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Logitech G613 Wireless Mechanical Gaming Keyboard Review

Logitech's G613 wireless mechanical gaming keyboard may not offer fancy flashing RGBs, but it does mighty well in our tests.

Logitech G613 Wireless Mechanical Gaming Keyboard
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Senior Hardware Editor
Published
Updated
Manufactured by Logitech (920-008386)
16 minutes read time
TweakTown's Rating: 95%
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The Bottom Line

The Logitech G613 may not have the most robust feature set compared to the rest of the market, but at this price, who cares about RGB LEDs and full customizations. What it can do, it does perfectly, without hassle, and without missing the cord!

Introduction, Specifications, and Pricing

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Logitech is a company that needs no introduction and is so well known that just about any store on the planet that sells electronics likely has some of their products on shelves. Some of our first gaming peripherals, long before we reviewed peripherals, were mainly Logitech, and we assume that at some point in your life, it is highly likely that you have owned at least one of their products in your time with PCs. In the time we have been a reviewer, we have seen some mainstream things, some very exotic gamer-oriented parts, and have been offered anything we feel worth reviewing from them over the years, that we have come to know them well, and have a feel for what to expect when it comes to new products, at least for the most part.

With the latest product up for review, we are taking a step back to take a giant leap forward! By this, we mean to say that for those that love keyboards with some form of backlighting, this may not be for you...unless! The main drive of this product is not to be the flashiest keyboard on the market, but to deliver a dependable daily driver with some options for gaming as well as productivity, all while eliminating the cable. Taking that a step further, this specific keyboard boasts a life of eighteen months (depending on use) by incorporating a smart shutdown and wake system. If the keyboard does not detect activity, it shuts down quickly, but on the flip side, any press of the keyboard can wake it, and said keypress is registered as well!

The Gaming moniker does come with the Logitech G613, and we cannot dispute that there are features that benefit gamers, but first and foremost the G613 is a full-sized beast of a mechanical keyboard, ready to take any abuse you can throw at it, and all without needing a cable for the PC or any other Bluetooth devices you may want to type on as well! Wireless keyboards have been the trend lately, and we like where this was headed. At this point, products such as this G613 Wireless Gaming Mechanical Keyboard have come so far, that the line is no longer blurry, it almost ceases to exist at all!

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Snipping the specifications chart from the G613 product page, you can see what Logitech covers. The physical specs start things off, and we feel someone was confused with the dimensional entries. The width of the keyboard is 448mm, and the depth from front to back is 216mm, and it is the height with the feet locked in that is 33mm. The weight of the G613 is said to be 1410 grams, which is weighty, and with the pair of double-A batteries that power it, the weight gets up to 1460 grams, which is slightly more than three pounds! Speaking of batteries, if you jump ahead a couple of sections, you can see the estimated usage on a set of batteries is an astounding eighteen months!

The keyboard comes with an enclosed frame, which surrounds a full layout of Romer-G Tactile switches. Each switch offers a seventy-million click lifespan, which is better than most! Actuation distance to the bump in the tactile switch is 1.5mm and requires 45 grams of force to be done. All told, from resting position to a complete collapse of the switch and bottoming out is 3.2mm.

There are some requirements of the PC you wish to attach the 920-008386, G613, to a PC. First is that there must be a free USB 2.0 ports so that Lightspeed wireless can function. Functionality is not just for Windows; it includes Mac OS X, Chrome, and Android. Bluetooth is also a requirement for complete functionality, not so much with a PC, although it can be used for multiple systems in that manner, it is more in the vane of using the wireless to talk to the PC, while the phone, tablet, laptop, whatever, is connected via Bluetooth. You will also need an internet connection to obtain the software, which is no longer the LGS we are used to, but something called Logitech G HUB.

As we look around for the Logitech G613, which is backed by a two-year warranty, pricing is something you will want to pay attention too. While the MSRP was set at $129.99 when it released, time has passed, and as it tends to, the price has come down. Right now, while still near $100 at Newegg, as we look to Amazon, the G613 Wireless Gaming keyboard is just $72.90 including free shipping! In our mind, this is a terrific price point, and if you missed the initial release of this keyboard, for those with the need for wireless and Bluetooth connectivity, this is one of the best built, most affordable options out there!

Chad's Peripherals Test System Specifications

Packaging, Accessories, and Documentation

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Packaging for the G613 is standard as to what we expect to see from Logitech. A dark-gray backdrop, blue foil used for the product and company names, with an oversized view of the product within.

