PC gaming can be an expensive hobby, especially given the current price of graphics cards (curse you, bitcoin miners!) If you spent most of your budget on the PC itself and forgot about the peripherals, never fear. Gaming keyboards don’t have to break the bank.
At some point, spending more money on a keyboard just results in diminishing returns. There are a lot of “under $XX” lists out there, but most take sales into account. These five keyboards have an MSRP under $100 but exhibit excellent quality and durability.
1. Razer Ornata Chroma ($91.99)
Ah, Razer—the company to go to when you want LED lights on a toothbrush. All jokes aside, Razer is a solid name in the gaming community for a reason. The company routinely produces high-quality hardware, and even though they’ve had a few misfires in the past, Razer has learned from customer feedback and improved their equipment moving forward.
The Razer Ornata is a great example of this. A strange lovechild of mechanical and membrane keyboards, the Ornata’s “Mecha-Membrane” gives the tactile response of a mechanical keyboard but doesn’t sound like you dropped a tub of Legos onto a glass table. The keys themselves are individually backlit, so you can set them up in any possible combination you want. Highlight the WSDA keys for an FPS setup, or highlight your most-used abilities for your favorite MOBA. With 16.8 color options, you’ll probably upgrade before you try them all.
The Ornata also has 10-key rollover anti-ghosting capabilities. That’s a fancy way of saying it can execute ten commands at one time without crossing any metaphorical wires, a feature that comes in particularly handy when you’re hammering in commands during a tense raid boss.
2. Razer Deathstalker Essential ($40.18)
Razer makes its second appearance on the list, but this time…without LED lights. The DeathStalker Essential is a great budget keyboard option. At just $43.06 on Amazon (and with an MSRP of $49.99), Razer built the DeathStalker so that even the most budget-conscious gamers could have a responsive keyboard.
Despite the low cost, the DeathStalker has 10-key anti-ghosting capabilities and is fully programmable, so you can customize the inputs as you see fit. The wrist rest may get in the way for some people, but it helps keep the hands healthy and comfortable during long gaming sessions. As someone that suffers from carpal tunnel from time to time, believe me: it’s worth it.
The DeathStalker is wired, but at less than $50, are you surprised? The low price point means that many of the features traditionally seen in gaming keyboards are lacking, but this keyboard hits where it counts: in performance and comfort.
3. Rosewill RK9000V2 ($74.99)
This keyboard may sound like a generic version of some of the more popular choices, and while Rosewill certainly isn’t as well-known as the bigger names, the company produces quality keyboards. Gamers can choose between Cherry MX Blue and Cherry MX Red switches for the same price, while the Cherry MX Brown switches will cost an extra $5.
The Rosewill focuses on performance more than looks. You won’t get LED backlighting, but you will get Windows Key lock functionality and 104-key rollover. The Rosewill is rated for 50 million clicks, so it won’t give up the ghost after just a few games of CS: Go. There are quick-access multimedia keys at the top of the keyboard for when you’d rather sit back and watch a movie instead of playing a game.
The Rosewill is wired and has rubber pads on the bottom of the keyboard to help stabilize it during use. If you’re looking for a minimalistic keyboard, the Rosewill is the way to go. No LEDs and a subdued, engraved logo at the top right of the keyboard make it one of the less-flashy gaming options out there.
4. Corsair Strafe ($82.99)
Corsair has a special place in my heart, not because I’ve used their products, but because their name makes me think of the incredible Protoss air unit from Starcraft. The Corsair Strafe is equipped with Cherry MX switches and gorgeous red backlighting. It is designed with gamers in mind. The 104 key roll protection means that no matter how fast you’re hitting the keys and triggering macros, every input will register.
The Corsair is fully programmable. You can set any key to nearly any command. If you can imagine a macro, the Corsair will let you do it. Unfortunately, it isn’t wireless, but the USB pass-through means you can connect your mouse to the keyboard rather than taking up another USB port on your computer.
The most-used keys in FPS and MOBA games are textured and contoured, so you don’t have to worry about your fingers slipping from them onto the wrong keys during heated matches. It’s Braille for gamers.
5. SteelSeries Apex M500 ($87.99)
SteelSeries is known for their gaming equipment, from headsets to keyboards, and they have a wide range of price options. For example, the Apex 100 is just $29.77. The Apex M500 strikes a balance between affordability and performance. You can also count on the Apex lasting you for years to come—it’s rated for more than 50 million clicks.
The Apex has total anti-ghosting capabilities for all of its 104 keys and a push depth of just 4 mm. Through the SteelSeries engine, you can reprogram any of the keys to serve a different purpose. Like many of the keyboards on this list, it’s designed with gaming macros in mind. The Cherry MX Red mechanical switches give a satisfying click when pressed, but are not as loud as the competition.
The Cherry key stems allow you to swap out the keycaps for custom ones without affecting gameplay at all. Combine that with the limitless macro options and this keyboard can become a near-perfect reflection of your gaming personality.
Patrick is a long-time gamer and diehard fan of the classics: Legend of Zelda, Final Fantasy, Halo, etc. He collects SNES games and once dove into a dumpster for a copy of Earthbound.
