| SteelSeries 6Gv2 Mechanical Gaming Keyboard |
| Reviews - Featured Reviews: Input Devices | |
| Written by Steven Iglesias-Hearst | |
| Tuesday, 14 December 2010 | |
SteelSeries 6Gv2 Mechanical Gaming KeyboardBenchmark Reviews has tested all sorts of gaming peripherals in the past, today we are taking an in depth look at the SteelSeries 6Gv2 mechanical Gaming Keyboard. The 6Gv2 is the little brother of the 7G and does away with some of the unnecessary features of an already basic gaming keyboard and for a good reason too, the 7G is a little on the expensive side. The 6Gv2 does away with the USB hub, the audio ports and the wrist rest. The price is still a little high at $99.99 but it is certainly better than the price of the 7G, essentially the 6Gv2 is a stripped down version so lets see if it's worth your hard earned cash. Just like the SteelSeries 7G, the 6Gv2 sports a rigid metal inner chassis for extreme strength and each key is an individual 18 karat gold plated and spring loaded mechanical switch which are guaranteed for 50 million presses and provide excellent tactile and audible feedback. The anti-ghosting system allows for as many simultaneous key presses as there are keys on the keyboard when you use the supplied PS/2 adapter, if you connect the 6Gv2 to your PC via USB the anti-ghosting only works for up to eight keys at a time.
The 6Gv2 is a hefty little keyboard, it is nice and compact and doesn't waste time with bells and whistles. The 6Gv2 also does away with the braided cord and gold plated connectors seen on the 7G, those are little luxuries you get with the higher priced model and shouldn't make or break this model. If this is the sort of keyboard you have been looking for then read on to find out if it has what it takes as we test it in a variety of games and applications.
Manufacturer: SteelSeries Full Disclosure: The product sample used in this article has been provided by SteelSeries Features and SpecificationsBelow is a snippet from the 6Gv2 product page: As we began to design the 6Gv2, we wanted to offer a keyboard that would do more than emulate the bridge console on the USS Enterprise NCC-1701 and instead, we focused on raw performance and durability. We took a long look at the most extreme use scenarios for keyboards and designed a keyboard that would meet and (in most cases) exceed every one of them. That's why we refer to the 6Gv2 as the "heavyweight of gaming keyboards". It's not the prettiest chick in the beauty pageant. It doesn't glow or pulse. But it packs a punch. A serious one.
Closer Look: SteelSeries 6Gv2In this section we are going to look at the SteelSeries 6Gv2 and get our initial opinion. This is not a gaming keyboard in the sense that it has LED backlit keys, info panel LCD or any other bells and whistles. It is instead a function over aesthetics kind of gaming keyboard, one that will last the duration - if the specs are anything to go by
The box follows the design brief of the keyboard, keep things simple and only include what's important; the name, its purpose and what it looks like. On the reverse side are the main features and specifications.
Inside the box, along with the keyboard is a basic accessory package. You get an instruction booklet, a product catalogue, a case badge and a USB to PS/2 adapter.
Here is a nice shot from above of the SteelSeries 6Gv2, the layout of the keys is slightly different from the 7G but in a good way. Instead of shortening the backspace key like on the 7G the right shift key has been shortened on the 6Gv2 to make way for the vertical bar/back slash key. This layout is great for me and I just love how compact this keyboard is.
The 6Gv2 has no folding feet, it is built to sit in one position only, and that is angled. I have gone through so many keyboards due to the cheap feet breaking off and making an otherwise usable keyboard an pain in the butt to use.
On the reverse side of the 6Gv2 we see four large rubber feet, these along with the sheer weight of the keyboard stop it sliding around during use. Like its bigger brother the 7G the 6Gv2 has the cable coming from the center, while this is not really a problem as such it is always nice to have the option to route the cable to the left or right. SteelSeries 6Gv2 Detailed FeaturesLet's take a closer look at the 6Gv2 and its finer, albeit simple features.
For starters the 6Gv2 is quite thick and has some weight to match its girth, weighing in at 2.5lbs it is definitely worthy of the 'heavyweight' title adorned to it by SteelSeries. The keys are nicely shaped and can be removed with a little force for cleaning and such.
Along with the nice shaping to the keys they are also ergonomically sculpted. Not the most dramatic curve seen on a keyboard but still so much better than those flat keys like you see on laptops and cheap style keyboards. This should make for some nice typing indeed.
The 6Gv2 features the three standard lock LED's that are found on 99% of keyboards, but in this case SteelSeries have fitted super bright white LED's in place of standard low level LED's commonly found in keyboards. The LED's really catch your eye are so bright that if you look at them directly you will get the sun spot effect in your eyes for a short duration.
One particularly useful feature of the SteelSeries 7G is the replacement of the left hand Windows key with a specialized SteelSeries key. This isn't a new idea by any means but this key serves a purpose as a function key for the media keys that you can see at the top of the keyboard from F1 through to F6. What this means is that you won't find yourself minimising your game in the heat of the moment by accidently pressing the windows key, this is something I'm sure we have all done in the past. Media keys are always useful and by using a dedicated function key to operate them SteelSeries have managed to keep the keyboard nice and compact.
