Author Topic: My First Review: Razer Blackwidow Ultimate 2014  (Read 18557 times)

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Offline GL1TCH3D

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My First Review: Razer Blackwidow Ultimate 2014
« on: Mon, 22 September 2014, 22:31:29 »
Heyo

It's GL1TCH3D here with a review of the new Razer Blackwidow 2014 with the new "Razer Green" switches. The version I got is the regular version with the loud clicking and tactile feel.

Background of myself:
I'm an enthusiast of many different hobbies. Most people know me for my enthusiasm of audio products around here. Though lately I've been in the keyboard scene a lot more. I purchased an end-game keyboard last year and just yesterday I ordered an end-game custom korean keyboard from one of the most famous keyboard designers for keyboard enthusiasts, GoN.
I've tried switch testers, I've designed my own layouts for a 40% keyboard I own.
I've owned lots of different mechanical keyboards in many formats (Full sized, tenkeyless, 60% and 40%).

My favorite switches ended up being modified cherry mx clear or topre 45g.

Info on the Razer keyboard:
Uses modified "green" Khailh switches (a knockoff brand of cherry mx switches. Meant to feel a lot like mx Blues)
Feels inbetween a 45g and 50g switch. Tactile and clicky.
Keycaps are made of ABS
Uses Costar stabilizers
Plate mounted.


Build quality of the overall keyboard:
Build quality feels alright. The keyboard itself has a decent weight. Though my 40% keyboard is literally twice the weight. The matte rubber finish of the case is a nice touch.
Backlighting is consistent EXCEPT on the J key I got which was misformed when they made it so light doesn't pass through a part of the keycap.
The stabilizer on the spacebar was put backwards and the wire wasn't formed properly.

Overall it felt like there was no quality control when building otherwise they would have easily caught and replaced the stabilizer and J key.

5/10

Keycaps: The keycaps were horrendous. They felt awful to type on because they were sticky and that makes it difficult to touch type.
I swapped out the original keycap set with a set of doubleshot ABS Ragnarok keycaps I had on the side.

1/10

Key switches:
The switches are extremely wobbly. The switches are inconsistent in feel (they don't all feel the same.). Some have more click to them, others have a ping sound, some sound muted and some feel harder to press. A lot of the time they actually get stuck.

1/10

keyboard layout:
The size of the keys on the bottom row of keys is weird and didn't accommodate my keys very well (the replacement set I had lying around)
Furthermore, the F1-12 keys are shifted ever so slightly to the right. Where I used to strike for F1, I'm now hitting F2. When I'm playing smite, this mistake could cost me a kill.

I also still don't understand why they're producing them with numpads as I doubt most gamers even use the numpad.

Besides that and the macro keys (which I don't care for) everything is standard.

4/10


Overall:

Between the really poorly executed fake cherry mx switches generally being horrible, the inflated price (they're asking more than the average middle end cherry mx keyboard) and really awful keycaps, I would definitely not recommend this to ANYBODY as I believe there are much better options.

Corsair and Logitech to appeal to the gamers more as well as Ducky, Keyed Up Labs (KUL) and Filco to appeal more to the keyboard enthusiasts in the same price range as the Razer Blackwidow.

Final score:
2.25/10

Offline rowdy

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Re: My First Review: Razer Blackwidow Ultimate 2014
« Reply #1 on: Mon, 22 September 2014, 22:40:02 »
Thanks for that!

A lot of people have been wondering about the Kailh switches (rebranded to Razor) - I guess we know now :(
"Because keyboards are accessories to PC makers, they focus on minimizing the manufacturing costs. But that’s incorrect. It’s in HHKB’s slogan, but when America’s cowboys were in the middle of a trip and their horse died, they would leave the horse there. But even if they were in the middle of a desert, they would take their saddle with them. The horse was a consumable good, but the saddle was an interface that their bodies had gotten used to. In the same vein, PCs are consumable goods, while keyboards are important interfaces." - Eiiti Wada

NEC APC-H4100E | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED red | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED green | Link 900243-08 | CM QFR MX black | KeyCool 87 white MX reds | HHKB 2 Pro | Model M 02-Mar-1993 | Model M 29-Nov-1995 | CM Trigger (broken) | CM QFS MX green | Ducky DK9087 Shine 3 TKL Yellow Edition MX black | Lexmark SSK 21-Apr-1994 | IBM SSK 13-Oct-1987 | CODE TKL MX clear | Model M 122 01-Jun-1988

Ị̸͚̯̲́ͤ̃͑̇̑ͯ̊̂͟ͅs̞͚̩͉̝̪̲͗͊ͪ̽̚̚ ̭̦͖͕̑́͌ͬͩ͟t̷̻͔̙̑͟h̹̠̼͋ͤ͋i̤̜̣̦̱̫͈͔̞ͭ͑ͥ̌̔s̬͔͎̍̈ͥͫ̐̾ͣ̔̇͘ͅ ̩̘̼͆̐̕e̞̰͓̲̺̎͐̏ͬ̓̅̾͠͝ͅv̶̰͕̱̞̥̍ͣ̄̕e͕͙͖̬̜͓͎̤̊ͭ͐͝ṇ̰͎̱̤̟̭ͫ͌̌͢͠ͅ ̳̥̦ͮ̐ͤ̎̊ͣ͡͡n̤̜̙̺̪̒͜e̶̻̦̿ͮ̂̀c̝̘̝͖̠̖͐ͨͪ̈̐͌ͩ̀e̷̥͇̋ͦs̢̡̤ͤͤͯ͜s͈̠̉̑͘a̱͕̗͖̳̥̺ͬͦͧ͆̌̑͡r̶̟̖̈͘ỷ̮̦̩͙͔ͫ̾ͬ̔ͬͮ̌?̵̘͇͔͙ͥͪ͞ͅ

Offline GL1TCH3D

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Re: My First Review: Razer Blackwidow Ultimate 2014
« Reply #2 on: Mon, 22 September 2014, 23:11:30 »
Thanks for that!

A lot of people have been wondering about the Kailh switches (rebranded to Razor) - I guess we know now :(

I read the thread where the guy genuinely preferred them over the other ones he's tried so I thought I'd give them a fair chance. I'm not kidding when I say I constantly think about switching to an old cheapy OEM rubber dome.

Another note, this was originally written for another forum so some terminology is "dumbed down" (like using bottom row of keys instead of R1)

Offline rowdy

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Re: My First Review: Razer Blackwidow Ultimate 2014
« Reply #3 on: Tue, 23 September 2014, 00:58:06 »
Terminology is fine.

