[PicDrop] Razer Blackwidow Tournament Edition 2014(Razer Orange switches)

[davkol]

It's not exactly expensive either, considering it has MX blues and a steel plate. The keyboard is actually very solid. Just the casing around it sucks. Too damn fat for no other reason than to put that dumb Razer logo in the middle beneath the space bar. Once I sawed all that nonsense off the board feels a lot more responsive and a lot more comfortable. Really, it took me like 20 minutes to do and I am loving the results. The MX blues are quieter now without the case as well.

I can think of many other keyboards that have MX Blues and steel plates. Either you don't know much about mech keyboards or you're out of curve.

No, there aren't any clicky tenkeyless mechanical keyboards with a plate in the same price range as BW 2013 TE in many parts of Europe and neighbouring areas.

you have filco to blame.
http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=42242.0

Non sequitur.

There's still ordinary QFR, but I don't think it's available with MX Blue switches here... and if it is, it's noticeably more expensive. Besides that, one != many.

[YuukiHaruto]

Strange you say that, here in my country (Nowhere near the states) it costs less than a QFR TE. Things it has looking up to it? Far better quality. Definitely far better.
QFR is EOL'd already btw.

[berserkfan]

Strange you say that, here in my country (Nowhere near the states) it costs less than a QFR TE. Things it has looking up to it? Far better quality. Definitely far better.
QFR is EOL'd already btw.

 he might not be seeing the same things in the shops in Erdoganvatan as you are seeing in the US.

[Hyde]

So my local shop started carrying those and had the Razer Green Switch (MX Blue equivalent) one on display.  I played around with it and to my suprise, it actually feels..... better than MX Blue ! 

It's hard to explain but it feel a bit like a blend of ALPS and MX Blue, like it's a bit more tactile than MX Blue and less wobble.  It also feel a bit stiffer at the same time not sure if it's because it's new.

Even though this whole Kailh switch thing seems a bit iffy but I have to say at least the switch feels good and I'll give them that lol.

Now only time will tell about their reliability.

[davkol]

Strange you say that, here in my country (Nowhere near the states) it costs less than a QFR TE. Things it has looking up to it? Far better quality. Definitely far better.
QFR is EOL'd already btw.

What's QFR TE? CM Storm and Razer had sex? O_o

Anyway, I'm still waiting for the "many" cheap keyboards with plate-mounted blues. Here¹'s only the BW 2013 TE, €15 more expensive QF TK and QFR without blues... and some weird full-size Tesoro Durandal. Cherry G80s are full-size and with PCB mounting. Keycools have to be imported from China.

¹ Czechia. Country internationally known for ice hockey, beer, porn, '68 and Václav Klaus, the president that "stole" a pen. ^_^

[Demetrium]

Man, I really hate the font Razer throws on everything.

[ynrozturk]

Strange you say that, here in my country (Nowhere near the states) it costs less than a QFR TE. Things it has looking up to it? Far better quality. Definitely far better.
QFR is EOL'd already btw.

 he might not be seeing the same things in the shops in Erdoganvatan as you are seeing in the US.

Correct. You can only get around 5 brands of mechanical keyboards here - Razer, Logitech, Steel Series, Zowie and I just checked - Cooler Master. However out of all of those, only the Razer you can get in TKL. And all of them are ridiculously expensive. I just saw that ridiculous CM Storm MECH or whatever it is, and it's running at $300 US here. No thanks.

There's a reason why I buy all my keyboards when I visit the US.

[YuukiHaruto]

Strange you say that, here in my country (Nowhere near the states) it costs less than a QFR TE. Things it has looking up to it? Far better quality. Definitely far better.
QFR is EOL'd already btw.

What's QFR TE? CM Storm and Razer had sex? O_o

Anyway, I'm still waiting for the "many" cheap keyboards with plate-mounted blues. Here¹'s only the BW 2013 TE, €15 more expensive QF TK and QFR without blues... and some weird full-size Tesoro Durandal. Cherry G80s are full-size and with PCB mounting. Keycools have to be imported from China.

¹ Czechia. Country internationally known for ice hockey, beer, porn, '68 and Václav Klaus, the president that "stole" a pen. ^_^

Oopsie nice catch. BW TE.

Strange you say that, here in my country (Nowhere near the states) it costs less than a QFR TE. Things it has looking up to it? Far better quality. Definitely far better.
QFR is EOL'd already btw.

 he might not be seeing the same things in the shops in Erdoganvatan as you are seeing in the US.

Correct. You can only get around 5 brands of mechanical keyboards here - Razer, Logitech, Steel Series, Zowie and I just checked - Cooler Master. However out of all of those, only the Razer you can get in TKL. And all of them are ridiculously expensive. I just saw that ridiculous CM Storm MECH or whatever it is, and it's running at $300 US here. No thanks.

