In the article we are going to reiew Durgod K610W. Mechanical keyboards nowadays have transitioned from traditional wired keyboards to multi-mode wireless keyboards, and single fixed axis designs have also evolved into hot-swappable switch designs, including Cherry MX switches and domestic switches. This greatly improves the playability and reduces the maintenance cost of replacing broken switches. Currently, more and more domestic mechanical keyboard brands are partnering with Jiadalong to continuously improve and optimize the typing experience. These Chinese brand mechanical keyboards have gradually become the preferred choice of many players.
As a Chinese factory in Zhuhai, Durgod has released a series of Cherry MX switch mechanical keyboards, and has also launched a variety of domestically customized switch mechanical keyboards. The latest release is the K610W wireless tri-mode hot-swappable 104-key keyboard and the K620W wireless tri-mode hot-swappable 87-key keyboard. Both keyboards are available in only two colors, forest green and mist blue, and both have the option of custom Red Tea Silver Silent Red switches.
The keyboard I have on hand is the mist blue version of the K610W, I chose the 104-key version because I frequently use the number pad, and I chose the mist blue version because I like the elegant color scheme.
As for the switches, I chose the custom Red Tea Silver Silent Red switches. Specifically, the Durgod K610W wireless tri-mode hot-swappable mechanical keyboard uses a customized switch produced in partnership with Jiadalong, called the Crystal Switch. This series of switches is based on the Jiadalong CAP switch, but has been deeply tuned and optimized by Durgod to ensure that keyboards using the Crystal Switch have a smoother and more comfortable typing experience.
The Durgod K610W wireless three-mode hot-swappable mechanical keyboard comes with a USB-A to type-C adapter, a USB-A to C cable, three spare keycaps, a keycap puller, and a switch puller in the packaging. The switch puller is hard and convenient to use, while the keycap puller is a common wire-made puller, which is relatively long and provides a normal key-pulling experience.
The USB-A to type-C adapter is mainly used to connect devices such as smartphones and tablets with type-C interfaces, such as Android phones. This allows users to connect the keyboard directly to their device using the 2.4G wireless mode, eliminating the need for Bluetooth pairing. However, the package does not include a USB-C to C cable. If users want to use the 2.4G mode with a device that has a type-C interface, they will need to prepare their own USB-C to C cable.
Additionally, the transparent dust cover included in the package is a useful accessory that effectively prevents dust and foreign objects from entering the keyboard. Users no longer need to purchase a separate dust cover or use a towel to prevent dust, which is a thoughtful detail from Durgod.
One significant feature of the Durgod K610W is its use of satellite-axis design for large keys such as Enter and Shift. Poorly designed large keys can result in key-sticking and loud wire noise, negatively impacting the user experience. Durgod has always excelled in optimizing these large keys, and the K610W is no exception.
The advantage of the satellite axis design is that it allows for more stable and reliable up-down movement of the keys, makes the axis more sensitive and accurate when triggered, and effectively avoids problems such as stuck keys caused by key tilting and friction, providing players with a better tactile experience.
The Durgod K610W uses a more durable and lightweight pure aluminum plate design, and reduces noise and vibration by adding silicone pads and sound-absorbing cotton to the bottom.
Secondly, the axis adopts a hot-swappable design.
Hot-swappable axes have become a major selling point of current mechanical keyboards, further enhancing the fun of DIY and giving players more freedom to install different axes for their own experience, while also reducing maintenance costs. The internal PCB board of the Durgod K610W adopts a five-hole design and can be used with 3-pin mechanical axes, such as Cherry axes, Kailh Box axes, Jiahualong axes, third-party customized axes, etc., with higher compatibility and playability.
The hot-swappable axes used in the Durgod K610W all use a standard 2-pin design, and can be installed by aligning with the corresponding holes on the PCB board.
The following picture shows the installation effect of third-party hot-swappable axes, which can be installed and used normally, with normal key functions.
Interestingly, the SPACE key uses a custom pink axis, corresponding to the Durgod custom red axis.
The 0 key in the numeric keypad uses a Cherry silent red axis, which allows players to compare and experience with custom axes.
Thirdly, it features mainstream wireless multi-mode design.
As a multi-mode wireless mechanical keyboard, the Durgod K610W has a built-in 3600mAh rechargeable lithium battery, and supports wired mode, 2.4G wireless mode, and Bluetooth 5.0 wireless mode, with Bluetooth mode connecting to two devices.
It is worth mentioning that the Durgod K610W can manually enable wireless mode when connected via wired mode. The front left position is designed with a push-pull power switch and a Type-C charging port. The separated wire design is convenient for players to store.
The bottom of the Durgod K610W is designed with a special storage compartment for the 2.4G wireless receiver, located on the left upper corner of the foot support, effectively preventing the receiver from being lost. The top is printed with Durgod’s English name, so there is no need to worry about confusing it with other receivers or losing it.
