Gamer keyboard: which one to choose? ??
Table of contents:
- Which switches do you prefer? Membrane or mechanical?
- Membrane switch gamer keyboard
- Mechanical switches gamer keyboard
- One thousand and one sizes
- Gamer keyboard: Do you prefer wireless?
- Gaming beyond the conventional keyboard: Keypads
- Final conclusion about the gamer keyboard
No matter your style of play, it is practically impossible that you do not find peripherals to match your preferences. In Professional Review today we bring you a guide in the world of the gamer keyboard trying to focus options for all tastes: mechanical or membrane, complete, tenkeyless, wireless, wired… From all of this we will try to give you a cable with approximate prices, so no it is said that we do not give options! Let's go there!
Index of contents
Which switches do you prefer? Membrane or mechanical?
Cherry MX Switches Catalog
Why do we start an article on gaming keyboards talking about buttons? Easy. Membrane keyboards have little difference in assembly, material quality, or pulse path. The keys have only two points: on and off . It is pressed or it is not. The mechanic, on the other hand, has a tour with degrees of pressure and the switches of the switches change how they feel and how they are pressed and that for most of their players is something to take into account. Originally the mechanical buttons were designed for people who spend many hours in front of the computer, especially when writing. Its ergonomics is such that the way its buttons are pressed is designed so as not to tire the fingers. This is why they are so popular with gamers, as they guarantee long sessions of busting keys without getting tired.
Romer-G Switch Range
There are gamers who prefer mechanical keyboards for linear, tactile or click switches. This is a world dominated by manufacturers such as Cherry MX, Kailh, Romer-G or Outemu and it is an aubergine of possibilities in which we cannot now fully enter but from which we can tell you that, if you have the possibility, press a few keys to get an idea of the type of switches that you like the most. You will not be short of options to choose a gamer keyboard.
Razer Switches Swatchbook
As a paste, mechanical keyboards are more robust and generally make more noise. Obviously this point can be softened since there are adaptable membranes to these keyboards to make them quieter, but it is still their Achilles heel today. There are players who have a preference for one or the other, or who find it important that the keys make as little noise as possible (night owls, for example, would make better use of a membrane keyboard). However, it is noteworthy to say that the vast majority of high-end gaming keyboards are mechanical, so that membrane ones tend to lag a little behind as a general rule.
Having said all this, we are going to give you a few examples to choose from both mechanical and membrane gamer keyboards:
Membrane switch gamer keyboard
- First, there is the Corsair K55. A membrane gaming keyboard that includes six macro keys, a detachable wrist rest, multimedia buttons and RGB lighting, among other things. Another great point in its favor is its price and makes it a very respectable candidate for those players who do not have a very high budget but are looking for quality.
Corsair K 55 You can also take a look at the Razer Ornata Chroma, a hybrid membrane-mechanical chimera that tries to reduce noise and maintain the Look & Feel of a mechanical keyboard. It is an extravagant proposal from Razer and it is not made to everyone's taste, but the membranous touch will be a joy for those who prefer these buttons and it is still one of the best brands on the market.
Razer Ornata Chroma A third example also of Razer is its Cynosa Chroma. Designed specifically to emphasize silence with its white switches, it is a considerably soft and comfortable gaming keyboard although it does not have a palm rest. As compensation, its wedge shape helps to fill this gap, reaching a maximum elevation of 3.1cm to regulate between three heights.
Razer Cynosa Chroma At Logitech we also found some interesting suggestions. Logitech G213 Prodigy has G-Mech Dome membrane keys and a fairly reduced response time. It incorporates multimedia controls, integrated wrist rest and liquid resistance for the most absent-minded.
Logitech G213 Prodigy
It should be noted that finding high-performance gamin membrane keyboards is a difficult task. To be honest, the membrane does not offer the same sensitivity or durability compared to mechanical keyboards. The board-to-board (BTB) connection on PCBs can wear out with use long before your mechanical keyboard switches (they say the keyboard buries you for some reason and not the other way around)). Also, on mechanical gamer keyboards you can always change the faulty switch autonomously.
Mechanical switches gamer keyboard
We know what we are talking about when we tell you that an old school gamer keyboard has mechanical switches. All the major specialized brands have their star products niche here and it is where there is more variety both in models, sizes and (especially) prices!
- On the one hand is the dizzying Corsair k95 RGB Platinum with an exceptionally short pulse path (1.2mm instead of the usual 2mm), removable wrist rest, RGB lighting and Cherry MX RGB switches to choose between Brown and Speed (upgraded version of the Reds).). If you like the line even if it is beyond your budget, other candidates from the Corsair family that you can get your hands on are the K70 Rapidfire, K68 or the K55. All the models share aesthetic similarities, while the price difference is in the small details (weight, swiches and macros mainly). It must be remembered that the fact that there are new models subtracts the price of the previous ones, but this does not mean that their quality is inferior.
Corsair K95 Platinum More options are in the ranges (normal and elite) of Blackwidow and Huntsman, both of Razer but being the second considered the successor of the Blackwidow for the optomechanical character of its swiches (detection of laser pulsing to reduce response time). The vast majority of you already know what you can expect from Razer keyboards: swiches to customize color, multimedia buttons, macros, good materials and quality finishes. Rivaling the aforementioned Corsair keyboards we find Razer BlackWidow Chroma V2, which has remarkable to have integrated audio input and microphone output in addition to the usual jelly beans that we like so much (wrist rest and synchronizable RGB lighting).
