I am writing this review after +-2 months after purchasing a Yellow switch keyboard. I have previously used a wireless mouse/membrane keyboard. Grab a cup of tea and sit down for a while.
First of all I would like to give my ovation to Razer for coming up with a very stable build of the switch (also valid for the Orange and Green) with a trunk and two brackets to the left and right of the trunk:
[( + )]. As a result, keys have very little "wobble".
My personal experience with the Yellow switch is that I still have trouble with it when I'm typing, that I accidentally rest my pinkie or ring finger on another key and it is accidentally pressed or that I am typing between two keys. pressed and this actually activates two keys. (Yes, also during this review).
If I could buy this keyboard again, I would have gone for the Orange switch, because then you still have a bump before you activate a key. This allows you to rest your fingers on the keyboard.
After unboxing, I looked at the keyboard and supplied palm rest. The wrist rest is solid and magnetically built. The keyboard has a long, fairly thick cable with 2x USB and 1x 4-pin aux cable (headphones + microphone). It is mandatory to connect one USB cable to the computer. You can connect the other USB + AUX if you want to use the ports on the side of the keyboard.
The keyboard weighs 1.7 kg (compared to my membrane keyboard). This is not necessarily a negative point. It is also no bigger than a normal keyboard and has its media keys + rotating volume dial. I like this! The keyboard is aesthetic. (never thought to use this word in a review).
In this review I will also explain what the keyboard can do without synapse software, because the text is also not quite right: "You can also easily connect on-the-fly macros and program an entire Chroma light show, which you save all on the internal memory of the BlackWidow Elite."
The keyboard itself (without synapse) can perform one kind of lighting, namely cycling through all colors. So all keys rotate equally through all colors 16 million colors .. It is therefore not possible to save a chroma light show on the internal memory. The brightness is adjustable.
It is, however, possible to record macros on-the-fly and assign them to all(!) keys. These can later be read in by chroma for editing or reassignment to a key. You can delete macros by recording a macro with one key press and then saving it to the same key. (not in the manual). I hardly ever use the game mode, but it is useful if you don't want to accidentally press the Windows key or ALT+F4.
With synapse software you can have each key do something different in terms of light. Automatically call up a light theme for every game: no problem. Using your keyboard as Ambilight in games? no problem it's all there! (Doesn't work with netflix, unfortunately) No combination is too crazy. There is even a snapping Pacman animation made with the lighting ;).
If you want it, remapping keys is a breeze. Using the FN key on the keyboard use "hypershift". This is a virtual layer on your keyboard with which you can remap all(!) keys or bind a macro to it, without being bothered by it when you are typing normally. eg: A = A. FN+A = a macro.
These remap macros can be saved on the internal memory of the keyboard. There are 4 slots that you can provide with saved or assembled programs/remaps/macros. You can then cycle through the 4 slots with a simple shortcut. You can then use this without synapse. Super handy feature, but not yet used. in Synapse you can store a library of programs!
Have you ever eaten at your desk? no problem. All keys are removable for easy cleaning.
Conclusion: If you are looking for a keyboard with office/game functions, the Razer BlackWidow Elite with Orange switches is a very good choice.
The Yellow switch is very good for gaming alone and can cause some frustration during office use.
In terms of design, it is an eye-catcher. In terms of functions, you will not be short of anything for your games.
With the expectation that you will use synapse software, this is a highly recommended keyboard!