The Durgod K610 uses a dual independent foot support design, one large and one small, which can achieve two different heights of adjustment. Each foot support head is also treated with anti-skid processing, and is paired with a rubber pad at the bottom to achieve better anti-skid effect.
Fourthly, it features PBT keycap design.
Personally, all mechanical keyboards should use comfortable and durable PBT keycaps. The Durgod K610W uses PBT two-color closed font keycaps that are not easy to oil, with delicate and comfortable feel, and features characteristics such as skin-friendly, anti-skid, longer life, and less fingerprints. The keycaps are of the original height and adopt a concave design, which can better fit the fingers to improve the operating experience. The design of the standard cross-shaped opening makes it convenient for players to replace keycaps themselves, with higher autonomy and playability, which is superior to some mechanical keyboards that can only choose their own specific specifications of keycaps.
Some keycaps of the Durgod K610W use side engraving design, such as media keys, wireless mode switching keys, etc.
The fifth type is the Silent Red Switch.
For me personally, the customized Silent Red Switch without a sense of paragraphing is suitable for both typing and gaming, which can cater to both office and gaming scenarios. The customized Silent Red Switch has a triggering pressure of 45cN, a triggering key stroke of 2 millimeters, and a maximum full stroke of 4 millimeters. Its parameters are similar to those of the Cherry Silent Red Switch, and its feel is also similar.
The Durgod K610W has five indicator lights in the upper right corner. The leftmost indicator light represents NUMLOCK, and the rightmost indicator light represents the battery’s power status. The three central buttons represent the caps lock indicator light/Bluetooth device 1, the WIN lock/Bluetooth device 2, and the onboard custom button/2.4G mode, respectively. The first four indicator lights are white in color, with not too high brightness, and only the battery indicator light has orange, green, and red to indicate charging, full charge, and low battery status.
As for the internal structure, I made a simple unboxing here, and the disassembly is relatively simple. Excluding the part of the keycap and shaft, the Durgod K610W can be divided into three layers: upper, middle, and lower. The upper layer serves as the frame’s top cover, connected to the middle layer through a snap-in design. The middle layer is a three-in-one part consisting of a metal positioning plate, silicone pad, and PCB board, while the lower layer is made up of sound-absorbing cotton, bottom shell, and battery. The lower layer and middle layer are connected by two wires, namely, the power cord and antenna, so pay attention when disassembling.
The sandwich design of the middle layer is quite surprising to me, as the silicone pad is very thick, separating the PCB board and the metal positioning board, which greatly reduces shock.
Next, let’s talk about the experience of using the Durgod K610W.
First, let’s talk about the driver, which is the Durgod Zeus Engine, the universal software for Durgod’s own keyboards and mice. Before using it, make sure that the software has been upgraded to the latest version. After the Durgod K610W is connected to the computer, it can be recognized by the software normally, and the corresponding icon will light up. The main functions of the Zeus driver software are firmware upgrade, keyboard and mouse function settings, macro recording, and Nebula. Nebula is actually a personalized lighting design for the mouse and keyboard’s lighting area. Since the Durgod K610W does not support lighting, there are no lighting-related settings.
So, let’s take a look at the keyboard function settings and macro definitions. The function setting page includes many functions, such as assigning single key functions, changing them to other functional keys, loading macro commands, replacing combination keys, and so on. These functions are quite practical for office or gaming scenarios, such as opening multiple web pages with one key, inputting specific content with one key, or killing with one key.
The macro setting is a one-click recording function that can record the keyboard and mouse button operations simultaneously. It supports delay settings and macro import and export functions and can modify the saved macros. Note that the macro recording supports mouse button operations and also supports other brands of mice. This function part should add some preset macros for mainstream games, such as LOL, CrossFire, DOTA2, Overwatch, and so on, to facilitate users to directly load and use.
In actual experience with multiple device connections, the Durgod K610W can connect to two Bluetooth devices through Bluetooth, such as mobile phones, tablets, laptops, etc.,
As a keyboard that adopts customized silent red switches, the Ducky K610W still feels slightly mushy when the keys bottom out, but it is better than the red switches and offers both a straight up-and-down pressing characteristic and good silent performance, suitable for both gaming and office use.
Overall, from the actual teardown, the Ducky K610W is well thought out in its internal structure and has a noticeable amount of materials used. As a multi-mode wireless keyboard that uses customized switches, the Ducky K610W continues the excellent optimization of the keys, providing players with a great typing experience. The addition of hot-swappable switches and multi-mode wireless design greatly enhances the playability of the Ducky K610W and further enriches the usage scenarios, making it suitable for a wider range of people, not only for users with multiple devices, but also for players who pursue DIY fun and office workers who seek silent and tactile typing.
One area for improvement is to provide a few spare switches with the packaging and a double-headed Type-C cable.