Razer BlackWidow Chroma V2Because there can't be two without three, Logitech has fantastic keyboards to offer against the competition. All models, including the G413, 513 and 613, are highly functional, offer the highest possible performance and, of course, have the in-house Romer-G switches. The G513 Carbon stands out, which can be purchased with and without wrist rests and depending on the model we will have a range or another of switches, in addition to which the pulse path also varies. Since the palm rest is removable, the impression it gives us is that they have tried to cover with their launch the maximum number of possible combinations to cover all tastes.
Logitech G513 Carbon
Finally, from other brands we can find rarities such as the Asus ROG Strix Flare with red Cherry MX switches or the Hanshi Spectrum from Newskill Gaming. The latter are a fantastic option for budgets below € 80 and who do not want to give up anything (wrist rests, macros, RGB lighting and being able to choose between Khali red, brown and blue switches according to their tastes).
Asus Rog Strix Flare - Customizable Keyboard with Cherry MX RGB switches, customizable, Detachable wrist rest, USB connector, Aura Sync RGB LED Technology, Macros, Armory II software 157.99 EUR Newskill Hanshi Spectrum - Mechanical gaming keyboard RGB, (Metal frame, wrist rest removable, RGB effects, "Switch RED"), black Fully customizable; Reinventing rgb; Full anti-ghosting and n-game mode 63.97 EUROne thousand and one sizes
Let's be honest: desktop gamers' computers aren't used just for gaming, nor are their keyboards. The common thing is to find them complete or tenkeyless, but there are also oddities with the 75% or up to 60% of the keys that are not so oriented to pure gaming or can be uncomfortable due to their minimal size. Until now, all the keyboards we mentioned above are complete, so here we will spend time showing you some examples from the lower categories.
Tenkeyless compact gamer keyboard:
- Logitech Pro. This Romer-G tactile switch keyboard has a removable cable and is specially designed for competition.
Logitech Pro Razer BlackWidow Chroma V2 Tournament Edition. Exactly the same as the Logitech Pro keyboard but also has a removable wrist rest.
Razer BlackWidow Chroma V2 Tournament Edition Corsair K63 Wireless. Wireless, mechanical, with MX Red switches and also removable wrist rest. This is a very good option for gamers who prefer to forget about cables and have a reliable and compact gaming keyboard.
Gamer keyboard: Do you prefer wireless?
Yes, we know you exist, friends, gamers, enemies of the cable. For you we also have some ideas. We are aware that in this department it is difficult to find equipment that is really worth it, so we bring you only the best of the best as examples:
- Corsair k63 Wireless (previously commented).
Corsair K63 Wireless Logitech G613. It's a full keyboard, with dedicated multimedia buttons, palm rests, 1ms response buttons and most importantly: its battery life lasts. A LOT. Up to an amazing maximum of twelve months without having to change them. The bad side for the most foodies is that it sacrifices RGB lighting and its keycaps (letters and symbols) are not engraved, but stamped. *** We also advise that at the time of writing the article, Spanish QWERTY is not yet available .
Logitech G613
Gaming beyond the conventional keyboard: Keypads
Okay, but. What if you do not want to part with your current keyboard, or for example you are a laptop gamer and you do not want to buy an external keyboard? Don't worry, we have you covered.
Fortunately, in the PC gaming market we can count on Keypads. These are generally seen as an accessory or solution for those who do not have much space or play on a laptop. They are small but thugs, totally oriented to gaming and generally very ergonomic.
Keypad Razer Tartarus V2
A great example of these products today is the RazerTartarus V2. With a response time of 1ms; It has palm rests, buttons that can be configured for macros, anti-ghosting technology, a crosshead (a delight for MMORPG or MOBA players) and that RGB lighting that we like so much. Nothing to envy a gaming keyboard. More examples can be found in the Razer Orb Weaver or the Koolerton gaming keypad.
Razer Tartarus V2 - Gaming Keypad with Swtich Mecha-Membrane, Gaming Keyboard, USB, Wired, Single Size, Black Color Adjustable drive to customize key sensitivity; 32 programmable keys to achieve a wide range of commands 74.97 EUR Razer Orbweaver Chroma - Mechanical Handheld Gaming Gaming Keyboard, USB 2.0, Black Color Completely renewed Razer mechanical contacts; 30 fully programmable keys and 8-way thumb controller 82.29 EURFinal conclusion about the gamer keyboard
Although it is repeated and purist, the overwhelming reality is that a good gaming keyboard is mechanical and wired. There are alternatives for all tastes and pockets, and here we have tried to cover as many options as possible within the best quality. At a practical level, we suggest that you take into account the following points:
- Decide based on your needs before letting yourself go (need macros or not, how important are the multimedia buttons for you, palm rest, size, lights, etc). RGB lighting tends to inflate the price of products. If it is something you are willing to sacrifice, you will surely find cheaper options with the same switches. Of course, your table will no longer be a Saturday Night Fever festival. The new ranges cause a drop in the price of previous products, but their quality will continue to be good. If you like a specific brand for any reason but you cannot afford to buy that amazing new keyboard, remember to look in stock for previous models or even on affiliate websites. You can take surprises.
We recommend reading the best keyboards on the market
With this we end our article about gamer keyboards. If you have any questions, you can leave it in the comments section.
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