Top 10 Gaming Keyboards! SUPERCHARGE your play; Techspin recommendations

Today we’re covering our Top 10 Gaming keyboards. We’ve tested a lot of keyboards in recent reviews for the channel, so we thought, why not make some buying guides to help consumers easily pick the best fit for their needs. On that point, we’ve also considered what consumers actually need. Even though there’s 250 dollar keyboards out there, dropping that kind of cash has to have a purpose, if the features don’t support the price, we won’t recommend that.

So while this is a Top 10 Gaming Keyboards list, we’ll give best in class recommendations, and there has to be value for the asking price. You really need to consider what features are worth paying for, as even at the $120 dollar level, that’s a pretty insane amount of money to spend on a keyboard, and we’ve got budget recommendations too. If you decide one of these keyboards is right for you and grab one through our affiliate links below, it does help us out a bit here, so thanks for your support.

Sponsor- Please use our affiliate links for FSP Hydro G Power Supply at
AmazonUS: https://amzn.to/3uYPfTp AmazonUK: https://amzn.to/3hDiGrg
AmazonCA: https://amzn.to/3W6QsUF AmazonIN: https://amzn.to/3PFt2ne

Top 10 Gaming Keyboards! SUPERCHARGE your play; Techspin recommendations

If you want to keep up with our releases you should give us a quick follow on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook all at techspinreview. At Techspin we deliver honest testing and opinions on tech, so you can decide quickly if it’s right for you. Don’t forget to tell us your take on which keyboard is best, if there’s one you think should be included on the list, or a model you want to see reviewed.

Top 10 Gaming Keyboards

The options we’ll present are unordered, and we’ve actually got 13 models mentioned, with our best picks in our summary section. There’s chapters you can use to skip to the section you want. This list gets pricey, so hold onto your wallets, here we go.

HyperX Alloy FPS Pro, Origins, Origins Core TKL

First out of the gate, HyperX has a number of good options even getting into budget range territory, starting with the Alloy FPS Pro at $70 dollars on Amazon, which is a TKL or Ten-KeyLess board, meaning the number-pad on the right is chopped off for a smaller footprint. It’s a decent gaming keyboard, and with all HyperX keyboards we’ve tested, the build quality is very good here.

AmazonUS:https://amzn.to/3pvAQKs AmazonUK:https://amzn.to/2JZbfcC
AmazonCA:https://amzn.to/2IFKBFi AmazonIN:https://amzn.to/3lvqk3N

With an internal steel frame and removable USB cable, the Alloy FPS Pro comes with either Cherry MX Red switches, which are linear and quiet, or Cherry MX Blue switches with a clicky sound. It’s a no-frills offering, so be aware it’s not RGB with only red back-lighting, and there’s no software support so no macros.

Media keys and volume controls are accessible through pressing function and a combination, but there are no dedicated keys. This is a minimally designed offering, so let’s take a step up on our Top 10 Gaming Keyboards list.

The HyperX Alloy Origins is a full sized mechanical keyboard, going for $110 bucks and boasts an aircraft-grade aluminum body, and for switches, it offers linear quiet HyperX Red, clicky HyperX Blue, or tactile HyperX Aqua versions. The Alloy Origins has amazing full per-key RGB backlit keys, software profiles and macros, a detachable USB-C cable, and three-level height adjustment.

Usually with a detachable cable, the sacrifice you make is the possibility of a USB pass-through. What it doesn’t have are dedicated media/volume keys, and the keycaps themselves are just OK at this price range. There’s also a Alloy Origins Core TKL variant which is going for $90 bucks with either Red or Aqua switch options.

AmazonUS:https://amzn.to/36AI4nS AmazonUK:https://amzn.to/35stlMx
AmazonCA:https://amzn.to/3prW5gf AmazonIN:https://amzn.to/3eSfBxM

HyperX Alloy Elite 2, like Pudding?

Just north of that price is their new Alloy Elite 2 at $130 bucks, a Full sized HyperX Red switch steel-frame keyboard with super beautiful RGB illumination and ABS Pudding keycaps, finally dedicated media keys.

AmazonUS:https://amzn.to/3pqaKsl AmazonUK:https://amzn.to/2K7M33T
AmazonCA:https://amzn.to/2Uojgdh AmazonIN:https://amzn.to/36Giluy

There’s a volume control wheel and a top light bar for more RGB goodness, non-detachable USB but there’s a single USB 2.0 pass through port top side. A really great looking keyboard, but at $130 dollars, getting expensive for this Top 10 Gaming Keyboards list.

