be quiet! Dark Mount Keyboard Review

I have long been a fan of tenkeyless (TKL) keyboard designs but sometimes I miss that pesky number pad. Thanks to the engineers at be quiet! you don’t have to decide! Paring a top shelf TKL keyboard with an optional tenkey sound like the solution we have been looking for. Bring on the be quiet! Dark Mount Silent Tactical keyboard model.

Not just near silent mechanical switches. We have a modular ARGB design and so much more. Let’s take a look!

On the surface the Dark Mount Silent Tactical is a pretty standard 85% design with an all-black design befitting its dark name. ARGB lighting provides a nice halo affect around the entire design along with the per key lighting.  Then there are the accessories adding both a multimedia controller and the missing tenkey unit. More on that in a minute.

Like the Light Mount design, we reviewed: be quiet! offers a choice of switches; Silent Tactical Orange or Silent Linear Black. This time we will be looking at the Tactical Black switches.

• Unparalleled modularity with hot-swappable Numpad and Media Dock
• 8 customizable Display Keys
• Factory-lubricated mechanical be quiet! Silent Switches offer speed, precision, and accuracy with a clearly noticeable tactile actuation point
• 3 layers of sound-proofing with silicone and foam for extra silent keystrokes
• High-quality PBT double-shot keycaps with translucent legends that will never fade or wear off
• Per-key illumination and customizable ARGB lighting around the edges for atmospheric effects
• Support for hot-swappable 5-pin MX-style switches
• Customize your Dark Mount with the be quiet! IO Center software

• Model: Dark Mount Silent Tactical US ISO
• Dimensions (L x W x H), (mm): 256 x 456 x 52
• Dimensions without palm rest (L x W x H), (mm): 174 x 456 x 52
• Color option: Black
• Total weight (kg): 1.59
• Weight without palm rest (kg): 1.38
• Switch type: be quiet! Silent Tactical Black mechanical switches
• Switch: Socket: 5-pin / Cherry MX formfactor
• Backlight: RGB
• Layout DE: layout, ANSI
• Materials: Aluminum top-plate / ABS bottom / PBT keycaps
• Connector: USB 2.0
• Interface: USB
• Onboard memory: Yes
• MCU: Cortex M0
• Software support: Yes
• be quiet! IO Center & IO Center Web

The Silent Tactical uses the be quiet! Silent Tactical Black switches. The switches are pre-lubricated down to the stabilizers under the larger keys like the space and enter bars.

• Key rollover: Full NKRO via USB
• Keycaps: be quiet! PBT double-shot
• Stabilizer: Genuine Cherry, screwed in & lubed
• On-the-fly system: Yes, via FN-key
• Polling rate (Hz): 1000

be quiet! has been manufacturing computer peripherals for over 10 years and is considered a premium manufacturer of both power supplies and PC cooling solutions.  As the number 1 power supplier in Germany, be quiet! is constantly voted the number 1 power supply manufacturer and top PC CPU cooler brand by top publications and trade shows.