Top 3 Gaming Keyboards

A decent gaming keyboard is very important if you want to take your experience to the next level. It is the interface between your lightning fast reactions and the game you are playing and when you develop your skills it could mean the difference between winning or losing. Here’s our top 3 picks of the best gaming keyboards available, plus a budget conscious choice thrown in for good measure.

In at number one is the Razer BlackWidow Elite. This is a mechanical gaming keyboard, so has a very tactile response. It features Razer Green Switches and is RGB Chroma Illuminated, so will look stunning on your desk. It also has fully programmable Macro Keys. For quick access to some of the features on your computer it also sports Multi-Function Digital Dial with dedicated media controls.
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The number two spot goes to the ROCCAT Vulcan 120 and this also features mechanical switches. It has different styling to the Razer and features AIMO LED Per-Key lighting and in my opinion looks stunning. The ROCCAT Titan switches are very accurate and great to use during gameplay. The quality is here too with a durable design and aluminium top plate. This keyboard also features a multimedia wheel and detachable wrist rest which works via magnetic mechanism and helps with ergonomics.
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In third place is a keyboard that should not be dismissed. The Logitech G613 Wireless Gaming Keyboard features Lightspeed Wireless technology which is more responsive and faster than most wired gaming keyboards. The Romer G mechanical switches deliver a quiet, precise mechanical performance. The short-throw actuation at 1.5 mm is 25% faster than the competition's standard key travel.
The G613 is nice and configurable too, with six programmable keys that can be assigned commands per profile and have been positioned for optimal speed and accessibility. Logitech certainly make some great gaming peripherals and claim that the G613 is the world's first high performance wireless mechanical gaming keyboard, designed for a wireless world.
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Last but not least is our more affordable wildcard and still a great performer. The Logitech G213 Prodigy Gaming Keyboard allows you to personalise five individual lighting zones from a spectrum of over 16.8 million colours, so will look great whilst performing admirably. It has a slim body that is built for gamers of all levels with a durable construction that repels liquids, crumbs and dirt. The anti-ghosting gaming matrix on this keyboard is tuned for optimal gaming performance, keeping you in control when you press multiple keys simultaneously. It also features dedicated media controls that can be used to play, pause and mute music and videos instantly.
UK BUY HERE
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Razer Imperator Gaming Mouse Review

The Razer Imperator Gaming Mouse offers up very accurate and smooth tracking, essential for serious gamers. It also has adjustable buttons on the side, perfect for getting the reach correct for your thumb. Check out the full review to see how it performs.


Supplied by: Razer

Razer Piranha Gaming Communicator Headset Review

If you are really into your gaming, or perhaps you spend most of your day communicating with others on Skype. You really should take a look at a classy headset, something like this offering from Razer. Check out the video review below and see what you get for your money.

Product: Razer Piranha Gaming Communicator Headset
Price: £49.99 (average UK)
Supplied by: Razer USA Ltd
Contact: saleseu@razerzone.com

Razer Destructor Gaming Mouse Mat Review

Don't let the title deceive you. If you are not into gaming, then this pro level mouse mat might still be of interest. As a graphic designer I really appreciate the precise tracking on offer here. Check out the video review below.

Product: Razer Destructor Gaming Mouse Mat
Price: £25.99 (average UK)
Supplied by: Razer USA Ltd
Contact: saleseu@razerzone.com

Razer Pro Pad - Mouse Pad Review

When optical mice hit the scene they were touted to be capable of tracking on almost any surface, in much the same way that a CD smeared with jam would still play. Users soon came to realise that whilst optical mice were a massive step forward, if you wanted accurate movement the mouse surface was still very important.

The Razer Pro Pad aims to gives you a far superior surface to those 99p squishy jobs that you can buy in your local supermarket. Standard mouse mats are OK, but the rubberised offerings are not great for smooth optical tracking.
What you get with the Pro Pad is an anodized aluminium base, topped off with a very smooth white surface on both sides. The coating is non-slip, which basically means that if it ultra-smooth, whilst still offering the correct amount of resistance. Each side of the pad is slightly different, one being a little rougher and giving more feedback. On each corner of the Pro Pad are small foam rubber feet, that raise the surface about 1.5mm off the desk and stop the pad sliding around everywhere. Like the mouse surface, these are on both sides, so you can flip your pad over.

The size of the Pro Pad is huge, measuring 330mm by 265mm (and just 2.5mm thick), so you get plenty of room to move your mouse around. It does take up quite a bit of desk space, so I think it really is aimed at the serious user. That said, if you can accommodate it, then please do take a look as this is a very high quality product and will enhance the way you use your mouse.

Having tested a lot of mice and mouse pads, I can say that the Pro Pad really impressed me. The surface offers just the right amount of resistance and really is ultra-smooth. If I was searching for a negative, then making the Pro Pad 10mm or 15mm smaller would make it perfect (for me). If you own an optical or laser mouse and need it to track correctly, then I highly recommend that you check out the Razer Pro Pad today.

Product: Razer Pro Pad
Price: £19.95 (average UK)
Supplied by: Razer USA Ltd
Contact: saleseu@razerzone.com

Razer Pro Click V1.6 Mouse Review

The Razer Pro Click V1.6 Mouse from Razer USA grabbed my attention last week, and they kindly sent me one to take a look at. What drew my attention to this rodent was the fact that it was not trying to be some clever cordless or bluetooth mouse. Instead it was just claiming to be a high quality precision mouse, with a seven foot cord!

I am from a design background and believe me, when I say I have tried lots of mice, I mean LOTS of mice. What I always look for initially is comfort in the hand and smooth tracking. The Pro V1.6 certainly fits very nicely into my hand (which is what I would term as medium sized). The mouse is of a flat design, but just curved enough to fit into the cup of your palm. Onto the tracking, and straight out of the box it feels really responsive. The weight is a little on the light side, but after an initial get-used-to period it feels a lot better. No drivers had been installed at this stage, so to be impressed already was a pretty good start.

The Pro V1.6 comes with a driver CD and although it is not necessary to install it, there are many advantages in doing so. The drivers support Mac OS X 10.3 or later and Windows XP, 2000, Me and 98. Concentrating on the Mac side of things, the driver was a breeze to install. Once installed system preferences allows you to assign different functions to the seven buttons and to choose between right or left handed use. The scroll wheel speed can also be changed, but where this mouse excels is in its precision and sensitivity when moving your pointer round the screen…

In the 'Sensitivity' tab of the preferences, apart from the double-click speed, you can also adjust how sensitive the mouse is to your movements. This ranges from 1-10 and really does make a difference to how the mouse behaves. You can also assign a button to 'On-the-fly Sensitivity' which allows you to hold this button in and adjust the sensitivity up or down with the scroll wheel, without having to go into your system preferences. There is also an advanced tab which allows even more control. You can set independent sensitivity for the X and Y axis of the mouse, set pointer acceleration and also switch between 400dpi and the full 1600dpi resolution.

All of these extra settings really do make the Pro V1.6 invaluable to designers, illustrators and graphic artists. Using this mouse in PhotoShop was a revelation, the amount of control and precision made image editing so much easier. If you are serious about your design work, then ditch the cordless mouse and get a proper mouse. The Razer Pro Click V1.6 Mouse is highly recommended.

Product: Razer Pro Click V1.6 Mouse
Price: £30 (average UK)
Supplied by: Razer USA Ltd
Contact: saleseu@razerzone.com