Mountain Everest Max keyboard review (Cherry MX RGB Red)

Skip to 10:58 for a typing demonstration.
Today we look at an interesting new offering from Mountain, called the Everest Max. Focusing on several detachable/repositional modules, it also has hotswappability and some other features. Hope you enjoy the video! :)
Intro by Kyle Carter
Outro by Facundo Cabanne
My keyboard reviews: bit.ly/1TbOtft
My switch teardowns: bit.ly/2C1QGHz
My TOP X videos: bit.ly/2FmpZfd
My XL typing demos: bit.ly/2OoAW3w
My tutorials and featurettes: bit.ly/2OrkLUh
My unboxing videos: bit.ly/2TSrr0m
I'm Thomas and I do videos and reviews on mechanical keyboards ranging from the most sickening modern RGB gaming keyboards to vintage hardware relics, or sometimes keycaps or keyswitches ranging from Cherry MX to Alps SKCM to IBM buckling springs and anything in between.
Follow me on Twitter for updates on my keyboard videos! / chyrosran22
The practice sentence was: "Hello my name is Thomas and I'm typing on a Mountain Everest Max keyboard right now. This was certainly an interesting project, but I must admit I'm a bit disappointed."

[@thumbwarriordx]

Man's voice is so deep I can't hear him anymore when the air conditioner kicks on.

[@Ascendance2001]

same I had to turn up the volume lol

[@thumbwarriordx]

@@Ascendance2001 It's not even a volume issue, the subwoofer is further away and his voice lives on the other side of that crossover compared to most people lol

[@ianwiese1]

I had to cup my hand over my phone speaker to hear him over my fan

[@GalileoAV]

The imperial jokes this time around were brutal, many thanks from cheeseburger land. We need made fun of for it more

[@Chyrosran22]

You're welcome! xD

[@jinifysfbiagent3452]

@@Chyrosran22 hello person

[@manu111xD]

@barnoftheyard home.cern/news/news/engineering/lock-planck-kilogram-has-new-definition

[@Chyrosran22]

@barnoftheyard Incorrect. The kilo is based on physical constants of nature. Until their definition was changed to ones expressed in Metric units, Imperial units didn't have universal constants either.

[@Chyrosran22]

@barnoftheyard They are now, yes. So neither is defined by a lump of metal in France :p .

[@d2cuadrados510]

I have to say, I'm impressed...at how unimpressive this keyboard is, despite having all these impressive features lol

[@catoflado4977]

Yeah. Strange. It looks so Basic. It has a Ton of stuff, but dont look that good.

[@I_will_pet_your_dogs]

They're neat features, but poorly implemented, so it kinda cancels itself out. What you're left with is a mid-range hotswap board, which costs twice as much as it should.

[@d2cuadrados510]

@@I_will_pet_your_dogs Ye, it's just a bad keyboard made even worse with the floating switch design. If the main reason to purchase this is the left numpad and the volume attachment thingy, you're better off buying a stand alone numpad with an oled display, rotary encoder support, hot swappable PCB and usb passthrough. Oh and RGB if that's what you're into

[@khoinguyenphamtrong4637]

I like the concept of this keyboard but the implementation is a bit meh to me. for that price I'd rather take the GMMK Pro and a separated numpad

[@severeanaltrauma]

I like the part where he made fun of stupid units for the 885th time

[@Chyrosran22]

Plenty more where that came from! :p No mercy on stupidity.

[@kimslawson]

“Yeehaw units” 😂

[@sir0herrbatka]

Thomas loves dropping GMMK on the table.

[@JackOfHarts96]

"Flat earth units" absolutely killed me. Nice one!

[@jgurtz]

Can someone tell companies that we don't want Electron apps for crappy little utilities?

[@lasagneman5586]

Teams is supposedly switching away from Electron, so I hope that will be better at least

[@KofolaDealer]

@@lasagneman5586 Yes preview is already out on Windows 11

[@marisbrooding9347]

@DK you mean discord for people with jobs? 😂

[@IgnoreSolutions]

Literally never made sense. "Oh, we have some low level utilities for customizing drivers, instead of making a small < 10mb Win32 application to control it, let's make a giant 300mb Electron app!" Electron can be such a pain in the ass to get setup initially too, requiring inter-process communication (IPC) to communicate between your backend and HTML frontend.

[@proCaylak]

1:33 hot damn, I love this mw2 reference!

[@SemiDoge]

Gaz from CoD4, not mw2.

