{"id":38911,"date":"2013-10-28T17:02:23","date_gmt":"2013-10-28T17:02:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/?p=38911"},"modified":"2013-10-28T17:29:40","modified_gmt":"2013-10-28T17:29:40","slug":"genius-kb-265-lighted-keyboard-brings-value-gaming","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/genius-kb-265-lighted-keyboard-brings-value-gaming\/","title":{"rendered":"Genius KB-G265 lighted keyboard brings value to gaming"},"content":{"rendered":"

Genius announced the release of the KB-G265 Gaming Keyboard in North America a couple of months ago. The KB-G265 is perfect for gamers on a $40 budget<\/a> that are still seeking a good quality keyboard with many features. The KB-G265 keyboard boasts blue LED back-lit keys, 8 macro keys, 20 anti-ghost keys, and a 1000Hz polling rate.\"box-kb\"<\/a><\/p>\n

We have been using it for more than a month in gaming as well as for a day-to-day keyboard for typing. Evaluating a keyboard is subjective and much will be said about the “feel” of the keyboard.<\/p>\n

Genius makes a bold statement when introducing the KB-G265 on its homepage<\/a>:<\/p>\n

Meticulously designed and engineered specifically for the advanced gamer, KB-G265, a brand new LED backlight keyboard from Genius, is the latest weaponry in the Genius gaming line. This full size keyboard provides gamers sophisticated battle tools and eight hot keys to manage media and Internet controls. Additionally, gamers will hold a tactical advantage with the numerous features such as switchable LED backlight, and 20 anti-ghost keys for advanced gaming control even when multiple keys are pressed simultaneously. The KB-G265 has a gaming mode option to deactivate the Windows key for distraction free gaming. In addition, a smart cable allocation design allows the USB cable to be secured to the left or right side of the keyboard depending on the location of your PC. <\/em>
\n In addition, two USB ports allow users to connect with other USB devices such as mouse and headset simultaneously, to achieve the full gaming experience. With its 1000Hz full speed USB report rate, gamers can enjoy a faster gaming response time, especially on FPS games for that competitive edge.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

We are gamers. And we are going to explore whether a keyboard can make the difference between winning and losing. We will attest to the quality of the lettering, the usefulness of the backlighting, and its full-size. It is certainly not the ideal keyboard for LAN parties because it is large.\"KB-overhead-1\"<\/a>Many PC users think of their keyboards as cheap and disposable or don’t think of them at all unless there are issues. Gamers demand much more from their keyboards than casual users and are willing to pay well over a hundred dollars for high quality. We have evaluated both the Cooler Master\u00a0 Quickfire-TK<\/a> and the Thermaltake MEKA<\/a> compact gaming keyboards which feature mechanical keys and each retailed for over $100. Naturally, we want to determine if the KB-G265 is a good value for only $40 since generic keyboards can be purchased for as little as ten dollars.<\/p>\n

We feel that we can give the reader a thorough evaluation as we have put it to good use in daily tasks, including playing SangFroid, Tales of Werewolves <\/em><\/em> – and typing – for over a month.<\/p>\n

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Does the type of key really matter?<\/strong><\/p>\n

The best keyboards feature mechanical key switches and usually are constructed of high-quality materials. Thus they are more generally reliable and will last longer than cheap or generic keyboards.\u00a0 Genius gives the KB-G265 a 1-year warranty and specifies the key lifespan as 5,000,000 strokes.<\/p>\n

Mechanical switches are very fast – there is almost no lag time from when a key is pressed to action on the screen.\u00a0 To address this particular issue of lag that may be found in generic keyboards, the KB-G265 features a 1000MHz pooling rate to match the capabilities of mechanical switches.<\/p>\n

Most keyboards including the KB-G265 are rubber dome or membrane keyboards. Their main feature is that they are inexpensive and that they get the job done. Not that long ago we needed a USB keyboard in a hurry and paid $12 for a Logitech K-120<\/a> at a brick and mortar WalMart. It looks nice and it works for basic PC functions. But it is still quite inferior as a keyboard for typing or for gaming compared to the Genius KB-G265.\u00a0 Features such as blue LED-backlit keys, programmable keys, anti-ghosting, and cable management, set the KB-G265 apart from the generic keyboards.<\/p>\n

