Cooler Master Devastator II Review

Why I bought the Devastator II

Keyboards and mice are a dime a dozen, in every shape, size, and color. When my old Microsoft Comfort Curve 2000 finally died, I took some time to look for a replacement. I was not after the fanciest thing out there, but I also did not want the cheapest option just because it was cheap. Good full-mechanical boards are pricey, so a hybrid "mem-chanical" set at a budget price caught my eye, and the blue backlighting did not hurt.

Design and build

I really like the overall design, right down to the font on the keys, which looks close to the Ethnocentric font I used in my own logo. Both the keyboard and mouse have more heft than expected, which gives them a quality feel, and the lines are subtle enough that the set does not shout "gamer" like some do. It comes in blue, red, or green backlighting with a two-year warranty. My one gripe is the glossy surfaces, which are permanent fingerprint magnets. Beyond the full keyboard you get six media keys (stop, play/pause, fast-forward, rewind, volume up and down), large rubber feet that keep it planted on smooth desks, and two-inch kickstands for angle.

How does it feel to type on?

Cooler Master's mem-chanical switches aim to give the feel and reliability of a full mechanical switch without the cost, which makes this a great place to start if you have used membrane boards forever and want to try the other side without spending big. A nice bonus is that the keycaps are Cherry MX compatible and pop off easily even without a puller, so you can swap in a colored set later. With the backlight on, the legends are not as bright as I would like toward the edges unless you look straight down, but a brighter backlight would get annoying fast, so it is a fair compromise.

Actually typing on it was exceptional, especially coming from a Comfort Curve I had used since around 2000. I got used to the mem-chanical feedback and key spacing almost immediately and am measurably a faster typist on it, no longer fat-fingering the usual keys. Each keystroke has a nice long, consistent travel, even on the full-length space bar. The tactile feedback sits right at the top of the press, which suits me since I bottom out anyway, though finicky gamers used to half-pressing true MX switches may find that annoying.

The backlight catch, and the mouse

One universal gripe: to keep the backlight on you must have Scroll Lock enabled. For most people that is a non-issue, but I live in Excel for my day job, where Scroll Lock breaks using the arrow keys to move between cells. A dedicated backlight button would have solved it. As for the mouse, it has a subtle lit top, a smooth but grippy texture, and real weight, maybe more than hardcore gamers who lift the mouse would want, but it glides beautifully for me.

The two side buttons take getting used to, since reaching for them tends to move the whole mouse, but I expect that fades with time. The wheel is smooth with just-right feedback, the clicks are a touch louder than I would like but still satisfying, and the DPI button is genuinely handy: I bumped it to 2000 when a game felt sluggish and dropped back to 1500 for everyday work. The one annoyance is that the mouse light stays on even when the computer is powered down; I have to unplug the USB to kill it.

Is the Devastator II worth it?

Overall I really liked this keyboard and mouse, enough that it became my daily driver and I bought a second for work, where it does not stand out even with the backlight on. If you have ever thought about trying a semi-mechanical board without paying full-mechanical prices, or just want a better typing experience on a budget, it is an easy recommendation.

Years later I moved up to a full mechanical board, the Razer BlackWidow, which is what the buy link points to, but the Devastator II remains a fantastic entry point.