Razer Blackwidow Ultimate 2014 review (Razer Green switch)
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- Опубліковано 21 сер 2024
- Skip to 13:47 for a typing demonstration.
This video is basically a long rant :p . Don't take it too seriously, but hope you enjoy it nonetheless :) .
My keyboard reviews: bit.ly/1TbOtft
My switch teardowns: bit.ly/2C1QGHz
My TOP X videos: bit.ly/2FmpZfd
My XL typing demos: bit.ly/2OoAW3w
I'm Thomas and I do videos and reviews on mechanical keyboards ranging from the most sickening modern RGB gaming keyboards to vintage hardware relics, or sometimes keycaps or keyswitches ranging from Cherry MX to Alps SKCM to IBM buckling springs and anything in between.
Follow me on Twitter for updates on my keyboard videos! / chyrosran22
The practice sentence was: ""
![[UA] Team Vitality проти NAVI | IEM Cologne 2024](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/wttO1zVRTC0/mqdefault.jpg)
>"Gaming Keyboard"
>Mac layout
Why?
I know, right? It defies all sense!
There're keyboards that are partially compatible with Mac with just a regular ANSI layout, and not fucked up bottom row. Also gaming and Mac should never be in the same string of words. I can't even with Razer on this one.
I’ve gamed on a macbook air and ran most games perfectly fine. I really don’t get all the hate for mac gaming.
@@vcxz4009 The are a ton of reasons
1. the library of games is miniscule compared to Windows and even Linux
2. in the case of your MacBook Air they don't have dedicated graphics cards, you're stuck with Intel graphics, even the new expensive MacBook pros only have an AMD RX 560.
3. DirectX. Many if not most of AAA games run on the DirectX API which is a Windows exclusive so even if they do port games to Mac you're (until very recently) stuck with OpenGL ports which typically run worse.
4. MacBooks run EXTREMELY hot. Sweaty hands are bad when gaming
5. Their screens refresh at maximum 60hz
6. No Freesync/G-sync
Bro, you can game on almost anything, but you can get the gaming performance of ANY Apple product for about $300 or lower. Why spend $3,000?
The Yellow Tub
Not saying apple is good, but seriously you make it sound worse than it really is. I have a PC with a gtx 1070 now, though.
Most popular games nowadays run on mac.
My hands didn't get hot either, I don't really know what you're talking about.
60hz isn't bad either.. it doesn't really make that much of a difference unless your a pro gamer who needs it.
My macbook was only 900 dollars, not 3000. I hate how people blow the price out of proportion.
And speaking as someone with a friend who has a $300 laptop, his games don't run as good as they do on my old macbook air.
Mac shouldn't be hated as much as it is, it's like people who have never even used one just decide to automatically hate it. MacOS is a good operating system, definitely better than windows 10 in my opinion, and I've used windows my entire life and a mac for only 1 year.
I love the г, ш and џ keys
LOL
QШЕГТЏ
:'D
yes of course
Looks like they're borrowing from the Bulgarian (Cyrillic) alphabet. In the СССР, the г, ш, and ц keys love you.
"hope you like rants"
*Rubs hands in excitement*
That one gave me a good laugh xD .
@@Chyrosran22 ayy nice
I hope you like profanity*
@@Chyrosran22 you were probably having a good day it wasn’t *that* good
I'd always thought we were a bit harsh on Razer just because people don't like the brand for whatever reason. Nope.
Nobody disliked the brand dude, just their products have horrendous durability that only Razer fanbois would buy since Razer's a bitch that demanded Cherry to put a Razer imprint on Mxblues lol
never liked razer. never will like. always will hate. why?
actually let me list it
so, *EKHEM*, there we go:
-all of switches in their keyboard are chinese clones of most popular for gaming - cherry mx switches (i even hear some rumors that razer just orders the switches from kailh with changed branding)
-low quality overall, not only keyboards, but pretty much anything they are producing, like FUCK man have you ever had their man'o'war headset in hands?
-their low end products, or is it better to call em the cheapest, are OVERPRICED, yes, you heard me right, not only their "premium" products are this expensive, the full plastic low end easy-to-break kraken headset is worth 80 euro, when i assure you i can find some unbranded headset for a quater of this price providing same, if not better experience overall (minus software, but can we really say this software helps at all?) and it applies to everything they make, mouses, keyboards, mousepads (at least this thing is durable at all, but still overpriced)
-even trough they call it "gaming brand" there are some brands that beat em easily in every segment - low end? coolermaster. midrange? steelseries/logitech. high-end/premium? corsair/coolermaster/logitech.
