After opinions on wireless keyboard / mouse combo for general use / gaming

[gupsterg]

Had wireless for ages can't see myself with wired at all; my usage is general PC use / gaming 1-2hrs a day.

So far I've ordered a Logitech G700S via Amazon (£42.85 with a £5 voucher for future purchase, so theoretically £37.85).

Looking to supplement it with a Logitech K800 keyboard, aiming to snag it for £60.

Opinions and thoughts on what I've bought/getting and what are people using? pros/cons?

TIA

[EndlessWaves]

I'm not a great logitech fan as every time I try them their quality seems hardly any better than you'd expect from a generic option at a third of the price. I'm currently using a G600 mouse and it's started occasionally double clicking after less than a year and a half. Nobody makes really solid mice as far as I know though and £35 is a reasonable price for all the extra features.

The keyboard seems to be rather overpriced though. Logitech's best wired keyboard appears to be the K280e (£16.99 here) so assuming the wireless keyboard shares the same key mechanism you're paying a lot for the radio and back-lighting.

I'm also no great fan of the old fashioned full keyboard layout. Great for anyone who uses the mouse with their left hand but not ideal with the mouse in the right hand. I use one of the left handed keyboards myself with the numpad etc. under the left hand, which is a far better layout but for some reason they never took off so I don't know of any wireless ones. Failing that one of the smaller keyboards that do away with the stuff to the right of the enter key entirely instead of moving it are worth considering.

[Ttaskmaster]

So far I've ordered a Logitech G700S (£42.85 with a £5 voucher for future purchase, so theoretically £37.85).

Flippin' brilliant price - They were £90-odd when they first came out!!

Opinions and thoughts on what I've bought/getting and what are people using? pros/cons?

Absolutely fantastic mouse, best I've ever had.
"I don't always use wireless... but when I do, I use a Logitech G700S" (cue the meme). Nah, it's good though - The data/charging cable is the best option IMO, rather than docking stations and battery chargers.
Only thing I'd like is more buttons, but I say that about almost every mouse out there. I'm also not a fan of the slight thumb recess, but I've gotten used to it.

Keyboard-wise, I use a Logitech G19 on the desktop and a dinky little backlit Thumb-board (eSynic, off Amazon) for when I need wireless.

Nobody makes really solid mice as far as I know though and £35 is a reasonable price for all the extra features.

I was gonna say - If not Logitech, then who, but that pretty much sums it up.
Most people insist that Razer mice are the best, but every single one I've held has felt as flimsy as Saitek's R.A.T. mice.
The only other one I'd put up against the 700S is Corsair's Storm Inferno.
Roccat do some nice kit, but the software is annoying at best.

I'm also no great fan of the old fashioned full keyboard layout. Great for anyone who uses the mouse with their left hand but not ideal with the mouse in the right hand.

Are you quite a small person, perchance?
I ask, because I have arms like a gibbon and even with my extra-wide keyboard I still have no trouble right-handing the mouse in daily use. WASD gaming moves the keyboard further left and means even more mousing space. The only limit is my desk area.

[gupsterg]

@EndlessWaves

Agree for the price I paid G700S is very reasonable, perhaps even stonking after using it today! . I've always bought normal keyboards/mice, never the ones marketed as gaming.

In my experience I can't say I think Logitech are on par with generic, unless of course your getting the real lower tier products from them. Even then my experience of the cheapest mouse has been great, I have a Logitech M195 (IIRC about £5) for use occasionally with laptop/CCTV DVR. The amount of times its been dropped I'm surprised it still works, nothing has come apart on it in the past couple years owning (maybe longer) battery life is great as well as wireless signal.

Also have a K400 (£15 IIRC) to use with my Q6600 rig, battery life/range been super. As that rig is no longer my main one, the keyboard/touchpad combo works well when it's used sitting on sofa. Besides what I've listed I used to have a Logitech keyboard/mouse wireless combo which lasted so long, IIRC about 4-5yrs, I wore the glide pads on mouse, did replace them but mouse didn't feel the same.