There's a reason why I buy all my keyboards when I visit the US.

that very keyboard was the one I was using ... It is priced the same as a BWU 2013.

[starmiemd]

Looks pretty nice, might pick one up sometime later to try out the orange switches.

[katushkin]

The thing I'm most surprised at is the price. Only $80 for a Razer? Someone must have talked them down a lot from their previous profit margins, what with a "new" design and all that pish.

People are acting as if this whole "Razer for gamers" stuff is new. That's how I got sucked into buying my first BW because it was "for gamers". They think because they add macro keys and it has straight lines means it's for gamers. However I do quite like the case on that, I don't know how it's different from before, but I like it.

But yeah, the font, as always, is horrendous.

[FranBunnyFFXII]

The thing I'm most surprised at is the price. Only $80 for a Razer? Someone must have talked them down a lot from their previous profit margins, what with a "new" design and all that pish.

People are acting as if this whole "Razer for gamers" stuff is new. That's how I got sucked into buying my first BW because it was "for gamers". They think because they add macro keys and it has straight lines means it's for gamers. However I do quite like the case on that, I don't know how it's different from before, but I like it.

But yeah, the font, as always, is horrendous.

Its a small unbacklit TKL, it's their cheapest model.

[katushkin]

Yeah, but I mean $80 is like £47. I remember my BW was probably about £80 ($130), and that had no backlight either. Bearing in mind the amount of R&D they supposedly have gone through to make these switches, I would have thought the price would be higher.

[YuukiHaruto]

Yeah, but I mean $80 is like £47. I remember my BW was probably about £80 ($130), and that had no backlight either. Bearing in mind the amount of R&D they supposedly have gone through to make these switches, I would have thought the price would be higher.

This is the key : these are Kalih switches NOT razer switches. Razer didn't put any R&D into them.
Kalih if you don't know have a real track record of the stem being broken off when hit off center repeatedly and stem breaking off when replacing keycaps. that's how shoddy they are, not sure about now but it stands.

[katushkin]

Yes but surely Razer has paid Kalih to make these switches purely for them? Or am I missing something? I thought these were essentially "Razer brand" switches, made by Kalih, exclusively for Razer? So rather than paying Cherry for a **** ton of switches, they have paid Kalih for exclusive rights to these, whatever they are being called, and THEN paying for a load?

[Rewind]

I have to confess I do love the shape of the case

[katushkin]

I have to confess I do love the shape of the case

Yeah, I don't know what it is, but I like it too. Maybe the fact that it isn't shiny like the rest of Razer's cases?

If I can find an ISO layout one for a decent price I might try one...

[lunr]

wow it comes with a cloth pouch? that's pretty fancy.

[Rewind]

I have to confess I do love the shape of the case

Yeah, I don't know what it is, but I like it too. Maybe the fact that it isn't shiny like the rest of Razer's cases?

If I can find an ISO layout one for a decent price I might try one...

The bottom row is so **** thought... I don't think I can put up with those keycaps

[katushkin]

The bottom row is so **** thought... I don't think I can put up with those keycaps

The font you mean? A reason I would probably change out the caps. Although if it has LEDs on the lock keys I could always get an ANSI layout and use the KC 108 rainbow set I have lying around...

[YuukiHaruto]

Yes but surely Razer has paid Kalih to make these switches purely for them? Or am I missing something? I thought these were essentially "Razer brand" switches, made by Kalih, exclusively for Razer? So rather than paying Cherry for a **** ton of switches, they have paid Kalih for exclusive rights to these, whatever they are being called, and THEN paying for a load?

They still have to pay Kalih money to make normal "MX Clone" switches anyway. It's far cheaper than paying cherry who often does not have enough to fulfill orders 

[Oobly]

Razer do sell a lot of boards, despite their poor quality control. I think Kaihua (Kailh) will make more than enough to recoup development costs. Especially if these boards get good reviews.

Personally, I'd still steer clear of them for a daily use board, despite the price, for 2 reasons: 1. Razer... 2. Kailh... BOTH have poor reputations for durability and quality control.

May be worth buying a board to check out the switch feel, though. Sounds like they're somewhere between a Brown and Clear in terms of spring, but with a small tactile bump, like Browns. I don't really see the 0.1mm higher actuation and "narrower" actuation and release band being very noticeable, but I'll reserve judgement pending more reports.

Apparently Kailh stems break easily. Be careful when removing keycaps...

[jamesaxlwhite]

Can someone make this clear to me: so orange switches are a lot less noisy and the green ones are noisy as hell? The 2014 Edition is just a slight upgrade of the 2013. A guy like me who own the original Black Widow Ultimate 2012 has many reasons to upgrade to the newer one.

[davkol]

...or to a better keyboard.

[YuukiHaruto]

...or to a better keyboard.

That's true.

