Razer BlackWidow Ultimate Mechanical PC Gaming Keyboard

<b>TL;DR (Too Long, Didn't Read) & Hopefully sweet but short summary</b> First of all, I paid $119.99 + $5.99 S&H for a total of $127.71. It is currently $109.99 so that's pretty cool. The Razer BlackWidow Ultimate is a fantastic mechanical and gaming keyboard in its own right. Don't buy into brand loyalty: Logitech, Corsair, Razer - there is no "best" keyboard, it is preference and opinion. Just know if you buy this keyboard you will be getting a FANTASTIC product. I had my BlackWidow Ultimate (BWU) for two+ years and I never regretted it one day. It has excellent construction, great keys, cool features and functionality with Razer's software and the iconic green and black is an excellent pairing for these lights. So if you love the Razer ecosystem - the intense green products, Razer in general or you're a HUGE fan of Cherry Mx Blue switches (the extremely loud, clicky, clackety keys) this keyboard is probably the one for you. If you enjoy 'bang for the buck,' and the best value overall, you might want to settle for a Logitech G710+. Also, if you game at night and don't want to wake somebody up, like your significant other, siblings, parents, roommate, etc. or have thin walls perhaps the Logitech G710+ is also for you. It has Brown switches which are significantly better. On another note, if you don't like the "gamery" look to Razer products (although I don't know why you'd be looking at a Razer product then in the first place) perhaps the subtle white lights of the G710+ are for you instead of the intense green of Razer. - NO WRIST REST, definitely a con compared to Logitech and Corsair's flagship keyboards which do include German switches and wrist rests - Now for the full(er) review: <b>APPEARANCE & AESTHETICS</b> On first look right out of the box, you will be stunned. The BWU is a great looking keyboard, it's sturdy as hell, doesn't flex or and ultimately seems like the extremely high quality keyboard you always wanted. You initially think the physical design is flawless, especially when you plug it in and see those beautiful lights. However, after awhile you begin to see your thumbs leave horrible prints on the bottom edge (where most keyboards have wrist rests). Then, you see the keys get smudgy too. Then, you see the keyboard is a complete dust magnet and no matter how much you clean the thumb and fingerprints, you will never be truly content. I'm a fan of matte black products, but this particular material doesn't play well with your hands. Oh and you have to use your hands and fingers to operate this. Bummer. <b>DESIGN & DURABILITY</b> - NO WRIST REST, definitely a con compared to Logitech and Corsair's flagship keyboards which do include German switches and wrist rests - With the exception of the poor material choice that attracts stains and prints like no other, this is an excellently constructed keyboard. It's sturdy, rigid and heavy. This thing won't budge on a glass or wood desk thanks to good feet, proper rubber padding and the general heft of the item. The keys are well thought out. You can feel certain keys are raised over others, these are typically the common keys used in gaming. All keyboards get 'higher' keys when you go from the 'ZXCV' to 'ASDF' to 'QWER' rows but the BWU has them a bit higher so you can really feel it. The macro keys are thankfully somewhat distant from your actual 'TAB, CAPS LOCK, SHIFT, CTRL' keys on the left side of the keyboard so you won't be pressing them accidentally. On day one if you're not used to these gigantic gaming keyboards, you will find typing a bit uncomfortable, you will lose typing speed, you will probably miss your key presses while gaming but you will become completely comfortable after a day or two, trust me. Just give it time. Overall, the design is fantastic. Oh and second thought: I once spilled coffee onto the left side of the keyboard. The keyboard didn't stutter, die or stop working - it was amazing. I vaccumed, compression air canned and wiped the coffee out and only two keys got permanently sticky but they still worked. Razer gets great marks for this in my book. People give them crap for their mechanical key switches not being German and claiming they're disguised high quality keyboards with cheap Chinese parts - this thing survived a venti Starbucks okay. <b> FUNCTION</b> The functionality of this keyboard is excellent. It has all the bells and whistles you come to expect from a mechanical gaming keyboard. Anti-ghosting, key rollover, 'gaming' key to disactivate your Windows key, dedicated macro keys, back lighting, software to customize macros, save macros and alter the lighting. The keyboard types and 'FEELS' fantastic. It's what we know and love from mechanical key switches. The tactile feedback, the orgasmic 'CLICKS' of the keys bottoming out - you get the entire experience on the Razer. Now for you poor readers out there: these have Cherry MX Blue switches, they're INTENDED to be extremely noisy, clicky and clackety. It's not a con, it's what you paid for. So many one star reviews say, "This keyboard felt amazing, but it was just too noisy." If you need quiet, get some MX Browns or something. Also, a lot of people dislike Razer's non-German mechanical keys. I'm currently typing on a Logitech G710+, I will say they do feel smoother but it's not something noticeable enough for me to complain or feel ripped off. The Razer switches are just fine people, don't panic. <b>OVERALL SUMMARY</b> If you really, really love Razer or already have Razer products (headsets, mice, etc) or have a green-LED case, room, green painted room, etc. and want to style it - go with Razer. Also, if you just enjoy the green/black look, go with Razer. If you love Razer in general, go with the BWU and have no fear. I loved the keyboard, like I said, no regrets. It was a fantastic product that was definitely an eye catcher to everybody who lays eyes on it. My older sister who hates me spending too much on gaming loved it when she borrowed my computer to do some stuff. She types at an absurdly fast WPM and said she loved the feedback. It's not just looks folks, those keys are sweet! Also, like I previously said, a very nice piece of room eye candy. If you're price-conscious and like "the most bang for your buck," this keyboard is probably not your best option. The Logitech G710+ (which I purchased today via Best Buy for $99.99) is a much better option overall, price considered and not considered. It includes a wrist rest, has much 'softer' back lighting, smoother key feedback and feel, German switches, a nicer material that doesn't become a finger print magnet and I personally like the look more. It's got the lovely 'gamery' look to it, but it's not so over the top like Razer's robust, intense green. Read more

