Monka Storm Keyboard & Guru Mouse Review: Keyed Up, Clicked In

Monka Storm and Monka Guru are available for purchase  is available for purchase over on Marvo’s website.

Monka Storm otherwise known as KG991W is a keyboard with 97 keys with a relatively simple design and a unique layout. The most striking thing regarding its design is undoubtedly the color combination. The white casing with black, red, and gray PBT keycaps looks quite good, and aesthetically, it definitely gives the impression that it’s primarily a gaming keyboard. The plastic casing is fairly minimal, and you only get a relatively large logo on the front, a small compartment for the wireless dongle on the side while underneath you get some rubber to prevent the keyboard from sliding as well as feet with two levels of adjustment. 

The layout might take some time to get used to, and it’s made this way primarily due to the implementation of a multifunctional knob and the small LED screen. Luckily, the implementation of these two more than makes up for the peculiar layout, and I can even go as far as to say that it serves as one of the better implementations of this combination. The control knob allows you to change the connection mode, layout, all things RGB, and of course the media. Basically, it’s a much more detailed and visual keyboard control center with functions most other keyboard delegate to shortcuts or software. 

Although Monka doesn’t provide details on the switches used, they definitely feel like cherry red switches, with similar performance, making them relatively fast and suitable for gaming. Of course, if they don’t suit your preferences, they are entirely hot-swappable, so you can always replace them with something else. The typing experience is generally okay, but the typing surface is rock solid and there seems to be very little padding on the inside of the keyboard. Luckily, there’s no unpleasant rattle on the larger keys, but even still, the keyboard is overall relatively basic in terms of sound profile.

Monka Storm boasts three connection modes – wired, as well as wireless using a 2.4GHz dongle or Bluetooth. Both wireless modes work quite well without noticeable lag, which is especially the case for the 2.4GHz wireless making it best suited for gaming.  Bluetooth supports connecting to up to 3 devices, has a solid range, and works seamlessly on devices that support it. The 4000mAh battery is relatively durable and if you are a type of person that gets around 4–5 hours of daily usage, you can expect it to last just under a week with full RGB. Without the RGB and same daily usage, I managed to push it to close to two weeks, which is ultimately a really nice result.

As for the Guru mouse, it features a relatively minimalist, medium-sized design with 6 buttons, and what stands out here again is the beautiful combination of matte white color with black and red details. The mouse has a uniform and flat shape, weighing only 58 grams, making it extremely light, fast, and comfortable to use, whether you prefer a palm or claw grip. All the buttons and controls are well-placed and within reach – the side buttons, in particular, have good separation and jut out just enough to make them distinguishable and easy to use.

The underside has all the connection controls and even LED’s that indicate the connection mode. It’s here you also have a small dongle compartment and the large PTFE feet that make the mouse easily glide across all surfaces. The design is slightly spiced up with the relatively subtle implementation of RGB lighting in the form of two small strips on its front side. It’s not a flashy light show that will blow you away, but rather a subtle glow that is mostly visible on the surface in front of the mouse. Unfortunately, there’s very little customization here and the lights depend purely on the DPI setting you have selected. 

The ultra-light weight is paired with the PAW3395 sensor, which goes up to 26,000 DPI and has a tracking speed of 650 IPS. It’s one of the best sensors on the market, making the Guru mouse extremely responsive, precise, and accurate. It pairs excellently with fast-paced competitive FPS games where you can expect a lag-free and fast experience, whether you’re playing wired or wirelessly. This also extends to the battery life, which, thanks to the very energy-efficient sensor and minimal RGB lighting, can easily last for days further helped by the automatic sleep mode, which activates after only about 20 seconds of inactivity. For more details on both Monka Storm and Monka Guru, be sure to check out our full video review.