Logitech Gaming Keyboard G510 Review

👤by Sahil Mannick Comments 📅05-07-11
Closer Look


The keyboard angled

The Logitech G510 uses a plastic construction which is finished in black and silver. The keyboard is built in several parts; the bottom casing is the largest part and clipped onto is the narrow black band that surrounds the keys. The inner silver coloured casing is screwed to the lower casing and houses the media and M keys. Within the silver housing is a separate keyboard tray which is a unique feature compared to previous G-Series keyboards where the buttons are installed within the inner casing. The keyboard feels well-built and very secure. The screen on the other hand is housed within another plastic casing, this time with a glossy finish. The keyboard has been designed to be spill proof so any spilt liquids will drain out without coming into contact with the circuitry or mechanism.


The G510 keyboard

The Logitech emblem can be seen at the base of the keyboard and the palm rest. The glass like finish adds a sense of quality and really showcases Logitech’s attention to detail. My main complaint however is that the palm rest picks up finger prints very easily although it is only noticeable under lighting.


The side profile

From the side, the keyboard appears very thick. The keys are full-height ones so each press gives more feedback which is essential when gaming or typing. It also means you don’t accidentally press several keys at the same time. The soft nature of the key presses means that little effort is needed but at the same time the feedback lets you know that each press is successfully executed. The keyboard is slightly angled whereas the keys themselves are flat so each row is raised slightly above the other, making it more ergonomic is design. Another interesting observation is the raised palm rest compared to the old G15s. Rather than the more streamlined nature in the latter’s case; this palm rest is more angular meaning your wrist actually sits on it rather than on the desk. This design works very well to provide additional comfort and reduced strain during movement.


The G-Keys

On the left side of the keyboard are the G-keys and M-keys. Through the software, each key can be assigned to a single or multi keystrokes, text blocks, mouse functions, media keys, hotkeys or shortcuts, functions or macros. Logitech have gone back to employing 18 G-key like the original G15. Three modes, represented by the M-keys, means that each of the 18 G-keys can have 3 functions for a total of 54 additional keys. On top of that, profiles can be created for all games to make full use of those 54 extra G-keys, making the keyboard very versatile. Although the majority of gamers may not find use for it, macros can prove useful in RTS or MMO games. The MR key allows users to record a macro on the fly by simply pressing it, selecting the G-key to be programmed, typing the keys to be recorded, and pressing the MR key again.


The headset and microphone mute buttons

Moving along the top, we first see the Game/Desktop toggle key, which when set to gaming (right position) disables the Windows context menu key. It proves useful when the last thing you want is to accidentally press the Windows key, only for your game to minimise in the heat of battle. Next to those are the labelled mute buttons which disables any headset or microphone plugged into the keyboard. A small orange light indicates whether they are muted or not.


The GamePanel LCD

The screen is the highlight of the G510 and has features on all high-end G-Series gaming keyboards. The backlit monochrome display measures 60x16mm spanning 160x43 pixels, and can provide a wealth of information in supported games or applications. The button on the left toggles through different applications, whereas the 4 buttons below the screen have different functions based on the applications. They are generally set to browsing menus. Compared to the G15 V1, the screen is in-built into the keyboard similar to the V2 revision. The main difference to the latter is the lack of media keys that previously populated the area.


The backlight on/off button

To the right of the GamePanel LCD is a brightness button although on the G510, it merely switches the backlighting on or off. It would have been preferable if the brightness could be adjusted to various degrees. We also see the Caps Lock, Scroll Lock and Num Lock lights.


The media keys

The media keys have been shifted to the far right hand corner. They are composed of play/pause, stop, previous and next buttons. There is also a mute button for convenience. Making a welcomed comeback is the volume scroller, which I personally missed on the G15 V2. The scroll wheel was a brilliant feature on the original G15 and Logitech’s decision to replace it with buttons on the V2 revision is questionable. Thankfully, they have been listening to our prayers and re-introduced the concept through this cylindrical wheel. Unlike the old scroll wheel, this one isn’t notchy, instead scrolling more smoothly. I personally preferred the old design but it still works very well on the G510. The wheel can be rotated infinitely and yet switching to the other direction will immediately change the volume.


Close up of the keys

A close up of the standard keys, we see that they are all black with translucent 'windows' denoting the symbol and through which the backlight can also seep through. It also means that the keys can still be distinguished with the lights off.



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