I've had the Thermaltake Tt MEKA G1 (red LED backlit, Cherry MX Black) for several months now and I love it. Typing is a complete joy and gaming has been flawless.
It's my first modern mechanical keyboard. I bought it to replace my old (1988!) mechanical AT connector keyboard - which just doesn't work well on my newer system that lacks legacy ports. Using adapters to go AT --> PS/2 --> USB introduced some issues with multiple key presses. I'm sure there's another solution, but now it can be passed down to one of my other machines where maybe it will last another 25 years. :-)
Logitech has been pissing me off recently with their apparent refusal to go to mechanical keys on all their gaming products. That is clearly the path that the market is taking, but they are dragging their feet. I love my G13 key pad, but a lot of the keys are becoming non-responsive because of the piece-of-crap membrane that is under them. I have long since gone with mechanical key boards as my primary typing interface (Das Keyboard gen 2, ErgoDox), and the G13 is the only thing left that is membrane in my house. Unless they get it together, then I'm switching to Razer; at least they listen to their customer's comments.
Why should they? They have huge contracts with big box retailers, they sell tons of keyboards at absurd pricing and they don't have to pay the huge costs that mechanical keyboards would cause for them. As long as they act as though mechanical DOES NOT EXIST across their lines, then they can continue to sell most people on using membrane keyboards because no one will know an alternative is out there.
If Logitech were to bring up the topic of mechanical keyboards by having some that have it, they'd charge more than they typically do for membrane keyboards, which would mean they'd be outrageously high. Suddenly, an area where others are stronger (ie., mechanical keyboards) would be an issue for a great many people for whom it's NOT an issue now.
It's like a politician who is weak on a subject avoiding that subject altogether rather than be cornered into taking a position one way or another; and alienating an audience, pushing them to the opponent. It's the same with Logitech. They know they can get away with not discussing mechanical keyboards and a large portion of the population won't know any different.
How many mechanical keyboards do you see in Target? In Wal-mart? In the stores where people are? Now how many Logitech keyboards do you see?
The simple fact is that most people don't care about mechanical keyboards. Logitech are happy to be fashionably late to the party because they have the financial backing (and their relatively well-known brand name) to grab a large chunk of the market share, but only when there is finally enough demand for mechanical keyboards to make financial sense.
Logitech makes a fantastic Mechanical keyboard, the G710+. It's often available for less than the retail pricse of these membrane keyboards.
I agree that they're profit taking, but I believe you're wrong that most users won't notice. Once they're released, all it will take is a single internet search on any of these new membrane keyboards to return hundreds of underwhelming comments. "Gamer products" like these cheap membrane keyboards will end up foisted upon kids who's parents buy them as gifts. Those who are spending their own money or do even a minute or research will tend to stay away. The Logitech G19s and Logitech G510s are not horrible keyboards, but they are a terrible value for money. Lots of companies make far better keyboards for less money, including Logitech themselves. I can wholeheartedly recommend the Logitech G710+. It often costs less and is worlds better than these.
Ah didn't know about the 710 - but it only has 6 macro keys, so it wouldn't have done for me.
Why didn't they advertise it with the rest of the gaming keyboards they advertised a couple of months ago? Like, they made a big deal of what was basically a refresh of their previous lineup, and totally failed to mention that yes indeed they did have a mechanical gaming keyboard. Instead, they made excuses for their lineup not using mechanical switches.
Well I only paid $10 more then the 710+ (which is $149.99 at Newegg right now) and got the additional 12 keys I wanted with the Corsair K95, and I believe the build quality is a notch better (though I do like Logitech and have never had a problem with their products).
The Logitech G710+ is often discounted to as little as $100, both at Amazon and Newegg.
It has back-lighting, it has brown switches, it has silencer o-rings. Very few keyboards ship with silenced brown switches, certainly none that are selling for as little as $100.
It does have just 6 macro keys, but it has 3 memory keys, making for a total of 18 customizable keys. Not a problem for me, as I use it for typing, not gaming. Unless you need more than 6 dedicated macro keys, it's a fantastic keyboard. I do have two complaints. One is that the back-lighting on the top number row only lights the numbers, not the shift alternates of "!@#$%^&*()". The other is that the macro keys are too close to the standard keyboard, making for a lot of mistaken CTRL, shift and Esc hits. I just programmed my macros to the adjacent keys, so even if I hit them by mistake it selects the key I intended.
I find mechanical gaming keyboards like this aren't just the best keyboards for gamers, they're the best quality keyboards for those of us that write a lot of text. The silenced brown switches of the G710+ may make it the best typist keyboard on the market.
perhaps you missed the fact that Logitech does in fact sell a mechanical keyboard, and even though they're very late to the party... it's still the top selling mechanical keyboard on Amazon and Newegg. Not to mention the G710+ is probably the best mechanical keyboard widely available. i say widely because the only higher quality mechanical keyboard i've used is a ducky shine, but they're a b*tch to get.
