Ahhh keyboards.  A gamers main interface with his game.  Comfort, ease of use, and durability are staples for keyboards that are going to be used in a Game Center environment. Keyboards are also going to be your most often replaced peripheral next to your headset.  So getting as much out of your money invested is key to this review.  Ever keyboard I have listed in this article I have used on heavily used computers in batches of no less then five at a time.  So I’m certain my results will be quite accurate.  New remember to keep an objective mind when read this because the use of these keyboards are in a gaming center.  These keyboards receive the most awesome abuse day in and day out and if they aren’t great keyboards they won’t make the cut.  But things I also took into consideration is ease of use from an administrators stand-point.  For example are there any extra drivers I have to install to make the keyboards work, and if I do will I have support issues?   Will the software included with the keyboard be something I’m comfortable with allowing my customers having access to?  These all effected my decisions when choosing the most effective keyboards. Oh and pricing was a definite thought.

Best Keyboards for a Game Center

5. Logitech Black Internet 350 USB Keyboard

This was the very first keyboard I used in my Lan Center.  It was cheap and it had the logitech name brand.  It was gamble buying as many as I did but for their price I definitely won the bet.

Pros:

• Great Tactile Response on the keys
• After several months of use cosmetically they all came out unblemished
• Price Point I got a great deal by buying 20 of these in on go

Cons:

• They feel very flimsy
• The Legs tend to break off very easily
• Short Usb Cable
• They warped if they got to hot (Had to move buildings in my first  3 months in the middle of summer half the keyboards got warped from heat)

Summary:

They were great keyboards for starting out definitely with the price point.  But I felt ashamed I was putting cheap keyboards on 1k+ gaming rigs.  In my opinion it took away from the whole experience and I replaced them all when I had 6 totally bite the dust.  Not their fault some asshat spilled has water that drained down the table an affected a whole row, I also had to replace some mice.  And the SOB just left and didn’t even clean it up, at the least he could have told someone so I didn’t have 6 keyboards and mice that sat in water for an hour.

4. Logitech G15 Wired Gaming Keyboard

I really liked this keyboard.  It was sturdy but it was huge and it had a nice price tag that came with it.  I originally purchased only 5 of these to go on VIP gaming machines but eventually had 20 of my 25 original computers with this bad boy.  It was a great experience until customers started getting more and more into the LCD screen on the top of the keyboard.  I began to have to keep updating the LCD software for it to keep up with the games coming out and it began to become more of a hassle then it was worth so I sold them at nearly the same price I bought them because after 3 months of heavy usage they still looked in great shape and worked fine.

Pros:

• Durability, these things had heft and wouldn’t move even in the most heated FPS matches
• Tactile key response
• LCD and Programmable Keys
• Stylish Design

Cons:

• Price, when I bought these they were each almost a hundred dollars each they have dropped in price since I bought them though
• Keys tend to rub off after extended use,  You could begin to see white edges
• LCD and Programmable Keys, Yeah I know I listed this as a Pro but its also a con for all the extra setup you have to do to get the extra features to work
• The keyboard is Extremely Large even the newer reduced size version is still quite large.
• Extra USB ports on the keyboard itself are weak

Summary:

Good keyboard with alot of extras but unfortunately takes up alot of space and can be a pain to keep the software updated (Just another thing to update untop of the tons of games you have to keep upto date?  No thank you)

3. Logitech G110 LED Backlighting Gaming Keyboard

The G110 is a beast.  It big, its sturdy, and it looks cool as hell.  I honestly own only 1 of this exact model but I owned 10 of its predecessors the g11.  And let me tell you the slight improvements made make this a damn great keyboard.

Pros:

• Sturdy, can really take a beating
• Key illumination looks awesome in dim lighting
• Keys stand up to wear and tear drastically
• Amazing software for programming the macro keys

Cons:

• Price
• Size  (This thing is quite wide)

Summary:

I went with the g11 because it was cheap then the g15 and I didn’t have to keep updating the software for the lcd every time I got a new game.  Well this updated version is general more expensive then the g15 which makes no sense to me at all because it doesn’t have the LCD screen on it.  But it does have the same amount of programmable macro keys as the ORIGINAL g15.  So i guess you pay the price for the macro keys.  Ultimately the programmable keys was a passing fad in my game center and people stopped really caring about them and were moving more to game pads then anything.  So I was stuck with some advanced, beautiful keyboards that took up a whole lot of space.  I ended up selling these and going to the Saitek

2. Saitek 2-Tone Eclipse II Keyboard

This keyboard is one of my favorite 2 keyboards.  Its Heavy so it doesn’t get pushed around and it has excellent back lighting.

Pros:

• Perfect tactile response to the keys
• Sturdy you could literally kill someone with it
• Excellent back lighting that can be changed between 3 different colors
• Dimmer for the back lighting.  A TRUE dimmer
• Long, Sturdy nearly indestructible usb cord
• Price

Cons:

• The grey paint around the keys would wear off leaving a dull grey matte finish
• No way to turn off windows key
• Multimedia controls can be buggy, ALWAYS remedy by changing a setting int he software you are wanting to use it with

Summary:

I went with his keyboard because I got over my fad of wanting this advanced keyboards that honestly did nothing but got a few OOHs and Awws when I first put them in.  But cause me weeks of headaches teaching people to set them up and use them properly.  This keyboard doesn’t have any of those bloated features.  Its just a really great keyboard.  This is my personal favorite and I’m using to type this article right now.  Its just that awesome.  But I chose the Eclipse 2 because hell isn’t 2 better then 1.  If I would have tried the eclipse 1 out first I wouldn’t of had to replace my E2 with the E1s (I replaced them because I sold the gaming center that had the Eclipse 2s and started another center and used the saitek Eclipse 1.  Guess I’ve done given away me number one choice huh?)

1. Saitek Black Eclipse Keyboard

This keyboard SHOUTS lan center.  I have 30 of these that have lasted over a year and several have taken some pretty nasty spills.  Taken over zealous L4D players.  And angry WoW pvp’ers.  And its the second cheapest keyboard on this list.  Who says an incredible product has to come with a bloated price tag?

Pros:

• Like most Saitek keyboard its hefty and stays in place extremely well
• Back lighting is perfect on this model and paint doesn’t come off.
• Price, this thing is extremely well priced in fact made me feel stupid I paid so much for other fancier keyboards
• Long sturdy usb cord
• Plug and Play no software, no having to setup programs so its media keys work
• Did I mention these things are next to indestructible?

Cons:

• Lack of media keys.  It only has volume control.
• Can’t lock out windows key with hardware

Summary:

I have 30 of these things attached to computers now.  I have an extra 20 of them in a storage closet for future builds (I got a great bulk buy deal).  When people ask me about the perfect gaming/everyday use keyboard this is the one I suggest.  Its tough, its beautiful, and it won’t burn a hole in your pocket.  The keys feel great the gamers love them and they accent the gaming rigs perfectly.  For a personal use keyboard I would suggest the Eclipse 2 but for a massive application use I would suggest the Eclipse 1.  Its just that damn good.

Feel free comment about your keyboards and any keyboards you think should be included on this list.  These aren’t the only keyboards I’ve used in the game centers I’ve owned but they definitely are the best.  Yes I’ve used the zboard and the merc and the wolfpad.  And honestly in a game center environment they take up too much space and too much time for a common peripheral.  Time is money and if you have to spend ANYTIME having to worry about a keyboard it is not worth it.

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