And by the way it was decided to call them "MX-Compatible" Key Switches in the interest of common understanding, legal niceties, and full disclosure :D
"Because keyboards are accessories to PC makers, they focus on minimizing the manufacturing costs. But that’s incorrect. It’s in HHKB’s slogan, but when America’s cowboys were in the middle of a trip and their horse died, they would leave the horse there. But even if they were in the middle of a desert, they would take their saddle with them. The horse was a consumable good, but the saddle was an interface that their bodies had gotten used to. In the same vein, PCs are consumable goods, while keyboards are important interfaces." - Eiiti Wada

NEC APC-H4100E | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED red | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED green | Link 900243-08 | CM QFR MX black | KeyCool 87 white MX reds | HHKB 2 Pro | Model M 02-Mar-1993 | Model M 29-Nov-1995 | CM Trigger (broken) | CM QFS MX green | Ducky DK9087 Shine 3 TKL Yellow Edition MX black | Lexmark SSK 21-Apr-1994 | IBM SSK 13-Oct-1987 | CODE TKL MX clear | Model M 122 01-Jun-1988

Ị̸͚̯̲́ͤ̃͑̇̑ͯ̊̂͟ͅs̞͚̩͉̝̪̲͗͊ͪ̽̚̚ ̭̦͖͕̑́͌ͬͩ͟t̷̻͔̙̑͟h̹̠̼͋ͤ͋i̤̜̣̦̱̫͈͔̞ͭ͑ͥ̌̔s̬͔͎̍̈ͥͫ̐̾ͣ̔̇͘ͅ ̩̘̼͆̐̕e̞̰͓̲̺̎͐̏ͬ̓̅̾͠͝ͅv̶̰͕̱̞̥̍ͣ̄̕e͕͙͖̬̜͓͎̤̊ͭ͐͝ṇ̰͎̱̤̟̭ͫ͌̌͢͠ͅ ̳̥̦ͮ̐ͤ̎̊ͣ͡͡n̤̜̙̺̪̒͜e̶̻̦̿ͮ̂̀c̝̘̝͖̠̖͐ͨͪ̈̐͌ͩ̀e̷̥͇̋ͦs̢̡̤ͤͤͯ͜s͈̠̉̑͘a̱͕̗͖̳̥̺ͬͦͧ͆̌̑͡r̶̟̖̈͘ỷ̮̦̩͙͔ͫ̾ͬ̔ͬͮ̌?̵̘͇͔͙ͥͪ͞ͅ

Offline sunshine

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Re: My First Review: Razer Blackwidow Ultimate 2014
« Reply #4 on: Tue, 23 September 2014, 02:36:14 »
thank you for sharing
cool~

Offline GL1TCH3D

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Re: My First Review: Razer Blackwidow Ultimate 2014
« Reply #5 on: Tue, 23 September 2014, 17:25:43 »
Terminology is fine.

And by the way it was decided to call them "MX-Compatible" Key Switches in the interest of common understanding, legal niceties, and full disclosure :D

Thanks =]

I'll update that soon =]

Offline ceflame

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Re: My First Review: Razer Blackwidow Ultimate 2014
« Reply #6 on: Wed, 24 September 2014, 00:05:08 »
Keycaps: The keycaps were horrendous. They felt awful to type on because they were sticky and that makes it difficult to touch type.
I swapped out the original keycap set with a set of doubleshot ABS Ragnarok keycaps I had on the side.

1/10

Hmm, sticky? How do you think the stock ABS keycaps from say, Ducky or Corsair compare to it?

I feel like that 1/10 rating is a bit harsh for stock keycaps on a review haha.

Offline GL1TCH3D

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Re: My First Review: Razer Blackwidow Ultimate 2014
« Reply #7 on: Wed, 24 September 2014, 06:00:56 »
Keycaps: The keycaps were horrendous. They felt awful to type on because they were sticky and that makes it difficult to touch type.
I swapped out the original keycap set with a set of doubleshot ABS Ragnarok keycaps I had on the side.

1/10

Hmm, sticky? How do you think the stock ABS keycaps from say, Ducky or Corsair compare to it?

I feel like that 1/10 rating is a bit harsh for stock keycaps on a review haha.

They felt rubberized which didn't let me move my fingers much while touching the key itself.

Another note: I hated the stock PBT keycaps on the poker2.
I really enjoy having a solid textured feel (DSA granite, Realforce caps, Ragnorak is good too)
So that might be me just not liking other keycaps to begin with compounded on the poor choice of finish.

Offline HardCelery

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Re: My First Review: Razer Blackwidow Ultimate 2014
« Reply #8 on: Thu, 02 October 2014, 02:43:32 »
Razer might not have the best quality control, but it shouldn't be this bad. Get a replacement for sure, the one I tried wasn't anything like this at least switch wise.

Offline GL1TCH3D

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Re: My First Review: Razer Blackwidow Ultimate 2014
« Reply #9 on: Thu, 02 October 2014, 05:56:24 »
Razer might not have the best quality control, but it shouldn't be this bad. Get a replacement for sure, the one I tried wasn't anything like this at least switch wise.

But if entire batches of defective switches pass quality control for a board over $150 after tax here then I have absolutely no faith in Razer. I thought I'd give them another chance with the blackwidow since everything Razer in the past has derped on me and this one is no different.

Offline sunshine

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Re: My First Review: Razer Blackwidow Ultimate 2014
« Reply #10 on: Mon, 06 October 2014, 01:47:38 »
 :)good sharing ,thank you a lot
cool~

Offline Matter

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Re: My First Review: Razer Blackwidow Ultimate 2014
« Reply #11 on: Mon, 06 October 2014, 05:47:51 »
Thanks for the review!

Always thought razer peripherals are overpriced for their quality and this just further confirms my theory

Offline GL1TCH3D

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Re: My First Review: Razer Blackwidow Ultimate 2014
« Reply #12 on: Tue, 07 October 2014, 09:24:26 »
Thanks for the review!

Always thought razer peripherals are overpriced for their quality and this just further confirms my theory

Others have suggested that mine may have been "defective" (though I still say that Razer intentionally uses bad parts so the products break down and the consumer goes out to buy the newer models)

Even then, they claimed when they made the switch they were supposed to have their own quality control personnel in the factory so either that was complete BS (Razer has never shown me quality control) or they just flat out suck.

I'll post pictures of the badly formed keycap and an example of the keys getting stuck later on (too busy with school and work)

Offline Fragil1ty

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Re: My First Review: Razer Blackwidow Ultimate 2014
« Reply #13 on: Tue, 07 October 2014, 13:08:35 »
Thanks for the review!

Always thought razer peripherals are overpriced for their quality and this just further confirms my theory

Others have suggested that mine may have been "defective" (though I still say that Razer intentionally uses bad parts so the products break down and the consumer goes out to buy the newer models)

Even then, they claimed when they made the switch they were supposed to have their own quality control personnel in the factory so either that was complete BS (Razer has never shown me quality control) or they just flat out suck.

I'll post pictures of the badly formed keycap and an example of the keys getting stuck later on (too busy with school and work)


If Razer hadn't of been so cheap and stuck with the Cherry MX keycaps then these keyboards wouldn't be as bad as they are right now to be honest.
你搞砸了

Offline GL1TCH3D

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Re: My First Review: Razer Blackwidow Ultimate 2014
« Reply #14 on: Tue, 07 October 2014, 15:38:50 »
Thanks for the review!

