Logitech G513 Carbon Mechanical Keyboard Reviewed

rgMekanic

[H]ard|News
Joined
May 13, 2013
Messages
6,943
Ryan Shrout over at PC Perspective are taking the new Logitech G513 Carbon mechanical gaming keyboard for a spin. The G513 Carbon has exclusive linear Romer-G switches, and in my opinion, some very good looks. Oh and of course all the RGB frag harder disco lights one can stuff into a keyboard. But is it worth $150?

Finally, we come to the big selling point of the G513 Carbon, the new Romer-G linear switches. These switches carry through all of the positive qualities of the tactile switch, sans the “bump” indicating when you’ve triggered a character. This includes the higher actuation point and shorter overall travel distance of 1.5mm and 3.2mm respectively, as well as the 45g of pressure required to actuate (for those keeping score, that’s 25% faster actuations than a standard MX-style switch). Compared to the prior generation of Romer-Gs, this puts them much closer to a standard Cherry MX Red - or even better, Cherry MX Silent Red.
 
Last edited:
At that price point, I feel as if it should have dedicated volume and mute controls, ala K70.

...and be a little bit lighter in price, since the market is flooded with almost every major, minor, and never-heard-of-before brands offering mech KBs.
 
For the same price, I'd rather tryout the G613 wireless mechanical. It has dedicated media keys and 6 "G" keys. It's missing the RGB back light though.
 
I'm never buying a mechanical keyboard from the likes of Razer, Logitech, or Corsair ever again. Crappy doomed to fail switches, and/or crappy doomed to fail keycaps with proprietary keys, and/or crappy doomed to fail LEDs, and all in all shit quality materials, construction, and QA. These products function long enough to get good reviews, but they aren't built to last, ever.

On the other end of the spectrum you have "boutique" companies who are bending their gullible, koolaid-drinking, and almost certainly autistic customers over backwards with shit like bog standard $200 keycap sets.

Honestly, I'd just avoid both ends of the spectrum. The boutique crap is so marked up that it should be criminal, and you can get better build quality than "gaming" brand keyboards even from cheap chinese brands.

For example, a low priced, high quality, and super stylish option: https://www.amazon.com/Qisan-Keyboa...7046977&sr=8-9&keywords=Qisan+Magicforce+Mini

Or you can get a modular keyboard that, if a key ever fails, can simply be replaced (or can service multiple uses by swapping switch types) with significantly better build quality for somewhat cheaper than a high end gaming brand board: https://www.pcgamingrace.com/products/gmmk-full-brown-switch

Or you can get a freaking analog keyboard for about the same price as a gaming brand keyboard, which is also modular, and also has way better build quality: https://shopna.wooting.nl/wooting-one-basic.html

And you can get really decent quality, double shot, PBT keycaps that also work with backlights for next to nothing if you know where to look: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Rus...833.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.3e874c4djju3Is
 
As an Amazon Associate, HardForum may earn from qualifying purchases.
MMMeeehhhhh. That "brushed" plastic look. Not impressed for $140. I'd be interested in trying the Romer G switches, but that fake metal look was dated a decade ago, and go-faster lighting just isn't enough justification to drop that kind of cash on it.
 
MMMeeehhhhh. That "brushed" plastic look. Not impressed for $140. I'd be interested in trying the Romer G switches, but that fake metal look was dated a decade ago, and go-faster lighting just isn't enough justification to drop that kind of cash on it.

Well, its real metal so...
 
Well, its real metal so...
Only Logitech can make aluminum look like plastic in all their product photos.

They need to hire a better creative agency.


Fake metal (that's real metal) look aside - it's still overpriced, even with RGB lighting. If it were under $100 I'd be tempted. At $140 it barely counts as a possibility - I'd rather just build my own. I'll admit i'm more of a minimalist myself - even if it were matte black I'd be annoyed by that ugly "G" logo in the upper right.

If you're listening Logitech: go tenkeyless, ditch the giant logo, but keep the switches. Just make a copy of the Masterkeys Pro S with the Romer G switches and I'll buy it.
 
Last edited:
Only Logitech can make aluminum look like plastic in all their product photos.

They need to hire a better creative agency.


Fake metal (that's real metal) look aside - it's still overpriced, even with RGB lighting. If it were under $100 I'd be tempted. At $140 it barely counts as a possibility - I'd rather just build my own. I'll admit i'm more of a minimalist myself - even if it were matte black I'd be annoyed by that ugly fucking "G" logo in the upper right.

If you're listening Logitech: go tenkeyless, ditch the giant logo, but keep the switches. Just make a copy of the Masterkeys Pro S with the Romer G switches and I'll buy it.

