MSI GK71 SONIC Blue Review – Feeling the Noisy Blues

Earlier this week, we saw the release of a new variant of the GK71 SONIC keyboard from MSI. This new keyboard has a different switch compared to the variant I reviewed last year. So, as you know, this keyboard will feature a lot of the things we already know from this one. As such, this review might be one of the shortest and most straightforward in my line of work compared to other reviews I've done.

See, the thing that differentiates this new keyboard variant of the GK71 SONIC is the switch. Instead of the red switches, we now have blue switches. Now, it might seem like the choice is stylistic, but the difference comes in actuation time compared to other switches available in the market currently. We'll talk about the differences between one and the other in due time, but essentially, the blue switches will offer a slightly slower input time due to their actuation time.

And yes, this is a multimedia keyboard that has access to MSI's features. In other words, it still has access to the MSI suite and support for Mystic Light which offers a wide variety of configurations through the MSI Center app. The Mystic Light tool allows access to 9 different ways your keyboard can shine and display its colors. This also means you can use the Ambient Light feature to have the keyboard's lighting adapt to some of the current mainstream games, including:

• Watch Dogs: Legion
• Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
• Tom Clancy’s The Division 2
• Monster Hunter World: Iceborne
• Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint
• Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
• Far Cry 6

So, now that we've got the pleasantries out of the way, let's talk about the minor stuff. The GK71 SONIC Blue offers what its Red counterpart does. In other words, we're working with a full-sized keyboard. Additionally, this keyboard also has access to several multimedia functions for when you want to play music. Besides the usual Play/Pause buttons, it also has access to volume control through a scrolling wheel which also can be pressed to mute the audio if you need to in a snap.

The GK71 SONIC Blue also has a function key that allows you to take control of several aspects of your keyboard. The GK71 SONIC allows you to use adjust things such as the brightness on the keyboard’s lights, the speed of the lighting effect, and quick color scheme changes. The function key also provides easy access to MSI Afterburner if you have the program. If you have access to an MSI Graphics card, you pretty much already have Afterburner running in the background for at least monitoring purposes.

Finally, the keyboard also has access to up to 30 different macros while also having access to up to 3 different profiles. You can easily switch between them using the function key. In fact, you can store different macro/lighting effect/setting configurations in each profile. You have to use the MSI Center application to create each macro, though, so keep that in mind.

Unlike the ROCCAT Vulcan II Max, the keyboard doesn't need any additional bells and whistles to function. We're back to a single USB-A connection for this keyboard, folks. This additional measure also means that we won't see something visually exciting or interesting like a RAM/CPU/GPU monitor on the keycaps or multi-layered RGB but those features aren't definitely something that will sell this keyboard. The real selling point will always be its functionality.

 

As shown before, the MSI GK71 SONIC doesn't disappoint. The devil lies in the details with the slower actuation time. See, the blue variant has a 45g actuation force that provides a clicky feel whenever you type. Compared to the red variant which has a subtle noise and 35g actuation force, you might think that the difference is small at first. However, once application comes into play, we see the benefits of having a higher actuation force.

I mentioned in the original review that the lower actuation force can be a bit of a double-edged sword for people who don’t type as fast as the average competitive gaming enthusiast. I used the GK71 SONIC Red variant for a long time and found out that sometimes my keypresses act as if I’m holding the key because my finger lingered around for a bit longer. You know, like having a double “s” when you meant to type one. When MSI gave me the sample of the Blue variant, I immediately noticed that my earlier complaint was gone.

This is because the higher actuation force does provide some delay between keypresses, eliminating the sensitivity problem that the red variant has. However, this also can come at a cost of performance, as while the difference between each keypress and actuation force is small, it can start to pile up when it comes to multiple-word typing or when playing a competitive game such as Overwatch 2. The MSI GK71 SONIC Blue will be naturally slower compared to the Red variant.

Of course, there are still some differences when it comes to other aspects of the switches such as the travel distance. Compared to the red variant, which has 4.0 mm of total travel, the Blue variant has a 3.5mm total travel, allowing for more concise keypresses.

We also have a difference in terms of sound. My friends who usually share gaming sessions with me would notice whenever I was typing due to the clicky nature of the keyboard. Compared to the Red variant of the keyboard, this can be annoying for some users who want subtlety in their keypresses, which the Red variant provides. So, depending on your preferences, you might be inclined to choose one over the other.

 

Overall, the MSI GK71 SONIC Blue keyboard retains a lot of what the Red model has going for it with a difference that might enthrall some gamers who prefer precision over quickness. This keyboard can deliver in both performance and quality, and the other bells and whistles it includes are welcome for other everyday users. The removal of the sensitivity issue that I had with the red variant definitely contributes to this fact.

The keyboard also comes with its additional design perks that won't be seen anywhere else such as its cross-shaped indentations that can be seen at the bottom, allowing users to manager their cables easier and prevent cables from stretching, pulling, and messing with the table that can keep the desktop clear and tidy.

Additionally, this variant also has the n-key rollover feature that I talked about before with an added whistle in the form of a hybrid 6-key function, letting the keyboard detect the current pressed number and switch to 6 key or N-key rollover without fear of missing
or unexpected key presses at any point. This allows you to use the 6-key mode to have the keyboard be usable in systems like MacOS, older computer systems, older BIOS, or older operating systems.

Which one do I prefer out of the two? Definitely, the Blue variant as the red variant can have the issue of mistypes more frequently while writing texts at a higher frequency. But both keyboards are great for gaming and computer enthusiasts. as such, which keyboard variant you pick will be entirely based on your preference.

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