Best Gaming Keyboard under $100 (#2 is Best Overall)

Best Gaming Keyboard under $100

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It’s wild that you can find Gaming Keyboards with all sorts of features at a reasonable price. Be it mechanical switches, RGB lighting, USB passthrough, etc.

Getting the right Gaming Keyboard is essential to perform well in competitive games and have a pleasant gaming experience. Here are our recommendations for the Best Gaming Keyboard under $100.

1) SteelSeries Apex 3 RGB  – Best Quiet Gaming Keyboard under $100

SteelSeries Apex 3

Pros

Cons

  • Affordable

  • Great RGB lighting features

  • Media Controls

  • Quiet typing experience

  • Average quality experience

  • No USB passthrough

  • Membrane Switches can feel clunky and slow

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Available in both full and TKL, the SteelSeries Apex 3 provides an excellent value for money with several features. The keyboard features media controls with a clickable volume wheel. It also features 10 Zone RGB Illumination allowing you to customize the RGB effects on your keys to make them light up the way you want with the help of its software.

The software also allows you to program macros which can come in handy when performing complex tasks quickly. The keyboard is also well built with detachable wrist rest and comes with IP32 water resistance, which can be of actual use when you accidentally spill your drink on it during an intense gaming session.

Though this keyboard has multiple ways to route the cable, the cable itself is pretty average. Moreover, the keyboard also lacks a USB passthrough. That kinda sucks. But what sucks more are the membrane switches which feel slow and heavy to type on. Though, if you are looking for a quiet keyboard while typing, the SteelSeries Apex is a good option. And qualifies for the Best Gaming Keyboards under $100 that is whisper quiet.

But if you are looking for something with mechanical switches, then you should look at our other options.

2) EVGA Z15 RGB Gaming Keyboard – Best Overall 

EVGA Z15 RGB Gaming Keyboard

Pros

Cons

  • Good build quality

  • Multimedia keys and volume wheel

  • Mechaniccal switches

  • RGB lighting customization

  • Swappable key sockets

  • Keyboard layout is switchable

  • Switch puller in the box is not easy to use

  • Lack USB passthrough

  • Average quality USB cable

  • Mediocre keycaps that might weat out in the future

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The Z15 is a strong offering by EVGA for budget gaming mechanical keyboards as this laptop doesn’t shy away from offering many features.

 

The Z15 comes in two switches. Bronze switches are tactile and clicky, and silver switches are quiet and provide nice typing feedback thanks to their quicker actuation. When it comes to gaming, the Z15 does not disappoint. The built-in Arm Cortex processor supports up to 4000Hz of report rate, which helps reduces latency and improve your gaming experience dramatically.

 

The Z15 features replaceable switches and comes with eight extra in the box, making it easier to replace them if in case they die. This helps the Z15 stand out in front of the competition. And the praise doesn’t stop there either. The Z15 features Multimedia buttons, a volume scroll wheel, and a detachable wrist rest. All of which are packed in its super rigid frame.

 

The keyboard also supports per-key RGB lighting and 14 RGB presets in the software. You can also change the keyboard’s layout from QWERTY to something like DVORAK or COLEMAK, which is great if you are into those.

 

Though the Z15 has a lot to offer, it sometimes falls back. The keyboard lacks a USB passthrough and comes with a basic attached USB cable. Also, using the switch puller that comes in the box might not be easy to use for everyone. But overall, the EVGA Z15 is overall the Best Gaming Keyboard under $100.

 

3) Snpurdiri 60% Keyboard – Best Cheapest Gaming Keyboard  Snpurdiri 60% Wired Gaming Keyboard

Pros

Cons

  • Detachable USB C cable

  • Very affordable RGB keyboard

  • Quiet typing experience

  • Chinese mixed matched instructions

  • No feet to lift the keyboard

  • Dedicated Esc key can be annoying

  • RGB light timeout quickly

  • No mechanical switches

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The Snpurdiri gaming keyboard for someone looking for a 60% keyboard on the cheap side. Around $30, the Snpurdiri offers eight backlit colors with six backlit effects and is also available in multi-color keycaps. What makes the Snpurdiri great is its detachable USB C which is nice to see in a budget keyboard.

However, praise for the keyboard stops there as it has some significant flaws. Though it should not be a surprise at this price point but the keyboard comes with membrane switches that are heavy and mushier. However, they can be perfect for someone looking for a quiet keyboard. 

But what makes the Snpuridir worse is the lack of a dedicated Esc key, along with instructions in the box that do not match the keyboard, making it hard to use or troubleshoot in case of a problem. For example, the keyboard RGB backlight times out fairly quickly, and there’s no way to delay the timeout, making typing a pain when sitting in the dark. Also, this keyboard lacks adjustable feet to lift the keyboard, making it a bit awkward to type on.

