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Logitech G513 RGB Mechanical Gaming Keyboard Review

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Testing & Results

Testing Methodology

I like to test keyboards by simply using them daily for all typical gaming PC activities and noting any irregularities or irritants. Of course, for gathering data points and comparisons certain tools can be useful – primarily, I like to use Aqua’S Key Test. I like to brush up on my typing skills with typeracer.com, and I’ve taken the opportunity to race a few rounds with the Logitech G513 (along with using it to type this article). I generally get more time typing on each keyboard than I’m able to dedicate to playing games, but I’ll load up a few rounds of PUBG, ARMA 3, or Starcraft II to see what the experience is like across a few genres. Let’s take a look.

Test System

  • Motherboard: Asus Strix B350-I Gaming ITX
  • System Memory: 2×8 GB G.Skill Trident Z RGB DDR4-2400
  • Processor: AMD Ryzen 2700X
  • Audio: On-board
  • Video: Asus Strix GTX 1070 Ti
  • Disk Drive 1: Samsung 960 EVO M.2 250GB NVMe
  • Disk Drive 2: Seagate Firecuda 1TB SSHD
  • Enclosure: Phanteks Shift
  • PSU: Corsair SF600
  • Monitor: Acer XG270HU 144Hz 2560×1440 LCD
  • Operating System: Windows 10 Pro 64-bit 1803

Results

First up, it’s always good to know on a gaming keyboard if the keys you press will register. Many games require some pretty extensive finger gymnastics to press combinations of keys, so making sure your keyboard of choice will register your input accurately is the task of our first testing suite. Generally, I’ll just lay a palm across the keyboard and try to press as many keys as possible to see if they all register.

The Logitech G513 didn’t register every keypress once I got above ~ 25 keys pressed or so – not surprising, since this is exactly what Logitech states the G513 is capable of. Since this isn’t a situation any game or application ever would require, it’s nothing to worry about – but those looking for full NKRO won’t find it here (the G910 offers more in that regard). Still, in even the most outlandish of typing or gaming scenarios, the G513 does an excellent job of registering all key presses responsively and accurately.

Gaming on the two switch types was pleasant as always, and here the new Romer-G linear switches really came into their own. The linear actuation was perfect for allowing your focus to remain in-game – indeed, your actions became almost telepathic at times, with the rapid actuation and smooth keystroke of the new switches disappearing beneath your fingertips and translating thought into input with a minimum of interference. That type of experience is exactly what I had been searching for when I first tried a mechanical gaming keyboard, and I’m willing to bet other gamers can relate to the same experience.

The wrist rest remained perfectly comfortable even during long hours of ARMA3 and PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, although it did tend to shift a little during heated moments. Some magnets would do wonders for keeping it in place. The compact frame of the G513 was a bonus, as it brought the mouse and pad ever so slightly closer to the center – not to mention saving precious real-estate on my desk. I found myself appreciating the compact design and overall comfort over the dedicated macro and media keys on my G910 Orion Spark.

I always find it entertaining to race coworkers or friends using typeracer.com, which is also a fun way to get a feel for different keyboards and their typing feel. I couldn’t wait to try out the new Romer-G Linear switches, so I did five races on each switch type and used the average WPM speed to “rate” each one. The Linear switches are great to type on, and I had no problem landing right in my typical average typing speed range (86 WPM on the Romer-G Linear version of the G513).

Of course, the original Romer-Gs’ tactile feedback give them a slight edge during the pure typing-focused tests. I still maintain that the Romer-G (tactile/original) switches are the best blend overall for typical computer enthusiast use – whether typing or gaming, and my typeracer results seem to follow the same conclusion. The Romer-G Tactile switches helped me average 88 WPM over five races. However, that isn’t to say the linear switches were worse in any way – indeed, the more I typed on them, the more I grew to prefer their buttery-smooth actuation.


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