INTRODUCTION

   HAPPY NEW YEAR PEOPLE! May 2013 prove to be a lot better than 2012 for everyone around the world. So after 4 full days of just lying down and having a good time with friends and family (well not really since we also spend quite a bit of time performing benchmarks and testing peripherals) we are back. Now some of you may remember that roughly 2 months ago and after quite a few emails by some of you we started gathering and testing mechanical keyboards from all the top manufacturers in the field not only because we wanted to showcase exactly what you are getting with your hard earned money but also because we wanted to have a more complete experience surrounding the available cherry MX switches in the market currently. So for the past 15 days we've been testing the latest G710+ Mechanical Gaming Keyboard by Logitech which in the end proved to be a lot better than we originally thought it would.

   Focused on innovation and quality, Logitech designs personal peripherals to help people enjoy a better experience with the digital world. We started in 1981 with mice, which (new at the time) provided a more intuitive way of interacting with a personal computer. We became the worldwide leader in computer mice, and have reinvented the mouse in dozens of ways to match the evolving needs of PC and laptop users. Since those early days, we have expanded our expertise in product design beyond the computer mouse, with a broad portfolio of interface devices that are the “last inch” between you and your computer or your console game, digital music or home-entertainment system. With products sold in almost every country in the world, Logitech’s leadership in innovation now encompasses a wide variety of personal peripherals (both cordless and corded), with special emphasis on products for PC navigation, gaming, Internet communications, digital music and home-entertainment control. For each of our product categories, we study how our customers use their digital devices, and then our designers and engineers set their sights on how we can create a better experience with those devices – richer, more comfortable, more fun, more productive, more convenient, and more delightful.

   Cherry manufactures a large range of switches (11 in total) but their most popular ones (to date anyways) are the MX black/blue/brown/red ones so naturally almost every high end mechanical keyboard out there comes with one of those switches. For example the G710+ Mechanical Gaming Keyboard we've been testing for almost 2 weeks now features Cherry MX Brown switches which although not really new (been around since 1994) offer a tactile feedback as you press the key down but lack the click sound we encounter with keyboards using MX Blue switches (like the Das Keyboard Pro Model S and the Razer BlackWidow). However that's not really a bad thing (personal preference) since on one hand you indeed don't have the same typing feedback but on the other hand the lack of the clicking sound may be a lot more important for people who prefer silence when working or playing. The Switches however are not the only thing that makes a good keyboard so read the rest of this review to see exactly what the latest G710+ mechanical gaming keyboard by Logitech is all about.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

The product arrived inside a long (and quite plain) black box with an image of the G710+ at the front half normal and half X-rayed.

At the rear we see a list with the product features written in 4 languages showcased on a product picture.

The keyboard sits inside a formed piece of cardboard which allows almost no room for movement while shipping.

Just the G710+ mechanical gaming keyboard, palm rest, user manual and warranty information papers are inside the box.

THE G710+

For a gaming keyboard the Logitech G710+ is not really large and comes with a rather impressive design compared to most mechanical keyboards (for gamers mostly).

As you can see although the G710+ has extra media and macro buttons it is only slightly larger than the Model S by Das Keyboard (which is a good thing).

The only thing neither of us liked when testing the G710+ is the palm rest which is made by let’s just say not the best hard plastic material in the world.

The Logitech logo is placed on a long silver plate at the bottom center of the keyboard.

Logitech has used different color caps for the arrow and WASD keys a feature obviously aimed at gamers.

The G710+ also comes with a total of 6 programmable G-keys placed vertically on the far left side.

Aside the usual scroll/caps/Num lock LEDs on the right upper side the G710+ also has a mute key and a volume roller.

Right above the F keys we see 3 mode keys, a built-in macro recording key, a game/desktop key (disables the windows keys), backlight keys (control the dual zone backlight level) and four media keys.

As mentioned earlier Logitech has used Cherry MX Brown switches (with white backlight) for the G710+.

A USB 2.0 port is placed at the front of the unit and although it's not very easy to access i think it's a lot better there than on the right side.

At the base of the keyboard we see 2 large stands, 4 large rubber feet and two cable routing spots (the palm rest also has 3 small rubber feet).

Although i didn't have even the slightest issue with the angle of the keyboard during the two weeks of testing the two stands don't really lift it much off the ground.

The G710+ features a thick rubber/plastic cable which at its end has two USB connectors, one to power the keyboard and one for the pass-through USB port.

As soon as you will plug the keyboard in all of the keys will light up like a Christmas tree (you can adjust the backlight of the arrow/WASD keys separately from all the other ones).

LOGITECH GAMING SOFTWARE 

Since there's no software CD in the bundle you will need to download the latest gaming software from the Logitech support page.

The Logitech Gaming Software shows a large keyboard picture from where you can click on the programmable buttons (G-Keys/Macros) to start configuring them.

Once you click on either of the keys the game profiler automatically scans to detect if you have one of the 260 supported games installed (each software update adds more games) and then loads the corresponding profiles.

So here you can assign one of the pre-configured commands to one of the G keys, use the command editor to create your own commands, set a millisecond delay when using a command with more than just 1 key and finally switch between profiles by clicking on the M1/M2/M3 keys.

CONCLUSION

   When Logitech launched the G15 gaming keyboard well over 5 years ago it earned a place on my desk and stayed there for over 3 years without breaking a sweat and even though it's a membrane based keyboard it still works just as good as it did back then. Then came the G19 gaming keyboard again by Logitech which i still use and has worked flawlessly ever since. Because of that i don't really consider membrane keyboards to be bad and weak as some people claim (of course depends on the quality of manufacture). However that doesn't mean that they can achieve the same life span as mechanical keyboards can, far from it actually and mostly because of that i believe that professionals should always work with mechanical keyboards to eliminate the possibility of a bad surprise. Regarding the G710+ mechanical gaming keyboard there's not really much to say. It's a high quality keyboard with a very good design, dual zone backlight and Cherry MX Brown switches which offer a nice tactile feedback when pressed without the click sound we have with Cherry MX Blue switches. That means that you may not type quite as fast with the G710+ as you will with let’s say the Pro Model S but such differences are really tiny even in the long run.

   High Quality products usual cost quite a bit and most mechanical keyboards out there are of the highest quality so the USD144.99 inside the USA (Newegg) and the 144.90Euros inside the EU (Caseking) required to get the G710+ mechanical gaming keyboard by Logitech is not really much, certainly not when other similar solutions cost even more. Now i would like to see a sturdier palm rest (like the one that came with the G19) since this one is far from it but i doubt Logitech will change that in the next batch, besides it's not really a big deal. Overall the G710+ mechanical gaming keyboard is a very good solution especially for gamers (because of its design and extra keys) and for that we are giving it our Golden Award.

PROS

- Build Quality
- Design
- Cherry MX Brown Switches
- 6 Macro Keys
- On-The-Fly Macro Recording
- Gaming Software
- Dual Zone Backlit Keys

CONS

- Price (For Some)
- Palm Rest Quality