-they lose even outside gaming market (which is quite impressive that they dare to fight on second front while still loosing on the first one) such as laptops/mics/phones (losing respectively to asus, msi/blue/pretty much any android phone)
i like to call razer "apple of gaming industry" (a bit outdated, but still somehow fits), they were good in their very early days, they started trend for gaming peripherals, they were innovative with what they were doing, and they were actually good at it (from what i've heard) cause they were trying to make their products worth the price they were asking for (even trough there was no competition at the time), but after they got their first moneyshot they felt like there is nothing they can't do, so they started doing overpriced shit that they are doing till this very day, and it still sells because people who like em are obviously blind and deaf, and there are people who have never heard of em, but they see big shiny "GAMING FOR GAMERS BY GAMERS" on the box, so they are like "sure, why not" (btw this is how fanboys and antifanboys are made)
now you may think i am one of them, nope, i am ready to change my mind at any moment, just if razer gets ANYTHING fine (their laptops are not this bad, but sadly only in theory for they're likely to be defected in many ways)
well, if you've read this entire text wall, congratulations, but this is internet, there is no prize for doing shit of this kind
@@whydoineedahandle9 Love the mouses
@@whossoap355 i mean... i had my razer blackwidow chroma for 5 years and it still worked fine
the new keyboards look a ton better and are also just so much better in every way im happy I didnt spend money on razer keyboards back in 2014
Hmm, didn't know the latin alphabet had the letter Г in it. Thought that's just for us, eastern europeans...
Or the ш and џ keys
@@jyjyjyc Didn't see them as well! Wow, Razer really are inovating even the latin aphabet! Simply revolutionary...
@@ryuuseiboi950 as a 1337 despacito elite gamer, I feel that being able to use 2 alphabets simultaneously has helped me get more wins
Razer... Цомплете схит.
"Г" - Говно (russian word means 'shit')
seems to me that "ultrapolling" is the keyboard version of "blast processing"
Yeah, exactly xD .
@@Chyrosran22 only less cool
“what controller chip is in this thing a dead hamster?” LMAO
My nephew was annoyed that I wouldn't buy him a Razer keyboard. I instead got him a cheap knock off with Outemu switches and, with the money I saved, got him a decent pair of headphones.
He'll thank me one day.
xD
Send him the video
@@Toblehrone I posted a link on Facebook and tagged him.
I got the Haha response.
I got him a Razer mouse, on sale, so maybe he forgives me now. :)
at least razer's mice are decent lol
lolnope, my Razer Naga Epic Chroma has tracking issues in both wireless and wired mode, and a Razer Naga 2014 mouse has scrolling issues.
Meanwhile my cheapo Logitech mouse bundled with a shitty keyboard survived for years.
I think he likes it.
"He clearly likes it!"
I'm pretty sure Razer Synapse is just spyware.
What makes you say that?
@Lord Anzes i got a deathadder elite coming in the mail, im boutta just install synapse and then get my settins on as quick as possible and then yeet that shit into the uninstall realm
Quantum Araa tbh I think their mice are the only good think they’ve got, even if they’re objectively overpriced, I’ve had the death-adder elite for nearly 4 years and have never had a problem with it, its outlived 2 other razer products I’ve bought
@@chowdah9715 nice
@@bisects agreed lmfao
I think razer didn't get the meaning of "on the fly" nor the one of "keyboard"
You are wrong, and you clearly are the one who didn't get the quite obvious way it works as you never tried one. Macros are stored on the fly, a literal fly insect that is quite at home on such a shitty keyboard. When you catch it you can do whatever macro you want. Probably Thomas didn't have it, it may have flew from the first owner. Strange that he didn't notice it or mention, it's pretty clearly written "on the fly".
That font really gives me cancer.
ГЏШ сука... Complete and utter shit.
That's how you learn to touch type.
jeff I actually like razer products but I have to admit, the font is actual ebola
@@karellen00 LOL
Tried out this keyboard in my friend's house. I got confused at typing just by looking at those fonts...
I had the ten keyless version of this and I didn’t have any issues with it (mostly because it had a standard Windows layout and the F keys where in the right position) other than the sometimes hard to read font on the key caps. Just have in mind that it was my first mechanical keyboard and I was amazed at the click yes and tactility of these magical keys. In retrospective, the switches were pretty bad, but I don’t dislike them as much as I hate Romer-Gs.
still don't understand people hating razer.
@@mal0gen cuz you can get a keyboard that's twice as good for half the money, that's why.
@@mal0gen synapse is tuberculosis for your computer, so that’s one reason
@@isaaceyfish right. There are alternatives though, especially for Linux.
@infAura i have. Yet, the product is outdated as fuck. He’s reviewed a Razer Huntsman (my product) and he’s given it a better review. Yes, you can get better stuff for less. But I already have a Razer mouse and headphones, so not only I dislike having different software for each peripheral, I also barely use Synapse. Not installed. Can use it without it. So, not a problem.
"Greater durability... or about this much in imperial".
xD
7:21 I can confirm that the razer blackwidow 2019 model also has the sticking key issues. Every now and then the keyboard will start to stick on a key, and the only way to get it to stop is to unplug and replug it back in. Really goes to show how bad Razer's r&d department must be if after 5 years of revisions and updates, they still have a major flaw in their product that could easily be fixed.
The V3 (2022 model) is pretty good IMO. I haven't had any key sticking issues at all with it. However, the crappy switches have made me switch back to buckling springs. They've got the sound of MX Blues, but the feel of MX Brown.
