Friday March 12, 2010 8:20 AM AEST

Atomic MPC > User Reviews > majrbrawl > User review - Razer Arctosa Gaming Keyboard

Razer Arctosa Gaming Keyboard

By majrbrawl
Jul 26, 2009

-Media keys
-Glossy finish
-Capability to disable Windows key
-Basic designs and features

-Dedicated macro keys
-Dimmer Caps Lock/Num Lock LEDS
-More customizability

I have had this keyboard for about half a year now, and i have to say, it's pretty good. It doesn't include the extra macro keys, back lighting, rubberized keys or on-board memory of Logitech's G series keyboards or Razer's other keyboards but it certainly performs well.

This keyboard is plainer, more basic version of the other higher-end keyboards such as the Razer Tarantula, Logitech G19 and G15. It is a completely black, with a removable plastic wrist rest, white-lettered keys, bright white Caps Lock/Num Lock indicators (a tad too bright), and a glossy finish. The glossiness of the keyboard will lead to all forms of scratching, smudging, staining and what not, and people will say this is a con, well, get over it.

This keyboard is reasonably comfortable, but the keys can sometimes 'stick' if pressed on an angle, particularly the 'A' key. This may only be me but it's not a big thing at all since it only happens occasionally when I am typing.

The Arctosa has anti-ghosting on the WASD keys which is pretty common with most keyboards, very shallow keys with great responsiveness and also boasts a 1000mhz polling rate and a small area at the top right which houses some convenient media keys for when playing games and listening to music. Also, you can disable the notoriously annoying Windows Key by holding down the Razer logo at the top right and pressing the Windows Key which is a very handy feature.

The driver disk included with the keyboard offers an easy-to-use software which allows you to change a few of the settings for the normal keys, media keys and allow you to set up macros which probably won't be very useful since there are no dedicated macro keys.

Finally, the Razer Arctosa comes with a great price. At $60, no avid gamer would want to pass this up especially if they cannot afford high end products which include all the bling. This is an excellent 'bang for your buck' keyboard which offers all the basic needs of a gamer.

Editor's Choice

Area 53

Atomic Magazine

Issue: 111 | April, 2010

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?