So for people who get really excited about meticulously picking out each and every component and part for their new PC you might know exactly what you want for a mouse and keyboard. But for a lot of people, especially with the popularity of things like PC Part Picker that help just about anyone pick out their components, you just want something simple and that you know is going to work. For a while now Cooler Master has actually been producing these combo packs that get you a mouse and keyboard at a decent price. Well with the recent introduction of their new mice they are following that up with their MasterSet MS120. This gets you both a mouse and a keyboard, but what exactly do each of them have going on? Today I’m going to check them out and find out.

Product Name: Cooler Master MasterSet MS120

Review Sample Provided by: Cooler Master

Written by: Wes Compton

Pictures by: Wes Compton

Amazon Affiliate Link: HERE

 

Specifications

Keyboard Switches

Mem-chanical Clicky Switches

Switch Lifespan

50M+ rated lifespan

Switch Travel Distance

3.8mm travel distance

Switch Actuation Point

1.8mm

Anti-Ghosting

Up to 26

Keyboard lighting

Per-key RGB lighting

Mouse Sensor

Avago 3050 Optical Sensor

DPI Adjustment

4 levels of adjustable DPI between 500 to 3500

Mouse Shape

Right Handed Ergonomic Design for Claw and Palm Grip

Mouse Switches

OMROM 10M micro switches

Scroll Wheel

ALPS Scrollwheel encoder

Mouse Lighting

Three zone RGB LED Lighting

Warranty

2 years

 


Packaging

The packaging for the MasterSet MS120 really just looks like a longer version of their MasterKey keyboard boxes. It has the Cooler Master Master series dark gray finish with large photos of both the keyboard and mouse on the front. They both have their lighting all lit up as well. The Cooler Master branding is up in the top left corner with the model name and a description in the bottom left. Then over on the right, they show up they have RGB lighting and talk about the “Mem-chanical” switches and their Cherry MX keycap support.

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The back of the box has a blown up photo of the keyboard but no additional photo of the mouse. Along with that, there are short feature rundowns in multiple languages.

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Inside the box, both the keyboard and the mouse are wrapped up in plastic and then the mouse has its own foam tray to keep it from moving around. The cords are both up under the cardboard along the top edge. Beyond that, the only other thing in the box is the MS120 manual.

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Photos and Features

So Cooler Masters previous setups like this used to be called a combo but now they have used the “Master” branding with Masterset to show that you get a full set. So what you are actually getting is a mouse that shares the same shape as the MM520 or the old spawn mouse and then a full sized Mem-chanical keyboard. What that means is this isn’t a standard mechanical keyboard but it does aim to feel similar and it is compatible with keycaps like a mechanical would be. Neither the keyboard or the mouse are sold on their own so this is a relatively unique setup specifically for people looking to get a decent deal on both a keyboard and a mouse.

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So like I said the MS120 Mouse does have the same shape as the MM520, in fact from the outside I really didn’t spot any huge differences. The spawn like shape gives this a short length that is great with claw and palm grips and a wide stance with the additional finger groove on the right side. Speaking of the right side though, there is a small rubber grip but it doesn’t have the honeycomb shape that I didn’t like with the MM520. The led bar does still wrap around the back and you get that weird half lit half painted Cooler Master logo up under your palm. The left side of the mouse has two large side buttons that are set back a little so the front button should be easy to reach even for people with short thumbs.

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For the two triggers, they did split them from the rest of the top of the mouse and just like the MM520, there is a DPI button behind the scroll wheel. Even the scroll wheel has the same shape with some backlighting. The trigger switches are Omron 10 million click switches like the MM520. They are solid switches but there are higher count models available for a little more durability. Then on the bottom, there are three gliders with small divots to allow for easier replacement. With the exception of a few small changes, it is really only the sensor that has changed. Cooler Master went with a 3050 optical sensor. With just four levels of DPI settings, you can’t expect to be able to get your perfect DPI but this really isn’t a flawless sensor so fine tuning things is only going to get you so far.

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The cord is rubber and flexible like the MM520 and long enough to reach a PC off to the side of your desk.

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Then the other half of this bundle is the MS120 Keyboard. From the top down point of view, it does have a few things going for it. For one it is a traditional full keyboard layout. This means you get a full number pad, F keys, direction pad, and then, of course, your main keys. The bottom row is standard also, this is important with the Cherry MX keycap compatibility, you can run a full aftermarket keyset. Actually, from the top down look, this looks a lot like the Masterkey Pro, but when we tilt to the side a little we can see that the bezel around the keyboard doesn’t wrap up around the keycaps at all. You can see the white backing and the mem-chanical switches even from a high angle.

