I never wanted to be a Logitech fan boy. How did it come to this? I started out liking relatively less popular gaming brands like Thermaltake and Mionix. Somewhere along the way, I just became a raging, massive Logitech fan boy, which is why I hate the fact that despite the Logitech G512 Carbon is a magnificent keyboard that ticks all the right boxes, the Romer-G tactile switches just weren't my cup of tea.
Let's talk specs first, then we'll go over what I loved about the keyboard and why I didn't enjoy the Romer-G tactile switches.
The Logitech G512 is a "budget" mid-range gaming keyboard from Logitech's G series gaming line. It's the small brother of the Logitech G513, which is essentially the G512 with a few extra bells and whistles. Unlike the G512, the G513 comes with a few extra keycaps and a detachable wrist rest. Those few perks come at an extra $50. Is it worth it? Meh, I didn't think so, so I went with the G512.
Dimensions
Length: 132mm (5.2 inches)
Width: 445mm (17.5 inches)
Height: 34mm (1.4 inches)
Weight: 1,150g (2.5 pounds)
Cable length: 6 feet
One of the things I absolutely love about the keyboard is the size. As someone whose desk real estate is quite limited, any extra space I can get is very welcome. It gives me more mouse space for those twitchy shots. However, despite the size, it still has a full numpad, which is absolutely necessary for productivity tasks, especially for spreadsheets. I really appreciated that.
Keyboard itself is quite hefty at 2.5 pounds, which I quite like.
Key Switches
Durability: 70 million keypresses
Actuation Distance: 1.5mm
Actuation Force: 45g
Total Travel Distance: 3.2mm
A regular Cherry MX red switch actuates at 2mm. A blue actuates at 2.2mm. A linear Cherry MX black takes 65 grams to actuate. A blue takes 55g. A green takes 75g.
This is where the Romer-G keys actually shine, where the actual benefits of having a mechanical keyboard come out. With a shorter actuation distance and lighter required keypress, it really did feel a smidge more responsive than my previous clickly Outemu blue switches. Strafing left and right in Overwatch felt a lot snappier. Thing is, the key press registers even before you bottom out. Pretty soon, I found myself doing quick half-presses and everything does what I expected them to. Sure, I just saved milliseconds, but add those all up and that could add up real quick.
Typing was actually a bit easier, too. The difference isn't dramatic but it accumulates. If a typical gaming session sees you pressing a key 2,000 times, it really adds up.
Connections
Connection Type: USB 2.0
USB Passthrough: USB 2.0
If you want to use the USB passthrough, you'll need two USB slots.
RGB Lighting: Yes, per key
Gonna quote my wife here. She said "Hey, that doesn't actually look bad." Well she said "Uy hindi siya chaka," thinking that RGB lighting looks obnoxious af on most other peripherals. On the Logitech G512, because of the way the Romer-G keys are built, the RGB lighting is exactly in the center, giving the lighting a very classy, premium look. On top of that, everything is fully customizable in the Logitech Gaming Software (LGS, I guess).
Special Keys
Lighting controls: FN+F5, F6, and F7
Game mode: FN+F8
Media controls: FN+F9, F10, F11, F12
Volume controls: FN+Prntscrn, Scrlk, Pause
Programmable FN keys via Logitech Gaming Software
With the Logitech G512 being a compact keyboard, you can't really have dedicated keys for everything. I feel like media keys that aren't dedicated take some getting used to and because of that, I tend to not use them. Same goes for the macro keys. If you need a keyboard for the macros, get one with dedicated keys. It'll make things much easier.
Look and Feel
The keyboard body itself feels amazing with the aircraft-grade aluminum body. The brushed finsh on it is just a pleasure to touch and it gives the keyboard such a classy look. It isn't 2edgy4me like most gamer peripherals.
The actual keys themselves have nice matte black look, which enhances the classy premium look even more. I guess one downside is, with Romer-G keys, there is no after aftermarket keycap support. So, if ever wanted to put like Optimus Prime's face on your escape key, you're outta luck, buddy. If one of your keys breaks, you're, again, out of luck; you can't replace your switches or your keys.
And now I come to why I feel like the Romer-G Tactiles aren't for me. First off, I love clicky blue switches. I love the way they sound, I love the way blue and brown switches feel. The Romer-G tactile keypresses have a very faint tactile bump at the very start of the keypress, versus when it bottoms out. It's also really really quiet.
I know the keypress feel isn't the main benefit for mechanical keyboards, but that's sort of partially what you pay for. If a keyboard doesn't feel right for you, then every time you press that button, you're reminded of what you could be having instead.
Few Extras
There is a threaded hole at the top of it, which no one really knows what to do with. Maybe Logitech is going to release some peripherals that screw into that in the future? Who knows?
At the bottom of the keyboard, there are rubber feet, which should help keep the keyboard in place. Along with the weight, that thing won't go anywhere during typing or gaming. There's also a carved out space for cable management, which I totally appreciate.
All in All
Don't get me wrong. The overall keyboard itself is spectacular and the Romer-G Tactile keys legitimately are nice to press. Again, to quote my wife "I love these. They feel just like my laptop!". The feel of the key is completely and utterly personal preference. I just wish they were clickier and noisier. Maybe I'll give the GX Blue switches on the same keyboard a try.
If you want a compact keyboard with a slight tactile bump and a very quiet keypress that looks good on a desk, you'll have a hard time finding anything better than the Logitech G512 with the Romer-G Tactile mechanical switches.