As for your rant... WTF are you talking about? All that typing about how in your mind, Logitech wont even go near the thought of a mechanical keyboard.... while they've had one available for months now.
As for your walmart and Target comment... that is a decision made by Target and Walmart, not the keyboard manufacturer. High end, niche market products are rarely sold in those stores because it costs too much to stock an ample supply of them in the thousands of stores. They still sell these high end items, but on their website where they keep them centralized and can avoid the large investment to stock stores. It's very similar to the way Home Depot and Lowes deal with high end power tools. I recently bought a high end, made in Switzerland random-orbit sander from Bosch that fell into this same category of being a niche market, so I had to order it online because no store stocked it. Seriously though... how many DIY'ers buy $300 sanders? The same goes for $150+ keyboards.
Still love the G15 1st generation I use. :D It's not the best keyboard and it cost a pretty penny, but everything it has works. And using the panel for my PC vital stats is great (GPU/CPU temperatures and clocks, voltages, memory usage etc.).I tried the K90 MMO edition when it was pretty cheap (cheaper than what I paid for the G15 back in the day) and I loved the feel and finish of it. It's also much better as a keyboard. It came with one LED just completely broken and 2 others which sometimes worked and sometimes just flickered. And since many reports about the K90 state that people had to go through multiple exchanges to get a keyboard without faults, I just sent it back and got my money back, because I don't have the time for that. So, while it is a good keyboard and feels great to type on and looks amazing. It just has horrible QC issues in my experience (that I didn't see talked about in the AT reviews) which just break the product for me. When there is a K90 with an LCD panel, I'll probably get that, as that would be the perfect replacement for my G15. But until then, since I am not paid for my writing, I will stick with the keyboard that works for the time being. :D
Oh, but at least they fixed the membrane keys. That was seriously annoying. I don't mind a membrane keyboard (as I use one right now), but switching between the feel of mechanical and membrane on the same keyboard was just jarringly annoying.
Why is Logitech releasing unbelievably expensive membrane keyboards?
Logitech makes an excellent mechanical keyboard that often sells for around $100. Was the G710+ mechanical too expensive to manufacture? Perhaps not enough margin?
I don't know where you're buying these keyboards, but the Steelseries 6Gv2 is available for €80 in German online-stores, same like the Corsair K60, while the K70 costs €130 and the K95 €140, all including 19% VAT.
The quality of the SS 6Gv2 is absolutely where it needs to be and the keys are perfectly fine, even if you're tying alot during the day. The angle is perfectly fine aswell, and you need no tabs to change the tilt. Maybe your desk and chair isn't setup ergonomically enough, so that yoyu'd need to tilt your keyboard.
The CherryMX Red switches are too soft, and the clicky Browns or Blues are wrecking my nerves, so the MX Blacks are the best switches Cherry offers imho.
"I'm displeased with the L-shaped Enter key, though, which forces the backslash key down next to the right Shift key and thus shrinks the footprint of that key."
ACTUALLY, when I first saw the keyboard on this page I was like: FINALLY, a NORMAL keyboard with a properly shaped Enter key. I've used many keyboards and I just have to say I TOTALLY HATE the ones with the small Enter key because: 1. It's much easier to miss it when you're not looking at the keyboard(I never really look at it while typing) 2.It's much easier to hit both Enter and a key around it, since the first one is so freaking small. The size of that RSHIFT key is really too small though, especially after having seen properly designed keyboards featuring both the Enter and RSHIFT keys in their full-size shape. Having said that, in my own personal opinion, the SteelSeries G6v2 couldn't be uglier. But hey, you're paying for the fact that it's a mechanical keyboard. And I honestly find the need to use combos in order to get multimedia functionality REALLY disappointing - even though I'm already used to it because of the diNovo Edge.
Just a few days ago I was thinking about how the G-series keyboards have evolved - disappointingly. Seriously, I think a lot of people enjoy less clutter on their tables. We buy wireless mice and keyboards and only buy wired hardware when there's enough functionality added so that the trade is worth it. But having a THICK second cable running off my keyboard across the office just for a (mostly useless) display is just unacceptable. Don't get me wrong - I own the G15 II and I find the display quite useful - especially given the support from applications such as AIDA64, FRAPS, the RSS reader, Media Display..etc - but,really, they could've just sleeved the wires (making on big cable would've meant reducing it's flexibility which isn't something we'd want) while keeping them closer together. I know the display cable with the power brick is detachable, but that doesn't mean they couldn't have routed the wire inside the keyboard so that all cables would come out from one single freaking location. That's a HUGE turn off for me.
