Which gaming keyboards are worth buying?
The act of building a great gaming rig isn't just about finding the most powerful processor, a capable graphics card or massive amounts of RAM. It's also about what you use to interact with the machine itself -- the peripherals you bring to the table. A few months ago, we told you about the best gaming mice available. Now we take a look at some recent gaming keyboards to see which ones have the most to offer in terms of lighting, macros and, of course, how good they feel to type on.
![<p><a href="http://lifehacker.com/how-to-choose-the-best-mechanical-keyboard-and-why-you-511140347" target="_blank">Mechanical keyboards</a> may feel great to type on, but they're also incredibly noisy. The <a href="http://www.engadget.com/products/steelseries/apex/" target="_blank">SteelSeries Apex</a> is an attempt to make something a bit quieter: a membrane keyboard that feels like a mechanical. And it largely succeeds, as <em><a href="http://www.tomsguide.com/us/steelseries-apex,review-2392.html" target="_blank">Tom's Guide</a></em> says the keys are "more resistant" with "a satisfying spring" compared to cheaper membrane keyboards, while <em><a href="http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/peripherals/2013/07/24/steelseries-apex-raw-review/1" target="_blank">bit-tech</a></em> thought the keys offered "good feedback" and were more forgiving than mechanical models. The Apex also comes equipped with a nice selection of 22 macro keys, but if you don't need that much control under your fingertips, the cheaper <a href="http://www.engadget.com/products/steelseries/apex-raw/" target="_blank">Apex [RAW]</a> will suit you just fine with 17 extra keys.</p>
<p>Price: <a href="http://www.engadget.com/products/steelseries/apex/?buy" target="_blank">$71 and up</a> (Apex) / <a href="http://www.engadget.com/products/steelseries/apex-raw/?buy" target="_blank">$45 and up</a> (Apex [RAW])</p>](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/c9FCHukj1cEVfgRi_ybvng--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTQyNw--/https://s.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/2AIIgdMl4f57Hbpwajagpw--~B/aD04MDA7dz0xODAwO2FwcGlkPXl0YWNoeW9u/https://www.blogcdn.com/slideshows/images/slides/345/922/6/S3459226/slug/l/apex01-1.jpg)
