As someone who has slowly taken a liking into mechanical keyboards, I’ve only ever been exposed to mainstream gaming mechanical keyboards with RGB. Truth be told, I am a sucker for RGB lighting, that’s something I usually look for in a keyboard. Today, we’re going to be taking a look at a rather niche keyboard from a brand called Leopold. Particularly, the Leopold FC660M PD.
Unboxing the product, you’ll get:
- Leopold FC660M PD Mechanical Keyboard
- Ring Keycap Remover
- Alternative Caps Lock Keycap
- Alternative Control Keycap
- USB Type-A to USB Mini Type-B cable
- User Manual and Guide
Form Factor
Now, the Leopold FC660M PD is a small form factor 66-key mechanical keyboard that still maintains the arrow clusters. Keyboards from POKER and Ducky’s Mini series are 61-key keyboards and they had a bit of a learning curve to them because they didn’t have the arrow keys readily available to use. Having a 66-key keyboard like the FC660M PD saves space by integrating most of its function keys into the FN layer. It’s a bit troublesome, but learning the combos are easy and you’ll be navigating around the keyboard like a pro in no time.
Build Quality
The Leopold FC660M PD utilises a more conventional chassis as compared to the trending floating key design. It has a top cover that gives it more protection, but might be a little tricky when it comes to cleaning and maintenance. The entire feels firm and sturdy, as there’s no flimsy rattling sound or loose keycaps on the board.
On the bottom, there are rubber paddings and kickstands to elevate the keyboard to your preferred typing angle. However, i did find that if you pushed the keyboard ever so slightly, it would close the kickstand and lay the keyboard flat. I feel the kickstand should have been angled even lower to prevent that from happening. In addition, there is also a DIP switch for you to switch between different key profiles. The switch combo is as below:
If you do own a unit or wish to purchase one, do take note that the DIP switch can only be changed when the keyboard is disconnected form the PC.
On the rear, there’s a mini USB Type-B port to connect your computer. It uses a removable cable to further improve portability upon its already space-saving design.
Switches
Our unit of the Leopold FC660M PD has a Cherry MX Brown switch. As expected of a Cherry Brown switch, I absolutely love how it sounds. It isn’t loud or clicky, it sounds amazing because it has this chalky, powdery tone to it. Since I type more than I game, this is bliss to me. Apart from the Cherry Browns, there are other options that the FC660M PD comes in:
- Cherry MX Red
- Cherry MX Brown
- Cherry MX Black
- Cherry MX Blue
- Cherry MX Pink (Silent Red)
- Cherry MX Silver (Speed Silver)
- Cherry MX Clear
Keycaps
Having the “Swedish” theme to its keycaps, it’s clear the company took inspiration from the country’s national flag. With its bright yellow and blue scheme, the keycaps are indeed double shot PBT keycaps with 1.5mm thickness. You could tell the folks at Leopold really put time and effort into the keycaps because the printing is also smooth and has rounded corners. Do take note that the left Window key and right shift has been changed slightly due to the arrow clusters, standard custom keycaps will not fit this board.
User Experience
You should know that this entire review is being typed out with this exact keyboard. There is no fatigue after typing for two hours straight. The side printed keys are clear and obvious to see. However, I did feel that the right shift key is a bit too short. Because it’s positioned more towards the left side of the keyboard, I often misclick on the “P” key when I actually intend to click on the “|}{: keys.
Apart from the arrow clusters, the extra width of the FC660M PD also gives it space for two navigation keys at the top – Insert and Delete keys. For my usage, I would have preferred the Ins key to be swapped with the Print Screen key instead, that’s because I often take screenshots in my line of work.
To save space, there aren’t any media control keys or modules. But I remedy that with the extra side keys I have on my Logitech G600 mouse (another great product). I also find it slightly difficult when I try to hit keys on the right side of the keyboard. Because the keys are cramped together on the right to save space, certain keys are nearer and I’d hesitate or have to do a double take on the keyboard to make sure what i was typing. Here’s a quick typing test I did with the Leopold FC660M PD:
Conclusion
For a price tag of RM489, it is a little on the pricey side. But what you get is a mechanical keyboard that not only looks premium, but feels premium too. You’ve got a firmly built body, stabilised keys, high quality keycaps, and a super unique colour scheme too. All you have to do is decide which Cherry switch and keycap colour you’d prefer, and you’ll feel like a keyboard warrior typing on clouds.
Gallery
