be quiet! Dark Mount review: modularity and performance in silence
Table of Contents
With a previous history of trying to keep your PC running at its quietest with a selection of cooling components, cases, or power supplies, be quiet! has expanded its horizons. Having announced its venture into peripherals, I’ve had the time to get hands-on with both the initial introduction and using them at home over the weeks. Now I’ll try to summarize all that in the be quiet! Dark Mount review, and a possible option for the best quiet keyboard out there.
Even with the aim of silence, it still follows a mechanical keyboard design, but with its own switches and design, it gets the job done. With barely any sounds made using it, and plenty of functionality, I had a great time using the keyboard, and even plan on continuing to use it.
Although with all that, it does lack wireless capability, and with a bit of a high price tag behind it, there are some things that might be a cut off for some. In which case, I find out all it has to offer, with plenty of testing and writing up the review of the be quiet! Dark Mount.
- Form factor: Full size
- Key switches: be quiet! Silent Linear/Tactile
- Keycaps: PBT double-shot
- Connectivity: USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C
- Dimensions (LxWxH): 456x174x52mm (full)/366x165x29 (standalone)
- Weight: 1342g (full)/988g (standalone)
The be quiet! Dark Mount does make for an excellent mechanical keyboard. Cutting down the annoying clicks or harsh tones brings some silence to the board. It already provides a great deal of quality and innovation, likely thanks to Mountain’s expertise. Of course, that doesn’t come cheap, with its own switches, plenty of quality, and the extent of additions it provides, making it a great value.
With the hot swappability and customizability of the board, it is definitely a great option. I’ve enjoyed using it the whole time and will likely continue to do so. With the versatility to feature a numpad, I no longer have to decide between a TKL and a full board. So, with its quality and performance, it’s a great board to go for.
- Sturdy and outstanding build quality
- Innovative and featureful addition of media dock and numpad
- Quiet and strong-performing switches and layering
- Impressive software, which has a web interface too
- Hot swappable and compatible switches and keycaps
- Quite an expensive investment compared to standard keyboards
- Some details on the casing are hard to read, maybe too subtle
- Lack of wireless connectivity
Design and features
From the get-go, the Dark Mount is a more uniquely built keyboard. Taking inspiration and technology from the Mountain Everest Max, which is the company behind be quiet! had acquired, it’s brought its own spin on the peripheral. As with the full set of hardware in the box, you have a lot to attach and expand on the keyboard. With a base TKL board, numpad, media dock, and wrist rest, there are plenty of customization options available to you.
The base board is quite sturdy, trying to flex the thing doesn’t seem to budge it at all. Likely thanks to the great many layers, it is built with a brushed aluminum top plate covering it and giving it a fine finish. That’s also the start of the layering below, starting with a foam between the switches and PCB, another under the PCB itself, and finally a silicone padding to fill out the bottom housing. All that makes quite a dense and solid sandwich that provides a solid structure to type on.
be quiet! Dark Mount box contents, Image by PC Guide
be quiet! Dark Mount caps and switches, Image by PC Guide
be quiet! Dark Mount top down, Image by PC Guide
be quiet! Mount sound dampening and switches, Image by PC Guide
Underneath each of the robust double-shot PBT keycaps, there’s the linear orange or tactile black be quiet! switches, which are pre-lubricated to provide the smoothest experience and at the quietest level. Along with nylon housing, POM stem, and stabilizers on the range of large keys, it aims to reduce any unpleasant sounds and rattling from the keyboard.
When it comes to the smaller details on the main board itself, there are a few more features on it, with a subtle logo etched into the metal that keeps to the general unison black and stealth design without too much extra. As the base, the TKL board doesn’t have much around it as it keeps the sides and top clear for its attachments. That includes the lighting for the various locks you can activate, which I struggled to remember, as the icons are impossible to see on the dark background.
Apart from the base components of the board, there are a few extra things you can find in the box. One of which is magnetic stackable feet that allow for adjusting the angle of the board and setting it in the right place with up to two tiles if using the whole board. along with an included magnetic wrist rest for ergonomics, although it sits too low and close for my own liking, and I prefer my own fuller plush one for way more comfort.
