UPDATE: Months after writing my initial review, the volume scroll wheel has become effectively useless. It will not reliably scroll up or down, and just bounces around whether you try to scroll either direction. Occasionally it even activates itself without being touched, though this only occurs when I am using the keyboard. I did a little research and there are youtube videos that reveal a manufacturing defect, where the fluid/grease that is used inside the wheel groups up (like water into beads) and then causes issues with the contacts that detect the direction of movement. This is supposedly fixable by removing the grease entirely, but that requires taking the keyboard apart to some extent, and I have no doubt this is basically a band-aid fix as the grease is likely meant to prevent excessive wear to the moving part. The rest of the keyboard is still working great, and I still have the same good things to say about it, but this was disappointing and I no longer have the convenience of using the wheel for volume control. Razor should improve on the design in the future to prevent further customer frustration.
I have been waiting until I put some time in with this keyboard to write a review. I bought it a month ago yesterday. I came from a cheap "mechanical feel" keyboard with membrane switches. It was fine for gaming, but I felt it was holding me back when it came to typing. I work on my PC from home every weekday as a top tier technician for proprietary software. I log and resolve issues in tickets, take a ton of notes, assist other technicians in a group chat, and write and adjust code. Short version, I do a ton of typing. On top of that, I am an avid gamer and usually spend at least a couple hours gaming on my PC each day.
When it was first delivered, the whole thing immediately screamed quality. The packaging is attractive and functional, made with high quality cardboard. The keyboard itself feels very solid and durable and the plastic frame has a very nice matte finish and feel that I could only describe as commercial or military grade. The cord is thick and braided and ends in 2 usb plugs and a 3.5mm plug for audio and usb passthrough, which has been very nice for cable management on my sit/stand desk. I can't speak much to the macro functionality as I do not use it, but the media controls are convenient and the volume wheel steps similar to a high quality mouse wheel. The magnetic wrist rest is the icing on the cake. The one downside is the ABS keys; Razer missed an opportunity here as they should have been PBT. However, keycaps can be replaced should they wear down, and they do a fantastic job showcasing the full spectrum RGB backlighting which is gorgeous btw. Since this is not Razer's flagship keyboard, I'll give them a pass, but no extra credit.
Then there are the stars of the show, the switches... Holy cow are they satisfying. The sound and physical feedback is sublime, and I am not exaggerating when I say that my typing speed has increased about 50% as I know EXACTLY when a keystroke has registered as my hands dance across the keys. I imagine my experience is akin to the feeling a musician gets when they pick up a high quality instrument for the first time after honing their skill on starter equipment. It is true of all tasks that having the right tool for the job can make all the difference.
Bottom line: If you want to spend a fortune, I am sure there are better keyboards out there. For the price, I challenge someone to show me a better option. Would highly recommend, no reason to keep researching if you find yourself in this price range.
Manufactured using processes that reduce the risk of negative environmental impact.
As certified by
ECOLOGO
ECOLOGO certified products have reduced environmental impacts at one or more stages of their lifecycle – from raw materials to end of life. ECOLOGO certification indicates that a product has met environmental performance standards, which include criteria in some or all of the following categories: materials, energy, manufacturing and operations, health and environment, product performance and use, and product stewardship and innovation. Products are evaluated on the applicable criteria through testing and auditing.
