Mention that you're looking for a gaming keyboard on just about any Internet forum, and the Razer BlackWidow Ultimate ($140) is sure to come up. The Internet's appreciation for the BlackWidow Ultimate turns out to be completely justified. The keyboard is a fantastic peripheral on every level, from design to software to performance. Although it's one of the more expensive gaming keyboards on the market, the BlackWidow Ultimate justifies its cost through smart design choices and granular customization options.

1. Razer Deathstalker Vs Black Widow Vs

The Razer BlackWidow Chroma is a great keyboard overall and an easy recommendation for gamers in almost every genre. Senior writer Marshall Honorof finds that Razer’s Black Widow Chroma is. Deal of the day on the Amazon website on the Razer keyboards Deathstalker Chroma and Blackwidow, $10 off for a final price of $94.99 for the Razer BlackWidow Ultimate Stealth 2016 – Backlit Quiet Mechanical Gaming Keyboard with 10 Key Rollover and $84.99 for the Razer DeathStalker Chroma – Multi-Color RGB Membrane Gaming Keyboard.

Design

The BlackWidow Ultimate isn't small, but it uses its size in smart ways. The keyboard measures 18.7 x 6.74 inches, compared with 21.5 x 9.6 inches for the Corsair Vengeance K95 or 17.3 x 5.4 inches of the Feenix Autore. Users will need to carve out some desk space, but not an excessive amount.

The keyboard's layout is also beyond reproach. With a 3.5 mm key travel, the keys felt close together without being cramped. Five macro keys on the side had just enough space between them so that we rarely hit them by accident.

MORE: Best Gaming Keyboards

One thing we found disappointing was the lack of media controls. By using a function key along with the F1-F12 keys, we could control music and videos, but this is inconvenient compared with devices such as the Logitech G710+, which has a few extra keys and a volume wheel.

Otherwise, the BlackWidow Ultimate feels solid and has an elongated bottom rather than a detachable wrist rest. We found it very comfortable and appreciated that it didn't take up too much additional room.

Keys

The keys on the BlackWidow Ultimate aren't going to rewrite the book on gaming keyboards, but they get the job done. With large block letters, adjustable green illumination and slight indentations, the keys look great. We were somewhat concerned that the keys' smooth texture would prove slippery, but we did not encounter any problems.

Keyboard aficionados know that many gaming keyboards make use of Cherry MX switches: Reds are lightweight and quiet, Blues are resistant and noisy and Browns are somewhere in the middle. Although Razer uses proprietary mechanical switches rather than Cherry, the BlackWidow Ultimate's keys felt excellent and quite similar to those of a Cherry MX Blue. The keys clicked and clacked with satisfying volume, but also sprang back up as rapidly as those on a traditional membrane keyboard.

The BlackWidow Ultimate's keys are also ideal for typing. In the Ten Thumbs Typing Test, we scored 101 words per minute with a zero-percent error rate on both the BlackWidow Ultimate and our standard Dell office keyboard. Considering we work with the Dell for hours every day and had only just opened the BlackWidow's box, this speaks very well of Razer's keyboard.

Features

When it comes to peripheral software, Razer sports one of the best programs in the business: Razer Synapse 2.0. With this software, users can remap any key, record and assign macros, customize a specialized Gaming Mode and control the keyboard's lighting. Not only is Razer Synapse 2.0 fairly foolproof, but it's comprehensive as well, particularly if you use both a Razer keyboard and mouse.

One thing that sets the BlackWidow Ultimate apart from its nearest competitors is the ability to create multiple profiles and link them with individual games. While there is a question of how useful this feature is — keyboards are, by definition, intended for out-of-the-box use with every program on a PC — it's still something that most keyboards don't offer. Even the Logitech G710+, a very similar peripheral with top-notch software, only offers three non-linkable profiles.

Recording macros on the BlackWidow Ultimate is not terribly difficult, although it's a bit of a process. Users have to hit a function button and F9 (which are not close to one another), input the macro, stop the recording and then choose a button for it. This process is confusing and easy to mess up — we even accidentally replaced the 1 button with a macro and had to go into the Synapse software to fix it. Once you get the rhythm down, it's not so bad, but we still prefer the dedicated macro record buttons on Corsair and Logitech models.