Lastly, you do get an included key puller in the box as the Mount does support hot swapping both the keycaps and switches, with a standard cross stem and 5-pin MX style switches, respectively. That gives you an excellent option for a gaming keyboard that you can customize to your heart’s content.
be quiet! Dark Mount profile, Image by PC Guide
be quiet! Dark Mount keyboard top connectors, Image by PC Guide
be quiet! Dark Mount underside, Image by PC Guide
be quiet! Dark Mount magnetic feet, Image by PC Guide
Numpad and media dock
Two of the main additions to the keyboard are the two separate add-ons you can latch onto the keyboard itself, on either side of the keyboard, with one being the media dock that sits at the top via a USB-C male connector, and a numpad on the sides via a USB-C female connector, and a couple of strong magnets too.
Taking a closer look at the numpad first, it’s a combination of a standard numpad and Stream Deck, featuring eight 140×140 display keys. I was surprised to find they themselves stray away from the silence mantra, as they instead produce a great clickiness and satisfaction, even if it can be quite loud. Plus, offering customization to the icons and macros, it does bring some great versatility to the deck, plus with the numbers themselves still providing a solid typing experience, it has a great build overall.
It’s not just the top that is a fascinating bit of tech, though, with the underside showing off some great build quality and prowess as there is a massive slider in the middle that moves the connectors from one side to the other, or sits in the middle to make it a versatile solution for either side of your board. It also has the squares for placing the magnetic feet.
be quiet! Dark Mount keyboard numpad connector, Image by PC Guide
be quiet! Dark Mount media dock brightness, Image by PC Guide
be quiet! Dark Mount media dock profile, Image by PC Guide
be quiet! Dark Mount media dock settings, Image by PC Guide
be quiet! Dark Mount numpad display keys, Image by PC Guide
be quiet! Dark Mount numpad side, Image by PC Guide
be quiet! Dark Mount numpad connector, Image by PC Guide
be quiet! Dark Mount numpad underside, Image by PC Guide
be quiet! Dark Mount numberpad underside connector slider, Image by PC Guide
be quiet! Dark Mount media key roller, Image by PC Guide
be quiet! Dark Mount media dock, Image by PC Guide
On the other hand, the media dock is built differently in its own style. Featuring a roller, a selection of media keys and controls, and a display, it’s a rather unique piece of hardware. Surprisingly light, it has a reasonably secure connection method, using a couple of rods in addition to the USB, which keeps it in place.
The volume roller has a cool metal design in the plastic housing that has a great, rigid build to provide a great deal of grip. While the media controls offer pause/play, mute, and skips above and below the screen controls. That itself sits on the right, with a rather large bezel and very simple controls, but offers a decent number of settings and features to choose from.
Pricing
The be quiet! Dark Mount is a rather extensive and full-size keyboard, and so is not a cheap option at all. The MSRP for it is $254.90/£239.90/€259.90 for both switch types, definitely not the cheapest board out there, but it’s no surprise really. Considering its new switches and build, with some incredible dampening, it has got a relatively high quality to it.
It’s not unseen, though, as the similarly featured ASUS ROG Claymore II with a detachable numpad came with a price tag over $260/£230, so it’s not unheard of. Even the likes of the Corsair K70 Pro and Razer Blackwidow V3 can be seen approaching the 200 mark, so for all the extra features the Dark Mount has to offer, it’s at a bit of a premium.
Performance
Setting up the keyboard, it’s quite the stark contrast after having been using the 8Bitdo Retro mechanical keyboard in the office and a version of the Corsair K70 at home. Immediately, I was surprised by just how quiet it was. It’s quite a contrast to the other options, and after hearing more clickety options out there and in the office.
It’s a fairly consistent sound throughout the typing experience, and even though it feels a bit tougher to press down on the keys, the linear switches I’ve been testing have an actuation force of just 45g. With a sturdy set of keycaps, it does provide a robust typing experience with decent feedback, even without the loudest of sounds while doing so.
Even the bigger keys are well-damped, such as the space bar. With an additional layer of foam inside it, and with well-lubed stabilizers, it really quietens the sound down. As well as the largest Enter key on the UK layout, I’m using all of them, which are certainly less perceptible. It’s not as perfect as the normal keys, but it definitely cuts out the metallic clanking of plenty of the other picks.
A sample of the Dark mount typing, using an XLR microphone, just 5cm above the board, so not quite how you’ll hear it, but to get a quick idea of the sound.
The Corsair K70 RGB Rapidfire is a comparison at the same distance.