"But having a THICK second cable running off my keyboard across the office just for a (mostly useless) display is just unacceptable" What I mean is...having that display is useful, but by far nto useful enough in order for someone to have a thick dedicated cable running off the keyboard and plugging into an outlet. Seriously.
I had the Steelseries keyboard and the non-standard layout drove me bonkers. I use the left windows key all the time for shortcuts and you can't even reconfigure the fancy function key that took its place to act like a windows key instead.
So I gave that keyboard away and instead am typing this on a Rosewill mechanical with Cherry MX Blues. Heaven.
I'm sad it took Corsair a whole iteration to fix the F-keys. It was the sole reason I went for the G710+ instead of their new K series (well that and the fact I was more attracted by Browns than Reds).
In your comments about the SteelSeries G6v2 you left out the fact that it's built like a tank, a keyboard made to last probably more than yourself. You could kill somebody if you hit them hard enough with this keyboard. It has an all-metal base and very sturdy casing. All the fragile displays and other useless crap on other keyboards will simply disintegrate if you drop it on the floor. G6v2 is the new Nokia 3310 ... knowyourmeme.com/memes/indestructible-nokia-3310
As a MMO gamer i decided to give the Genius Imperator ( non-Pro version) a try. I do know its membrane, but cheap price tag ( payed ~USD 55 in Brazil, compare with ~USD 200 for a G70) and 18 macros to program have made me a happy owner. if you want fancy full programmable RGB colors and an USB hub there is the Imperator Pro, but its too expensive for a membrane keyboard, even if it costs less than Logitech's alternatives.
It's not exactly the same as typing on a keyboard but you can pick up a sampler of the different cherry switches from wasd keyboards. Good way to get a better idea of what you like before you spend 100+ on a keyboard.
I've sampled a few of these from various teammates, and I'm only slightly impressed with the SteelSeries one. the others, I don't mind the feel of the keys~ but the keyboards themselves are SO bulky. Personally, I have a Rosewill Mechanical KB (the RK-9100 CMX Blues) and I still like mine better. The SteelSeries one is the only one that is almost comparable to my Rosewill one for a similar price point. I'll stick to mine.
Funny, I'm the exact opposite. L-shaped Enter keys need to die and never return. Try working in a domain or networking environment and suddenly your | and \ are not where they're supposed to be, cuz you're now on a different keyboard. Ugh.
No problem when using German 105-Ansi layout :) For germans the L-shaped ENTER-key makes no difference at all, and that makes the SS 6Gv2 very attractive suddenly.
All those companies releasing those huge space looking keyboard are missing the point. What's needed is a 67-key, wireless, cherry-mx red, blank keys that is comfortable and small enough for the living room.
Like anyone need any of those dumb looking features to game.
Kudos to the L shaped enter key, who wants the backslash anywhere else really.
"The K90 features increased performance with a 20-key rollover implementation on USB at a blazing fast 1ms (1000 reports per second) reporting rate."
The K95 docs do not mention a limit using "full rollover" instead.
I could not tell you how it compares to PS/2, but it seems adequate on my K90. Even 20 keys is almost full faceroll support except at the ends when the side of your head makes contact.
Has anyone tried and compared the buckling spring mechanical keyboards (like the Unicomp ones) with the cherry MX mechanical keyboards, and could they comment?
First Mechanical Keyboard I bought was a vintage IBM Model M with the bucking springs. And I loved that keyboard. I've had cherry blue and brown switch keyboards since then and the blue switches are pretty similar when compared to the bucking springs. Both are tactile and clicky, and the amount of force to press the buttons feels close enough that it isn't too hard to switch between the two for me. The sound is a little different... I don't know how to describe but it is a little higher pitched and a bit more ?snippity? with the cherry blues compared to the bucking springs. I'd say you would probably like cherry blue switches. Although honestly the main reasons I still don't use the Model M are the modern connectivity allows me to use it on more systems (USB), the smaller footprint of the keyboard (I want a TKL for my next keyboard), and better aethetics (black > beige). The Unicomp keyboards I'm guessing are just as good as the original Model M so it's just a matter of personal preference which keyboard you will prefer.
Could you do us a favor and refuse to review any gaming keyboard that has textured WASD but no love for the actually correct ESDF layout.
Also for manufacturers: the first one to offer MS Natural (original) curves with K95 mechanical keys and G keys and media controls gets my purchase of 4 keyboards (2 for me, 2+ for family) and undying loyalty.
With a title like "Capsule Keyboard Roundup," am I being unreasonable to expect some mention of "capsule" in the article? I have an older Logitech G15 and I know a lot about mechanical vs. membrane/rubber-dome and yet I have no idea what a "capsule keyboard" is. A search in page only finds the title.
