At first we would like to thank Cooler Master for sending a sample of their CM Storm Trigger Z Gaming Keyboard for testing and reviewing.

 

 

About CM Storm:

"Owning the PC trenches for almost two decades, Cooler Master ’s veterans present their scars from battles past as claims of triumph over the competition. United with a new generation of eSports athletes and engineers, now marching under the flag of CM Storm, the time has come to reveal truly ground-breaking, military grade hardware for the gaming revolution.

 

Through long-standing research programs, CM Storm is co-developed with the world’s most prolific enthusiasts and eSports prodigies. Thanks to intensive testing and continuous feedback, the CM Storm division has been able to encompass and improve upon gamers’ needs and their tough to handle scenarios.

 

By working directly with the gaming community we have injected our Storm Tactics into each and every product we make. Storm Tactics, with a heavily dedicated focus on Strength, Security and Control, will keep your most vital gear fortified and well tuned at all times.

 

2008 marks a new era for Cooler Master, as its fierce Storm Gear stands ready at bay to mobilize and back up your gaming skills.

 

CM Storm – Arming the Gaming Revolution"

 

Product Features:

 

Multi-choices between switches and backlights

 

All mechanical Cherry MX keyboard means 50 million+ keystrokes are guaranteed for every single key on the Trigger-Z. Each of available switches comes with same color of illumination for gamers to show off in public (except brown switch with special white backlight).

 

Hardware Macro Playback

 

ARM Core 32-bit CPU with 72 MHz – quick response during gaming and powerful computing capability for recording/editing profiles and macro keys.

 

Macro Keys

 

Fully programmable! Store all keys on the keyboard in an easier accessible way with up to 5 profiles and 75 macros. Quickly switch between each profile for your favorite games seamlessly.

 

Multi-media & Win-lock Shortcuts

 

Fn key combos allow you to quickly and conveniently access multimedia commands and to lock the Windows keys so you will avoid accidental presses.

 

Detachable cable & Full-size USB plug

 

The full-size USB connector improves on the aspect of durability, maximizes conductivity and ensures error-free transmission by using a high-quality, gold-plated connector and contact.

 

Product Specifications:

 

The CM Storm Trigger Z enclosure is pretty compact and shows on the frontal side the main product highlights with the help of multiple pictograms:

 

 

 

By switching the box on the other side, we will get to see impressions of some professional gamers about the product, but also a list of features, written in multiple languages:

 

 

 

Cooler Master made sure to carefully pack the keyboard inside with high-density foam:

 

 

 

As bundle, we will get two small leaflets, one black key puller, but also an USB cable:

 

 

 

The keyboard wrist rest is also available and we can install it optionally:

 

 

 

The documentation will show us how to access the keyboard advanced functions, adjust the LED backlight, use the multimedia function keys or the Windows lock-up key:

 

 

 

The CM Storm Trigger Z full-sized keyboard is covered by a soft rubber coating which is very pleasant to the touch and adds plenty of grip:

 

 

 

On the left side of the keyboard we have five macro keys which can be programmed thanks to the supplied software:

 

 

 

Also, on the left side of the Space key we will get to find one Fn and one Alt Macro key:

 

 

 

The Space key is also backlighted so the key cap has been modified accordingly:

 

 

 

The right side of the Spacebar we will find another set of Alt Macro/Fn keys. With the preset functions, we can use the right Fn key in order to access additional functions from F1 to F12:

 

 

 

Speaking of the additional functions, the F1 to F4 keys take care of the LED lighting setup like on/off, set light intensity or switch between modes:

 

 

 

The multimedia keys are following for the F5 to F8 keys:

 

 

 

From F9 to F12 we have Volume control and Win lock key function:

 

 

 

The directional key key-caps are also backlighted; you may ask yourselves why you are seeing a white background between the keys; well, this is because Cooler Master has included a white layer between the CM switches in order to create a nicer effect with the included individual LEDs:

 

 

 

As we have seen with the other keys, the sets located on the upper side have a custom font:

 

 

 

The top right corner is populated with the Num/Caps/Scr leds along with the CM Storm logo:

 

 

 

We will be able to see a small opening in the vicinity of the directional keys, the same way as it was on the original Trigger:

 

 

 

CM Storm has removed the underpowered USB hub and now has used a proper full-sized connector for increased durability:

 

 

 

 

Here is also a view on the side of the keyboard, which also shows how the rubber coating is distributed:

 

 

 

On the bottom side, the Trigger Z is almost identical to the original, by featuring a large CM Storm logo along with an additional sticker on the left:

 

 

 

The keyboard comes with multiple rubber feet, but also with some additional plastic ones in order to raise the keyboard at an angle:

 

 

 

 

The wrist rest also comes with a rubberized plastic texture and follows the same design lines. It will be attached to the keyboard with the help of three plastic claws:

 

 

 

 

 

Here is a close look at the assembly:

 

 

 

The keyboard looks really nice with the wrist rest attached, but in the same time the footprint is enlarged quite a bit:

 

 

 

Right after plugging in the keyboard to a spare USB port, we can start playing with the LED light effects. The first preset mode will light up the keys which are most used during gaming (WASD, directional keys), but also the Macro buttons:

 

 

 

This particular keyboard comes with white LEDs since it features Cherry MX Brown switches; if we get the red switch version we will be welcomed with red LEDs, while the blue switch version is equipped with blue LEDs:

 

 

 

We will be able to download the latest firmware updater and application from the Cooler Master website; the software is quite big because, as the last time, the developers have used non-compressed image assets:

 

 

 

The GUI is very similar to the one found on the original Trigger. We are dealing with three separate tabs: Storm Configuration, Profiles, but also Macro Studio:

 

 

 

If we hover on a specific key, we will be able to set custom functions: Default, Single Key, Macro, Advanced, No Function (key disabled), Launch a specific game/program:

 

 

 

 

When working with Single Key, we will be able to redefine the functionality with a single value:

 

 

 

We can select one of the predefined macros, by also specifying some playback options:

 

 

 

Plenty of miscellaneous functions can be selected when choosing “Advanced”:

 

 

 

After opting for “Launch program”, a new window will open in order for us to navigate to the preferred executable file:

 

 

 

Inside the Profiles tab, we can work with saves in both keyboard memory or saved on our drive:

 

 

 

Macros can be recorded and edited afterwards pretty easily:

 

 

 

 

With the Trigger Z, Cooler Master competes with the other gaming peripheral manufacturers at a high level and allows the customers to choose between different Cherry MX switches, while sporting different LED colors: for the Cherry MX blue we get blue LEDs, the Cherry MX red gets red LEDs and the Cherry MX brown is accustomed by white LEDs.

 

Besides the regular keyboard layout, we also get five extra buttons on the left and the product also benefits from 64-key rollover. The LED lighting is easy to customize thanks to the function keys without the need of using extra software and as with the original Trigger, we are offered a large wrist rest for enhancing the overall comfort. The Trigger Z top cover is now fully rubber-coated and the underpowered USB ports have been removed, while making place for a full-sized USB connector in order to increase durability even more.

 

The already-proven software interface is not too much different compared to the Trigger (non-Z) and allows keyboard function modification with ease. What is peculiar is the fact that they are still using full-sized bitmaps for texturing the GUI which is using quite a bit of space.

 

The Trigger-Z keyboard can be acquired online for about 110 Euros.

 

Cooler Master CM Storm Trigger Z Gaming Keyboard is Recommended For:

 

 

We would like to thank Cooler Master for making this review possible!