The CM Storm Quick Fire Rapid-i is the successor of the QuickFire Rapid and features white backlight illumination. As its predecessor, the keyboard has a tenkeyless design, which means, it has no numpad and is a bit smaller than other keyboards.
Compact Keyboard with Cherry MX Switches
Cooler Master sticks with Cherry and uses Cherry MX Switches within the Quick Fire Rapid-i. Curiously, the QuickFire Rapid was offered with MX Black, MX Blue, MX Brown, MX Green and MX Red, but the Quick Fire Rapid-i is only sold with MX Brown, MX Blue and MX Red. The availability of the different switch types depends on the region – not all switch types are available in every region.
The Quick Fire Rapid-i features full NKRO via USB and therefore shouldn’t have any ghosting or blocking issues at all. The windows key can be locked during gaming to avoid minimizing the game by accident. The keyboard has media controls integrated into the function keys but no macro keys.
Backlight illumination of the Quick Fire Rapid-i
The most eye-catching new feature of the Quick Fire Rapid-i is its white backlight illumination. They keyboard offers 5 different modes and 5 illumination levels. One of these modes is called ActivLite and makes the keyboard illumination react to your inputs – the keys will light up when you press them and turn off upon release.
Tech Specs for CM Storm Quick Fire Rapid-i
Further Information on Amazon.com
(Read customer reviews)
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Mechanical Keyboard Score
The mechanical keyboard score is our overall score for a keyboard. The score is based on the available ratings and critics and makes an easy comparison between different mechanical keyboards possible. It is also used for our mechanical keyboard ranking.
Reviews
Computershopper
February 13, 2015
"The big selling point for the Rapid-I? Its individually programmable white-backlit keys. Despite some minor quibbles, we're pleased with how this rugged, handsome "tenkeyless" board performs."
(Review not available online)
December 10, 2014
"While the QuickFire is a tad pricey, you do get a very solid TKL mechanical keyboard."
October 20, 2014
"The CM Storm Quick Fire Rapid-i is a well-built, travel-friendly mechanical gaming keyboard with some interesting illuminated effects, and you don't need any extra software to use it."
October 6, 2014
"... as the Quick Fire Rapid-I is otherwise a very solid keyboard, with nearly everything you could want in terms of backlighting, so long as you like white of course. It's pricey but we feel it warrants it's price tag, if only to a select few."
PC Gameware
August 15, 2014
"I have enjoyed my time with the little CM Storm QuickFire Rapid-i, there’s no doubt in my mind that it is a well focused piece of Gaming Hardware. The question though, may be whether it’s worth the asking price…"
(Review not available online)
I really enjoy the the rapid I got It with mx blue switches. Only one disappointment is that the led are starting to go 1 by 1 about 10 dead already
Same as D says above – only a few years old and the keyboard LED’s have mostly stopped working. 15 of the A-Z characters are dead and only 4,5,6 working in the numbers. Numerous other keys dead, too.