Logitech seriously did miss the boat when they made their new keyboards without using mechanical keys. There was a small army of us (apparently too small) that was asking for just that. I've been a G15 user for the last four+ years and wasn't tempted to replace them, they are working fine to this day so I had no actual need to, but if Logitech had made a G15 with all mechanical switches, I'd have sprung for at least one of them, and if I liked it would have bought another.
Along comes Corsair, and they make the keyboard I was asking Logitech to make - but wait, the macro keys aren't mechanical? But unlike Logitech they LISTENED and changed it! I always thought well of Corsair, but they turned me into a real fan by doing that, and so I bought a K95.
The only bad thing is now I don't like my G15s so much, and want to spend another $159 on another K95 for my second computer, heh. The K95 is beautiful, functions flawlessly, and I can actually type faster on it. I love the Cherry MX reds. I'm the kind of guy that uses all of those 18 macro keys playing World of Warcraft, so the keyboard is perfect for me (as was the G15 before I tried the mechanical keys).
I'm actually fine with the price of the keyboard, because I believe it will last me the rest of my life (I'm 57). The only thing that will cause me to replace it is the same thing that caused me to replace my G15s - if something I think has a good chance of being better comes along, I'll be tempted. However, I seriously doubt that's even possible because the K95 is so good and fits my usage so well.
My only complaint - and for me it is very minor - is the special keys for WASD and the numbers 1-6 had to be purchased separately. They also included a Q and E in the kit they sent me, which was nice, and I love the look and feel of specially textured keys, so as I said, a very minor complaint.
totally agreed, logitech messed it up by not going mechanical.
and hey who knows you might live to be 100, so you can still outlive your current keyboard and buy a new one, hopefully a mechanical one from logitech.
"Also for manufacturers: the first one to offer MS Natural (original) curves with K95 mechanical keys and G keys and media controls gets my purchase of 4 keyboards (2 for me, 2+ for family) and undying loyalty."
Yes, yes, yes. I would buy at least three keyboards like that. Heck, even a Natural-style mechanical without the fancy extra keys would get a purchase from me. I can't understand how, if these Cherry switches are so much better for typing, why aren't there more ergonomic keyboards for them? It seems like the options are regular styling, like these, or a large jump up to something like TECK or Kinesis that Jerrod recently reviewed. Where's the in-between?
"Also for manufacturers: the first one to offer MS Natural (original) curves with K95 mechanical keys and G keys and media controls gets my purchase of 4 keyboards (2 for me, 2+ for family) and undying loyalty."
Allow me to third this. I don't use anything but MS Natural KB's. I'd love to see more advanced options for this style.
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robotslave - Friday, August 2, 2013 - link
Er, with regard to that "slightly nonstandard layout" on the Corsair G6v2...Compare with <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mechanical-Gaming-Keyboard-T...
robotslave - Friday, August 2, 2013 - link
Sigh. Fixed link, I hope?http://www.amazon.com/Mechanical-Gaming-Keyboard-T...
nathanddrews - Friday, August 2, 2013 - link
I've had the Thermaltake Tt MEKA G1 (red LED backlit, Cherry MX Black) for several months now and I love it. Typing is a complete joy and gaming has been flawless.It's my first modern mechanical keyboard. I bought it to replace my old (1988!) mechanical AT connector keyboard - which just doesn't work well on my newer system that lacks legacy ports. Using adapters to go AT --> PS/2 --> USB introduced some issues with multiple key presses. I'm sure there's another solution, but now it can be passed down to one of my other machines where maybe it will last another 25 years. :-)
Mr Perfect - Friday, August 2, 2013 - link
Another solution you say? Why, yes, there is! http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=17458.0nathanddrews - Tuesday, August 6, 2013 - link
Ha, that's great! I'm too lazy to do all that, but it's cool nonetheless. Can't return the G1 now and don't want to.Ninhalem - Friday, August 2, 2013 - link
Logitech has been pissing me off recently with their apparent refusal to go to mechanical keys on all their gaming products. That is clearly the path that the market is taking, but they are dragging their feet. I love my G13 key pad, but a lot of the keys are becoming non-responsive because of the piece-of-crap membrane that is under them. I have long since gone with mechanical key boards as my primary typing interface (Das Keyboard gen 2, ErgoDox), and the G13 is the only thing left that is membrane in my house. Unless they get it together, then I'm switching to Razer; at least they listen to their customer's comments.Mr Perfect - Friday, August 2, 2013 - link
Agreed. Dustin is being very diplomatic by calling their boards "borderline flawed". They are DOA.HisDivineOrder - Saturday, August 3, 2013 - link
Why should they? They have huge contracts with big box retailers, they sell tons of keyboards at absurd pricing and they don't have to pay the huge costs that mechanical keyboards would cause for them. As long as they act as though mechanical DOES NOT EXIST across their lines, then they can continue to sell most people on using membrane keyboards because no one will know an alternative is out there.If Logitech were to bring up the topic of mechanical keyboards by having some that have it, they'd charge more than they typically do for membrane keyboards, which would mean they'd be outrageously high. Suddenly, an area where others are stronger (ie., mechanical keyboards) would be an issue for a great many people for whom it's NOT an issue now.
