Logitech - G512 Carbon GX Brown Carbon UK INTNL

I have owned this keyboard for 4 months and the black on multiple keys has already started to wear. This means you can see the light shining through the edges and makes me worry about how bad it will be after years of use... Will all of the black be gone by that point?I owned another Logitech Mechanical keyboard at the same price point for 3 years before replacing it. I replaced it due to the blue light not working in the colour spectrum and was hoping this keyboard would be different. Now I have just come across another issue.Wondering if I have to change brands after this one.

After 4 years my Logitech G413 was starting to double-key or mis-key at times, so I went looking for a replacement. The G512 Carbon was supposed to be the newer equivalent, and I got brown (tactile) switches. I'm not a fan of RGB on my keyboard, I just want the keys illuminated. As with the G413, there are no programmable keys.On first use, the keys feel loose and wobble around under my fingers. The space between keys is tighter than the G413.The main problem I have is with the illumination. The GHub app is clunky to use, but it does allow the user to select keys and their colours. The trouble is the keyboard illumination - even on its brightest (white) setting, it is at best a grey-blue when sitting at the keyboard normally. If I lean forward so my eyes are ... MoreAfter 4 years my Logitech G413 was starting to double-key or mis-key at times, so I went looking for a replacement. The G512 Carbon was supposed to be the newer equivalent, and I got brown (tactile) switches. I'm not a fan of RGB on my keyboard, I just want the keys illuminated. As with the G413, there are no programmable keys.On first use, the keys feel loose and wobble around under my fingers. The space between keys is tighter than the G413.The main problem I have is with the illumination. The GHub app is clunky to use, but it does allow the user to select keys and their colours. The trouble is the keyboard illumination - even on its brightest (white) setting, it is at best a grey-blue when sitting at the keyboard normally. If I lean forward so my eyes are directly above the keys, the colour improves to a brighter grey - but nobody uses a keyboard like that, and it is still on the blue side of white due to the colour of the material used on the key cutouts.The other problem is with the illumination of the 'shift-key' characters - e.g. $, &, (), ?":< etc. There IS NO illumination of these, so unless you have completely memorised your keyboard, you have to squint to find the key you need. Even in a brightly-lit room, these keys are hard to see - the main character has the illumination from behind (poor that it is), but the shift-keys are identified with a dark-grey image, which on a black key is nearly impossible to see even in bright light.There was no opportunity to look at an example keyboard at PBTech - almost all of the keyboards are sealed in their boxes so you have to fully rely on the images on the web or side of the box. There's no opportunity to see how widely the keys are spaced, and there's no opportunity to feel the key strike. I spoke with two different PBTech employees and asked if I could open a box to see and feel what I was buying before purchasing, but I was told 'No'. With the amount of sales that PBTech make, I would have expected them to open a box and write off the cost of one of each keyboard so that users can see/feel them before purchasing. There's nothing technically wrong with this keyboard so I can't return it to PBTech - I feel like I've thrown away $

Good keyboard for the price but there are some cons. I have used this keyboard daily for the past 18 months. I have ran across some issues.The keys feel good to press, the noise is fine, the RGB is actually RGB, you can set any range of colours on any key along with animations and a variety of customisations. The default for this keyboard is unicorn vomit until you install the software or until the Logitech software starts. It's like the keyboard has zero memory or brains. You will literally need to log on to your computer for it to change the unicorn vomit.I had issues with my left Ctrl key. I use it pretty much constantly copying and pasting things 9 hours a day and it would intermittently not work. This was super frustrating as it started happening without 10 ... MoreGood keyboard for the price but there are some cons. I have used this keyboard daily for the past 18 months. I have ran across some issues.The keys feel good to press, the noise is fine, the RGB is actually RGB, you can set any range of colours on any key along with animations and a variety of customisations. The default for this keyboard is unicorn vomit until you install the software or until the Logitech software starts. It's like the keyboard has zero memory or brains. You will literally need to log on to your computer for it to change the unicorn vomit.I had issues with my left Ctrl key. I use it pretty much constantly copying and pasting things 9 hours a day and it would intermittently not work. This was super frustrating as it started happening without 10 months of owning the keyboard. Instead of taking it back under warranty I decided to just swap that switch with another switch. This involved disassembling the board and desoldering/soldering in the keys, much faster than doing a return to manufacturer.Now the latest issue is I quite often get an extra space or random space thrown into a word so it seems the space is a little bit sensitive now. I haven't bothered swapping the switch as of yet as it isn't too frustrating to remove an extra space occasionally but it just goes to show the switches aren't super awesome long term with heavy use. Perhaps it is just the brown switches?All in all, knowing what I know now I won't buying another one. I've always had good luck with Logitech products in the past but this one falls short. I guess I'll go back to a good old K120, absolutely bullet proof keyboards.