Zooming in a little to the label now, there isn't too much info to be gained here past the name and part number. Various standard conformation icons and other info give us an idea what we are dealing with. We also get a nice close up on one of the rubber feet and while it is not textured like on the 7G it still serves its purpose well. Testing & ResultsTesting MethodologyTesting an input device is simple, all one needs to do is use it, unfortunately there are no quantative benchmarks to run, no numbers to compare, and no software used that can test the quality of the hardware. Testing an input device like the SteelSeries 6Gv2 mechanical Gaming Keyboard is going to be based around personal opinion and preference. For instance, I really like the simplistic approach to looks used in the 6Gv2, but this might not be to everyone's taste. In this section I will present my unbiased opinion with regards to the use and operation of the 6Gv2 and report back any improvement benefiting directly by its use in various games and programs listed below. Your mileage may vary slightly and as such this should be taken as a guide only. Test System
Software Tested
ResultsI have been using the SteelSeries for a little over a week now and prior to using it I was testing the 7G. The main difference between the 6Gv2 and its bigger brother the 7G really only comes down to the wrist rest and the USB and audio ports. As such the experience is near enough exactly the same. I can't decide whether I miss the wrist rest or not to be quite honest. I never used one before I tested the 7G, and that really did provide some extra comfort during use. Due to its ergonomic design and compact nature the 6Gv2 is still a pleasure to use and provides the same level of response and tactile feedback as its bigger brother. If you feel you don't need the wrist rest and USB/audio ports then you can save yourself a fair bit of cash by getting the 6Gv2. To save you skipping pages to the 7G review I have copied over my experience of using the 7G (below) which is very much the same as my experience of using the 6Gv2. In the first few days of using the SteelSeries 7G I found myself making a lot of typos, this can be attributed to the sensitive nature of the keys. Unlike regular (non mechanical) keyboards the keys on the 7G don't need to be completely depressed to register as a press and combined with my chubby fingers you get unusual typos now and then. The second thing I noticed is that I seem to type faster with the 7G, whether this is purely psychological or not remains to be seen but it definitely feels nicer to type on the 7G keyboard than on a regular keyboard. I have read that users of mechanical keyboards like the audible 'clack' that you get when you press a key and that it helps create a rhythm when typing. For me the noise seems more nostalgic than anything, it reminds me of the noise of someone operating a typewriter in a way. At first I wasn't too keen but now I am coming round to liking it after all. Maybe the 7G has me in a trance superimposed by a deep embedded 'idea' subliminally implanted in my brain when I first visited the SteelSeries website. No that's not possible... is it? Joking aside, the SteelSeries 7G definitely has something about it that is hard to describe. In the short period I have had the pleasure to use it I can't say that it has improved my gameplay by any comparable amount but the whole subject of a keyboard / mouse enhancing gameplay will be discussed in my final thoughts. It has definitely improved my typing rate and those typo's are less frequent now, SteelSeries do recommend a one to two week period to "acclimate" (get used to using) the 7G mechanical keyboard by which time you will better appreciate the tactile feedback and fast response of the keys. I must say that I haven't needed a lot of time to get used to using the 7G but if one more week will make any difference then I will be very happy indeed as the overall experience has been very good so far. SteelSeries 6Gv2 Final ThoughtsI would like to use this section to express a view about a trend that has been steadily evolving, I hope a lot of others may share my views about the subject, and that is products that are designed for gamers. To kick start this viewpoint we need to rewind time a little, back to the days before the likes of SteelSeries, Razer, Choixx and Roccat etc ever made gaming peripherals. What were people using to play games before these companies created their revolutionary 'must have' devices?? A short answer is anything that they could get their hands on. Before the days of optical or laser sensors we had to bear the trackball mice and although the IBM model M and other similar mechanical keyboards were around, I'm pretty sure they weren't touted as 'gaming' keyboards. No, we used regular keyboards but people still had significant advantage over others, it wasn't until cyber sports had become popular that these gaming peripheral companies were founded. It's hard to look at a motherboards and memory and CPU's and read the words 'created for gamers' in the features list, the only piece of hardware that is truly designed for gamers are graphics cards surely. We have reached a stage now where the words 'created for gamers' are becoming a little over used, or used purely as marketing to sell a product to a wider market. Gaming mice are making large strides to becoming a whole lot more responsive and feature rich but I can't really see any new innovations that can make any new product individual any more. Most gaming keyboards are a joke with their backlit keys for improved visibility and LCD panels for additional info, sure macro keys are great but when using them in games doesn't it kind of feel like cheating a little? I remember playing Need for Speed: Porsche Challenge on the PS1 and found a little glitch when playing a wager mode between two players, it was possible to load the same car for both players by cloning the memory card. The end result was that I won my own car several times and was able to sell it over and over again and earn a large amount of cash and was able to buy the best car available, which was good for all of one hour and kind of killed the game as I now had nothing to aim towards.
