Hardware Gigabyte K8100 Review

My Logitech UltraX is still mechanical, it has just a shorter stroke due to the scissor-mechanic used then the good old Cherry G80.... so what exactly are you speaking off?

 

While as a brit I find it annoying to use a US style keyboard, the toughest to use was a Turkish keyboard I used recently. Although most of the letters are in a similar place, in place of i there is the letter ı which looks similar when you're reading, but obviously doesn't work in usernames or passwords.
It took me a good five minutes to login to my webmail

Wading in to the slimline vs mechanical debate, I prefer the mechanical action of the basic dell keyboards of the last few years. They don't have any fancy macro keys (or even media keys which I would like), and no eye melting paint jobs either, but they work bloody well, are pretty indestructible and best of all, they're dead cheap

 

There is no gaming KB without an LCD, currently Logitech is the only one with this and will be the only company I even consider for keyboards.
There are many many keyboards out there that I would use if they had an LCD, but no LCD = No purchase.

Yours in LCD Plasma,
Star*Dagger

 

tried this gigabyte keyboard here

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823334002

not too shabby and cheap

 

Cheap is shabby.
That KB is completely inadequate for gaming purposes.

Some of the things that are must haves on a gaming KB
1) LCD screen,
2) Macro keys
3) Windows key lock out (lose a PvP match when windoze switches you to desktop and you will agree)
4) Laser cut back lit keys (ideally with customizable color schema)
5) Reinforced WASD keys and other engineering for gamers

And don't forget you need mice too, one for MMOs (Razor Naga) and one for FPS, but that is another story.

Yours in Go big or Go home Plasma,
Star*Dagger

 

yeah bought that for my old rig.. it's not a bad keyboard though- was actually surprised- wasn't expecting much but it seems pretty sturdy

gigabyte make pretty good stuff.. sure you can spend whatever and get the best, still doesn't make you a better gamer xD

 

I don't know quite what is going on, I kinda want one

Hmm... I may have to spray my G15 bright orange lol, although I guess you need the angles to pull off the horrendously bright colour.

PS. wtf are you on about for the UK kb layout? I guess not many people bother with it then because this kb is a UK layout and it doesn't have a half size b.space and it DOES have a # key. Pretty retarded rant, not quite sure why I got upset about it either haha! Maybe because you pretty much called us idiots for our kb layout as if we, as a nation, designed it. d**k

 

Erm....

I'm playing games for some 20 years now and I've never needed all of these things you mention there, and I never had any problems without those features.
All I need is a keyboard with good quality so it doesn't break apart within 3 years of using it, which never happened to any of my keyboards yet.

When we played Doom or DukeNukem some 15 years back in time none of those features were available anyways and nobody was complaining.
What additional stuff is to be found in modern FPS that would require any fancy features you mentioned there?

A keyboard has to be comfortable to use and rigid enough to last 5 years atleast. Nothing else is needed and only wasted efforts imho.

 

Man, I always wondered what had happened to the Gigabyte Keyboard K800 (not K8100).



It was mechanical, had macros with the F keys, rather heavy looking but it disappeared before you knew it.

It was the BBC Micro's true successor

 

This is you trollin' right?

 

I'm gonna jump on the hating UK keyboard bandwagon too - that damn Alt Gr key!! I'd like to be able to hit Alt with either hand ffs! Why the hell should it only use the standard Windows function on one side?!

Other than that, I'm not fussed about the differences. I grew up using US keyboards and the only particularly relavant change when I switched to UK was the " and @ simbols swapping. The left shift key was mildly annoying, but easy to adapt to. I can still easily switch back to US keyboards, though I'm not a fan of the half-height return key anymore. Whatever happened to the L-shaped return key that was like the UK one but inverted?

 

Cherry MX Browns Cheesecake.

 

I've always wondered why someone hasn't made a specialty keyboard with the clicky switches like the old IBM model Ms. Have you see what those go for these days? :O

 

So... How are the back-lite keys actually look in the dark?

 

It's not Gigabyte's first gaming keyboard, they launched the K8000 in 2008 http://www.gigabyte.us/press-center/news-page.aspx?nid=-597
The K8100 actually comes in a selection of colours http://gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=3588

 

At least you would not lose it in the dark.

 

@Yoy0YO
I also loved the look of the K800
@ jrs77
scissor switches are not really what is intended when discussing mechanical switches on keyboards
this website defines the terms quite well
http://www.overclock.net/keyboards/491752-mechanical-keyboard-guide.html
@Star*Dagger
completely dissagree (but then I have a steelseries 7 so in keyboards were on different worlds.
@Cthippo
ahhh the old IBM - the ultimate keyboard
you can look as the DAS or Razer BlackWidow

The Razer BlackWidow certainly sounds a perfect compromise
http://www.tomsguide.com/us/Keyboard-SteelSeries-Razer,review-1594.html

I'll however stick with my steelseries, MS ergonomic and Belkin Nostromo n52te which cover most requirements.

 

Backlit keys are not just for dark ops. Place a "normal" unlit KB next to a backlit one in any room and you will see how much more usable the lit one is.

Yours in Positive control Plasma,
Star*Dagger

 

I can't agree more. I love my backlit keyboard (Logitech Illuminated keyboard). I got hooked on it, when I got my Dell Latitude E6400 which comes with a backlit keyboard. So useful!

 

meh, I have a razer arctosa, with has black lettering on black keys, without backlighting. Doesn't matter to me because I touchtype/game. I imagine it would be hell to use for most people.