I have a Razer Blackwidow Ultimate 2014 (classic edition).
Has been working perfectly for the past 6 years. Used almost daily, no shining, no faulty buttons. I've been very happy with it. Purchased it alongside a 2013 Deathadder (Classic edition), and a Kraken Pro (Cladsic edition). Purchased 2014 and the headset broke halfway through 2019. Mouse & keyboard work great!
Same. I've had mine for 6 years and it's been great. Idk why people are so harsh when there are way worse choices
Same and yeah the headphones are trash
I do believe this is the only review video in which you have yelled. Even the laser-projection and rubber-pad keyboards didn't accomplish that!
Haha, yes, this was horrible in a whole different way xD . The fact that this poses as a normal-use keyboard arguably makes it worse xD .
This and the my first keyboard
wassup razer marketing team, rough meeting huh, what are you going to do? add more LEDs, that'll do it!
ГДZEГ IS TГДSH
сука
hilarious and original
my razer keyboard has been doing just fine for the last 3 years.
Teal Tracks oh great someone knows what i’ve done
Gdzeg is tgdsh?
Ive hade mine since it released and Still is using it its working really Good still!
Hmm, just wondering: can't some of the problems with the on-the-fly macros and the failed F-keys have something to do with that toothpick hack for the FN key?
Well doesn't really matter: I wouldn't touch a Razer keyboard with a ten foot pole anyway :)
I too was wondering if the toothpick was the cause of some of the issues.
But then again as you pointed out, Razer.
It's not impossible of course, but it started showing these failed F keys after four days of having the pick stuck in it.
I think it is the toothpick in the function keys that caused the failure as well. The designers never anticipated that one of their modifier keys was going to be held down forever. (By the way, does unplugging the keyboard, waiting a couple minutes, and then plugging it back in "fix" the dead function key problem?)
No, the F keys haven't worked since. Other parts of the keyboard work on and off, but these ones appear to be completely dead.
The thing with keys randomly sticking, and/or stopping working altogether is a very old problem for Razer, that they still haven't managed to fix. It was a problem way back before they even made mechanical keyboards (Can't remember what their earlier keyboards were called, something like "Lycosa"), and has kept on till this day. I've had the original blue version, and a 2016 Ultimate Chroma, and both had that same problem. My roommate back in the day had the Lycosa-thing, and had the exact same problem.
I bought a Razer Blackwidow Tournament Edition 2014 with Razer Orange switches as my first keyboard and that keyboard was the reason why I got into mechanical keyboards in the first place.
Because of how terrible that keyboard is.
Also, Christmas came early today. I've always wanted to see you review a bog-standard Razer keyboard and I can't wait to show this to my friends who swear by these things.
xD Glad you enjoyed the video :) .
Had the tournament edition with green switches, what a horrible keyboard that was
@@CIubDuck why
The switches were absolute ass, some of them didn't even click properly like a Green Kailh switch should do. I'm much happier with my K70 with Cherry Browns instead.
I still have the Blackwidow TE 2014 with orange switches. Some mods to it helps make it rather decent. Such as lubing the stabs, getting the new Razer PBT replacement keycaps :)
I have no idea how did I enjoy the sound of Cherry Blues before using Box White. The tactile feedback isn’t particularly good either
When left with one option for a long enough time, it grows on ya. Even if it isn't exactly good LOL
I mean, I used to life and die by trackpads. I don't understand why but I did. I cannot understand how the fuck I managed with trackpads in FPS games in the past. Going back to trackpad is super awful.
Sometimes are younger selfs are on some crackhead energy I swear!
I have a Blackwidow 2014 too. The switches were evidently inconsistent on certain keys, with some click jackets being outright deformed to the point of barely making any click at all and just leaving the rattle. Yuck. There's also no reason why Razer couldn't and still doesn't provide n-key rollover, although that's pretty trivial. The keycaps being cheap pad printed (mine was the non-backlit version) ABS was also pretty crap. I've never encountered the unreliability though. Mine have always registered just fine right up until I set it aside for better switches like Bloody LK's and Box Whites. The F row keys being permanently reversed in FN layering is also news to me. It seems a lot of issues are down to Razer's poor implementation of the Mac layout. The whole Synapse issue is unfortunately common between them, and they reason it's so that all your Razer peripherals' settings are all saved via cloud into your Synapse account, allowing settings to apply automatically if you log-in to Synapse in a different PC with a Blackwidow in it, too. Still a pretty obnoxious implementation to force even the on-board macro recording to be locked behind a Synapse account.
Overall, it wasn't an outright terrible experience for me back then. The switches, while inconsistent, did at least seem to serve the purpose of being light and practically linear for the sake of appealing to the rapid double-tapping gamer crowd. With the exception of the defective clickers, the ones that worked normally also sounded a lot less rattly than MX Blues. The consistency issues are reportedly a lot better on the Greetech versions they rolled out in 2016 onwards. Still a pretty bad product, on balance, but I can see some of what they were going for, however misguided.
