Logitech G810 Orion Spectrum Mechanical Keyboard Review: An Elegant Gaming Keyboard
Introduction
The Logitech G810 is a sophisticated mechanical gaming keyboard that features a minimalistic, modern design with RGB color lighting. It comes with Logitech’s exclusive Romer-G switches which offer 25 percent faster actuation than standard mechanical switches. The G810 and G610 share the same layout but the difference between the two is that the G610 lacks the RGB color lighting and it uses the Cherry-MX switches instead of the Romer-G switches. Logitech's Romer-G switches were specifically designed to provide a great gaming experience and we will put them to the test to find out how good they actually are.
Logitech has sent me the G810 for review which I have been testing for about a week along with the G610 as well. If you are looking for the absolute best gaming performance, definitely look into the G810 but if you want to save money while not compromising on gaming performance, check out the G610 Orion Red that utilizes the Cherry-MX Red switches. The Cherry-MX Red switches are designed for gamers because they have a linear keypress for rapid-fire actuation.
The G810 weighs about 2.6 lbs without the cable and it measures 153 mm x 443.5 mm x 34.3 mm inches (L x W x H). Similarly like the G610, the G810 as well is made of thick plastic and it's quite sturdy. I'm not a fan of flashy keyboards so I absolutely love the minimalistic design that Logitech has gone with in the G810. The G810 retails for $109.99 on Amazon and comes with 2 years of limited hardware warranty. With the G810, you get a full set of keys, a number pad and dedicated media keys. The G810 is a fantastic gaming keyboard but it falls short on a few key features. It lacks a USB passthrough and the quality of the space bar does not match the quality of the other keys.
The space bar feels cheap and does not feel as quiet and smooth as the other keys. It seems like there is no sound dampening measures so pressing the space bar will come with a very noticeable clack. This might not be an issue for most people but it does get annoying over time. Like the G610, the G810 also does not come with a palm rest but it is still perfectly comfortable because of the adjustable feet.
Now let's talk a little bit about the Romer-G mechanical switches. The Romer-G have a short-throw actuation point of just 1.5 mm, and register key presses up to 25 percent faster than standard mechanical switches. Romer-G mechanical switches are up to 40% more durable than the top competitor.
The G810 Orion Spectrum features standard smooth key caps designed for speed and a traditional feel. Most gamers prefer smooth key caps because they are more comfortable to use. The LEDs are placed in the center to minimizes light leakage and to focus the light evenly through the top of the keys for a cleaner look. Each key has its own RGB LED and is customizable via the Logitech software.
Something else that the G810 lacks is USB passthrough. The G413 has a dedicated USB passthrough which I find very useful but you will not find that in the G610/G810. The USB passthrough is important because it can be used to charge your USB devices and I know many people would love to have this feature.
The dedicated media controls can be used to play, pause and mute music and videos instantly. You can control your background track without switching out of your game and you can use the roller to adjust the volume, or skip to the next song with the touch of a button. The F1-F12 keys can be used as custom macros for different games that you might play. You can control the RGB lighting on individual keys and there's also a Game Mode key which by default disables the Windows key when activated.
Specifications
| Technical Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Company: | Logitech |
| Model: | G810 |
| Height: | 34.3mm (1.4 in) |
| Width: | 443.5mm (17.5 in) |
| Length: | 153mm (6 in) |
| Weight: | 1180g (41.6oz) |
| Cable Length: | 6 ft (1.83 m) |
| Switches: | Romer-G |
| Durability: | 70 million keypresses |
| Actuation distance: | 1.5 mm |
| Actuation force:: | 45 g (1.6 oz) |
| Total travel distance: | 3 mm |
| Connection Type: | USB 2.0 |
| USB Protocol: | USB 2.0 |
| USB Speed: | USB 2.0 |
| Indicator Lights (LED): | White |
| USB Ports (Built-in): | N/A |
| Backlighting: | White |
| Special Keys: | Game Mode, Backlight on/off |
| Announced: | Feb 2016 |
Performance
I tested the performance of the G810 by playing Battlefield 1 and GTA V and I absolutely love the performance that the G810 offers. The G810 performed very good during gaming and the Romer-G switches are very responsive and perfect for gaming. The G810 is comfortable to use and its sturdy design can withstand forceful tapping with no problems. After testing the G610 and G810 separately for a few days, I could not tell the difference between the Cherry-MX Red switches in the G610 and the Romer-G switches in the G810 during gaming. Both keyboards performed similarly the same during gaming.
Logitech Gaming Software
The G810 can be used with Logitech's Gaming Software for customization and personalization but the customizations work only while the software is running. If you don't want to use Logitech's gaming software, the keyboard defaults to a wave-effect that looks somewhat nice so you are going to have to install LGS if you want to be able to have full control over every element in the keyboard. The LGS can also be used to synchronize the lighting patterns and effects with other Logitech G gear so your devices can display the same lighting pattern.
You can use the 'Custom Function Keys' to assign any custom function to the F1-F12 keys on the G810 Keyboard. Using the powerful macro and scripting features built into the Command Editor, you can basically create an unlimited amount of customization with Custom Function Keys and you can even save and export the profiles you create to share with other people.
You can set up per-game profiles to automatically adjust certain aspects of the G810 when you launch an application. To enable per-profile settings, simply click the radio button on the tab you want to apply. You can customize the settings to get the perfect experience while gaming.
Conclusion
The G810 is great for users who are looking for a high-end gaming keyboard.
It features a sturdy build quality with a heavy feel and very sleek with a nice professional design.
The RGB LEDs look very nice and the Logitech gaming software offers a ton customization options.
The G810 is a fantastic gaming keyboard and I had a blast testing it when gaming.
The caps themselves are very durable and not prone to fading or losing their texture.
Pros:
+ Attractive Design
+ Solid Performance
+ Media Buttons
+ RGB Lighting
+ Comfortable
+ Sturdy
Cons:
- No USB Ports
- Spacebar Feels Cheap
If you are in the market for a high quality gaming keyboard, the G810 is definitely the keyboard to get.
You simply can't go wrong with the Logitech G810 because it offers everything you could want in a gaming keyboard.
Overall, I believe the Logitech G810 keyboard deserves our Editor's Choice award.
Final Score 9.0