Also, using a phone app to measure the sound level, not the perfect test instrument, but as a good comparison to use. With the phone just 10cm away, the Dark Mount averaged around 33dB during a 10-second stint and maxed out at 55dB, which was from the numpad display options. In contrast, the K70 at the same distance averaged 44dB with a 68dB peak.
As for the smaller stuff, I did find the usual lock lights took some getting used to in remembering which ones are what, as in a darker room, it’s hard to see each icon individually as they’re a lot more stealthy amidst the dark background. The wrist rest is a bit too close when magnetized in and a bit too thin in padding, but then again, the HyperX wrist rest I’m used to tends to be a bit larger than usual and more plush.
I very much like the ability to move the docks around. The ability to customize where each one sits makes it all the easier to adjust to my use cases, like having the numpad on the right during work but completely detaching it during gaming or moving to the left for more mouse space. In contrast, the media dock has a bit more permanent placement for me as an easy-to-see and accessible spot.
Also, it takes a bit more care moving the keyboard around now. With the feet being held in by magnets, dragging it around my desk pad, I did find them falling off occasionally, so it does need a bit more precision when moving it around.
IO Center software
Alongside its introduction of a range of peripherals, be quiet! has released its own software. The IO Center has both a standalone app, but there is an alternative if you don’t want to compromise performance or install apps to clutter your tray. That provides some great flexibility and control over the keyboards.
It is an early version, so it does have some quirks about it yet. It’s great to see an introduction to your keyboard when you open it up, with a display of all the controls laid out and explained to make it an easier time to start and understand what each thing does. But then there are plenty of changes you can make from the start, and several layers to do so, along with keeping the firmware updated and using a game mode, as well as keeping certain shortcuts active or not.
The first port of call offers the illumination controls that have a great range of choices. The pre-programmed selection is decent enough as it is, with the change in coloring, gradients, colors, directions, brightness, and speed. As well as offering the ability to create custom designs of color, enabling dynamic lighting, or just turning off the RGB entirely, you can really get into the grains of customization, which ends up as a stunning design with the light coming through translucent letters and lighting up underneath the caps.
be quiet! Dark Mount IO Center illumination, Image by PC Guide
be quiet! Dark Mount IO Center key binding, Image by PC Guide
be quiet! Dark Mount IO Center media dock, Image by PC Guide
be quiet! Dark Mount IO Center product settings, Image by PC Guide
be quiet! Dark Mount IO Center profiles, Image by PC Guide
be quiet! Dark Mount IO Center Web menu, Image by PC Guide
be quiet! Dark Mount IO Center menu, Image by PC Guide
Then there is a tab for key binding that can control each key across the whole board, along with a whole fn layer to utilize for all the extras and recording macros to make tasks simpler, too. It has a surprising lot already inside for you to take advantage of and make your own.
That also extends to the media dock and numpad. With the former having settings on what you want displayed and can control from it, as with the idle option, you can have the time show up and keep you informed. Or with a timer and stopwatch, keep good track of the time while using it, but beware that the timer lacks any notification sound or anything to grab your attention.
As for the numpad, you can of course program the LCD keys to images and functions as you please. Although I found it surprising that some of the icons for Windows tasks like copy and paste can’t be used as icons already, and you have to be a bit flexible with the displays. But once it’s set, the keys themselves are rather satisfying to use and have a good click to them without sticking at all. I did find these icons to reset if plugging in the numpad after a reboot, even with saved profiles.
All of that is also available on the web center. It doesn’t quite let you set up and keep profiles like the app, but on the fly and straight to he board control is rather appealing without installation and culminating in a rather impressive set of software that is likely to keep improving and match the abilities that the Elgato range has.
- Form factor: Full size
- Key switches: be quiet! Silent Linear/Tactile
- Keycaps: PBT double-shot
- Connectivity: USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C
- Dimensions (LxWxH): 456x174x52mm (full)/366x165x29 (standalone)
- Weight: 1342g (full)/988g (standalone)
Conclusion
Overall, the be quiet! Dark Mount is a very impressive keyboard. It brings a great deal of customizability, features, and silence to the market. Although the software may be missing some smaller details, it is surprisingly fleshed out already, and with a web version, it is quite versatile in its utility.
So, although you have to pay a bit more of a premium for the set, you do get a whole load for it. With some great controls across the board and excellent silent performance, it certainly is an excellent option to choose. Or you can also check out the Light Mount review to see the more basic offering instead.
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