Always thought razer peripherals are overpriced for their quality and this just further confirms my theory

Others have suggested that mine may have been "defective" (though I still say that Razer intentionally uses bad parts so the products break down and the consumer goes out to buy the newer models)

Even then, they claimed when they made the switch they were supposed to have their own quality control personnel in the factory so either that was complete BS (Razer has never shown me quality control) or they just flat out suck.

I'll post pictures of the badly formed keycap and an example of the keys getting stuck later on (too busy with school and work)


If Razer hadn't of been so cheap and stuck with the Cherry MX keycaps then these keyboards wouldn't be as bad as they are right now to be honest.

The change to the Kailh switches is mainly why I wanted to test this board as I've seen lots of positive reviews for these switches and other people to seem to like the new Razer boards.

Offline cephelix

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Re: My First Review: Razer Blackwidow Ultimate 2014
« Reply #15 on: Mon, 01 December 2014, 04:12:37 »
So when did Razer switch to Kailh switches? I have a black widow ultimate from 2011 and the switches are Cherry MX
ALi
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Offline Evo_Spec

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Re: My First Review: Razer Blackwidow Ultimate 2014
« Reply #16 on: Mon, 01 December 2014, 10:30:06 »
So when did Razer switch to Kailh switches? I have a black widow ultimate from 2011 and the switches are Cherry MX
2014 model, i had a 2013 with cherry MX blues so.
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Offline cephelix

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Re: My First Review: Razer Blackwidow Ultimate 2014
« Reply #17 on: Mon, 01 December 2014, 14:01:51 »
thanks for that.....they shouldn't have cheaped out....the ultimate already didn't feel premium
ALi
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Offline j0hnny

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Re: My First Review: Razer Blackwidow Ultimate 2014
« Reply #18 on: Fri, 05 December 2014, 13:10:33 »
lmaoooo saw the final score and I laughed out loud

Offline berserkfan

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Re: My First Review: Razer Blackwidow Ultimate 2014
« Reply #19 on: Sun, 07 December 2014, 20:26:15 »
It would be interesting to see people talk about actually failed Razers, but there doesn't seem to be many around.

As I observed on another thread, I have never known anyone's Razer to totally break down or fail. (I would consider one switch in an important position not working as keyboard failure also since that prevents you from using the keyboard.)

Now that I have just noticed this thread and some of the comments, I think I have figured Razer out.

-> The build is indeed OK. They may be cheapskates, but their keyboards are still plate mounted and soldered by the same OEMs that make many keyboards. Razer is not going to fall apart. They are not going to hire monkeys to solder, because they genuinely expect gamer kids to be rough and don't want to have people come to them for warranty.

Don't forget, one year of Razer being hammered 24-7 in a Korean cyber cafe, is equal to 10 years of a Filco being typed in a standard white collar office.

-> They have been cheap with many other parts intentionally. EG with the rubber feet and the easily scratched casing. Most gamer kids want something new every Christmas. Even though their Razer is far from death, they will use the fact that there are scratches and lost legs to ask for new presents.

Again thats why you can see Razers dated by year, because Razer wants to put pressure on the kids to keep updating their keyboards and not be 'left behind' by their peers.

In contrast, no other maker brands their keyboards by year. EG Filcos don't have year. Ducky has only model number and some special editions. And so on.
Most of the modding can be done on your own once you break through the psychological barriers.

Offline cephelix

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Re: My First Review: Razer Blackwidow Ultimate 2014
« Reply #20 on: Sun, 07 December 2014, 21:16:58 »
It would be interesting to see people talk about actually failed Razers, but there doesn't seem to be many around.

As I observed on another thread, I have never known anyone's Razer to totally break down or fail. (I would consider one switch in an important position not working as keyboard failure also since that prevents you from using the keyboard.)

Now that I have just noticed this thread and some of the comments, I think I have figured Razer out.

-> The build is indeed OK. They may be cheapskates, but their keyboards are still plate mounted and soldered by the same OEMs that make many keyboards. Razer is not going to fall apart. They are not going to hire monkeys to solder, because they genuinely expect gamer kids to be rough and don't want to have people come to them for warranty.

Don't forget, one year of Razer being hammered 24-7 in a Korean cyber cafe, is equal to 10 years of a Filco being typed in a standard white collar office.

-> They have been cheap with many other parts intentionally. EG with the rubber feet and the easily scratched casing. Most gamer kids want something new every Christmas. Even though their Razer is far from death, they will use the fact that there are scratches and lost legs to ask for new presents.

Again thats why you can see Razers dated by year, because Razer wants to put pressure on the kids to keep updating their keyboards and not be 'left behind' by their peers.

In contrast, no other maker brands their keyboards by year. EG Filcos don't have year. Ducky has only model number and some special editions. And so on.
It's all marketing I say! Besides really hardcore fans like the guys on GH, most people won't care what switches are being used(Cherry or Kailh or Alps etc) and indeed for the time I've used my blackwidow, it's served me well. The main thing that irritated me was that the secondary functions on the various keys were not lit. Other than that, I really had no problems with it and previous driver version, before synapse, worked well for me, granted I didn't program the macros.

I can't say the same for their other products though. My deathadder had the notorious doubleclick issue and my onza had the left analog stick spoil just by being left on the table!
ALi
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Offline Altis

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Re: My First Review: Razer Blackwidow Ultimate 2014
« Reply #21 on: Sun, 07 December 2014, 23:20:33 »
Can't really speak for the new ones, but my 2011 is actually really well built compared with my other boards. Sure the keycaps are dreadful, but the thing is made like a tank. Unlike my DAS and QFR, the keyboard is screwed on to the back housing with ~8 screws, and another 5 keep the top bezel firmly on in addition to the tabs. No squeaks, rattles, and no play in the case (unlike my Realforce 87U), and never missed a beat.

Is the case still solid on newer ones?

Credit should also to be given for bringing a $100 - $150 (in Canada anyways) mechanical keyboard with MX Blue/Brown and backlight options to mainstream local stores back at a time before anyone else did. That allowed me to try it and was a bit of a risk for them. Now that they tested the waters, others have followed suit.

Having said that, my Razer Imperator mouse drives me crazy sometimes as it'll randomly only track one axis.
WhiteFox (Gateron Brown) -- Realforce 87U 45g -- Realforce 104UG (Hi Pro 45g) -- Realforce 108US 30g JIS -- HHKB Pro 2 -- IBM Model M ('90) -- IBM Model M SSK ('87) -- NMB RT-101 & RT-8255C+ (Hi-Tek Space Invaders) -- Chicony KB-5181 (Monterey Blue Alps) -- KPT-102 (KPT Alps) -- KUL ES-87 (62/65g Purple Zealios) -- CM QFR (MX Red) -- Apple Aluminum BT -- Realforce 23u Numpad -- Logitech K740 -- QSENN DT-35 -- Zenith Z-150 (Green Alps)

Offline GL1TCH3D

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Re: My First Review: Razer Blackwidow Ultimate 2014
« Reply #22 on: Mon, 08 December 2014, 08:43:03 »
Can't really speak for the new ones, but my 2011 is actually really well built compared with my other boards. Sure the keycaps are dreadful, but the thing is made like a tank. Unlike my DAS and QFR, the keyboard is screwed on to the back housing with ~8 screws, and another 5 keep the top bezel firmly on in addition to the tabs. No squeaks, rattles, and no play in the case (unlike my Realforce 87U), and never missed a beat.

