The Avago ADNS 9800 has acceleration built in. Most people that want high end gaming mice want a sensor that has no acceleration. Unless something has changed with the sensor.
me too man, they actuate and reset faster as well. can't speak to the durability vs cherry mx's though, those aren't true gaming switches imo, invented in the 80's lol
Towards the medium/high end, Corsair's keyboards are pretty sweet (and come with MX Browns, among others). I have the K95 RGB, which I love, but the K70 is essentially the same with less fluff.
I'm surprised you outright claim that Cherry RGB switches provide the best lighting experience. While most vastly prefer the typing experience from the Cherry switches, the Logitech Romer-G switch lighting theoretically is a much better solution. Having the lighting tube built into the key stem seems to be a much more efficient method of lighting key caps than merely turning the entire housing translucent.
Umm... Welcome to Anandtech, I guess? It's the one reason I stay attached to Anandtech. They don't just review the big name consumer products out there like the Samsung Galaxy S6's, iPhone 6s's, Surface Pro 4s, and Macbook Pros, they review the little niche market segments like random cases and power supplies and gaming accessories like mice and keyboards. They review things like NAS boxes and SSDs, not just the latest and greatest CPUs from Intel/AMD and the latest and greatest GPUs from Nvidia/AMD. As an enthusiast like me who likes to build PCs every few years, Anandtech is a godsend of a website, and it's articles like these that help me when I need a new keyboard, or a new SSD, or a new NAS box. I can get reviews of the big products on a billion different websites, though not of the same quality as Anandtech, and I can usually form my own opinion about those products from those other websites, but for PC components, Anandtech is still one of the only places for quality reviews.
This non-standard bottom row might be the worst one yet. The left CTRL, ALT, and Windows keys are all longer than the standard 1.25x width (they appear to be 1.5x, same as the Tab key). As a result, the spacebar winds up being 5.5x long instead of the standard 6.25x. The only keyboard I know of that uses a 5.5x spacebar is the Noppoo Chic Mini and replacement 5.5x spacebars are notoriously difficult to source (to the point that most people just 3D print a replacement)
Non-standard layouts on otherwise standard keyboards make replacement key caps much more difficult to find. It both prevents users from customizing their keyboards how they want and makes the process of replacing worn, cracked, or broken keycaps more difficult. Given that this is an RGB keyboard that was designed and marketed with end-user customization in mind it makes no sense to stray from a standard layout just to make the left CTRL and ALT keys a few mm longer.
I've never understood why people want a spacebar that's a mile wide. I much prefer Apple-like layouts where you can comfortably reach at least one modifier key with your thumb.
I find the name "Ripjaws" a little bit silly and painful sounding all at the same time. It conjures up disgustingly gory mental images of metal objects doing things inside someone's mouth that would result in an emergency room visit, follow-up surgery, and probably quite a lot of reconstructive dental work. I'd purchase any other competing product first just to avoid the branding if I were in the market. In fact, I have done just that with G.Skill's RAM offerings in the past. It makes me feel far too squirmy when I see the product name.
The highly negative product branding connotations aside, I can't see either the keyboard or mouse providing an experience that's worth the price increase over a $20 in whatever keyboard and mouse combo pack costs the least from Amazon. I highly doubt that using these will grant a 10x improvement on typing in something or dragging and dropping a file over something significantly cheaper.
sure but design can entail a lot! Also as some have mentioned some might actually prefer the mech alternatives for ergonomics/actuation response but miss german build quality. What I hate is that I can not find one keyboard with all my design criteria... Romer keys sound nice if they actually have a brighter LED for my aging eyes and for us stereoscopic fans fuddling in the dark. Love the removable magnetic num pad design of of the MS sidewinder x6 but it is not mechanical. Keyboard designs usually seem to come in two flavors either unoriginal and conservative playing it safe... Or over the top tacky futuristic toy weapon. And when I do get a beautiful design like say Corsair's brushed aluminum jobs... The LED will be do dim. Or with other brands... They only offer one color of LED that doesn't match the $$$ I have invested in another color scheme. Or they do not offer my favorite switch ( blues ). Seems silly to say ( since preference is relative ) But with all these mech offerings it seems strange that I can not find a stylistically beautiful design with a range of choices?
case in point: LOGITECH plasticky designs to be certain but u get the sense that there is enough build quality there that such plastic keeps the price reasonable. Plus they do strike a nice balance in the looks dept. ( not a cookie cutter standard keyboard yawn and not way over the top ) However, same old same old choice hopscotch... Yes they do have a version with mx blues ( hurray! ) but alas only white LEDs that stick out like a sore thumb with the rest of my color scheme ( although if u r going to lack a choice I suppose white is as neutral as Switzerland ). Spose I could try modding every key's LED ( and mod tuts for just about every keyboard for the the same issue confirms I am at least not alone ) But LOGITECH is going to release an RGB version ( problem solved? I get to have my cake and eat it too??? ) Nyet! Nope! UhUH! An over the top overly toyified design for Logitechs new flagship keyboard with ROHMER keys instead of the MX blues. Which is fine if that's what u wanted. Just seems that all that was needed was the an RGB addition to their mech line. ( all that is needed is a nice original design and a range of choices )
So are the RGB controllers and other onboard chips supplied with APIs with the manufacturer coming up with their own spin on how they want their peripheral software to appear, is noone out there supplying a standardised piece of software that can be branded by the manufacturer, something that ticks all the basic programability and recording boxes? Im not a developer but wouldnt this clean up the potpuri of different (and generally disappointing) manufacturer supplied software?
