You don't have to spend more than $ 100 to get a gaming keyboard that will improve your performance and make gaming more enjoyable. We tested a bunch from $ 36 and found all but one doing really well for the money (and yes, it was the cheapest that we'd skip). Whether you are to work from home If you just spend more time playing PC games than you did a few months ago, a new game-friendly keyboard can make all the difference.
Such as choose a new gaming mouseto get the right game keyboard has a lot to do with personal preference - from ergonomic design (hello, palm rest) to RGB lighting, mechanical buttons, tactile feedback, programmable buttons, dedicated media buttons, or so many other features we can't even begin to list. You can also read this glossary of keyboard terms to narrow down your keyboard design preferences.
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If you want the most convenient way to do your office work with a membrane keyboard, the Cynosa might be the gaming keyboard for you. It's a membrane keyboard, not mechanical, so the keys are quiet and definitely feel softer than the others here, and some may find them mushy. However, if you want to use a keyboard for both work and play, this is a good compromise for the $ 60 price tag.
Many of the Cynosa's original features carry over, including per-key RGB lighting - a rarity at this end of the market - and a durable, leak-proof design. New is a row of media buttons in the upper right corner. Razer has also added cable management under the keyboard to help keep your desk tidier.
This is also one of the best programmable keyboards out there. There are many preset lighting effects to choose from, and you can also create your own using Synapse 3.0 software. There's also Razer's Hypershift feature which allows you to set up a secondary set of functions for your keys that can be accessed with a toggle key of your choosing. You can also rebind keys and set macros using the software.
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Even with Logitech's low-end models like the G413 backlit gaming keyboard, the company's build quality and components don't come cheap. It uses the same tactile Romer-G switches as its more feature-packed models and has the same sleek, simple, and durable keyboard design with a brushed aluminum-magnesium alloy top case. It has a braided USB cable with a USB pass-through connector on the rear right and channels underneath for cable management of the mouse and headset.
The tactile key switch is relatively quiet, with no click when operated, just a slight bump and a short press. If you like to hear and Feel your button presses, this probably isn't the best switch for you. There is only one color for the backlight - red - but the backlight is bright and the keying on this full-size keyboard is easy to read. Logitech includes 12 faceted keycaps, which is nice, but we didn't feel much of a difference.
The G413 can be programmed using Logitech's G Hub software so that you can set up macros and custom functions on the F1-F12 keys. There is also a game mode in which the Windows key is turned off. Overall, it's a more polished mechanical gaming keyboard than the others here, but it's also more expensive.
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If you want a wireless gaming keyboard and Lights, look at the K57. This affordable wireless keyboard uses rubber dome switches with a pronounced actuation point, which makes it feel more like an office keyboard like the Razer Cynosa. Gaming requires a touch with more force than the mechanical keyboards, and rollover is limited to eight keys. Other than that, the experience is fine.
The K57 connects wirelessly to your PC using low-latency Bluetooth or Corsair's 2.4 GHz slipstream technology, which uses a tiny USB-A adapter for lag-free gaming. It can also be used wired with the included micro USB cable, which also charges the keyboard. If you use RGB lighting per key, it may not have the longevity of the Logitech, but you can get through several game days without having to charge it.
A number of dedicated macro keys on the left and discrete media controls on the right complete the functionality. Plus, Corsair's software is straightforward to use, which makes creating custom keyboard lighting and setting up those macro keys fairly easy. However, at $ 80, you are definitely paying more for these features.
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Originally published last year and updated regularly.
