Review: Logitech G413 Mechanical Gaming Keyboard

Smooth ‘n Snazzy

I am the keyboard man. I am become keyboards. Whether it’s been me reviewing Logitech’s more wallet-friendly Prodigy line, its more luxurious G610 Orion (probably my favorite offering from them thus far), or Razer’s BlackWidow Chroma V2, my organs have become actuated switches and tactile keycaps. SO OF COURSE I jumped at the chance to look at Logitech’s next ‘board.

This one is a minimalist, affordable take on mechanical keyboards and I’m impressed by both the look and feel of it.

Product: Logitech G413 Mechanical Gaming Keyboard
Manufacturer: Logitech
Input: USB 2.0
MSRP: $89.99 

Logitech’s aim here was to provide an option for people who wanted the functionality of a mechanical keyboard without the frivolities (no rainbows glowing under your fingers with the G413, folks). Because of this, the keyboard is simple, with an exposed look. It’s basically a sheet of aluminum with an anodized finish, but it looks smooth and striking with light reflecting off of it. The keys can only glow red, since RGB lighting is often costly, but I didn’t find myself missing it with the G413. It looks like something I’d be comfortable taking into a fancy-man office.

But you’re reading this because you don’t care about the looks! You want to know if it’s gonna feel like an actual mechanical keyboard, if each click is going to lead to someone orgasming somewhere else in the world (if the tales be true). Well, that depends on how much you like Logitech’s Romer-G switches. Since Cherry switches are used in a majority of mechanical keyboards, they’re held as a sort of benchmark. Romer-Gs are a little more responsive, and that’s fine for me. I used to not dig their sensitivity since I have to use these for typing as well as gaming, but I’ve acclimated over time. There’s more of a “thump” than “clickity-clack” that isn’t as ungodly loud as some of the more audible Cherries, so it’s a healthy compromise.

While the G413 may not have aesthetic frills, it does have some of the more functional features that are nice in higher-end keyboards. The top-right side of the keyboard has a USB passthrough that I’ve been using for either my mouse or headphone dongle. I’m used to keyboards have the passthrough on the right side which kind of gets in the way of the mouse, so this placement is much more intuitive. Being able to charge your phone without finding a free port on your tower is always a boon.

While there are no dedicated media keys on this board, F9 through the Pause key can be used for those functions while holding the FN key. The G413 also comes with replacement keycaps for the 1-5 keys as well as QWERASD. These extra caps have an indented feel that may give you a little more grip when playing. I used them but didn’t notice a huge difference. They don’t feel bad, I just don’t feel anything under my cold, calloused, probably dead fingers. The underside of the keyboard has a cable pathway for headphone cables and a horseshoe-shaped loop for corded mice, which can help for desktop management.

So many gaming keyboards look like Chester Bennington doodled them onto potential album covers after Hybrid Theory ruled middle-schoolers’ lives, so to have an attractive, affordable, and functional board like the G413 is great news. Don’t be tricked into thinking that having a classy keyboard under your fingers that isn’t garish and 1,239 colors at one time is a bad thing. Logitech did well with this one.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the hardware provided by the publisher.]}

_{[Editor’s note: This article was prepared prior to the author’s departure from Destructoid last week.]}