Drop, a company known primarily for its highly customizable mechanical keyboards, keycaps, and key switches (and acquired last year by peripherals powerhouse Corsair), has added another 65% keyboard to its lineup. The CSTM65 ($129) offers a high level of customization for its price range, making it a great choice for anyone looking to begin collecting enthusiast-level PC peripherals. This keyboard is notable for its two main quirks: its swappable, colorful frames, and the lack of labels in the conventional spot on top of the keys. It is well-suited for those who do a lot of typing but don’t have enough room on their desk to use a larger keyboard. However, its quirkiness and cramped layout prevent us from recommending it over the nostalgic 8bitdo Retro Mechanical Keyboard, which is our Editors’ Choice pick for enthusiast boards in this price range.Design: As Plain or as Colorful as You WantWhen it comes to making your keyboard stand out from a crowd, the sky is (almost) the limit with the CSTM65. That’s because the main feature of this board is an easily detachable, decorative surrounding frame (or “case”) that can be replaced with several different designs. It’s a simple process, too—all it takes is to lift the frame slightly, and it will pop right out. (Just make sure you’ve unplugged the cable from the USB-C connector at the upper left corner before you try.)
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(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
The decorative cases are available in several variants, most of which have multiple color options. The cheapest variant’s material is polycarbonate, which gives it a flimsy plastic feeling. This variant is available for $25 and comes in Black, Laser Purple, Shinai Green, Skiidata Orange, Cyber Yellow, Bright White, Camillo Blue, and Natural White. Drop also offers a Gemstone case for $19, which comes in Amethyst, Emerald, Garnet, and Sapphire.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
The more expensive options include Overgrowth, whose creeping vine design is inspired by Lord of the Rings. Meanwhile, the aluminum cases are the most expensive variant, at $59, and are only available in black and silver. Drop sent the polycarbonate variant, in both the black and white colors, with our review unit. Overall, we found case swapping to be a nice way to get started customizing this eminently configurable board, but the options don’t end there.
The keyboard also features a detachable base weight, which can be replaced with a heavier one if you prefer—many gamers like heavy boards that are less prone to sliding around a desk in the heat of battle. These additional weights come in brass (13 ounces) or stainless steel (12 ounces), with the stainless steel one featuring a black, silver, or chroma mirror option. Purchasing a new base weight will set you back a hefty $49. Die-hards will appreciate that this keyboard is also available in a barebones model and features hot-swappable switches.The Drop’s compact design omits the F1 through F9 function keys, so if those are important to you, you’ll need to skip the 65% form factor altogether and opt for a larger board, such as the excellent Drop Shift Mechanical Keyboard. The design also features labels mounted on the sides of the keys rather than the conventional position on top. This gives the CSTM65 even more avant-garde design cred, but it might be off-putting to some users. Still, in testing, we found it to be easy enough to read the labels, since they’re still facing you when you’re sitting in front of the board.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
The pre-built models are compatible with Gateron yellow or Gateron brown switches (we tested it with Gateron yellow switches). So, whether you’re looking for a smoother typing experience or you like that bumpy feeling that comes with tactile switches, you’ll be able to enjoy the typing experience on this keyboard.Swapping keys is even easier than changing the case. Unlike some keyboards, such as the Roccat Vulcan II, which can have their keycaps replaced but don’t come with keycap pullers, the CSTM65 does. This made swapping out the pre-installed Windows and Alt keys for the included Command and Option keys all the easier when getting ready for testing with an Apple MacBook Pro.While many keyboards work well with macOS, few provide you with the Apple-specific Command and Option key labels. However, when you first set up this keyboard for the Mac layout, the Command function is actually positioned where the Option button is on an Apple keyboard. You can either stick with this quirk, or you can swap the two to their conventional positions using the software (more on this below). Overall, this keyboard is a great choice for anyone looking to jump back and forth between Windows PCs and Macs.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
Setting up the keyboard is fairly straightforward. All you have to do is plug the USB-A cable into your computer and the USB-C into your keyboard. Unlike the old days, when keyboards required you to install software and drivers before you could use your keyboard with all its features, that isn’t required here.Software: Limited But Easy to UseSome keyboards offer software with sophisticated features, like setting macros, rebinding keys, and even changing the RGB color scheme. With Drop’s Keyboard Configurator app, all you get is the ability to remap your keys. That said, the app is otherwise easy to use and packed with a surprising amount of functionality for how limited its scope is. You can choose from Windows or Mac default key layouts or customize your own.
(Credit: Drop)
The app organizes key assignments into layers. By default, the first layer is the basic key layout—what’s on the labels. The second layer is the function layer, activated by holding down the Fn key. It’s mostly for adjusting the keyboard’s RGB lighting. You can add additional layers with their own functions. We recommend using the app if you’re just starting out with keyboard customization. If you’re an expert, you’ll appreciate that, like most Drop keyboards, the CSTM65 also works with the open-source VIA web app for more detailed adjustments. You don’t need to use the software at all if you don’t need to remap functions, though. The RGB lighting and other adjustments (such as swapping between 6-key rollover and n-key rollover) can be manipulated by simply hitting a combination of keys, depending on what scheme you want to toggle. The lighting can be adjusted by increasing or decreasing the animation speed, changing the scrolling direction of the lighting, and, of course, increasing the brightness. The system volume can also be adjusted and muted. Most—but not all—of these shortcuts are printed on a handy card that’s included in the keyboard’s packaging.Verdict: A Dream Keyboard for Expressing Your StyleWe recommend the 8bitdo Retro Mechanical Keyboard for enthusiasts looking for style and substance in a small keyboard. It has enough room for function keys, which the CSTM65 lacks and many consider essential. It also oozes style, though in a retro way instead of a customizable one. If you’re into taking apart your keyboards to replace keycaps and switches, the CSTM65 obliges, but it goes further than those basic tenets of the enthusiast peripheral world. Its unique swappable frames will pique the interest of anyone who likes to display their creativity on their desk. Despite the inconvenience of having to memorize shortcut keys that goes with the territory of small keyboards, the customization options will make this 65% keyboard worth it for many tinkerers.
Drop CSTM65 Mechanical Keyboard
Pros
Customizable RGB lighting doesn’t require software to be adjusted
Easily detachable frame offers numerous ways to express your style
Includes Windows and macOS key labels
Cons
Limited software functionality
Side-printed labels make media keys hard to find
65% layout leaves no room for function keys
The Bottom Line
The highly customizable Drop CSTM65 is a simple yet well-designed 65% keyboard with unique removable frames that you can swap out to suit your mood.
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About David Paiz-Torres
Editorial Intern
Prior to interning with PCMag, I attended the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism for two semesters and will graduate in December, 2024. During my time at the J-school I gained a lot of experience filing Freedom of Information Act requests. Prior to starting my internship with PCMag, I filed over a dozen Freedom of Information Law requests across New York State. I’m also a big fan of interactive news stories with neat visualizations.
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