SteelSeries 6GV2

Manufacturer: SteelSeries
Model: 6GV2
MSRP: $99.00
Check Lowest Price (Amazon)

The 6GV2 is the second entry by SteelSeries, the first being the well received 7G. The 6GV2 cuts some features and offers a much more affordable price. First off, the things that were cut include the USB 2.0 hub, the microphone jack, and the headphone jack. The 6GV2 has a full-sized Backspace key whereas its predecessor had a tiny version. The right Shift key has been reduced in size, which will take some getting used to.

The spot where you would normally see a left Windows key, is instead taken up by a SteelSeries logo key which acts as a function key to access the media keys. The Windows key is moved to the right so that accidental Windows key-presses in the middle of a gaming session are a thing of the past.

Unlike it’s more expensive counterpart, the 6GV2 does not come with a wrist support, but this means that it has less of a footprint on your desktop. That isn’t to say that this is lightweight keyboard by any means, this thing is beefy, it’s heavy and built like a rock. So if you have to rage-quit, be rest assured that the keyboard will handle your hammering, not that we recommend it.

The basics all look good, the keyboard comes standard with a USB plug, but has a USB-to-PS/2 adapter. If you setup allows, we would always recommend PS/2 over USB. It has to do with the fact that USB keyboards have to use CPU time to poll the keyboard, the more frequent the polls, the more CPU time is needed. So there is a limit on how high you can poll the USB connection before wasting CPU time.

This is where a PS/2 connection shines, which isn’t polled by the computer, but rather when a key is pressed, it sends a signal to the computer causing a hardware interrupt, which forces the CPU to register the key-press. Under the hood, the keys have Cherry MX Black key-switches which have a linear action with no click, this is perfect for gaming sessions where rapid key-strokes are important. The switches have a life-cycle of up to 50 million key-presses.

The 6GV2 has moved itself out of the limelight of the 7G and has proven itself to be a great mechanical keyboard for those who don’t have a need for a USB hub or audio jacks. It aims to be nothing more than a good keyboard, and accomplishes just that. If you are a gamer, you’ll appreciate that SteelSeries has built this to increase your actions-per-minute (APM). As an entry level gaming laptop, the 6GV2 is a workhorse of a keyboard, solid as a rock, and would be a great addition to any gaming setup.