We’ve previously reviewed one of Bloody’s keyboards here on IBeatItFirst.com and we’ve got our hands on another keyboard from Bloody from their recent releases, the B840. If you haven’t read our previous review you can read it here. The B188 featured 8 of Bloody’s Light Strike keys located on the Q, W, E, R, A, S, D, and F keys. These keys are lightning fast with a miniscule response time of .2 milliseconds. This is possible because instead of your traditional metal contacts that mechanical keyboards use, Bloody uses optical switches that have no delay due to metal bouncing and require a 25% shorter travel distance to activate. On the B840 however this technology is featured in every key on the keyboard. Obviously, this is much more beneficial to gamers because you typically won’t use just the 8 keys on the upper left of the keyboard. One special thing about the keys on the B840 is that alternate keycaps are provided for these keys that are silicone coated with a textured surface on top for additional grip. In situations when you’re using multiple keys in precision this can help by preventing slips and accidental key presses.
If you’ve used a mechanical keyboard before you’re going to be familiar with the click of the keys as you type. The switches inside the B840 feel identical to MX Blue switches. These give a great tactile response to key presses however the click can be a bit noisy.
The keyboard itself looks great with all keys being LED backlit in orange. The LED’s can’t be programmed to different colors or patterns however. Bloody also includes software that allows you to program custom macros for use in your favorite games to pull off combos as quickly as possible or just to re-map certain keys.
At the $100 price point it’s a great pick-up for anyone looking to get performance out of their keyboard. Bloody does a good job of combining fast response times with their Light Strike technology and tactile response with the mechanical style switches. I’d compare it to the Corsair K70, which has more customizing options but at a higher price point. Overall, the B840 performs well and would fit any gamer’s needs, whether they play FPS, MOBA, RTS or others.
Editor’s Note: If you are looking for an RGB keyboard, look at Bloody’s 820R. Article by guest writer Tyler Moloney.