I've been using a Razer black widow for like 6 years now, the thing is built like a tank and I've definitely gotten my mileage out of it (got it for free from a friend who was moving). I happened to see this Logitech at a best buy and the keys feel nice but I can't justify $140 for a keyboard either so I'm with you on that. I don't care about LED RGB seizure-mode either.
 
I'm never buying a mechanical keyboard from the likes of Razer, Logitech, or Corsair ever again. Crappy doomed to fail switches, and/or crappy doomed to fail keycaps with proprietary keys, and/or crappy doomed to fail LEDs, and all in all shit quality materials, construction, and QA. These products function long enough to get good reviews, but they aren't built to last, ever.

On the other end of the spectrum you have "boutique" companies who are bending their gullible, koolaid-drinking, and almost certainly autistic customers over backwards with shit like bog standard $200 keycap sets.

Honestly, I'd just avoid both ends of the spectrum. The boutique crap is so marked up that it should be criminal, and you can get better build quality than "gaming" brand keyboards even from cheap chinese brands.

For example, a low priced, high quality, and super stylish option: https://www.amazon.com/Qisan-Keyboa...7046977&sr=8-9&keywords=Qisan+Magicforce+Mini

Or you can get a modular keyboard that, if a key ever fails, can simply be replaced (or can service multiple uses by swapping switch types) with significantly better build quality for somewhat cheaper than a high end gaming brand board: https://www.pcgamingrace.com/products/gmmk-full-brown-switch

Or you can get a freaking analog keyboard for about the same price as a gaming brand keyboard, which is also modular, and also has way better build quality: https://shopna.wooting.nl/wooting-one-basic.html

And you can get really decent quality, double shot, PBT keycaps that also work with backlights for next to nothing if you know where to look: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Rus...833.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.3e874c4djju3Is

wow, no making you happy.......
 
As an Amazon Associate, HardForum may earn from qualifying purchases.
Personally, I am quite partial to Unicomp's buckling spring keyboards; nothing fancy, and there's some cosmetic quality issues due to their equipment ageing (they are using the old IBM machines to manufacture), but I love the (typing) feel and they are lots cheaper than many other mechanical keyboards.

Not sure if they are okey for gaming, though.
 
I'm never buying a mechanical keyboard from the likes of Razer, Logitech, or Corsair ever again. Crappy doomed to fail switches, and/or crappy doomed to fail keycaps with proprietary keys, and/or crappy doomed to fail LEDs, and all in all shit quality materials, construction, and QA. These products function long enough to get good reviews, but they aren't built to last, ever.

On the other end of the spectrum you have "boutique" companies who are bending their gullible, koolaid-drinking, and almost certainly autistic customers over backwards with shit like bog standard $200 keycap sets.

Honestly, I'd just avoid both ends of the spectrum. The boutique crap is so marked up that it should be criminal, and you can get better build quality than "gaming" brand keyboards even from cheap chinese brands.

For example, a low priced, high quality, and super stylish option: https://www.amazon.com/Qisan-Keyboa...7046977&sr=8-9&keywords=Qisan+Magicforce+Mini

Or you can get a modular keyboard that, if a key ever fails, can simply be replaced (or can service multiple uses by swapping switch types) with significantly better build quality for somewhat cheaper than a high end gaming brand board: https://www.pcgamingrace.com/products/gmmk-full-brown-switch

Or you can get a freaking analog keyboard for about the same price as a gaming brand keyboard, which is also modular, and also has way better build quality: https://shopna.wooting.nl/wooting-one-basic.html

And you can get really decent quality, double shot, PBT keycaps that also work with backlights for next to nothing if you know where to look: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Rus...833.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.3e874c4djju3Is

Are the Romer-G switches really that bad? The design looks really smart. I'm not shopping for one, but it's fun to try different boards. Sometimes you get a pleasant surprise. e.g. I was very happy with a cheap Ducky board I picked up for a friend. It was MX Cherry Blue, and an absolute delight to type on.

My personal experience with low cost, stylish boards was really bad (many sellers don't know what they're doing -- often selling knockoffs of knockoffs). The microcontrollers are poorly designed or loaded with bad firmware which adds milliseconds of debounce -- which is absolutely bonkers. (Debounce should be measured in the micro (μs) scale, not milli.) The switches are usually old stock Kailh (which are rather rough), but the newer stock are decent. If it advertises the MX cherry clone "Gateron" switches, which are very good, you can only hope they aren't some other knockoff.