A 5 star keyboard ruined by glaring design flaw

Q: When is a backlit keyboard not really a backlit keyboard.A: When all the secondary keys are not backlit (by design) - see photo.I've owned many backlit keyboards over many years and I have never come across such an issue as this. I prefer to work in low light environments and that preference leads me to purchase and use backlit keyboards.On the Logitech G512 Carbon you cannot see\read the secondary keys in low light when using the back light so this keyboard is basically useless for the environment it was designed for.How did this even get past the design stage let alone final approval?I do not recommend this product.

Beautiful keyboard

I'm new to mechanical keyboards- the last discrete keyboard i used was for a PC i built over 15 years ago, so it's pretty incredible to see how far gaming hardware has come since then. This keytboard is gorgeous- I love what they're calling Lightsync RGB on all the keys and how I can customize it for my needs.The keyboard requires two USB ports to be powered, so just make sure that you have two free ports. It also requires G Hub software to customize. There is also one USB 2.0 passthrough port on the top right of the keyboard, which is a nice feature, but I would have preferred 3.0. 2.0 is pretty old now, and for something as premium as this device, hard to understand why they wouldnt put a 3.0 port instead.Build quality of this keyboard is good- it feels solid ... MoreI'm new to mechanical keyboards- the last discrete keyboard i used was for a PC i built over 15 years ago, so it's pretty incredible to see how far gaming hardware has come since then. This keytboard is gorgeous- I love what they're calling Lightsync RGB on all the keys and how I can customize it for my needs.The keyboard requires two USB ports to be powered, so just make sure that you have two free ports. It also requires G Hub software to customize. There is also one USB 2.0 passthrough port on the top right of the keyboard, which is a nice feature, but I would have preferred 3.0. 2.0 is pretty old now, and for something as premium as this device, hard to understand why they wouldnt put a 3.0 port instead.Build quality of this keyboard is good- it feels solid and well built, and when i did my research on this product, it really seems like Logitech did a great job on the product. In the beginning, this was such a big difference compared to the laptops and my old keyboard I was using, but I'm starting to get acclimated to mechanical keyboards and I think I understand why people are into them. I will admit that it took some getting used to because my fingers are not used to keys that are so high and that require so much travel to press. I still have to take breaks from it, but long term, I'll be fine with this.It looks like the mechanical switches can also be removed and replaced, based on your preferences. It's pretty remarkable that keyboards are built do accomodate user needs now. I'm used to using crappy default dell keyboards that are just awful in every respect. Now, I have a keyboard that really feels great in use and was purpose-built, so my main concern is making sure that I take good care of this thing in the future.

Disappointing build quality

Bought to replace a rubber dome keyboard. The first one I bought had switch issues resulting in duplicate characters when typing. It was exchanged without issue. After some time using the replacement unit the key coating material (i.e.the black coating on the keys) is completely gone on commonly used keys. This also means the backlights in the keys are more visible through those keys (not to mention the damaged appearance). Disappointed with this product and would recommend looking elsewhere if you value longevity of your key caps.

GAME CHANGER!!!

