• TWEAK
• Hardware
• Keyboard

Mountain Everest 60 + numpad - Test

Specifications:

• Color+33: Midnight Black
• Switch Type: 3-Pin Hot-Swappable MOUNTAIN
• Switch Socket: 3 & 5-pin compatible
• Stabilizer: Cherry (plate-mounted, lubricated)
• Layout: Custom, 64 key US-ANSI
• Backlight: RGB
• Key Rollover: NKRO over USB
• Polling Rate: 1000Hz / 1ms
• Keycaps: PBT double-shot with translucent legends
• MCU: Cortex M0
• Onboard memory: Up to 5 profiles
• On-the-Fly System: Through FN Function Key
• Connector: USB Type-C
• Interface: USB 2.0
• Product Dimensions: 115×307.2×46.44mm (LxWxH)
• Product Weight: 768g
• Materials: Aluminum top cover, ABS bottom cover, Foam, Silicone
• Software: Support Base Camp

Specifications that are important to note here are probably first and foremost that the Everest 60 pt is only available in a US-ANSI layout. At the time of writing, according to Mountain, there are no plans to launch it with a Nordic layout. However, this may change if there proves to be demand. For more technical details, it is also worth noting that, like on the Everest Max, there are hot swap contacts here.

Design

At first glance, the Mountain Everest 60 is very discreet in its design. This is very typical for this type of keyboard, and here the Everest 60 does not stand out in its standard configuration. The Everest 60 is available in the color Midnight Black, with black PBT double-shot keycaps and a case in black ABS plastic at the bottom and a top in black brushed aluminium.

The design is made with detached switches and keycaps, so can enjoy the built-in RGB lighting better. There are per key RGB options which can be set via the Mountains Base Camp software, which we will look at later. The RGB lighting is also distributed in a strip of light all the way around the edge of the keyboard.

At the top of the keyboard, we find no less than three USB C plugs, which can be used to connect the included USB C cable. The cable comes with a woven fabric surface. Although you might think so, you can only use the three connectors for this cable.

You cannot use it to connect any of the accessories you can get, for example, to the Mountain Everest Max keyboard. Those accessories simply do not fit the Everest 60. In the same way, they cannot be used as data pass through either.

On the sides we also find the possibility of connecting accessories. In this case, it is for the numpad accessory that you can get for the Everest 60. There is a small cover that needs to be removed, and then you can connect the corresponding numpad on both sides.

On the underside, you can push the USB connection out to the side you want to use.

The Numpad accessory runs the exact same design style and RGB options as the keyboard.

Just like we saw on the Mountain Everest Max, there are no traditional feet for height adjustment on the underside. Instead, it is done with magnetic feet, which are clicked on in steps until you reach the desired height. It happens again on both the keyboard and the numpad add-on.

The switches on the Everest 60 are Mountain's own Cherry MX compatible mechanical switches. They are available in a Tactile 55, a Linear 45 and a Linear 45 Speed variant. In our test sample it is with Linear 45 contacts. However, both variants are of the three pin hot swap variants, so you can easily replace or supplement with other contacts if you want to adapt things.

Everest 60 is made to be used with both 3-pin plate-mounted or 5-pin PCB mounted contacts. This means that with the actual housing for the Everest 60 there are quite wide options for choosing other contacts.

The contacts are topped by double-shot PBT keycaps, which help to ensure incredibly good durability. It is precisely with these keycaps that there is an opportunity to mix things up a bit if you want a different expression on the Everest 60. Mountain sells 10 different key cap sets in different colors.

The things that you can't immediately see on the Mountain Everest 60 are the steps that Mountain has taken to improve the experience of the keyboard. A lot has been done to make the experience as quiet and pleasant as possible. This means that a silicone mat has been added at the bottom of the keyboard and two more layers of foam placed on the PCM plate and under the top plate. This, combined with well-lubricated switches and stabilizers, helps make the Everest 60 a very quiet keyboard.

Software

Mountains Base Camp software can be used to customize and set things up with your Everest 60 keyboard. Here it is possible to set up different profiles, if you wish, so that there can be specific settings for programs or games. It is also here that you can set the RGB light. There are five effects you can choose from in addition to off and a fixed color.

Finally, you can create a custom setup where you can mix the different effects on all or just some of the buttons on the keyboard.

Like all sensible gaming keyboards, Mountain has also provided extensive options for setting and customizing all the buttons, both on the keyboard and the numpad add-on.