This is definitely a Mac layout issue. The WIndows keyboards have a proper function key layout. I am now typing on a Huntsman Elite with the same type of switch that Bloody uses and these are incredible, but my old BlackWidow Chroma is a disgusting pile of tat with the same issue where some of the keys outright do not even click anymore. The switches are, too, extremely inconsistent and barely tactile. I have, however, used the new Greetech ones and can confirm those have more tactility and consistency. Still, the best Razer switch is clearly the opto-mechanical one on the Huntsman line.
Yeah, after the announcement of the Huntsman, seeing the switches caught me by surprise since I could isntantly tell they were Bloody's LK3 switch. Pretty forward-thinking by Razer to license those from A4 Tech. A definite step up from Cherry and clone switches, for sure.
I only have 10 fingers, so I don't see the point in offering more than 10 keys. Mine is reliable but I wish it had Linux driver support for the macro keys and the keycaps suck. If it had just used an ordinary font this keyboard wouldn't be so ugly. The rest of the design of the board is not gaudy.
@@beaglefet9906 Like I said, it's pretty trivial not having n-key rollover for that same reason. But having looked over dozens of cheap off-brand and chinese mechanicals out there, pretty much all of them with NKRO and many of them not even making a fuss about it, as if it was something they took for granted that all mechanical keyboards just have these days, it just seems like pure complacency that Razer doesn't offer it, then even tries to make its limited rollover as a selling point in the product page. It just strikes me as something dishonest and condescending from Razer.
I had that exact same problem with some keys on my 2014 tournament edition with green switches not being tactile at all, they basically felt like scratchy linears. I emailed Razer support, and they actually sent me a new keyboard for free, which was nice. Gave the bad keyboard away to a friend since it was still working
So, let me get this straight, you're saying you didn't like this keyboard? 🤔
😜
Whatever gave you that idea?!
Very nice review, thank you. If anything, it would have been nice with a little demonstration of the case's rigidity and sound, but if you thought it wasn't even worth getting in-depth with this keyboard, I more than well understand that.
Glad you enjoyed the review :) . It's built almost exactly the same as the previous one I reviewed.
I used to have one of these, lasted 7 years and it still works just a couple keys lost their click, so I went with them again after a good experience. I now have a razer huntsman tournament edition. 1mm actuation, every key has a stabiliser, double shot PBT caps, metal backplate. 200 aid. I understand others have had negative with razer but mine is great so far.
@infAura I'm not sure what you mean by that but yes, they all have metal key stabilisers in them as opposed to what I've used before than only has them on the longer keys
I have a Blackwidow 2016 which is nearly identical to the 2014 version but without the macro keys, and I mostly liked it. The only real complaints I have about it were the keycaps. They got worn out within 3 months of usage. Heck, one of the keycaps straight up broke. I did use the keyboard pretty intensively but it shouldn't have been a problem especially since this is a keyboard marketed to gamers. And since the bottom row of the board isn't using standard spacing, finding a good set of keycaps to replace them was a big pain.
I have the Black widow 2016 and it's been going amazing for the past year and 3 months. Keycaps are perfectly fine.
yeah, but as I said. I was using it intensively. Under regular use I'm sure they would be fine for much longer.
ive used mine since 2013 and my keycaps are not worn at all?
@@Kraiord_ how intensive? It's been my primary gaming keyboard for the entire time, so at least 1-2 hours a day, sometimes 4+ with fighting games or fps
At the time, I was heavily into a rhythm game called osu!, and I had a lot of free time. So nearly every day I would be pressing (decently hard) and repeatedly on the keys. osu! only requires two keys but those keys would easily be getting pressed over 10 thousand times per day. Over a couple of months the keycaps became really slippery and not pleasant at all to put your fingers on. Razers backlit keycaps are actually made from translucent plastic and are only painted black, so eventually that black paint started rubbing off and revealing the translucent part. I know how niche this type of usecase is however that doesn't make it an invalid one. Razer and other mainstream keyboard vendors are cheaping out on stuff like keycaps while charging a premium. Simple thin doubleshot ABS keycaps like you see on most budget offbrand boards wouldn't show this type of wear so I hope in the future they can implement at least those.
I have the 2016 model of this keyboard. It works fine for me. Some of your complaints about the design have been fixed on this version. However, I am sure you wouldn't find it much better as it still uses green switches, I don't think you can program macros without the software, and the font on the keys is still that weird gamery font. However, I haven't had many problems with mine though as I do not use macros. I did have to install the software on one computer to set the backlight to static instead of breathing as I prefer static. However, it stores in the memory and you can uninstall the software and keep the lighting profile afterwards. The only other problem I have had with it is I had to replug it once because the T key wasn't working correctly one day not that long ago. I have had it for roughly a year now.
OH Duuude awesome!
Razer to me is a company that makes glowy toys for kids. Never bought anything form them and I see I wasn't wrong.
Their headsets are actually good and have great prices, but yeah good choice
i think their only good product is the deathadder mouse ..