My hubby has used the same 20-year-old, no name "Smart Media Keyboard" for 12 years on his gaming rig and never thought twice about it. I was sick of looking at my husband’s ratty, gross keyboard that has paint worn completely off in areas and more dust on it than an Egyptian mummy! I ordered this Logitech G512 Carbon keyboard to force my husband to replace his old trusty steed! He thought that from the outside of the box, it just looked like a run of the mill, black, no frills keyboard. However, when he picked up the box, he quickly realized that was not going to be the case. This thing is heavy!!! It could honestly be used for self defense as a last resort! He was so excited that he quickly opened up the package and found out that this keyboard is no joke! The USB ... MoreMy hubby has used the same 20-year-old, no name "Smart Media Keyboard" for 12 years on his gaming rig and never thought twice about it. I was sick of looking at my husband’s ratty, gross keyboard that has paint worn completely off in areas and more dust on it than an Egyptian mummy! I ordered this Logitech G512 Carbon keyboard to force my husband to replace his old trusty steed! He thought that from the outside of the box, it just looked like a run of the mill, black, no frills keyboard. However, when he picked up the box, he quickly realized that was not going to be the case. This thing is heavy!!! It could honestly be used for self defense as a last resort! He was so excited that he quickly opened up the package and found out that this keyboard is no joke! The USB cable is covered in thick nylon mesh and the keyboard has a massively and completely customizable RGB backlighting (using the Logitech Gaming Application). It even has a USB port on the top right corner for connecting game controllers, mice, headsets, flash drives, etc. The GX Brown tactile keys are absolutely amazing for gaming! We game a lot. He plays a lot of Diablo 1/2/3, Counter Strike GO, Rainbow 6 Siege, Left 4 Dead 1/2, Torchlight 1/2 and Team Fortress Classic/2. I can honestly say his gaming abilities have improved with the responsive tactile feedback of this keyboard. Even his squad members have noticed it! This Aircraft grade aluminum disco light keyboard has placed his old trusty workhorse of a cheap $20 ancient relic keyboard into the trash! I will never skimp on peripherals ever again! This thing is a GAME CHANGER!!!

Heavy duty and fun!

This is an high quality keyboard, designed for precision use, with flashy lighting. The keyboard puts is heavy-duty and it weighs more than a couple pounds. The materials all seem to be top-notch, including a real metal top. It is full-sized and the keys are higher and can be compressed quite a bit more than with most keyboards. The actual trigger for the letters to show up on screen is perhaps a third of that height, so if you're a light typist, there's no worries. The amount of springy resistance is more than a standard keyboard and I find it really fun to type on, but it's not a silent keyboard by any means. The super strong cable is very long and shielded and woven in fabric for extra durability. The cable ends in two USB plugs, with one for the keyboard and the ... MoreThis is an high quality keyboard, designed for precision use, with flashy lighting. The keyboard puts is heavy-duty and it weighs more than a couple pounds. The materials all seem to be top-notch, including a real metal top. It is full-sized and the keys are higher and can be compressed quite a bit more than with most keyboards. The actual trigger for the letters to show up on screen is perhaps a third of that height, so if you're a light typist, there's no worries. The amount of springy resistance is more than a standard keyboard and I find it really fun to type on, but it's not a silent keyboard by any means. The super strong cable is very long and shielded and woven in fabric for extra durability. The cable ends in two USB plugs, with one for the keyboard and the other for a USB port on the keyboard itself, which is handy for charging my devices. There is some printing on some keys, though the main use for the key is lit-up, by the LED lighting underneath each separate key. There is a Caps Lock light, but not a Number lock key for the keypad on right. For documentation, there is mostly a square of paper with two links on it. The lighting effects are amazing. The intention here is to maintain some kind of movement in the color shifting, which can be configured in many ways. There are, I believe, two different software programs that can be used to control the colors right now. It looks like the original program, Logitech Gaming Software (current version 9.02), is focused on designing different lighting patterns. The other software, GHUB, seems to revolve around downloading lighting patterns created by other users.