Top 6 Budget Gaming Keyboards

Key Features:

• Uses Membrane Switches
• Detachable Soft Palm Rest
• Three-zone dynamic RGB backlighting
• Built-in memory for your LED modes and macro functions
• Key-rollover: 10-key rollover
• Weight: 1.8 pounds/ 816.46 Grams
• Dimensions: 18.9 x 6.6 x 1.4 inches
• Size: Full-Size Keyboard

CORSAIR K55 RGB Review

It should come as no surprise that a Corsair gaming keyboard makes the top of our list. They’ve been around since 1994 and have been providing quality gaming components and peripherals since the early noughties.

With its K55 RGB gaming keyboard, Corsair found a way to strike the perfect balance between price and quality.

Since it’s a membrane keyboard, it’s pretty lightweight. It weighs just under 2 pounds (under 900 grams). This does not mean it can’t take a beating. It’s made of high-quality plastic which ensures that it will be around for a while.

It’s a full-size keyboard with 110 keys. Six of these keys are programmable macro keys (G buttons/keys) which are located in a single vertical line on the far left side of the keyboard.

In terms of size, it’s a pretty long keyboard. This is not a bad thing, particularly if you have sausage fingers like mine. If you plan on using it for typing, it’s a joy to type on. However, because the keys aren’t removable, it makes it a little tougher to clean.

The keys are adequately spaced, so typing and gaming won’t feel cramped and uncomfortable.  It also comes with a detachable palm rest to add to the comfort. It’s a bit flimsy, but it can be removed and replaced if necessary.

While it’s a membrane keyboard, this may not be apparent to most users because it does a great job at feeling like a mechanical one. More experienced users may notice subtle differences. It feels like a slightly squishier MX Brown switch keyboard.

The keyboard is divided into three sections, and each section has programmable RGB backlighting. There are over ten different presets to choose from.

While this won’t give you the same functionality or feature list as top tier gaming keyboards, it’s worth more than its price tag suggests. You aren’t even required to download additional software to use it.

If you’re looking for the right membrane keyboard with decent response times and an affordable price tag, we have no hesitations in recommending this product.

Key Features:

• RGB backlighting
• 8MB Onboard profile storage and macro recording
• Detachable Soft Palm Rest
• Weight: 3.22 pounds/ 1,460567 KG
• Dimensions: 17.6 x 6.6 x 1.6 inches
• Size: Full-Size Keyboard

CORSAIR Strafe RGB MK.2 Review

If it ain’t broke, why fix it? Corsair’s Strafe MK.2 isn’t a fix to the original Strafe MK.1, rather it’s a collection of subtle tweaks and improvements. It’s a pretty sizeable and heavy keyboard. It weighs just above 3 pounds (1,4 KGs) which means it’s sturdily built can take any punishment you deal out to it.

This keyboard uses Cherry MX Red key switches and gold contacts. The MX red keys feel smooth but slightly squishy – which can be a bit off-putting for some users. While this is a mechanical keyboard, it doesn’t produce a loud ‘click’ sound with each key you press. The keys also require very little force or effort to press.

The keycaps are replaceable, as a matter of fact, the keyboard comes with additional MOBA/FPS keycaps and a keycap puller. It has 8MB onboard profile storage which means you can take your lighting and macro playbacks settings with you when you switch computers.

The keyboard also comes with a tough but comfortable detachable palm rest. In addition to this, it has dedicated volume and multimedia controls. It features a USB pass-through which gives you an additional USB port to use with your other accessories and peripherals.

We do have a problem with the location of the pass-through though. It’s located on top of the keyboard which may be impractical depending on how your workspace is set up. Keys are spaced out well enough and because of the removable keycaps, this keyboard is very easy to clean. The matte finish makes palm and fingerprints a lot more noticeable than we would like.

The keyboard also has a thick cord which makes it a little less manageable. Our biggest gripe with the keyboard though is the Corsair’s nearly incomprehensible iCUE software. While the keyboard has fully customizable lighting and some very advanced macro programming, some users may skip out on using these features because of how difficult the software is to learn and use.

It’s a little more expensive than the other entries in this guide, but if you can afford to stretch your budget a little, we don’t see why you shouldn’t try this keyboard out.

Key Features

• Uniform Red LED Adjustable lighting
• Cherry Blue equivalent Switches
• 12 Integrated multimedia keys
• Splash Proof Design
• Weight: 2.16 pounds/ 979.7595 Gram
• Dimensions: 354 x 123 x 37 inches
• Size: TKL

Redragon K552 Review

If you’re unfamiliar with Redragon, they’re a high-value brand owned by Eastern Times Technology. They’re known for producing high-quality but affordable gaming peripherals.

The K552 has all the characteristics of what makes Redragon products great. While it doesn’t take up much space (in terms of workspace area), it’s still pretty heavy for a TKL keyboard. This is because it’s a fully mechanical keyboard. It doesn’t just simulate the feel of one like most modern membrane keyboards do, it actually is one.

There’s a discernable bump and click with each key you press. While this and its raised keys may form part of a typist’s wet dreams, some gamers might want a quieter keyboard and this is one of the areas where this keyboard falls short. It’s loud.

This can be blamed or credited to the Cherry MX Blue equivalent switches it uses. It has 12 integrated media keys, as opposed to dedicated ones. You might have to learn where each one is located before you can build a rhythm and multitask between your audio and gaming effectively.

Due to its splash-proof design, the keys are a bit closely situated to each other, which can make typing feel a bit cramped, especially if you have big hands. The keycaps feel a little bit flimsy but they’re easy to remove so you can replace them and switch them around if you want to. This also makes the keyboard easier to clean.

Because it’s a TKL sized keyboard, it doesn’t come with a number pad but this shouldn’t be a deal breaker at all. Each key is lit up with a uniform but adjustable red LED backlighting.

