Point. Click. Clack.
Logitech have been making PC peripherals for as long as I can begin to remember. So when they got in touch and asked if we could give some of their kit a look, we jumped at the chance to! Here are our reviews for the G413 Keyboard and G604 wireless mouse.
First up, the keyboard. The first thing that strikes you when the box arrives is just how heavy the thing is! This is one seriously sturdy piece of kit, helped in no small part by the slab of metal that forms the base. The heft of the base is matched by the the weighty braided cable that snakes out from the rear and forks off into dual USB type A plugs at the far end. Each keycap is raised without any surrounding shroud, leaving you plenty of space to get a small brush or a can of compressed air underneath to keep it nice and clean, ensuring there’s no crumbs getting in your way! To top it off, there is built-in cable management that runs along the bottom of the keyboard, and a passthrough USB port
Aesthetically, I really like the G413. It’s got a good feel to it, and the custom Romer-G switches underneath the matt black plastic keycaps are fast to respond, but without an overly “clicky” feel to them due to the 1.5mm actuation distance that they provide. Speaking of the keycaps, there is a set of 12 additional caps for the most important gaming keys on the board (WASD, QER, and 12345) so you can elevate your touch-typing game to a new level. The function keys double up as media control keys when you get past F9, and they work with all major (and most minor) media players. They even work if you’re in game, meaning you can switch tracks, pause and play even if you’re listening to your favourite tunes while hurtling round northern England in Forza Horizon 4.
I’ll be the first to admit that we’ve had this keyboard for a little bit longer than normal. I wanted to make sure we got a decent run with it before committing to a full review. I’ve had keyboards in the past that have initially received a good review but shortly after have developed issues that would only appear after a couple of months or so. Thaknfully, the G413 has not had any of these issues after a fair while with it. Even switching out the keycaps on a semi regular basis hasn’t resulted in any issues.
The only real downsides to my mind with the G413 are cosmetic. I said above that I’ve found the keyboard aesthetically please, and that’s true, but with one minor exception. Personally, I’m a big fan of the customisability of RGB LEDs. The G413 makes do with pure red LEDs, or white if you pick up the lighter coloured variant. It’s not a massive deal, but for me, I’d have liked to seen some multi-coloured goodness drizzled over the top of the keyboard for good measure. The other issue that I’ve had with it is the G-Hub software, which allows you to input macros and other key combinations into one place. It’s a little clunky to use at times, and it’s not my favourite piece of customisation software (That honour still sits with Steelseries!)
Overall then, the G413 is a solid keyboard in all senses of the word. Reliable, tactile keys that don’t sound like you’re on a typewriter mid-game, a design that’s subtle yet bold at the same time, and sturdy enough to probably kill a man if you wanted to, the Logitech G413 is a great keyboard for the £99 price point, especially if you’re not a fan of “rainbow puke” in your lighting.
Moving on to the G604 mouse, and it’s primarily more of the same here. A sturdy and ergonomic design lies atop what is a very responsive and impressive gaming mouse.
Initially, the G604 seems like any other wireless mouse. It’s got plenty of buttons on the side, which could be used for MMO players, or those who want an extra edge in FPS games, as these are fully mappable buttons. Sat on top, there is a button to connect to the “lightspeed” wireless dongle, which promises a similar level of responsiveness to a wired mouse, and a toggle for the scroll wheel, which will allow it to either be ratcheted or free-scrolling, which gives a wonderful feeling when you unlock it. The scroll wheel is made of metal, and doesn’t feel like it’s going to break on you while it’s flying round at a ridiculous speed!
Anyway, on to performance. I can’t really verify Logitech’s claim that the Lightspeed connection is on a par with wired ones, as I’m not in possession of a ridiculously fast monitor to measure it all. What I can say, however, is that at 60fps, it feels just as responsive as my daily driver, the Roccat Nyth. With the G604’s side buttons, most of the functionality of the Nyth is replicated here as well, but without the flexibility of the modular buttons. However, most people would probably see 6 side buttons as overkill anyway! All in all, there are 15 buttons on the G604, and you can customise pretty much all of them. Coupled with Logitech’s 16,000 dpi “Hero” sensor, and you’ve got as rapid a response as you could hope for in the palm of your hand ready to go.
Design wise, I really like the G604. It feels comfortable under your hand, without much of a need to adjust your resting position to accommodate it in your palm. Buttons feel naturally positioned to click without much movement required, and as mentioned above, the scroll wheel feels fantastic. Much the same as the keyboard, we wanted to get as much time with this as possible, and I’ve given it a hefty trial with a large number of games. The comfort is so impressive that I’m almost tempted to trade the mouse I use in the office up to this one, it’s that easy to use.
The only real downside to the G604 is the price. If you’re in the market for a gaming mouse, you’re probably looking to spend a few quid over “normal” mouse money anyway, but at £85, it feels like it might be a bit of a stretch for most people. However, if you want a mouse that is ultimately extremely comfortable and offers up a great range of customisation options, you can’t go far wrong with Logitech’s G604.
