SteelSeries 7G

Manufacturer: SteelSeries
Model: 7G
MSRP: $149.00
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The 7G is the flagship mechanical keyboard from SteelSeries. It comes integrated with a 2-port USB 2.0 hub, microphone jack, and headphone jack. Out of the back comes a durable braided cable that terminates in four gold-plated connections: a microphone plug, headphone plug, USB 2.0 plug, and a PS/2 connector. For what it’s worth, the gold and black go very well together.

The 7G comes with an optional wrist support that makes it easy to type for long sessions, though it does take a bit of space on the desktop. Don’t worry about the keyboard shifting when in the middle of a lively gaming session, at a little over 3.3 lbs. you can be assured that this tank isn’t going to budge. It supports full n-key rollover via PS/2, and 10-key over USB.

The 7G focuses on increasing speed when gaming, using Cherry MX Black key-switches, which are rated for a life-cycle of 50 million keystrokes, and are plated with gold for longer durability.

The left-side Windows key has been moved to the right, and replaced with a SteelSeries logo branded key which acts as a function key to access the multimedia keys. This keyboard is not cheap, and if you’re willing to forgo the wrist support, USB hub, and audio jacks, the 6GV2 is  much more affordable.

There are certain missing features that prevent the 7G from being the ultimate gaming keyboard, such as programmable macro keys or back-lighting, but this keyboard is still very solid. If you can afford the asking price, and want to splurge on a pretty standard –yet refined gaming keyboard, the 7G won’t disappoint.