It's like a politician who is weak on a subject avoiding that subject altogether rather than be cornered into taking a position one way or another; and alienating an audience, pushing them to the opponent. It's the same with Logitech. They know they can get away with not discussing mechanical keyboards and a large portion of the population won't know any different.
How many mechanical keyboards do you see in Target? In Wal-mart? In the stores where people are? Now how many Logitech keyboards do you see?
brotherfranciz - Saturday, August 3, 2013 - link
The simple fact is that most people don't care about mechanical keyboards. Logitech are happy to be fashionably late to the party because they have the financial backing (and their relatively well-known brand name) to grab a large chunk of the market share, but only when there is finally enough demand for mechanical keyboards to make financial sense.Dentons - Saturday, August 3, 2013 - link
Logitech makes a fantastic Mechanical keyboard, the G710+. It's often available for less than the retail pricse of these membrane keyboards.I agree that they're profit taking, but I believe you're wrong that most users won't notice. Once they're released, all it will take is a single internet search on any of these new membrane keyboards to return hundreds of underwhelming comments. "Gamer products" like these cheap membrane keyboards will end up foisted upon kids who's parents buy them as gifts. Those who are spending their own money or do even a minute or research will tend to stay away.
The Logitech G19s and Logitech G510s are not horrible keyboards, but they are a terrible value for money. Lots of companies make far better keyboards for less money, including Logitech themselves. I can wholeheartedly recommend the Logitech G710+. It often costs less and is worlds better than these.
Sabresiberian - Sunday, August 4, 2013 - link
Ah didn't know about the 710 - but it only has 6 macro keys, so it wouldn't have done for me.Why didn't they advertise it with the rest of the gaming keyboards they advertised a couple of months ago? Like, they made a big deal of what was basically a refresh of their previous lineup, and totally failed to mention that yes indeed they did have a mechanical gaming keyboard. Instead, they made excuses for their lineup not using mechanical switches.
Well I only paid $10 more then the 710+ (which is $149.99 at Newegg right now) and got the additional 12 keys I wanted with the Corsair K95, and I believe the build quality is a notch better (though I do like Logitech and have never had a problem with their products).
Dentons - Monday, August 5, 2013 - link
The Logitech G710+ is often discounted to as little as $100, both at Amazon and Newegg.It has back-lighting, it has brown switches, it has silencer o-rings. Very few keyboards ship with silenced brown switches, certainly none that are selling for as little as $100.
It does have just 6 macro keys, but it has 3 memory keys, making for a total of 18 customizable keys. Not a problem for me, as I use it for typing, not gaming. Unless you need more than 6 dedicated macro keys, it's a fantastic keyboard. I do have two complaints. One is that the back-lighting on the top number row only lights the numbers, not the shift alternates of "!@#$%^&*()". The other is that the macro keys are too close to the standard keyboard, making for a lot of mistaken CTRL, shift and Esc hits. I just programmed my macros to the adjacent keys, so even if I hit them by mistake it selects the key I intended.
I find mechanical gaming keyboards like this aren't just the best keyboards for gamers, they're the best quality keyboards for those of us that write a lot of text. The silenced brown switches of the G710+ may make it the best typist keyboard on the market.
Andrew LB - Thursday, February 13, 2014 - link
perhaps you missed the fact that Logitech does in fact sell a mechanical keyboard, and even though they're very late to the party... it's still the top selling mechanical keyboard on Amazon and Newegg. Not to mention the G710+ is probably the best mechanical keyboard widely available. i say widely because the only higher quality mechanical keyboard i've used is a ducky shine, but they're a b*tch to get.As for your rant... WTF are you talking about? All that typing about how in your mind, Logitech wont even go near the thought of a mechanical keyboard.... while they've had one available for months now.
As for your walmart and Target comment... that is a decision made by Target and Walmart, not the keyboard manufacturer. High end, niche market products are rarely sold in those stores because it costs too much to stock an ample supply of them in the thousands of stores. They still sell these high end items, but on their website where they keep them centralized and can avoid the large investment to stock stores. It's very similar to the way Home Depot and Lowes deal with high end power tools. I recently bought a high end, made in Switzerland random-orbit sander from Bosch that fell into this same category of being a niche market, so I had to order it online because no store stocked it. Seriously though... how many DIY'ers buy $300 sanders? The same goes for $150+ keyboards.
