I’ve always been a mechanical keyboard junkie. There’s something about a solid keyboard that helps bring the words to the page, but I’ve never felt the need to fiddle with it. Whatever I got out of the box, I lived with it, even if it meant settling for options or switches I didn’t like—until now.
The Drop CSTM65 mechanical keyboard sits at the intersection of enthusiast and consumer technology, with ready-made and customizable options. So whether you’re a keyboard junkie looking for your next project or a mechanical keyboard enthusiast looking for a customization experience, the Drop CSTM65 could be your next purchase.
Drop CSTM65 Mechanical Keyboard
The Drop CSTM65 mechanical keyboard offers easy-to-use and customizable options, from different keycaps to hot-swappable switches. By default, Drop offers the CSTM65 with Gateron Brown or Yellow switches, depending on your typing experience. It features a removable hard polycarbonate cover and double-layer ABS keycaps. PORON foam provides additional sound absorption.
- Strong writing experience
- Responsible gaming performance
- Limitless customization options
- Software needs polishing
- Limited writing angle
Price and availability
The Drop CSTM65 keyboard is available through Drop for $130, with your choice of two switch options: Gateron Brown 3.0 or Gateron Yellow KS3, which were featured in our review unit. While that’s the base price for the set, Drop offers any number of customizable options for an additional cost, including replacement keycaps, switch plates, and various polycarbonate outer shells.
This provides a great way to customize the look of your keyboard to suit your aesthetic taste; and as we all know, a clean design results in more words per minute and a higher kill/death ratio in your shooter of choice.
What’s good about Drop CSTM65?
Versatile and well designed.
Despite the simple packaging, it’s easy to feel that the Drop CSTM65 is a premium device right out of the box, with a solid feel and a nice weight. Like most things on a keyboard, the weight is adjustable; extras are available for purchase if you prefer a heavier or lighter keyboard. If you’re a Mac user, don’t worry, as Drop includes replacement parts for Windows keys.
I was a bit put off by the glossy front ledgers, but once I got used to them, I loved the look of them with the south-facing RGB lighting. It also helps that the RGB lighting is bright and saturated, producing a nice glow even in daylight.
The default keycaps are made of double-layer ABS plastic with a matte finish. While you can customize the keycaps to your liking, I enjoyed the solid feel of the standard ones. The stabilizers are also excellent, with consistent presses across the space bar and enter key.
I’m glad my review unit came with Gateron Yellow switches, as I love their smooth, positive clicks. If you can’t stand linear switches, the Gateron Browns will have you clicking to your heart’s content. Also remember that the Gateron Yellows require 50 grams of force and have 4mm of travel, so while your fingers won’t glide across the surface perfectly, I found the balance to be just right.
Typing is still fun, and the sound is great. However, the 50-gram weight also ensures that the gaming controls are responsive, as my fingertips felt glued to the keycaps while bending around corners in Rainbow Six. Longer gaming sessions were no problem either, as my fingers never felt tired when pressing the W key in DayZ.
I mentioned the customization options earlier, but it’s hard to overstate how much you can do with this keyboard. The polycarbonate shell is held in place by magnets, so you can swap it out for a different color in a flash.
Keycaps, switches, gaskets, and more can be replaced to tweak the sound or feel of the CSTM65. Part of the appeal of the 65% keyboard is its compact design and how well it fits into a clean desktop setup, and Drop has understood that mission.
Linear keys will always provide a different typing experience. However, Drop has done a good job with the base model, incorporating PORON foam into its design, which creates a creamy typing feel and an engaging sound. Keyboard enthusiasts will have a different preference, but the default configuration pleases my ears. There’s also no surface curvature or hollow metallic sounds when typing paragraphs or diving into your favorite game, a testament to Drop’s build quality with the CSTM65.
What’s bad about Drop CSTM65?
Some polishing is needed at the consumer level.
I love that the CSTM65 is compatible with QMK, Via, and Vial, giving you plenty of options for cross-platform support and software tweaks. However, I wish the Drop Keyboard Configurator was a little more user-friendly. With some effort, it allows you to have fine-grained control over key mappings and RGB lighting, right down to saturation controls if you want more muted color tones.
However, the software still needs some improvement, and I would like to see the flashing process made easier for non-enthusiasts. This isn’t a reason for me to avoid the keyboard, as the flashing process only involves two steps, but I can see where frustrations might arise.
I know this isn’t the CSTM65’s ambiance, but I would have enjoyed more typing positions. The typing angle is 6 degrees, and I didn’t find it uncomfortable at all, but additional height would be welcome. Regardless, the rubber feet are excellent, and combined with the weight of the CSTM65, I never experienced any unwanted movement or sliding of the surface.
The price tag could also be a weakness if you don’t want to spend $130 on a keyboard. Something like the Royal Kludge H81 might be a better option if you want something affordable and reliable. However, if you’re just starting out on your keyboard addiction, the Drop isn’t a bad price point to start with.
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Perfect right out of the box, with a good look to match.
Should you buy it?
I love what Drop has done with the CSTM65. I think it’s great that I can enjoy some of the benefits of being an enthusiast at the consumer level. The CSTM65 is versatile, so if I want to dig into the details and play around with the switches and interchangeable pads on the fly, I can, but that’s not a requirement for enjoying my time with the keyboard.
It’s also a great keyboard if you use your desktop for other purposes than gaming. So many keyboards are so focused on gaming performance that using a keyboard every day for work and school feels like an afterthought. If you’re looking for a keyboard that can do both, the CSTM65 offers a lot for $130.
Drop CSTM65 Mechanical Keyboard
At $130, the Drop CSTM65 is a great option for consumers who love features, with great customizability at a reasonable price. The base build is sturdy, with a thick polycarbonate shell and durable keycaps. The creamy typing experience will be music to your ears if you like a mechanical keyboard with smooth strokes.
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