Hey everyone Patrik CK here checking out the replacement for the keyboard
I’ve been using since I reviewed it back in 2019. The Cooler Master Devastator 2
has been a loyal keyboard since but it’s seen better days and I wanted something
more and I feel like I found that in it’s replacement the Razor BlackWidow Elite.
There are a couple of attributes of the Devastator 2 that I got used to,
so when I started looking for a new keyboard there were a couple things I was looking for.
As my first true mechanical keyboard and without the ability to actually try one out in stores
I did quite a bit of research online on different keyboards, their switches, and what to hopefully
expect from each one. I looked at name brands, off brands, and everything in between.
While the BlackWidow was on the list, at the time it was $170
which again for my first mechanical keyboard was a bit pricer than I was looking to spend,
so I kept researching while keeping the BlackWidow in my wishlist.
That was until the price dropped to just $99, at that price it felt like a no brainer. Here’s why.
First off and most obvious the BlackWidow Elite is a full mechanical keyboard that
can be equipped with one of Razor’s three switches, I went with the yellows. Which
they describe as linear and silent. Of course by silent they mean silenter
than most switches. To be honest if you type slowly and gently enough
it can be completely silent but if you’re typing at full speed it is still quite audible, not
suitable for most workplace settings unless you have your own office where you can close the door.
Here’s what it sounds like at full speed if you bottom out the keys which I tend to do.
If you are careful it can be pretty quiet
but I don't imagine most people are going to be this purposeful when typing but it is doable.
Razor’s yellow switches feature a 45 gram actuation force which apparently is on the
lighter end of the spectrum, that being said I can still rest my fingers on the keys like I did with
the Devastator 2 without worrying about accidental key presses which I found pleasantly surprising,
I guess I have a lighter touch than I thought. The actuation point of just 1.2mm from the top
means these switches are classified as ‘fast’ and with a full travel distance
of 3.5mm I noticed it’s pretty similar to the Devastator 2 which I’ve become quite used to.
While those numbers are seemingly meaningless if you’re not a coneser of mechanical keyboards, I
can definitely say that if you do a lot of typing these switches are marvelous. The linear action
means there’s no real feedback telling you that you’ve hit the actuation point but since you only
have to go 1.2mm to register a hit you don’t need that extra feedback. At least I don’t think so.
The best way to see what’s actually happening with these switches is to check out these
cross section animations. The yellow switches travel in one smooth motion between the keycap,
slider, and contact leaves. This is in contrast to the other switches from Razor or MX where sliders
are split in two to give you the tactile ‘bump’ or there’s a pronounced notch on the slider to give
you the clicky noise. Different designs provide different types of feedback and noise which is why
there are hundreds of switches to choose from now. All I know is, I now love these yellow switches.
If you want to fall in love too, pick one up for yourself at the link in the description.
The stabilization of the caps is phenomenal. The space bar feels solid no matter where you hit it.
Unlike practically all other keyboards I’ve used
the individual caps do not move in place making it such a great feel to type on.
I can even quantify that my typing is faster with this keyboard.
On the membrane and mem-chanical boards I maxed out at 60-65 words per minute but
on the BlackWidow I can consistently get over 75 words per minute at 95% accuracy.
A considerable increase for just changing the type of keyboard used. I can honestly say that it’s an
absolute pleasure to type on the BlackWidow. I go out of my way to type because it feels that
good. Maybe it's because I’ve never experienced using a mechanical keyboard before but nonetheless
I’ve never felt this way about a keyboard before. Your results may vary as all this stuff
is very subjective but I’m fairly confident that if you type a lot you will like using this board.
While the switches and typing experience are the best part of the BlackWidow there are quite a few
other features that are icing on the cake and some negatives I’ll cover at the end.
Now I didn’t buy this keyboard for the RGB but I have to admit I really enjoy messing around with
the Razor Synapse 3 lighting settings. Thanks to every key having its own fully addressable LED
under the cap you can combine different effects together in the Chroma Studio to make some really
interesting setups. Like this one I created where there’s a base wave of different hues of blue,
then on top a reactive effect where when each key is pressed it changes color while at the same time
creating a small ripple from the pressed key, so it looks like you're tapping into
the surface of a slow moving stream. The combination of effects is infinite.
