Logitech G710+ Mechanical Keyboard and G600 MMO Mouse Review
by Dustin Sklavos on October 9, 2012 12:01 AM ESTConclusion: Both Recommendable for the Right Users
The essential problem with any peripheral review is that peripherals are very subjective; the key places to win are going to wind up being fit, finish, and features. You want to make the product the best you conceivably can while making it as comfortable as possible for the broadest set of users. You're not going to be able to hit everyone, and my experiences with the Logitech G710+ keyboard and G600 mouse are a testament to that. So I want to be clear: I'm trying to evaluate these products based on how well they might serve the needs of the individuals who they'll be best suited for, outside of the fact that ultimately they're clearly not for me. Because Logitech is one of the biggest names in peripherals for users across all markets, it's not going to be too hard to evaluate the feel of the G710+ and G600 on your own in retail.
.jpg)
The G710+ keyboard hardware has, in my opinion, only one major flaw: the glossy finish surrounding the keyboard. Outside of that, I can't help but feel like Logitech has essentially thought of pretty much everything you're going to want or need. The keyboard layout is traditional for American markets, so no learning curve there. The white LED backlighting with configurable brightness and zones is pleasing to the eye and can be adjusted to suit the individual's needs, and I'm always happy to see a wrist rest included (one of the primary reasons I stuck with a Corsair K90 for my personal keyboard). Beyond that, the G710+ experience is going to be up to how you feel about the switches themselves. I think the $149 MSRP is a bit onerous, but the K90 was selling for roughly as much when it released; at around $129 the G710+ should at least be competitive, though I personally would give the slight nod to the K90.
.jpg)
As for the G600 mouse, the hardware itself has no real weaknesses in my opinion other than a paucity of the accoutrements typically afforded higher end Logitech mice. With the G600, it really does just come down to whether or not the mouse feels comfortable to you, but the design is incredibly smart and I can see a lot of people getting fantastic mileage out of it. The G600 can be found hovering between $60 and $80 in retail online, but that should surprise no one; good mice usually command high prices, and they're usually worth it. I'd easily recommend the G600 over the Corsair M90 or Razer Naga, though.
I think the primary battles the G710+ and G600 are going to fight in the market will be based on comfort and price. Comfort-wise, the G710+ is going to have a tougher time than the G600, whose market is essentially self-selecting by virtue of how big these mice generally have to be. Corsair made a mouse that was definitely smaller, but at the cost of intuitive button design on the sides. Meanwhile, the good Logitech products have often commanded moderate to premium prices, so bargain hunters shouldn't be surprised to see these two on the high end of the scale. Whether or not they're worth the cost is going to be the result of a combination of factors; I don't think they're priced out of competition, they're just not bargains either.
Facebook
Twitter
RSS
73 Comments
View All Comments
Sabresiberian - Thursday, October 11, 2012 - link
I have 2 G15s; the ones with 18 G-keys on the side. I understand that many people don't like that many because of the extra width, and they don't need that many extra macro keys, but I do use them and so this keyboard is somewhat of a disappointment to me despite its other qualities.Logitech did a nice job here, I know many people have been asking the company to build a mechanical keyboard and they will be thrilled with this one, but it misses the mark for me.
Systembolaget - Thursday, October 11, 2012 - link
...FILCO Majestouch Ninja tenkeyless keyboards. These plasticky Logitech devices are pure junk without minimalist aesthetic appeal and build quality. With FILCOs, you could literally hammer a nail in the wall. A red Esc. key is a must.For those, who don't know 'em http://www.diatec.co.jp/en/det.php?prod_c=775 available in various languages, too.
hellashes - Thursday, October 11, 2012 - link
i wonder whats the length of the keyboard? im having a lot of troubles choosing one cos my desk is not too big and long keyboard take on my mouse space.Inteli - Thursday, November 29, 2012 - link
If you REALLY need a keyboard that doesn't take up a lot of space, get a Tenkeyless keyboard unless you DESPERATELY need the number pad. They save a ton of space.www.elitekeyboards.com sells a few in the major switch types.
SirGCal - Thursday, October 11, 2012 - link
I recently got a brown key setup. LOVE it. This I would love even more-so, but did I miss somewhere if it also had PS2 capable n-key rollover? I think this one is only limited to 26 keys. I refuse to use USB limited keyboards because of this. (and at my best, I was very near world-record typing speeds). My current brown does have n-key rollover as long as used with the supplied USB->PS2 adapter. Unfortunately, even a very nice 26 key can catch me sometimes. N-key is my one must-have in any keyboard first and formost. Unfortunately, it's also severely limiting to my resulting choices. I had hopes for this one but... I hope I'm wrong and it does include n-key.I actually like blacks myself. Super quiet. But require a bit more force. Browns are my 2nd favorite. I don't like reds or blues. And I had near world record typing speed, just never did get the noise. And I too grew up with old-school typewriters and apple/TI brick computers. I'm getting up there myself but the noise always messed with me. But I love the feel. Black is my preferred for gaming though. Again, just personal preference. Brown for typing but gaming is also very nice. But I tend to get excited and false-press on my brown far more-so then I do with my blacks.
sean.crees - Friday, October 12, 2012 - link
I can see it now, I'm going to need ear protection to use the computer labs now because of how obnoxiously loud all the mechanical keyboards are.Inteli - Thursday, November 29, 2012 - link
What mechanical keyboards have you used? They aren't that loud unless you get Cherry MX Blues or Greens. Browns (seen here) are fairly mild, even when bottoming out. Plus, Mechanical Keyboards aren't gonna be industry standard again for a while, if ever again, so I wouldn't expect to have Mechanical Keyboards in school computer labs anytime soon.Zak - Friday, October 12, 2012 - link
I use inverted T arrows for movement, and I know others who do so, so those gaming keys on the far left are useless to us.Inteli - Thursday, November 29, 2012 - link
And though not everyone does use the WASD keys, it is the industry standard. Plus, if they annoy you, you can always just get a set of black keys to replace it.DrTeeth707 - Saturday, October 27, 2012 - link
The problem is, I buy an illuminated board for a reason, to see all the characters lit up. This keyboard has many keys with the two characters vertically placed - so only the top character gets illuminated - the lower one is VERY difficult to see. Some mech keyboard makers have characters next to each other (horizontally) in the top half of the keys so they BOTH get illuminated. Just returned a Ducky 9008 shine II because of this.Because of this I will have to get a membrane board.
DrT