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Top 10 Ultimate Gaming Keyboards 2013

10. Roccat Isku Illuminated Gaming Keyboard



    PROS:
    Offers up to 25 programmable macros. Easy on-the-fly macro recording. Roccat Talk lets you pair with another device for enhanced functionality.

    CONS:
    Integrated wrist rest makes for a giant footprint. Key labels can be difficult to read in low light. Backlight color not adjustable.

    BOTTOM LINE:
    The Roccat Isku is a solid gaming keyboard with good overall functionality, but a few details about it might not appeal to everyone.


    The Roccat Isku Illuminated Gaming Keyboard ($89.99 list) hits the right notes on the necessities with its swappable profiles and 25 programmable macro keys, and offers additional useful features like Roccat Talk, an app that lets the keyboard work in tandem with other compatible devices (such as a mouse). Unfortunately, the Isku  slips on the more intangible elements that make a good gaming keyboard, with plasticky construction, too-slick keys, and a backlight that actually reduced key visibility in some circumstances.



9. Rosewill Mechanical Keyboard RK-9000I

    PROS:
    Striking black and white design. Excellent mechanical keys and solid construction. Available with connections for both USB and PS/2.

    CONS:
    Lacks common features, like media and volume controls. No advanced programmable features. Short four-foot cable.

    BOTTOM LINE:
    The Rosewill RK-9000I is a very well-made mechanical keyboard for gamers and typists alike, but the bare bones design might be a little too basic for most.


The Rosewill RK-9000I ($99.99 direct) is the special edition of the RK-9000, a high-end mechanical keyboard. Ditching Rosewill's usual black and red color scheme for white with black keys, it's a slick looking variation on the basic keyboard, and the back to basics approach will appeal to typists and gamers who don't want to mess with extra features. With solid construction inside and out, the Rosewill RK-9000I is a good keyboard for anyone who wants smooth typing and a minimum of extras.


8. Razer BlackWidow Ultimate 2013 Elite

    PROS:
    Mechanical switches provide audio and tactile feedback. Backlit.

    CONS:
    Stylized font on keys is hard to read. No backlight customization. Poor shielding for pass-thru ports. Smudge-prone finish.

    BOTTOM LINE:
    The Razer BlackWidow Ultimate 2013 Elite is a solid mechanical gaming keyboard, but it has its flaws, like a smudge prone-finish and poorly shielded connections.



The Razer BlackWidow Ultimate 2013 Elite ($139.99 direct) is Razer's current top-of-the-line mechanical gaming keyboard, and Razer knows the business well—its previous model, the Razer Black Widow Ultimate (2012), earned our Editors' Choice. Since then, other keyboards have come onto the market with competitive designs and a wide array of unique features, but the Razer Black Widow Ultimate 2013 Elite is still one of the better mechanical gaming keyboards available.



7. Mad Catz S.T.R.I.K.E. 7 Gaming Keyboard

    PROS:
    Super-customizable. Tons of features. Touch screen is handy.

    CONS:
    Extremely expensive. Doesn't use mechanical keyswitches. Complicated to hook up.

    BOTTOM LINE:
    The MadCatz S.T.R.I.K.E. 7 is an impressive, feature-filled gaming keyboard, but it's extremely expensive and doesn't use mechanical switches (though its membrane switches are very responsive).


If the Das Keyboard $125.99 at Walmart.com is the Cadillac of keyboards (and it is), the MadCatz S.T.R.I.K.E. 7 is the Batmobile of keyboards. I've never seen so complicated or full-featured a gaming keyboard before, and at $299.99 (list) it better be. This has everything from an LCD screen and backlit keys to a modular design and customizable macros. Its only weaknesses are its extremely high price and its membrane keyboard design.


6. Razer DeathStalker Ultimate

    PROS:
    Switchblade UI. Adjustable multi-color backlight. Razer Synapse 2.0. Fully programmable.

    CONS:
    Mediocre keys. Pricey.

    BOTTOM LINE:
    The Razer DeathStalker Ultimate is the only gaming keyboard to consider, if you want to use Razer's Switchblade UI without shelling out the price of a premium gaming laptop. For everyone else, however, there are better (and cheaper) options out there. 


Premium bells and whistles are expensive under any circumstances, but when it comes to gaming equipment, those extras are sometimes pricey enough to cost an arm and a leg even when paired with middling core features. Case in point: the Razer DeathStalker Ultimate. Headlining with the same Switchblade touch-screen interface seen on the Razer Blade (2012), the DeathStalker Ultimate is considerably more expensive than most premium gaming keyboards (at $249.99), in spite of its crummy keys.



5. Logitech G710+ Mechanical Gaming Keyboard

    PROS:
    Dual-zone backlight. Programmable macros with swappable profiles. Built-in media controls and volume knob.

    CONS:
    Pricey. Plastic construction. Detachable wrist rest detaches too easily.

    BOTTOM LINE:
    The Logitech G710+ gaming mechanical keyboard is a solid gaming keyboard that offers some of the best features for gaming, but cheap construction makes the price feel excessive.




