Mechanical keyboards take long been all the rage for gamers, equally they provide a better typing and gaming experience than safety dome alternatives. Anyone that uses a mechanical keyboard on a regular basis volition sing the praises of excellent feedback and supreme responsiveness, yet they're all the same a long way off becoming ubiquitous among desktop PC users.

This is almost entirely down to the premium toll signal that mechanical keyboards occupy. A typical high-quality pick sits in the $100+ price bracket, which can exist a fair bit to pay for just a keyboard.

This is where the Logitech G413 comes in: information technology's a total-sized mechanical gaming-oriented keyboard, but at $90 it undercuts near of its competition including the Corsair Strafe and HyperX Blend, while packing in largely the same feature set.

At this price, you're non getting some features like RGB backlighting or dedicated macro keys. The Logitech G413 is a basic mechanical keyboard, but for many users that doesn't really affair. If the keyboard provides a solid typing experience and includes every essential characteristic, information technology becomes a great value option. And that'southward largely what we're seeing with this Logitech offering.

The G413 uses a frameless blueprint akin to Corsair'southward range of keyboards, where all the keys sit down atop a piece of brushed metallic. I dearest this type of keyboard blueprint, as it tends to look a bit cleaner and more modern than designs where the keys are set into the frame. With an air compressor or can of air, frameless keyboards are easier to make clean equally well.

Aside from the gunmetal grayness brushed aluminium plate that each central sits on, the majority of the G413 is synthetic from black plastic. Along the bottom are big prophylactic pads that prevent the keyboard from sliding around your desk, and of grade in that location are flip-out stands for those who prefer a raised and angled keyboard. This is a solid, well-built keyboard and I'd await zippo less at the price point, fifty-fifty if it'southward on the upkeep end of mechanical options.

The most obvious omission hither is a wrist rest. I apply the wrist remainder on my keyboard every solar day, so it'southward a piddling disappointing the G413 doesn't include one, though this keyboard is still reasonably comfortable to type on yet.

The G413 uses plastic keycaps with a soft-touch matte stop, similar to most other mechanical keyboards out at that place. The slight concave construction makes each key comfortable to affect. The etching on each keycap isn't as defined as some of the premium boards out there, though this is mostly nitpicking and it's understandable that Logitech has cut some corners to go along the price downwards.

Some of the keycaps on my G413 had precipitous residual plastic effectually the base of operations, likely from how the keys were removed from the molds. A bit of extra sanding would accept done wonders here, and this is actually a quality control upshot that could accept and should have been resolved.

Logitech includes 'gaming' keycaps in the box, which can replace the main gaming keys with aid from the included tool. These keycaps are more angular than the standard caps, and personally I don't similar them, however their textural difference compared to the residue of the keys can make some keys like R a scrap easier to locate during the heat of an in-game battle. And it's always corking to see customizability included at the G413's low price.

Like I mentioned earlier, the G413 is not RGB-backlit, however it does come with vivid red LED backlighting with brightness controls. Ruby-red is a colour that tends to work well with well-nigh gamers' setups, and of course, backlighting is essential. Those who purchase the Silver model rather than the Carbon similar I take will receive white backlighting instead.

For features, the G413 comes with a USB passthrough along the height border, although it's only USB 2.0, so it's probably designed for attaching your mouse or other similar peripherals. There are no dedicated media keys or macro keys, though both of these features are bachelor as secondary functions for the F-keys. Media keys are attainable through the FN key modifier, while you can gear up up a macro for whatsoever F key through Logitech's Gaming Software utility. Some competitors practice offer wider macro support, though at least the G413 is still macro-capable.

Specifications are typical for a mechanical gaming keyboard: anti-ghosting, 26-primal rollover, a 1.8m braided cable, and key switches rated for 70 meg keypresses.

Speaking of key switches, the G413 comes with Logitech Romer-G switches for every key, which offer 45 grams of actuation force, a 1.5mm actuation altitude, and a iii.0mm total travel distance with a clicky/tactile response. These switches, produced by Omron, are used for all of Logitech'due south current-generation mechanical keyboards, even the high-cease G910 Orion Spectrum.

The good news hither is that the G413 provides essentially the same tactile feedback and typing experience as Logitech's much more expensive mechanical keyboards. If you're simply after the mechanical experience and don't need all the features provided by the G610 and upwards, the G413 is practically the same as far as typing and gaming goes.

With that said, I'm non a massive fan of the Romer-G switch in general. It'southward similar spec-wise to a Cherry MX Brown switch, simply its tactile bump is very close to the start of the travel, and information technology becomes mushy towards the cease. The stop issue is a central switch that isn't particularly clicky and has a dampened experience to information technology, which is not really what y'all desire from mechanical switches that are known to be clicky and pleasant to utilise.

The Romer-G switch is notwithstanding a significant upgrade on safe dome keys, so those moving from a upkeep keyboard will notice a decent improvement in tactile feedback and typing experience. It's non as good every bit you'll find from a Cherry MX lath or ane of Razer's keyboards, but it's still mechanical. The G413 is also on the quieter side of mechanical keyboards due to that dampened response.

Shopping shortcuts:

  • Logitech G413 Carbon on Amazon
  • Logitech G413 Carbon on Newegg

Overall the Logitech G413 is a great entry-level mechanical keyboard for those wishing to upgrade their typing experience. It's aggressively priced, undercutting like keyboards from competitors, while providing a solid feature set and the same tactile feedback as Logitech'due south premium offerings. You lot won't exist blown away by the G413's functionality, though information technology'south a decent entry point into the world of mechanical gaming keyboards at a more affordable price.

Pros: One of the more affordable mechanical keyboards on the marketplace. Uses the same switches as Logitech'south high-terminate keyboards. Decent design with solid, if bones functionality.

Cons: The Romer-Yard key switches are a bit mushy. Lacks a wrist rest.