Logitech G413 Carbon, G512 SE

Logitech has two entries on the our Top 10 Gaming keyboards, they have their $95 dollar Logitech G413 Carbon which is a good full sized mechanical gaming keyboard with Romer-G switches. With single color red led back-lighting, it does have software control and a single USB pass-through so that’s a big bonus, however no dedicated media or volume keys.

AmazonUS:https://amzn.to/32EwSph AmazonUK:https://amzn.to/2ICJUw6
AmazonCA:https://amzn.to/38NqyzL AmazonIN:https://amzn.to/3nsn4GD

And for keyboards with USB pass-through, you’ll have two USB jacks to plug into the back of your PC, one for the keyboard, one for the pass-through. The construction for Logitech keyboards is solid, and this one’s no different, a good build for this entry level mechanical keyboard. It does also ship in a silver top with white LED back-lighting which looks nice but is harder to find, so let’s check…

The Logitech G512 Second Edition Lightsync goes for around $100, with a full-sized anodized aluminum top plate for rigid construction. With the brushed looking surface comes either clicky or Romer-G tactile switches. There’s Lightsync full RGB software integration with support for macros, but no dedicated media or volume keys, or USB pass-through.

AmazonUS:https://amzn.to/3lqRdWp AmazonUK:https://amzn.to/38ISzIn
AmazonCA:https://amzn.to/3prlZAX AmazonIN:https://amzn.to/3nqxFSO

It’s the last keyboard we’ll recommend from them as their next level up is the Logitech Pro X at $150 which is both hard to find and too rich for my blood, but we’ll mention it as it’s a TKL model with GX blue brown or red switches- and the switches are actually removable and swappable. It comes with a keycap and keyswitch puller included. Let’s continue with our Top 10 Gaming keyboards.

Corsair K68 Red(RGB), K70 MK.2

Corsair is excelling at making quality mechanical keyboards, and their entry model Corsair K68 RGB full sized mechanical gaming keyboard usually goes around $120, but their older model Red LED only version saw a price drop to $90 bucks. With the linear, quiet Cherry MX Red switches, it’s dust and spill resistant but only has red LED back-lighting, though there are per-key effects.

AmazonUS:https://amzn.to/3kuPZbw AmazonUK:https://amzn.to/3psPnqn
AmazonCA:https://amzn.to/3f0jPUc AmazonIN:https://amzn.to/2IqCY5R

With software integration for macros, it also sports volume and media keys too. With a soft touch detachable palm rest, it has dedicated volume and media keys in the very accessible right corner location, really good. This model has been out for a while, it received an RGB refresh version summer of 2018, and if you aren’t afraid of second hand, renewed RGB versions occasionally pop up or a good discount on Amazon.

On our Top 10 Gaming keyboards list we wouldn’t usually recommend grabbing the Corsair K70 RGB MK 2 which launched for 180 bucks and sits currently at the 160 dollar mark, but it’s on sale at $125 bucks right now so this is a much more reasonable price, though still expensive for a keyboard.

AmazonUS:https://amzn.to/36zSbcH AmazonUK:https://amzn.to/2UtaURI
AmazonCA:https://amzn.to/3nudIdP AmazonIN:https://amzn.to/36CarSG

The board offers all five Cherry MX variants, Red, Brown, Blues, Speed and Silent, though the Amazon listing we found had Red and Low Profile Red. This full size RGB per-key backlit board is built with an aircraft grade aluminum frame which is very sturdy. There’s a detachable wrist-rest, volume and media keys, and a USB pass-through for connectivity.

Onboard memory allows 3 profiles to be stored independent of software, and works with Corsair’s iCUE software to set up macros and lighting sync with other Corsair components. If you can get the K70 RGB MK.2 on sale, you might want to consider this for serious gaming.

MSI Vigor GK50 Low Profile

We’ve reviewed the MSI Vigor GK50 low profile which goes for 100 bucks, on sale we saw it for 70 bucks currently, and this full sized keyboard features linear Kailh low profile keys with per-key RGB back-lighting. With a brushed top metal plate that adds rigidity, this super solid keyboard has matched RGB lock and gaming lights, and a really great typing experience.

AmazonUS:https://amzn.to/35uZovq AmazonUK:https://amzn.to/3nnZCub
AmazonCA:https://amzn.to/3f5kVhh AmazonIN:https://amzn.to/3nkvQGT

MSI’s software is there to set up macros and light effects, though no dedicated media or volume keys, and at this price range there’s no wrist rest. They do include a keycap puller as well as a convex left Alt and Ctrl button for a different gaming feel.

We had a really good experience with this gaming keyboard, and if you’re looking for a low profile compact full size that’s mechanical, this slick metal gray design might just fit your budget, and deserves a spot on Top 10 Gaming keyboards.

