Test of an almost perfect mechanical keyboard: competition has no more apologies

Visually, Ironclad V2 does not shine by its originality. The keyboard revolves around a hard plastic fairing and has no “visible” particularity that can stand out from its competitors. However, it is very well constructed and its high weight makes it gives an impression of appreciable solidity.

Ironclad V2

Ludovic Bechtold aka “Ludolink” – High -tech journalist

Always on the lookout for the right plan, Ludovic likes to spend hours on the net looking for the best price to put a PC or improve your daily life. He can thus spend whole days to study market before choosing or advising the right product at the best price.

The small French brand that goes up, which goes up, designed by GG, returns with a third keyboard, the Ironclad V2, an improved version and with a more traditional color of the already excellent Ironclad first of the name released at the start of the year. The best mechanical keyboards for gamer be therefore French ? Well as possible !

Summary

• Presentation and characteristics of the Ironclad V2 keyboard designed by GG
• Ironclad v2 vs Ironclad V1, lubrication in the culmination
• Black it’s black, there is always hope
• The best keyboard on the market ? Potentially yes !

Presentation and characteristics of the Ironclad V2 keyboard designed by GG

Still confidential at the beginning of 2022 and sold mainly on the site of its manufacturer, the French brand Designed by GG is now well established in the landscape of brands that count for players and we now find it on most large sites IT e-commerce like LDLC, Hardware.fr or rue du Commerce via third -party sellers.

I will not come back to the history of the brand, you can find all this info in my Test of the champion’s keyboard bane designed by gg: better, it’s complicated or that of Ironclad by GG test: an almost perfect retro look keyboard . But for the record, this is a brand that I discovered a little by chance at the end of 2021 when I was trying to replace a super noisy razer keyboard and some touches no longer responded. I was looking for a precise, complete and not too noisy mechanical keyboard. Therefore I came across the champion’s bane equipped with Gateron Red switches “linear and silent”.

Between us, it was the immediate thunderbolt, a perfect partition between comfort and quality. In short, personally, It’s been more than a year since I use the Champion’s Bane every day and it remains my favorite keyboard of all time. Unfortunately he is now breaking and he may have to wait a few years before seeing a new version, because the brand and its founder have other very interesting projects, including the latest, this Ironclad V2.

Specifications
Sideline	Mechanical
Switches types	Gateron Blue (Clicky), Gateron Brown Mod (Tactiles), Red Blood (linear and silent)
Backlight	Yes, RGB touch by touch
Multimedia shortcuts	Partials (with the FN key)
Macro shortcuts	Yes, dedicated
Anti-glosting	Yes, nkro
Required connection	1 USB port
External USB port (s)	No
Water resistance	Yes (IP32)
Price	139 € or 159 € with retaining rest

Ironclad v2 vs Ironclad V1, lubrication in the culmination

To know everything about Ironclad, the best is to start by taking a look at the first edition test, always sold to get you a little idea of ​​the product.

If the champion’s Bane sported a resolutely gamer look with assertive curves and a very present retro lighting, Ironclad is a tribute to the IBM keyboards of the 80s and 90s. Massive, strong, it weighs its weight but with the advantage of not moving an iota even in the event of intensive strikes. Unlike his wrist rest, very comfortable, but which we would have appreciated that he could be maintained on the keyboard, either by magnets, or by a system of screws or other. It was already a (small) reproach on the V1, the V2 does not change this. Note that if you don’t have to make a wrist rest, it will not be a problem for you.

Just like for the Champion’s Bane or the Ironclad V1, The Ironclad V2 is offered in three versions, with Gateron Blue (Clicky) switches, Gateron Brown Mod (Tactiles) and finally Red Blood (Linear and Ultra-Silencious) switches).

On the Ironclad V1, the particularity of the Brown Mod switches and Red Mod were that they were lubricated in the factory by gateron with a lubricating oil, a bit as if you were doing it yourself, the galleys less. The result was then striking, and We had never been faced with such sweetness and such a low noise on a mechanical keyboard.

And if it is always possible to further improve the slide and attenuation of the noise with, for example, small o-rings (silicone rings) to be placed under the keys or by buying an additional lubricant like the ” Demon Blood ”also sold on the brand’s site, but which requires manually lubricate each touch one by one, which takes hours and hours, We did not think we had another day another even quieter keyboard available at the factory, and yet ..