BTW, I'm one of those koolaid-drinkers you speak of. :) I don't necessarily recommend it to anyone, but it's fun if you're already into DIY. I CNC milled a case, had an open source PCB printed, bought a plate, replaced Gateron stems with Zealios and configured variable weighted springs to my taste, soldered, configured and flashed the firmware onto a microcontroller. You end up with something that puts everything else to shame, will last the rest of your life, and can be repaired easily if needed. It's like the difference between investing into a cheap, reliable economy car every 5-10 years, or heavily into a restomodded dream car of your ideal period. e.g. You won't find me under the hood of an Elantra, but I will gladly work on a P1800.
 
As an Amazon Associate, HardForum may earn from qualifying purchases.
Doesn't look to bad. Although the Actuation distance is more than the comparable MX Speed or Razer Yellows. I'm a fan of the Travel distance.

I agree with the "Gamer" font comment. I'd easily buy a set of normal font caps for my razer if I could.
 
Personally, I am quite partial to Unicomp's buckling spring keyboards; nothing fancy, and there's some cosmetic quality issues due to their equipment ageing (they are using the old IBM machines to manufacture), but I love the (typing) feel and they are lots cheaper than many other mechanical keyboards.

Not sure if they are okey for gaming, though.

Solenoid actuated beamsprings are the apex:
 
not sure why folks are saying keyboards made by companies like Logitech are crappy. I have a G810 and it's well made, heavy so it doesn't slide around on the table or in your lap and haven't had a single problem with th elighting or the software or any of the keys. I think I paid $80 at the Egg .... what more could you want especially at that price point
 
I don't think Logitech keyboards are crappy at all. I mean, sure, a $15 Logitech isn't going to win any awards, it's a cheap POS. But I really like my G510s. It's not mechanical, but the keys feel good to me. They have become a bit shiny, but the letters are still fine. I do wish that the backlight was a little brighter. I have never had a modern mechanical so maybe I don't know what I'm missing. All in all, I think the G510s is an 8.3 out of ten. And I think Logitech makes some good stuff. I'd love to get the G513 but that isn't gonna happen.
 
Says "Carbon", but it is made out of Aluminum and plastic...
Seems legit.

Logitech should be glad they aren't in the automotive, cylcing, or aeronautics industries.
 
I've been using a Razer black widow for like 6 years now, the thing is built like a tank and I've definitely gotten my mileage out of it (got it for free from a friend who was moving). I happened to see this Logitech at a best buy and the keys feel nice but I can't justify $140 for a keyboard either so I'm with you on that. I don't care about LED RGB seizure-mode either.

Yeah, I'm currently using Corsair K70 and before that Razer BlackWidow Ultimate.
BlackWidow was a better keyboard in my opinion, although it was quite loud (they didn't sell the silent version here at that time). It was never getting dirty and even after a couple of years looked like new.
The only downside was the size. I think K70 design wise is better since it's smaller and has that volume button.
 
Get the G413, the only thing the new one adds are individual RGB keys and the option for a linear switch, the G413 is also like $90 or $80.

I have the silver G413 ("white" LED lights and brushed, natural aluminum), it's super sturdy, heavy. I like the G-Romer keys too.
 
Still using my Microsoft Sidewinder X4 because it wont stop working, still looks great and have never had any issues. I paid $54 and refuse to pay more than that for a new one when that time comes. I am not a pro gamer so 0.0000011 Planck response time will not help me and I have never had a ghosting issue.
 
Well it's a keyboard. A board with keys on it. Looks like total shit, I don't like that design, I like having a bezel surround on my keys.
 
No rolly volume control, no sale.

I've never really understood the appeal of an on-keyboard volume control. It's off in the corner of the keyboard, so if I want to use it I'm still taking my right hand off either my mouse or my typing position, and at that point it isn't much farther to the speaker sitting on my desk to turn the volume knob. Is it a nifty feature? Sure. But I've never seen it as a dealbreaker.
 
I doubt it would be enough of an upgrade to justify ditching the K65 Lux I've currently got, but I've always found the Logitech lit keyboards intriguing. I really like how the Romer-G switches don't bleed light under the keys, I think it's a much better aesthetic than Cherry's LED switches.
 
I've never really understood the appeal of an on-keyboard volume control. It's off in the corner of the keyboard, so if I want to use it I'm still taking my right hand off either my mouse or my typing position, and at that point it isn't much farther to the speaker sitting on my desk to turn the volume knob. Is it a nifty feature? Sure. But I've never seen it as a dealbreaker.
Depends how you use your PC I suppose.
Its nice to have the immediate ability to quickly change volume levels when something unexpected happens.
My PC is used for multimedia duty in the living room.
 
The best keyboard I've ever had was a MaxKeyboards custom order; MX Browns, bumpers, white backlighting, that I killed with a few drops of water. Very frustrating.

