Corsair RGB

Starting off, let’s cover one of the more popular RGB options: Corsair. Corsair’s keyboards are made of aluminum and feature a reserved-yet-visible “gamer” style with magnetic wrist rest. Corsair’s RGB keyboards are sturdy aluminum, have no bezel, include media keys, and aren’t flashy in style. Corsair’s RGB keyboards aren’t exactly cheap, with the K65 at $130, the K70 at $140, and the K95 at $165. The K65 is tenkeyless, the K70 is standard, and the K95 is standard plus 18 macro keys on the left side.

(Above: Corsair K65 RGB Keyboard)

Corsair’s keyboards come with one primary downside: limited RGB lighting. Firstly, Corsair’s RGB keyboard can either display 512 colors or 16.8 million colors with potentially irritating flickering. This blew-up into a bit of a controversy, something we covered here, but the short of it is simple: 16.8 million colors with flickering or only 512 colors.

(Above: Corsair K95)

Corsair’s keyboards are available in Cherry MX Red and Brown (sorry, clicky folks), with the K65 at $150, the K70 at $140, and the K95 at $165. Ultimately, considering the price and faults with the RGB lighting (only 512 or 16.8 million with flickering compared to 16.8 million for their competitors), I wouldn’t suggest Corsair’s RGB keyboards for somebody who primarily and entirely cares about the RGB lighting. For users who want a solid and stylish keyboard with decent RGB lighting, the Corsair RGB series is a good choice at its current prices.

Razer Blackwidow Chroma

Moving on to another prominent brand, Razer has thrown their metaphorical hat into the ring with its Chroma brand. Razer’s Blackwidow Chroma is fairly similar to their other Blackwidow keyboards. Like all of the other keyboards in this article, the Chroma line’s differentiating factor compared to most mechanical keyboards is its programmable RGB lighting.

Razer’s RGB lighting is a bit unique in that it’s accentuated by the opaque white acrylic backplate. This allows for more even and vivid RGB illumination. The Chroma provides 16.8 million color options. Other than this, the Blackwidow Chroma has 5 macro keys and all the fairly standard features of a keyboard -- such as function keys for media control. The Chroma features a somewhat reserved style, but conveys a more gamer-oriented appearance than Corsair’s offerings. It also differs in that it uses switches made by the same manufacturer as Kailh switches, instead of using Cherry MX switches. We go into the differences between Kailh and Cherry MX more here. Razer switches are largely the same as Cherry MX, with the primary difference being a raised actuation point. Green is clicky and Orange is tactile.

(Above: Razer Blackwidow Chroma)

Similar in price to other RGB keyboards, the Blackwidow Chroma sits at $170. At this price, it sits above the Corsair offerings despite using a plastic housing rather than an aluminum housing. The Blackwidow Chroma is decent for users who want a slightly reserved, but still “gamer” stylized, keyboard with vibrant RGB lighting.

Logitech G910+ Orion Spark

For those looking for a keyboard with a more gamer-focused theme, the Logitech G910 fits the bill pretty well. Dark and angular, it takes a fairly different, more “out there” style than the Blackwidow Chroma or Corsair RGB keyboards. Similar to the Corsair keyboards, the G910+ come with a detachable wrist rest, although it isn’t uniformly shaped like Corsair’s.

Moving onto the features of the keyboard, the G910+ features 9 macro keys, dedicated media keys, a phone dock (along with phone app to monitor PC stats), and Romer-G switches made by Omron. The Romer-G switches are tactile. Like Razer, Logitech moved the actuation point up compared to standard Cherry MX switches.

Like all the other keyboards in this guide, the Logitech G910+ features RGB lighting and, like the Chroma, has 16.8 million color options. This is, of course, one of its primary attractions. To enhance the RGB feature, Logitech actually works with game developers to integrate the lighting into games; for example, in GTA V -- when being chased by the police -- the function (F1-F12) keys of the G910 flash red and blue. Logitech’s Romer G switches are built in a fashion that amplifies the LED through a glass lens within the switch, with the mechanicals surrounding in a square-like fashion; this is in contrast to Kailh and Cherry switches, which host all of the mechanicals centrally and obstruct some parts of the LED.

The Logitech G910 is similar to the Blackwidow Chroma in that it also has a primarily plastic housing, which is alright, but not always preferable on a $170 keyboard. Regardless of that, for somebody looking for a gaming keyboard with unique developer relations and RGB lighting, the Logitech G910+ is a reasonable choice.

Tesoro Lobera Spectrum

While Corsair, Razer, and Logitech are all fairly large and well-established brands, Tesoro is comparatively smaller and newer to market.

Tesoro has their own RGB keyboard. Tesoro is taking a fairly different approach and trying to provide a plain and reasonably priced RGB mechanical keyboard: The Lobera Spectrum.

Firstly, let’s go over the Spectrum’s style. The Spectrum’s aesthetic is a bit more intense than Razer, but I think a little less so than Logitech’s G910+.

Despite not having any dedicated macro keys, the Spectrum allows for macros to be set to any key using Tesoro’s software. These macros are also stored local to the keyboard, so moving from PC to PC doesn’t wipe macro settings.

The Spectrum’s lighting is about 390-750nm. All right, all right -- EM radiation jokes aside, the Tesoro Lobera Spectrum is capable of 16.8 million colors and decent customization. Like Corsair, Razer, and Logitech’s options, it also supports basic animations. The Lobera Spectrum also uses Black, Blue, Brown, and Red Kailh switches.

Tesoro seems to be trying to undercut the other RGB competition, and at the price of $140, it’s decently less expensive than other RGB options, with only the K70 at its price point.

Closing Words

While Tesoro may not be the biggest name, and the Spectrum may not be the best-known keyboard, at $140, its main competition is the RGB K70 (at $140). For those who enjoy gamer styled keyboards with more of a “developer in,” the Logitech G910 is a good choice with gaming integration.

The G910 and Razer Blackwidow Chroma both vary in the intensity of their aesthetic and light output, both $170.

As for Corsair’s keyboards, it’s true that a measurable deal of controversy has surrounded these, and the price is ultimately a bit excessive considering the limited RGB illumination (or requirement to have flickering when displaying 16.8 million colors). With the K65 at $150 (currently $130), the K70 at $140, and the K95 at $165, I have trouble recommending them to somebody unless they put the keyboard’s style and chassis materials above RGB lighting (512 colors is still respectable and usable). Which programmable RGB keyboard is best comes down to what each user prioritizes in aesthetics and function, but these are the units we most regularly point toward.

- Michael "The Bear" Kerns.