Death666Angel - Friday, August 2, 2013 - link
Still love the G15 1st generation I use. :D It's not the best keyboard and it cost a pretty penny, but everything it has works. And using the panel for my PC vital stats is great (GPU/CPU temperatures and clocks, voltages, memory usage etc.).I tried the K90 MMO edition when it was pretty cheap (cheaper than what I paid for the G15 back in the day) and I loved the feel and finish of it. It's also much better as a keyboard. It came with one LED just completely broken and 2 others which sometimes worked and sometimes just flickered. And since many reports about the K90 state that people had to go through multiple exchanges to get a keyboard without faults, I just sent it back and got my money back, because I don't have the time for that. So, while it is a good keyboard and feels great to type on and looks amazing. It just has horrible QC issues in my experience (that I didn't see talked about in the AT reviews) which just break the product for me. When there is a K90 with an LCD panel, I'll probably get that, as that would be the perfect replacement for my G15. But until then, since I am not paid for my writing, I will stick with the keyboard that works for the time being. :DDeath666Angel - Friday, August 2, 2013 - link
Oh, but at least they fixed the membrane keys. That was seriously annoying. I don't mind a membrane keyboard (as I use one right now), but switching between the feel of mechanical and membrane on the same keyboard was just jarringly annoying.Death666Angel - Friday, August 2, 2013 - link
And here in Germany, the K70 is just 12€ cheaper than the K95 and 28€ more expensive than the outgoing K90... ouch.Dentons - Friday, August 2, 2013 - link
Why is Logitech releasing unbelievably expensive membrane keyboards?Logitech makes an excellent mechanical keyboard that often sells for around $100. Was the G710+ mechanical too expensive to manufacture? Perhaps not enough margin?
Very odd decision.
jrs77 - Friday, August 2, 2013 - link
I don't know where you're buying these keyboards, but the Steelseries 6Gv2 is available for €80 in German online-stores, same like the Corsair K60, while the K70 costs €130 and the K95 €140, all including 19% VAT.The quality of the SS 6Gv2 is absolutely where it needs to be and the keys are perfectly fine, even if you're tying alot during the day. The angle is perfectly fine aswell, and you need no tabs to change the tilt. Maybe your desk and chair isn't setup ergonomically enough, so that yoyu'd need to tilt your keyboard.
The CherryMX Red switches are too soft, and the clicky Browns or Blues are wrecking my nerves, so the MX Blacks are the best switches Cherry offers imho.
Flunk - Friday, August 2, 2013 - link
In regards to membrane keyboards, some people prefer nearly silent and mushy keyboards.Ninhalem - Friday, August 2, 2013 - link
I would be interested to see a poll of people who prefer membrane over mechanical.3ogdy - Friday, August 2, 2013 - link
"I'm displeased with the L-shaped Enter key, though, which forces the backslash key down next to the right Shift key and thus shrinks the footprint of that key."ACTUALLY, when I first saw the keyboard on this page I was like:
FINALLY, a NORMAL keyboard with a properly shaped Enter key. I've used many keyboards and I just have to say I TOTALLY HATE the ones with the small Enter key because:
1. It's much easier to miss it when you're not looking at the keyboard(I never really look at it while typing)
2.It's much easier to hit both Enter and a key around it, since the first one is so freaking small.
The size of that RSHIFT key is really too small though, especially after having seen properly designed keyboards featuring both the Enter and RSHIFT keys in their full-size shape.
Having said that, in my own personal opinion, the SteelSeries G6v2 couldn't be uglier.
But hey, you're paying for the fact that it's a mechanical keyboard.
And I honestly find the need to use combos in order to get multimedia functionality REALLY disappointing - even though I'm already used to it because of the diNovo Edge.
Just a few days ago I was thinking about how the G-series keyboards have evolved - disappointingly. Seriously, I think a lot of people enjoy less clutter on their tables. We buy wireless mice and keyboards and only buy wired hardware when there's enough functionality added so that the trade is worth it. But having a THICK second cable running off my keyboard across the office just for a (mostly useless) display is just unacceptable. Don't get me wrong - I own the G15 II and I find the display quite useful - especially given the support from applications such as AIDA64, FRAPS, the RSS reader, Media Display..etc - but,really, they could've just sleeved the wires (making on big cable would've meant reducing it's flexibility which isn't something we'd want) while keeping them closer together. I know the display cable with the power brick is detachable, but that doesn't mean they couldn't have routed the wire inside the keyboard so that all cables would come out from one single freaking location.