Then got a Microsoft wireless 3000 desktop set, quite liked that, IIRC £30. First died within warranty period, 2nd out of warranty, replaced it with a 5000 desktop set. For a while as I used a Xbox controller on PC, I didn't note the shift key on left hand side of "sculpted" keyboard was way too small, for say gaming with WASD. Now I'm noticing it more and more, as not playing games where I use the Xbox controller. Also the free moving wheel is a pain when changing weapons in say games like Crysis 3.

Besides how the Microsoft sets died suddenly, I found one day the receiver dongle for the Xbox controller died. I took it apart and found a loose connection, receiver did start working after sorting that. In comparison the Logitech Wingman cordless rumblepad I had never had such a fault in the years I used it.

Agree the K800 is overpriced, I'm guessing as the backlight is initiated from sensed proximity of hand, it maybe pushing up cost compared with always on implementations. It may well develop a fault quicker vs always on versions but dunno know. Cheers for the keyboard link but when I went into local PC World and tried a Logitech keyboard with that style of keys there was so little travel that I'd find it not right to use, felt like a laptop keyboard.

I have been considering keyboards without numpad but I'd miss the numpad for say purposes of excel and so on. Never really crossed my mind about left hand keyboards, will see if I can find one somewhere to view/use.

@Ttaskmaster

I was first planing on getting a Performance MX but lack of buttons dropped it off the list, also saw a Master in local PCW. The buttons past the thumbwheel seemed too small and odd place to use, after seeing those two it become apparent I was after a gaming mouse. Also saw the G602, too small buttons on side and too many IMO located there, the G700S to me fitted the bill perfectly IMO, concerning features and price!

Agree great price for G700S and on feature being able use whilst recharging. Really liking the textured coating on sides, like the position of extra buttons as well. Dunno if I'd need more, but can think that once you start using such a mouse it maybe something that a user may start wanting. Looking forward to a gaming session tonight with the G700S!

Thanks for info on eSynic but I think be too small for me to like using it, I think I have largish hands/fingers IMO (LOL). This was also another reason why the G700S fitted the bill well as a mouse. I also tried a Anywhere mouse in PCW, it felt as small as the M195 (which I didn't use for same length of time as main rig mouse).

@all

Sort of leaning towards trying the K270, seems available as bundle cheaper (MK270 about £17 on Amazon). Will pair with same wireless receiver as G700S, but am wondering would polling speed be effected? (marketing point of G700S), would I notice having used normal wireless mice for so long?

Backlighting is not a must, it was just the K800 was listed on some web article as a good wireless gaming keyboard (IIRC). When comparing the K800 with other gaming keyboards (know the K800 is not marketed as that) it seemed cheaper.

Also this "key ghosting" thing, I think I've noted this when playing Crysis 3 on my current keyboard (MS 5000), does anyone know if things like the K270/K800 will also exhibit this? or will newer keyboards like them be better than my aged wireless MS 5000 keyboard?

[Ttaskmaster]

Agree great price for G700S and on feature being able use whilst recharging. Really liking the textured coating on sides, like the position of extra buttons as well. Dunno if I'd need more, but can think that once you start using such a mouse it maybe something that a user may start wanting. Looking forward to a gaming session tonight with the G700S!

I don't think you'll be disappointed!!
What I really like is the three up by the left mouse button.
MMO style mice have more buttons, but they're all under the thumb - Mice like this, the Inferno and the Steelseries WoW mice (especially the earlier one) place them all around, so you can hit several at once. That made a difference in the games I played.

Thanks for info on eSynic but I think be too small for me to like using it, I think I have largish hands/fingers IMO (LOL).

Not at all - I have XXXL motorcycle gloves, which is roughly size 10.
It's about the size of an XBox controller I think, perhaps a bit bigger...?

That said, it's still just a thumb board. Not so good for knocking out a dissertation, true... but for light browsing/messaging or messing with media player and things, when you can't be bothered getting up off the sofa and moving the 3' to the swivel chair (I have a nice 3-seater in my gaming room!), it's perfect!