Is the case still solid on newer ones?

Credit should also to be given for bringing a $100 - $150 (in Canada anyways) mechanical keyboard with MX Blue/Brown and backlight options to mainstream local stores back at a time before anyone else did. That allowed me to try it and was a bit of a risk for them. Now that they tested the waters, others have followed suit.

Having said that, my Razer Imperator mouse drives me crazy sometimes as it'll randomly only track one axis.

The keyboard was heavy. How much of that is due to thickness in the case, I'm not sure.

In general it still felt very plastic (though like you mentioned, better than the QFR)

I just didn't get the premium feel of a keyboard that after tax cost me $190.

The only Realforce board I owned was the 89s (Japanese layout) and that felt extremely solid.

Right now I have the HHKB which cost me about the same as the Blackwidow (of course they're targeted at completely different markets)

If the keyboard had been in the sub$90 range I would have been a lot more lenient on it but between the switches (whether they were faulty or just a product of using knockoff switches) and the keycaps (it was the first time I felt physically sick due to keycaps. Though the PBT caps on the poker 2 were also really awful for me, just not as bad) I definitely did not feel it was worth its price or anywhere near it.

I imagine if it still had blues I would have enjoyed it a lot more as even if I'm opposed to using blues, they would not have been nearly as bad.

Can't really speak for the new ones, but my 2011 is actually really well built compared with my other boards. Sure the keycaps are dreadful, but the thing is made like a tank. Unlike my DAS and QFR, the keyboard is screwed on to the back housing with ~8 screws, and another 5 keep the top bezel firmly on in addition to the tabs. No squeaks, rattles, and no play in the case (unlike my Realforce 87U), and never missed a beat.

Is the case still solid on newer ones?

Credit should also to be given for bringing a $100 - $150 (in Canada anyways) mechanical keyboard with MX Blue/Brown and backlight options to mainstream local stores back at a time before anyone else did. That allowed me to try it and was a bit of a risk for them. Now that they tested the waters, others have followed suit.

Having said that, my Razer Imperator mouse drives me crazy sometimes as it'll randomly only track one axis.

The keyboard was heavy. How much of that is due to thickness in the case, I'm not sure.

In general it still felt very plastic (though like you mentioned, better than the QFR)

I just didn't get the premium feel of a keyboard that after tax cost me $190.

The only Realforce board I owned was the 89s (Japanese layout) and that felt extremely solid.

Right now I have the HHKB which cost me about the same as the Blackwidow (of course they're targeted at completely different markets)

If the keyboard had been in the sub$90 range I would have been a lot more lenient on it but between the switches (whether they were faulty or just a product of using knockoff switches) and the keycaps (it was the first time I felt physically sick due to keycaps. Though the PBT caps on the poker 2 were also really awful for me, just not as bad) I definitely did not feel it was worth its price or anywhere near it.

I imagine if it still had blues I would have enjoyed it a lot more as even if I'm opposed to using blues, they would not have been nearly as bad.
It would be interesting to see people talk about actually failed Razers, but there doesn't seem to be many around.

As I observed on another thread, I have never known anyone's Razer to totally break down or fail. (I would consider one switch in an important position not working as keyboard failure also since that prevents you from using the keyboard.)

Now that I have just noticed this thread and some of the comments, I think I have figured Razer out.

-> The build is indeed OK. They may be cheapskates, but their keyboards are still plate mounted and soldered by the same OEMs that make many keyboards. Razer is not going to fall apart. They are not going to hire monkeys to solder, because they genuinely expect gamer kids to be rough and don't want to have people come to them for warranty.

Don't forget, one year of Razer being hammered 24-7 in a Korean cyber cafe, is equal to 10 years of a Filco being typed in a standard white collar office.

-> They have been cheap with many other parts intentionally. EG with the rubber feet and the easily scratched casing. Most gamer kids want something new every Christmas. Even though their Razer is far from death, they will use the fact that there are scratches and lost legs to ask for new presents.

Again thats why you can see Razers dated by year, because Razer wants to put pressure on the kids to keep updating their keyboards and not be 'left behind' by their peers.

In contrast, no other maker brands their keyboards by year. EG Filcos don't have year. Ducky has only model number and some special editions. And so on.

From what I've observed visiting lots of other forums ("lots") and one in particular where users buy a lot of garbage just by brand name, what you say does hold true, mainly your second point.

The products don't fall apart as much as specific components are built to fail it seems.

I've owned a handful of Razer products myself and read about them enough.

Their headsets sound awful, even their $200 Razer kraken.
The one mousepad I owned from them was one of the biggest wasted of money I've ever tried (Razer vespula). It somehow managed to scratch within a few weeks and ruined the glide pads on my mouse. Inexcusable for a $45 mouse pad.
I've owned two of their mice. The first was the naga hex that felt really cheap in hand (ergonomically was fine). The naga hex is also known for having click issues.
The second mouse being the deathadder which at the average sale price of $40 is fine for build though like the naga hex has a low average lifespan it seems.
I owned my 2013 edition for 4 months, taking extreme care of it. I sold it to someone online and within two weeks of him receiving it the mouse had broken. I'm not sure what he did to it but when I sent it to him it was basically like new in box.

It may be noted that the majority of my real life friends are gamers so between them lending me products from different brands and the demos from the retailers I get a pretty decent sense of the Razer products.

As for the comment about naming by year, it's most likely in respect to the swag factor that's common in the age group they're targeting. Like your second point, most of the time they won't just completely break, but develop nuisances regularly. "Oh my mouse double clicks every now and then"
While this is generally inexcusable to myself, the people buying it may just consider normal as the product ages (source: my experience discussing the topic with the target audience on other forums). So between "swag factor" between peers and the developed nuisance they're pressured to "upgrading" every year (like you said).
But it's really the combination of the various factors that does it and the ignorance of the buyers to actually read real reviews on the products they're buying.
« Last Edit: Mon, 08 December 2014, 09:27:34 by GL1TCH3D »

Offline berserkfan

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Re: My First Review: Razer Blackwidow Ultimate 2014
« Reply #23 on: Mon, 08 December 2014, 11:27:26 »
Glitched

Although I was originally posting about keyboards, come to think of it, my friends and acquaintances that use Razer do say the same things about the mice.

Razer mice never die. They really don't. Never. But that double clicking thing, I seem to remember more than one friend commenting. It's a very subtle thing that is really VERY hard to finesse correctly so it might very well be deliberately buried in the firmware or something. Razer stuff has a tendency to 'show age' in a way that makes its buyers want to buy more. And this is done very cunningly. 

