10 best gaming keyboards 2016

Introduction

Updated: The low-profile SteelSeries Apex M800 has limboed its way into our top 10 gaming keyboards.

The keyboard may be the most unglamorous of peripherals, with its uncomfortable tendency to conjure up images of sitting in office cubicles. But if you’re a mad-keen online PC gamer then finding the best keyboard is vital.

Whether you use it to control strafing in all directions in a first-person shooter, or to select from an arsenal of spells in an MMO, it’s the primary tool that allows you to showcase your skills and establish an all-important reputation. So it pays to invest in the best one available.

With that in mind, we’ve selected the 10 best gaming keyboards available for all the different flavours of PC gamers. Whether you’re a World of Warcraft ninja or an up-and-coming Counter-Strike: GO expert, and whatever your financial situation or space requirements, you should be able to find the best keyboard among this selection.

1. Corsair K70 RGB Rapidfire

This mechanical animal has cheetah-like speeds

Interface: Wired | Keyboard backlighting: Yes | Programmable keys: Yes

Super-responsive keys Beautiful RGB lighting Not great for typing

Corsair’s K70 RGB Rapidfire keyboard is all about speed. Featuring Cherry’s new linear MX Speed Switch, its keys are highly responsive and take only a slight movement of the finger to press them down. The switch actuates at just 1.2mm, with a light actuation force of 45g. With a feeling like typing on super-sensitive Cherry MX Reds, which are a sensitive keyswitch anyway, they’re not very suitable for long typing sessions. However, if you’re into first-person shooters or any game that requires fast reflexes, the K65 RGB is equipped for the job. The full-length K70 RGB Rapidfire is also available in a tenkeyless version called the K65 RGB, which is easier to transport and slip into a bag to take to LAN parties. Like its larger sibling, the K70 has beautiful customizable RGB lighting.

2. SteelSeries APEX M800

Interface: Wired | Keyboard backlighting: Yes | Programmable keys: 6

Responsive keys RGB lighting Macro keys Typing takes some getting used to

Billed as the fastest keyboard in the west (and the rest of the world for that matter), the Apex M800 feels different to type on than just about every other keyboard out there. That’s because of its QS1 keyswitch, which is incredibly responsive due to its 1.5mm key travel and 45cN actuation force. Its low travel and linear nature lend it a similar feel to Cherry MX Reds, only requiring less effort to strike each key. This makes the Apex M800 a great keyboard for gaming, but its membrane-like nature means you’ll need to take some time adjusting to it when it comes to typing – especially if you’ve come from a keyboard with Cherry’s MX switches. The M800’s individually keycaps are easy on the eye and the keyboard’s six left-positioned macro keys help you fire off spells and buy weapons in a snap.

3. Cherry MX Board 6.0

Keeps a low profile

Interface: Wired | Keyboard backlighting: Yes | Programmable keys: Yes

Excellent typing feel Comfortable low profile Lacks extra features

Cherry’s flagship MX Board 6.0 features a lower profile than other gaming keyboards like the Razer BlackWidow X Chroma, making it perfect if you prefer to type and game using a wrist rest. Cherry’s MX Red switches under the keys lend the MX Board 6.0 fast response times, but because the keys are positioned fairly close together they’re excellent for typing too. Housed in a solid aluminium chassis, the MX Board 6.0 certainly doesn’t feel cheap and its blood-red key lighting is deliciously ominous. A mechanical keyboard that’s also perfect for the office, then.

4. Razer BlackWidow X Chroma

Leaves its full metal jacket at home

Interface: Wired | Keyboard backlighting: Yes | Programmable keys: Yes

Solid construction Custom RBG lighting profiles Too minimal for some

The Razer BlackWidow X is a stripped down version of the original BlackWidow. It removes the protective top plate to expose the aluminium chassis underneath, and we’d argue that it looks all the better for it. It’s a heavy-duty unit that houses Razer’s own Green or Orange (silent) switches under the keycaps. They feel a little like Cherry’s MX Blues to type on and can display 16.8 million colors for lighting, which is fully customizable using Razer’s Synapse software. Being a Chroma keyboard, you can download different developer-submitted profiles to control the RGB backlighting, with Blizzard’s Overwatch profile being one of the latest and most impressive.

