Razer's BlackWidow made of awesome


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Other things the new mechanical BlackWidow keyboard might be made of: cool, sex, unobtanium, dwarf star matter, puppies. Okay, maybe not puppies...

We've had a love/hate relationship with a lot of Razer keyboards. There's just something about Razer gear that seems made to polarise - like its limited edition mirrored Lycosa board that left us feeling nauseated at our own skin excretions.

However, at the other end of the spectrum lies stuff like the new BlackWidow mechanical keyboard. This dedicated gaming device is a hell of a thing; it's heavy, part matt, part mirrored, and things like the braided cloth cabling and the slight schnikt noise that accompanies every keystroke suggest this is a hella premium product.

We looked at the BlackWidow during Gamescom last year, and liked it then. Now that we're looking at again, it still impresses, but keep an eye out for a full review next issue. We're going to have to test it a lot, I think...

For now, though, check out our unboxing gallery.

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11 Comments

Spectre Jan 12, 2011 2:48 PM	Mine is sitting at home waiting for its own unboxing right now :)
gun_sl1nger Jan 12, 2011 3:09 PM	"The slight schnikt" is the luscious blue cherry key switch giving the tactile and clicky respose you need when typing or interfacing with any PC! Not quite as pleasant as the solid 'thock' of a topre capacitive key switch, but a hellova step up from the mush of a shitty rubber dome.
Hawkeye Jan 12, 2011 4:23 PM	I really didn't think a mechanical would work for gaming... but this one's changing my mind :)
hazzardous Jan 12, 2011 5:26 PM	I've been using mine with Starcraft 2. I think it works great. I've yet to master the on the fly macro recording, but I like it's possibilities.
Gas Lee Jan 12, 2011 7:29 PM	It looks the goods, My G15 should be getting nervous. goes off to check price
xBomx Jan 12, 2011 8:26 PM	@ Gas Lee, are you kidding me? the G15 shits over this!
Spectre Jan 12, 2011 9:00 PM	So. Yeah. Great quality control there Razer. Get home, unbox, plug it in ready for run it through its paces, and... DOA keyboard.
Hawkeye Jan 12, 2011 9:21 PM	Whoa - harsh. I think I'll be bitterly disappointed if that happens to me tomorrow!
drago13666 Jan 13, 2011 1:52 PM	Just looking at it i'm a little skeptical of the keyboard there, offset function keys would be a pain for any game that needs f1 - f4 also while the pass through for mouse and headphone, mic cables is a nice touch, wouldn't it be better to have a compartment to stash excess cable so that the mouse cable isn't looping all over you desk now that the usb port is 30 cm away from where the mouse sits.
Antraman Jan 15, 2011 1:07 AM	Try the Filco Majestouch FBKN87 before passing judgement on mech. keyboards. http://www.thepotterhouse.net/livestore/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=245&products_id=6054&osCsid=204d9f843ef48582ee8067b701ad7a45 Son got himself one for SC2, and it IS really nice. My G15 feels clunky now....but I don't need rapid fire accurate key presses for whatever it is I do...
Spectre Jan 17, 2011 10:59 AM	Well, after using my Blackwidow (replacement, after first one was DOA) all weekend, I must say I love it. The look of it, the sound of the keys, it's all great. I found myself using the number keys to select dialog options in Dragon Age instead of the mouse, purely because of that 'schnikt'...

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Atomic Magazine

Issue: 137 | June, 2012

Atomic is a magazine aimed squarely at computer enthusiasts, gamers, and serious PC upgraders.

Every month we bring you the latest reviews of new technology and PC components, in depth features on everything from overclocking to console hacking, and gaming previews and interviews.

What's in this issue?