Razer - Huntsman V3 8KHz TKL Wired Hall Effect Magnetic Linear Switch Gaming Keyboard with Rapid Trigger - Black

I tested a few Razer keyboards in the past (Huntsman V1 and Joro Portable) and for various reasons I just wasn't that impressed with either of them especially the Joro for many reasons but when I saw Razer has a TKL HE keyboard, I wanted to see how it stacks up against my SteelSeries Apex the current king. Razer definitely has their signature "look" down to a science in their product packaging and the Huntsman V3 TKL HE is no exception. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I like their unified look and unboxing experience. Inside, you will get your keyboard, USB C to USB A cable and a few other goodies. I love that Razer, like many others, have standardized on a USB-C port on their keyboards making interchanging keyboards easy and effortless. First impressions are good fit and finish and actually not too heavy. Like most Razer products, they look and feel premium. The lack of a numeric pad really shortens up the width of the keyboard to such an extent it could also work as a portable keyboard with your system while giving you that full gaming keyboard experience. I do miss media controls though and a few times when doing other tasks besides gaming I found myself reaching for the numeric pad. I realize I use it more than I realize. It does pair well with my Razer DeathAdder V3 Pro (current favorite gaming mouse) and matches my Razer speaker setup quite nicely. Razer definitely knows how to aesthetically align all their devices properly. There is no wrist guard and this may be because the keyboard itself tapers down at a finer edge and angle than many other keyboards I've owned. Still, I ended up using my SteelSeries wrist guard for some elevation. There are two levels of rear feet elevation legs which I'll call "small" and "medium." I do wish I could get a tad bit more elevation in the rear of the keyboard even using it without the wrist guard. It feels ever so slightly low when typing. Kudos to Razer for abandoning the classic "rainbow puke" pattern many devices default to when in use. Instead you get a full keyboard slow transition to different, solid colors. Something I can easily live with if I don't want Synapse on my system for whatever reasons. Speaking of, to gain full functionality and fine tuning you will need to have Razer Synapse installed and running. As someone who has used Razer products off and on over the decades, I will be the first to admit Synapse has gotten less "bloaty" and much more functional. I like that Razer externalizes most firmware updates outside of the software itself and only uses Synapse to inform you an update is available and usually needed. Razer keyboards have a "feel" to them and while this Huntsman is HE enabled and V3, the keys feel heavy, flat and loud. This isn't a knock but a reality about their approach to mechanical keyboards and they're not alone. But if a somewhat quiet typing/gaming experience is what you seek, you will have to seek it elsewhere. Compared to the Apex, the keys are painfully loud when typing and playing. Not as loud as some I've tried (I'm looking at you EVGA), but they're up there. I found a bit of finger fatigue the first few days getting used to the slightly heavier keypress than my Apex. Once adapted, I was good to go. As for gaming? Excellent. I used the Huntsman as my daily driver all week and had no problems using it. Response was super crisp and many sessions of World of Warcraft and Fallout 76 were used to see how it stacked up. In raids (wow) and Infestations and ORBS (Fallout 76) I readily noted the smooth feel and feedback of the Huntsman. I am a basic gamer so I do not use too many macros or key commands on my keyboard but I do like a few on my mouse. I let my daughter play Harry Potter using the Huntsman as a checksum and her impression was the keys required too much push for her liking and she scurried back to her Asus keyboard. Overall, I like it and it helps redeem the bad taste left in my mouth with their previous keyboards I've tried. I like the classic look and feel. I love the build quality and tactile feedback. I especially love the price which is very solid and well placed for a Razer keyboard. My only complaints would be the loud, slightly heavier keystrokes when using and gaming. I would also like a bit more rear elevation built in too. It will not be replacing my Apex, but in my EverQuest for the perfect desktop and travel keyboards, it has earned its place as my travel keyboard with my laptop and/or SFF as it hits all the right notes and is scaled down in size just enough to fit in my travel bag.