Unfortunately at home this is rather wasted since my keyboard roles underneath my desk but at work
where it’s on top of my desk it’s a beautiful thing and yes, I absolutely bought a second one!
If you want to try out the custom lighting I setup you can download the ChromaEffects file from my
site at the link in the description. Of course that's assuming you are using the Chroma software.
Apparently the position of the media buttons is a point of contention for some but for me they great
where they are as I can easily move from the mouse to turn the volume dial. I also prefer the dial as
opposed to up and down volume buttons. The media buttons are obviously not mechanical but I still
wish they felt a little nicer. They are oddly hard to press and feel a little mushy compared
to the rest of the keyboard but I only ever use the volume dial anyway so it doesn’t impact me.
A more interesting feature are the audio and USB pass throughs on the left side. Because
of these two pass throughs the braided cable for the keyboard is thick since it’s actually
inclosing three separate cables which split up near the end to plug into their respective ports.
They are both really convenient if you have a reason to use them, at home I have
my multi-card reader plugged in and at work I use the audio pass through for my headphones.
The audio pass-through is super convenient and while it works I did have to finagle
the connector to get both channels to work at 100%. For my Sennheiser CX100s
it looks like the connector is only partially inserted but this is where I have to leave it
for the headphones to work properly. It’s not a big issue since they stay plugged in all the time
but if I had to constantly plug and unplug headphones this would get annoying fast. I
think it has to do with the fact that this port supports output and input.
The BlackWidow comes with a wrist rest that attaches magnetically
to the front edge of the board. If you don’t have a wrist rest at all this is a great option, firm
but supportive. I personally don’t use it because I have a more robust wrist rest for
both the keyboard and the mouse. Quick side note. I also swapped out the mouse
that came with the Devastator 2 combo for a Logitech G502, infinite scroll the for the win!
Removing the keycaps doesn’t require any tools. They slip right off and go
back on just as smoothly and you can see where the LEDs are positioned, very cool.
It’s not strictly unique to this keyboard but unlike membrane keyboards where there’s
a whole open compartment below the keys where all manner of disgusting stuff can
gather below the keys, on the BlackWidow the switches are level with the deck
making it easy to clean and stops foreign material from gathering under the keys.
On the bottom there are channels where you can route cables multiple ways
and a set of pop down feet with two heights to choose from.
Lastly the BlackWidow is a hefty boy coming in at 3.7 pounds or 1.7 kilos
that’s mostly thanks to mechanical setup but also it’s aluminum chassis.
Lastlier it comes with a two year warranty.
Now I have been gushing about this keyboard
this whole time but there are a couple things that do need to be pointed out.
For one, I wish you can change the indicator light colors located here. I always have num lock on
and that one pure white light in a sea of tranquil color is annoying to say the least.
Something else I noticed is a metallic twang as if the switches are hitting the bottom
of the metal chassis which echoes around the keyboard, see if you can hear it here.
It’s more noticeable around the middle of the keyboard
since there’s more empty space inside for the echos to propagate. It’s not always obvious and
probably depends on what the keyboard is sitting on, the type of desk, and your surroundings.
Lastly It’s a little annoying you have to have the Razer Central app open for the custom lighting
effects to be active. I thought in the marketing for this thing it said the profiles were saved
directly to the board. I’ll have to figure that one out. On top of that if you use an alternate
method to log into Razor Central you have to login every time you turn the computer on.
I ended up making a Razor account directly with them from which I can turn on automatic login.
Not sure if it’s just me, let me know down in the comments.
Even with those couple of negatives, I have to say I highly
recommend this keyboard to anyone but especially those of us who type all day.
That’s it for this review. If you liked it please share so others can find this
content in the future and maybe even pick a BlackWidow up for yourself,
link in the description. Until next time this has been Patrik CK, goodbye.