The Logitech G513 is the much-anticipated successor to the G413, and it comes with a huge amount of improvements.
- Manufacturer: Logitech
- Model: G513 Carbon
- Platform/s: Windows PC
- Reviewed on: PC
- Supplied by: Logitech
The G513 is one of Logitech G’s premium gaming keyboards, with a twist.
One of the stand out design features that set the G513 apart from the vast majority of gaming keyboards is its aircraft-grade aluminium-alloy body. This brushed finish gives the G513 a premium and sturdy feel while giving it an air of elegance usually absent from gaming keyboards.
The advantages of the aluminium-alloy construction go beyond style, though. The G513 is impressively stable and rigid, and this translates into a solid and planted feel when using the keyboard. No matter how hard you are typing or playing, the G513 never flexes or feels like it can’t withstand the force, even when you go harder than you would ever need to.
Complementing the aluminium design another noteworthy styling choice was made: Where you would usually find the brightly lit G logo, Logitech have opted instead to change it to a discrete, polished metal G. Though you can’t change the logo’s colour with crazy lights, it looks absolutely stunning and reinforces the clean and stylish look of the G513 Carbon.
A huge improvement over its predecessor, and a wicked feature on its own, is the addition of Lightsync RGB. With bright per-key lighting (each key can be customised individually), paired with the GHUB software, the G513 can be customized to your heart’s content.
Customisation of the G513 extends to more than just aesthetic lighting, though. When choosing your keyboard, you have the option of choosing between five different mechanical switches (Tactile; Linear; GX Blue clicky; GX Brown tactile; and GX Red linear), each offering a distinctly different feel, with the option to mix and match to suit your personal preference.
The version I have received has come fitted with the Romer G linear keys. These make for a super smooth and quiet experience with a really short travel distance. Compared to the GX Blue clicky switches I am familiar with from my G Pro keyboard, the Linear switches are extremely quiet and super comfortable. Where you would usually feel the satisfying mechanical click from the GX Blue switches, on the Linear, there is nothing, just pure feeling smooth movement.
The G513 Carbon is a full-size keyboard, with a full set of programmable function keys and number pad. Despite this, the G513 is extremely minimalist and manages to remain compact with a smaller than usual footprint. Its edge to edge layout and lack of superfluous material around the keyboard is further enhanced by its palm rest design: While most keyboards either have an integral palm rest or simply opt not include one, the G513 Carbon comes with a detachable magnetic memory foam wrist rest.
The wrist rest itself is one of the most luxurious and comfortable wrist rests I have ever had the pleasure of using. I will frequently take it with me for use with the G Pro keyboard, too. (I have even been known to use it while playing Xbox so that I can rest my hand on the desk in premium comfort. It’s unorthodox, but it works!)
A couple of excellent features that make the G513 even better are the inclusion of a USB passthrough and two cable channels underneath.
The USB passthrough can be used for virtually anything, however, as it is limited to USB2.0 it is best suited for charging your peripherals or connecting a device such as a wired mouse or USB headset, as dater transfer rates are too slow to be practical for external storage.
The well thought out integrated cable channels allows you flexibility when connecting devices via the USB passthrough. A shaped channel close to the USB slot works in a similar way to a cord bungie, ideal for connecting a wired mouse, and allowing the cable to stay secure and free. The second cable channel runs the whole way from the back through to the front of the board, including through the wrist rest. This makes it ideal for connecting a USB microphone or a headset, offering a clean and neat cable management solution to avoid having to route them around your keyboard.
The only slight negative I found with the G513 is that it does not have a detachable cable, and although it is not a necessity, it’s a nice feature to have if you regularly transport your keyboard around, providing more longevity to your keyboard’s life.
Summary
The Logitech G513 Carbon is an excellent keyboard. With its extremely clean style and consistently premium design, it will feel right at home in any setup. Thanks to the numerous customisation options and quality of life improvements, such as interchangeable switches, cable management solutions and USB passthrough, this is a full-featured keyboard that is easy to recommend to anyone in the market for a premium gaming keyboard.
What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments!