Early Verdict
The Das keyboard Prime 13 is a solid option if you want a clean board with a reliable typing experience for a competitive price. Just make sure you won't miss the fancy extras like customizable lighting or USB 3.0.
Pros
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Simple, classy design
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Well-designed keycaps to take advantage of backlighting
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Solid construction
Cons
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Only one switch option
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No RGB
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USB pass-through is 2.0 only
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No macro
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Introduction & Specifications
Das Keyboard is one of the more mainstream names in the mechanical keyboard space that isn't primarily making "gaming" boards. The flagship Das Keyboard lineup has gone through several revisions over the years (currently the Das Keyboard 4) but has always stuck to a minimalist feature set with optional blank keycaps—they don't even have LEDs, let alone RGB LEDs. The Das Keyboard Prime 13 is an attractive alternative that includes LED backlighting at a lower price than the Das Keyboard 4.
Specifications
The Prime 13 has a slim profile, solid design, and Cherry MX Brown keyswitches and costs $129. However, you lose a few features from the more expensive board. Still, maybe that's worth the tradeoff for something that doesn't cost quite as much.
MORE: Best Deals
MORE: How We Test Mechanical Keyboards
MORE: Mechanical Keyboard Switch Testing Explained
MORE: All Keyboard Content
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