Just a PSA, the current driver for this mouse (released Feb 2017) contains a bug that prevents macros that include the Ctrl, Alt, or Shift keys. Link to issue: http://www.gskill.us/forum/showthread.php?t=14240
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33 Comments
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gregounech - Wednesday, November 4, 2015 - link
These things look terrible. And probably are POS.gregounech - Wednesday, November 4, 2015 - link
Also please, stop testing mouse without giving us any information about the sensor and how it performs.nikon133 - Wednesday, November 4, 2015 - link
"...Avago ADNS 9800 laser sensor is mounted on. This sensor is found on almost every high performance laser gaming mouse available today".Well that's some sensor info, at least...
SilthDraeth - Friday, November 6, 2015 - link
The Avago ADNS 9800 has acceleration built in. Most people that want high end gaming mice want a sensor that has no acceleration. Unless something has changed with the sensor.zeeBomb - Wednesday, November 4, 2015 - link
What's the best mechanical keyboard to get depending on the price range? In 3 categories:Low
Medium/ Standard
High-end
As much as I love blues, browns are going to be my next approach. Any feedback is greatly appreciated.
RaichuPls - Wednesday, November 4, 2015 - link
For low end, I recommend a CM Storm Quickfire TK. It's a good quality solidly built keyboard, with a numpad in a tenkeyless form factor.zeeBomb - Wednesday, November 4, 2015 - link
Good stuff y'all. I heard Razer switches uses some Chinese version of cherry switches, and albeit being good the longevity is questionable.Stuka87 - Wednesday, November 4, 2015 - link
I prefer Razer's stealth keyswitches to any of the Cherries that I have used.Alexvrb - Wednesday, November 4, 2015 - link
The switches the Stealths use are pretty similar to Cherry MX Brown IIRC.techfreshness - Friday, November 6, 2015 - link
yep, the oranges are 'similar' to the browns, greens 'similar' to the blues, but the razer switches do have important differencestechfreshness - Friday, November 6, 2015 - link
me too man, they actuate and reset faster as well. can't speak to the durability vs cherry mx's though, those aren't true gaming switches imo, invented in the 80's lolFriendly0Fire - Wednesday, November 4, 2015 - link
Towards the medium/high end, Corsair's keyboards are pretty sweet (and come with MX Browns, among others). I have the K95 RGB, which I love, but the K70 is essentially the same with less fluff.mastercheif91 - Wednesday, November 4, 2015 - link
I'm surprised you outright claim that Cherry RGB switches provide the best lighting experience. While most vastly prefer the typing experience from the Cherry switches, the Logitech Romer-G switch lighting theoretically is a much better solution. Having the lighting tube built into the key stem seems to be a much more efficient method of lighting key caps than merely turning the entire housing translucent.Manch - Wednesday, November 4, 2015 - link
yay another keyboard.....so...about that Surface Book review?Stuka87 - Wednesday, November 4, 2015 - link
You do know that different people review different items?Manch - Wednesday, November 4, 2015 - link
Oh I thought all the articles were written by one guy like at DT...Manch - Wednesday, November 4, 2015 - link
Or perhaps I was just expressing my disappointment about yet another filler article.metayoshi - Wednesday, November 4, 2015 - link
Umm... Welcome to Anandtech, I guess? It's the one reason I stay attached to Anandtech. They don't just review the big name consumer products out there like the Samsung Galaxy S6's, iPhone 6s's, Surface Pro 4s, and Macbook Pros, they review the little niche market segments like random cases and power supplies and gaming accessories like mice and keyboards. They review things like NAS boxes and SSDs, not just the latest and greatest CPUs from Intel/AMD and the latest and greatest GPUs from Nvidia/AMD. As an enthusiast like me who likes to build PCs every few years, Anandtech is a godsend of a website, and it's articles like these that help me when I need a new keyboard, or a new SSD, or a new NAS box. I can get reviews of the big products on a billion different websites, though not of the same quality as Anandtech, and I can usually form my own opinion about those products from those other websites, but for PC components, Anandtech is still one of the only places for quality reviews.Manch - Thursday, November 5, 2015 - link
Good lord people....so sensitive...Joy-Energiser - Thursday, November 12, 2015 - link
Good lord you're an idiot, go troll another article.Kutark - Thursday, November 12, 2015 - link
He's an iSheeple. Pay no attention.fvbounty - Wednesday, November 4, 2015 - link
They better check the Ducky Shine 5 RGB...for $165...Love my Ducky Legend great keyboard, and I've had the Corsair K95 which was nice!hulu - Wednesday, November 4, 2015 - link
I believe centinewton should be abbraviated "cN", not "Cn". Centi (1/100) is "c" and Newton is "N".WithoutWeakness - Wednesday, November 4, 2015 - link
This non-standard bottom row might be the worst one yet. The left CTRL, ALT, and Windows keys are all longer than the standard 1.25x width (they appear to be 1.5x, same as the Tab key). As a result, the spacebar winds up being 5.5x long instead of the standard 6.25x. The only keyboard I know of that uses a 5.5x spacebar is the Noppoo Chic Mini and replacement 5.5x spacebars are notoriously difficult to source (to the point that most people just 3D print a replacement)Non-standard layouts on otherwise standard keyboards make replacement key caps much more difficult to find. It both prevents users from customizing their keyboards how they want and makes the process of replacing worn, cracked, or broken keycaps more difficult. Given that this is an RGB keyboard that was designed and marketed with end-user customization in mind it makes no sense to stray from a standard layout just to make the left CTRL and ALT keys a few mm longer.