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What we would call the bottom of the outer sleeve of the packaging has some information worth sharing. At the left end is the name of the product inside, and to the right are the condensed tech specs, which are repeated in five other languages.

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At the other end of the same panel, we skipped past the mention of the two-year warranty, and show that this is a USB powered device, and next to that is the company information. Should you need access to the model or serial number, it would typically show at the right, but Logitech applies these stickers to all samples.

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On this small end of the box, we find more blue foil lettering, this time, showing the Logitech G brand, which is also repeated on the second long side. As to the opposing end of the box, Logitech used more blue foil lettering, but showing the G613 model name.

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The back of the packaging starts on the left with the Logitech tagline, and the name of the keyboard, with a nearly two-thirds sized image of the keyboard below it. To the right, we see mentions of the Lightspeed Wireless Technology, the use of Romer-G switches, Bluetooth connectivity, and the inclusion of six G-Keys.

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After opening and removing the thin sleeve with all of the information on it, you are left with a matte black cardboard box. Upon opening it, you can see the keyboard inside of its protective envelope, and the entire keyboard is snug inside of the cardboard and kept left with an insert containing some goodies.

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The compartment to the right contains two things. Closest is the phone/tablet stand, allowing you to keep the device close at hand, secure, and you can still read what you are typing in reply. Behind it is the 1.8-meter long extension cable for range extension of the Lightspeed Wireless dongle.

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The literature is found under the keyboard, and it is made up of two parts. On the left is the connectivity guide, which on this side shows how to connect wirelessly, and once flipped over, you get renderings of Bluetooth connectivity steps. To the right are the safety, compliance, and warranty info. In it, you will see things on proper disposal, what not to do to break it, and what is covered by Logitech in those two years of warranty.

Logitech G613 Wireless Mechanical Gaming Keyboard

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Our first look at the G613 is of the left side of it, and the mix of gray and black is visually pleasing. An additional touch is that both the gray and black are shiny, dressing up the appearance a bit. The lower section of the frame is textured as it angles inward, resting on the table. As for the keycaps, all but the back two rows are leaning away at this time, and the front rows are more dramatic a lean than most.

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On the top of the G613, at the far left edge, we run into two things. First is the G logo placed in the corner, leading us to the second part, where the column of six G-keys flanks the left edge. In this model, these are the only remap-able or programmable keys on the entire keyboard.

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The main body of seventy-four keys is what we expect to find on a keyboard, and the font is clearly applied and easy to read on the cylindrical-shaped keycaps. While we see no dual functionality at this time, Logitech has a better solution to multimedia needs.

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As to the thirty keys on the right end consisting of the commands and the number pad, everything is in place, no abbreviations are used, and we see a set of arrow keys, along with the second set in the number pad. Above the number pad, we also find a full set of low-profile keys for all of your multimedia needs.

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Above all of the other keys, we see two LEDs on the G613. The one at the left will stay on when the Caps lock is active, but only if the keyboard has not gone to sleep, returning to illumination once the keyboard is activated again. The battery LED will let you know when the cells are low and is also what is used to display the Wireless or Bluetooth status. To the right is a Windows lockout slider switch, with the wireless mode and Bluetooth mode buttons following.

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The right edge of the G613 is a lot like the left, except there are three distinct changes in this image. One, there is a power switch, which is on currently. It is used for deep storage, as the keyboard does have a sleep feature. Just in front of the switch is the model of the keyboard printed on the plastic. The third thing worth a mention is the height gained from the feet, and the angle change in usage, where no all keys are leaning at the user.

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Under the keyboard, we see raised angular design elements used to strengthen the lower portion of the frame. Three wide feet run across the front edge of the keyboard for grip, while two much smaller feet are found at the back. The product sticker is along the backside by the flip-out foot, and to the right of it, where the yellow arrow points, is the battery cover.

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Using a thumbnail or a thin coin to unlock the cover allowing it to be removed. In doing so, we not only exposed the pair of GP Alkaline batteries supplied with the keyboard but as you can see, the compartment also houses the Lightspeed wireless dongle when not in use.

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The last thing of note in the design of the G613 is the flip-out feet. Not only does it add height and a better angle of attack to the keys, but the feet flip out to the sides, making them nearly impossible to collapse. The cherry on top of this is that the ends of the feet have rubber pads as well, ensuring grip on the desk is not lost!

