Review: Logitech's G413 Carbon is a solid mid-tier mechanical keyboard

Less is more.

Mechanical keyboards have become incredibly affordable over the years. Even some of the best keyboards can be found at reasonable prices. The more you spend on a mechanical keyboard, the better the build quality, and more features will be present. This does provide vendors like Logitech some wriggle room to cut some corners and offer great keyboards at lower prices.

This is precisely where the Logitech G413 Carbon fits in. It's not the most expensive keyboard on the block, but it's also not the most affordable. Think of the G413 as your new go-to mid-range mechanical gaming keyboard. It's a frameless typing machine with all the basics a gamer needs for playing the latest PC games.

Logitech G413 Carbon review:

• Price and availability
• What's good
• What's not good
• The competition
• Should you buy?

Logitech G413 Carbon

Bottom line: Logitech makes some compelling PC hardware and the G413 Carbon is a fine example of a great mechanical keyboard at a reasonable price.

The Good

• Logitech Romer-G switches
• Excellent build quality
• LED lighting with limited light bleed
• Great value

The Bad

• Switches feel a little mushy
• USB 2.0 passthrough
• Non-detachable USB-A cable
• No media or macro keys

$81 at Amazon $74 at Walmart

Logitech G413 Carbon: Price and availability

Logitech launched the G413 Carbon at $90, which for a mechanical keyboard with branded switches is a really good price. You can find the keyboard for about $80 now, though promotional periods like Amazon Prime Day will surely see the price of PC peripherals discounted considerably.

Logitech G413 Carbon: What's good

Category	Logitech G413 Carbon
Switch	Logitech Romer-G
Operation style	Tactile
Keycaps	ABS
Life span (keystrokes)	70 million
Backlight	Red
Lighting	Per-key LED
Connection	USB-A
Wireless connection	-
Key rollover	N-key
Cable	Non-detachable braided
Cable length	1.8 m
Weight	1,105 g

Logitech went with the frameless design for the G413 Carbon, which seems to be the current trend for most mechanical gaming keyboards. I much prefer this design as it's easier to clean, looks neater, and allows the per-key LED lighting effects to bounce off the baseplate.

There are plenty of more affordable mechanical keyboards out there at this price point or less that would suffer from considerable body flex, but you'll find it difficult to cause any distortion without applying considerable force. Also like other keyboards at this price point, we're looking at an aluminum baseplate with a sturdy plastic underbelly.

A feature I really dig with the design of the G413 Carbon is the headphone cable routing underneath that helps keep those pesky cables in line. The rest of the keyboard is fairly standard with just two LED indicators up in the top-right corner, joined by Logitech's gaming arm branding.

Logitech gets all the basics just right with the G413 Carbon.

If you've used Cherry MX switches before, I would say the Romer-G switches from Logitech are like softer Cherry MX Blues. They're pleasant for typing and playing games with a travel of just 2.5mm. when you need to type up a thousand-word essay or employ lightning-fast reflexes for action titles, you're going to have no issues with the switches performing when needed.

Interestingly, the Romer-G switches are actually rated for 70 million keystrokes. This should see the G413 Carbon lasting for many years through moderate use. Compared to other gaming mechanical keyboards in this price segment, Logitech has done an excellent job at making sure the G413 Carbon performs well in-game.

Logitech G413 Carbon: What's not good

There's nothing that's terrible about the Logitech G413 Carbon, but it's clear to see where the company cut a few corners to drive the price down. It's great to have USB passthrough capabilities, but it's limited to USB 2.0 speeds, which can be a pain if you want to use removable storage.

The switches are very good but can feel a little on the mushy side, especially when compared to Cherry MX counterparts. Mechanical switches are completely subjective, however. The best way to test whether these Logitech switches are right for you is to head to your local computer store and try a display model.

It's a shame that even though this keyboard launched for $90, Logitech wasn't able to allow the removal of the USB-A cable. If you already have a braided cable you prefer using for your PC setup, tough luck. Lastly, there aren't any media or macro keys, but this shouldn't be much of an issue if you don't mind using Logitech's software.

Logitech G413 Carbon: Competition

Competition is fierce for mechanical keyboards. The Logitech G413 Carbon is going up against the Corsair K60 RGB Pro series, which can be found in a variety of formats, including TKL and 60%. There's also the choice of low-profile Cherry MX switches, while the G413 Carbon simply comes in this single configuration. The price and feature set is very similar.

Should you want something a little more, Logitech's own MX Keys is worth considering, especially if you do vastly more typing than gaming. It's easy to spend hundreds of dollars on a good mechanical keyboard with the Razer Huntsman V2 Analog taking our top recommended spot, but that comes in at $250.

Logitech G413 Carbon: Should you buy it?

You should buy this if ...

• You want an excellent, yet affordable mechanical keyboard
• You need to connect a device (e.g. mouse) to the keyboard

You shouldn't buy this if ...

• You prefer using media and macro controls
• You want a compact-sized keyboard
• You plan on customizing your keyboard with new switches

The Logitech G413 Carbon is an excellent choice for anyone seeking an affordable mechanical keyboard that is somewhere between basement budget and overkill high-end. Logitech focused on getting all the basics right with good switches, effective lighting, and software support to boot. There's even a USB passthrough for your mouse to keep your desk looking tidy.

4 out of 5

It's best to avoid the Logitech G413 Carbon if you really need media and macro controls with dedicated keys. It's also not the most compact keyboard around, but we've rounded up some of the best 60% keyboards to help you there. This isn't a good option for keyboard modders either since we're dealing with Logitech's own switches.

Logitech G413 Carbon

Bottom line: Rocking Logitech's own mechanical switches, red LED lighting without much bleed, and USB passthrough, there's plenty to love about the Logitech G413 Carbon.

$81 at Amazon $74 at Walmart