Also this "key ghosting" thing, I think I've noted this when playing Crysis 3 on my current keyboard (MS 5000), does anyone know if things like the K270/K800 will also exhibit this? or will newer keyboards like them be better than my aged wireless MS 5000 keyboard?

TBH, I've never cared much about ghosting/rollover - I only have so many fingers, so unless you're trying to press every key at once, I wouldn't think you'd need more than a 5-key rollover for a normal WASD layout... which even my generic HP board here at work can manage.
Test yours here: https://www.microsoft.com/appliedsci...explained.mspx

I can use WAD, SHIFT, SPACE and three arrow keys, as well as a couple of the surrounding ones like QER or F, all at once. Plenty for running and gunning!

[gupsterg]

If I could hit double THANKS I would .

Not at my main rig at present but tried the MS link on my laptop and no ghosting when combining keys I would use in games like Crysis 3.

When I read about the ghosting (recently only) I did wonder why I'd never seen keyboards being touted with this feature before? and why I hadn't seen articles highlighting it was blighting gamers lives! but TBH never looked into keyboards before.

Will consider the thumbpad if dump the K400, just saw one finish on lightning deal about £7 delivered, I'm 9.5 vs your 10 .

Was searching around and noticed this Cherry MX Board 3.0, even without promo about £57 for mechanical cherry red keys isn't bad. Also has green LED indicators for Caps Lock, Num Lock, Scroll Lock, quite like the slim surround, shame it isn't wireless. Plus has "N-Key Rollover for up to 14 keys & Anti-Ghosting" (even though debunked for me ), seems real good value when comparing with "gaming" keyboards.

[gupsterg]

Got a K270 as part of the combo pack (MK270 approx. £12), the keyboard refuses to pair with the G700S unifying receiver and nor will the G700S pair with the unifying receiver of the K270.

Firmware on each receiver is vastly different versions, the G700S one is lower. I'm assuming due to the high polling rate of the G700S it must stay on its own receiver.

I've also got a Cherry MX Board 3.0 (£40), nice solid keyboard, quite liking the mechanical Cherry MX red keys. I can get along with the cabled aspect but the detachable cable has movement on the mini USB port, it gets on my OCD nut when I see it a little skewed if I've moved the keyboard.

[Ttaskmaster]

Got a K270 as part of the combo pack (MK270 approx. £12), the keyboard refuses to pair with the G700S unifying receiver and nor will the G700S pair with the unifying receiver of the K270.
Firmware on each receiver is vastly different versions, the G700S one is lower. I'm assuming due to the high polling rate of the G700S it must stay on its own receiver.

Yup... It's a software thing.

The K270 uses Logitech Unifying Software, whereas the G700S uses Logitech Gaming Software. The former is a general use product, whereas the latter is part of the separate gaming range. If you had both a mouse and keyboard from the G-range, or from the M/K range then they'd work together off the one app - I have a G700S with a G19, incidentally - However, you have one from each.

Looking on the K270 support/downloads page with LUS, click on Details and then 'works with these products': http://support.logitech.com/en_us/pr...-keyboard-k270

Now do the same for LGS on the G700S page: http://support.logitech.com/en_us/pr...s-gaming-mouse

In short, each one has different software due to being different product families, so you'll probably want to install both.

[gupsterg]

I don't think the reason for failure of unification is Setpoint/LGS.

The "unifying recievers" works with out them, due to HID.

A single HID driver on a computer parses data and enables dynamic association of data I/O with application functionality, which has enabled rapid innovation and development, and prolific diversification of new human-interface devices.

Setpoint/LGS is just a software to allow customisation, etc, it is not a driver.

When I did try the Logitech Unifying Software (on MK270 page) it fails to recognise either "unifying receiver".

However the Logitech Connection Utility (on G700S page) recognises both, it gives detailed info of what is paired with what, firmware versions, etc.

Any how may try test again , for now Cherry MX Board 3.0 + G700S is my combo.