Logitech G413 Review

The Logitech G413 Carbon is one of the cheapest mechanical gaming keyboards on the market today – at least from a big brand. This unit only costs $70 in the US and £70 in the UK, which means that it’s not much more expensive than lots of membrane keyboards and significantly cheaper than many other mechanical options.

What do you actually get if you buy an affordable mechanical keyboard, though – is it a bargain, or should you save more cash for a pricier peripheral? Read our Logitech G413 review to find out.

Design

The Logitech G413 is a smart and subtle keyboard that’s equally at home with a gaming rig or in the office.

The G413 is made from a plastic base that’s coated with a slab of brushed aluminium. The metal is finished with a gunmetal colour, and it looks superb: sleek and smart. Unlike many gaming keyboards, the G413’s clean lines aren’t disturbed by invasive logos or extraneous RGB LEDs.

The Logitech G413 looks excellent, and the addition of aluminium means build quality is excellent. This keyboard is rock-solid, with no movement in its frame. It’s noticeably sturdier than units like the Corsair K55 RGB and Razer Cynosa Lite. That makes a metal-frame device like the Logitech a better option for frequent travellers.

The Logitech’s sleek design also means that this keyboard isn’t particularly large: it’s 445mm wide and 132mm deep. That makes it easier to travel with this unit.

Elsewhere, the Logitech G413 includes focussed design that concentrates on gaming and simplicity rather than on providing extra features.

Underneath the G413’s sleek body, for instance, you’ll find cable-management channels – handy for keeping wires neat. The box includes twelve keycaps with deeper grooves and noticeable facets. They’re designed for replacing key buttons, like the WASD cluster and number keys, and they give a little extra grip. A key-removal tool is also included.

The G413 also includes a USB port. That’s rare on keyboards at this price, and makes it easier to charge phones or connect storage drives. However, bear in mind that the port is a slower USB 2.0 connection – not USB 3.1.

The G413 has good, focussed design, but there’s no avoiding it: this affordable mechanical keyboard does miss out in some areas thanks to its affordable and focussed approach.

The Logitech doesn’t have any dedicated macro or media buttons. Macros can be recorded to the function row and media options are available here, but these approaches aren’t as easy as having discrete options.

The G413 also doesn’t have a wrist-rest, and the metal edges of the unit are annoyingly sharp.

The G413 also has no RGB LED lighting. Instead, the Logitech has red backlighting with four adjustable brightness levels and only a couple of basic effects. The lighting is good – sharp and crisp – but RGB LED keyboards do have more options in this regard.

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Performance

The Logitech G413 is one of the most affordable mechanical gaming keyboards on the market, and it’s certainly cheaper than most mechanical devices.

That does mean that the Logitech doesn’t have CherryMX switches – the hardware of choice in most mechanical units, and in the majority of pricier keyboards.

Instead, the G413 users Romer-G tactile switches. These switches are designed to have a noticeable bump in the middle of their typing action, just like many of the more popular CherryMX-based keyboards around.

The switches used here require an operating force or 45g in order to actuate, and they have an overall travel distance of 3.2mm. They actuate with 1.5mm of travel.

They’re closely-matched to CherryMX Brown switches. Those switches are tactile too, with a noticeable bump and a 45g actuation force, but CherryMX Brown switches are taller, with a deeper actuation point.

The Romer-G tactile switches are lighter and shorter than CherryMX Blue switches – another popular tactile choice. They’re also shorter than CherryMX Red hardware, which is the most popular linear option around – meaning those switches don’t have a bump.

The Romer-G switches have a rated lifespan of 70million keypresses, which is superb. The G413 is rated for 26-key rollover, which is decent – easily enough to accommodate virtually every gaming scenario bar high-end esports.

The Logitech G413’s Romer-G switches are excellent. The mechanical buttons are very fast – certainly faster than any membrane keyboard, and subtly quicker than most mechanical units thanks to their slightly reduced travel and actuation distances.

The tactile design is subtle – the bump is gradual and has limited impact on the keypress. This helps the buttons remain robust while retaining a sense of speed.

The Romer-G buttons are fast and comfortable. They’re definitely better than most membrane units, and they feel a little quicker than most mechanical rivals.

They’re not flawless, though. Their speed and lower travel distance mean that these buttons feel lighter than most mechanical rivals – and some gamers won’t prefer that when compared to weightier CherryMX hardware. The Romer-G switches are also a tad softer than those units.

The Romer-G switches are faster and crisper than our favourite membrane switches – those on the Corsair K55 RGB. However, the Corsair switches are softer and feel a little heavier, and some people may prefer this.

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Logitech G413 Review – Conclusion

Our Logitech G413 Carbon review shows how impressive this unit’s Romer-G mechanical switches can be when gaming.

They’re fast, comfortable and consistent, with a subtle tactile bump that adds weight and a pleasingly crisp action. They’re faster and snappier than any membrane device, and they’re a tiny bit quicker than the most common mechanical options too.

The G413 buttons won’t suit everyone: more conventional mechanical switches still have a little more heft, and some switches have more noticeable tactile bumps too.

Elsewhere, the Logitech G413 Carbon is sturdy and good-looking, with a couple of welcome features – but it’s generally quite sparse in terms of extras, no doubt down to its limited budget.

If you’re not bothered about that, though, then the Logitech G413 Carbon is an excellent option – a sturdy and fast mechanical keyboard that undercuts many other similar options. Just be aware that spending a little more will get you more features and weightier keys elsewhere.

The Logitech G413 costs £70 in the UK and $70 in the US. Discuss our Logitech G413 review on our Facebook and Twitter pages. And, if you need some more inspiration after reading our Logitech G413 review, check out our guide to our favourite laptops or go deep with our ultimate guide to 4K monitors – covering the technology, the terms and our top recommendations!

The Good

• Fast, tactile mechanical keys
• Smart and robust metal design
• Cheaper than many rivals

The Bad

• Few extra features
• No RGB LEDs
• Weightier switches available elsewhere

The Specs
Connection: Wired, USB
Cable: 1.8mm, braided
Material: Plastic, aluminium
Switch type: Romer-G Tactile
Backlighting: Red
Extras: USB pass-through, additional keys, key puller