Logitech G710+ Mechanical Keyboard and G600 MMO Mouse Review
by Dustin Sklavos on October 9, 2012 12:01 AM ESTThe Logitech G710+ Mechanical Keyboard: Logitech's First, Best Effort
I've used Logitech gaming keyboards with varying degrees of success; one of the primary reasons I liked Corsair's K90 keyboard so much was the way it abstracted the gaming hotkeys away from the keyboard itself by lowering their height, allowing me to touch type the keyboard conventionally while being able to feel for the configurable keys if I needed them. Logitech's older G10, G11, and G15 keyboards were a bit more fraught; there were hotkeys on both sides of the keyboard, and they were very easy to accidentally hit.
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With the G710+, Logitech has essentially learned from their previous efforts and produced something that's arguably very distinctive and well thought out. The G710+ feels like it has a lot more thought and pragmatism put into its design than their earlier, in some ways flashier designs. More than that, they seem to have heard many of the criticisms levelled at other keyboard manufacturers, particularly Corsair. If you kept up with the K90 review, it won't take you long to see where.
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First and foremost, every key on the G710+ is mechanical except for the half-height controls/toggles at the very top of the keyboard. Logitech's rep was amusingly unforthcoming about which switches the G710+ employs, but that was easy enough to discern with two seconds and a keycap remover: Cherry MX Brown. It's an interesting choice, made more interesting by two wrinkles. First, the keyboard is entirely backlit with individual white LEDs under each key, and the LEDs can have their brightness adjusted in two separate zones (WASD/arrow clusters and the rest of the keyboard) using the toggle buttons at the top of the keyboard.
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Second, while mechanical switches are more durable and generally more pleasurable to use than conventional membrane switches, they're also noisier. Logitech has actually dampened the surfaces beneath the keys in order to reduce the noise produced by the G710+. It's still fairly noisy, but I have another keyboard with Cherry MX Brown switches in house (review forthcoming) and the difference is audible.
The G710+ features only six programmable hotkeys, but they're easy enough to reach without being confusing (as with the older G series keyboards and the Alienware M18x's). There are also three modes for an effective eighteen hotkeys as well as built-in macro recording. Finally, Logitech includes a removable wrist rest, conventional media controls (including a volume roller), and a toggle for the Windows keys. Amusingly the Windows keys also use the new Windows 8 logo.
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Sabresiberian - Thursday, October 11, 2012 - link
I have 2 G15s; the ones with 18 G-keys on the side. I understand that many people don't like that many because of the extra width, and they don't need that many extra macro keys, but I do use them and so this keyboard is somewhat of a disappointment to me despite its other qualities.Logitech did a nice job here, I know many people have been asking the company to build a mechanical keyboard and they will be thrilled with this one, but it misses the mark for me.
Systembolaget - Thursday, October 11, 2012 - link
...FILCO Majestouch Ninja tenkeyless keyboards. These plasticky Logitech devices are pure junk without minimalist aesthetic appeal and build quality. With FILCOs, you could literally hammer a nail in the wall. A red Esc. key is a must.For those, who don't know 'em http://www.diatec.co.jp/en/det.php?prod_c=775 available in various languages, too.
hellashes - Thursday, October 11, 2012 - link
i wonder whats the length of the keyboard? im having a lot of troubles choosing one cos my desk is not too big and long keyboard take on my mouse space.Inteli - Thursday, November 29, 2012 - link
If you REALLY need a keyboard that doesn't take up a lot of space, get a Tenkeyless keyboard unless you DESPERATELY need the number pad. They save a ton of space.www.elitekeyboards.com sells a few in the major switch types.
SirGCal - Thursday, October 11, 2012 - link
I recently got a brown key setup. LOVE it. This I would love even more-so, but did I miss somewhere if it also had PS2 capable n-key rollover? I think this one is only limited to 26 keys. I refuse to use USB limited keyboards because of this. (and at my best, I was very near world-record typing speeds). My current brown does have n-key rollover as long as used with the supplied USB->PS2 adapter. Unfortunately, even a very nice 26 key can catch me sometimes. N-key is my one must-have in any keyboard first and formost. Unfortunately, it's also severely limiting to my resulting choices. I had hopes for this one but... I hope I'm wrong and it does include n-key.I actually like blacks myself. Super quiet. But require a bit more force. Browns are my 2nd favorite. I don't like reds or blues. And I had near world record typing speed, just never did get the noise. And I too grew up with old-school typewriters and apple/TI brick computers. I'm getting up there myself but the noise always messed with me. But I love the feel. Black is my preferred for gaming though. Again, just personal preference. Brown for typing but gaming is also very nice. But I tend to get excited and false-press on my brown far more-so then I do with my blacks.
sean.crees - Friday, October 12, 2012 - link
I can see it now, I'm going to need ear protection to use the computer labs now because of how obnoxiously loud all the mechanical keyboards are.Inteli - Thursday, November 29, 2012 - link
What mechanical keyboards have you used? They aren't that loud unless you get Cherry MX Blues or Greens. Browns (seen here) are fairly mild, even when bottoming out. Plus, Mechanical Keyboards aren't gonna be industry standard again for a while, if ever again, so I wouldn't expect to have Mechanical Keyboards in school computer labs anytime soon.Zak - Friday, October 12, 2012 - link
I use inverted T arrows for movement, and I know others who do so, so those gaming keys on the far left are useless to us.Inteli - Thursday, November 29, 2012 - link
And though not everyone does use the WASD keys, it is the industry standard. Plus, if they annoy you, you can always just get a set of black keys to replace it.DrTeeth707 - Saturday, October 27, 2012 - link
The problem is, I buy an illuminated board for a reason, to see all the characters lit up. This keyboard has many keys with the two characters vertically placed - so only the top character gets illuminated - the lower one is VERY difficult to see. Some mech keyboard makers have characters next to each other (horizontally) in the top half of the keys so they BOTH get illuminated. Just returned a Ducky 9008 shine II because of this.Because of this I will have to get a membrane board.
DrT