Most geekhack ignoramuses just talk BS about how garbage Razer is without actually using Razer. I have friends who are prosecutors and PhDs and they use Razer, sometimes even at work. These people are smart and sharp with shark instincts and you're not going to get away with calling them dumb fanbois to their faces. Ultimately to fool even the smartest people, Razer knows to skimp on the right things. It doesn't fall apart. It ages visibly instead. So people with money will say, hmmm, I like my Razer very much but it's not as good as it used to be. It's a year old huh, nm, I'll buy this year's Razer instead. OK, I'll retire my current mouse to that old computer then.

And that's how you get a prosecutor to buy a new Razer mouse without alerting his shark brain that he's been had. You don't sell him garbage. You sell him intelligently made stuff that your research department has figured out. It won't raise a stink in a week. It'll send out a very subtle rotting smell after the one year warranty is up.

Believe me, I've tried to get friends interested in my trackballs. No dice. They genuinely like Razer.

Most of the modding can be done on your own once you break through the psychological barriers.

Offline Altis

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Re: My First Review: Razer Blackwidow Ultimate 2014
« Reply #24 on: Mon, 08 December 2014, 19:59:19 »
...Razer mice never die. They really don't. Never....

Oddly enough it's my Imperator mouse that's given me all kinds of problems -- although they come and go at random.

I don't really understand the hate for the BW. While I haven't tried the new switches, the hate was there even with Cherry switches. I still maintain that it's one of the better cases, albeit a bit large, in terms of build quality. It's the only keyboard I have that doesn't make a peep when I apply torsional force to the ends.

I just need to replace those keycaps...  :eek: Honestly, the whole cap is painted on and it scratches off if you use a keycap puller. So far the tops haven't scratched or faded for me, but they don't feel or sound very nice at all. Too bad the bottom row is oddly sized. I also added some sound deadening into the case (as I have with all my MX boards) which makes it sound more snug.
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Offline SpicyLobotomy

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Re: My First Review: Razer Blackwidow Ultimate 2014
« Reply #25 on: Mon, 08 December 2014, 20:21:51 »
I personally have a Naga from 2010-ish that is still going strong. Back before I got into the hobby heavily, I had a tournament edition Razer blackwidow (cherry switches). That was a great board and I never had any problems with it either. I know my experience is just anecdotal, but take their products for what they are: heavily advertised gaming products. I think people in this community unfairly rag on Razer products when this is a niche that they never wanted to sell towards to begin with. Just my $.02 :thumb:
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Offline GL1TCH3D

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Re: My First Review: Razer Blackwidow Ultimate 2014
« Reply #26 on: Mon, 08 December 2014, 22:08:55 »
I personally have a Naga from 2010-ish that is still going strong. Back before I got into the hobby heavily, I had a tournament edition Razer blackwidow (cherry switches). That was a great board and I never had any problems with it either. I know my experience is just anecdotal, but take their products for what they are: heavily advertised gaming products. I think people in this community unfairly rag on Razer products when this is a niche that they never wanted to sell towards to begin with. Just my $.02 :thumb:

Most people rag on it because some of the keyboards from pur niche easily outperform the blackwidow in the tasks that the target audience wants it for. Though the black widow (at least the older version) was probably their best product hands down followed by the deathadder (perfect sensor at a good price), the reputation of their other products being horrible probably sullied the name of the black widow more than it should have.

Though I've had a few friends note that their BW just died at some point (either clusters of keys or the entire board) as well as people on other forums, it seems far less common than the failure rates seen in their other products (and when I say failure I mean the device not working as expected all the time)



Offline LinkPro

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Re: My First Review: Razer Blackwidow Ultimate 2014
« Reply #27 on: Mon, 15 December 2014, 22:39:12 »
I got the Chroma version 2 days ago and am still test driving it. Overall the Kailh switches are less loud and have less click sound than my Filco with mx blues, but not necessary worse - just different. Razer Synapse however is giving me all kinds of problems, from freezing by itself to breaking other programs and games... Well I have 45 days to return it as a best buy elite plus so we will see if I can keep this. I need RGB for to color match my next build, and I couldn't find the K70 RGB with blues anywhere.

BTW OP are you by any chance the same gl1tch3d at head-fi?  ;D

Offline Jumpjet

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Re: My First Review: Razer Blackwidow Ultimate 2014
« Reply #28 on: Tue, 16 December 2014, 07:16:06 »
Against my better judgement I tried two Chroma boards from two different retailers. The green switches were terrible. Some clicked, some didn't and there was noticeable wobble across all keys. Around a quarter of the keys didn't register a stroke when hit on the lower half of the key, while another quarter of the switches registered multiple inputs per stroke. What a joke.

Impressive lighting though, and nicely styled board (G910 anyone?).



Offline GL1TCH3D

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Re: My First Review: Razer Blackwidow Ultimate 2014
« Reply #29 on: Tue, 16 December 2014, 11:38:41 »
I got the Chroma version 2 days ago and am still test driving it. Overall the Kailh switches are less loud and have less click sound than my Filco with mx blues, but not necessary worse - just different. Razer Synapse however is giving me all kinds of problems, from freezing by itself to breaking other programs and games... Well I have 45 days to return it as a best buy elite plus so we will see if I can keep this. I need RGB for to color match my next build, and I couldn't find the K70 RGB with blues anywhere.

BTW OP are you by any chance the same gl1tch3d at head-fi?  ;D

Of course I am :P


Against my better judgement I tried two Chroma boards from two different retailers. The green switches were terrible. Some clicked, some didn't and there was noticeable wobble across all keys. Around a quarter of the keys didn't register a stroke when hit on the lower half of the key, while another quarter of the switches registered multiple inputs per stroke. What a joke.

Impressive lighting though, and nicely styled board (G910 anyone?).

This was the exact issue I was facing with the wobble and inconsistency of click that just made it awful to use

Offline viskin

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Re: My First Review: Razer Blackwidow Ultimate 2014
« Reply #30 on: Tue, 20 January 2015, 13:05:15 »
Isn't a 2.5/10 a little harsh? I've never been a fan of Razor but a 2.5/10? The keyboard is a pretty decent keyboard right? It seems like most of the market enjoys it. If all of this is based off price point I think it should be reevaluated.

Offline GL1TCH3D

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Re: My First Review: Razer Blackwidow Ultimate 2014
« Reply #31 on: Tue, 20 January 2015, 18:35:53 »
Isn't a 2.5/10 a little harsh? I've never been a fan of Razor but a 2.5/10? The keyboard is a pretty decent keyboard right? It seems like most of the market enjoys it. If all of this is based off price point I think it should be reevaluated.

Reviews are still in the end my experience with it.

I'm not joking when I went to get a rubber dome from my closet and returned the black widow shortly after. At the very least the rubber dome is more consistent and didn't have keys sticking.

I generally rate products against my ideal regardless of price but I will mention the idea of value or if there's something that I expect for the price that's lacking (such as consistency)

I would not call the keyboard decent, half decent or even bad. My experience with it for that short while was abysmal.