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Around the outside edge of the board, there aren’t any additional connections and you don’t get a detachable cord. This is a much simpler design that Cooler Masters other keyboards.

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I love that even on this keyboard Cooler Master didn’t go crazy with a “gamer” focused font for the legends. You get a nice traditional font that is easy to read and not too big or small. The number row has the second functions above the numbers and for the function layer stuff on the F keys the labels are also backlit but under the keys.

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Like the more expensive keyboards, the F key and the keys above the direction pad both have function layer actions. The first 4 F keys actually are just like the Masterkey Pro where you can program your RGB lighting without software using the red, green, and blue keys to set the brightness of each color. You can change lighting modes and speeds as well. Then above the direction pad are a few easy to reach media keys in the function layer. These are close enough to the Fn key that you can actually do them one handed. That weird pointed F1 key looks odd in these photos but I was able to move it in person to not be cross eyed with the others.

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Up above the number pad, the normal lock indicators are all there with corresponding letters for each LED. The G over on the right is a little different though, this shows when you have gaming mode turned on, locking the windows key.

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When you flip things over it is again really simple. The two back feet that flip out have full rubber pads on them when in the flat position. This keeps them from having to use extra rubber feet next to the flip outs. Then there are just two smaller feet along the bottom edge. The Cooler Master logo is embossed into the center and there is just a small sticker with your serial number down at the bottom. There is also a strip of certifications above the sticker on the plastic.

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This cord is a little thicker than the mouse cord, but it also has a rubber finish and no frills. It is about 6 feet long and like the mouse, the USB connection does have the Cooler Master logo on it as well as purple plastic inside of the connection to make it easy to spot your peripherals around the back of your PC.

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So the biggest area where this keyboard stands out is with its switch setup. With the keycaps pulled off it is clear that this is not a standard Cherry MX keyswitch setup or any sort of knockoff as well. Cooler Master calls this their mem-chanical switch design but the simple way to explain these is that they are a basic membrane setup with housings and stems that help it support Cherry MX stems. That is the plus sign part of the switch. What that means is this keyboard will work with all of the keycap kits designed for mechanical keyboards even though it is not mechanical. The design also gives you the tactile bump and click of a mechanical switch as well, but it doesn’t have as long of a lifespan and by design membrane setups have to be pushed all the way to the bottom for actuation where a mechanical actuates in the downstroke. For the wider keys like the shift key, they also have a stabilizer setup with MX stems on them. They are similar to Costar stabilizers in a way but are unique. Each key on the keyboard also has individual RGB lighting, glowing up through the clean housing and the semi-transparent stem.

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Because of the unique switches, Cooler Master was able to use their standard mechanical keycaps. They have a cherry MX stem of course. These are ABS based translucent caps that have been painted black on the top and then the legends were laser etched. This is the basic setup for a backlit keyboard, but you can upgrade these later to a nicer set if they ever wear. Being painted that will eventually wear off and show more light through. The keycaps aren’t especially thick but are the standard setup. That’s all you can ask for on a keyboard like this. From the side profile, we can see that these are a standard OEM profile as well, meaning they do angle up on the bottom four rows and down on the top two giving the profile a curve.

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Performance

For performance testing, I swapped both the mouse and keyboard out with my normal mouse and keyboard. I went from a Masterkeys Pro L and a Sensei 310 to the MS120 mouse and keyboard. This gave me a chance to get a feel for both in short and long term use. Most of this was writing and browsing the internet, but I did try to slip in a few games here and there. My focus first was overall comfort and usability. Then I focused on performance.

Comfort for a standard mechanical like keyboard really relies more on a wrist rest, something that the MS120 keyboard does not come with. Beyond that, though the standard layout made the transition quick and easy and was just as comfortable as my normal keyboard. In fact other than the lower bezel the exterior of this keyboard was close to the MasterKey Pro L. The performance is a completely different story, but I will get to that in a minute. The mouse comfort was surprisingly good. I really liked the spawn mouse as well as the MM520 that was recently introduced. Having the same shape and just about all of the same exterior features of the MM520 I really liked this mouse. Dropping the honeycomb rubber grips down to a smooth rubber was an improvement as well in my mind. Of course, you need to be using a claw or palm grip to like this mouse at all. The short length isn’t going to work for everyone. Honestly, with this being a combo set like this, I would have expected to see Cooler Master go with a more standard shape, but I do like this one. The buttons are easy to reach and the finish gives a little grip without any rubber coatings that may rub off later.