The Razer Huntsman V3 HE Magnetic Tenkeyless 8KHz is an excellent mechanical-style keyboard that can replace most non-10-key keyboards. Smooth key strokes, LED backlighting, and precision inputs make this a great replacement choice for gamers or keyboard warriors alike. Rather than spending your day punching at flat, low profile/high error keys, the Razer Huntsman brings solid keys, excellent key stroke length, and fatigue-resistance to your computing needs. The keyboard size will fit well on most desktop spaces, near-zero latency, Razer Analog optical switch Gen-2 is perfect for those needing instant response gaming. Aluminum frame makes this a solid keyboard compared to the plastic gaming keyboards trying to compete. I found this keyboard to be a great addition to my computing needs with a few minor misses... 1. it is NOT wireless or Bluetooth capable. To me, this is a basic must for any high-end keyboard today. 2. It is missing the 10-key area. While this version is not designed for this, it is a feature I need for work as and a must to be my everyday replacement for a standard keyboard. The app makes this keyboard highly customizable for tweaking and peaking for your unique needs. PROS - Razer brand, quality, and innovation - Smaller footprint than most gaming keyboards - Feature rich, solid aluminum design - USB-C connectivity for fast, responsive inputs - Razer GEN-2 switches CONS - Not wireless or Bluetooth capable

I don’t know if I can adequately describe everything this keyboard can do, but it’s a lot. The hall effect switches allow for multiple scenarios within the same keypress and individual keys can be configured to do anything from activating a macro to mimicking a gamepad or joystick input. The possibilities really do feel limitless and I appreciate the amount of customization that is possible both inside and outside of software (though the software is surely the easiest). On top of that it’s a very good keyboard that feels great to type on and pretty solidly built. The box includes the keyboard, a 6ft USB-C to USB-A cable, and some documentation that covers the various functions that are available. The cable has a braided jacket and the trademark green Razer coloring on the connectors and feels of pretty quality. The keyboard is a mostly plastic build, but it does have an aluminum top plate that looks nice and is cool to the touch. The keys have a subtle textured feel to them. It feels good to type on and the keys have a nice soft sound to them. This is a tenkeyless keyboard with no additional buttons or controls. It would have been nice to see a volume wheel, but I guess that’s what the Pro model is for. The main software is the Razer Synapse app. I’ve used the Synapse app before and I think it’s pretty good, but it feels like it’s better suited for managing many Razer products and it feels just a bit busy controlling the single one. The amount of customization available is quite daunting, but the app does a good job of containing everything in an intuitive way. The default profile does not allow any customization, so step 1 is creating one or going to one of the predefined profiles. Individual keys can be customized on both the standard keypress and when the key is pressed with the Fn key, or Hypershift as Razer refers to it. Within these keypresses you can add secondary functions at different points of the keypress. A scenario I’d imagine would be something like the W key being pressed lightly for walking and then doing a Shift+W on the deeper press for running. One issue that I did run into with the Synapse software was with the gamepad emulation, which creates a virtual Xbox 360 controller device that ended up interfering with my actual gamepad. I’m sure there is a more elegant way to solve this issue, but I ended up just disabling the virtual controller in Device Manager. Many of this keyboard’s functions can also be customized and set on the keyboard itself, so Synapse is not strictly required, though there are a lot of functions that do require Synapse to run. Gaming on this keyboard is a great experience. I haven’t experienced any drops or issues running it in its default 8kHz polling rate. It’s incredibly responsive. I don’t have any specific tuning on my keys at this point with a 1.2mm actuation point across the board, but that seems to be serving me well. The Fn key also provides access to some basic media controls and lighting adjustments. There is per key lighting here, though the lighting controls in Synapse appear to be limited to some basic effects. I tend to just stick with a static white color anyway, but the Razer Chroma RGB app does allow further customization and lets the keyboard sync the lighting with compatible games. Overall I’m pretty stoked on the Huntsman V3 HE, though in the week I’ve been using it I feel I’ve just barely scratched the surface of what it’s capable of.

