Logitech G413 TKL keyboard review: Don’t buy it

Best Prices Today: Logitech G413 TKL SE mechanical keyboard

“You get what you pay for” is the platitude trotted out when someone wishes to acknowledge your disappointment without any further necessary action. And in that sense, it can’t be applied to the Logitech G413 TKL (deep breath) SE mechanical keyboard. Because the further necessary action is returning it to whatever store you bought it from, and buying a different gaming keyboard.

I won’t mince words: This keyboard is significantly overpriced. And that’s almost impressive, because at $70, it’s on the cheaper end for gaming mechanical keyboards. But a significant lack of features, broadly cheap materials, and a complete lack of programming options make this keyboard more or less unsuitable for gaming. It’s not even very good at typing, at least not for the retail price. In short, don’t buy the Logitech G413.

Further reading: See our roundup of the best gaming keyboards to learn about competing products.

Logitech G413 TKL: The good and not-bad stuff

The G413 looks like a bog-standard mechanical keyboard at first glance. And that’s what it is: If you didn’t spot the very Logitech “G” gaming logo up in the corner, you’d think it was a generic wired board going for perhaps 50 bucks on a Best Buy shelf. The fact that it is a Logitech product, and one that comes with a $70 retail price tag, is a bit of a surprise on both counts.

This keyboard comes with PBT keycaps and an aluminum deck. That’s the end of the list of its positive attributes. As we’ve seen with the Havit KB487L (another name that rolls off the tongue, not), the higher-quality PBT keycaps are becoming more common even at budget prices, which is why I’m still giving Razer the Wagging Finger of Shame every time they have the gall not to put them on a $200+ keyboard like the BlackWidow. And an aluminum deck is a nice addition…again, assuming you’re dealing with a budget keyboard.

Other specs that are neither a positive nor negative include the TKL layout (almost, see next paragraph), bright if somewhat limited white-only LEDs, and a lightweight, compact body. That’s about it, time to get a whinge on.

Logitech G413 TKL: The bad stuff

The 6-foot USB cable isn’t detachable. Anyone who likes a clean desk setup, and dislikes diving beneath it to get into the rat’s nest of cables you’ve so carefully hidden, won’t appreciate that. Gamers won’t appreciate the “6-key rollover with anti-ghost,” which Logitech lists among this keyboard’s positive features. Rollover is the ability for a keyboard to register multiple key presses at once, and six at a time is extremely basic. Any wired keyboard purporting to be for “gamers” should boast N-key rollover (i.e. unlimited) at the very least.

There’s no programming on this keyboard. No macros, either on-the-fly or via Logitech’s G HUB software. When I plugged it in, the tool helpfully informed me that it wasn’t necessary to use the G413…which means there’s no way to customize its layout. Which is a bummer for me, specifically, because taking screenshots is a big part of my job, and there’s no freakin’ screenshot button. Logitech decided that Print Screen, Scroll Lock, and Pause keys were unnecessary on this board, hiding them in a function layer (which, again, cannot be changed). So though “TKL” is in the product name, the actual layout of this keyboard would be more accurately called “Tenkeyless minus three.”

And finally, the G413 comes with any switch you want, so long as you want brown. And not just any brown switches, which are not generally the choice of gamers, who prefer linear for fast smooth keypresses. Not “Logitech super-duper gaming tactile” customized switches. Not even the inexpensive TTC switches, as seen on the Logitech Pop Keys keyboard. Nope, these switches come from “Long hua,” which I’d never even heard of before…and it’s a banner day when a switch company can stump me.

Turns out Long hua is a subsidiary of Kailh, making even cheaper switches rated for just 50 million clicks. (Standard Cherry MX switches boast 100 million.) And even though you’re unlikely to hit that E button 50 million times no matter how much Counter-Strike you play, they feel, well, terrible. They’re scratchy, they’re chattery, they’re exactly the opposite of the kind of switch you want on a gaming keyboard. Frankly there are much better switches even if you want a tactile switch, even if you want tactile switches on a keyboard under $70. And of course, you can’t swap them out.

The better options

Look, I could go on whining, but you get the gist: This keyboard, while entirely functional, has basically zero options, far fewer features than anything in its price range, and is an embarrassment coming from a brand as storied and high-profile as Logitech. If you want a wired gaming keyboard for under $100, go for the phenomenal G.Skill KM250. You’ll save money and get more features, including quality switches with hot-swap sockets, a radial dial, and RGB lighting.

If you really want that TKL form factor and programming options, go for…well, almost anything else, but I’d start with the Keychron C1 Pro, which offers VIA programming, RGB lighting, and linear switches that are actually good for gaming, all at a lower price. Oh, and a print screen button, which somehow doesn’t go without saying.

But whatever you do, don’t buy the G413 TKL SE, even on sale. It’s a bad keyboard from a brand that should know better.