For actual performance I found most of the mouse to perform similar to the MM520. Stuff like the Omron switches, the two side buttons, and the scroll wheel were all the same. So the performance was good there. The 3050 optical sensor, on the other hand, wasn’t as nice. I would say that it falls in between the good gaming mice and a good office mouse. The DPI and tracking speed is there but I did notice some acceleration. More importantly with just four DPI settings, you aren’t going to be able to set it to exactly what you are comfortable with.

As for the keyboard, the “mem-chanical” switches were interesting. I should point out that I don’t care much for blue or green switches, so the over the top loud click that these have wasn;t my favorite thing. It is played up and louder than blues or greens but in exchange, you get the mushy feeling of a membrane keyboard. That said for someone who isn’t as picky as I am who wants that “mechanical” keyboard feel I think the played up over the top click they might be happy. Beyond the switches the rest of the board was solid. The built in media keys on the function layer were easy to reach with one hand and like a normal mechanical keyboard, the MS120 keyboard did have enough heft to it that you could do a little damage.

For the keyboard, though it is really the lights that bring it all together. Getting individually accessible lighting has been all the rage for a while now and Cooler Masters implementation of it with the red, green, and blue keys that let you set the color mix you want works well without any software. The lighting was bright as well. On the mouse, things are a lot more muted with just the back light, the logo, and the scroll wheel. I don’t care much for the logo light but the rest looks good and isn’t too flashy, especially when it is next to the keyboard.

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Overall and Final Verdict

When you are building a new computer and need peripherals, being able to pair them up and get them together is a nice convenience. You don’t have to worry about finding a mouse and keyboard that matches, you save some money getting them together, and for most people, the convenience alone it is worth it. But what are you getting? Well both the keyboard and mouse are exclusive to this set. The mouse is very similar to the recently introduced MM520. In fact, the main difference was just the sensor. You still get the great Spawn like shape, the good finish, and just a touch of RGB lighting. The sensor is well… It's not that spectacular. You only have four DPI settings and the overall performance falls in between a basic office mouse and a true flawless gaming mouse. So it is better than running your everyday office mouse but if you plan on going pro maybe later you should upgrade to something with a 3360 based sensor.

The keyboard is similar really. It has the solid construction you expect with a mechanical keyboard. You get individual RGB lighting and you can even replace the keycaps with MX compatible keycaps later. But when it comes to the switches, you end up with a membrane setup that is louder than Cherry Blues. So you get both the mush and the noise. Some people will prefer this, but if you come in expecting it to be exactly like a mechanical keyboard you might be a little disappointed.

Overall though I do really like the set. The shape of the mouse is one of my favorite shapes though I do think it will be a little polarizing. Some people aren’t going to like it. The RGB lighting is bright and you can set it to match your build. You don’t even need to use any software. When we put it all together and check out the price though, we are actually getting a good deal. Specifically, if you want or need that individually controllable RGB lighting on the keyboard. See you could pick up a real mechanical keyboard and an okay mouse for about the $89.99 MSRP but when it comes to RGB backlit keyboards with individually controlled LEDs you would hardly be able to get just the keyboard for this price. So this setup is perfect for someone who has to have the bright RGB lighting, wants the “feel” of a mechanical keyboard, and needs a mouse. If that’s you, pick the MS120 up. If you don’t care as much about the lighting or if you need something even cheaper you can pickup the old Cooler Master Devastator II for $26 bucks right now with a mouse.

fv5

Living Pricing: HERE

Author Bio
garfi3ld
Author: garfi3ldWebsite: http://lanoc.org
Editor-in-chief
You might call him obsessed or just a hardcore geek. Wes's obsession with gaming hardware and gadgets isn't anything new, he could be found taking things apart even as a child. When not poking around in PC's he can be found playing League of Legends, Awesomenauts, or Civilization 5 or watching a wide variety of TV shows and Movies. A car guy at heart, the same things that draw him into tweaking cars apply when building good looking fast computers. If you are interested in writing for Wes here at LanOC you can reach out to him directly using our contact form.

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