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Your keyboard is the part of your computer that you touch the most so getting a better one could make an even bigger difference in your life than upgrading your CPU. Whether you’re battling in a first-person shooter or just want a better typing experience for productivity, gaming keyboards provide the best combination of responsiveness, features and style.

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Quick Shopping Tips

• Mechanical or bust: Don’t even consider a non-mechanical keyboard. Only mechanical keyboard switches offer a truly great experience.
• RGB or Not? You can save a little money by getting a keyboard with a single-color backlight, but you’ll miss out on a spectacular light show.
• Pick your switch: Keyboards use a number of different switch types which determine the feel and sound of the keys. Which one you choose depends on your personal preference. Here are some of the most common:
• Clicky Tactile: Blue, Green, White
• Quiet Tactile: Brown, Clear
• Linear (quiet and go straight down): Red, Silver
• Full-size, Tenkeyless or Smaller? While some users want every possible key, others prefer a smaller keyboard that has no number pad or one that’s so narrow that it lacks arrow keys.

Best Gaming Keyboards

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Patriot Memory is known more for its RAM and Storage than its keyboards, but the company’s Viper V765 provides a key feel that’s second to none in an attractive, very-affordable package. The V765 is the only mass-market keyboard we’ve seen that uses Kailh Box White switches, which actuate faster than regular Blue or Green switches thanks to their slightly-reduced travel of 3.6mm (versus 4mm on competitors). The keys are the most responsive we’ve tested and even make a more-pleasant click sound than you’ll find elsewhere.

The awesome switches alone make the Viper V765 worth buying, but it’s also a great looking peripheral. The full-size keyboard has an aluminum top-surface with tapered edges that make it look like a metallic space ship. The vibrant RGB keys offer dozens of different light combinations, along with the ability to create your own color patterns. The Viper Software is nothing to type home about, but you don’t even need to install it in order to use most of the lighting effects.

Best of all, this IP56 water and dust-resistant keyboard sells for under $100 (under £70) when most competitors cost a lot more. While we wish that it taller flip-out feet and a slightly-better app, the Viper V765 is our favorite gaming keyboard right now.

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The unique and sexy Razer Huntsman Elite offers deep, rich RGB colors combined with the company’s sleek black chassis. It’s also the only gaming keyboard we’ve seen that provides RGB lighting for its wrist rest, which is also extremely soft and comfortable. You can control the light show using Razer’s powerful Synapse software.

The Huntsman Elite uses the company’s proprietary optomechanical switches, which combine the feel of a clicky mechanical switch with a mechanism that uses light to register your keystrokes for faster input. A powerful set of media controls rounds out this impressive package.

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Not everyone loves clicky switches. Many gamers prefer the silent, linear feel of red switches or the quiet, but tactile brown variety. And, even if you like your keyboards loud, you may prefer the feel of blue switches. Corsair users Cherry MX branded switches, which are the gold standard for quality and gives you a choice of five different switch types, including red, brown and blue.

No matter which switches you choose, the Corsair MK70 MK.2 offers a great typing and gaming experience, along with a sturdy aluminum chassis that has fantastic build quality. It also a USB passthrough so you can connect it to a wired mouse or another desktop peripheral. The company’s CUE software allows you to exert fine-grain control over the keyboard’s backlights and synchronize it with other Corsair RGB peripherals.

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If you’re looking for a lightweight mechanical keyboard you can throw in a bag and carry with you everywhere, the Razer BlackWidow Lite is just the ticket. This 1.45-pound (0.7 kg) , tenkeyless model comes with a removable, braided USB cable for even better portability. Its Razer Orange switches provide plenty of tactility (better than Cherry MX Brown) without making a click noise.

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In an ideal world, you’d have no cables on your desk at all, but up until recently, you couldn’t find a high-quality wireless gaming keyboard. Logitech’s G613 uses either a 2.4 GHz signal or Bluetooth to connect to your computer while providing a first-class mechanical keyboard with the company’s silent Romer-G switches.

The keyboard even uses two AA batteries and promises up to a year of uninterrupted use. It also a set of six extra function keys and a dedicated Game Mode button that disables the Windows key.