I can't honestly say I'm a Razer fanboy. When I first heard of Razer products several years back, I instantly hated them for the same reason I hate Apple: unnecessary and ridiculous overpricing in their products. Just look at the Razer Blade, for instance. Are you serious? 2-3k USD for a laptop with no hard drive and a crappy GTX 765M? If you are a computer connoisseur, you know that in the computer world, the idea "you get what you pay for" is more important and pronounced than in any other area of life I can think of, and sadly both Apple and Razer fail miserably when it comes to that. The Good The Razer Blackwidow, however, is worth every penny and more. It is big and bulky, and extra heavy for a keyboard. But that's alright, I wanted it exactly this way. It is very comfortable to type in. I'm looking forward to writing long university essays in this bad boy. Awesome for gaming as well. The feedback you receive from every keypress feels wonderful. I am very picky with how keys feel in keyboards, as the only key-feels that I like are laptop keyboards and mechanical keyboards. I can spot a cheap keyboard instantly and hate it equally as fast. I can do the opposite too, and as soon as I received the box, which has a hole above the directional arrow keys, I pressed them, and smiled, then continued pressing them with a big, dumb smile of delight on my face. For all the overpricing criticism I've given Razer on this review, I somehow knew, maybe even felt within my soul that for a picky keyboard user like me, Razer's keyboards were probably THE ones that would fit my needs quality-wise, and most importantly, feel-wise. I wasn't wrong. I decided to go with the normal version of the keyboard instead of the Ultimate because as far as I briefly researched, the only difference was the illuminated backlit keys that I didn't particularly care about, and would have had off most of the time anyways. (Don't type in the dark, guys, that's just asking for a drastically impaired vision a few years in the future.) The macro buttons are conveniently placed to the left of the keyboard, easy to reach and extremely useful. The keyboard also sports an auxiliary USB port, and a speaker and mic jacks to the right side, which is both a brilliant, and a stupid idea at the same time, more on this below. The Bad So, tell me one thing, Razer. You are a company that makes left-handed versions of your mice products for gamers aren't you? So that tells me you at least put some thought into your products' designs, taking on account the users' hand positions don't you? So tell me why on earth does this keyboard has its auxiliary USB port and jacks to the RIGHT side, where ideally my mouse pad and mouse will be? Taking into consideration that this keyboard is LONG, as a full-sized keyboard should be, the optimal position for your mouse and mouse pad would, in theory, be right next to the keyboard on the right side, unless you want your clients to look like they want to give their monitors a hug while gaming. So taking this into consideration why, just why to the right? Couldn't you've put them on the left or even on the back? Did absolutely NO ONE in that conference meeting point that out? Sure, fine, you can't have right-hand and left-hand versions of EVERY SINGLE product you make, but if you're not going to have a different-hand version of a product, then for your god's sake make your product suitable for the majority, in this case right-handed users. Bad design is bad. I'd just love to hear Razer's explanation on this. (No offense meant to lefties!) Second, is the decision of the placement of the Windows and Function Keys. The Windows key is placed on the left, between the left Ctrl and the left Alt, while the Function key is placed to the right, between the right Alt and the Menu key. Why not swap them up? This is purely preferential, so I can't fault Razer for this, and perhaps I am influenced by my MSI GT70 Laptop, which employs this design philosophy, with the Windows swapped with the Function keys, the intent being if you accidentally hit the Function key, you won't minimize your game as if you had hit the Windows key. I know there's a "Gaming Mode" which disables the key, but why use workarounds when the direct solution would be easier? The Ugly The Blackwidow shows off Razer's logo with a VERY nice green backlit section just below the left Alt, and it makes the keyboard look really awesome. From afar, you KNOW it's an impressive keyboard looking back at you, and that when you use it, you will FEEL Razer. Awesome decision right there. The bad decision, however, was how Razer made the top-right "panel" look. The lighted icons indicating the status of the Caps, Scroll, and Number Lock show below a translucent section of the keyboards plastic and look faded, blurred, and just plain awful. It creates a stark contrast with the Razer logo that just puts you off. If I could give the keyboard 4.9 Stars I would, because the problems preventing the keyboard from being perfect are few and easy to solve. You'd think they should've been no-brainers being worked on from the initial deisgn concepts and alphas of the keyboard, yet they weren't, and that's just sad. Nevertheless, a solid purchase. I love my keyboard despite the auxiliary ports being unusable lest they get in the way of my mouse. It has a lovely typewriter-ish sound to it as well that is pleasant as you write. Looks at performs very very well, as it should for a 100 buck keyboard! Read more