Outside of gaming, the lack of a numeric keypad was a source of constant irritation. Whether you're mowing down enemies in an FPS or leveling in an RPG, the BlackWidow Tournament Edition is on par with other top mechanical keyboards, like the Corsair Vengeance K90 and the Rosewill Mechanical Keyboard RK-9000I, but like the Rosewill, the BlackWidow Tournament Edition may be too stripped down for a lot of gamers. In gaming, the anti-ghosting worked perfectly, and the programmable macros worked like a charm. Razer also covers the keyboard with a one-year warranty.Īfter two weeks of using the BlackWidow Tournament Edition, the keyboard proved itself to be competent in both gaming and office use, with crisp keystrokes and responsive tactile feel. Thanks to a macro record button on the keyboard, you can also record macros on the fly.
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The bundled Razer Synapse 2.0 software is easy to use, and lets you select from a list of preset macros or record your own.
The keys are coated with a matte black, anti-fingerprint finish, but the chassis itself will still show fingerprints and smudges. The construction is quite solid, with a sturdy ABS plastic enclosure and mechanical keys that provide a solid typing feel. The green-glowing backlit keys feature Razer's stylized block letter font, which looks cool, but might be problematic for non-touch-typists, since the lettering can sometimes be too obscure to read. The height is adjustable, with foldout feet adjusting the height and-unlike the 2013 Elite-the BlackWidow Tournament Edition doesn't have pulsating backlight set as default. To further protect the keyboard while it's in your suitcase or backpack, the BlackWidow Tournament Edition comes with a protective sleeve, complete with a separate storage pocket for the detachable USB cable. The BlackWidow Tournament Edition features a detachable USB connection, which allows you to pack the keyboard without having to worry about excess strain being placed on the cable connection. The lack of the numeric keypad will surely be an irritation to some, especially anyone who uses the arrow functions, or who uses their keyboard for any productive work outside of gaming, such as working with spreadsheets.
Unlike the Razer 2013 Elite, however, the BlackWidow Tournament Edition ditches the numeric keypad in order to give the keyboard a shorter overall length, lighter weight, and increased portability.
The 77 mechanical keys require only 50 grams of downward force to register a keystroke-silicone membrane switches usually require 60-70 grams of force, while buckling spring switches may require as much as 80 grams of pressure-and the combined 1000Hz polling and one-millisecond response time means that you won't experience lag due to the keyboard no matter how fast your fingers fly.