If you're looking for a great gaming keyboard but you're on a tight budget, you've come to the right place.
PC gaming is a potentially expensive hobby, but it doesn't have to be. It's perfectly possible to work on a tight budget and still create an epic setup that'll give you thousands of hours of gaming bliss.
This is true of keyboards, too. You can spend a fortune, but you don't have to. We set a limit of $100 and selected the best keyboards you can get within that budget.
Razer BlackWidow
Putting a $100 cap on your budget would once have placed Razer's legendary BlackWidow out of reach. But not anymore. Recent price drops mean you can get one within budget, and you absolutely should.
Packing Razer's custom mechanical switches, you get consistent tactile feedback and a delightful click with every key press. Those switches are also rated for 80-million strokes and come with a two-year warranty, for added piece of mind.
If that doesn't tempt you, there's 10-key rollover, integrated media controls, as well as a USB port and a headphone-out, microphone-in connection to help your cable management game stay on point. This is a hell of a keyboard for under $100.
Corsair Strafe
The Corsair Strafe is available with blue, brown and red Cherry MX switches. Sporting USB pass-through for attaching your mouse and freeing up a port on your PC, this particular keyboard packs a punch for the price.
Corsair has also thought about the different titles owners of this keyboard will enjoy by including textured and contoured keycaps for FPS and MOBA setups. Throw in the included anti-ghosting functionality, and it's quite the keyboard for both typists and gamers — especially at its competitive price.
If you're looking for a tenkeyless setup instead, the Corsair K65 is a similarly good choice.
Cooler Master CM Storm QuickFire Rapid
For a great tenkeyless gaming keyboard, Cooler Master's CM Storm should be on the list. It's solid as a rock and highly portable, made only better by the removable USB cable. It's also fairly understated in appearance, which can't be said of all gaming keyboards.
You get a choice of Cherry MX switches — blue, brown, green and red — a Windows key that automatically disables when in game mode, anti-ghosting and a bundle of replaceable key caps in the box. With these, you can highlight certain keys in red to stand out for easy location when you're in the middle of a raid. All this comes at a great price, too.
HyperX Alloy
Coming in just within budget, the Alloy from HyperX — the gaming arm of Kingston — is built like a tank, subtle in looks and packing where it counts. Despite having a full number pad, it's still incredibly compact, perfect for throwing in a bag and taking to a LAN party.
With steel construction, the Alloy is going to take all of the gaming-related hammering you can throw at it. Those Cherry MX switches will give you just the feel you're looking for — it's now available with a choice of color — and the USB charging pass-through is good for a mouse, or even your phone.
100 percent anti-ghosting means you'll never miss a crucial moment, and FPS fans in particular will love the included textured key caps, because keeping your fingers where it matters can be the difference between a W and an L.
Logitech G213
You might not get Cherry MX switches here, but you do get an integrated wrist rest, which your limbs will thank you for. You also get full RGB lighting, which your eyes may or may not thank you for.
Logitech is one of the top brands around for PC peripherals, and the G213 carries the company's quality and design perfectly. While it lacks some of the ultimate features some folks may look for, you get integrated media controls, function keys and spill resistance. That doesn't mean you can game in the shower, but if you happen to knock over a beverage you won't have to freak out.