Razer Huntsman Gaming, Elite

The Razer Huntsman Gaming came out 2018, but it’s inclusion on this list shows the quality of features and construction. It originally made this list due to a sale price of $90 dollars, but at the original $150 dollar listing it would be a bit too expensive. It offers Chroma RGB lighting in a full size package, with clicky or linear optical mechanical switches.

AmazonUS:https://amzn.to/3eYwUNv AmazonUK:https://amzn.to/2IzdtyL
AmazonCA:https://amzn.to/2H4yvVI AmazonIN:https://amzn.to/32EyzmD

Software syncs with games for lighting, and controls other gear from over 30 partners, and features Philips Hue integration. Macros can be quite complex and fully remapped to suit your gaming needs. However it has no dedicated volume or media keys, and there’s no wrist rest included, a strange omission at this price range. Razer produces a pink variant too, available with clicky optical switches, also for $150 bucks.

If you want even more RGB, the Razer Huntsman Elite version has that souped up car underglow lighting and media keys, but prepare to take a hit at 200 dollars, though we did see it on sale for 170 bucks. Looks amazing, but we think it’s too expensive for what you get. Let’s continue our Top 10 Gaming Keyboards list.

Asus ROG Strix Scope

Next on our Top 10 Gaming Keyboards list, the Asus ROG Strix Scope is a worthy contender, a full-size yet compact keyboard with Cherry MX black, blue, brown, red, speed silver options, and we found the Silent Red version coming in at $120 dollars. With an aluminum top plate and RGB per-key back-lighting that works with Aura Sync, there’s a keypuller as well as silver WASD keys if that better fits your style.

AmazonUS:https://amzn.to/3lzr0F9 AmazonUK:https://amzn.to/2UqCAGH
AmazonCA:https://amzn.to/3ps6yIy AmazonIN:https://amzn.to/3lxlSRM

It’s got great build quality, with cable management channels in the bottom, although we saw a report that the keys have the slightest bit of wobble, but it doesn’t impact usage. There’s on-the-fly macro recording, it also features a stealth key if you’ve found a way to game while you should be doing something else.

The left Ctrl button has been made longer, making it easier to hit, and with a compact full size, it’s a very good offering with lots of customizability, though no dedicated volume or media buttons. There’s also a TKL version with a smaller footprint at 10 bucks less, coming in at $110 dollars, also with a Strix Scope Electro Punk edition for some flair.

Havit Gaming KB+Mouse combo

If you want the feel of a mechanical keyboard but maybe don’t have the budget because 2020 sucks, the Havit gaming keyboard and mouse combo can upgrade your whole setup at a budget price of under 50 bucks, we saw it on sale amazingly for 35 dollars. The full size keyboard is equipped with clicky Kailh blue switches on the loud side, with all the typical features like full key rollover and 100 percent anti-ghosting.

AmazonUS:https://amzn.to/3psfQnT AmazonUK:https://amzn.to/3eWPJAR
AmazonCA:https://amzn.to/3nhGiyK AmazonIN:https://amzn.to/2Us9iaM

The backlit keys are a set rainbow LED pattern, and although the lighting patterns can change, the colors remain the same. The aluminum top case provides strength, though there’s no volume or media keys. No driver needed means no software, and also, no macros. The included mouse goes from 800 to 4800 DPI, which is plenty for most gamers.

There are many different Havit keyboards on offer on Amazon, some of which are not well differentiated as to which product they are, but there seems to be a Low Profile Blue version and others that work with software. Note that we checked customer reviews and found most positive feedback, though you do get what you pay for, and one user after a few months noticed key ghosting and multiple keypresses. A few entries left on our Top 10 Gaming keyboards.

Redragon Surara K582 mechanical

The Redragon Surara K582 is the best out of Redragon’s mainstream offerings on Amazon, coming in at 50 bucks with a full-sized design, RGB, and “silent” linear Outemu red switches. The switches actually aren’t silent at all according to consumer feedback, as the switches make sound and the keyboard frame seems to echo the noise.

AmazonUS:https://amzn.to/2K97667 AmazonUK:https://amzn.to/3poyrl3
AmazonCA:https://amzn.to/35rW6cf AmazonIN:https://amzn.to/38IoLvu

For this reason, if you’re looking at Redragon, we recommend this keyboard over other cheaper and noisier Redragon offerings, such as the Kumara or K552 for 35 to 40 bucks; or the Vara or K551 for 40 to 45 bucks. Getting back to the Surara, it has N-Key rollover, a metal base plate which dampens the sound a little and adds sturdiness, and comes with rubber feet as the two lower models do not.