5. Logitech G810

The BMW of mechanical gaming keyboards

Interface: Wired | Keyboard backlighting: Yes | Programmable keys: Yes

Satisfyingly snappy keys Minimal design No USB pass-through ports

Logitech has followed up its Orion Spark G910 mechanical keyboard with the G810, which arrives with a refreshingly grown-up feel. Sporting Logitech’s own Romer G switches, which aren’t quite as squishy as Cherry’s various switches, the G810 possesses a snappier feel than other gaming keyboards whether typing or gaming. Featuring smart media keys that work equally well on both Windows and OS X, Logitech’s latest keyboard is a solid all-round offering. If you’re fed up of the weird markings, LCD screens and strange parts that come with competing “gamer-focused” keyboards, the G810 might be for you.

6. Division Zero X40

Steeled for online gaming

Interface: Wired | Keyboard backlighting: Yes | Programmable keys: 5

Thick top covers Clicky or silent keys Side positioned macro keys No volume wheel

Better known for producing some impressive professional keyboards, the X40 comes as part of Das Keyboard’s new Division Zero gaming lineup. Available with clicky (or optionally silent) tactile keys, Das utilizes its own custom made Alpha-Zulu switches that have a very similar feel to Cherry MX Red keys. What’s more, the X40 comes with interchangeable thick aluminum panels making this one of the strongest and most rigid keyboards around.

7. Turtle Beach Impact 700

Premium gaming keyboard with a minimal footprint

Interface: Wired | Keyboard backlighting: Yes | Programmable keys: No

Compact Numeric key pad No programmable keys

If you favour gaming keyboards at the more compact end of the spectrum, Turtle Beach’s Impact 700 does away with a wrist-rest, and has as small a footprint as is possible for a keyboard that includes a numeric keypad and uses Cherry MX Brown keys. It does lack programmable macros, though, so lends itself more to devotees of first-person shooters – especially since it comes with spare W, A, S and D keys (along with others), and a tool that enables you to remove worn-out ones. Plus it lets you illuminate key-clusters. Not the cheapest, but worth considering by those who have a tendency to hammer their keyboards into oblivion.

8. Logitech G610

An affordable, minimal route to mechanical key nirvana

Interface: Wired | Backlighting: White | Programmable keys: Media keys

Logitech G610

Tactile response Minimal design Limited white backlighting

Logitech has been pushing its self-built Romer G-switches for the better part of a year, if you still prefer the feel of mechanical Cherry MX switches then look no further than the Logitech G610. Available with Brown (tactile bump) and Red (linear-action) key switches, the G610 comes with everything we loved about the G810 including the metal backplate and handy media keys. That said, the entry-level mechanical keyboard trades RGB backlighting for a programmable white backlight system.

9. Corsair Strafe RGB Silent

Silent and deadly

Interface: Wired | Keyboard backlighting: Yes | Programmable keys: Yes

Quiet switch choice Pretty Detachable wrist rest No side-positioned macro keys

Mechanical keyboards offer a superior tactile feel to traditional membrane models, but they’re damn noisy. That’s why Corsair made the Strafe RGB Silent, the first mechanical keyboard to use Cherry’s MX Silent keyswitch. Featuring a dampening noise system integrated into each key, it lets you get your game on without the constant clacking of keys driving you – and people around you – insane. While the quieter switches still make a noise, the snapping sound they make upon actuation is muffled in comparison to Cherry MX Red or Brown switches. The Cherry Strafe RGB Silent is also beautiful, capable of flashing all the colours of the rainbow thanks to per-key RGB backlighting.

10. Cougar Attack X 3

A true metalhead

Interface: Wired | Keyboard backlighting: Yes | Programmable keys: 10

Great build quality Anti-slip rubber feet Fast response time No RGB backlighting

If you prefer your mechanical keyboards to be built like tanks, the aluminium-fashioned Cougar Attack X3 is for you. Sacrificing RGB lighting for a moodier black, silver and red appearance, the keyboard comes with a choice of Cherry MX Red, Blue, Brown or Black keyswitches to suit your tastes. The anti-slip rubber feet on the Attack X3’s base provide extra elevation while keeping the keyboard sturdy, and a Windows lock function key means you’ll never accidentally switch back to your desktop in the heat of battle. The Attack X3’s basic design, fast response time and excellent build quality make it an uncomplicated addition to any gamer’s arsenal – and one that should last a while too.

Source: techradar.com

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