That's a HUGE turn off for me.
3ogdy - Friday, August 2, 2013 - link
"But having a THICK second cable running off my keyboard across the office just for a (mostly useless) display is just unacceptable"What I mean is...having that display is useful, but by far nto useful enough in order for someone to have a thick dedicated cable running off the keyboard and plugging into an outlet. Seriously.
bznotins - Friday, August 2, 2013 - link
I had the Steelseries keyboard and the non-standard layout drove me bonkers. I use the left windows key all the time for shortcuts and you can't even reconfigure the fancy function key that took its place to act like a windows key instead.So I gave that keyboard away and instead am typing this on a Rosewill mechanical with Cherry MX Blues. Heaven.
Friendly0Fire - Friday, August 2, 2013 - link
I'm sad it took Corsair a whole iteration to fix the F-keys. It was the sole reason I went for the G710+ instead of their new K series (well that and the fact I was more attracted by Browns than Reds).wavetrex - Friday, August 2, 2013 - link
In your comments about the SteelSeries G6v2 you left out the fact that it's built like a tank, a keyboard made to last probably more than yourself. You could kill somebody if you hit them hard enough with this keyboard. It has an all-metal base and very sturdy casing. All the fragile displays and other useless crap on other keyboards will simply disintegrate if you drop it on the floor. G6v2 is the new Nokia 3310 ... knowyourmeme.com/memes/indestructible-nokia-3310G_Squared - Friday, August 2, 2013 - link
Any chance you'll do a quick impression on the K70 with Brown and/or Blue switches when they get released?geok1ng - Friday, August 2, 2013 - link
As a MMO gamer i decided to give the Genius Imperator ( non-Pro version) a try. I do know its membrane, but cheap price tag ( payed ~USD 55 in Brazil, compare with ~USD 200 for a G70) and 18 macros to program have made me a happy owner. if you want fancy full programmable RGB colors and an USB hub there is the Imperator Pro, but its too expensive for a membrane keyboard, even if it costs less than Logitech's alternatives.Wolfpup - Friday, August 2, 2013 - link
I can't believe anyone's trying to sell anything but a $20 keyboard without mechanical switches.I've switched my last PC over to mechanical and there's no way in hell I'm putting up with membrane ever again.
I just wish I could try all the switch types... I've got Browns, which are great, but what if I would like blue, or black, or white, or red better?
Oh well, brown does rock though.
thisjustin - Friday, August 2, 2013 - link
It's not exactly the same as typing on a keyboard but you can pick up a sampler of the different cherry switches from wasd keyboards. Good way to get a better idea of what you like before you spend 100+ on a keyboard.http://www.wasdkeyboards.com/index.php/wasd-sample...
MiLuong - Friday, August 2, 2013 - link
I've sampled a few of these from various teammates, and I'm only slightly impressed with the SteelSeries one. the others, I don't mind the feel of the keys~ but the keyboards themselves are SO bulky. Personally, I have a Rosewill Mechanical KB (the RK-9100 CMX Blues) and I still like mine better. The SteelSeries one is the only one that is almost comparable to my Rosewill one for a similar price point. I'll stick to mine.WeaselITB - Friday, August 2, 2013 - link
Funny, I'm the exact opposite. L-shaped Enter keys need to die and never return. Try working in a domain or networking environment and suddenly your | and \ are not where they're supposed to be, cuz you're now on a different keyboard. Ugh.xakor - Friday, August 2, 2013 - link
Using pipe way too much here and had to move it to AltGr+J. Backslash still good where you want it though.jrs77 - Saturday, August 3, 2013 - link
No problem when using German 105-Ansi layout :) For germans the L-shaped ENTER-key makes no difference at all, and that makes the SS 6Gv2 very attractive suddenly.xakor - Friday, August 2, 2013 - link
All those companies releasing those huge space looking keyboard are missing the point. What's needed is a 67-key, wireless, cherry-mx red, blank keys that is comfortable and small enough for the living room.Like anyone need any of those dumb looking features to game.
Kudos to the L shaped enter key, who wants the backslash anywhere else really.
z0phi3l - Friday, August 2, 2013 - link
Wireless is pointless in a serious keyboard these days, if you want wireless stick to the usual crappy keyboardssheh - Friday, August 2, 2013 - link
What about rollover?Azethoth - Saturday, August 3, 2013 - link
The Corsairs have rollover, even with USB:"The K90 features increased performance with a 20-key rollover implementation on USB at a blazing fast 1ms (1000 reports per second) reporting rate."
The K95 docs do not mention a limit using "full rollover" instead.
