Logitech’s new mechanical keyboards are conservative in appearance and price

On Monday, Logitech introduced two mechanical keyboards. The boards, shipping in February, are part of the company’s PC gaming brand, but with their $70 starting price and classic subdued look, they’re also interesting candidates for those looking for a performance keyboard with mechanical switches.

The Logitech G G413 SE and G413 TKL SE cost $ 80 and $70 respectively, offering a reasonable entry point for people who might think mechanical keyboards are too expensive. Logitech, especially its gaming brand G, isn’t afraid to overload its keyboards with RGB lighting, but the backlighting on these boards only comes in white. The standard G413 is available with all white or all red illumination.

The subdued look continues with an aluminum-magnesium alloy top case with a matte black finish that matches the black PBT keycaps. The plastic should be an upgrade over non-SE G413 ABS plastic keyboards as PBT tends to be more resistant to degradation over time.

Beneath these caps are what Logitech calls “tactile mechanical switches.”This phrase suggests something like Cherry MX Browns, but Logitech didn’t specify the exact switch used. According to the product page of the full-sized SE keyboard, the switches actuate 1.9mm with 50g of force and reach down by 4mm. The page doesn’t specify how much force it takes to feel a noticeable hit from the tactile switch. We’ve reached out to Logitech for more information and will update this article if we get a response.

In any case, the G413 SE switches differ from the Logitech Romer-G tactile switches used on the standard G413 (1.5mm actuation point, 45g force, tactile push at 50g, bottom at 3.2mm). Shorter actuation points that require less force to press might make it easier to hit the keys quickly on the G413 than on the SE versions, but we’ll have to test the keyboard to be sure. However, the switch travel on the G413 SE is shorter than the Cherry MX Brown (4mm/2mm).

As with the non-SE G413, Logitech does not offer SE keyboards with linear or clicky switches. Preferences vary by gamer, but many gamers vouch for linear switches as the lack of impact can make repeated and fast keystrokes easier. Logitech insists that the G413 SE line is for gamers, citing six-key rollover and anti-ghosting, but countless gaming keyboards offer full n-key rollover.

One sacrifice made to keep prices down is programmability. Unlike many Logitech gaming peripherals, this board does not work with the Logitech G Hub software. It also has no onboard memory and no reprogrammable keys.

The G413 is listed on the Logitech website for $70, the same price as the G413 TKL SE. It is not clear if the price of the standard G413 will be reduced after the release of the SE version.