Logitech G413 TKL SE Mechanical Keyboard

ive never owned a mechanical keyboard before and i am very satisfied. it sounds and feels much better than a membrane keyboard. the lighting is clean and goes well with my setup. my favourite thing is the compactness of the keyboard and how slick it is. definitely good for anybody with a small desk. got it on sale for 80 including shipping and taxes. well worth the money. only nitpick is the spacebar is quite louder than the other keys and feels different, but its like that a lot for other keyboards.

(black G413 TKL SE)

No, this isn’t a true budget mechanical (there are plenty of $25-$40 no-name mechanicals out there), though it’s about as cheap as you’ll find a true mechanical from a major brand-name maker.

…however, it’s better made, with nicer materials, fit-n-finish and better key feel than the cheaper ‘boards I’ve used and at a price that’s still within reach for most gamers (or folks who just prefer the feel of mechanical over membrane).

This “SE” version of the G413 was purchased to replace my first gen. G413, which suffered a failed W key after three years of nightly gaming use. The SE has better key action and a more solid key feel than the earlier version, it also has more texture on the key cap surface and touts a new key cap material (this is a welcome upgrade, as I was starting to see the paint wear off around letters on my WASD keys on the OG version). The “board”/deck of the keyboard is similar to the older version, which is to say it’s very solid and well made, but the SE forgoes the USB port and dual cable of the original, it also doesn’t show up as a recognized device on Logitech’s G Hub software anymore.

Key feel is a personal preference, so my 5 stars may be your 1 star… I’d call these switches a blending of a Cherry brown and blue switch as far as character: they’re sprung stiffer and have a more noticeable break point than a brown switch, but aren’t as firm or crisp as a blue and more importantly, are as quiet as a brown switch, overall a very pleasant compromise in my book. If anything, I’d say they have a more solid feel than even genuine Cherry switches and easily best the first gen. Logitech mechanical and Chinese Cherry-esque switches in feel and solidity.

I love this keyboard for the fact that it has a solid deck, good cable, great key feel and simple LED backlighting, I feel like it’s a much better value than a no-name board for $30 less, or a top of the line name-brand board at up to hundreds of dollars more.
Multi-color, per key programmable, flashing, color wave LED “features” add nothing to the gaming (or typing in subdued light) experience for me and I hate paying extra for stuff that I just have to figure out how to disable… Thanks Logitech!

As far as TKL ‘boards in general go, they’re certainly not for everyone… I like TKL better than 60% (though I still miss my num pad) and it does still reclaim a sizeable chunk of real estate on my desk for mouse over-run compared to a full sized keyboard, which in my case is a real advantage in sweaty PvP gaming situations.
Having directly accessible F keys and full size style arrow, del/ins, etc. keys is definitely worth the added width for me, but smaller desks or gaming only rigs might still be better with 60%, YMMV.

So far, this keyboard is very comfortable to type on and functions well. The solid color white backlight fits my needs, and each keycap is well-lit. Which brings me to my only nitpick…the symbols for the FN keys aren’t lit (they’re on the side of the keys, not the top), so they can be difficult to see, especially in a dimly lit setting. But, I guess it’s not hard to remember F6-F8 is media control and F9-F11 is mute/volume control. Other than that, it’s a great compact TKL keyboard that fits my needs perfectly for productivity and light gaming and looks more professional than a flashy RGB gaming keyboard.

The keyboard is wonderful for a budget, the keys are relatively loud but the keyboard itself is great. The cable is not detachable and the keys are not removable. Plugs in with usb and has a nice white backlight.

For the price it is a high quality product. Keys are fantastic. Kind of like parts of it better than my $180 keyboard I’d say the keys metal frame is the best part of this product. Clear lighting as well

Not quiet like it claims to be, but definitely not nearly as loud or annoying as most gaming keyboards around this price range. The backlighting and effects are good and the cable is decently long but not long enough to be annoying. Typing on it and gaming on it both feel good. Good quality and will last a while.