It is possible to remap all the buttons to pretty much whatever you want. At the same time, it is of course also possible to record and set up macro functions. The Base Camp software is super functional and offers good options for setting and adapting both the regular functions of the Everest keyboard but also the numpad accessories. However, as I experienced during my test of Everest Max, there are small issues in between where the software "hangs" and just needs to be restarted to work. A minor annoyance that I hope Mountain corrects.

Testing

I've had the Everest 60 on the table for a few weeks now for testing. The biggest challenge I've had, we might as well get around to starting with. It is of course the detail that the keyboard can only be purchased with a US-ANSI layout. It is of course possible via Windows to set it up to be registered with a Nordic layout, so that you have things like Æ, Ø and Å. However, this just means that the functions will not match the physical keys on the Everest 60. So either you have to have a usage scenario that fits a US layout, or you have to be firm on your ten finger system, so that you automatically know where it all lies.

You can of course also jump in and replace the keycaps so that they will fit. To make the test a little easier, that's exactly what I did in my case. I grabbed the keycaps from the Mountain Everest Max keyboard and swapped them over to the Everest Max 60. This made the process a bit easier and allowed me to use the keyboard more or less as if it had been with a Nordic layout out of the box.

The writing experience on Everest 60 has been fantastically delicious! The combination of the noise dampening measures with triple layers of silicone mat and foam, together with the well-lubricated switches and stabilizers, makes the experience of the Everest 60 one of the strangest keyboards to type on that I have sat at for a long time. Although I'm usually partial to low-profile keyboards, the typing experience on the Everest 60 won a place in my heart.

Whether you prefer the more limited 60% layout is of course also a matter of taste. Personally, I definitely prefer a full-sized keyboard for anything other than gaming. It's based on my usage pattern, where I regularly use the features available on a full-size keyboard. The ability to connect the numpad accessory to the Everest 60 definitely removes a large part of the limitation that I would otherwise feel was there if it hadn't been included.

However, there are still things missing, such as dedicated media keys and F keys, which I personally think are nice to have. It is not something that should count against the Everest 60, however, since it is clearly a choice that comes with a 60% layout. However, it is something to be aware of if you are considering going from a full size down to the smaller format.

Mountains Base Camp software hits the mark with the things that I need in terms of customization. It is particularly nice to see that there is a live update with the changes. So if you change lights or effects for example, it can be seen immediately. The same also happens if you connect the numpad accessory. Then it is automatically registered and appears in the software. Then they just need to make the software completely stable.

Price

All the delicious things that come with the Everest 60 naturally come at a price. The version we have had for testing, which includes the keyboard with numpad accessories, is on the Mountain website with a price of around 1400 kroner. That clearly places it at the expensive end of the keyboard market, and certainly in a price range above what many consider reasonable.

The high price, however, comes from the features that help make the Everest 60 a dream to write on. The extra work that has been done with lubricated contacts, noise dampening foam inserts and hot swap contacts is all something that costs money. If you are going to jump on the Everest 60, then it must be because the very specific and somewhat niche features are something that you imagine using. If that is not the case, then it is probably difficult to justify the price.

Conclusion

As I wrote earlier, the writing experience on the Everest 60 has been incredibly delicious. It's one of the most comfortable mechanical keyboards I've typed on. It feels fast, responsive and precise, but at the same time soft and delicious. You can clearly feel that the work that Mountain has done with the noise-reducing silicone and foam layers has borne fruit.

When the build quality and materials are top notch at the same time, you are left with a damn delicious product that feels like a luxury item.

As a Danish user, I am however very limited by the fact that it does not exist with a Nordic layout. I hope that Montain will consider changing that detail as soon as possible, so that 60% of fans here at home can enjoy the full benefit of things.

The Mountain Everest 60 is a damn fine keyboard, which, however, is aimed at the niche user. In part, it must be users who prefer the 60% layout, but also at the same time can see the value in the modular options with hot swap contacts. If those things don't line up, there will probably be many who think it's an expensive affair to get on the bandwagon.

However, I would say that if you write a lot, the Mountain Everest 60 can be a good bet, because this is where it really shines. We end up with a final grade of 8 and an enthusiast award for a damned delicious product, which is however a little handicapped at home due to the US layout. So the character must be seen as a reflection of a Danish user. If you have no problems working with or around the US layout challenges, then it would be a clear 9.

Well:

• Great writing experience
• Noise guard

Dirt:

• US layout only