Offline ablooga

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Re: My First Review: Razer Blackwidow Ultimate 2014
« Reply #32 on: Wed, 18 February 2015, 21:59:04 »
Seems like the only people who has anything positive to say about Razer keyboards are people who own these boards.

Offline GL1TCH3D

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Re: My First Review: Razer Blackwidow Ultimate 2014
« Reply #33 on: Wed, 18 February 2015, 22:09:03 »
Seems like the only people who has anything positive to say about Razer keyboards are people who own these boards.

Maybe they only still own it because they're too ignorant to realize they should ditch it

Offline Deadline-007

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Re: My First Review: Razer Blackwidow Ultimate 2014
« Reply #34 on: Fri, 27 February 2015, 07:15:30 »
I'm having Logitech G710+ for now and, well, it's working pretty fine. Browns switches in my view are better in terms of double tapping and have almost the same tactile feel as cherry mx blues in Razer Blackwidow 2012-2013 versions. Browns just don't have clicky sound. But pre-installed o-rings from Logitech made this keyboard kinda less "mechanical" when I'm bottoming out. So I uninstall them and for now this keyboard feels like it should be. But those fragile keycaps(1 ctrl is already broken and other one have a crack in it) and Russian layout with short shift and \ button are kinda bothers me.


Before Logitech I had Blackwidow 2012 ultimate for ~83$(2500 rubles) which was awesome, but with 1 con. Double tapping was pretty much a pain in the (you know) in some fps like battlefield, counter-strike, call of duty and others.  But it didn't last as long as my Logitech cause of tea. Luckily I cleaned my evidence and RMA it.

But anyway, why am I telling this? Cause for now I'm waiting for used Razer Blackwidow Chroma to be delivered(some reviewer just made a review out of it and now he don't need this keyboard).
 I had some experience in terms of typing on Razer keyboards with "Razer Switches". I tried 2 Blackwidow Ultima 2014 keyboards, 1st one about a day and other one about a week. Well, those switches do feel cheaper, but they feel more different then mx blues or browns switches. Double tapping is okay, keys are wobbling when you're pressing all the way down and trying to move around which is pretty bad when you're playing some fps games and holding w for quite a long time. 1st keyboard had terrible wobbling w button, 2nd one had less, but still have it. Switches itself do feel sticky when you're pressing them from the left edges of keycaps.

So why am I buying this keyboard? Cause mx blues switches do feel almost the same as mx browns, not only on Blackwidow, but on Cooler Master also and I want something new with shiny backlight, same style as my Razer Naga 2014 which I have zero issues(cause I RMA Naga Epic, lol) and closer macro buttons(Logitech ones are too far away). And cause this reviewer sold it to me for half price. Even If keys from Chroma will be the same as in Ultima 2014 then i'll just install o-rings from Logitech and it will fix this wobbling issue. In terms of tactile feedback I do like Razer Switches more, then mx blues and mx browns. Maybe cause it's just different.

And yeah, I don't think that Chinese companies means crap durability. They just don't have same experience as Cherry. And same price as Cherry, ha-ha.

Just my random thoughts.
« Last Edit: Sun, 01 March 2015, 03:06:49 by Deadline-007 »

Offline GL1TCH3D

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Re: My First Review: Razer Blackwidow Ultimate 2014
« Reply #35 on: Wed, 04 March 2015, 00:05:51 »
I'm having Logitech G710+ for now and, well, it's working pretty fine. Browns switches in my view are better in terms of double tapping and have almost the same tactile feel as cherry mx blues in Razer Blackwidow 2012-2013 versions. Browns just don't have clicky sound. But pre-installed o-rings from Logitech made this keyboard kinda less "mechanical" when I'm bottoming out. So I uninstall them and for now this keyboard feels like it should be. But those fragile keycaps(1 ctrl is already broken and other one have a crack in it) and Russian layout with short shift and \ button are kinda bothers me.
Show Image


Before Logitech I had Blackwidow 2012 ultimate for ~83$(2500 rubles) which was awesome, but with 1 con. Double tapping was pretty much a pain in the (you know) in some fps like battlefield, counter-strike, call of duty and others.  But it didn't last as long as my Logitech cause of tea. Luckily I cleaned my evidence and RMA it.

But anyway, why am I telling this? Cause for now I'm waiting for used Razer Blackwidow Chroma to be delivered(some reviewer just made a review out of it and now he don't need this keyboard).
 I had some experience in terms of typing on Razer keyboards with "Razer Switches". I tried 2 Blackwidow Ultima 2014 keyboards, 1st one about a day and other one about a week. Well, those switches do feel cheaper, but they feel more different then mx blues or browns switches. Double tapping is okay, keys are wobbling when you're pressing all the way down and trying to move around which is pretty bad when you're playing some fps games and holding w for quite a long time. 1st keyboard had terrible wobbling w button, 2nd one had less, but still have it. Switches itself do feel sticky when you're pressing them from the left edges of keycaps.

So why am I buying this keyboard? Cause mx blues switches do feel almost the same as mx browns, not only on Blackwidow, but on Cooler Master also and I want something new with shiny backlight, same style as my Razer Naga 2014 which I have zero issues(cause I RMA Naga Epic, lol) and closer macro buttons(Logitech ones are too far away). And cause this reviewer sold it to me for half price. Even If keys from Chroma will be the same as in Ultima 2014 then i'll just install o-rings from Logitech and it will fix this wobbling issue. In terms of tactile feedback I do like Razer Switches more, then mx blues and mx browns. Maybe cause it's just different.

And yeah, I don't think that Chinese companies means crap durability. They just don't have same experience as Cherry. And same price as Cherry, ha-ha.

Just my random thoughts.

Were you on reddit?

I feel like I've read this before.

If double tapping and lights are all you care about there's always the corsair which would have genuine cherry switches at least.

Another issue I had with the razer switches is that they were just getting stuck which is detrimental in some games (like fps). Nothing like walking off a ledge because the key got stuck

Offline Deadline-007

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Re: My First Review: Razer Blackwidow Ultimate 2014
« Reply #36 on: Wed, 04 March 2015, 15:46:50 »
Were you on reddit?

I feel like I've read this before.

If double tapping and lights are all you care about there's always the corsair which would have genuine cherry switches at least.

Another issue I had with the razer switches is that they were just getting stuck which is detrimental in some games (like fps). Nothing like walking off a ledge because the key got stuck
Well, I red a lot of comments about razer, corsair and other manufacturers. Maybe this review is pretty close to mine. But that's my personal view about razer switches compared to CoolerMaster Quick Fire with cherry mx blue and used blackwidow 2013 which were in shop.
Maybe in chroma(which is still not delivered) keys will be not so bad as in 2014 edition. I'll post here as soon as it will come or just make another topic if it will bother you.
If chroma switches will be same or even worse, compared to 2014 edition, then I'll have to resend it back and buy some other keyboard.
In Russia we don't have any retailers who's selling corsair and ducky shine keyboards, sadly. Maybe some of them are selling corsair k70 non-rgb for like ~200$ which is just lol.
So my option will be: Cooler Master MECH, COUGAR 700K or Tt eSPORTS Poseidon Z with Kailh blue. Or just try to find used blackwidow 2012-2013 edition.