[@proCaylak]

@@SemiDoge well, sgt. foley from mw2 says that as well. it was said at the training mission

[@synexiasaturnds727yearsago7]

@@proCaylak so it's both

[@kimslawson]

“Flat earth units” 😂

[@StrawberryServal]

That's th Chyrosran Classic Comedy

[@catoflado4977]

Haha. Where do you think flat eartherns started do apear First? In US of course. That actually makes sense

[@aneirintruong824]

@@catoflado4977 it started in England, but an American guy made it really popular. Seems to be a pretty common story with a lot of stuff.

[@jmrq]

Yee haw units also slap

[@LegoTux]

We do no speak of "Flat Earthers" or the Judean People's Front, or was that the People's Front of Judea?

[@tashagodspell]

ngl, that red tape kinda suits the keyboard. Should've been an optional extra called the Chyrosran special

[@NEEDbacon]

If only more consulted Chyrosran

[@tashagodspell]

@@NEEDbacon indeed. But if that were the case, every single keyboard would be at least many feety inchy thick with alps blue or other magnificent switches.

[@shooterboss]

Finally a Cherry MX Red review, though I wish you went into more detail regarding the switch. Also, the sound of the GMMK dropping on the table made me jump. XD

[@Chyrosran22]

I've already reviewed MX Reds before! I figured it wasn't necessary to re-review them here, especially as the board is hotswappable.

[@AGuy-vq9qp]

@@Chyrosran22 they changed the tooling and altered the design slightly, so it’d be interesting to see if it’s any better vs the competition.

[@FrontSideBus]

10:06 Lol I was listening to the review while I was looking at something on another window and I nearly shit myself when that board hit the deck lol.

[@AnomalousFerret]

I have one of these. I love the wheel for displaying CPU and RAM usage as I run my desktop as a server for Gmod, Minecraft, etc.

[@wkgmathguy218]

Very nice to see you Tom! I got mail today that my black repro model F order is in the works. I can hardly wait :-)

[@LuXifR]

I've had this keyboard since some time late last year... obviously I also got the max version and I have to agree with your review on the value proposition of the max... I think, however, the core barebones is pretty good value - would have been for me anyway since I quickly came to use it without the media dock or numpad and have changed the switches and caps soon after, too

[@lordmissingno]

Always glad to see a new video, I actually really like the aesthetic of the cnc marks on the top plate? I'm not sure what it is about them that I like, maybe the sprinkling in of an "industrial" feeling to an otherwise clean looking product

[@mrw5744]

Wow finally a honest review! There’s so much hype for this keyboard but this is by far the best review!

[@slushy6569]

idk if this is an unpopular opinion, but I like the way the CNC marks look. Looks really nice in the light IMO. I understand the want for a polished version tho.

[@Professorkek]

Thanks for this review. I was very tempted to buy this as my first upgrade out of shit gaming keyboards. It was good to hear someone actually talk about how practical these features are, and also not conveniently leave out all the shit that doesn't work, like some other youtube shills.

[@basmus]

love the way you mock the fReEdOm units! Subscribed!

[@lucabraun2000]

Hello Chyro, i have an everest on my own and asked the Support abbout the Oled- screens and how they prevent the pixel burn, that was their answer: "We use pixel shift to move pixels every so often. Near impossible to notice but it keeps the screens happy :)"

[@Chyrosran22]

Interesting, I didn't know that!

[@radioactivehalfrhyme]

Before joining the cult of QMK, as a lefty I liked the num pad on the right side but often wished the arrows and nav cluster could be on the left. That Datadesk switch board is really admirable in its customizability. I think most lefties have some degree of cross-dominance with input devices-I have to use a mouse with my right hand, for instance, but a trackpad with my left. Keyboard modularity of any kind is a good move, in any event.

[@masterbeat04]

The gmmk slamming the table is just gold

[@ugyuu]

When I read "Everest Max" and saw the box it came in, I expected a really tall keyboard..

[@rich1051414]

The keyboard seemed great and I thought you were being overcritical until you said it was $300. Now it makes sense. For that price, you can't mess up the simple things like that.

[@tomaszgrabarczyk655]

I was holding my hopes quite high for this keyboard, that's a bummer. Any chance of reviewing one of Keychrons? K4v2 has quite nice form factor and I was wondering what you think of the board.

[@ScoobGruber]

That keyboard drop scared the shit out of me. Thanks for the review though. Saved me a regrettable purchase.