Black it’s black, there is always hope

Obviously, despite all the compliments and the excellent criticisms, that was not enough for the brand and its creator always very involved and very available for customers. White does not please everyone ? You want black ? Ok, you will have black, but I will bring some touch -ups.

As he explains on his blog, here and there, certainly factory lubrication brings a significant plus, but attenuation is not at the level of what can be made by hand even by hand As is the case with the Demon Blood lubricant, a mixture composed of PFPE and PTFE which offers absolutely perfect lubrication, not based on liquid oil suddenly, but fat. To learn all about the Demon Blood, go to this page that will explain everything to you.

Well aware that the vast majority of people were not going to get into dismantling and lubricating each touch in hand, there was a question of industrializing this process directly in the factory and mechanizing the lubrication, which has been made possible on this V2. So, The Ironclad V2 keyboard equipped with Gateron Red Switches has customized versions called “Red Blood” (instead of Red Mod) and the result is simply… incredible !

And for those who are really allergic to any form of noise, it is always possible to add small silicone rings under the keys or to lubricate them a little more with Demon Blood, but frankly, we do not feel the need

The best keyboard on the market ? Potentially yes !

Among the few reservations brought to the Ironclad V1, this Ironclad V2 does not really come to erase them, we thus find a keyboard always a little high, but which This time benefits from adjustable pads with two height levels (if you have the V1, free skits of skates are offered, just contact the brand). Personally, I had some reservations on the white of the V1 (but it’s just a matter of tastes) and Here the chosen black is beautiful (a white version of the V2 is also available). It sublimates the PBT keys and the backlight.

Finally, the only two reproaches I can make him, this is the absence of a dial for the sound and dedicated multimedia keys as well as the impossibility of fixing the wrist rest. What remains of the comfort options specific to each more than general quality.

In return, and even if my darling remains the champion’s bane remains, We are undoubtedly here, at one of the very best keyboards on the market, both to play and to write for hours. If you already have the Ironclad V1 or the Champion’s Bane, the change is probably not necessary, but if you are looking for a new keyboard for Christmas, for you or to offer, the choice is here all found.

The rest for the brand ? A TKL keyboard, code name “Berser”, of which you can find all the info on the brand’s blog and which in turn promises to be a small revolution on the market, but that is for later.

Test of an almost perfect mechanical keyboard: competition has no more apologies

GG Ironclad V2 is a unique keyboard due to the work carried out on optimizing its strike experience. Let’s discover this model, which rebels the cards of this very competitive market.

The keyboard gamer Ironclad V2 wired is an UFO on the current market. He does not seem to shine by his design, but he should not be underestimated either. The creator of the brand has done very meticulous work in the bowels of the keyboard to offer a hitting experience for light years of what the giants of the sector offer.

Thus, a lot of work was done on the lubrication of switches, as well as on the reduction of the noise of these. All these improvements, not very visible, tend to place the Ironclad V2 above all its competitors available for the general public.

This second iteration of the Ironclad has in particular new switches and is offered at the recommended price of 139 euros. A price that remains reasonable, given the services offered.

A little history

Before going further in this test, and to fully understand why Ironclad is so special, it is necessary to take stock of the current keyboards for players. Since the adoption of mechanical switches, most manufacturers have developed their own switches with more or less success.

In parallel with the market dominated by Logitech, Corsair or Razer, some more demanding users have started to build their own keyboards by carefully selecting the chassis, switches and electronic components. Behind this approach, the objective is often to significantly improve the strike experience, which is still very random on the keyboards of large manufacturers.

This includes the manual lubrication of switches and stabilizers, to fluidify them to the maximum. Stabilizers are the mechanisms combining plastic and metal found under the wide keys such as the uppercase and the space touch.

Apart from the lubrication of switches, the addition of an acoustic foam and a more solid plate to receive these makes it possible to reduce the parasitic noises and resonance as much as possible. Although some manufacturers are starting to make efforts on these points, the rendering remains incomparable to what we find on “handmade” keyboards.

This is where GG intervenes by providing the experience and requirement of the keyboards custom, In a model accessible to the general public, pre -assembled and relatively inexpensive compared to the usual cost of these devices. Beyond this already important work, the Ironclad V2 has double injection, more durable PBT keys, interchangeable switches and a firmware Open Source (in beta) which will continue to develop the keyboard, even after the end of its official support.

A very classic design

Visually, Ironclad V2 does not shine by its originality. The keyboard revolves around a hard plastic fairing and has no “visible” particularity that can stand out from its competitors. However, it is very well constructed and its high weight makes it gives an impression of appreciable solidity.