Current is a K70 RGB which works well enough, but is neither as comfortable nor as quiet. It does however have the keys 'surface mounted' like this Logitech G513 Carbon, so a few drops of water won't fall straight on a PCB.


On RGB lighting: I don't like the idea of a fracking rainbow blasting from every component, however, RGB lighting is the only way to approach getting every component that does glow to glow the same color.

For me, it's white, and somehow soft white lighting isn't popular, so I've found myself using RGB lighting more often to get the effect, including on my K70.
 
Says "Carbon", but it is made out of Aluminum and plastic...
Seems legit.

Logitech should be glad they aren't in the automotive, cylcing, or aeronautics industries.
That's peak carbon! Now you can just use the word for no reason whatsoever.
 
I'm still waiting on someone to give a legitimate reason why mechanical keyboards are such a fad now. Back in the early nineties basic keyboards were like that. I had one, and couldn't be happier to get rid of it. Loud, way to long key travel, and after the switches got worn some keys barely worked. So what do these modern ones offer, that make them so popular that people are willing to pay these outrageous sums for them?
 
Loud, way to long key travel, and after the switches got worn some keys barely worked.

They're getting shorter travel, more precise actuation points, quieter, and longevity is far, far higher.

The proper comparisons are with keyboards produced even earlier that are still in use today ;).
 
I am particular to the Romer-G's, I have a G910. The only thing that I dont like on the 513 is the missing volume wheel. I have gotten quite used to it. Otherwise it looks like a nice plank.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Maxx
like this
I'm still waiting on someone to give a legitimate reason why mechanical keyboards are such a fad now.
I agree somewhat.
I bought the Gskill Ripjaws RGB mech keyboard with brown switches and its pretty damn loud.
In the end I was forced to get silicon o rings to quieten it and had to buy another set to double them up!
Even then its still louder than the Corsair K70 and I had to put up with double key/space presses for some time caused by the double o rings.
It seems some are louder than others with the exact same switches.
There are very quiet and low travel switches available now.

On the other hand its easier and faster to touch type with a good mech.
Switch activation feel is very useful.
And its nice to know a quality switch is going to last.

I'm not sure they are a fad but there are enough people using PCs for mfrs to hit sales targets.
When you want a quality product ...

edit:
I think I used the wrong quote and cant seem to find it now, oh well :)
 
Last edited:
I'm still waiting on someone to give a legitimate reason why mechanical keyboards are such a fad now. Back in the early nineties basic keyboards were like that. I had one, and couldn't be happier to get rid of it. Loud, way to long key travel, and after the switches got worn some keys barely worked. So what do these modern ones offer, that make them so popular that people are willing to pay these outrageous sums for them?

$150 for a good keyboard isn't what I would consider outrageous. Some people just like the feel of mechanical switches, I do.
 
I'm still waiting on someone to give a legitimate reason why mechanical keyboards are such a fad now. Back in the early nineties basic keyboards were like that. I had one, and couldn't be happier to get rid of it. Loud, way to long key travel, and after the switches got worn some keys barely worked. So what do these modern ones offer, that make them so popular that people are willing to pay these outrageous sums for them?


So, I can answer this from a professional gamer point of view. The most important thing for a gamer is the tactile feedback. It let's them know the key was pressed, especially when you are pressing a lot of keys. In addition for those that do a lot of typing, and type fast, it likewise gives them positive feedback that the key they quickly pressed was actually actuated. I was never really much for the sound, but some people prefer the sound for much the same reasons. If they don't feel the tactile feedback, they can hear the noise of the key actuating.

These days there are more options that make the keys easier to press, less noisy and quicker responses. But since I no longer compete competitively, I don't need the super highend keyboards anymore. Today I generally have 2 keyboards, one ergonomic keyboard for general typing and one keyboard for gaming. For typing I use the Microsoft 4000 ergonomic keyboard, and for gaming I am currently using a Logitech G15 keyboard. Both are still going strong after 5+ years. I actually own 3 Microsoft 4000 keyboards, one for work, one for my project station, and one for my main system.
 
Nice double troll, first going on a nonsensical tirade, followed by a "review" of the wrong damn keyboard. I salute your ability to fail twice epically.

Well aware that the G413 is the direct predecessor and the new version is a small update.
 
I'm still waiting on someone to give a legitimate reason why mechanical keyboards are such a fad now. Back in the early nineties basic keyboards were like that. I had one, and couldn't be happier to get rid of it. Loud, way to long key travel, and after the switches got worn some keys barely worked. So what do these modern ones offer, that make them so popular that people are willing to pay these outrageous sums for them?

Well, for starters I type significantly faster on a mech keyboard. And also, I much prefer the feeling on typing on them. So, what is not to like? This is my beauty:

juSZJs8.jpg
 
Back
Top