Logitech Pro X TKL Rapid review – peak performance with some design flaws

Logitech is taking a large leap and getting into the Corridor Impact keyboard market with the Professional X TKL Fast. This board additionally has the most recent in-demand options like fast set off and key precedence inbuilt. These new options are rapidly changing into commonplace in gaming keyboards, however this effort from Logitech feels very fundamental, even for a primary enterprise into Corridor Impact design.

Worth can be an element holding the Logitech Professional X TKL Fast from being among the best gaming keyboards, as its comparatively plain design does little or no to justify the $170 value, though its construct high quality is usually superb, bar some minor key wobble issues. Granted, OLED screens, a wealth of RGB zones, wi-fi connections, and extra in-depth media controls aren’t what make or break a gaming keyboard, however they’re good to have when contemplating the extent of funding.

Specs

Design

Logitech has taken a no-frills method to the design of the Professional X TKL Fast, which is offered in black, white, and pink. It’s undeniably a Logitech board, that includes the big bezel throughout the highest the place the media controls sit, in addition to the G brand on the far left. The keyboard additionally options RGB brightness controls and a sport mode button.

The keyboard comes with three top ranges from which to decide on, utilizing flip-out ft, which implies there’s each probability your perfect typing angle is roofed. There are additionally 5 plastic grips on the rear of the board, with three alongside the underside. These options are all of the Professional X TKL Fast affords when it comes to anti-slip measures, and I discovered that when utilizing the board on my NZXT Zone desk mat, it was susceptible to the occasional slip when making fast or heavy actions whereas gaming, regardless of its pretty heavy 1kg weight. Nevertheless, the board fared a lot better when sitting instantly on my wood desktop.

In the meantime, per-key Lightsync RGB is offered on the Professional X TKL Fast, which might be adjusted utilizing the Logitech G Hub, which is a really easy course of. Every little thing is laid out with the visible of the keyboard, and you can also make per-key changes, group keys collectively, or make complete board modifications in just some seconds. Simply be sure you don’t enable Home windows to regulate the lighting on the board earlier than making an attempt to edit the lighting, in any other case nothing will occur and also you’ll be caught with a generic blue underglow as a substitute.

Exterior of the keyboard itself, the one different merchandise included with the Professional X TKL Fast is the 1.8m USB-A to C cable. Sadly, this simply makes use of fundamental plastic housing somewhat than a material different, that means it may be fairly awkward to bend into form and manipulate to make sure it doesn’t disrupt the aesthetic of your desktop cable administration.

Efficiency

The efficiency of the Logitech Professional X TKL Fast will not be up for debate. This gaming keyboard is extremely responsive, and I discovered there to be no points with adjusting the actuation of singular keys or with each the important thing precedence and fast set off options.

Whereas gaming, I had no points with the responsiveness of the keyboard’s fast set off function when set at each excessive and low activation gates, and the identical goes for the final adjustable actuation. Whether or not I had the board set to be extremely delicate or to make use of the complete journey distance of the switches, the Professional X TKL Fast felt nice to make use of, and its responsiveness was flawless.

An enormous motive why adjustable actuation might be so helpful is that if, like me, you’re susceptible to fat-fingered errors when gaming. If I’m enjoying a sport reminiscent of Name of Responsibility: Warzone, the place I’m solely going to be utilizing the motion keys and some choose motion buttons, I can set these keys to be extra delicate whereas leaving the encompassing keys as needing a full press to register. This prevents me from hitting an unintentional enter and messing up my rhythm whereas gaming.

The identical goes for fast set off, a expertise that permits for a keypress to be registered once more as quickly as uplift is detected. Fast set off ensures that a number of, quick inputs might be registered and not using a key needing to be totally depressed earlier than it’s reset. That is perfect for motion in motion video games and rhythm video games too.

Multi-point actions, generally referred to as dynamic keystrokes or dual-activation, are additionally attainable to arrange by way of the Logitech G Hub, and these work nice too. This function lets you set two instructions for a single key press. As an example, a half-press of a key may start the method of cooking a grenade, after which a full key press may throw the grenade.. I personally like to make use of this setting in Fortnite, the place I can assign a half-press of the WASD keys to strolling, whereas the complete press is used for operating. This successfully takes away the necessity for shift toggling for operating/sprinting in video games the place it’s attainable.

Lastly, there may be key precedence, a function which is typically often known as snap faucet, snappy tappy, or fast faucet. Addressing the elephant within the room first, this function is banned in Counter-Strike 2, so it must be disabled previous to enjoying. For now, it stays unbanned in different aggressive video games.