Depends what you get, look up razer huntsman tournament edition. Metal backplate double shot PBT keycaps, 1mm actuation, every key stabilised. What's the issue.
@@IQuickscopeCA none
you do you, mate. my keyboard is flawless.
I've seen a Razer keyboard at the local gadget shop, that had broken stems in few switches. The keys worked, but they were extremely wobbly. Greater durability... I mean, sure, people cruel with these showpieces, but I've never seen any other mechanical keyboard that had broken switches in the shop already.
It’s got greater durability than the rubber dome garbage that comes with your Dell Optiplex desktop.
Oh my Model M, I love you.
Back at April, when I was on the lookout for a keyboard, I'd tested the 2016 version of this. The switches seemed a bit stiffer than Mx blues, and according to reviews, it doesn't have the problems the first generation green switches had (which were the 2014 ones). Still, I ended up getting a hyperx alloy fps with Mx blues. Hoping for a glorious modular mechanical keyboard with box navies some day I can afford it. Until then, the hyperx one should suffice.
HyperX keyboards are awesome. They are also the best value Cherry MX keyboards here in Serbia too, the Alloy FPS can be found for $80.
@@jm036 I got mine for 102€. Pretty steep price but it's a robust board, all things considered.
I got a GMMK with Royal Hakos, it's a pretty nice board. The keycaps are kinda ugly but they are double shot so they're still durable and if you don't like them you can order the keyboard without them.
Razer introducing: Qшeгtџ™ for all your Cyrillic swearing needs.
Yeah.....I'm going for a Northgate OmniKey because THAT ACTUALLY WORKS.
Shit, these Razer keyboards make those sub $6 (USD) Dell keyboards look like a hall effect keyboard in terms of reliability in comparison!
No wonder officers/schools all use those cheapo Dell keyboards. They WORK!
I'm in love with this video. This is genuine rage the likes of which we have only ever seen directed at Smith Corona leaf springs
I had a black widow 2014 windows edition and I have played thousands of hours of games and it is still going strong. The springs aren't quite as tactile as new but it still works perfectly for me. So unless you got a lemon idk why this keyboard was giving you a problem because mine has always been great for me
Not defending razer, because the "gamer font" and other cringe, mine worked for many years, the only problem was they caps all started feel a little thin all at once one day. but that was it really.
My short experience with "gaming" hardware led me to believe they are overpriced plastic toys with a high failure rate, questionable style and ugly lights. That video pretty much comforts me in that opinion. :)
The issue is most gaming stuff is overrated but sometimes necessary for what you want. For example, I wanted a 144hz monitor and all the ones I saw were gaming brands. I didn't want a stupid logo to make my monitor more expensive, I just want a panel with high refresh rates. Modern keyboards that support NKRO is usually limited to gaming keyboards or expensive keyboards in general. Topre isn't gaming related but it's still expensive, contact switches like Cherries are limited to 2KRO unless diodes are in place, making it NKRO. However, most companies don't put diodes in their Cherry switched keyboards unless its a gaming keyboard. Also a mouse with an accurate sensor? Gaming mouse. That isn't becoming as much of an issue as budget mice are using the Pixart 3310, and old yet capable senor or old evago sensors. However, it used to be an issue back in the day. I just wish I had the functionality of gaming equipment without the damn marketing. That's why I like my Logitech G600. Sure it's a gaming MMO mouse but it's highest price point is usually $55, has 12 buttons on the side so I can use it for macros or have higher accessibility in games, ring finger click which I bind to melee attacks, etc.
When in first seconds of a keyboard review you see a toothpick sticking out of a switch.... You know it will be a Good one.
Now everybody can see, how important are Your reviews - to avoid to buy a crap like this...
To invert the FN key functionality press windows+x or options+x. Keyboards usually don't really come in "apple layout" or "windows layout" your computer just registers the keys as key 1-X. What your system decides to do with this data doesn't have a whole lot to do with your keyboard.
This is just the print on the keycaps.
A lot of non-apple laptops come standard with the FN key 'inverted'
I really want to see you do a Das X40 now. They got discontinued and the "Division Zero" sub-brand of Das was shut down shortly after they released the X40 and accompanying mouse. They even use their own "AlphaZulu" Switch. (go for the tactile one, it's better IMO)
Thank you for your honest words. I hope your video doesn't get demonetized.
I hope so too xD .
The Gordon Ramsay of keyboards. "There were keyboards in the early 90s that had this squared away better for fucks sake"
This keyboard is so unreliable. Mine lasted 2 years of light usage before keys stopped functioning correctly (awful key chatter). The 2016 model is even worse, lasting 1 year. QD Contact cleaner seemed to fix it, though.
the 2016 models are worse? what are you doing to your keyboards running them over with a car my keyboard is working perfectly and ive had it for just under 3 years now.
