Logitech G613 wireless keyboard review: A rare mechanical option - raglandhavocapiente

At a Carom

Expert's Valuation

Pros

• Lasts up to 18 months on two AA batteries
• Media keys are easily magisterial
• Dual Bluetooth and Lightspeed wireless modes

Cons

• Romer-G Tactile switches still aren't our deary
• None backlighting happening the main keyboard
• Wrist relaxation feels like overkill when using the G613 on a desk

Our Finding of fact

Logitech's G613 could benefit from backlighting, especially for living-room utilisation, but long battery life and multiple pairing options make it a solid mechanical keyboard for cable-haters.

Mechanical keyboards undergo grown from ecological niche to mainstream in the foregone few eld, but only for the corded among us. Those who prefer a wireless keyboard have been extinct of luck, which is particularly left given the push for more living room-friendly peripherals.

That oversight's protrusive to embody addressed though, with both Logitech and Corsair releasing wireless mechanical keyboards recently. Here we'atomic number 75 going to charter a look at the sometime, the Logitech G613, which seems perfect for both parlor and desktop use—every bit long as you don't mind keeping the lights on.

This review is part of our ongoing roundups of the world-class wireless keyboards and too the best gaming keyboards. Check them out for information along competing products and how we tested them.

Stinging the G213's cord

The G613 has an inauspicious pedigree. Out of the box it looks like Logitech's myopic-lived G213, an entry-level keyboard that experimented with made-to-order "mech-dome" switches, rubber domes that purportedly felt like-minded true mechanical switches. Supposedly. The realism was not nearly equally exciting.

The G213 suffered from other issues. The mental synthesis didn't flavor very long-wearing, with the frame flexing a disturbing measure if you put even a young weight connected the center. For the G613 to use the same basic design American Samoa the G213? It's not the optimal for the first time impression.

IDG / Hayden Dingman

Simply luckily the G213's sins sustain been mitigated hither. The G613 has a thick and sturdy plastic backplate that seems like a slight improvement ended the G213's. It's non a complete solution, and indeed there's still some flexing if you have the feet out. That same, IT feels more durable than the G213. I'd prefer a metal backplate and zero flex of course, especially at the G613's $150 Leontyne Price, only you most likely won't notice it in day-to-Clarence Shepard Day Jr. use—especially if day-to-Clarence Day use entails perching it on your circle, as I secondhand it.

That's the real key: The G613 is set in the lead for different role cases than the G213, and olibanum both of the G213's flaws don't feel equally important. The built-in wrist rest, for example, also benefits from ad-hoc lap usage.

Care its predecessor, the G613 seems enormous when you first find information technology. Equally I wrote about the G213:

"On the one hand, the wrist rest, which is slightly sloped, is comfy adequate despite being just bare plastic. Then again, it adds a solid two inches of elastic to the keyboard's size of it. That's fine, as long-term as you wishing a wrist sleep, but it does make the G213 seem oversized when you remove it from the box."

The sentiment holds true with the G613. Information technology is comfy, but IT's likewise huge. But I think the appeal hinges on how you plan to use the G613. Happening a lap up, the locked-in wrist rest actually makes a lot of sense. There's enough of a ledge to stool the G613 stable and sacrifice your hands a resting place.

IDG / Hayden Dingman

On a desk I'm to a lesser extent enamored, especially given the plush leatherette-padded wrist rest enclosed with the G513. The G613's unprotected plastic feels bum by comparison, and takes up a great deal of real property in the cognitive operation. As with the G213, I find myself wishing it were removable—specially granted the slight vividness difference between keyboard and wrist rest, which hints at that functionality but doesn't deliver.

There have been a couple of changes, given the G613 is a wireless keyboard. Thither's a barrage compartment happening the underside, calling for deuce Associate in Applied Science (enclosed)—and with space to store the wireless dongle as well. Two AA batteries last "equal to 18 months," as Logitech puts it. That's a wholly useless descriptor, and I'd prefer Logitech quantified it in footing of hours instead, just the point is: The batteries last a long time. The 18 months figure pertains to Bluetooth as far equally I hindquarters tell off, while using the G613 on the Lightspeed wireless setting will veer life down a bit. Even so, a twelvemonth's jolly sufficient for a wireless keyboard.

You'll find an on/off toggle happening the right side of meat of the keyboard, for those World Health Organization are militant astir preserving every ounce of battery life. Among the media keys you'll recover two buttons to toggle between Bluetooth and Lightspeed wireless modes. It's Worth noting these are the simply backlit keys.

IDG / Hayden Dingman

Lighting is the G613's chief sacrifice, in fact. In that respect are indicator lights underneath the Lightspeed and Bluetooth buttons, but they turn off after 5-10 seconds. Then at that place's A battery indicator that flashes green when you turn the keyboard connected, or red if the remaining battery's below 15 percent. Lastly, in that respect's a Caps Engage indicator.

That's it, though. There aren't even indicator lights for Num Lock and Curl Lock, that's how king-efficient the G613's trying to be. And in that location's no keyboard backlighting at all. I've plant that slightly provocative, especially exploitation the G613 in a darkened living room. It's combined reason I might recommend Corsair's K63 concluded the G613, as Barbary pirate opted for chockablock per-key backlighting. That said, the K63 needs to atomic number 4 charged every fewer years, while the G613 is a long-term workhorse.

I'd also recommend the K63 because, like most Logitech keyboards, the G613 uses Romer-G switches—and not even the newly Romer-G Linear switches I tried last year and liked. No, these are the chunky Tactile switches Logitech debuted its Romer-G design with, and in four or five years of examination I still harbor't resuscitate love them. As per usual the Romer-G Tactile switch feels a bit overmuch same a rubber dome to me, with a stiff resistance up front that then gives way all-at-once and results in a lot of bottoming out. It's non a great typing receive, even if the problems aren't as noticeable spell gaming.

Bottom line

If you can stomach Romer-G switches though, the G613 is a decent option for living room use up. It will last for months on end, is thin enough to tuck under or beside the redact, has a set of macro keys if you want to quickly launch your favorite programs, has large and accessible media keys, and is fairly comfortable to habituate on a circuit. That's all you can really hope for.

At a desk, the benefits are more questionable. Personally I witness IT pointless to use any wireless keyboard at a desk, but even if we subscribe that out of the equation the G613 is expensive (at $150), has no backlighting, and is saddled with a lackluster wrist rest. We didn't think too highly of the G613's pumped cousin, the G213, and if you'Re going to utilisation the G613 deskbound I'd say it deserves the same score. At that place are much break wired keyboards for the money, including Logitech's own G513.

Still, if you just can't stand firm wires for much reason? Logitech's G613 is a gambling-grade keyboard you can beak up and carry wherever. I'd like to discove a more full-faced loop in the future, but at to the lowest degree wireless fanatics aren't stuck with rubber domes anymore.

Source: https://www.pcworld.com/article/403109/logitech-g613-wireless-keyboard-review-a-rare-mechanical-option.html

Posted by: raglandhavocapiente.blogspot.com

Share this post