Inside the G613

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Shockingly, the keycaps on the G613 are not what we expected to see, at all! We wholeheartedly expected white plastic keys with black paint and white legends applied to them, but we get a set of single-shot caps molded in black, but do have applied legends on them. They keys will never wear out, but the legends can still wear off.

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Under the caps are white Romer-G tactile switches. Notice there are no LEDs inside of the switches or around them, as backlighting is not a thing in the G613. We do like the enclosed torsion bars and helper studs, which makes for a more solid feel when pressing the larger keys.

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At first glance, you think four screws are holding this together, but in reality, we had to remove thirteen screws to open this puppy up! Inside of the lower frame (at the back), there are ridges to keep the solid feel of the G613, and they offer full support of the PCB to eliminate vibrations. The upper half has the PCB mounted to the frame still, as we have no real need to see the top of the PCB.

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Selecting a random spot on the PCB to give it its close-up chance at five minutes of fame, we like what we see! All of the solder points are clean and done well, there is very little remaining of the flux residue, just ghostly rings visible here and there, and we also dig the texture of the PCB.

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On a secondary PCB, we found the N52832QFAABO IC, which is the controller of the G613. We believe this is from Nordic Semiconductors. The MCU is an ARM Cortex-M4 which can be either 8-bit or 16-bit, comes with onboard memory, but was selected for the 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth 5 capabilities. All the same, even if not a 32-bit option, it has plenty of grunt to handle the feature set and functionality of the G613 without irregularities.

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Once reassembled, we plugged in the dongle and powered up the G613. At this time the Caps lock LED, lit a blueish-white color, and the same color is used when the keyboard first comes to life on the battery indicator LED when you tap the wireless button. However, when it comes to Bluetooth and pairing, that same LED will show or blink blue, depending on the stage of connectivity and use.

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We went through pairing, found the phone, entered the code, and were set for Bluetooth communications. With that in mind, now you can appreciate the included stand that can hold mobile devices securely and at the proper angle to view it. Due to the offset stand design, it can take on much heavier devices and keep its stability.

G HUB Software

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G HUB is what Logitech uses to complement their peripherals now and is a sleeker, more refined look at software for Logitech devices. It shows the products in the center, and with the G613 all that is connected, we have just one product to choose from at this time. Across the bottom, you have links to lighting options, game profiles, and a box to drop you at the Logitech G website. As for the gear icon at the top, it opens the global menu where you can see software version and check for updates, change startup, profile, and desktop activities has a place for feedback and offers a tutorial for those wanting to watch.

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Once you click on the keyboard in the last image, you are dropped into this menu. Working at the moment in the assignments section, we can see commands is underlined at this time. Any command you can think of, you can type into the search bar or scroll through the vast list offered on the left. To the right, while marked F-keys, the G-keys are what is being addressed in this menu.

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If you want to use a single keystroke as one of the G-keys, the keys tab is where you want to go. Again, any key on a keyboard is found in this list, and actions are still confined to the G-keys.

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The actions tab is for things like push to talk, activate a stream, can be used with multiple types of software, and again, are only able to be set to the G-keys.

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Clicking the Macro tab opens a window where we have to name the Macro, in this instance, test. After that, another window pops up asking how the Macro is to be used, as in single click, repeat, and so on. Currently, those are grayed out but can be addressed when not in the record menu. From there, using the buttons at the bottom left, you have the full assortment of options and delays at your disposal to fine-tune and master Macro creation.

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The System tab allows you to select from many different aspects of PC usage, and each section has a multitude of pre-set options to choose. The interesting bit we see is the G-Shift at the bottom, which alludes to dual layers, but we found no information explaining how it works.

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The last bit of the software pertains to the Windows lockout key and what happens when it is pressed. In red is the default trio of keys that are disabled when the switch on the G613 is slid to the right. You can also select any or all of the keys on the keyboard to disable to fit your specific needs, and those will be highlighted gray when selected.

Gaming and General Impressions

DOOM & PUBG

In the many rounds of DOOM that we threw at the G613, we never felt any lag in our movements or at any time have issue with any of the inputs we were introducing to the game. No matter how twitchy we were, what weapon we were selecting, we feel many would be hard-pressed to tell it wasn't wired, as we could not feel or see any discernible differences in the way the keyboard talked to our test system.

