Jun 17 2010, 07:26 PM
SteelSeries 6Gv2 Review
We all know what SteelSeries is about so I'm going to save you the fluff and other things that beat around the bush and go straight to the point.
The 6Gv2 is the second reiteration of the popular 6G mechanical keyboard made by SS. Truth to be told, it doesn't look like the original 6G at all but instead looks like a spitting image of the popular if expensive 7G.
First impressions:
This board features SS more or less trademarked no-nonsense look to it. Nothing too eye catching is present which can be a plus or minus point depending on the person. The white leds for the Num, Caps and Scroll locks are a nice aesthetic touch. And yes, it's heavy!
Design:
Design wise is where the board suffers from a lack of originality. I'm guessing SS was sticking to the "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." mantra?
While retaining the body of the 7G, there's nothing too different from it's big brother bar the lack of the USB ports, audio jacks and the unbraided and non-gold plated cable. It uses USB as a standard but a PS/2 adapter should you wish to use it. It's metal chassis gives it adequate substance and the rubber feet at each corner makes if difficult to push around when laid flat on a surface.
As with the 7G, the underside of the board is shaped so that one can put the board on their laps though it's not recommended as one would have to sit with their legs quite close together in order to fit the grooves.
The left Windows key as you would usually see on most other keyboards has been replaced by a key with the SS logo on it. Pressing this key will allow you to access the SS media buttons assigned to the F1 to F6 keys.
Comfort:
However, the lack of an included wrist rest may be a problem to some as the bottom of the board to the top of the keys measures a good 2cm in height and can get tiring after typing a while with raised hands arching over the board. Personally I didn't feel fatigued using it since the overall height of the board felt lower compared to the 7G for whatever reason.
Performance:
Having tested the board for Left 4 Dead 2 (L4D2), Defense of the Ancients (DotA), Call of Duty 4 (COD4) as well as O2Mania, I can safely say this board delivers when it has to. The anti-ghosting feature was very useful when playing O2Mania or similar games. In fact, the build was so solid that the keys did not jam on me even when I was banging the board in a moment of rage and let me continue playing as per normal after that.
Typing on it was a dream. The keys requiring just a slight amount of force to fully depress and register. The tactile feedback of the mechanical keys managed for faster typing on my side compared to using membrane keyboards but your mileage may vary.
Other thoughts:
While SS is a company that makes gaming peripherals and of course target their products at gamers in general, the 6Gv2 however can also serve well as a typist keyboards. It also makes a rather pleasant *click* when the keys are depressed. This board requires totally no drivers and everything (media keys included) works straight after plugging it in.
Summary:
A superb mechanical board that features mechanical gold plated keys with anti-ghosting technology at a great price. Definitely something for those that want incredible key tactility, long lasting, simple keyboard that gets the job done. Typist and gamers who are in the market looking for a new keyboard should have a look at this awesome board before making a decision.
The good:
Mechanical keys
Anti ghosting
Great price
Solid build quality
The bad:
Lack of wrist rest may be an annoyance to some
May outlive the user
Rating:
Build: 8
Performance: 8
Value: 9
Overall: 8.3/10
This post has been edited by AlexLai: Jun 18 2010, 06:30 PM
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rm60 range sial !
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