@@puresesh7985 I bought it and used it lightly for 1 month before the A key and the space bar worked intermittently. After some light repairs, the Keyboard worked for a couple months before it started having problems. I am not some barbaric idiot who slams on his keyboard or gets crumbs all over the damn keyboard. I used it like a normal human, and it only lasted 3 months total.
i dont know how that happend then because my razer keyboard has seen some shit. its survived drunk party's, me getting pissed off and punching it, rain, drinks getting spilled on it, crumbs. my drunk mate even broke the cable for it but it was as simple as soldering a new one on and it still works great like new to this day. i have no idea how peoples razer keyboards are dying on them after not even a year my board is using the switches made by Gree-tech maybe you got a old board with kailh switches.
mine feels great smoother then mx blue.
you must have bad board then. because lots of people agree with me even rocket jump ninja says that the razer switches feel smoother.
Thank you from keeping me far away of Razer. I'll start looking into SteelSeries or Corsair if I need something.
ducky is also good
The huntsman line is better this board is from 2014
Few of my MX blue keys on the 2010 model died... :(
My experience with this keyboard is summed up with this video.
To follow up, I'm with you on most of these reasons. I got my Razer keyboard for the macro function as I use several pieces of software (not games) which are macro heavy. It actually worked great for me! I also enjoyed how it switched keyboard layouts between apps. Synapse isn't -that- bad...that said I am 100% with you those vintage keyboards with the macro recording is MUCH better. As for the issues you had...it seems like it's a hit or miss with Razer products. They either work great or break instantly. I had a Razer mouse a few years ago which failed after a year yet have had no issue with my current Blackwidow. Is that an excuse for Razer to skimp on QC though? Not at all.
If you have any recommendations of older keyboards which have the on-the-fly macro programming like you showed please let us know, or even do a video!
I've done several battlecruiser videos before, many of which have some programmability feature. They each have their own pros and cons; I do want to make a comparison between them at some point.
It would be interesting to see because a lot of us use macros for work and games. Credit where credit is due, Razer's software is MANY times better than Corsair's even if it has its issues
I believe that the current production razer greens are not the same things as the greens of the past. Razer often does not mention when they make switch production changes so technically, those switches are not what you would get on a current blackwidow. FYI
He says this in the video.
Ahh, validation. I have a friend who claims Razer doesn't have QC problems and that he's never had any problems with his Razer stuff so obviously nobody should. I had a 2010 Blackwidow and smashed it over my leg after about 3 months of ownership when keys randomly stopped registering (in retrospect I probably should have kept the Cherry switches instead of pitching them all in the bin though).
I have own three razer product, the razer Kraken, their "speed mousepad" and this keyboard. But the German layout and the only thing that is still working after at least 4 years when I buy it used it's the keyboard, the only problem is the anti ghosting sucks but I think for a 2014 keyboard is good.
remember the days when razer was good?? I feel so old...
The reason for the fn key is because its a mac version since mac's (mostly) don't need F keys, that's why it's on media control all the time.
The new razer keyboatd the "razer Huntsman elite" has swiches that activate with a lazer, its tectile, the life spam is 100mil the activation force is 45 grams and over all its a good keyboard, u sould review it
I always thought your favourite cherry mx was the green one, seemed favourable to them (at least as much as with the blues) whenever talking about.
I always liked the clicky noise of mx blue switches, the tactile bump too. I don't think i can go back to the membrane keyboard i had before this.
I got my current keyboard for a steal, 51 euro for a cherry mx blue corsair strafe. Mark 1 obviously. Love it nonetheless.
I am sure, that the issue with keys not working isn't the switch's fault. I am quite sure that the problem lies in the pcb / controler of this board which combined with the quality of keycaps draws a simple conclusion: Even if the switches really can withstand 80 millions of keypresses (yeah, for fucknig sure) the keyboard is designed to last half of a year at best.
That desk slam scared me a bit
5 drinks spilled on mine and still working
This is officially the keyboard from hell.
Sure. The chassis may be creaky. But I plan to de-solder all of the switches soon, and replace them with something much better.
Also, replace the keycaps with something thicker and better.
Lol, I actually got one of these (a Windows one) for about $50 back in 2015 and it has worked perfectly since then
Ok. But I've had a Razer blackwidow chroma v2 for over 2 years with Razer oranges. I use it almost twelve hours a day, because my job is in film editing. I stand by it. I have spilled things on it, dropped it, dropped things on it, and it still works incredibly well. People are allowed to not like the way the keys feel, but the newer Razer keyboards are incredible.
But that's my opinion take it with a grain of salt.
low durability? I've had this keyboard for literally 6 years and its as good as when i bought it
Had one since 2015, t chattters, f lost its click along with g and h. Also these problems popped up in 2017. Two years isn't long with a keyboard.
@@nerdyneedsalife8315 well you clearly did not treat it right then, don't you know you don't use keyboards as baseball bats?
@@daalah6074 I didn't use it as a bat? Using a keyboard the wrong way gives my Apple iPhone vibes. I used my Model M new from Unicomp for the same amount of time and it works just as well.
The more often i watch this video the more i appreciate my ducky mecha mini with a great manual and not even a software available.