When it came to PUBG, we tend to spend a lot of time in the lobby between rounds, and at that time the keyboard will attempt to shut down, and there is no notification, it just happens. However, when it comes time to use the G613 again, with any keypress, the battery light will illuminate for a second, and you are in action at the first press of a key! So for those campers who like to sit and watch as others run from the blue to the safe zone, you could sit there 5, 10, 15 minutes if you guessed the circle right. When it comes time to move for the kill shot, the keyboard will spring into action not missing a beat!

Windows and Productivity

While the suggested usage would have the user opting to use the switch on the side of the keyboard as much as possible to help save on power, but we chose to let the keyboard do its thing instead. Judging by the half a tick of power we sipped from the batteries over a week, which would deliver roughly eight weeks of use with the keyboard on the entire time! For those using the keyboard at the office, or from cruising the interwebs and answering emails, you come in, turn it on, and the perception is that of any other keyboard on the market!

If you were to walk in, turn on the keyboard, do 4-6 hours of use on it a day, and flip the switch off every night, that is how one attains the eighteen-month rating. For us, no matter what we did, the feeling was good, but the lack of backlighting left us wanting! Especially when gaming in a dark room, or trying to hand associate in the dark if you are not so keyboard savvy on key placement.

Final Thoughts

The scales are almost balancing themselves equally as we take our final look at the G613 and assess the good and the not-so-great. On the one hand, there is no need for a cable, no fancy coverings; no gold plated this or that, it is wireless. On the flip side of that, it does use disposable batteries, and if left to its own devices, you should expect two to three months of use on a pair of AA batteries. We are fans of wrist rest, but we also game at times with the keyboard in our laps, and having it detachable would be handy to some. The colors are nice, the surface treatments are refreshing too, and the feel of the Romer-G switches is nice and all, but, consider us spoiled if you must, but the lack of backlighting, even if a solid color, is sorely missed. We also like the new G HUB software, as it is easier to navigate and is a visual improvement on the previous LGS, we wish that the G613 had options that other Logitech G keyboards deliver!

However, while the scales are balanced on all of the significant aspects of the G613, we still end up with a decent list of plusses to the design. The massive amount of feet under the keyboard ensures no matter if you are using this on a desk, the coffee table, or on a TV tray, the G613 is going to stay put. Taking that further, there are feet that flip to the sides, with rubber ends, making sure the feet won't collapse and the G613 is just as secure as it was before extending them. The keycaps were unexpected, with the use of single-shot keycaps ensuring the paint won't come off the keys, because there is none, well except for the legends on the keys, but we are trying to keep spirits high right now. We do like the inclusion of G-Keys, as sometimes remapping standard keys can get messy, although we did want more customization across the keyboard, not just in that area. Dedicated multimedia keys, Bluetooth as an option for connectivity if wireless isn't your thing or multiple device connectivity at the press of a button, it is all good for the G613 and its users.

We may have been a bit late to the release party of the G613, but time has delivered a benefit to those who chose to wait it out or somehow missed the existence of this keyboard. Price is a massive concern for those looking to buy new toys for their PC, and at $129.99, we feel there are other solid choices with a better feature set. However, the fact that it is possible to go on the internet right now, drop $72.90 at Amazon, wait a day or two, and the G613 shows up; it is a hard deal to pass up on.

For a keyboard with as many features as it does have, multiple modes of cable-free communication, long-life Romer-G switches, a solid frame that eliminates flex and vibrations, the G613 can stand up to any wired mechanical keyboard, and in many instances win out. Unless that competition is for lightweight or best implementation of RGB, otherwise the Logitech G613 Wireless Gaming Mechanical Keyboard is a worthy solution to this segment of the market, and with the current price, makes this keyboard one of the best deals to be had currently for any real solution to wireless gaming and Bluetooth connectivity.

Chad's Peripherals Test System Specifications

Performance

95%

Quality

99%

Features

85%

Value

100%

Overall

95%

The Bottom Line

The Logitech G613 may not have the most robust feature set compared to the rest of the market, but at this price, who cares about RGB LEDs and full customizations. What it can do, it does perfectly, without hassle, and without missing the cord!

TweakTown award

Senior Hardware Editor

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Chad joined the TweakTown team in 2009 and has since reviewed 100s of new techy items. After a year of gaming, Chad caught the OC bug. With overclocking comes the need for better cooling, and Chad has had many air and water setups. With a few years of abusing computer parts, he decided to take his chances and try to get a review job. As an avid overclocker, Chad is always looking for the next leg up in RAM and coolers.

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