    Logitech has been making keyboards for years, and gaming keyboards for nearly as long, but it's been noticeably absent on the mechanical keyboard front, opting instead for the less expensive silicone dome switches. This all changes with the Logitech G710+ mechanical gaming keyboard, which utilizes Cherry MX Brown mechanical switches, and offers several functions that gamers will welcome with open arms, like dual-zone backlighting, programmable macro keys, and built-in media controls. It's a solid gaming keyboard, but you might want to pick it up on sale—the price is just a little too high.


    4. Razer BlackWidow Tournament Edition

      PROS:
      Quality construction with Cherry MX Blue mechanical switches. 10-key anti-ghosting. Detachable USB cable. Includes travel case.

      CONS:
      Compact design removes numeric pad.

      BOTTOM LINE:
      The Razer BlackWidow Tournament Edition mechanical keyboard is touted as being travel friendly, but the compact build only limits the functionality.


    The Razer BlackWidow Tournament Edition takes the solid Razer BlackWidow Ultimate 2013 Elite$142.44 at ReStockIt.com—a including the mechanical, backlit keys—and lops off the 10-key pad, making a more compact keyboard that is easier to pack up and take along for a LAN party or tournament.


    3. Logitech G13 Advanced Gameboard

      PROS:
      Ergonomic comfort and superior control. Programmable 22-button keypad with swappable maps and profiles. Onboard memory. Extra long cable.

      CONS:
      Steep learning curve. Labor intensive setup. Not Plug-and-Play. Clickable joystick is difficult to click.

      BOTTOM LINE:
      The Logitech G13 Advanced Gamepad is definitely a niche product, but with a comfortable design and wide array of features, it's a good fit for the diehard gamer.


    While gamers have plenty of specialized mice and keyboards to choose from, sometimes you want a device that gives you a little more control. Sometimes, you just don't want an entire keyboard. For times like these, there is the Logitech G13 Advanced Gameboard $49.99 at Amazon, a separate gaming keypad that gives you all of your WASD controls, programmable macro keys, and quick-fire commands, without the bulk of a keyboard and with the added comfort of a use-specific design. If you're looking for a way to step your gaming, this could be it.


    2. Corsair Vengeance K60

      PROS:
      Great typing experience with springy mechanical switches. Swappable keycaps. Built-in media controls and volume knob. USB pass-through. Detachable palm-rest.

      CONS:
      Palm rest is left-hand only. Silicone dome switches used for some keys.

      BOTTOM LINE:
      The Corsair Vengeance K60 keyboard is a weapon built to a gamer's specs, with a left-handed wrist rest and 10 swappable sculpted keys.



    When you hop onto the gaming grid to engage in combat, the keyboard you type on for work just won't do. You don't want a keyboard, you want a weapon, crafted for reliability and fitted to your specific needs. Corsair has delivered just that with the Vengeance K60 gaming keyboard ($109.99 direct). It's a solid gaming keyboard that offers a little something extra by way of a specially shaped and positioned wrist rest and 10 swappable keys sculpted and textured to make navigating through a digital combat zone as easy as walking in real life.
    Design and Features
    The K60  has a two-toned color scheme with a bare brushed aluminum deck studded with black plastic keycaps, similar to its Editors'-Choice-winning sibling, the Corsair Vengeance K90 ($129.99 direct, 4.5 stars). The plastic caps are made of black plastic, and use Cherry MX Red mechanical switches—the same used on top keyboards like the Vengeance K90 $124.81 at Amazon and the Das Keyboard Model S Ultimate ($129.99 direct, 4.5 stars)—for all of the typing keys and the numeric pad, but uses cheaper silicone dome switches under the lesser-used function keys. There's also no backlight, so gaming in low light may leave you in the dark, so to speak.

    1. Corsair Vengeance K90

      PROS:
      Great typing experience with springy mechanical switches. Adjustable backlight. 18 programmable macro keys. Built-in media controls and volume knob. On board memory. USB pass through. Detachable palm-rest.

      CONS:
      Palm rest collects crumbs. Silicone dome switches used for some keys.

      BOTTOM LINE:
      The Corsair Vengeance K90 gaming keyboard pairs a well-built gaming keyboard with a smorgasbord of customization, media controls and ergonomic features.


    Corsair has long had a finger on the pulse of PC gaming, but with its newest keyboard, the Vengeance K90 ($129.99 direct), it scores a solid victory—the K90 is among the best high-performance keyboards you can buy. Mechanical keyboards are the way to go for high-performance gamers, with top of the line offerings like the Razer Black Widow Ultimate ($129.99 direct, 4.5 stars) and the Das Keyboard Model S Ultimate ($129.99 direct, 4.5 stars) utilizing the springy, noisy keys for their superior performance, long-term durability, and less force needed to register keystrokes. Combine this with built-in media controls, on-board memory, and a whopping 18-keys dedicated to custom macros, and the Corsair Vengeance K90 $124.81 at Amazon is one gaming keyboard that's hard to beat.
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