I will be honest, I actually liked the feel of these switches. They had a good base sound to them too.
i'm actually using this keyboard daily since 2014, it still goes really strong, nothing wrong with the keycaps neither with the switches really suprised to see it cuz im using it for atleast 3h+ daily if not 12h+ some days
(tho i've bought everything for a semi custom keyboard currently shipping!)
Yeah I buy this keyboard used for 10 euro and it's still rocking, the guy who sell this keyboard for 10 dollar probability have seen this video xd
This keyboard isn't *good* per se, but it seems some of your problems point to a defective keyboard. Most mass-produced keyboards, especially with in-house, cheaply mass-produced switches, while they can have long lifetimes, can be defective at unusual frequency. Two of my friends had these, both had the orange switch RGB versions (closest thing to a linear they sold at the time) from late 2014 and loved them, even compared to my honestly pretty nice at the time Noppoo tkl with linears (one of Massdrop's first keeb drops), especially since it seemed theirs were noticeably quieter than mine. The feel was okay, not great, and the high actuation point made them twitchy as all hell (even an air-based keyboard cleaner would set the keys off), but they still loved them.
Although I can testify that Synapse was an abomination: Not even counting its bloat, it was a highly unstable PoS that would give some type of memory error every time I shut down my laptop. If I weren't running a modern Windows OS at the time (XP instead of 8.1), I'm pretty confident it could've BSoD'd my computer a couple of times. Actual BSoDs were generally from Unreal Engine 4 eating all my system RAM (8gb), had to upgrade to 16gb.
Only thing I'd ever recommend from Razer in any capacity is their basic DeathAdder mouse options, possibly the most comfortable mouse I've ever used (great for people with big hands). Yeah, Synapse is a load of ass, but there's got to be a way to use the mouse without it, no? I had the cheapest, PC cafe version and it's one of the better mice I've used.
I had no idea there were so many layers of badness to this keyboard. I'd rather use my AT-101w.
So would I, at least that works, for a start xD .
I surprised that the owner of that one was able to stand it for 30 minutes, I tried mine out for about 10 and decided it was garbage. The green back lighting also gave me a headache (or maybe the switches were just that bad), but I was able to get a full refund due to multiple switches chattering. In the end I just bought a k70 with MX blues.
My keycaps have been ok I've had mine since 2015
I had a razer keyboard and the keys stopped working after 2 weeks and on an older razer mouse, the middle mouse click (on the wheel) stopped working after 6 months even though it was producing the clicky sound. razer is crap.... 0 reliability, I will never buy one of their products again!
Evils Dexter my razer stuff has been working since 2013, only had to change keycaps cuz my mom got super glue on my old ones
The keyboard wasn't responding because you actually had it in Macro record mode. The flashing light in the information cluster tells you the keyboard is currently recording the "on the fly" macro.
Bought one for cheap (version without the LEDs, but also 2014) just to see how it was but it was really used for HC gaming (keycaps were pretty used). I thought it wouldn't be a problem since the rated 60M rated keypresses, but the switches are that crap that that it most of them need to be replaced since they are no longer clicky and some get stuck or don't recover fast enough (like they are sticky, but the spring is bad). I tried "cleaning" the switch with alcohol since I don't want to invest anything in the replacement switches, but it only sounded decent when the alcohol was still in the switch lubing it.
Anyway, the way you get 10 KRO is by enabling gaming mode on the keyboard using the FN key. That way you get the 1000Hz pooling. All in all, I would never buy a Razer KB.
Still using a 2014 model in 2022 - everything works, everything feels great after years of gaming and remote working. Maybe I got lucky? This is my second one, because I killed the first one with coffee and bought this example second hand about 5 years ago.
It took me 3 returns to bestbuy for dead soundless keys switches, my 4th time there I found the perfect one and have it to this day. not a single dead key and only slight wear on the W key cap (the black wore off the corner) i will use this keyboard til the day it dies. its that good. coming up on 9 years of literal daily use.
Despite a lot of people hate old razer font, I really miss it.
no lie, started laughing as soon as i saw the title
I absolutely love the way this guy curses so vulgarly but yet so calmly and emotionless sounding and his reviews are on point🤙👍🤙👍🤙
Are his issues due to 1) Mac version and 2) the FN key being permanently toothpicked?
Jen Soon Ng The FN and media keys are swapped, and to access the regular FN keys--he had to toothpick the switch.
Slightly cockeyed on Razer's part, hmm?
Yeah but I was wondering if him permanently toothpicking the FN key was the root cause of the random errors he encountered.
So if they were caused by the toothpick, then his issues were simply caused by him trying to use a Mac keyboard in the first place.
Jen Soon Ng It shouldn't be--there are old Alps switches that latch down for that purpose and the ye-olde 8042 controller on those keyboards didnt fuss at all about it.
Now for Razer, I have no idea.
I would hedge my bets this one missed a good QC testing before shipment. Who knows...
The newer keyboards have really improved. I've been using the Blackwidow Chroma V2 for about a year, and it is solid.
Razer Synapse has also changed a lot since, the new version is basically a complete rewrite which works much much better.