[@catoflado4977]

I hoped to see you talking some opinions about the Cherry MX Red rgb, even thought It may be repetitive comparing It to older videos

[@pokiefeg]

Imperial Units Bashing At It's Top, Keep Going!

[@SleepingCocoon]

was really hoping the modules would be magnetic and get their power and data lines through said magnetic connection - seems like a missed opportunity if it's already going to be so flimsy!

[@trenxee1165]

Now this is what I call a honest review! Brutal bashing of bad features and design. Did you get it for free from manufacturer?

[@Chyrosran22]

Yes.

[@kuma_score7536]

I'm not a leftie as in my right hand is my dominant hand but do to needing to use a mouse and number pad at the same time at work I ended up getting to used to it so the Everest Max having allowing me to place the number pad on the left was a blessing and with it being removable for if I wanna bring the keyboard to the LANS I was sold, the price is high and some features are lacking but overall I'm really happy with my keyboard purchase. (Also the volume dial bug was super annoying but has luckily been fixed)

[@nozyspy4967]

That enter key really puts me off. I need a big one. :/ Also, your voice is smooooooth.

[@marcel1463]

I think the keyboard looks very premium for a gaming keyboard. I just ordered one because there is an offer where you get the keyboard plus the mouse and the mousepad for only the price of the keyboard itself!

[@kbhasi]

Wow, thanks for posting this. Linus Tech Tips reviewed the same keyboard, but they were sponsored to do it and reviewed it from a PC gamer perspective, rather than your keyboard enthusiast perspective. The issues with the manager app turn me away, since I would've preferred it to not take up too much RAM, even though I have a workstation with lots of RAM, but I want to use that RAM for stuff I'd actually be using, and not something that runs in the background. I do appreciate their barebones options, Also that their manager app doesn't seem to support Linux-based desktop OSes the last time I checked, which hurts a little as I built my workstation to primarily run Windows, but allow me to transition to desktop Linux once the apps I use gain supper for thar.

[@Raudnen]

yess!! Finally!

[@AndrewARussell]

How much power does it draw, and could I use it with a KVMP switch if I have to alternate between my Work and Home PC. The Razor Huntsman 2 with Optical Red switches was too much for a KVMP switch. :-(

[@TommyFenstermacher5150]

Hey Thomas, I just snagged a gold badge Omnikey 102 from a recycling center and it's not in great shape, but definitely salvageable from a keyfeel standpoint. I haven't been able to get it to talk to my Soarer's converter nor directly to a PS/2 port (I'm using a 5-pin DIN to PS/2 adapter). Any tips outside your Alps restoration guide?

[@Chyrosran22]

Haven't a clue, sorry!

[@TommyFenstermacher5150]

@@Chyrosran22 No worries. Snagged some other boards from that same center and have now experienced Montereys and Focus Quality (or lack thereof...)! As for the Northgate, I'll just be sending it off to Northgate Bob for a restoration job (including a retrobrite of the top case).

[@nathan.d.c]

I'm so early that it doesn't even show up on your KZbin page lol. How nice. Can't say I'm a huge fan of the silver color. I'd prefer a darker color. Other than that, this is a pretty cool keyboard in terms of modularity.

[@Blu3P0rc3l41n]

You are like the Jeremy Clarkson of keyboards. Cheerio m8!

[@jGRite]

I hope you get to try the System 76 Launch.

[@pongopea]

babe wake up new thomas video

[@BigGreekCock]

Loving it, it's fucking great

[@jmrq]

It's sad that you didn't review the MX red properly this time. I honestly expected you to finally talk about it after 4 Corsair K70 you mentioned lmao

[@gabiedubin]

can you review the drop ctrl keyboard please?

[@oxmate]

9:12c what do these switches actually do? i changed mine and seen no differences

[@jdm7755]

You forgot to mention the gmmk pro’s horrendous latency issue when you compared the two of them lol

[@monchiabbad]

Is it possible to install a second numpad to have a tkm ( 20 key more ) keyboard mega battleship ?

[@Chyrosran22]

120 keys really isn't mega, that's barely a normal battleship, mate xD . My current record holder is the Accom Death Star at 189 :p .

[@mryoda504]

Have you tried the mouse by chance?

[@pepepito146]

One question, the MOUNTAIN Everest Max keyboard works on a laptop, if you answer it, I would appreciate it.