I just can't understand haters. Some of them hate that it's Razer, others that it's Chinese switches. ULTIMATE HATE MACHINE WHICH INVADES ANY COMMENT SECTION AND SPREADING HATE.
Anyway. It will be very helpful if people will start telling main problems with switches itself instead of just claiming that Chinese=crap or Razer=crap.

Cherry have only 2 clicky switches(blue and green) with different actuation point which is not that good if you want to tap same key as fast as possible instead of linear switches. So Razer raised it up which is good for doing that. But the fact that these switches were made with some flaws which was none in cherry is worse, then raised actuation point. Or maybe not...

Sorry for my Engrish, I just went from read-only only to tell my only opinion, only.


Offline GL1TCH3D

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Re: My First Review: Razer Blackwidow Ultimate 2014
« Reply #37 on: Wed, 04 March 2015, 16:39:18 »
Were you on reddit?

I feel like I've read this before.

If double tapping and lights are all you care about there's always the corsair which would have genuine cherry switches at least.

Another issue I had with the razer switches is that they were just getting stuck which is detrimental in some games (like fps). Nothing like walking off a ledge because the key got stuck
Well, I red a lot of comments about razer, corsair and other manufacturers. Maybe this review is pretty close to mine. But that's my personal view about razer switches compared to CoolerMaster Quick Fire with cherry mx blue and used blackwidow 2013 which were in shop.
Maybe in chroma(which is still not delivered) keys will be not so bad as in 2014 edition. I'll post here as soon as it will come or just make another topic if it will bother you.
If chroma switches will be same or even worse, compared to 2014 edition, then I'll have to resend it back and buy some other keyboard.
In Russia we don't have any retailers who's selling corsair and ducky shine keyboards, sadly. Maybe some of them are selling corsair k70 non-rgb for like ~200$ which is just lol.
So my option will be: Cooler Master MECH, COUGAR 700K or Tt eSPORTS Poseidon Z with Kailh blue. Or just try to find used blackwidow 2012-2013 edition.

I just can't understand haters. Some of them hate that it's Razer, others that it's Chinese switches. ULTIMATE HATE MACHINE WHICH INVADES ANY COMMENT SECTION AND SPREADING HATE.
Anyway. It will be very helpful if people will start telling main problems with switches itself instead of just claiming that Chinese=crap or Razer=crap.

Cherry have only 2 clicky switches(blue and green) with different actuation point which is not that good if you want to tap same key as fast as possible instead of linear switches. So Razer raised it up which is good for doing that. But the fact that these switches were made with some flaws which was none in cherry is worse, then raised actuation point. Or maybe not...

Sorry for my Engrish, I just went from read-only only to tell my only opinion, only.

I hate being grouped into the bandwagon group of just hating on Razer.

I actually do test out stuff before I make comments about it.

I read reviews from experienced users before relaying information about it.

Unfortunately I've had issues with literally every Razer product I've owned and the others that I tried weren't impressive or worth the price.

As a long time audiophile I have a good grasp of sound quality and what to listen for. The Razer headsets, even the tiamat, were awful. Every last one of them.

The Razer mouse pads are overpriced and the vespula mouse pad actually damaged the skates in my Logitech g9x

The Razer mice have an average lifespan if under a year (go read reviews) and all have a common issue suggesting an intentional design flaw. (Naga double click issue is a good example)

The older blackwidow was okay since it used cherry switches but my friends who had it had the controller die on them. But now with the inconsistent and generally wobbly switches at the price if a cherry MX board I would never recommend a single one of their products. I've given them several chances and always cane back disappointed.

Offline Deadline-007

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Re: My First Review: Razer Blackwidow Ultimate 2014
« Reply #38 on: Wed, 04 March 2015, 18:01:22 »
I hate being grouped into the bandwagon group of just hating on Razer.

I actually do test out stuff before I make comments about it.

I read reviews from experienced users before relaying information about it.

Unfortunately I've had issues with literally every Razer product I've owned and the others that I tried weren't impressive or worth the price.

As a long time audiophile I have a good grasp of sound quality and what to listen for. The Razer headsets, even the tiamat, were awful. Every last one of them.

The Razer mouse pads are overpriced and the vespula mouse pad actually damaged the skates in my Logitech g9x

The Razer mice have an average lifespan if under a year (go read reviews) and all have a common issue suggesting an intentional design flaw. (Naga double click issue is a good example)

The older blackwidow was okay since it used cherry switches but my friends who had it had the controller die on them. But now with the inconsistent and generally wobbly switches at the price if a cherry MX board I would never recommend a single one of their products. I've given them several chances and always cane back disappointed.
I said nothing about exactly you. If you're treating yourself like that, well...
I agree that Razer headsets are just as bad as beats by dr dre in terms of price\quality. My logitech g35, which was bought for ~80$ can easily beat razer ones in terms of surround sound. But I bet for audiophile like you any "gaming" headset is just a crap. c:
In terms of mice... well. My naga epic had horrible problems with wireless connection which was awful. But when it was wired I almost had no issues. After like 1.5 years usage I RMA it cause of hidden doubleclick. Now I'm using naga 2014. So far so good. I wish someone would make mice with same style and mechanical buttons. Alternatives like Logitech G600 with 3 buttons on top of it for me is just too uncomfortable. Who the * had an idea of making this?
Razer mouse pads are just mouse pads. I dunno. There are plenty of alternatives. My goliathus control in my view works better then a4tech one, hah.
Like I said about blackwidows, I tried 2014 2 times and they both had pretty bad wobble and sticky effect which bothers me more, than cherry actuation point. But it might be just bad revision.
I'll give Razer one more try.

Upd: I received it and in my view keys in chroma have less wobble and not that sticky as in 2014. More closer to cherry ones. Caps lock and tab still have this sticky feeling when you're bottoming out when you're pressing them from left edges.  But still they feels different.

Upd2: F10 is sticky. Damn.
Blackwidow 2014 wobble

UPD3: Final conclusion is that Razer have problems with quality control. In Chroma they fixed sticky keys, but they're still feel just a bit sticky instead of smooth cherry mx browns.
If I didn't use any cherry switches then I wouldn't complain at all. Just not as good as cherry ones with a lot of experience in development, but they're still better then any membrane keyboards.
That's my personal view. For myself I'll continue using logitech cause I prefer it more and cause it's still have guarantee instead of razer. For 83$ this keyboard(Chroma) is worth buying(even if it's used). For 250$ it's definitely not worth.

UPD4: Sticky switch was fixed by himself, but I found wobble key which sometimes bothers me when I'm playing WoW and trying to open a map while my fingers are on wsad.

« Last Edit: Sat, 21 March 2015, 18:59:20 by Deadline-007 »

Offline GL1TCH3D

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Re: My First Review: Razer Blackwidow Ultimate 2014
« Reply #39 on: Wed, 09 September 2015, 08:38:15 »
I didn't realize that you posted another update!

