In mechanical gaming keyboards, there are a few models like the famous and very good Logitech G915, but other brands have also started. This is the case with Razer, its BlackWidow V3 Pro, a mechanical but, above all, wireless gaming keyboard. It is still quite rare, and in this area, the keyboards presented are essentially high-end models. But it must also say that it takes some to put down the excellent G915. Will the BlackWidow V3 Pro get there?
Pros and Cons
| Razer Blackwidow V3 Pro | Logitech G915 Lightspeed |
| Dedicated media controls | Comfortable, low-profile keys |
| Comfortable wrist rest | Ultra customizable backlighting |
| Double injection PBT keys | Logitech G Hub software |
| Non-fixable wrist rest | Quite expensive |
| Expensive | No wrist rest |
Specification
| Razer Blackwidow V3 Pro | Logitech G915 Lightspeed | |
| $ | CHECK PRICE | CHECK PRICE |
| Dimensions | 450.7 x 248.4 x 42.3mm | 475.0 x 150.0 x 22.0 mm |
| Type | Mechanical | Mechanical |
| Weight | 2.53 lbs (1.149 kg) | 2.26 lbs (1.027 kg) |
| Color | Black | Black |
| Connectivity | Wireless | Wireless |
| RGB | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Numpad | Yes | Yes |
| Battery Type | Rechargeable | Rechargeable |
| Latency wired | 1.2 ms | 1.3 ms |
| Software | Razer Synapse 3 | Logitech G HUB |
| Compatibility | Windows | Windows, Mac OS |
Design
Razer Blackwidow V3 Pro- The Pro version of BlackWidow does not look too much like the classic BlackWidow V3 at the level of its upper-right part. However, we find the essentials, namely the keyboard keys with the numeric keypad and the multimedia keys, identical to the Huntsman V2 Analog.
This is the third version of the famous BlackWidow, Razer’s iconic keyboard. The brand brings a bit of freshness to the lineup over so many years, but this time around, Razer has gone for floating keys like most keyboard makers these days. Indeed, that makes the keyboard bigger and thicker. The keys no longer fit into the keyboard’s surface, but that is not very serious, and it brings an exciting aestheticism.
Under these keys, there is an aluminum backplate, which will bring strength and robustness to your keyboard. It is pretty and aesthetic, and we can see that the screws are not visible here. The latter has indeed been well camouflaged by the manufacturer so as not to swear on the keyboard and undo all the existing and well-groomed harmony.
On the face of the keyboard, the one in front of you when you play, there is a small advantage over the G915. Indeed, the BlackWidow V3 Pro has a location to house its palm rest. However, that’s not all because it can use the keyboard and without; it does not interfere with the aesthetics, which always remains impeccable. With a palm rest, you won’t see the Razer logo at the bottom of the keyboard. This is the only slight aesthetic difference. The practical differences will arrive in a few lines.
Who says wireless keyboard necessarily means a computer connection dongle. Unlike the BlackShark V2 Pro, we find a small USB dongle and not one the size of a conventional USB key. The best to lose it will say the most slanderous? No, because Razer has placed a cover to remove under its keyboard, opening access to storage for this famous USB dongle. It is therefore not a concern to take the keyboard wherever you want; it will accompany you with its dongle always with you.
On the left of the BlackWidow V3 Pro, we have a 3-position button that allows you to select, if you want to connect in Bluetooth, in 2.4 GHz using the supplied dongle or if you’re going to turn off the keyboard. For my part, it remains in the 2.4 GHz position because my PC does not have Bluetooth.
Finally, we have the keyboard charging port on the left on the back of the keyboard, which can also be used wired. The advice, however, is to recharge it once you get to 15-20% battery power so that you can enjoy wireless all the time. We note, however, that Razer has a USB-C port on its keyboard; it is a point gained against Logitech, who gave us micro-USB for the same price!
Logitech G915 Lightspeed- The boxes were relatively ordinary and looked a bit like what you can find elsewhere. Here, even before opening the box, we notice the feeling of quality that Logitech wants to breathe in its keyboard. Like an iPhone box, we remove the small stickers and open this beautiful box. Then comes a small cardboard box protecting the keyboard, itself clad in protective plastics.
A USB dongle for connecting to the PC
Micro-USB cable
A USB to Micro-USB adapter
With this Logitech G915, there is a keyboard with an aluminum shell, the underside being plastic. Aluminum serves two purposes. First, make the keyboard heavier to give the impression of a slightly more “precious” object. Then, it brings more value to the keyboard by offering it solidity and high-end design quality. It’s very appreciable, and just for that, we already love it. Let’s wait and see the test itself to confirm this.
Typing Comfort
The BlackWidow V3 Pro uses Razer Green switches, which were in the first proprietary switches launched by a brand. Cherry is, at the time, still the reference manufacturer. Here, the Razer Green can be compared to blue switches, with tactile feedback clearly present as we can feel it and, above all, hear it. Because indeed, these are quite noisy, it is what one can reproach them. But this noise is mainly due to the tactile feedback and not inherent in the rest of the switch.
The switch is activated about halfway, which allows not to press the keys completely each time and avoids typing hard enough on the keyboard. However, we agree that writing this article is quite confusing when you are used to a relatively quiet keyboard. But just because it’s noisy doesn’t mean it’s not pleasant, on the contrary.
However, it’s important to note that the tactile feedback is quite light, and one would have been able to expect a little more from the Razer Greens, especially on such a high-end keyboard.