This function successfully permits for layers of keypresses to be arrange and prioritized accordingly, however without having to launch an enter for it to re-register as soon as the prioritized keys are launched. For example, in the event you’re holding the A key to strafe left, key precedence lets you then press D to strafe proper whereas conserving the A key pressed. Upon releasing the D key, you’ll return to strafing left. Advanced strafing isn’t as essential in different video games as it’s in CS2, and Valve did act rapidly to ban the function when it was first revealed, however there may be an argument that it makes little or no distinction outdoors of the elite stage of play.

One subject, nonetheless, is {that a} slight key wobble might be felt at full press, which signifies some instability inside the board’s construct. It could go unnoticed most of the time, however when holding down a key so far as it should go, it’s straightforward to detect and worries me that, below long-term use, put on and tear injury will happen a lot faster than with different gaming keyboards.

Elsewhere, on-board reminiscence profiles additionally imply that when you make modifications in Logitech G Hub, it can save you them to the board somewhat than having to re-download the software program on whichever system you might be enjoying. That is nice in the event you plan to attend LAN occasions or, for no matter motive, play utilizing a PC that isn’t your personal.

Not like some gaming keyboards, the Logitech Professional X TKL Fast additionally maintains an honest basic typing really feel. That is aided by the adjustable actuation, as you’re in a position to set the board to match your wants. In the event you’re a heavy-handed however quick contact typer like, you possibly can set a low actuation level to make sure no errors are made in the event you by accident drag throughout a key whereas typing. I by no means felt slowed down by the design of the Professional X TKL Fast, and this was confirmed when my Typing Check outcomes returned as 72 phrases per minute with an accuracy fee of 99%. My file for this check is on the Drop CSTM80, the place I managed 75 phrases per minute with a 99% accuracy. One draw back, nonetheless, is that the quantity of the board can really feel exacerbated when in a typing movement, which might be off-putting in the event you’re used to a extra muted sound coming out of your keyboard.

Recorded from a 20cm distance, the Logitech Professional X TKL registered a mean of 65dB whereas typing, hitting a max of 70dB, usually when the enter or house key was used. Examine this to the 57dB common of the NZXT Operate 2 and 48dB common of the Turtle Seashore Vulcan II TKL Professional, two boards that actively use noise-dampening strategies, displaying that there’s a noticeable distinction when no noise-reducing design options are added.

Worth

At $169.99 / £169.99, the Logitech G Professional X TKL Fast feels barely overpriced as a result of fundamental design. Nevertheless, in the case of uncooked efficiency, you get your cash’s price with the suite of recent options and the way properly they’re all applied.

Alternate options

Steelseries Apex Professional

Early adopters of options reminiscent of fast set off and fast faucet, the Steelseries Apex Professional boards are an ideal different as a result of vary of sizes by which they’re obtainable, with wi-fi boards additionally in the marketplace. One drawback of utilizing a Steelseries board, nonetheless, is the bloated software program required to edit and alter the options.

Keydous NJ98-CP

Whereas the Keydous NJ98-CP is barely $10 cheaper than the Logitech Professional X TKL Fast for the aluminum plate mannequin, it has the advantage of being a full-size keyboard and likewise affords wi-fi 2.4GHz and Bluetooth connection choices. It additionally has a small magnetic multi-function display screen and is available in a spread of colorways. That is all on high of unbelievable gaming and typing efficiency due to the Gateron Jade Professional switches.

Verdict

The Logitech Professional X Fast TKL is a strong gaming keyboard that brings little or no to the desk when it comes to new and thrilling options, as a substitute serving as the primary in a brand new era of gaming keyboards from Logitech.

Fast set off and key precedence are high-quality options so as to add, even when one is a bit dangerous, and this has clearly been the course for gaming keyboards for the previous few years, however asking players to cough up $170 when there may be so little else to shout about is a troublesome promote.

There are opponents on the market providing an even bigger whole bundle, albeit for the next MSRP, but it surely seems like extra is being executed to justify these prices than is being executed right here with the Logitech Professional X TKL Fast, which feels as if it’s enjoying catch-up to the likes of Razer and SteelSeries.

The Logitech Professional X Fast TKL is nice for players who wish to be on the chopping fringe of keyboard efficiency, and who aren’t involved about fancy design options or wi-fi connections. For everybody else, there will probably be a sense of purchaser’s regret if you’re hoping for extra on the design entrance.