With software to setup macros, it also may come with accessories like a keycap and switch puller, though the switches are soldered on the board, and the keycap puller is too wide which may cause damage? So it may be best not to use these accessories. We also saw customer feedback where after months of use, some keys randomly don’t work, and some RGB failing, and reports the numpad area keys are non-standard width.

But for the price, if you want to try a mechanical keyboard with full RGB on the cheap, this one may be what you’re looking for. Credit goes to switchandclick.com for their excellent research on why the Surara is the one to pick!

SteelSeries Apex 7 OLED

Last but not least, we don’t feel our Top 10 Gaming Keyboards list would be complete without an entry from Steelseries, the Steelseries Apex 7 which released summer of 2019. Pushing the price envelope in both a full size for 160 dollars, 150 on sale, and a TKL version for 30 bucks less. Both the full-size and TKL offer Red, Brown or Blue switch options.

AmazonUS:https://amzn.to/3npgMrr AmazonUK:https://amzn.to/2IBaBkW
AmazonCA:https://amzn.to/36E0iVw AmazonIN:https://amzn.to/35uu7IU

The excellent build quality comes with a soft finish aluminum top plate, and there’s no wobbling from the keys, though the slightly matte looking surface finish does attract dust. With a single incline adjustment, the full RGB backlighting is very impressive, and the USB pass-through is a great addition.

There’s a mini-OLED screen also for settings and a menu, and a wheel and 6 macro keys assigned to the insert/home cluster. With a magnetic wrist rest, software is excellent and provides full control over macros and light effects. While the OLED might seem gimmicky, being able to access functions while in game might be useful to some. We found a sale price of 150 bucks; make no mistake, this is really expensive, but it’ll come down to: are the features worth it for you? For us… maybe not.

Ducky One 2 Mini vs Anne Pro 2

I know you thought we forgot to include them on the Top 10 Gaming Keyboards list, but yeah, we have to mention 60% keyboards, which has both the numpad and home and arrow key sections both cut off. Some gamers swear by ‘em, so even though Razer introduced one, the build quality isn’t quite at the high bar just yet, so we’ll skip it. There’s the Ducky One 2 Mini we saw for 125 bucks, and the Anne Pro 2 at 110.

Ducky One 2 Mini

AmazonUS: https://amzn.to/2H0LEip AmazonUK: https://amzn.to/3kwrYAO
AmazonCA: https://amzn.to/32I20UR AmazonIN: https://amzn.to/2H3ICtS

Anne Pro 2

AmazonUS:https://amzn.to/35w6TCd AmazonUK:https://amzn.to/38H0vtH
AmazonCA:https://amzn.to/2IEp27H AmazonIN:https://amzn.to/3f0tfin

A quick feature comparison:
The One 2 Mini we saw with Cherry MX Red or silent red, though evidently most Cherry switches are available, the Pro 2 has Gateron or Kailh Box switches, though we heard you can get Cherry also. Both have a great typing experience, the feel depends on what switches you pick, and both have PBT double shot keycaps with extra keycaps and pullers.

While both can do macros, the Anne board comes with software for easy customization to key bindings, macro adjustments and layers, which is easier to use than the on board Ducky functions. The Mini has Mouse emulation, but the Pro 2 has Bluetooth pairing with up to 4 devices, and a 1900mAh battery. The 1-2 Mini has dual height adjustment feet, the Pro 2 has no height adjustment.

While both have full RGB customization, the Ducky 1-2 Mini takes this point with really nice and bright lighting, whereas the Anne Pro 2 is more subtle. The Ducky brand is known for its durability and reliability, though Anne has definitely made a name for itself with a high quality 60% mechanical gaming keyboard.

Top 10 Gaming keyboards- Best Sale, Low Profile

So for our Top 10 Gaming keyboards “Best Of” section, we’ll start with the full-size best mechanical keyboard -on sale-, if you can find it for the sale price we saw of 90 bucks, the Razer Huntsman Gaming is discounted down from 150, and for the features and build, it’s a really really good deal, plus it has that great Razer software to control it. Razer has a reputation for great products and it’s well earned, if you can get it then it’ll serve you pretty darn well.

For the best low profile mechanical, the MSI Vigor GK50 delivers a really good feel with a low profile form factor with macros and some features, and a very sturdy build. With silvery looks and excellent RGB, it’s a great choice for gaming with linear keys for a performance gaming experience, coming in at 100 bucks, we saw it for $70 dollars on sale.

