Introduction

After a look at the high-end Cherry MX Board 6.0, I wanted to take a look also at what Cherry offers to other markets. I had also mentioned then that the MX Board 6.0 was not necessarily a new product launch and that I would be covering more recent launches. Well, sometimes in order to go forward, you have to take a step back. Today, we take a look at another keyboard from Cherry that launched even earlier, but is just as relevant today as it was back in 2013. Thanks again to Cherry Americas for providing a review sample for us to examine.


The MX Board 3.0 is from a time when Cherry MX switch clones were barely a thing and Cherry reigned supreme over them in terms of both yields and switch quality. It was a very good time for Cherry, and they had a world-exclusive on the gold crosspoint contacts in the MX switches that were used in this very keyboard - something we now take for granted because it helps reduce oxidation of the metal contact surfaces in most mechanical switches. This is a keyboard that was unashamedly targeted at end users in a professional office environment, with features such as NKRO they hoped would appeal to gamers at the time. The gaming keyboard market was beginning to take off then, and there were even Cherry's own customers with products that had backlighting, flashier aesthetics, and more. How did the MX Board 3.0 do then and, more importantly, how does it fare now given it is still being manufactured and sold? Let us begin our review with a look at the specifications below.

Specifications

Packaging and Accessories

We see Cherry has been a fan of minimalist designs for keyboard packaging, and at the face, a black backdrop with nothing but a drop of red and gold is used to let people know the main points, which are the keyboard's name, layout, and confirmation of their MX switches being used. Turn it over and here is where a lot of the details lie, including a printed illustration of the keyboard, salient features and specs, and a quick primer on all four MX switch options available for this keyboard. There is no mention of the exact switch used here, and we see it on the side instead. There is also a large seal over a double flap in the middle to help keep the contents inside in check.


Open the box and we see the keyboard itself with the cable hidden in the compartment at the top. Removing it, we get to take a look at the accessories that are provided with the MX Board 3.0. There is a multi-language manual that briefly describes the keyboard's functionality, although I dare say all but the Win key deactivation are quite intuitive, and there are two other sets of other accessories, including one in a small plastic pouch near to where the cable was placed, in case you were unable to find it.


These two accessory sets are soft rubber items that go on the underside of the keyboard to separate the keyboard's body from the desk, prevent scratches, and add some friction to prevent slipping. We will take a look at these in more detail on the next page.

Cherry also makes and sells a separate wrist rest that matches the height and length of the MX Board 3.0; however, it is an optional purchase for ~$5-$10 depending on the reseller.