It has a solid aluminum and ABS build with a gold-plated USB connector which ensures that the keyboard is both responsive and durable. It’s built to last and you’d be hard-pressed to find a keyboard of its quality for the same price.

Key Features

• RGB backlighting
• Advanced Romer G Tactile Mechanical key switches
• Integrated Multimedia keys
• Wrist rest included
• USB Pass-through
• Weight: 1.11 pounds / 503 Grams
• Dimensions: 5.1 x 17.5 x 1.4 inches
• Size: Full-Size Keyboard

Logitech G513 Review

Logitech is a veteran in producing high-quality personal peripherals for PC interfacing. They’ve been around for four decades now. Not only do they produce great keyboards like the G513 but they’re known to build and manufacture some of the best gaming mouses too.

The G513 isn’t the most low-priced keyboard on the market but if you review its specs and compare them to other keyboards that are priced similarly, you’ll find that it’s actually a bargain.

The keyboard uses Logitech’s custom Romer G tactile switches which provide you with a discernable bump during actuation. It strikes the perfect balance between feel and sound. This keyboard is nearly as quiet as a standard Cherry MX Red keyboard.

It’s quite light for a mechanical keyboard but this does not mean it’s not tough. The top case is made out of an aircraft-grade aluminum alloy that looks great and isn’t yielding to finger and palm prints.

The keyboard comes with a convenient USB pass through which is located near the top right-hand corner of the keyboard. It comes with a comfortable leatherette memory foam palm rest, perfect for those long weekend gaming sessions.

The palm isn’t actually attached to the keyboard though. This can either be a pro or a con depending on how you look at it. For instance, if your keyboard moves around while you game, the palm rest can feel a little obtrusive and unmanageable.

The G513 also comes 12 additional keycaps and a puller. It also has a 26-key rollover and performance-tuned anti-ghosting which is ideal for fast typists and nimble-fingered gamers.

The biggest blemish on the G513’s record is the configuration software you have to download in order to customize the RGB lighting, your macro commands, and game profiles. The software is not very intuitive and we hope that Logitech makes it a bit easier to use in the future.

The keyboard doesn’t come with dedicated macro keys or discrete media controls. Instead, the media buttons are integrated. Despite this, it’s still a pretty bad-ass looking keyboard. It has the same feel as an elite gaming keyboard but doesn’t carry the same hefty price tag as one.

Key Features

• Individually Backlit Mid-Height Keys
• Mecha-Membrane Key Switches
• Integrated media keys
• Adjustable Leatherette Wrist rest included
• Weight: 2.1 pounds / 952.54 Grams
• Dimensions: 18.2 x 6.7 x 1.3 inches
• Size: Full-Size Keyboard

Razer Ornata Chroma Keyboard Review

Razer have been around since the mid-noughties and since then they’ve been providing some very high-grade gaming hardware. At first glance, due to its very angular and square design, the Razer Chroma is a pretty stiff looking keyboard, especially when it’s laid flat on your desk.

But on further inspection, you learn that it’s more flexible and comfortable than it actually looks. It’s built like a brick with its military-grade metal top plate. The keyboard alone weighs over 2 pounds, even more with the removable wrist rest.

The keyboard uses a membrane-mechanical hybrid that Razer have dubbed as Mecha-Membrane. It does well at giving users the best of both worlds – good tactile feedback without being too loud. You feel the press but you don’t hear it like you would on a brown switch.

This delivers both a comfortable typing and gaming experience. The keys are also shaped well and decently spaced out.

While it doesn’t have dedicated macro (G-keys), it’s fully programmable but this can be a pain due to its tricky-to-understand software. However, it’s worth mastering because the software saves profile configuration to cloud storage which can then be in turn downloaded from every computer you use the keyboard on (as long as it has an internet connection).

All in all, while this keyboard costs as much as most membrane keyboards, it’s still worth purchasing if you’re looking for long term option that strikes a good balance between feel and functionality. If you’re interested, check out the detailed Razer Ornata Chroma review before deciding.

Key Features

• 16.8M RGB ambient lighting color options
• 3 adjustable leg angles
• Cherry MX Brown switches
• Weight: 3.11 pounds / 1.4 KG
• Dimensions: 19.5 x 6.9 x 1.3 inches
• Size: Full-Size Keyboard
• 15 programmable macro key functions

Alienware Pro Gaming Keyboard AW768 Review

If you’re into gaming hardware, then Dell’s Alienware needs no real introduction. I’m sure many of us have found ourselves lusting after one of its top tier gaming laptops. While they aren’t well known for their gaming peripherals, they still deliver a decent budget gaming keyboard with the AW768.

The first thing you’ll notice here is that this keyboard is heavy, which is surprising cause the keyboard case is primarily made out of plastic. Even with the plastic build, it still feels robust and sturdy. Each key is individually lit using RBG ambient lighting. While it doesn’t come with a palm rest (this can be purchased separately), it comes with three height options.

It uses Cherry MX brown switches which require very little effort to press, have good tactile feedback and low click noise. They’re ideal for first-person shooters and MOBA games. Speaking of which, the keyboard comes with five dedicated macro keys situated to the left of the keyboard.

The sixth key on top is is a switch that toggles between three different macro sets. There are no dedicated media control keys here, they’re all integrated. The Alienware logo is actually a button that can be configured to toggle ‘Game Mode’ or turn all lighting effects on and off.

The keyboard is relatively easy to clean and the silver-grayish plastic finish is fingerprint resistant. One thing that this keyboard makes abundantly clear is that Alienware understands gamers and what they need.It has a few weaknesses but its pros far outweigh its cons. With the AW768, Alienware provides a solid entry into the world of gaming peripherals.