Sure today's games have evolved a lot and we now have the multiplayer aspect to contend with, so now we are pitching ourselves against each other and we need to find that competitive edge. Sure that 5600dpi mouse and that LED backlit keyboard may give you a slight advantage but when it comes down to it nothing comes close to raw skill. My first taste of multiplayer action was in the form of Americas Army, when I started I was rubbish, first I thought it was my RAM holding me back so I upgraded that but no difference was seen. Next I decided to upgrade my CPU but it was the same story. It was then that I upgraded my flailing MX440 Video Card to a more suitable ATI Radeon X800 XT and the difference was immediately apparent. It wasn't until I destroyed my mouse in a fit of rage that I bought into the whole gaming peripheral market ideal in the form of a Razer Krait 1600dpi gaming mouse, which made little difference to my gameplay when compared to the improvement gained from buying that X800 XT Video Card. It wasn't until I learned to watch shadows and listen for footsteps and learn different aspects and routes of maps that I could call myself good. Also being part of a gaming clan and communicating via teamspeak improved my gameplay a lot more than any peripheral ever has. I don't intend to start a mission to debunk the entire gaming peripheral market segment as there are products out there that really do make a difference, but at the end of the day you need to understand that a particular input device won't transform you into a pro-gamer overnight and you can also become 'pro' without the use of one of these devices so long as you have good hardware that is related directly to games. I'm talking now about Video and Sound cards that are able to recreate your game of choice with high details because at the end of the day your main weapons are ultimately your senses and your reaction time, skills that are developed over time. This brings me back now to my opening statement, what are you looking for in a gaming keyboard? Hopefully I have been able to put some things into perspective. SteelSeries 6Gv2 ConclusionIn this section I am going to write a brief five point summary on the following categories; Performance, Appearance, Construction, Functionality and Value. These views are my own and help me to give the SteelSeries 6Gv2 Mechanical Gaming Keyboard a rating out of 10. A high or low score does not necessarily mean that it is better or worse than a similar gaming keyboard that has been reviewed by another writer here at Benchmark Reviews, which may have got a higher or lower score. It is however a good indicator of whether the keyboard is good or not. I would strongly urge you to read the entire review, if you have not already, so that you can make an educated decision for yourself. I was sceptical of any performance advantage that might be gained from using a mechanical keyboard before I had used one, it is one of those devices that have been long forgotten like the beige box of their era. Once you have had the pleasure of using one you will not want to go back to your regular keyboard, so I encourage you to give one a try, if you have access to one that is. With regards to gaming though, I cannot really say if I have noticed any benefit offered from the mechanical nature, this will only become obvious months or years down the line if I am still using this keyboard or not. I have got through many regular keyboard that have simply broken due to their cheap nature. Since I only play FPS I won't notice the anti-ghosting or increase actions per minute afforded by the 6Gv2 but I really appreciate the tactile and audible feedback. The appearance of the SteelSeries 6Gv2 is going to get mixed ratings, due to the graphical nature of this review you can easily make up your own mind. The 6Gv2 is right up my street, I really appreciate the minimalistic looks and the color scheme suits my needs down to the ground. Sometime less really is more. The SteelSeries 6Gv2 weighs in at 2.5lbs, and while I haven't wielded it as a weapon or used it like a dance mat I can safely say that it is one tough cookie that is sure to last for some time to come. The omission of retractable height adjusting feet is a god send, having these break is a nightmare and makes an acceptable keyboard nearly unusable. The ABS plastic exterior shell and metal inner chassis give the 6Gv2 a feeling of real strength and gives me confidence that I won't hurt it with some heavy use. Functionality is good with the 6Gv2, the media keys are a nice addition and the replacement of the left windows key is like a blessing for an FPS gamer such as myself. While I have not noticed the benefit of anti-ghosting I can rest assured that it is there and of course I had to make sure it worked, and it does! When you connect the 6Gv2 to your PC with the USB to PS/2 adapter you really can hold down all the keys on the keyboard without getting that annoying tone and having all the keys register, but I am not sure why you would want to. If you connect via USB the anti-ghosting works for just eight keys only, this is more than enough for my needs and will work just fine. The SteelSeries 6Gv2 will set you back $99.99 (PriceGrabber). This is a lot for a gaming keyboard but let's not forget that the 6Gv2 is a mechanical keyboard at heart and will likely outlast most if not all of your current system. The gaming related features of the SteelSeries 6Gv2 are anti-ghosting, quick response keys and the omission of the windows key on the left of the space bar. It hasn't made a great deal of difference to my game but I only play FPS, and it is also a damn good keyboard to type on. The 6Gv2 is two thirds the price of its big brother and performs the same and does away with a few luxuries. Based on this I would have to recommend the 6Gv2 over the 7G because I like to spend less where I can, but you should decide for yourself which is the better deal. Pros:
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Comments
Sorry for the bad english :)