Razer has been around since 2005 and have been innovating computer peripherals since day one. With the exponential growth of eSports over that time, they have sponsored full teams, individual players, YouTubers, and their own physical retail store. Along with hardware, they have made backpacks, clothing and even some wearables. As long as gaming is at this level, Razer will be right beside it creating the latest gear to keep you at the top of your game.
Specifications
- MSRP: $139.99
- Keyswitch: Razer Mechanical Switches: Green, Orange, and Yellow
- Lifespan: 80 million clicks
- Form Factor: TKL Design
- Build: Hard plastic, matte, shell
- Programmability: Synapse programmable, macro recording
- Cable: Removable USB Cable for transport
- Illumination: 16.8 Million RGB, per key, illumination
- Accessories: Included magnetic ergonomic wrist rest
Initial Thoughts
I have used numerous Razer products in the past, so I’m going in with high hopes. I used the first generation Tournament Edition (TE) keyboards when they came out, upgraded to the first chroma TE and am now here telling you about the latest entry into the series.
Right off the bat, you get a nice looking box and good packaging. It seems menial, but means a good deal. There are plenty of boxes that just don’t look good and aren’t appealing to the eyes. When you open it up your keyboard, it is nicely secure in the middle of a lot of cardboard and the wrist wrest is below, also secure in cardboard. The keyboard is made of a nice matte plastic exterior. The plastic is smudge resistant, if not proof, and has a nice texture. In the past, when they made their keyboards in the smooth plastic, it just didn’t feel right. If you had a little bit of sweat and moved your fingers over it, it would actually stick.
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For the purposes of this review, Razer sent us the version with Orange switches. All three variations of their switches are available for this keyboard. If you’ve used any of the other popular mechanical keyboard brands, you know what type of switches you’re looking for. These switches felt exactly like the other keyboards I have with Orange switches in them. Each key has it’s own light behind it to give you the best light at your desired brightness. They messed up here team, they really did. Ever since the Blackwidow originally came out with its backlighting, Razer continues to produce their keycaps without the secondary lights also lit up. This is a big disappointment because they’re clearly etched to allow light to shine through.
This wrist rest, much like the one on the full Chroma V2’s, is magnetic to stick to the keyboard and is made of nice memory foam. This is, without a doubt, my favorite wrist rest of any keyboard. It’s super comfy, looks very sleek, and comes on and off very easily. No more worrying about it breaking in your bag on the way to your next LAN. Like it’s larger brother, the Chroma V2, this wrist rest will fall off if you pick up the keyboard as a whole. With the keyboard being smaller, the magnets are not strong enough to keep it on while moving. This isn’t a big deal, but still important to know. On the normal Chroma V2, that wrist rest will stay on until you pull it off yourself.
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Exactly like every other Chroma keyboard in the family, you can use Razer Synapse to sync the color effects with your mouse, mousepad and headset. You can program individual keys to exactly what you want. You can have it set that when a certain game starts, it switches to a particular lighting scheme you’ve made. This is fairly par for the course when it comes to RGB keyboards now, but it’s nice to see that Razer delivering on these features.
Like it’s predecessors, the USB cable can detach from the back of the keyboard for easy transport. Unlike its immediate predecessor the Chrome TE V1, you don’t get the awesome zip up hard shell carrying case. I don’t know why it’s not there, but it was something that I loved about my previous TE keyboard.
Final Thoughts
This keyboard does exactly what it should at this place in the market and doesn’t disappoint. The MSRP of $139.99 fits right in the nice spot for your pocket book. I have been using this computer daily at my house, as well as taking it on calls with me when I’m doing some demos for clients and need a keyboard. It’s been in and out of backpacks for a month and doesn’t have any scratches and functions now just as it did on day one. If you’re looking for a TKL keyboard, this is the keyboard for you.
Pros
- Priced Right
- Lots of customizability in the lighting
- Syncs with other Razer products
- Plastic shell is durable and smudge proof
- Detachable USB cable
- Included wrist rest
Cons
- Secondary keys are still not backlit
- No zip up hardshell case
- Wrist rest will come off while moving it around your desk
The product discussed in this article was provided by the manufacturer for the purposes of review.
