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If you’re looking for an easily customizable keyboard but don’t want to build your own, Drop’s aptly named CSTM line has you covered.
The CSTM80 is — as you might expect from the name — a mechanical keyboard that’s designed to be customized. Just about everything, from the top plate to the case weight, can be swapped out, and Drop sells additional case plates, switch plates, keycaps, and case weights on its site. The keyboard comes with Gateron Brown Pro 3.0 or Milky Yellow KS3 switches and a polycarbonate top plate, as well as ABS keycaps with shine-through side legends. It’s not designed to be a gaming keyboard, necessarily, but it does boast a 1,000 Hz polling rate and N-key rollover. And its TKL layout is the perfect size for most gamers.
The CSTM80 is available now for $149, but you can also pick up a barebones version (no keycaps, switches, or top case) for $99.
Design and Construction of the CSTM80
The CSTM80 is a wired mechanical gasket-mount keyboard with a tenkeyless (TKL) layout, which means it has a full function row, arrow keys, and a 3 by 2 navigation cluster. It also has an extra F13 function key, but no rotary knob.
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The CSTM80 has a polycarbonate case with a decorative magnetic top case. The base keyboard comes with a black ABS top case and matching black ABS keycaps with shine-through side legends. Drop sells additional top cases in various colors, patterns, and materials, which you can find on their CSTM80 collection page. Drop shipped us a couple of extra top cases to swap out for our review, including the polycarbonate Overgrowth case ($35, currently on sale for $19) and the aluminum decorative case in silver ($59, currently on sale for $39). The case is extremely easy to change — it just pops off. The top case fully covers the sides of the keyboard as well.
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The black case that the keyboard comes with is nicely made, if a bit boring, with a half-inch bezel that surrounds the keyboard and a chamfered edge. The keyboard measures 14.7 inches (374mm) wide by 5.8 inches (148mm) deep, and is 1.3 inches (34mm) thick at its thickest point. It weighs about 2.8 pounds (1,272g) with the included ABS top case and keycaps installed, but you can change the weight by adding a heavier top case or replacing the keyboard’s standard aluminum case weight with one of Drop’s custom options (replacing the case weight is slightly trickier than replacing the top case, as you’ll need to unscrew it from inside).
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The keyboard measures about 0.74 inches (18.7mm) at the front, so it’s high enough that some people might want a wrist rest, though I didn’t feel the need to use one. The board has a typing angle of 6 degrees.
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The back of the keyboard has four anti-slip rubber feet and a standard silver brushed aluminum keyboard weight, which is replaceable.
In the box, the CSTM80 comes with a braided USB-C to USB-A cable, a keycap puller, a switch puller, optional Mac keycaps, and extra gaskets.
Specs
Size | TKL |
Number of keys | 88 |
Switches | Gateron Brown Pro 3.0 (tactile) Gateron Milky Yellow KS3 (linear) |
Backlighting | Yes |
Onboard Storage | Yes |
Dedicated Media Keys | No |
Game Mode | No |
Additional Ports | 0 |
Connectivity | Wired (USB-C) |
Cable | USB-C to USB-A |
Keycaps | ABS |
Construction | Polycarbonate case with magnetic top case (materials vary) Gasket mount |
Software | Drop Keyboard Configurator |
Dimensions (LxWxH) | 14.7 x 5.8 x 1.3 inches / 374 x 148 x 34 mm |
Weight | 2.8lbs / 1,272g |
MSRP / Price at Time of Review | $149 |
Release Date | Nov. 2023 |
Typing and Gaming Experience on the CSTM80
The CSTM80 comes with your choice of Gateron switches — either Brown Pro 3.0 (tactile) or Milky Yellow (linear) switches. Our review model came with Brown Pro 3.0 switches, which are pre-lubed and have an operating force of 55gf and a total travel distance of 4mm. They have a mild tactile bump and no click, though they’re moderately loud switches — perhaps not ideal if typing in a quieter office environment. The keyboard also has a hot-swappable PCB that accepts both 3-pin and 5-pin mechanical switches, so you can swap in your favorite switches.
The Brown Pro 3.0 switches feel very good, though they’re not quite as tactile as I expect from tactile switches (perhaps I’m just used to the heavier bump of the Glorious Panda Standard HE switches I’ve been using recently on the GMMK 3). Despite the switches’ operating force being slightly heavier than most switches at 55gf, the extra weight wasn’t noticeable.
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The CSTM80 comes with black ABS keycaps with smooth, lightly-curved tops and shine-through side legends. They have a Cherry profile, which means they have sculpted rows and are lower profile than traditional OEM keycaps. The keycaps are very comfortable to type on, and I do like the smooth feel of the ABS tops, though ABS usually means you’ll start seeing shininess in a few months. The shine-through side legends make for an attractive overall look, and while it would be nice to see PBT keycaps, I suppose this keyboard is designed to be customized.
The combination of the smooth, low-profile keycaps, the mildly tactile switches, and the gasket mount makes for a very comfortable and pleasant typing experience. The case does have built-in foam and silicone for sound dampening, and it’s a nice sound overall — not the absolute best, but it’s a great-sounding keyboard out of the box, especially with its overall polycarbonate construction. The switches and stabilizers (Gateron screw-in PCB-mounted) are smooth, lubed, and I had no issues with rattle or scratchiness.
While this keyboard is designed for typing, it does have a low-latency 1,000 Hz polling rate and N-key rollover — so you’ll have no issues using it for gaming. The switches are very responsive and snappy, perfect for almost all games — though you’ll probably want to look at something with linear switches (perhaps magnetic) if you’re primarily into competitive first-person shooters.
Features and Software of the CSTM80
You can configure the CSTM80 using Drop’s Keyboard Configurator, which is not the most user-friendly software. The keyboard is also compatible with QMK / VIA, however, so you can use those to remap keys and adjust the board’s lighting if you’re more familiar with them.
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To use the Drop Keyboard Configurator, you’ll first need to flash the board with firmware. But this is a fairly simple process and the Configurator will walk you through it. Once the board has been flashed, the software should recognize your keyboard, though I needed to unplug and replug each time I opened the software for this to work. The board comes with three layers of programming (the base layer, a media key layer, and a test layer), and you can remap keys or switch layers around in the software. You can also customize the keyboard’s lighting and link different lighting effects to specific layers. While you can program different layers, there’s no real way to set up different profiles.
The Bottom Line
The Drop CSTM80 is a very solid keyboard for both typing and gaming, and the easily swappable top case is cooler than I expected — it’s nice to be able to change the look of your keyboard on a whim, without having to remove all of the keycaps (and makes for a much easier cleaning experience). While I don’t use on-keyboard media controls, some people will definitely miss the rotary knob.
The CSTM80 isn’t necessarily aimed at gamers, but the 1,000 Hz polling rate and snappy switches make it a great choice for anyone looking for a keyboard that can move seamlessly between work and play. The CSTM80 may not be quite as premium as the Mode Loop TKL (2024), which starts at $299, but it’s a very solid alternative and even easier to make your own.
