Despite some awesome features, an oversize footprint, higher price point and keys that rub off over time detract from its appeal.

Logitech has really made a name for itself in the gaming community of late with their G series peripherals. The G11 is Logitech’s “budget-conscious” version of the famous G15 LCD keyboard. The G11 is identical to its more expensive cousin, minus the LCD, and about 30 dollars, so much of this review will be pulled directly from my earlier review of the G15 found here.

Appearance

Making a break from their standard rounded edged, “aerodynamic” style keyboards; Logitech has opted for a decidedly more angular, yet still hi-tech appearance with the G11. Matte black hard rubber surrounds the edges of a silver plastic face. Keys are a similar matte black to the outside border. At the top of the keyboard is a media control center, with a silver volume control wheel surrounded by standard media control buttons.



To the left of the standard keypad are the 18 programmable “G” keys. A very, VERY cool 3 level blue backlight shows through all of the etched keys as well as the borders surrounding virtually all functional parts of the G11. The “Mode” keys in the upper right of the unit are backlit with orange. The result of all of this is a very aesthetically pleasing, although larger than normal (to accommodate the G Keys) keyboard that is distinctly different from Logitech’s standard line, but still meets the high aesthetic appeal that we have come to expect from the company.

Performance

The performance of the G11 is pretty impressive overall, but your opinion of this will greatly depend on the type of gamer you are. If the majority of your games are FPS or action games, there is really not a lot that the G11 offers you over the slightly sturdier and more space efficient Saitek Eclipse II. However, if you are a MMORPG player, for example, the programmable macro keys and the robust software suite make the G11 a superior peripheral.