[Azteca]

Can someone make this clear to me: so orange switches are a lot less noisy and the green ones are noisy as hell? The 2014 Edition is just a slight upgrade of the 2013. A guy like me who own the original Black Widow Ultimate 2012 has many reasons to upgrade to the newer one.

Orange switches are equivalent of Cherry MX Brown switches - tactile non-click. Not completely silent but not noisy.

Green switches are equivalent of Cherry MX Blue switches - tactile and click. Noisy but not hell-noisy; much lower noise and lower tactile feel than Buckling Spring.

Razer created their switches worked with Kailh to enhance Kailh's switches, which are equivalent of Cherry MX switches. Razer claims to have much better quality - supervised by them, and to have a lower actuation point (although 0.1 - 0.3 mm difference is hard to feel).

IMO Orange feels exactly the same as Brown, which is good, and if they do have good or great quality is also good.

Razer basically is working with Kailh because they didn't like that Cherry is having quality issues, has a long backlog, and is providing their new RGB switches exclusively to Razer's competitors.

[BlueBär]

Razer basically is working with Kailh because they didn't like that Cherry is having quality issues, has a long backlog, and is providing their new RGB switches exclusively to Razer's competitors.

Quality issues? That would be news to me. They do have issues with supplying the demand manufacturers are having.

[MJ45]

I tried the Blackwidow Tournament TKL with the orange switches at my local Frys and they felt more like linear switches than Cherry browns. But that was just the curser keys thru the box cutout, no tactile feel at all.

[Bucake]

thanks for the pics!

razer is such a joke, though

[Matt3o]

Razer basically is working with Kailh because they didn't like that Cherry is having quality issues, has a long backlog, and is providing their new RGB switches exclusively to Razer's competitors.

source needed.

Razer basically is working with Kailh because they didn't like that Cherry is having quality issues, has a long backlog, and is providing their new RGB switches exclusively to Razer's competitors.

Quality issues? That would be news to me. They do have issues with supplying the demand manufacturers are having.

^ this.

I appreciate the OP report and all the pictures... but in all honesty I can't support a company (razer) with so little attention to the environment. Look at all that waste material in the packaging...

[mougrim]

Well, as my first mechanical board Razer was OK, but now I found better ones...

But if I'll found decent priced TE 2014 with Razer greens... maybe I'll think about it. On the other hand - another 20 bucks will get me second Poker or Keycool.

[minho]

Well, as my first mechanical board Razer was OK, but now I found better ones...

But if I'll found decent priced TE 2014 with Razer greens... maybe I'll think about it. On the other hand - another 20 bucks will get me second Poker or Keycool.

Just think of how nice the Poker/Keycools look and the possibilities for more aftermarket customization.

[Azteca]

I tried the Blackwidow Tournament TKL with the orange switches at my local Frys and they felt more like linear switches than Cherry browns. But that was just the curser keys thru the box cutout, no tactile feel at all.

Cherry Browns (Razer’s Orange) feel linear if you hammer them.

Mechanical switches are to be pressed kindly; if you are coming from rubber domes which you have to hammer, then it will take time to alter the way you type to end up typing lightly, and then feel the Cherry Browns' bump. MX Blue (Razer’s Green), MX Clear, MX Green switches have a heavier bump easier to feel - MX Green switches are not intended to have in all keys, only for the spacebar of an MX Blue board.

[YummyTreeSap]

That's why all pro level fighting sticks have tactile switches, and not only that but the 8 direction sticks have tactile response as well.

This is a late response, but that's totally untrue.  There's not a fighting game button I know of that has any tactile feedback.  I think maybe some American arcade buttons were tactile, but Sanwas and Seimitsus are pretty much all you're going to find in any FG player's stick, and they're both linear with an actuation point VERY close to the top.

You are right about the levers having tactile feedback though.  It's fairly important, since a good player will not want to 'ride the edge' of the lever's gate (piece that restricts motion).  That way you can feel (and hear) when you've moved the stick enough.  I think every actual stick is indeed tactile, though I don't know much about the more esoteric styles like the Korean one.

[YuukiHaruto]

I tried the Blackwidow Tournament TKL with the orange switches at my local Frys and they felt more like linear switches than Cherry browns. But that was just the curser keys thru the box cutout, no tactile feel at all.

Cherry Browns (Razer’s Orange) feel linear if you hammer them.

Mechanical switches are to be pressed kindly; if you are coming from rubber domes which you have to hammer, then it will take time to alter the way you type to end up typing lightly, and then feel the Cherry Browns' bump. MX Blue (Razer’s Green), MX Clear, MX Green switches have a heavier bump easier to feel - MX Green switches are not intended to have in all keys, only for the spacebar of an MX Blue board.

I came from a red and how much I didn't try to hammer a brown it still felt like there ain't any tactility.