[@SiJay3191]

stuck between buying this and gmmk pro. might have made up my mind here lol. I use a numpad like once a month for bills and financial tracking so having one isn't super necessary. And i want the extra desk space for gaming (FPS low sens). The detachable numpad caught my eye but idk if it's worth it...

[@sahem860]

Thomas, you really need to review asus rog claymore 2, it has detachable numpad to, but with different attach mechanism, it’s wireless and it has interesting switches

[@lachlanbriggs]

I'd love to see a Chyrosran22 review of the Redragon K605 Alien Super Big Keyboard. It's definitely on the newer era of keyboards, but it's got something to hold against the competition, it's massive size. It's like an aircraft carrier and a cheap Chinese 60% had a baby

[@Chyrosran22]

They refused to send me one! XD

[@linksbro1]

There was a keyboard from ASUS that functions a bit similarly, the Claymore II. It can be used wired or wireless, has rails that the detachable keypad slots into on either side, and uses optomechanical switches. Even though it's incredibly expensive and probably way overpriced, I haven't really heard many bad things about it.

[@bushhawk5460]

The claymore is newer though

[@linksbro1]

@@bushhawk5460 Yeah, so? Not like he ONLY reviews older keyboards.

[@bushhawk5460]

@@linksbro1 I think I expressed it poorly. What I think is that ASUS took the concept and (supposedly) made it better. The Everest is shit at its price point and would have been ok at the Kickstarter price at best. Like, the Everest has good ideas (hotswap, modularity, something like gaskets and foam) but executed the pretty meh. Sorry again, I typed that way too early in the morning.

[@linksbro1]

@@bushhawk5460 lol, it's fine, and yeah now I get what you were trying to say. The reason I specified the Claymore II is cuz he brought up how flimsy the keypad feels on the Everest, and the original Claymore didn't have as secure attachment for the keypad. Plus it's wired only, which for someone who occasionally likes using their keyboard on their lap, is a bit annoying.

[@bushhawk5460]

@@linksbro1 Definitely. I don't remember if he touched on it, but you can't even use the USB-C ports for passthough, as they use some funky wiring that only works with Everest accessories.

[@ssgtmendel]

are the switches on the numpad also hotswappable?

[@TooMuchThock]

Yes

[@whirlingincosmos]

Thomas just destroyed the imperial system lol, great video :D If I am not mistaken, you can clip the extra plastic legs of 5-pin switches to convert them into 3-pin switches, so it isn't the end of the world but still annoying.

[@inund8]

Left hand numpads are essential IMO for CAD monkeys like me. Entering in dims is sooo much faster when you don't have to swap btn numpad and mouse

[@SonicBoone56]

Also more ergonomic

[@idonotknowwhyyoutubeletsyo5893]

Can the built in screen run DOOM?

[@NobleFilmography]

I always seriously considering getting this after other reviews , til this one LOL.

[@matthewl5434]

why did you dropping the gmmk pro scare me tf

[@ianwiese1]

That media dial would be kinda cool as like separate thing but mabey from a different brand😂

[@darkholyPL]

*insert imperial joke here*

[@iamchatterlal]

What's 1.1 sec in imperial?

[@michaelanonymous5608]

I see the weak connection between keyboard and numpad differently. This seems to be more suitable for gamers who almost never need a numpad. If you do need it, it is an advantage that you do not have to screw around for a long time to attach and detach it. You also do not pick it up while typing, so the weak connection is not a disadvantage in that case.

[@en3rgy187]

3 pin switch mounts. I had prepurchased this keyboard and when I saw the GMMK Pro coming out I cancelled my Everest order and bought my GMMK Pro. Nice keyboard though for sure. I wish it had 5 pins because I am not about to clip my expensive switches! :-) Thanks for the video m8y!

[@en3rgy187]

@@user-lw9ug1ir6e really? I have not noticed that at all. Have you contacted their support? Also, the GMMK Pro is less expensive than Everest.

[@lucidnonsense942]

I kind of like the machined look. It would go well with some industrial themed switches. That grey and orange set from pmk, for example. But, yeah... pretty meh.

[@CarthagoMike]

The machine markings are left on purpose to 'add to the aesthetic'. Although I am not a fan of it personally, I can see the appeal for some.

[@SuchtFaktorHoch10]

@10:08 What... what's going on. I am awake..... Iiiii didn't sleep. ^^ A tank of a keyboard has arrived.

[@Kafj302]

What if you tried attaching two numberpads?