Performance

Since the BlackWidow Ultimate is a gaming keyboard, we thought it only appropriate to run the device through the standard Tom's Guide battery of games: 'Titanfall,' 'StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm,' 'Watch Dogs' and 'Star Wars: The Old Republic.' In this way, we were able to test first-person shooter (FPS), real-time strategy (RTS), action/adventure and massively multiplayer online (MMO) titles.

We put the BlackWidow Ultimate through its paces, particularly in 'Titanfall' and 'The Old Republic,' where furiously tapping keys is a way of life. The keyboard performed well in every situation, whether we were hunting down futuristic mecha pilots or engaging in epic lightsaber duels.

MORE: Best Gaming Mice

As is always the case with keyboards that have dedicated macro keys, we found their value to be a mixed bag. We didn't often use macros, save for 'The Old Republic' and occasionally in 'Heart of the Swarm.' Macros are generally not terribly useful outside of high-level MMO play; the amount of use you get out of the six extra buttons is dependent on your gaming habits. It's entirely possible to game for hours and hours each week and never touch them. Iphone fake location app.

By default, the keyboard only allows a six-key rollover, but by activating Gaming Mode, users can hit up to 10 simultaneous keys.

Bottom line

The BlackWidow Ultimate's reputation precedes it, but it turns out to be a reputation well-earned. In spite of a few quibbles about macro recording, the peripheral goes above and beyond most other gaming keyboards on the market. With features sure to appeal to the hardcore MMO junkie, the twitchy FPS fan and the pensive RTS general alike, the BlackWidow Ultimate is one of the best all-around gaming keyboards on the market.

Specs

Actuation: 55 g
Key Travel: 4.5 mm
In-Key Rollover: 6 (10 in Gaming Mode)
Size: 18.7 x 6.74 x 0.8 inches
Weight: 3.31 pounds

Follow Marshall Honorof @marshallhonorofand on Google+. Follow us @tomsguide, on Facebook and on Google+.

The BlackWidow Chroma is a great keyboard overall, and an easy recommendation for gamers in almost every genre. It offers responsive typing, robust software and just enough macro keys in a fairly compact design. The most exciting aspect of this $170 peripheral is that you can customize its colors any way you like. Sure, it's $70 more than the BlackWidow Ultimate, but gamers who care about style as much as substance will be very happy with this keyboard.

Design

If you're familiar with the Razer BlackWidow Ultimate 2014, you're familiar with the Razer BlackWidow Chroma. The dimensions and weight are identical: 18.7 x 6.7 inches and 3.31 pounds. For reference, the similar Corsair Gaming K70 RGB is 18.6 x 8.3 inches, and the Logitech G910 Orion Spark is 19.9 x 8.3 inches. If you want a full-size gaming keyboard and desk space is at a premium, the BlackWidow Chroma is the way to go.

MORE:100+ Tech Gift Ideas

The way the BlackWidow Chroma saves space is by eschewing a large wrist rest, which most other gaming keyboards possess. I found the short wrist support to be more than adequate, but gamers with wrist conditions may want to think twice.

I was also pleased that the BlackWidow Chroma forgoes Razer's usual 'aggressively cool' style in favor of something a little less angular and more subdued. This is a keyboard that would look equally at home in an office and in a gaming nook.

Keys

The first and most important thing to note about the BlackWidow Chroma's keys is that they do not use industry-standard Cherry MX switches. Like the Ultimate 2014 before it, the BlackWidow Chroma uses Razer-exclusive switches with high actuations and satisfying clacky noises, similar to Cherry MX Blue or Green models. Although these switches are by no means uncomfortable, they do not feel quite as responsive and refined as the real thing, especially now that I've had a few months to evaluate them since my initial review.

If the keys aren't perfect, they're still very good. Using the Ten Thumbs Typing Test, I scored 108 words per minute with a 0 percent error rate on the BlackWidow Chroma, compared with 102 words per minute with a 1 percent error with my standard Dell office keyboard. The BlackWidow Chroma is simply more comfortable and more accurate than a standard membrane peripheral.

