MonsGeek M2 V5 VIA DIY Kit

Really good keyboard with some minor downsides.

This is my first custom build mechanical keyboard. As I need the keyboard mostly for work, I chose the M2 V5 for the complete 98% Layout as the numpad is essential for me. If it would have still been available, I would have chosen the 100% M5W, but sadly MonsGeek and Akko don't sell this model anymore. The 98% is nice due to the more compact shape, but finding the "0" on the numpad is harder, as its reduced in size and not as strongly seperated from the arrow keys compared to the 100% layout. This is a minor downside for me, as for CAS-Modelling this proves to be a bit annoying. I have been using the Keyboard for two weeks at the point of this review, so there still is a chance to get used to it at one point. Regarding the design and build quality I am mostly really happy. The keyboard is very minimalistic and doesn't try to scream "look at me". Every detail is well executed and there were no faults or aesthetic problems. The keyboard is very heavy and doesn't slide around by accident, so while its recommendable for a stationary keyboard, I would choose a lighter option if I would have to carry it around. The overall feeling is amazing and the keyboard is built in a way that feels like repairs will be easy. This feels like a keyboard that can last a lifetime. For this reason the USB connection might become a big advantage in the future as well. The only thing I would have wished for would have been the natural aluminium silver color. While the black color is applied perfectly, silver would have been easier to combine with a bigger variety of keycaps, from a design point of view speaking. The black makes the keyboard look even heavier and less cozy. While I am not a fan of RGB Effects I was surprised by the amount of customization that can be made by the VIA Software. Single key colors can't be changed and you have to choose from a predefined variety of effects though. I turned the effects in my keyboard off and chose a white color for lighting. Sadly choosing between warm white and cold white is nearly impossible due to the limitation of the RGBs. A version with pure white LEDs would have been amazing. Dimming is possible though and I was glad, as the LEDs can be really bright. Except for a tiny horozontal lightbar on top of the numpad all of the indicators like battery status, bluetooth, cable or wireless connection, as well as the capslock activation are displayed through a change of color or brightness of the specific LEDs below the keycaps. The vertical led lightstrip around the arrow keys doesn't seem to indicate anything, except maybe that the keyboard is active. Sadly customization of the vertical and horizontal lightstrips is impossible via VIA Software and you can only choose a few presets locally with the use of pressing a FN key combination. The lack of customization of the lightstrips, as well as the missing color option for silver are my reasons to reduce my rating by one star. I use the keyboard with the Akko Penguin Silent Switches and the Teleport BOW Keycaps. The Keyboard is far quieter than any of my previous keyboards in this combination and working at night or working with other people in the same room is not a problem. The type-feeling is really good. Overall prize for everything was around 300€. If you want a clicky version instead of a silent build and you can settle with the black keycaps of the piano version then you can become really happy for half the price. Reviewing everything I am still really happy with the keyboard and I would definitely recommend it!