These rubber dome keyboards usually provide users with less tactile feedback than a mechanical switch keyboard.\u00a0 In comparison, the keys themselves feel mushy even when they are brand new. Unlike with a lot of cheap keyboards including notebooks, the KB-G265 keys all actuate at the same point, they do not feel mushy and they do not stick. Cheap keyboards also tend to flex and move around, especially when used for gaming. Not so with the Genius KB-G265 keyboard which is rather solid and weighs in at about two pound (930g).<\/p>\n

The main advantage the mechanical key switch offers to the user is tactile feedback.\u00a0 The Genius KN-G265 offers much more feedback than this editor’s notebook keyboard, but still less than a mechanical key keyboard.<\/p>\n

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The Sound of the KB-G265 keys
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Unlike with most mechanical keyboards which are moderately to loudly noisy with distinct clicks as you type or frag, the Genius KB-G265 is relatively quiet.\u00a0 However, it is not silent as each key press registers a little sound as it is pressed.<\/p>\n

Let head over to the unboxing and take a closer look at the Genius KB-G265.<\/p>\n


\nUnboxing & Closer Look<\/strong><\/p>\n

We see the outside of the box which also describes the Genius KB-G265 Keyboard’s features. On the box we see advertised, 1000Hz polling rate, 1 ms, 5,000,000 keystrokes and a two year warranty is featured.\u00a0 Five million keystrokes are a lot of presses.\"box-1\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The other side of the box is written in 25 languages showing the international scope of Genius products.\"box-obv\"<\/a>We will take a closer look at the individual features on the box on the next page.<\/p>\n

Let’s get the contents out of the box.\"KB-accessorie\"<\/a><\/p>\n

There are LEDs embedded in the wrist rest which adds a nice aesthetic touch and complements the blue LED key backlighting. Genius included 8 commonly used gaming keys as extras which are in silver for even higher visibility.\u00a0\u00a0 A key-puller is included.<\/p>\n

All of the keys light up although there are no levels of adjustment; the choice is on or off.\"KB-angle\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Even in a very bright room,\u00a0 the keys are still reasonably noticeable and in a dark room they stand out.\u00a0 If\u00a0 you are playing with the original 3D Vision then you will probably also want to use the silver keys for extra visibility.<\/p>\n

There are 8 mode keys with basic functions.\u00a0 Gamers will appreciate that the Windows key can be locked off so that it is not accidentally activated during gaming.<\/p>\n

The key spacings are excellent and they are not placed right next to each other as with many compact keyboards.\u00a0 The KB-G265 full-size typing keyboard includes a Numpad which makes it quite decent for typing.\u00a0 It was very easy to switch back and forth between the Genius gaming keyboard and other standard keyboards for typing and for gaming.\u00a0 One thing that is a little different is that the Enter key is quite large while the Backspace key is rather small.<\/p>\n

Turning the keyboard over, one can see that it is solidly built. The top rubber feet lie flat but can be extended, and the channels will give you a choice of where the USB cable will go. \"KB-bottom\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The rubber feet can also be extended, raising the back of the keyboard a bit and giving a very solid and secure non-slip surface to game on. The bottom of the keyboard has rubber grips which secure it to the desk even in the heaviest gaming situations. Typists need not worry at all.\u00a0 There are two USB ports built into the keyboard, a feature that we love.\"KB-bottomedge\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The Genius KB-G265 Keyboard is a solid keyboard with great aesthetic appeal for many gamers and the wrist rest is quite practical besides lighting up for the overall effect.<\/p>\n

On the next page are some of the KB-G265 product features which we will examine one-by-one followed by our conclusion.
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More Product Features & Advanced Functions<\/h3>\n

LED Backlight Gaming Keyboard<\/h3>\n

KB-G265<\/h4>\n