MSI GK-601 Backlit Mechanical Gaming Keyboard Review

Inside the GK-601

We’re always curious as to what makes up a mechanical keyboard and so we took the screwdriver to the back of the GK-601.

Here’s a shot of the GK-601 removed from its enclosure.

Positioned near the numpad is a circuit board that processes the keyboard macros and controls the USB hub.

Towards the right is a GL850G USB hub controller chip. In the middle right next to the LED Caps Lock indicator is a MC9SO8JM16 microcontroller. To the left is a pair of 64 KB EEPROMs for storing the user defined keyboard macros and profiles.

The switches are mounted to a steel plate, which acts as a ground and gives the keyboard its rigidity.

The switch circuit board can be seen on the opposite end from the steel plate.