I could not tell you how it compares to PS/2, but it seems adequate on my K90. Even 20 keys is almost full faceroll support except at the ends when the side of your head makes contact.
erple2 - Friday, August 2, 2013 - link
Has anyone tried and compared the buckling spring mechanical keyboards (like the Unicomp ones) with the cherry MX mechanical keyboards, and could they comment?thisjustin - Saturday, August 3, 2013 - link
First Mechanical Keyboard I bought was a vintage IBM Model M with the bucking springs. And I loved that keyboard. I've had cherry blue and brown switch keyboards since then and the blue switches are pretty similar when compared to the bucking springs. Both are tactile and clicky, and the amount of force to press the buttons feels close enough that it isn't too hard to switch between the two for me. The sound is a little different... I don't know how to describe but it is a little higher pitched and a bit more ?snippity? with the cherry blues compared to the bucking springs. I'd say you would probably like cherry blue switches. Although honestly the main reasons I still don't use the Model M are the modern connectivity allows me to use it on more systems (USB), the smaller footprint of the keyboard (I want a TKL for my next keyboard), and better aethetics (black > beige). The Unicomp keyboards I'm guessing are just as good as the original Model M so it's just a matter of personal preference which keyboard you will prefer.Azethoth - Saturday, August 3, 2013 - link
Could you do us a favor and refuse to review any gaming keyboard that has textured WASD but no love for the actually correct ESDF layout.Also for manufacturers: the first one to offer MS Natural (original) curves with K95 mechanical keys and G keys and media controls gets my purchase of 4 keyboards (2 for me, 2+ for family) and undying loyalty.
CZroe - Saturday, August 3, 2013 - link
With a title like "Capsule Keyboard Roundup," am I being unreasonable to expect some mention of "capsule" in the article? I have an older Logitech G15 and I know a lot about mechanical vs. membrane/rubber-dome and yet I have no idea what a "capsule keyboard" is. A search in page only finds the title.Sabresiberian - Sunday, August 4, 2013 - link
Logitech seriously did miss the boat when they made their new keyboards without using mechanical keys. There was a small army of us (apparently too small) that was asking for just that. I've been a G15 user for the last four+ years and wasn't tempted to replace them, they are working fine to this day so I had no actual need to, but if Logitech had made a G15 with all mechanical switches, I'd have sprung for at least one of them, and if I liked it would have bought another.Along comes Corsair, and they make the keyboard I was asking Logitech to make - but wait, the macro keys aren't mechanical? But unlike Logitech they LISTENED and changed it! I always thought well of Corsair, but they turned me into a real fan by doing that, and so I bought a K95.
The only bad thing is now I don't like my G15s so much, and want to spend another $159 on another K95 for my second computer, heh. The K95 is beautiful, functions flawlessly, and I can actually type faster on it. I love the Cherry MX reds. I'm the kind of guy that uses all of those 18 macro keys playing World of Warcraft, so the keyboard is perfect for me (as was the G15 before I tried the mechanical keys).
I'm actually fine with the price of the keyboard, because I believe it will last me the rest of my life (I'm 57). The only thing that will cause me to replace it is the same thing that caused me to replace my G15s - if something I think has a good chance of being better comes along, I'll be tempted. However, I seriously doubt that's even possible because the K95 is so good and fits my usage so well.
My only complaint - and for me it is very minor - is the special keys for WASD and the numbers 1-6 had to be purchased separately. They also included a Q and E in the kit they sent me, which was nice, and I love the look and feel of specially textured keys, so as I said, a very minor complaint.
maximumGPU - Thursday, August 8, 2013 - link
totally agreed, logitech messed it up by not going mechanical.and hey who knows you might live to be 100, so you can still outlive your current keyboard and buy a new one, hopefully a mechanical one from logitech.
WeaselITB - Monday, August 5, 2013 - link
"Also for manufacturers: the first one to offer MS Natural (original) curves with K95 mechanical keys and G keys and media controls gets my purchase of 4 keyboards (2 for me, 2+ for family) and undying loyalty."Yes, yes, yes. I would buy at least three keyboards like that. Heck, even a Natural-style mechanical without the fancy extra keys would get a purchase from me. I can't understand how, if these Cherry switches are so much better for typing, why aren't there more ergonomic keyboards for them? It seems like the options are regular styling, like these, or a large jump up to something like TECK or Kinesis that Jerrod recently reviewed. Where's the in-between?
Aganazer - Tuesday, August 6, 2013 - link
"Also for manufacturers: the first one to offer MS Natural (original) curves with K95 mechanical keys and G keys and media controls gets my purchase of 4 keyboards (2 for me, 2+ for family) and undying loyalty."Allow me to third this. I don't use anything but MS Natural KB's. I'd love to see more advanced options for this style.