[@TooMuchThock]

If it was the Everest numpad it would work I think

[@3000TonnenKoala]

10:07 KABLÄMM! I am not sure if I would like to use the GMMK as a keyboard but it must be awesome to be used as a jugde's gavel in court ^^

[@Bramster17]

Comments about metric system made me lol :D

[@ohkay8939]

Heh, although I'm right handed my left hand is more practiced at using num-pad than my right, because FPS used to default to num-pad, donchaknow. It also explains my _vast_ preference for num-pad on the left of the keyboard. Shifting your big-ish model M all the way over to the left of the desk gets old after a while 😂 /Getoffmylawn Interesting keyboard, fun review although the rants were directed at things other than the switches that I expected to have to face the brunt 😁

[@ziting5756]

Dropping a gmmk pro never gets old

[@CaveyMoth]

Mountain Everest...Is that how you say Mount Everest in Scientist Units? Anyway, the X-Bows Knight Plus Ergonomic Keyboard also has a similar system that allows you to mount the numpad on the left or right side of the keyboard. I wonder if it's more robust. But it's such a weird keyboard..you would love it.

[@ernstmayer3868]

dollaridoodles in yehaah units - nice

[@ringsystemmusic]

Further stuff to make fun of us for: grains as a measurement unit, as it only makes sense with cartridges.

[@Chyrosran22]

Also, there are multiple different types of grains xD . Already did that one before though!

[@shrekzilla1]

“yeehaw units” lmao

[@smitty462]

"yeehaw units" LOL

[@aboringuy]

Man, your jabs at imperial units are always soo fucking hilarious. They really make my day!

[@WolvenSpectre]

From what I read 3 pin CMXC placing that was modular used to be SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper to make 3pin than 5 in small runs and when you are not guarenteed profitability I can see why allot of first run products go that way. Its still stupid but I can understand the thinking.

[@nanashivii9237]

You can also clip the two extra pins with some sidecutters because they only provide additional stability.. it's quite a common mod in the mech scene.

[@WolvenSpectre]

@@nanashivii9237 I should have clarified that it was stupid in that it makes you clip the pins and lose some minor fitment on 5 pin boards when it didn't cost more to manufacture but manufacturers charged more (at least that is how it was explained to me by a guy who was trying to build his own custom boards for a keyboard he was designing).

[@nanashivii9237]

@@WolvenSpectre Yes, it's absolutely an oversight, was just pointing out that if you're determined enough, it can be worked around quite easily. ;)

[@redshirt256]

why would a left handed person need more space for their mouse on the right side of the keyboard?

[@Donbros]

So it was better as first impression board than actual deep dive review. I kinda expected that - it is flashy keyboard, but not very reliable. Who does static oled... Couldn't they just add good old ips led

[@swandonovan]

The marks from the mill are super gross. Would only take a minute to do a finishing pass.

[@basskates]

could you read me a bedtime story with that voice?

[@EricRosenfield]

I'm just glad Thomas stopped hitting spacebar with his index finger because that was painful to watch.

[@duccie]

1:33 "knife the cheeseburger"

[@nat_sukashii]

hahaha gotta love the DRM of keyboards, I can't wait to have every switch ask for independance someday in the future lol metrics ftw

[@JessicaFEREM]

I really don't see the need for this keyboard, especially considering that you can just get a mechanical numpad and a tenkeyless or compact for the same effect at considerably less price.

[@TooMuchThock]

This one actually attaches to the keyboard though which I good for work

[@foddey_3543]

10:06 i just got jumpscared

[@boomer_69]

i m p e r i a l 😭

[@primarkbargainbin9847]

that drop 10:06 is not for the feint of heart.

[@HibikiKano]

Well not a fan of them, especially not after my brother just got me a wooting HE

[@budokisuit]

Ahh a Wooting fan I see! The HE will be a blast to use

[@Saanichian]

Does anyone make ultra heavy duty, all metal, three or four kilogram monster keyboard these days? Is it possible to convert an IBM Selectric into a computer keyboard? Asking for a friend, ahem.

[@Chyrosran22]

Closest I guess is the Model F repro!

[@younelife1]

nice metric jock

[@txikitofandango]

We use decimal fractions of a pound too. You can say 1.9 pounds

[@LuisRiveraRomero]

Fuck, I just bought it, and now I'm watching this review, why!?!?!?!

[@paddy8046]

It’s missing the one feature I really want…wireless

[@CgPallaeon]

10:07 isn't scary, it can't hurt you at full volume. 10:07

[@QuB3]

«WHYYyyy?» 😂