Billy Tallis - Wednesday, November 4, 2015 - link
I've never understood why people want a spacebar that's a mile wide. I much prefer Apple-like layouts where you can comfortably reach at least one modifier key with your thumb.BrokenCrayons - Wednesday, November 4, 2015 - link
I find the name "Ripjaws" a little bit silly and painful sounding all at the same time. It conjures up disgustingly gory mental images of metal objects doing things inside someone's mouth that would result in an emergency room visit, follow-up surgery, and probably quite a lot of reconstructive dental work. I'd purchase any other competing product first just to avoid the branding if I were in the market. In fact, I have done just that with G.Skill's RAM offerings in the past. It makes me feel far too squirmy when I see the product name.The highly negative product branding connotations aside, I can't see either the keyboard or mouse providing an experience that's worth the price increase over a $20 in whatever keyboard and mouse combo pack costs the least from Amazon. I highly doubt that using these will grant a 10x improvement on typing in something or dragging and dropping a file over something significantly cheaper.
marcplante - Thursday, November 5, 2015 - link
Seems to me that most everyone is using the same switches (cherry), so it comes down to design and support if/when they fall.theuglyman0war - Friday, November 6, 2015 - link
sure but design can entail a lot! Also as some have mentioned some might actually prefer the mech alternatives for ergonomics/actuation response but miss german build quality. What I hate is that I can not find one keyboard with all my design criteria... Romer keys sound nice if they actually have a brighter LED for my aging eyes and for us stereoscopic fans fuddling in the dark. Love the removable magnetic num pad design of of the MS sidewinder x6 but it is not mechanical. Keyboard designs usually seem to come in two flavors either unoriginal and conservative playing it safe... Or over the top tacky futuristic toy weapon. And when I do get a beautiful design like say Corsair's brushed aluminum jobs...The LED will be do dim. Or with other brands...
They only offer one color of LED that doesn't match the $$$ I have invested in another color scheme. Or they do not offer my favorite switch ( blues ).
Seems silly to say ( since preference is relative )
But with all these mech offerings it seems strange that I can not find a stylistically beautiful design with a range of choices?
theuglyman0war - Friday, November 6, 2015 - link
case in point: LOGITECHplasticky designs to be certain but u get the sense that there is enough build quality there that such plastic keeps the price reasonable. Plus they do strike a nice balance in the looks dept. ( not a cookie cutter standard keyboard yawn and not way over the top )
However, same old same old choice hopscotch... Yes they do have a version with mx blues ( hurray! ) but alas only white LEDs that stick out like a sore thumb with the rest of my color scheme ( although if u r going to lack a choice I suppose white is as neutral as Switzerland ).
Spose I could try modding every key's LED ( and mod tuts for just about every keyboard for the the same issue confirms I am at least not alone )
But LOGITECH is going to release an RGB version ( problem solved? I get to have my cake and eat it too??? )
Nyet! Nope! UhUH!
An over the top overly toyified design for Logitechs new flagship keyboard with ROHMER keys instead of the MX blues.
Which is fine if that's what u wanted. Just seems that all that was needed was the an RGB addition to their mech line. ( all that is needed is a nice original design and a range of choices )
nirvana11 - Saturday, November 7, 2015 - link
This is one ugly looking phone. The pictures in this article are far better than the reality.nirvana11 - Saturday, November 7, 2015 - link
Sorry, wrong article.WatcherCK - Monday, November 9, 2015 - link
So are the RGB controllers and other onboard chips supplied with APIs with the manufacturer coming up with their own spin on how they want their peripheral software to appear, is noone out there supplying a standardised piece of software that can be branded by the manufacturer, something that ticks all the basic programability and recording boxes? Im not a developer but wouldnt this clean up the potpuri of different (and generally disappointing) manufacturer supplied software?AndyPants - Monday, January 8, 2018 - link
Just a PSA, the current driver for this mouse (released Feb 2017) contains a bug that prevents macros that include the Ctrl, Alt, or Shift keys. Link to issue: http://www.gskill.us/forum/showthread.php?t=14240