The Logitech G413 TKL SE Mechanical Keyboard Review
Logitech G413 TKL SE Review – Reviewed by Zubayr Bhyat.
Logitech has been around for a long time. When I received the G413 TKL SE, I got excited since I’ve enjoyed their products for so long. I’ve been using a M90 mouse from them for years now and I am convinced it is the best cheap mouse ever made.
I own a MX Ergo Trackball and owned several other Logitech mouses before. I also own a Logitech H390 headset as a daily driver for work. I really do enjoy their products. I am a firm believer that paying for a good input device is an investment and one should not cheap out on.
How does the G413 TKL SE stack up then?
What’s Good With The Logitech G413 TKL SE mechanical keyboard?
+ Well-spaced, responsive keys
+ Responsive
+ Compact
– Trade off of functions/keys for compactness
– Not all keys are backlit and only white backlighting
– Some discomfort from layout
Quality is key
Mechanical keyboards can be noisy depending on the switches used in the device. Office workers, for example, may prefer a chiclet-style keyboard because of this.
The G413 TKL SE uses PBT keycaps which are quieter than Cherry MX blue switches. The keys are responsive, easy to reach and well-spaced. There is a bit of wiggle on the keys if you’re the nitpicking type, but the build quality is great on the whole.
PBT keycaps offer more durability but they will make more noise than the ABS type which is more common. I did appreciate the matte finish on the G413 TKL SE keys too, so well done Logitech.
Response ability
Let’s talk about responsiveness, or at least the absence of unresponsiveness. There are no issues with how quick the keys take to respond, but this can be a problem if you’re not used to it.
It took a few days to get used to how each key responded. Once I was ready, I appreciated how Logitech engineered this unit. I experienced no loss in responsiveness and appreciated how solid the unit felt over the few days I had it.
Size is a big deal
This led me to size, or the lack thereof. My working space is compact. I often have many devices laying around my desk, ranging from laptops to mice/mouses. My usual keyboard is a chiclet-style Dell, which has served me well, but is a full size 104-key device. The G413 TKL SE is not full-size, which allowed me to space manage in a more effective way. It felt good to claim back a bit of room on my 1.2-meter wide standing desk.
Since this unit is more compact, extra function keys need you to hold the FN key and press the F1 to F12 buttons. This isn’t an issue on most keyboards but labels for these are not backlit like the rest of the keys on this unit. This made changing volume levels or muting more of a chore, for example.
The media controls also suffer. I was not a fan of this quirk on the G413 TKL SE, but it was not a major problem since the rest of the unit performed well. You will find an ALT GR key, which on some installations of Windows, can cause some strange behaviours like sticky shortcuts. I didn’t touch this one at all during my use of the unit, though, so it wasn’t a major issue.
To activate scroll lock, you’ll also have to press the FN + HOME key – but most will not use this. There is also a handy shortcut key for the snipping tool hiding in plain sight. Just press FN + INSERT. Again, these aren’t things I see most people using often.
Light at the end of the tunnel
At this point you may be asking about backlighting. There are three brightness levels you can set on the G413 TKL SE: off, low, medium and high. You will also get a few lightning modes which in my mind are not that impressive. There is a mode that lights up a key when pressing it. You’ll have one that has a gentle pulse and others which are more for demonstration. The full-lit static mode will serve most, in my view.
The END key failed to light up in the unit provided to me, so I am not sure if Logitech intended for its use or not. You’re also limited to white backlighting. I could not find updated Logitech G Software to see if it was possible to run coloured lights.
Right in the feels
Finally, I’d like to discuss ergonomics. The G413 TKL SE excels at this for the most part. The enter key is easy to reach with the pinky finger, along with the left shift, caps lock and tab keys. The ANSI layout may demand some to get used to the location of the backslash key.
The space bar is in the perfect place for both thumbs. The FN key is hard to reach, and so is the context menu key on the right hand side. Again, I don’t use those often, so it wasn’t a big deal. The only real frustration I encountered during my use of the keyboard was the hard to reach left-CTRL key.
I had to flex my wrists far too much to reach it with my pinky finger when using shortcuts such as CTRL+W or CTRL+C. The arrow keys were very easy to reach, so no issue there. When doing a typing test, I achieved 65 words per minute at 94% accuracy. This is a very precisely designed device!
I did notice that there were no USB ports for USB passthrough, or no extra connections, so in terms of connectivity, the G413 TKL SE is quite spartan. You’ll need a USB 2.0 port to use it too.
Did I enjoy using the G413 TKL SE?
Yes, for sure. Will I miss it after returning it? I am not sure.
The placement of the left CTRL key was a source of discomfort that was not an issue on my main Dell keyboard. Would this keyboard be a great daily driver, though? Yes, without question, if your hands are maybe smaller than mine.
The only question I’d ask as a potential buyer, is how much reliance on shortcut keys and special function keys you have. If more than the average, perhaps look for a bigger keyboard as you will likely get more functionality in exchange for the space used.
Verdict:
The Logitech G413 TKL SE is a very functional mechanical keyboard with a compact factor. It’s a great unit though, and one I suspect will last if you do decide to buy it.
Also read our review of the Logitech G Pro here.
Specifications as provided by Logitech:
DIMENSIONS
Length: 355 mm
Width: 127 mm
Height: 36.3 mm
Weight: 650 g
Cable length: 1.8 m
PRIMARY SPECIFICATIONS
PBT keycaps
Aluminum top case
White backlighting
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
SWITCHES: TACTILE
Actuation distance: 1.9 mm
Actuation force: 50 g
Total travel distance: 4.0 mm
Connection Type: USB 2.0
USB Protocol: USB 2.0
Backlighting: Yes, white per key lighting