Top 10 Gaming keyboards- Best TKL, Overall

If you need a shorter keyboard, you’ll be looking at TKL or Ten-keyless models. For the best TKL mechanical keyboard, the HyperX Alloy Origins Core TKL stood out to us. The Alloy Origins Core TKL offers a compact bundle without extra keys but still with macro capabilities, and with some good looking RGB and software control. We’ve tested a couple of HyperX models and have good experiences with gaming and productivity this far.

So that brings us to the best mechanical keyboard overall on our Top 10 Gaming Keyboards list… and this is going to be the HyperX Alloy Origins. At $110 dollars it’s a bit pricey but at least it won’t break the bank. It has three adjustable angles as well as a detachable USB-C cable, and you have a choice from Red/Blue and Aqua switches all for the same price.

It’s also compatible with PS4 and XBox One, and because it has wide compatibility, it’s likely to also be compatible going forward with the new generation of consoles- we’ll try to grab one for testing soon… I think the bigger problem will be trying to get a PS5 haha. With HyperX’s good software and nice RGB lighting, it checks all of our boxes and should be a really great performer for you.

Top 10 Gaming keyboards- Best WOW! / 60%

Now obviously the best WOW factor mechanical keyboard has got to be the HyperX Alloy Elite 2, which has pudding caps and glorious RGB to light up your room, it’ll certainly be a showpiece for your setup. At $130 it comes with all the bells and whistles, and has a sturdy build quality, volume and media keys, USB pass-through and PS4 and XBox One compatibility. Coming in just 20 dollars higher than the Origins, we feel the extra money in this case is well spent, and worth it.

The best 60% gaming keyboard… the title goes to… the Anne Pro 2. Considering all factors, the Bluetooth connectivity and battery, and included software to make things easy for the user all at 15 bucks LESS, makes this a clear choice.

The lack of feet did factor into the Anne’s ranking, and though the RGB is better on the Ducky, usability is key for gamers, and if you really need it, you can always add more RGB elsewhere, so why not make customization easy for yourself?

Top 10 Gaming keyboards- Best Budget

And, on our Top 10 Gaming keyboards, what you’ve been waiting for, the best budget mechanical keyboard for PC, the HyperX Alloy FPS Pro red backlight comes in at $70, or the MSI Vigor if it’s on sale comes in around $70 with RGB, by the way, check the link for that video up here. 70 bucks seems to be the entry point for mechanical keyboards, so this may be a starting point for some.

Both of these keyboards don’t state they support PS4 or XBox, so it may be possible that the normal keys work, but any features probably won’t as that will require windows drivers, or maybe just setup on windows first if they save profiles in onboard memory, but this is untested. If you’re doing console and want mechanical, better to get a board that says it’s compatible.

Now I bet you thought we were going to recommend either the Redragon Surara or the Havit mechanical offerings for the best budget mechanical keyboard, but no, and there’s a reason. While the quality generally for these models may be okay, there seems to be some occasional short-term problems. Sure, we may be a bit more critical of these entry level brands than the more established names, and yes, these budget models may work well enough for most users.

But we really care about long term reliability, so we can’t stand behind these offerings… for now. At Techspin, we, like our viewers, don’t want to have to deal with units failing, issues, returns or exchanges, especially since we’re in the middle of the ocean here in Taiwan, and shipping from here is expensive. We’ll revisit this in the future as their manufacturing processes mature and have less consumer feedback with issues.

Top 10 Gaming keyboards- Honorable Mention

Before we finish our Top 10 Gaming Keyboards list, an honorable mention goes to Asus for their ROG Strix Scope keyboard. At $120 it’s a bit higher priced but does come with some unique features.

The on-the-fly macros, stealth mode and cable management channels is part of the nice overall look, and it has silver WASD gaming keys and a keypuller if you want to swap. The TKL Electro Punk edition is also a unique offering here. If you want an easier to hit left CTRL button and don’t need dedicated media/volume keys, maybe this one’s for you, just keep in mind no Playstation or XBox support is listed.

While we didn’t cover all points for every model in our Top 10 Gaming Keyboards list, hopefully this overview gave you some more information to help your buying decision, and if you pick one up, shopping through our affiliate links will help us here with no extra cost to you. And follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook at techspinreview.

What mechanical keyboard are you looking at, or what are you using right now? Is there a something you’re drooling over? And, if you find a good deal on Amazon or Ebay, let us know! To see more videos like this, please do subscribe for new content, and be sure to click that BELL icon to get notified when we put up a new video! And we always like to hear your ideas for episodes, so let us know what you’d like to see reviewed. Thanks for your time, and we’ll see you on the next.

See more HyperX products, Keyboard/mouse reviews, and Guides