Razer Cynosa V2 - Chroma RGB Membrane Gaming Keyboard

The LEDs on the Razer Cynosa v2 are amazing, you can customize them EXACTLY how you want. Hypershift keys are also a must, I use them to switch between lighting profiles (which can be customized and saved using the Razer Synapse software). Have not had any problems using the keyboard and is an amazing starter keyboard with a somewhat affordable price. One thing that I was mainly worried about is the limitations that membrane keyboards have (they don't have separate moving parts), but after going on TypeRacer (and running it a few times) I have consistently stayed at my average WPM, which is great because membrane keyboards are not the best for typing. The Razer Cynosa v2 has rather mushy keys, but feel light to type with. They don't make any obnoxiously loud ... MoreThe LEDs on the Razer Cynosa v2 are amazing, you can customize them EXACTLY how you want. Hypershift keys are also a must, I use them to switch between lighting profiles (which can be customized and saved using the Razer Synapse software). Have not had any problems using the keyboard and is an amazing starter keyboard with a somewhat affordable price. One thing that I was mainly worried about is the limitations that membrane keyboards have (they don't have separate moving parts), but after going on TypeRacer (and running it a few times) I have consistently stayed at my average WPM, which is great because membrane keyboards are not the best for typing. The Razer Cynosa v2 has rather mushy keys, but feel light to type with. They don't make any obnoxiously loud clicking sounds but they do however have rubber dome switches so that they slam against the board. In conclusion, the Razer Cynosa v2 RGB Membrane Gaming Keyboard is a great keyboard overall and is also a very good starter keyboard for anyone wanting to start PC Gaming.

A Great Deal with Tons of Features

Individually lit RGB keys? Check. Easy typing? Check. Fully customizable color/animation profiles, including ones tied into specific apps/games? Check. Priced reasonably, unlike just about every other keyboard brand/model with these features? So many checks.I've had this keyboard for a couple of months now, and it continues to be a pleasure to use. I especially like that it had two different heights for the read stands to keep it at a perfect angle of tilt for comfort during long typing or gaming sessions. And the Razer Synapse software makes customizing it to almost insanely granular levels possible, even if it's sometimes a bit overwhelming. Coupled with the fact that you can also apply lighting effects to other compatible devices like the Basilisk 3 mouse with ... MoreIndividually lit RGB keys? Check. Easy typing? Check. Fully customizable color/animation profiles, including ones tied into specific apps/games? Check. Priced reasonably, unlike just about every other keyboard brand/model with these features? So many checks.I've had this keyboard for a couple of months now, and it continues to be a pleasure to use. I especially like that it had two different heights for the read stands to keep it at a perfect angle of tilt for comfort during long typing or gaming sessions. And the Razer Synapse software makes customizing it to almost insanely granular levels possible, even if it's sometimes a bit overwhelming. Coupled with the fact that you can also apply lighting effects to other compatible devices like the Basilisk 3 mouse with the click of a button, and the whole Razer Chroma ecosystem is just plain nice, and at much lower prices than other manufacturers.Oh, and how beautifully it ties in with that Basilisk mouse I mentioned. When part of an overall RGB setup, the possibilities for customizing one's work/gaming space become enormous.I'm not usually a 5-star reviewer, but when something works this well for such a good price, I have to give that extra little bump in its rating. I can easily recommend this keyboard, especially if you can get it on sale for even less.

Comfortable, easy to use keyboard

Overall I was extremely satisfied with the Cynosa V2. Keys were very responsive, it was comfortable, media keys were extremely useful, and going beyond that the Razer software was easy to use to change the lighting if that's a key point for you. My only complaint, and the only thing keeping me from giving it 5 stars, is that the keys seemed to wear off very quickly. Now, it is important to know that I used this for my workstation as well, but it was only about 3 months before my most used keys started to fade, and about one more before some of them were completely unreadable just by looking at it. Not a major problem, but it was sad to see that happen. Even with that, the product is still completely functional, so it's not something that would explicitly prevent me ... MoreOverall I was extremely satisfied with the Cynosa V2. Keys were very responsive, it was comfortable, media keys were extremely useful, and going beyond that the Razer software was easy to use to change the lighting if that's a key point for you. My only complaint, and the only thing keeping me from giving it 5 stars, is that the keys seemed to wear off very quickly. Now, it is important to know that I used this for my workstation as well, but it was only about 3 months before my most used keys started to fade, and about one more before some of them were completely unreadable just by looking at it. Not a major problem, but it was sad to see that happen. Even with that, the product is still completely functional, so it's not something that would explicitly prevent me from recommending the product.

DO NOT BUY!