Regarding the keys, they are here in PBT, a material whose main quality is not to react – too quickly – to fingerprints that you can leave. Unlike ABS, in fact, the keyboard stays “clean” longer, and some keys do not tend to become greasy with a little perspiration in the middle of summer, a few crisps eaten in front of the PC, and various hazards of life. A keyboard.
However, these double-injected PBT keys aren’t the best we’ve had, on one point. With the switches, they offer a fairly loud noise, which is amplified on the aluminum keyboard plate. But also, the RGB backlighting, which is very good at the base Razer, is quite mediocre here. Indeed, we would have appreciated something brighter, and we know that the problem does not come from the LEDs. When we look at the volume wheel, it is very well backlit, and we quickly notice that the LEDs are not the problem; the problem is the thickness of the keycaps.
On the right, there are 4 multimedia keys with a bonus wheel. The keys are used to go to the previous track, pause/play, go to the next music and mute the sound, the button in the volume control wheel. The latter protrudes a little from the keyboard, which is quite aesthetic, we must admit. Despite everything, we would have appreciated a little more solidity.
The Logitech G915 Lightspeed arrives with brown tactile switches. Despite the noise they make, we promise, it’s a mechanical keyboard. It is clearly felt by the feel of the keys anyway. Here, on the touch version of the keyboard, they have a total travel of 2.7 mm. However, they are active from 1.5 mm of activation. At the very beginning, when we come from a SteelSeries Apex 7, which is a fairly classic mechanical keyboard in its operation, with very thick keys which make a little noise, we are a little confused.
Most disturbing is the row of configurable keys on the left, from G1 to G5; we will talk about this in a few lines. Indeed, we often tend to confuse the A key with the TAB key and be a little too shifted to the left during the first day of use. After a few hours of adaptation, everything is fine.
The Logitech G915 Lightspeed and everything is going well; it is a real pleasure to use and not only for me.
Indeed, the keyboard being relatively silent thanks to the brown tactile switches very well worked by Logitech.
An appreciable adjustment that Logitech has thought of is the possibility of putting 3 levels of height on the keyboard. First, the flat level with the lift pads folded in. We then have small pads which tilt the keyboard at 4 °, then other larger pads which tilt the keyboard at 8 °. We used the larger skates throughout using this Lightspeed G915.
Backlight
Razer Blackwidow V3 Pro- At Razer, Chroma technology and outstanding quality backlighting is a bit of a religion. But it sometimes happens that one deviates from it, especially when one chooses keys in double injection PBT. This choice is certainly interesting for the comfort of use and the solidity of the keycaps, but despite the quality LEDs used by the manufacturer, that is not enough to make the keyboard as bright as hoped.
Fortunately, each key is backlit independently, which is the least thing about such a keyboard. Razer has also chosen not to backlight the entire key but only the main function, as usual. There are, however, some small weaknesses in the Windows or CTRL keys, for example, keys longer than an A. On the alphabet side, however, this is very good, and we always appreciate the rather thin font used by the manufacturer. The backlight isn’t bad, just a little dimmer than what we have been used to from Razer.
However, the secondary function is not backlit; you will have to find your way around at night, and it may not be easy if you play in the dark. Remember to have some light with you, just for the ambiance, your eyes, and the good visibility on the keyboard.
Logitech G915 Lightspeed excels, it is its backlighting. Indeed, the latter is efficient and adjustable a bit as you wish. A small key is placed above the F8 key, making it possible to reduce its intensity. We have always chosen to leave it to the maximum. Logitech had to make one choice not to backlight the secondary function of the punctuation and special character keys. You know, those keys require you to press the Shift key on your keyboard to activate them …
If they are not fully backlit, the upper part is. The lower part is then written in more pronounced and less transparent white, greatly improving visibility. You have to try with the keyboard off; all the keys are barely visible, except these. This reminds us that backlighting is essential for this mechanical keyboard, at night but also during the day.
You also have the possibility to create your own backlighting effects, ultra-personalized according to your desires. Both on the colors and the backlit areas and the effects, the speed of the animations. In terms of the quality of the backlighting, the mouse is perfect and bright enough but not too much so as not to illuminate your desk anymore as the keyboard keys. It is therefore flawless in this area also for Logitech.
Software
Razer Synapse software- This software makes it possible to do just about anything you want, which is the driver for all Razer devices. However, it has many advantages and a small disadvantage; it must update relatively often. For each new feature, modification, or new product, Synapse asks to be updated and, of course, to restart the PC to complete the installation of this update. However, it comes in handy and allows you to centralize all your Razer hardware into a single piece of software.
The Logitech G Hub software, in addition to the predefined effects, the community can share a whole multitude of possible configurations to backlight your keyboard; that’s where it all comes down to. It gets fascinating. Users can configure their custom backlighting and offer them for download. So you can download and use them for yourself.
Conclusion!
The BlackWidow Chroma V3 Pro is a perfect mechanical wireless gaming keyboard. It is a real pleasure to use a wireless keyboard every day to play. The dongle is supplied with it, but the BlackWidow Chroma V3 Pro can also connect via Bluetooth, which is handy if you run out of USB ports available!
The Logitech G915 Lightspeed is one of the best backlit, wireless mechanical keyboards, all three simultaneously. With this model, Logitech records an almost faultless, offering the typing comfort of a mechanical keyboard with the sound of a quiet membrane keyboard. It’s a real pleasure every day.
