Drop CSTM65 review: A keyboard built for customizing

Best Prices Today: Drop.com CSTM65 Keyboard

One of the first mechanical keyboards I ever owned was bought from Massdrop. More recently the online store is just going by Drop.com, and even more recently it’s been acquired by an ever-hungry Corsair. I imagine it’s the latter that’s pushed it into making less expensive, more accessible designs like the CSTM65. 

This board is all about customization: The switches, the software, and even the case can be upgraded without any special tools or knowledge. It’s a good middle step between a regular mechanical board and building your own…though it doesn’t offer a great value. 

Further reading: See our roundup of the best mechanical keyboards to learn about competing products.

Unassuming looks

If the CSTM65 looks familiar, that might be by design. Its 65 percent layout, lack of branding, and all-black looks seem almost intentionally vague, as if meant to appeal to keyboard users who want to eschew the garish colors and logos of gaming boards. But there are a couple of distinctive touches, including shine-through keycaps with legends on the bottom to take full advantage of south-facing LEDs. It’s a nice, stealthy look, if that’s what you’re into. 

In terms of hardware, it’s pretty standard for boards in this market. It’s wired with a braided USB-C cord in the box, hot-swap switch sockets for changing out the key feel (you get either basic Gateron Brown tactile or Yellow linears by default), and some goodies like internal sound-absorbing foam and a gasket-mounted PCB. Again, pretty typical, but there’s nothing to complain about except perhaps a higher-than-average price tag.

Crack it open 

But there are a few other parts that highlight this board’s customization focus. The 65 percent layout isn’t technically standard, but it’s about as close as it can be at this size. Only the 1.75u right Shift key is off from ANSI, and that’s a common enough inclusion for custom keycap sets (including Drop’s many branded options). A slightly larger version of this board, the CSTM80, comes in a standard tenkeyless (TKL) layout. 

The real wow factor is the case. Unplug the cable, lift up the sides, and the top comes right off, secured with a series of magnets. You can swap it out for other colors and accented designs available from Drop, or even a swanky aluminum replacement. With a few exposed screws removed, you can get to the keyboard’s internal circuit board, foam layers, and the bottom of the case, which also holds a replaceable weighted piece. The one in the box is aluminum, but you can upgrade it with chunky and heavy brass. 

It’s just about as easy as any keyboard can be to work on and upgrade, far more so than any gaming board or even Keychron’s custom-focused Q series. If you’re into more intense customization, you can even remove the plastic plate and the screw-in stabilizers. Like I said, this is a very nice middle ground between building your own keyboard from the ground up and going with a more expensive custom-style or boutique build. 

That said, there are a few corners cut. The default plastic case doesn’t feel great — it’s a little flimsy, aside from the brushed aluminum bottom plate. It’s also lacking any adjustable feet, an odd omission on a keyboard otherwise so happy to be tweaked. And the keycaps, while solid, are still ABS plastic instead of a more premium PBT. That’s a let-down coming from Drop, which certainly knows keyboard fans will be looking for the latter. 

I get the feeling that CSTM boards are offered more as a starting point for Drop.com customers, hopefully enticed by more elaborate keycaps and other accessories. Which is fine…but I have to evaluate it as a product wholly on its own. And at this price point, I would have preferred to see a little less plastic. 

Performance 

Without any modifications at all, the CSTM65 is a decent if unspectacular board. Gateron’s linear Yellow switches are pretty good, though a little less stable than I prefer (my favorite switches use a stem with a circle or square outer rim to cut down on wobble). The stabilizers are likewise fine, though there’s definitely a bit of chatter in the space bar despite the generous internal padding.

Thanks to the semi-standard layout I was able to use the board immediately for my typing-heavy workload with ease. And as a wired board it works fine for gaming, though it lacks the dedicated features and per-game profiles of dedicated gaming keyboards. Since Drop didn’t advertise it as a gaming board, I won’t penalize the board for lacking them, something I can’t say for other boards with a custom focus. 

Those south-facing LEDs (that means they’re on the bottom of the switch relative to the keyboard, towards the user) are notably bright and vivid, with a bit of extra style thanks to the shine-through keycaps with legends on the bottom. It’s an understated, stylish touch that I appreciate, even without a ton of animation options you’ll find from some Corsair boards. Speaking of which…

Software 

According to the promotional page, the CSTM65 is compatible with QMK, VIA, and Vial programming tools. I wasn’t able to get the keyboard to show up on the VIA and Vial web-based interfaces, an issue that seems to be repeated with other buyers. But fortunately Drop has its own custom-made programming tool available for Windows. 

It’s a good one, offering an easy at-a-glance interface for customizing up to four layers. Lighting is a little more sparse, but there are a handful of built-in animations that should tide you over if you want a light show, and RGB-based options for solid colors and breathing. These can be set and adjusted with key combinations, no software work required.

Not showing up in Via (even after I loaded up the custom definition) is annoying. I can only hope that it’s a firmware issue, and can be fixed with an update. But it was easy enough to customize the keyboard layout and lighting as-is, which is more than I can say for some boards in this price range. 

Expensive upgrades

Drop.com is asking $130 for the CSTM65, which is pretty pricey for a board with a plastic case and no wireless option. You could get our top gaming keyboard pick, Corsair’s own K65 Plus Wireless, for a little more. You could also get something like the Keydous NJ80-AP, which is less easy to customize but comes with far better parts out of the box, plus wireless.

But let’s examine some of the customization options, since this is one of the board’s big selling points. With only the tools in the box plus a screwdriver, you can upgrade the case top, the weighted bottom, the keycaps, the switches, and the plate (the part in between the circuit board and the switches). All of these are available on Drop.com’s site. 

But they don’t come cheap. A new plastic case top in a handful of colors is $25, $35 for the nice green one with a bit of printed bling, or a hefty $59 for a black or gray aluminum one. Steel or brass weights for the bottom are $49 a piece, and an aluminum, brass, or carbon fiber plate ranges from $25 to $49. For a “fully upgraded” version of this keyboard, you’re looking at an extra $100 or more…and that doesn’t even touch the rather basic keycaps or switches.

You can get the CSTM65 or the CSTM80 in barebones packages without the switches, top, or keycaps, but you’ll quickly find the parts adding up anyway, especially if you want some of Drop’s themed keycap sets. Just the 70 switches and a 65 percent keycap set will put you over the pre-assembled retail price, even if you go for the cheapest third-party parts.

For that kind of money there are far better options, available in a wide variety of layouts and styles. They’re not as easy to modify, but they’re not that much harder either, and they come with wireless capabilities. Like some of the other branded Drop keyboards I’ve tried, the value proposition is lacking. 

Is the Drop CSTM65 worth it?

I’m not saying you shouldn’t consider this keyboard. It does make sense if you want to customize a board with incredible ease, and you’re intimidated by more complex builds. And you don’t particularly care about gaming features or wireless…and you’re not on any kind of restricted budget. It wouldn’t hurt if you’re already a fan of Drop.com as a site, since that’s the only place to find some of these parts. 

But even so, I’d recommend waiting for a sale. I’ve seen the CSTM65 go for $100 even over the course of this review period, and that makes its compromises a lot more palatable.