If you are looking for a high-performance gaming keyboard, this is an easy recommendation. Razer clearly built the Huntsman V3 HE TKL with competitive gaming in mind, and it shows in everything from responsiveness to build quality. It is wired, which is worth calling out upfront, but that is intentional. this keyboard is all about speed, consistency, and zero compromises.And, it's Razer for crying out loud. It's gonna be about gaming. The magnetic switches are the reason to look at this, and they deliver a very smooth, linear keypress that feels similar to a Cherry MX Red. Keystrokes are quiet on landing, making this usable in shared or quiet environments. This is about as far from a clicky “blue switch” experience as you can get. If you prefer tactile or clicky feedback, this may not be your board. For gaming, though, it is great. The responsiveness is excellent, and the 8KHz polling contributes to that ultra-fast, precise input feel (although it's wasted on me because I suck). Everything about it is tuned for performance, and if that is your primary use case, there is very little to complain about. Where things get more nuanced is outside of gaming. For general typing and productivity, it is still very capable, but it comes down to preference. I average around 90 WPM and was able to get close to that here, but I personally prefer a bit more tactile feedback, like a brown switch. If you are used to linear switches, you will likely feel right at home. Design-wise, I am not a big fan of the open switch deck. This is subjective, but I tend to prefer keyboards with more of a protective top plate around the switches. The exposed design looks modern, but it isn't my personal preference, especially coming from more enclosed or “chiclet-style” layouts. There are also a few practical quirks. You need Razer’s software Synapse to take full advantage of the keyboard. Without it, you are essentially stuck with default RGB behavior, including constant rainbow cycling, which may just tick you off. Hey, it ticks me off. What's wrong with just a steady green from the steady green Razer company?. Speaking of lighting, this keyboard gets very bright. If it wakes from sleep at full brightness, it can be jarring in a dark room. On top of that, the secondary (FN) key functions are not backlit, which makes them difficult to see in low-light conditions. Overall, this is a focused, high-performance gaming keyboard. It is fast, smooth, and quiet, with excellent gaming responsiveness. Just be aware of the trade-offs: it leans heavily toward gaming over productivity, requires software to unlock its full potential, and includes a few design choices that may come down to personal preference. If your priority is gaming performance, this is an easy buy. RECOMMENDED!

Choosing the best keyboard for your gaming experience can be difficult due to the many choices in key switches and configurations. The Hall Effect switches used in this keyboard give you very fast response times with almost the feel of mechanical switches. Personally, I think it is the best compromise between the high speed optical switches and tactile feel of mechanical switches. Razer gives you the ability to customize your keyboard beyond the typical profiles and macros. Whether using this keyboard with it’s HE switches where you can adjust the actuation distance will improve your reaction time is hard to prove but one thing for certain Razer gives you complete control to gain every advantage. Pros: - Hall Effect Magnetic switches - Adjustable actuation via the Synapse software - Keys and keystroke feel refined - Total customization in the Synapse app including RGB lighting Cons: - Lots of composite / plastic used in the build - Synapse can be overwhelming in options but there is a tutorial - Lacks a rotary control for volume, medial control, etc. Overall: The keyboard feels solid and the keycaps have a slight roughness that enhances the fingertip feel. The key stroke sound is slightly less than that of Razer’s optical switches and much quieter than the typical mechanical keyboard. The keyboard lacks a rotary control for media but that function is assigned to Function keys. It uses the RGB lighting to validate a function selection versus having a dedicated set of LEDs on the keyboard. When you select a profile the top row of the function keys change color to let you know what has been selected. Razer includes two separate documents with the keyboard to highlight the possible key combinations used to access additional functions which is important if you don’t want to use the Synapse software or want to change profiles mid game. Synapse software: I am very familiar with the Synapse app because I use it with my Basilisk mouse, BlackShark headset, Freyja HD chair pad and other Razer keyboards. The Synapse software gives you total control over configuring the profiles, macros, RGB lighting and key stroke sensitivity. There are five preconfigured On-Board profiles; Factory Default, Analog WASD, Racing, FPS Rapid Trigger and High Sensitivity plus you can create your own profiles. The Rapid Trigger is great for FPS games and the High Sensitivity is good for fighting games and any game that needs quick reactions.