA is one of the cheapest mechanical keyboards that money can buy. What kind of a mechanical keyboard can $70 get you? Read on to find out.

Packaging and Bundle

We received the Nixeus MODA in a typical cardboard box with a fair aesthetic design. The company clearly indicates that the Brown switches of the keyboard are supplied by Kailh. Such honesty is rare and refreshing, as most companies that are not using Cherry MX switches either try to conceal the fact or go as far as rebranding the switches as their own design.

Only a few extra keycaps and an extraction tool are supplied with the Nixeus. Of course, nothing more is really necessary for a typical keyboard. The eight extra "gaming" keycaps are for the arrow keys and the WASD keys. These keycaps have the same ergonomic shape as the originals, with the only real difference being that they are bright blue and the character is engraved on them. The engraved characters are very difficult to discern, but more importantly as we've mentioned in numerous of articles before, it is very rare for a gamer to actually swap keycaps prior to gaming, which is why several companies started to skip including extra keycaps in their keyboard bundles.

The Nixeus MODA Mechanical Keyboard

The Nixeus MODA is a relatively simple looking, compact tenkeyless keyboard. In order to reduce the width of the keyboard to just 40cm (about 15.7in), the company customized the layout a bit. There is no gap between the arrow/special command keys and the main board, while the presence of the five extra media keys forced Nixeus to remove all gaps between the ESC/F-keys row as well. The five extra keys can be used to control the volume of the system (up, down, and mute), bring up the home page in your browser, and launch your e-mail application. No software is required for any recent OS for these keys to work.

The MODA has an all-plastic chassis with a non-removable short wrist rest. Decorative faux screws and basic geometric shapes can be seen, hinting that the company tried to give the MODA a more aggressive look. Aesthetics are a subjective matter but we think that these did more harm than good, as a plain design would look much better than weird-looking plastic screw heads, especially for office/business use. Beneath the keyboard, there are two typical tilt adjustment legs and anti-skid rubber pads. Nixeus uses a typical thin USB wire with a gold-plated connector, which is understandable for a product that has been designed with value in mind.

A Closer Look

As mentioned on the previous page, Nixeus is being very straightforward and truthful about the key switches of the MODA, which are Brown switches from Kailh. The mechanical properties and even the color of Kaihl's Brown switches are a direct copy of Cherry's MX Brown switch – a soft tactile switch with nearly noiseless actuation. The selection of switches is largely based on the taste of the user, but these Brown switches are considered the best compromise between gaming and comfortable typing. Actually, many typists prefer the Brown switch to the Blue switch, as it offers the same tactile feeling without the noisy "click" actuation sound.

There is no reason why the copy cannot be as good (or even better) than the original, but Kailh's quality control appears to not to be on par with Cherry's, with larger inconsistencies between the keys. It's not a huge problem, however, as the performance of their switches is usually well within their rated specifications. This is true for the MODA as well, as our texture analyzer revealed that the actuation force of all normal-sized keys was between 46cN and 59cN, well within the 54±20cN specification.

There is virtually no key wobbling at all, even on the larger keys, giving the user a feel of exceptional sturdiness and providing a great typing experience. This level of quality is rare on a keyboard that uses bar stabilizers under the large keys. The company has even applied a little bit of grease on the stabilizers to ensure that they will not wear out in a short amount of time.

Nixeus' approach regarding the indicator LEDs is certainly unique but not particularly effective. The switches beneath the Scroll Lock and Caps Lock keys feature LEDs, but the keycaps are not transparent. As a result, the light is only barely visible around the bottom of the keycap. Although it looks great on camera, the light is not easily discernible in a well-lit room. This is not much of a problem as these keys are rarely used, but it is still something that could be easily remedied nonetheless. The soft light does look good in a dark room though.

Final Words and Conclusion

There is not too much to say about a product as simple as the Nixeus MODA. The aim of the company is clear: provide an aggressively priced mechanical keyboard for users that do not care about advanced features. With a retail price of around $70, it is one of the cheapest mechanical keyboards currently available. Most of Nixeus' direct competition is similar keyboards that are also using Kailh switches, while tenkeyless keyboards using Cherry MX Brown switches cost about $20 more. (Note that keyboards with Blue switches tend to cost a bit less, e.g. here's a Kailh Blue tenkeyless for $60.)

As mentioned above, Kailh's switches are direct copies of Cherry's products, including their durability specifications. With the keyboards that we've tested up to this date, we found that the consistency of Kailh's switches is inferior to their respective counterparts, but their mechanical attributes have always been well within their nominal specifications. As the user experience remains the same, we cannot fault a keyboard for using Kailh switches, especially when it is a product looking to provide the maximum possible value. Unfortunately, the claimed 50 million keystrokes longevity of the switches cannot be tested within the short timeframe of a typical review.

If you are looking for a keyboard that has features such as backlighting or programmable keys, then the Nixeus MODA is certainly not the product that you are looking for. The Nixeus MODA is a "no frills, no thrills" kind of product, meaning that is right only for users that simply want a mechanical keyboard for common everyday use, and more specifically users that want a compact tenkeyless keyboard. It is very comfortable to type with, the quality is acceptable, and the retail price is reasonable. However, if you even consider the possibility that you might need advanced programming features or enjoy a backlit keyboard, then you'll want to look at more advanced models, such as the $100 Rosewill RGB80.