Buyer beware! I purchased this machine on July 15th. Couldn’t pick it up for a week or I had to wait two weeks for home delivery. Opted for in store pick up. Get it home, plug it up, and the keyboard that came with it doesn’t work. K button, 8 button, W button don’t respond. Okay cool. Good thing I bought one. I notice immediate issues with the two USB ports on the top of the unit and intermittent issues with the ports on the back. Okay cool. It has Bluetooth. Except the Bluetooth won’t connect to anything except an old Xbox controller. (Maybe because it Microsoft?) So I decide to go buy a wired Astro headset to avoid more complications. Plugged them up, they worked great. The next day I turn on the machine and put the headset on and it’s making a bit of static ... MoreBuyer beware! I purchased this machine on July 15th. Couldn’t pick it up for a week or I had to wait two weeks for home delivery. Opted for in store pick up. Get it home, plug it up, and the keyboard that came with it doesn’t work. K button, 8 button, W button don’t respond. Okay cool. Good thing I bought one. I notice immediate issues with the two USB ports on the top of the unit and intermittent issues with the ports on the back. Okay cool. It has Bluetooth. Except the Bluetooth won’t connect to anything except an old Xbox controller. (Maybe because it Microsoft?) So I decide to go buy a wired Astro headset to avoid more complications. Plugged them up, they worked great. The next day I turn on the machine and put the headset on and it’s making a bit of static noise in the earpiece. I change USB ports. Same thing. I restart the system and it fixes the issue. This becomes an almost daily thing. Fast forward two months. The machine still won’t connect to any Bluetooth device. Have tried many different types and brands of various devices and gadgets. Keep Bluetooth turned off now. Daily restart at least once after I turn on the machine is now required as the headset, keyboard, and mouse all experience random interruptions that cause the machine to make the “device plugged/device unplugged chime” and causes a system failure which requires a restart. Sometimes the mouse pointer will just move very slowly or pauses. And as of 10 minutes ago when I started writing this review it appears as though the system has crashed and doesn’t seem to be able to reboot. I do not recommend spending the amount of money this piece of crap costs.

Great RGB Keyboard...But Characters are Switched!!

Great keyboard: I've been a Mac user for the past decade, but needed to build a pc because of certain software needs. So this is my first time in a long time getting a standard (non-Apple) keyboard. LOVE IT!PROS: The keys have a wonderful feel, are properly spaced, and the RGB lights are a nice addition. I even changed the lights so that different regions have different colors.CONS: Keys that have two characters (such as ",<" ".>", ": ;" etc have they characters flipped on the key, so this keeps throwing me off. What I mean is that normally you press the SHIFT key to select the character that is on top, and don't press SHIFT for the character that is on bottom. But with this keyboard it is reverse: to select the character on bottom, you press the SHIFT key.

Keys stopped responding

A bunch of the keys stopped responding after spilling a small amount of liquid in the top corner by the volume buttons. The RGB lights work and respond to keystrokes but it doesn't actually type the text to the computer. Only had it for 8 months but I guess its my fault. I bought another Razer because I had an older Razer keyboard that was a brute and had many things spilled in it without any issue ever. I would recommend getting a accidental damage warranty on it if you buy it. Also, I had the brightness always turned all the way down and it still seemed really bright in a dark room. Like brighter than the screen.

Love the keyboard, but got an opened one.

Been a couple of weeks playing with it. Love the colors, it's an upgrade for me. Mostly motivated to get it cuz one of the games I played, Black Desert Online had a feature for certain lights design if you use a Razer keyboard with RGB Chroma feature. And I got it on sale. The game's mapping of the lights is pretty cool feature. For example the the first 8 function buttons up top represent your HP bar. Keys turn blue and ripply when you're in water. I'm not fond of loud clicky sounds so I like membrane keyboard.There apparently a lot of games that utilize this. I'm going to check out that entire list and see what other games I play might be on there! It was also easy to set up the Synapse program to design my own schemes.Bought this online and store pick up. But ... MoreBeen a couple of weeks playing with it. Love the colors, it's an upgrade for me. Mostly motivated to get it cuz one of the games I played, Black Desert Online had a feature for certain lights design if you use a Razer keyboard with RGB Chroma feature. And I got it on sale. The game's mapping of the lights is pretty cool feature. For example the the first 8 function buttons up top represent your HP bar. Keys turn blue and ripply when you're in water. I'm not fond of loud clicky sounds so I like membrane keyboard.There apparently a lot of games that utilize this. I'm going to check out that entire list and see what other games I play might be on there! It was also easy to set up the Synapse program to design my own schemes.Bought this online and store pick up. But who ever went shopping for me picked up a box that was obviously opened as the seals were not really warped and barely sticking to the box and when I opened it in my car with no effort the plastic bag that I assume the keyboard was supposed to be in it if it was brand new, was empty and just laying on top of the actual keyboard. Seems like an open box product or at one point a display.

