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TLDR: The Vortex Core Is a compact 40% keyboard with 47 keys, The build is good with the pcb and case. It's a good starter 40% for $121.
Unboxing: The unboxing experience is great on the CORE. It come in a nice black box with a magnetic cover. Inside I got the keyboard itself, and a micro usb cable. The box has a decent amount of foam to protect the keyboard. I could see myself using the box as a carrying case, albeit a big one. I will live in peace once Vortex decides to stop putting “ENJOY YOUR FEELING” everywhere. I am relieved to see that it's not printed on the space bar. Their latest philosophy is placed on the inside of the box and the bottom of the core itself. Build Quality: I am by no means an expert on electronics, but the CORE pcb looks of a high quality. The pcb is red, just like the very popular pok3r. The solder joints look clean, and there is no visible flux. Please note mine is an Engineering sample so the pcb may look slightly different. The CORE uses DSA profile keycaps made in PBT. The top and side printed legends are dye sublimated. The legends are decently sharp, but I did notice some random splotches of red on some of the caps. This could just be my unit but who knows. I am impressed with the quality of Vortex DSA, I would hesitate to say they are on par or better than PMK. PMk Seems to be more textured, Will Vortex has a bit smoother texture. The Vortex is a bit thicker at 1.5mm vs 1mm of PMK. My Sample came with Cherry MX Blues with clear tops, presumably to make way for an RGB version later.
Case: When I first saw that case, I knew that it was going to be light. The thin walls and the low profile design convinced me that it was light. The case is made of aluminum alloy and comes in grey/gunmetal color. When I went to the norcal meetup at Wasd Keyboards, I was interested in comparing the CORE with the MiniVan. I thought that the MiniVans high profile aluminium case was gonna be loads heavier than the Core. To my amusement they Weighed almost the same! On closer inspection the MiniVan weighs in at just over 1 pound, while the core is very close at 0.90 pounds. Programmability: By far the most talked about aspect of the CORE was the programmability. The ability to program is the essence of small form factor keyboards. Many advanced user seek open source programmability through tmk or qmk. The sky's the limit when it is open source. The CORE Programs exactly like the pok3r, it uses no software and is all programmed through keypresses. Three of the four layers can be programmed, the default layer is not programmable. I can change the primary functions of each key to whatever I like. The secondary and tertiary functions can be mapped to most keys excluding f1/q. This presents a major drawback for me, as I would have liked to have the number row on top instead of the F row. There's also a weird bug where each space bar cannot be programmed individually. Vortex has informed us that this is a bug, and will be fixed in the near future.
Pros Aluminum alloy case $121 from mechanicalkeyboards.com Year round availability Good stock caps
Cons Limited programmability Low Profile(subjective)
Suggestions: If you are looking to buy the CORE, here are some suggestions of what to do when you get it. 1st, Get a magnetic micro usb cable, It will ensure your internal port isn't damaged. And will be helpful if you are on the go. 2nd, Get some case feet, many of us are used to a keyboard some sort of tile angle. The CORE on the other hand has a 0 degree tilt angle. Case feet might help it be more comfortable. I felt like it was leaning away from me without feet!
Conclusion: At the price of $121, it is not the cheapest 40% keyboard, but it is the cheapest pre build 40% i've ever seen(mass market). You can buy sub $100 kits that have the added benefit of open source firmware. The enticing part of the core is the all in one package. It comes in the mail pre build and ready to roll. But if you are willing to spend some time building a kit, I highly suggest you go get something else(JD45, Mechmini, MiniVan). But if you are just getting into sff keyboards, and you don't want to build a kit, I highly recommend the Vortex CORE.
If you have any further questions, please dm me on Instagram or by email. Ig: kbwarriors Email: kbwarriors.ig@gmail.com