But despite the flaws, the Snpuridir is one of the Best Gaming Keyboard under $100 because it offers a 60% form factor at a very low price. But if you are willing to spend more than $30, we suggest you look elsewhere.

4) Redragon K552 – Best TKL Mechanical Gaming Keyboard 

Redragon K552 Mechanical Gaming Keyboard

Pros

Cons

  • Mechanical blue switches

  • Affordable price

  • Win key cacn be disabled

  • Multicolor RGB lighting

  • Lack dedicated multimedia controls

  • Average quality cable

  • No USB Passthrough

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The Redragon K552 is a simple yet excellent ten-keyless gaming keyboard. The keyboard has a robust build thanks to its metal plate, which gives it a premium feel. 

Redragon K552 has ABS keycaps installed on its cherry blue-like switches, giving a very clicky and good typing feedback. Furthermore, it also features media keys via FN keys, which kinda sucks considering that it doesn’t have dedicated keys, but it’s better than nothing.

What’s nice about the Redragon K552 is that it allows you to disable the Win keys while gaming, which can be handy when you are locked into an intense gaming session. As for the backlight, the keyboard features six different backlight colors along with six brightness levels. 

As for the downsides, there isn’t much. If we were to nitpick, the keyboard lacks USB Passthrough, lacks dedicated multimedia controls, and comes with an average USB cable, which is what you expect from a budget mechanical keyboard. 

But if you are looking for a budget ten keyless keyboard with mechanical switches, you simply cannot go wrong with the Redragon K552.

5) Logitech G213 Prodigy  – Best for Typing

Logitech G213 Prodigy Gaming Keyboard

Pros

Cons

  • Dedicated multimedia keys

  • Light actuation force

  • Programmable function keys

  • Non-adjustable backlighting

  • High pre-travel distance

  • Cheap build quality

  • No dedicated macro keys

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The Logitech G213 can seem disappointing for the most part. The plastic frame that feels flimsy and can bend easily, along with its ABS keycaps, can make the keyboard feel cheap and weak regarding durability.

 

Being a membrane keyboard, it feels mushier to type on. We would not recommend it for long typing sessions as it can be pretty uncomfortable and provide an unsatisfying typing experience.

 

Though, to ease the pain of typing on a membrane keyboard for long sessions, the G213 comes with a detachable wrist rest. It also has RGB backlit with few lightning effects. The keyboard also supports configuring the function keys as macro keys, and it also has dedicated media keys which is a nice addition.

 

But if you don’t care about these features and your sole priority is good typing experience, then you may need to pass on this one. But if you want a Gaming Keyboard with RGB backlit and you don’t care about the membrane switches, the Logitech G213 isn’t that bad of an option.

 

6) Corsair K60 RGB Pro Low Profile – Best Durable Gaming Keyboard

Corsair K60 RGB Pro Low Profile Mechanical Gaming Keyboard

Pros

Cons

  • Low profile responsive switches, best for long typing periods

  • Individually lit RGB keys

  • Durable build quality

  • Programmable macro keys

  • Short pre-travel may lead people to have more typos

  • Cheap ABS keys

  • No dedicated macro and multimedia keys

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The K60 RGB Pro Low Profile is a solid budget offering by Corsair. The keyboard features low-profile Cherry MX keys that are linear and responsive, which provide an excellent typing experience with short travel and faster actuation, making the K60 Pro one of the Best Gaming Keyboard under $100. Though if you prefer normal-size keys, you can get that too. 

 

The keys are individually lit, allowing you to set up different lighting effects and colors via the iCUE software. And the brightness can be adjusted with function keys. Although the keyboard lacks dedicated macro keys, you can still program any key to be used as a macro via the iCUE software.

 

The ABS keycaps may give the impression that the quality of the keyboard is cheap, but the aluminum plate on the top provides rigidity and gives a premium feel to the entire keyboard deck.

 

This keyboard strength can also be considered its weakness. The short travel on the keys may lead to typos when you try to type in flow, which can get annoying if your keystrokes aren’t quite precise. Also, the lack of dedicated Multimedia keys is disappointing.

 

But if you are looking for a solid typing experience and excellent RGB backlit. The Corsair K60 RGB Pro Low Profile would simply not disappoint.