There are also five macro keys built into the far left side of the keyboard, and media-player functionalities for the top row of F keys. As before, the media controls are disappointing, since the corresponding function button is nowhere near them. Separate controls would have been better. The macro keys, however, are well-placed and not excessive in number.

Features

The BlackWidow Chroma runs on the excellent Razer Synapse 2.0 software. Using this program, gamers can program macros, reassign keys, activate a gaming mode (which disables keys that can minimize the game) and, most important, control the keyboard's extensive backlighting options.

The software is snappy, straightforward and easy to navigate. You can link profiles with individual games, which is especially useful in conjunction with the BlackWidow Chroma's full RGB options. Like the Corsair K70 or the Logitech Orion Spark, you can assign each individual key one of millions of colors, or add effects such as a rainbow wave or a pulsing color shift.

Razer Deathstalker Vs Black Widow Vs

The color differentiation is admittedly not as good as it could be. Although the keyboard advertises more than 8 million possible colors, many of them look pretty similar, even when the BlackWidow Chroma is on full brightness. Yellows and oranges tend to run together, as do whites and grays. On the whole, though, it's still possible to make extremely pretty combinations to link with each game. The special effects are not nearly as robust as the Corsair K70, but there's also no complicated programming involved.

The other major selling point of the BlackWidow Chroma is its on-the-fly macro recording. Unfortunately, this feature has not improved since the BlackWidow Ultimate 2014. Beginning a recording is still a convoluted process that requires users to reach all the way across the keyboard and tap distant buttons in arcane combinations. Razer should have made this process simpler.

Performance

The BlackWidow is almost beyond reproach when it comes to gameplay. I ran Titanfall, StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm, Assassin's Creed Unity and Star Wars: The Old Republic, and most of the titles ran extremely well. The keys felt zippy and satisfying whether I was clicking them with as much rapidity as humanly possible for Titanfall, or slowly and methodically for Heart of the Swarm.

The only exception was The Old Republic. Like its predecessor, the BlackWidow Chroma could not record macros in-game, although this functionality seemed to work just fine in every other title (including fellow massively multiplayer online (MMO) game World of Warcraft). Just as Razer did not improve the overall process of recording macros, it missed a chance to fix one of the few flaws with its previous model.

Bottom Line

If you've got money to burn, don't mind Razer switches and need a sleek gaming keyboard, the BlackWidow Chroma is the one to get. Since it's exactly the same as its predecessor, but more colorful, it's technically a 'better' product, yet the asking price is quite high. If you already have a BlackWidow Ultimate 2014 or anything similar, a few pretty colors are hardly worth the $70 premium.

Razer, Logitech and Corsair have all released full RGB gaming keyboards, and they're all excellent, but none stands out above the other. Personally, I prefer the Corsair Gaming K70 RGB due to its simplicity and extremely comfortable wrist rest, but I also don't generally use macros.

If you're in the market for a new keyboard, your best bet would be to check out all three reviews, then decide for yourself: the K70 for those who want something streamlined, the Orion Spark for those who want a ton of extra keys, and the BlackWidow Chroma for anyone in the middle.

Razer BlackWidow Chroma Tournament Edition

UPDATE (7/17/15): Tom's Guide recently got its hands on a Razer BlackWidow Chroma Tournament Edition. This tenkeyless variant of the BlackWidow Chroma is mostly identical to its full-size cousin, with a few notable exceptions. The peripheral lacks a numpad, reducing its overall size to 14.4 x 6.1 inches and weight to 2.1 pounds. Toss in a detachable USB cable, a slick carrying case and a (comparatively) modest $140 price tag, and the keyboard seems like a reasonable purchase for those on the tournament scene, just as the name suggests. I did not encounter any differences in performance between the two models.
Specs
Actuation: 55 g
Key Travel: 4.5 mm
n-Key Rollover: 6 (10 in Gaming Mode)
Size: 18.7 x 6.74 x 0.8 inches
Weight: 3.31 pounds