The keyboard brighter than the star of Bethlehem
10.12.2023
Translation: Elicia Payne
Do you like RGB? Then take a closer look at the Deltaco DK460. Or perhaps not: there’s a risk you’ll go blind.
If the three wise men from the Orient were to set off today, I could dissuade them with the Deltaco DK460. The thing shines brighter than the star of Bethlehem – or in my case, the one on the construction crane nearby.
Apart from the RGB lighting, it’s a solid gaming keyboard that stands out from the crowd thanks to its interchangeable switches and control knob.
The main thing is plastic and being transparent
In addition to the keyboard in the 65 per cent form factor, a coiled USB cable, a switch and keycap remover and two replacement switches are included.
The keyboard is housed in a transparent plastic casing. I suspect that it’s ABS. In any case, everything is transparent except for the cover plate and circuit board. At the top right of the keyboard is the control knob, made of aluminium. The tipping angle can be adjusted with folding feet on the underside. Silicone is applied to the contact points to prevent the keyboard from slipping and to make it a little quieter.
The control knob, the arrow and two other buttons are slightly offset from the others, this way the keyboard doesn’t appear compressed. The Deltaco logo stands out above the right arrow button.
Source: Kevin Hofer
The keyboard is connected to the PC via USB-C. The port is located at the rear left.
Overall, the manufacturing of the keyboard is okay for the price range – you can’t expect a Mercedes for the price of an Opel.
Relentless typing
The DK460 is a classic tray-mount keyboard: the top plate is screwed to the keyboard together with the circuit board which the switches are mounted on. This is the cheapest design possible, as the housing consists of only one part. The typing feel on such keyboards is hard, as there’s no dampening. For better acoustics, i.e. less reverberation, Deltaco also installs an insulating layer of silicone between the circuit board and the cover plate in addition to the silicone feet. This is what it sounds like straight out of the box:
Apart from the ticking stabilisers, the keyboard doesn’t even sound bad. As expected, the typing feel is hard – too hard for me. If you’re already using another tray-mount keyboard, this shouldn’t bother you.
Budget through and through
KTT switches are installed in the DK460, the exact type isn’t specified. In any case, they’re linear switches. I suspect they’re KTT Kang Whites adapted for Deltaco. They’re probably made entirely of polycarbonate, a material used mostly for transparent switches.
Source: Kevin Hofer
KTT is well-known for its Budget Switches. That’s how they sound and feel, rather scratchy and producing a pinging noise. However, both can be remedied with a lubricant. Modding the switches is easy thanks to the built-in hot-swap sockets: they can be removed with the enclosed switch puller. After modding, they simply need to be reinserted.
For the stabilisers, Deltaco relies on so-called plate mounts. These are attached to the cover plate instead of the circuit board as with PCB mount stabilisers. This makes them easier to remove, but they generally don’t sound as good as PCB mounts. The circuit board doesn’t offer an option for this.
Deltaco doesn’t specify the material of the keycaps. Based on the composition, I assume ABS. They’re easily deformed and don’t look particularly well made. The edges on the underside are rough and the production edges are still protruding in places. The surface of the caps is smooth, so they attract fingerprints like a magnet. At least the imprints – the keyboard comes in CH layout – aren’t glued on. I assume they were made with UV direct printing.
Source: Kevin Hofer
The control knob is a nice extra. By default, I adjust the volume by turning and mute by pressing. Unfortunately, the knob is very difficult to turn. It’s also too close to the key below it, so I hit it with my fingers while turning.
Outshines even the construction crane star
The most striking feature of the DK460 is its RGB lighting. Not only is each button illuminated by an RGB LED, but there are a total of 44 more of these things all around. The light show is also extremely impressive. Here again a comparison with the star of Bethlehem from the construction crane in Biel.
Source: Kevin Hofer
A total of 18 preset lighting profiles are available in Deltaco’s proprietary software. But you can also create your own. The user interface looks a little old-fashioned, but I quickly find my way around. In addition to the lighting, I can also reassign buttons or create macros. The polling rate can also be set from 125 to 1000 Hertz.
Source: Kevin Hofer
The lowdown: for RGB fans with a small budget
The Deltaco DK460 is an affordable gaming keyboard characterised above all by its rich RGB lighting and complete transparency. The manufacturing and the features on offer, such as the control knob, the replaceable switches and the damping material, are fine for the price – after all, you even get the keyboard in CH layout.
If you have higher demands in terms of quality, typing feel and connectivity – i.e. a wireless connection – the DK460 might not be for you. If you’re coming from a mechanical tray-mount keyboard and are a fan of RGB, you’ll love this device.
Kevin Hofer
Senior Editor
kevin.hofer@digitecgalaxus.chFrom big data to big brother, Cyborgs to Sci-Fi. All aspects of technology and society fascinate me.