These design choices are perfectly understood as the Ironclad V2 tends to get closer to keyboards custom which are generally very refined. No logo is present on the chassis and the area above the digital pavement is only in interest to accommodate indication LEDs.

This timeless design is also marked by the cuts of the shell that welcome the keys and the switches. The latter are therefore set back from the rest of the keyboard and this choice goes a bit against the current trend.

To return to the keys, the latter are logically composed of a PBT plastic with double injection. This choice, usually reserved for high -end keyboards, guarantees a much better lifespan for keys and also avoids fat deposits which are very quickly visible with the traditional ABS plastic.

RGB lighting is also there and the latter correctly illuminates all the characters cut out on the keys. Although it seems normal, this is not necessarily the case since major brands like Razer still do not offer this, even on their most expensive models.

Under the chassis, we take advantage of a clever cable passage system. Indeed, the braided USB cable supplied is removable and, if it connects to the center of the keyboard, it can be routed on the left or right, depending on the preferences of the user. Two retractable feet with two heights are also installed to choose between three different inclinations.

The Ironclad V2 comes with a tool to remove the keys and switches, but also with a few replacement keys to add a system volume control. Some spare switches are also provided.

We regret that the rest rest is not included in the box since it is necessary to pay a few euros more to obtain it. However, it is very comfortable and perfectly connected with the keyboard. Its only defect is not to be magnetized.

Complete software, the visual aspect less

If it does not have dedicated multimedia keys or volume adjustment wheel, the Ironclad V2 nevertheless benefits from many accessible shortcuts thanks to the FN key. Only shade on the board: these shortcuts are not indicated on the keys, so they will have to be learned by heart.

As often, it is mainly in terms of software proposal and therefore, features that “young” brands are struggling to convince. However, the Ironclad V2 is accompanied by relatively complete software which offers most of the essential features. However, we will not dwell on the visual aspect of the application on which there remains efforts to be made.

The utility allows you to personalize the RGB lighting of switches. The options are complete with many presets and the possibility of personalizing the key lighting by key. At this level, GG does as well as competition.

The functionalities of the keys can also be modified with many actions ranging from keyboard shortcuts to multimedia and system functions. It is also possible to assign macros, recordable directly within the application.

Finally, other more specific adjustments are part of it, including the possibility of activating the game mode, which deactivates the Windows key. We can also activate anti-glosting or not, personalize the period of debounce in order to adapt the behavior of the keyboard to the switches grafted to it and modify the frequency of polling.

Profiles can be created to save the various settings. Unfortunately, it is currently impossible to associate these profiles with games or applications to automatically switch from one to the other automatically.

Ironclad V2 will eventually be compatible with the firmware Alternative QMK. This particularity will allow it to remain customizable and scalable even if the official support was no longer assured.

An exceptional strike experience

If the Ironclad V2 does not necessarily stand out for its design or its features, it is a whole different story for the striking experience. It’s simple: no keyboard gamer general public does not offer such a service at present.

The switches benefit from an excellent quality lubrication which provides them with an unusual fluidity measure with what the big names in the sector can offer. Only Asus manages to get closer to its ROG RX switches, without being able to really compete.

The more imposing keys also benefit from special treatment with lubricated stabilizers. We add an excellent work on acoustics which provides extreme satisfaction during the strike by approaching what is found with a keyboard custom.

Regarding the characteristics of switches, they are here similar to traditional switches Red by Cherry or Gateron. They are therefore linear switches with a necessary activation force of 45 g. Overall reactive, they reveal their potential on FPS and other demanding titles of the genre.

The excellent experience provided by the strike on these switches also intended for editorial use. The writing of this test, logically carried out using the Ironclad V2 was a real pleasure. Note also that it is possible to get the Ironclad V2 with blue and more classic gateway switches.

Finally, let’s not forget that switches can easily be replaced using the accessories provided and that the keyboard can therefore evolve according to user tastes and desires.

Ironclad V2 GG price and release

The GG Ironclad V2 keyboard is available at the recommended price of 139 euros.

Ironclad V2

Champion’s Bane

Download the Driver

Ironclad V1 and V2

Download the driver for V1, V2 and V2.1

Berserker

Download the Driver

Ironclad V3

Download the Driver beta

Drivers for mice

Dragon Slayer

Download the Driver for Dragon Slayer

Dragon Slayer

Update Firmware Dragon Slayer

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