I agree while gaming the key wobble is extremely annoying

Offline keshley

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Re: My First Review: Razer Blackwidow Ultimate 2014
« Reply #40 on: Wed, 09 September 2015, 09:35:26 »
I wonder if they've upped their QC. My (granted, hardly ever used) Blackwidow Tournament (2014) was manufactured in 2015, and while the Kailh switches are wobbly, they're not really any more wobbly than the MX Browns in my Pok3r. Typing on it is like typing on a functioning keyboard. Its nothing special, but no sticking, etc. It feels put together way better than the Razer mice I've owned. Which isn't saying much, granted.

The keycaps are terribad though. It was cheaper than a K65, so you know, get what you pay for I suppose.

The Tournament Edition doesn't have backlighting, so I wonder if perhaps its maybe a different manufacturing line, and maybe that's why the difference in quality. /shrug
  
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Offline saturnotaku

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Re: My First Review: Razer Blackwidow Ultimate 2014
« Reply #41 on: Wed, 09 September 2015, 09:39:33 »
The Tournament Edition doesn't have backlighting

Actually it does. That was a new addition to the product line this year. The clicky version (Razer green switch) came out first, and the silent one released in June. I use the latter at home and love the heck out of it. The only real question mark is reliability, but only time will tell on that front.

Offline keshley

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Re: My First Review: Razer Blackwidow Ultimate 2014
« Reply #42 on: Wed, 09 September 2015, 09:44:37 »
Ahh, I have the non-backlit version, which is substantially cheaper. I'm not seeing any of the issues mentioned above, but the $60 difference in price would change the expectations as well I suppose.
  
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Offline saturnotaku

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Re: My First Review: Razer Blackwidow Ultimate 2014
« Reply #43 on: Wed, 09 September 2015, 09:56:03 »
Ahh, I have the non-backlit version, which is substantially cheaper. I'm not seeing any of the issues mentioned above, but the $60 difference in price would change the expectations as well I suppose.

I was looking to get an RGB TKL keyboard, but the rub was that it had to be Mac friendly. The Logitech G910 is full-size only and has phenomenally bad keycaps. The Corsair K65 only comes with MX red switches, which aren't bad but I prefer browns over them. That keyboard also isn't fully Mac compatible; someone cobbled together a hacked version of the software but it's pretty incomplete feature-wise. The Royal Kludge RC930-87 was close, but its software is Windows only, doesn't have per-key lighting control, and to me, its lighting doesn't look like true RGB the way Corsair and Razer do.

That pretty much left the BlackWidow. The Chroma Configurator, which allows you to create those crazy color profiles, doesn't work with the TE Stealth on OS X, at least not yet, but all the other functionality is there. It pairs very well with my DeathAdder Chroma. On my "Steambox" SFF PC, I love creating specific profiles for games so that the keyboard only lights up the keys that I use in a particular title. As much crap as Razer gets flung its way, I have to say the BW TE Chroma is a solid keyboard, assuming of course it holds up over the course of time.

Offline GL1TCH3D

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Re: My First Review: Razer Blackwidow Ultimate 2014
« Reply #44 on: Wed, 09 September 2015, 11:13:13 »
Ahh, I have the non-backlit version, which is substantially cheaper. I'm not seeing any of the issues mentioned above, but the $60 difference in price would change the expectations as well I suppose.

Ahh, I have the non-backlit version, which is substantially cheaper. I'm not seeing any of the issues mentioned above, but the $60 difference in price would change the expectations as well I suppose.

I was looking to get an RGB TKL keyboard, but the rub was that it had to be Mac friendly. The Logitech G910 is full-size only and has phenomenally bad keycaps. The Corsair K65 only comes with MX red switches, which aren't bad but I prefer browns over them. That keyboard also isn't fully Mac compatible; someone cobbled together a hacked version of the software but it's pretty incomplete feature-wise. The Royal Kludge RC930-87 was close, but its software is Windows only, doesn't have per-key lighting control, and to me, its lighting doesn't look like true RGB the way Corsair and Razer do.

That pretty much left the BlackWidow. The Chroma Configurator, which allows you to create those crazy color profiles, doesn't work with the TE Stealth on OS X, at least not yet, but all the other functionality is there. It pairs very well with my DeathAdder Chroma. On my "Steambox" SFF PC, I love creating specific profiles for games so that the keyboard only lights up the keys that I use in a particular title. As much crap as Razer gets flung its way, I have to say the BW TE Chroma is a solid keyboard, assuming of course it holds up over the course of time.

As mentioned on other parts of the forum, Razer's QC is the issue.

The products feel like they're built to break (so that buyers go buy the newer model).

I may have gotten a particularly bad unit, but it's still fact that such a unit passed QC inspection.

I've found with all Razer products the life expectancy to be low for the price (6-12 months).

While some people get units perfect to the design, others get some that are DOA or break very quickly.

I used the Logitech g9x for 4 or so years and never had an issue until I paired it with a Razer Mousepad that ruined my mouse skates.

I now have an artizan Mousepad and Logitech g502 (both are over a year old now).

Still, at the price of these products I expect them to last 2+ years, not 6 months (like most Razer products I've owned).

Offline saturnotaku

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Re: My First Review: Razer Blackwidow Ultimate 2014
« Reply #45 on: Wed, 09 September 2015, 14:01:47 »
If my BlackWidow breaks, I'll probably buy either a Realforce 87U or a Royal Kludge RC930 RGB and never look back. I am once again becoming one with cup rubber, and I'm starting to realize how much I've missed it.

Offline GL1TCH3D

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Re: My First Review: Razer Blackwidow Ultimate 2014
« Reply #46 on: Wed, 09 September 2015, 14:15:53 »
If my BlackWidow breaks, I'll probably buy either a Realforce 87U or a Royal Kludge RC930 RGB and never look back. I am once again becoming one with cup rubber, and I'm starting to realize how much I've missed it.

Get some hipro cup rubber =P

I enjoy the different feeling immensely over the stock OEM profile

Offline saturnotaku

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Re: My First Review: Razer Blackwidow Ultimate 2014
« Reply #47 on: Wed, 09 September 2015, 15:50:02 »
I enjoy the different feeling immensely over the stock OEM profile

Gotta be TKL. No room for anything larger.

Offline GL1TCH3D

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Re: My First Review: Razer Blackwidow Ultimate 2014
« Reply #48 on: Wed, 09 September 2015, 16:32:37 »
I enjoy the different feeling immensely over the stock OEM profile

Gotta be TKL. No room for anything larger.

I love my TKL HiPro

You should try it

Offline saturnotaku

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Re: My First Review: Razer Blackwidow Ultimate 2014
« Reply #49 on: Thu, 10 September 2015, 09:25:40 »
I love my TKL HiPro

You should try it

Standard Topre profile works just fine for me. Don't much feel like going through the hassle and expense of trying to track down those keycaps and also ruin the amazing aesthetics of the Realforce 10th anniversary.