Vortex x MiTo Hellcat keyboard kit review (Sponsored)

Vortex x MiTo Hellcat Kit

• CNC Acrylic case
• 65% layout
• Type-C daughterboard
• QMK/VIA/VIAL support
• Per-key RGB
• RGB underglow
• Included keycaps

This kit comes with almost everything you need to build your keyboard. You just need to select switches that suit you, or you can order the pre-assembled version. The kit includes stabilizers that closely resemble Durock V2s, with an additional lip to prevent the stabilizer wire from jumping out.

Case

Usually, when you talk about tray-mount keyboards, I start to think about the mounting pole positions as they used to be all over the keyboard in no logical way. Vortex, however, has taken their own approach to the tray-mount design and actually made it good…for a tray mount. The case is CNC-carved polycarbonate, and if you look closely, you can see some of the machining paths. On the backside of the case, the Hellcat logo is carved into the case itself, which is a nice touch. Due to the choice of material, the case doesn’t weigh that much, but its structure is still solid, and it doesn’t warp much when you try to twist it. Due to the lighter weight, the keyboard is easy to carry around, and it doesn’t take up much space in your bag.

Daughterboard

You usually see daughterboards on keyboards that have more flexible (literally) mounting methods and would need a bigger opening in the case for the Type-C port to have space to move with the PCB. I cannot really see a reason why you would add a daughterboard on a tray-mount keyboard other than the Vortex tray-mount still offering a little flex, risking breaking the Type-C port otherwise. Having a daughterboard never makes a board worse; it’s actually the opposite, but sometimes the benefits are not that significant.

Vortex uses a custom-made daughterboard instead of the unified one the keyboard community is used to. This doesn’t really matter as it’s a small part and doesn’t have much complexity; it’s just interesting to see that they opted for their own solution rather than using something ready-made and community-approved. One reason for the custom daughterboard might be the screw holes, as the daughterboard is fastened into the case with screws.

Keycaps

AEven before receiving the keyboard, I was skeptical about the keycaps since the kit’s price is quite low. There’s no way Vortex can provide good keycaps at this price, or can they?

The kit comes with dye-sub PBT keycaps in the DSA profile. The kit includes all the necessary keycaps, as well as some additional ones, allowing you to choose if you want all the keycaps to be vanilla white or if some should be purple. Since the keycaps are in the DSA profile, you can flip them without affecting the feel, and this way, the crosses almost look like the flags of Finland, which is a fun unintended feature. 😅

Thickness

Keycaps are decently thick, making them sound more premium than what they are.

Legends

Despite the keycaps not being doubleshot, the legends are still sharp. Vortex boasts that the legends are going to last for a long time. Dye-sub isn’t the most durable method for creating legends, but I think it’ll be more than enough for the lifespan of this keyboard. Doubleshot keycaps would have been nicer, but that would have made the kit significantly more expensive.

Warping

I noticed some warping issues with larger keycaps like the spacebar and ISO-enter. In my case, the ISO-enter keycap might be a tad more sluggish due to this, and there is no real official fix for this. I wish Vortex would have done better quality assurance in this regard, as it’s a common issue with cheaper keycaps. One thing to note, though, is that your mileage may vary; some users may get more warped keycaps than others.

PCB

The PCB is a 65% PCB with per-key RGB and RGB underglow. The PCB is powered by an STM chip, most likely including more memory than anyone would ever need. Due to the per-key RGB, the keyboard layout is fixed to the one you’ve ordered, whether it’s ISO or ANSI. I was surprised by the underglow RGB LED sizes as they are really small. It’s nice to see smaller components making their way into custom keyboard PCBs.

Firmware

Vortex states that the keyboard supports both VIA and VIAL, but at the time of writing, I have not managed to test this out. Vortex offers .json and .uf2 files, but at least the .json seems to cause an error when inserted into VIA. I feel that any production ready keyboard should have their software sorted out so that one wouldn’t need additional firmware files, and also be properly tested to work. I’m sure Vortex will get this resolved eventually and I’ve informed them of the issue.

Switches

There were no switches included in this kit, so I used some that I had lying around. My first choice was to go with Hades switches, which were both lubed and filmed. However, upon installing them, I noticed that the plate cutouts were too small. It seems like the Hades switches are so tight as stock that they become slightly wider when applying the film. I think these switches would have fit into the board if the plate cutouts were exactly 14mm, but they are apparently only 13.9mm. It’s strange how a difference of 0.1mm can make a big difference. To clarify, I was able to push the Hades switches into the board, but the plate cramped the switches, turning these linear switches into clicky ones (don’t ask how).

I replaced all the switches with some stock SP-Star UBE Crinkle Cookie switches, which fit properly right away. I do feel a bit sad because the Hades switches are really amazing, and I had hoped to put them to good use.

Stabilizers

The kit comes with some unbranded stabilizers that offer a similar wire-protection lip as Durock V2 stabilizers. The kit also includes holee-mod cushions to help dampen the stabilizer rattle. I did not try these dry but applied a little bit of lube as well as a band-aid mod with a cushioning piece under the stabilizer parts. Note, though, that this band-aid mod cushioning does not come with the package, nor are the stabilizers pre-lubed. With the mods done, the stabilizers are solid, and I cannot complain about them at all.

The verdict

TL;DR A decent RGB keyboard for reasonably low price, but it comes with some caveats.

The Vortex keyboard kit provides an enticing choice for individuals in search of an affordable, visually appealing RGB keyboard that’s also highly portable. Notably, the kit includes premium features like a custom daughterboard and modded stabilizers, which contribute to a better overall experience.

However, it’s evident that cost-saving measures have been taken in certain aspects. The sound profile could be improved, and the software (as of the time of writing) leaves something to be desired. It’s apparent that this keyboard is geared more toward those prioritizing visual aesthetics over functionality.

The Vortex keyboard kit strikes a balance between affordability, style, and practicality, offering a bang for buck option for new hobbyists. If you were to get this keyboard in the ISO-configuration, I would first wait until the software issues have been resolved.

Vortex Hellcat KitVortex Store

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