Mechanical gaming keyboards are dead — and this Cherry deck is the last nail in the coffin

I have been a reviews writer at Tom’s Guide for over a year now, and in that time, I’ve reviewed nearly 90 keyboards. Yep. Ninety. That’s a lot of keyboards. I’ve tested the best mechanical keyboards and the best gaming keyboards (most of which feature Hall Effect switches).

Considering I’ve spent hours and hours with these decks, I’ve learned an important thing: that mechanical keyboards are now a thing of the past. It’s all about magnetic ones today.

Before you get all riled up, I want you to hear me out. Mechanical keyboards aren’t inherently bad; magnetic ones just offer far more, usually at a lower price. Whether you’re a gamer or a speed demon who needs the fastest board in the biz, you’d rarely go wrong with Hall Effect switches.

But I’ve tested almost 90 keyboards — so why has it taken me so long to come to this conclusion? There’s one keyboard to credit that to, and that’s the Cherry XTRFY MX 8.3 TKL Wireless. I spent a week typing on it and while it’s good, I kept wanting to go back to my Keychron K4 HE. Let me show you why.

Speed… I am speed

If you tell me what this heading is referring to in the comments, I’ll give you a cookie. Moving on. One of the key things I consider when reviewing a keyboard is just how fast it is. That comes down to its polling rate and the speed of its switches.

High polling rates basically negate any input lag or missed inputs, so if you’re a competitive gamer, it’s worth getting a keyboard that has a 4,000Hz or 8,000Hz polling rate — which the Cherry XTRFY MX 8.3 TKL Wireless does.

Over 2.4GHz connectivity, the keyboard achieves 4KHz polling which doubles to 8KHz when the board is plugged in. Mighty speedy, right? Yes, but it’s let down by switches which aren’t the fastest.

The XTRFY MX 8.3 TKL Wireless features MX2A red mechanical switches, which require 45g of force to activate and have a 2mm pre-travel distance. The travel distance (or actuation point) isn’t adjustable as is the nature of mech switches. These are easily upstaged by Hall Effect switches.

Usually, you can drop a Hall Effect switch’s actuation down to 0.1mm (or raise it to 3.8mm, as you can on my trusty Keychron K4 HE), which makes the switch extremely sensitive.

You can fine-tune each switch to your preferred gaming or typing style, and that’s a feature that can’t be understated. Not only have magnetic keyboards made me a better PC gamer (as a console gamer), but they’ve made me a better, faster typist too.

Spending wisely

I’ll be honest, one of the biggest things holding the Cherry XTRFY MX 8.3 TKL Wireless back is its price. The keyboard retails for $299 / £299. Two hundred and ninety nine. That makes it the most expensive deck I’ve ever used — and that’s a lot of moolah for a mechanical keeb.

Today, you can grab a deck with Hall Effect switches and 8,000Hz polling for a lot less, such as the Lemokey L5 HE ($220) or the Wooting 80HE ($199). Or if you want an even cheaper keyboard, the Epomaker HE68 ($59) is a fantastic choice.

I’m not entirely sure how Cherry justifies such a high price point for the XTRFY MX 8.3 TKL. German precision doesn’t come cheap, I guess, but the thing is, a mechanical keyboard like the Keychron C1 Pro 8K ($54) boasts equally high polling while being much, much cheaper.

Some good ones out there

As I mentioned up top, mechanical keyboards aren’t automatically bad just because magnetic ones are rapidly overtaking them. There are still some good ones out there, especially for those who prefer the louder sound profile and tactile feedback.

Keychron is well-known for making some of the greatest keyboards, especially mechanical ones, such as the Keychron V1 ($94) and the Keychron Q14 Max ($209). There’s also the Wobkey Rainy 75 Pro ($139) which is the most beautiful sounding keyboard I’ve tested so far.

If it’s a gaming board you’re after, you can’t go wrong with the Corsair K70 Max ($229), and I’d be lying if I said the SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini ($179) wasn’t up to the task.

So you see, I don’t discredit mechanical keyboards. They’re great at what they’re designed to do, but the Cherry XTRFY MX 8.3 TKL Wireless has left me wanting more.

,000Hz polling is fantastic and so is N-key rollover, but the keyboard doesn’t do enough to justify its steep price tag — especially because scratches and fingerprints show up so easily, and the lackluster companion software doesn’t help.

If you want a mechanical keyboard just to add to your collection and if money is no object, then sure, the XTRFY MX 8.3 TKL Wireless is for you. But if it’s pure speed and power you’re after, you’ll be better off spending lesser on a magnetic keyboard.

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More from Tom’s Guide

• I enjoyed testing the Cherry XTRFY MX 8.3 TKL Wireless — here’s why it (almost) justifies its steep price tag
• The best gaming keyboards in 2025
• The best mechanical keyboards in 2025

Nikita is a Staff Writer on the Reviews team at Tom’s Guide. She’s a lifelong gaming and photography enthusiast, always on the lookout for the latest tech. Having worked as a Sub Editor and Writer for Canon EMEA, she has interviewed photographers from all over the world and working in different genres. When she’s not working, Nikita can usually be found sinking hours into RPGs on her PS5, flying a drone (she’s a licensed drone pilot), at a concert, or watching F1. Her work has appeared in several publications including Motor Sport Magazine, NME, Marriott Bonvoy, The Independent, and Metro.