Logitech Builds G710 Keyboard With Cherry MX Blue Switches

Silently, Logitech has revealed its new G710 mechanical gaming keyboard, which we've spotted on its website and on NewEgg.com. The keyboard is much like the older G710+, with just a couple differences, only one of which is particularly noteworthy.

The G710+ came with Cherry MX Brown switches, along with o-rings around every key to dampen the sound of bottoming keys out. It was built to be a silent gaming keyboard, because at the time mechanical keyboards were known to be particularly loud.

Now, it's not as if mechanical keyboards have become more silent since, but the Cherry MX Brown switch has been growing in popularity, particularly because it shows that a mechanical keyboard doesn't have to be loud. In that regard, one could argue that the G710 takes a step backwards with Cherry MX Blue mechanical switches, which have both tactile and auditory feedback, and are therefore louder. That's not necessarily a bad thing, though, as the auditory feedback does have a certain charm to it.

Aside from the Cherry MX Blue switches, the ring around the G-Keys is now also blue instead of orange, and that's about it. The keyboard still has dual-zone adjustable white LED backlighting, media keys, six programmable G-keys, a game-mode switch, 26-key rollover over USB, and a USB pass-through port.

The Logitech G710 gaming keyboard with Cherry MX Blue is listed at Newegg.com for $119.99, although it is currently out of stock. Logitech's MSRP is $149.99, although it's widely known that Logitech's MSRPs are always higher than the actual street prices.

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Niels Broekhuijsen

Niels Broekhuijsen is a Contributing Writer for Tom's Hardware US. He reviews cases, water cooling and pc builds.

  • grokem
    Wow, they basically made their keyboard wider than the already too wide standard keyboard. While accountants and data entry personnel will disagree, why not drop the numeric pad on the right if you're going to add a new row of keys on the left. Anyone who really uses the numeric pad gets a detached USB one so they can better position it anyway.
    Reply
  • ubercake
    I think they're missing the mark with the blue and orange rings on their keyboards. Just make them black and if you want to offer color options do it in the form of colored-LED lighting or lower the price and leave white LEDs as the only option. My 710+ is excellent from a functionality standpoint (and far from silent), but ugly as sin. Orange, black and gray. The color scheme matches almost no one's PC and borders on obnoxious.

    Now they make one with a blue ring? Just leave the ring out of it Logitech. It's not necessary.
    Reply
  • Illumynization
    I just bought the board. I hope great things from it when it comes in!
    Reply
  • manman1
    I think they're missing the mark with the blue and orange rings on their keyboards. Just make them black and if you want to offer color options do it in the form of colored-LED lighting or lower the price and leave white LEDs as the only option. My 710+ is excellent from a functionality standpoint (and far from silent), but ugly as sin. Orange, black and gray. The color scheme matches almost no one's PC and borders on obnoxious.

    Now they make one with a blue ring? Just leave the ring out of it Logitech. It's not necessary.

    Lol- just goes to show, everyone has an opinion. I Just found out about this keyboard and am now returning my g710+, but the ONLY thing I'm unhappy about is losing that color scheme... I would have normally agreed with you too, but with my new desktop build everything inside is mostly black and yellowish orange, plus I have the steelseries rival mouse with black/orange, so it all just goes together. I didn't really plan it like that, and wouldn't usually select those colors if I had cared but when it all came together it does actually look cool to me.

    Throwing some random blue in there won't really go together, but I'd rather have the blue keys. I grew up with an IBM, and just miss that strong tactile feedback. If the browns FELT the same but were just quieter I'd be fine with this, but the feedback just feels more natural with the blues to me.
    Reply
  • ubercake
    14831352 said:
    I think they're missing the mark with the blue and orange rings on their keyboards. Just make them black and if you want to offer color options do it in the form of colored-LED lighting or lower the price and leave white LEDs as the only option. My 710+ is excellent from a functionality standpoint (and far from silent), but ugly as sin. Orange, black and gray. The color scheme matches almost no one's PC and borders on obnoxious.

    Now they make one with a blue ring? Just leave the ring out of it Logitech. It's not necessary.

    Lol- just goes to show, everyone has an opinion. I Just found out about this keyboard and am now returning my g710+, but the ONLY thing I'm unhappy about is losing that color scheme... I would have normally agreed with you too, but with my new desktop build everything inside is mostly black and yellowish orange, plus I have the steelseries rival mouse with black/orange, so it all just goes together. I didn't really plan it like that, and wouldn't usually select those colors if I had cared but when it all came together it does actually look cool to me.

    Throwing some random blue in there won't really go together, but I'd rather have the blue keys. I grew up with an IBM, and just miss that strong tactile feedback. If the browns FELT the same but were just quieter I'd be fine with this, but the feedback just feels more natural with the blues to me.

    Given the choice, browns and blues are the only keyboards I'd use. I wish they had the springy sound resonating after the keystroke like the old IBM as well.
    Reply