No more bugs, no awful font on keycaps, great lighting, included armrest.
Keep in mind people this is a 4 year old keyboard.
That's really no excuse. Most of my keyboards from the 80s don't have this :p .
I have to add that I owned a Black Widow for a while , and dealt with signing into Synapse to change a mouse setting for years. I had lots of problems such as the USB ping noise going off randomly and the screen randomly freezing and dropping my mouse connection from time to time. There were also other unrelated issues which I thought were just windows problems. When I got tired of logging into Synapse just to change basic mouse settings, I bought a new simpler mechanical keyboard with a basic interface, and EVERY SINGLE USB AND MOUSE PROBLEM I EVER HAD WAS RESOLVED BY UNINSTALLING SYNAPSE. I could not believe how many usb connectivity problems were resolved , including my printer dropping off after just removing the terrible Synapse software. I understand that Razer now wants to release cloud mouse drivers, which requires customers to start an account and connect to "the cloud" to change their mouse and keyboard settings. And for that reason, I'm out.
I actually love these switches to the point where I bought this keyboard just to swap the switches into my Filco Tenkeyless.
I'm kind of a weird breed when it comes to mechanical keyboards. I love clicky switches but I hate tactile switches so these are a perfect fit for me.
Also I like my springs to be light as possible. If they made 25 gram springs for MX switches I would be all over that.
"Just goes to show that Razer doesn't know how to make a keyboard good, just how to make it fuck ugly."
Music to my ears!
The E,W and 3 are the same letter just flipped around
@chyrosran22 the razer bw mark 2 pretty much took all your suggestions and corrected them, i hope you review it soon
... *hugs my Hyperx Alloy mx blue*
TheLazyWanderer hyperx squad *hugs my hyperx alloy fps rgb kailh silver speed*
Not to self: do not watch a Razer keyboard review from you again for ASMR purposes
no better rant video to this keyboard other than this video. you just killed razer so good.
Bro, can you do a review of any Logitech keyboard, please? I have this love/hate relationship with any Logitech product. I love their stuff when they work, but without a fail, they brake between 24 to 28 months. i.e just when their warranty ends. Doesn't matter what peripheral. Had this happen with mouses, keyboards, headsets and even with fucking speakers. I'm actually quite impressed they managed to engineer such a precise way to make sure shit brakes exactly when the warranty ends. I'm wondering if we can figure out how they managed to achieve this with keyboards.
thank you, i waited for this review for so long :D
Oh boy what a teardown haha!
I own a Blackwidow for about 3 years now, because I love the annoying sound it makes. It never let me down even once, every single key works perfectly although I treat it like crap and sometimes I disconnect from CSGO matches by slamming the general area of my disconnect bind with a fist. You know, normal gamer stuff.
Then again, the windows version uses F keys correctly. The function, not the position.
Then again again, I don't use macros
Then again again again, I had to pull out all the macro keys, because they made me type the wrong column all the time
Then again again again again, I really have no sense of aesthetics, but I still can see how people find that font buttugly
Got any pointers for a neat keyboard that clicks so loud it will drive anybody in a 20 meter radius insane?
A Model F will do that at at least 20 metres. A beamspring will probably drive the entire floor to off themselves.
So, it's worth pointing out that some razer boards not only have Greetech made switches but I've also ran into some TTC made switches as well with a slightly different looking housing, though Razer has still yet to publicly confirm this.
I just bot a used one for $20 thinking it would let me retire my IBM M. Not even close. But what really freaked me out was that some claim this keyboard costed $139 when it came out. I guess they'll bury me with my M's.
Same but mine keyboard is fine probably I was lucky
actually the esc key is in the same spot, you just also have extra keys on the left
if anything they should have shifted it to the left
I did really like the typing sound and the speed that you typed on it. Not that it matters if it doesn't actually produce characters, but hey...
This is what I call a review
2014 Blackwidow with orange switches here. It was my first mechanical keyboard and it's quite nice for a start. It still works, although after trying a keeb with hotswap and blue switches i feel like the more tactile a switch is the better it will be for me...
Those two don't compare to each other at all.
I love it when you rip into Razer. You should review the Razer Chroma Ornata keyboard next.
I hope to do one, but I don't have one yet xD .
Razer products are just overrated, I've got one of there mouses and it has issues and it's low hours and has issues. Missed clicks/disconnects etc.
Yes, I'm looking to some other manufacturer when my current mouse needs replacing. I suspect the buttons are going to go flaky on this one, too.
I've heard nothing but good things of a company called "Bloody". If you want abnormally durable mice keyboards, there you go.
Btw their LK-Libra-Switches on their optical keyboards are also really good!
Honestly all their mice/keyboards are legit. But because Razer is more well known, guess where the money goes...
I've had my Razer Deathadder Chroma for about 2 years. It's comfy in my big hands. That's the only good thing I can think of. It disconnects itself 3-4 times a day, which means I have to stop what I'm doing, unplug the mouse, and plug it back in. Definitely not something you want happening in the middle of a game.