Nice membrane keyboard

Great RBG against the white “plate” beneath the keys. The white really helps the colors look clear and vibrant.As with some other Razer products, the lighting can change based on the games you play. For example, in Overwatch, the colors will change based on which character I pick. The movement and ability keys are automatically set to different colors so you can see them, and the LED on certain ability keys will blink to indicate that the ability is on a cooldown. Not entirely helpful because you’re primarily looking at the monitor when playing a game, so these features may go unnoticed most of the time, but it is pretty neat. Very interactive.If you’re a mechanical keyboard fan, this board might not be for you. The key feel is very obviously membrane, but I ... MoreGreat RBG against the white “plate” beneath the keys. The white really helps the colors look clear and vibrant.As with some other Razer products, the lighting can change based on the games you play. For example, in Overwatch, the colors will change based on which character I pick. The movement and ability keys are automatically set to different colors so you can see them, and the LED on certain ability keys will blink to indicate that the ability is on a cooldown. Not entirely helpful because you’re primarily looking at the monitor when playing a game, so these features may go unnoticed most of the time, but it is pretty neat. Very interactive.If you’re a mechanical keyboard fan, this board might not be for you. The key feel is very obviously membrane, but I enjoy the tactility regardless (and I think I prefer the feel more than the Hako Royal Trues I have on one of my custom boards).No customization options whatsoever, unless I’m missing something. USB cable is NOT removable, but there are cable gutters on the bottom to route the wire whichever way you want.Cannot use the Razer PBT keycap upgrade, which is fine for me because I prefer ABS plastic. I read online that removing these keycaps is not recommended and can damage the board because they are not the same kind of mount as other Razer boards and are not designed to be removed. I would like to be proven wrong, but I’m not willing to damage the board to find out. (When it comes to cleaning, just use compressed air to blow away any debris while holding the board upside down.)Squeaky spacebar. Only when I press it on the right side. Since the keycaps cannot be removed, and further customization is not really in the board’s design, I cannot fix the bad stabilizer in the spacebar. I hope the squeak goes away over time.Overall, I like this keyboard. I’ve wanted it for months despite working on custom mechanical projects, and I finally got it. It doesn’t blow me away or anything—it’s just a decent board that I was drawn to because of the key feel. It’s a good membrane board. It’s got a lot of features. Read up on what it can do.

The best inexpensive RGB gaming keyboard!

This keyboard exceeded my expectations. It's very easy to type on. Its build quality is very solid. Most Razer users have come to expect that from them.I own several Razer products: Naga Pro mouse, Tartarus Pro gaming keypad, and Blackshark V2 Pro headset.I had been using a competing keyboard product without the RGB backlighting and when it started to physically fall apart I decided I wanted a keyboard with backlighting so I could see the keys in the dark, which is my gaming environment most of the time.I wanted the Razer DeathStalker V2 Pro wireless keyboard, which is their high-end gaming keyboard but realized that since I don't really use the keyboard so much for gaming because of my Tartarus Pro keypad it would be a waste of money for me ($250). So, since ... MoreThis keyboard exceeded my expectations. It's very easy to type on. Its build quality is very solid. Most Razer users have come to expect that from them.I own several Razer products: Naga Pro mouse, Tartarus Pro gaming keypad, and Blackshark V2 Pro headset.I had been using a competing keyboard product without the RGB backlighting and when it started to physically fall apart I decided I wanted a keyboard with backlighting so I could see the keys in the dark, which is my gaming environment most of the time.I wanted the Razer DeathStalker V2 Pro wireless keyboard, which is their high-end gaming keyboard but realized that since I don't really use the keyboard so much for gaming because of my Tartarus Pro keypad it would be a waste of money for me ($250). So, since I wanted a backlight keyboard I decided on this Razer Cynosa V2 and I could not be happier with it. Even though it is wired it still fits easily on my elevated 35" curved monitor stand (flat square base) when I'm gaming on my keypad. I can now see the keysin the dark to use for some functions not assinged to my gamepad while gaming, and I can easily pull it down when needed to use as I am at this moment for doing normal typing.This is the best inexpensive keyboard I've ever purchased.

Tried it, and Returned it.

I read online reviews saying how good this was, but honestly, my 'stock' alienware laptop keybad was better. The RGB colors seemed to 'hertz' so slowly that my eye recognized them while I was trying to look a the monitor. It caused eye strain as my eyes keep seeing the 'buzzing' colors of the keyboard over the screen. It just wasnt/isnt like my RGB alienware laptop keyboard. The colors also just seem to be radiating from everywhere, not coming only out of the keys like I like. Just seems like an over flooding of colors, not percise as individualized keys that just the keys are light up, not their surrounding area. I returned it, its not for me. I also didnt like this intruisive 'razer software' screen that comes up EVERYTIME you restart the computer. Great, it needs ... MoreI read online reviews saying how good this was, but honestly, my 'stock' alienware laptop keybad was better. The RGB colors seemed to 'hertz' so slowly that my eye recognized them while I was trying to look a the monitor. It caused eye strain as my eyes keep seeing the 'buzzing' colors of the keyboard over the screen. It just wasnt/isnt like my RGB alienware laptop keyboard. The colors also just seem to be radiating from everywhere, not coming only out of the keys like I like. Just seems like an over flooding of colors, not percise as individualized keys that just the keys are light up, not their surrounding area. I returned it, its not for me. I also didnt like this intruisive 'razer software' screen that comes up EVERYTIME you restart the computer. Great, it needs software, do I really need you to spam my bootup process with that? Just do it in the background, instead it wants to REMIND YOU that you need this software loaded for the keyboard to work apparently. :/