 

7) Logitech G413  – Best Cheap Mechanical Gaming Keyboard

Logitech G413 Backlit Mechanical Gaming Keyboard

Pros

Cons

  • Good typing experience

  • USB Passthrough

  • Durable build

  • Indiviual backlit keys

  • Only red backlighting

  • No dedicated macro keys

  • No multimedia controls

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The G413 by Logitech is solid when it comes to build quality. Though the keyboard has a plastic frame, the keyboard features a brushed aluminum plate on the top, giving the G413 excellent durability. 

 

The Logitech G413 features Romer G switches with quicker actuation and a smoother tactile bump, providing a pleasant typing experience. Though the dual-shot ABS keycaps may feel cheap, the solid typing experience makes the G413 ideal for long gaming sessions making it one of the Best Gaming Keyboard under $100.

 

Sadly, the G413 lacks RGB backlighting and instead only features red colored backlight.

The brightness of the backlit can be configured from software, which also allows you to configure Macros on the function keys. This keyboard features a USB passthrough which has been missing so far from our keyboard lineup, so this is a nice addition.

 

 The lack of RGB lighting may turn away many folks from this keyboard. Still, if your top priority is good typing experience and USB passthrough, you can’t go wrong with the Logitech G413 Backlit Mechanical Gaming Keyboard.

 

8) Razer Ornata V2  – Best RGB Gaming Keyboard 

Razer Ornata V2

Pros

Cons

  • Great RGB backlighting

  • Dedicated media keys

  • Every key is macro programmable

  • The hybrid mecha keys require a lot of force to actuate

  • Frame is build quality is poor

  • No onboard memory

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What makes the Razer Ornata V2 one of the Best Gaming Keyboard under $100 is its great RGB backlighting that allows you to customize and change the lighting effects on a per-key basis. The keyboard also has dedicated multimedia controls and can program any key on the keyboard as a macro, which is delightful.

 

But when it comes to the typing experience, it’s not exactly pleasant. The switches have a mixed softness of rubber domes from the membrane keyboard and the clickiness of mech switches. 

 

This leads to the low profile keys requiring a lot of force to actuate, which can be pretty fatiguing in long typing sessions. Though to relieve the pain of typing on this keyboard, it also comes with a plushy detachable wrist rest.

 

If you only care about the cool RGB effects, the Razer Ornata V2 gets the job done fine. But if your primary use case includes typing for hours, we advise you to stay away from this keyboard.

 

9) HK GAMING GK61  – Best 60% Gaming Keyboard 

HK GAMING GK61 Mechanical Gaming Keyboard

Pros

Cons

  • Swappable Switches

  • Available in multiple optical switches

  • USB C detachable cable

  • ABS keycaps

  • Awful software

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The HK Gaming GK61 is our lineup’s solid 60% budget keyboard. What makes the GK61 one of the Best Gaming Keyboard under $100 is that it’s available in multiple colors and switches. The one we are featuring here has the gateron optical switches, which makes them a delight to type on with its fast actuation and low latency.

 

This keyboard is even more incredible with its great RGB backlighting, bright backlight, and multiple lightning effects, along with hot-swappable switches. The keyboard also has the ability to program the function keys as macros. The Keyboard is well built and features water and spill resistance, which can come in handy if you accidentally spill something during an intense gaming session.

 

Apart from its awful software and ABS keycaps, there isn’t much to hate about this keyboard. If you are looking for the best 60% Gaming Keyboard on a budget, you cannot go wrong with the HK Gaming GK61.

 

10) Logitech G613 LIGHTSPEED Wireless  – Best Wireless Gaming Keyboard

Logitech G613 LIGHTSPEED Wireless

Pros

Cons

  • Great wireless compatibility

  • Great typing experience with low latency

  • Macro programmable keys

  • ABS keycaps may feel cheap

  • No backlighting

  • Wrist rest is not detachable

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If you are looking for a wireless mechanical keyboard on a budget, then the Logitech G613 LIGHTSPEED is something you must check out. The keyboard is jammed- with functions.

The G613 features dedicated media keys and macro keys. As for the wireless connectivity, the keyboard connects via Bluetooth and 2.4Ghz, so you can use it on the phone or an iPad. Making the G613 great for cross-device use. 

As for the switches, the keyboard features Romer G switches that have short travel and quicker actuation, allowing you to type fairly quickly. And though the keyboard is made of plastic, it has no flex, which makes the G613 one of the Best Gaming Keyboards under $100.

However, the G613 is not flawless. The keyboard lacks backlighting, which may be a dealbreaker for many, considering that many keyboards in our lineup that are also cheaper have some backlight. Moreover, the keyboard doesn’t come with detachable wrist rest.

But if you are looking for a solid typing experience with wireless connectivity, the Logitech G613 is one of the best budget wireless gaming keyboards.

 

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